Dan and Mingo travel to Salem, N. C. (perhaps completing last week's aborted trip) to rendezvous with an Army guard and shipment of rifles intended for Boonesborough. The usual complications ensue when their party grows to include an irascible matriarch plus henpecked spouse, and a freed indentured servant (Susan Albert) - whose brother has been driven to sell the convoy out to a bandit gang.
The DB historical drama formula fires on all cylinders here with a big-budget outdoors epic, and the "Stagecoach" formula is usually an engaging one. Andrew Prine - who will make it all the way to the Civil War to portray Confederate General Richard Garnett in 1993's "Gettysburg" is the turncoat. Virginia Christine, whom boomers will recall as Mrs. Olson of Folger's Coffee commercials, provides the distractive carping as Dan tries to manage the crisis. Villain duties are assumed by TV journeyman Warren J. Kemmerling.
This hour was actually Ed Ames' real farewell performance as Mingo, but again no showcase is provided him; he is limited to sidekick tasks, but its a pleasure to see the Boone-Mingo team in action one last time.
The episode is dated as taking place during the Revolutionary War when reference is made to a (false) report of the British raiding out of Fort Ninety-Six, S. C. In reality Ninety-Six was a beleaguered Crown outpost during the later war, and rather than serving as a raiding base was more often interdicted and besieged by the rebels. An opportunity existed here to throw in some redcoats or Loyalist militia, but rather a standard outlaw gang serves as the antagonists. No ideology here - they just want to sell the guns to the Shawnee (let no dig at our villain tribe go undug!).
Humorously, Dan does instruct the beset husband that to use a muzzleloading rifle all one has to do is aim, cock, and shoot - the more complicated reloading seems to fall by the wayside.
Continental soldier count - nine, again garbed as Massachusetts Continentals or Fairfax, Va. Independent Militia, your choice. Unfortunately they exit fairly early, depriving us of what would have been for the series a fairly substantial battle.
A drawback of this outing is that its at least the fourth this season with several scenes in a cave, and the later half takes place largely at night. But there is enough action and historical background here to make this hour the best of DB, Season 4.
The DB historical drama formula fires on all cylinders here with a big-budget outdoors epic, and the "Stagecoach" formula is usually an engaging one. Andrew Prine - who will make it all the way to the Civil War to portray Confederate General Richard Garnett in 1993's "Gettysburg" is the turncoat. Virginia Christine, whom boomers will recall as Mrs. Olson of Folger's Coffee commercials, provides the distractive carping as Dan tries to manage the crisis. Villain duties are assumed by TV journeyman Warren J. Kemmerling.
This hour was actually Ed Ames' real farewell performance as Mingo, but again no showcase is provided him; he is limited to sidekick tasks, but its a pleasure to see the Boone-Mingo team in action one last time.
The episode is dated as taking place during the Revolutionary War when reference is made to a (false) report of the British raiding out of Fort Ninety-Six, S. C. In reality Ninety-Six was a beleaguered Crown outpost during the later war, and rather than serving as a raiding base was more often interdicted and besieged by the rebels. An opportunity existed here to throw in some redcoats or Loyalist militia, but rather a standard outlaw gang serves as the antagonists. No ideology here - they just want to sell the guns to the Shawnee (let no dig at our villain tribe go undug!).
Humorously, Dan does instruct the beset husband that to use a muzzleloading rifle all one has to do is aim, cock, and shoot - the more complicated reloading seems to fall by the wayside.
Continental soldier count - nine, again garbed as Massachusetts Continentals or Fairfax, Va. Independent Militia, your choice. Unfortunately they exit fairly early, depriving us of what would have been for the series a fairly substantial battle.
A drawback of this outing is that its at least the fourth this season with several scenes in a cave, and the later half takes place largely at night. But there is enough action and historical background here to make this hour the best of DB, Season 4.
