"Day of Terror"
(Original air date 12/12/66)
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An outlaw and her three sons, one badly injured, take Victoria,
Audra and a Sunday-school class hostage
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Writer: Peter Packer
Director: Virgil W. Vogel
On this special Sunday Audra has been invited to teach a bible class to a group of young children. Despite her family’s encouragement the fear of failing at her task continues to haunt her to the point that she asks Heath and Nick not to be present at the lecture once they drop off the kids.
After giving her sons last-minute instructions on where and when to pick up the children Victoria escorts her nervous daughter inside where a man thrust a gun at them, ordering them to stand still.
In comes his mother, infamous outlaw Annie Morgan (Colleen Dewhurst), who orders her other son Wes (Ken Swofford) to help her carry his young injured brother Lon (Michael Burns) inside.
The distraught mother is helpless in saving her son dying of a bullet wound in a robbery gone awry. She therefore orders Victoria to ride into town with her third son Troy (Ross Hagen) to fetch the doctor while she keeps Audra hostage to guarantee her silence.
Victoria and Troy arrive in town where they learn from Dr. Merar’s wife Iva (Amanda Harley) of her husband’s fishing trip. Desperate, Victoria asks to borrow the doctor’s medical bag, stating an emergency that needs immediate attention.
While waiting for Victoria’s return, Annie attempts to allay her injured son’s fear of dying and smitten Wes tries to woo Audra.
The news of the doctor’s absence has Annie concerned for Lon’s life. Victoria agrees to perform the delicate task of digging for the bullet in exchange for the mother’s solemn promise to leave the premises the minute her son is strong enough to travel. Annie reluctantly agrees for Lon’s sake.
While Victoria preps her patient for surgery, in the vestry, Audra boils water. Wes makes a surprise entrance and starts making advances, going as far as forcing himself on the frightened girl. Luckily Annie irrupts in the room and orders him to climb to the bell tower in order to keep a lookout for unwanted visitors. She then turns to Audra, accusing her of being a tease.
Annie keeps a watchful eye on Victoria while she performs the delicate surgery. Outside, the Minister (Gene O'Donnell) rides by to offer Audra his assistance in the preparation of her class. She manages to convince him that the situation is under control so that he’ll be on his way.
Inside, Victoria is sweating through the painstaking procedure. Albeit with difficulty the bullet is removed. The shoulder is then cleaned and swathed in bandages. Instead of abiding by Victoria’s wishes Annie decides to remain in the church a while longer to allow Lon to fully recuperate before hitting the road.
When Wes signals the arrival of the group of kids Annie and her two sons move up to the organ room to hide. She leaves Audra with the threat of sticking to her Bible class, if she doesn’t want any bloodshed.
One by one Nick and Heath lead the children inside the church and tease Audra once more about her fear of having them sitting on her very first Sunday-school class. This time she hesitates but doesn’t insist, knowing their presence could aggravate the situation. Outside Wes keeps the two brothers in the crosshairs, his finger ready to press the trigger at first sign of trouble.
Nick and Heath stop by Leif Engstrom’s (Tom Monroe) place to have a taste of his famous cider and get his secret recipe before returning to the church, where Annie seriously ponders doing away with the two women.
Audra’s choice for story telling has Victoria in tears as the subject relates the situation at hand of a love - hate relationship within a family. She hurries up to the organ room to attempt to convince Annie to flee during the recess period. Her two sons concur that they should leave but the mother disagrees. Her resentment of rich people has blinded her to the point that seeking revenge has become predominant over the safety of her three boys.
While the children are busy playing in the yard, Audra returns inside to get the hymns where Wes surprises her and resumes his savage advances. Audra’s screams alert Annie who beats her son to a pulp until lucidity takes over and she dissolves into tears, asking her precious boy to forgive her temporary insanity.
Wes remains sceptical but contrives a smile and returns to his post atop the belltower while downstairs, Annie blames Audra for encouraging her son’s advances. She then returns to the organ room where she informs Troy and Lon of her intent to kill both women.
Meanwhile Mrs. Merar rides by the ranch to inform Jarrod of Victoria’s unusual request for the doctor’s medical bag. This has Jarrod worried that something is amiss and decides to check out his suspicion by riding out to the church.
There, Wes shouts out a warning, thus revealing the outlaws' presence in the church. While Audra gathers the children to a safe place, Annie takes Victoria hostage until the danger is dealt with.
Wes shoots at Jarrod but the Barkley son feigns death to lure his enemy out in the open. He guns Troy down as he exits the church.
He then proceeds circumspectly inside where Wes surprises him. Jarrod seizes a moment of distraction to disarm the man and engages him into a fistfight that ends with Annie smashing the butt of her gun onto Jarrod’s head.
Annie orders Wes to get Audra but he refuses. He is tired of living under her yoke and wants out. She slaps him in the face and he retaliates. Incensed and humiliated she decides to do the job herself. Victoria grabs a gun and warns Annie to leave her daughter alone. Annie shoots at Victoria but the Barkley matriarch’s bullet is faster.
Days later at the ranch, Nick is proud to introduce to the family his new business venture. Each sample a taste of the new Barkley cider when Heath walks in to hand Nick the money they made as profit on their first sell. The town’s vet considered this cider to be the best horse liniment ever.
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