Another solid entry from that outstanding '57-'58 season. Matt and Chester are on a long chase after escaped killer Simon Oakland. Then in the middle of nowhere, their horses are shot in a gun battle with Oakland who becomes their prisoner. Now they have to hoof it to the nearest stage line for the trip back to Dodge, (good thing their route-finding instincts seem to be unerring). Along the way, Oakland makes an unusual request-- he's ashamed of being a prisoner and asks Matt not to let the other passengers know. Matt takes a chance and acquiesces. Is this an escape trick or is Oakland sincere? Matt finds out since the stage trip proves a difficult one.
For once, the grassy countryside actually looks more like western Kansas than the scrublands of southern California, adding nicely to the atmosphere. It's also a different kind of early episode since all the action takes place outside of Dodge. Cast includes the sinister-looking Peter Mamakos, every inch the classic western villain, and the dead-pan Clem Bevans in the ornery Gabby Hayes role. The realistic segment on greasing the stage wheel is a nice touch, and probably amounts to a classic bit of folk wisdom from writer Meston's fund of Western lore. Well done wrap-up, again showing Meston's talent for sketching memorable characters that turn the story into something of a parable on trust and redemption.