Ben Cartwright:  You ca n't keep him behind bars . He 's not a criminal ! He 's a 16-year - old kid !
Sheriff Roy Coffee: With a 16-year - old gun . Ben , do you realize if that kid was just a split second faster , you would n't be around anymore to watch either one of them grow any older ?
Eric 'Hoss' Cartwright: He 's right , Pa. A sidewinder is just as poisonous the day he 's hatched as when he 's full - grown .
Ben Cartwright: Well , we 're not talking about sidewinders , we 're talking about a boy . Besides , the fangs of this _ one _ have already been pulled .
Sheriff Roy Coffee: And
Sheriff Roy Coffee: I aim to see that he do n't grow another set .