Don Franklin, (Noah Dickson/Dixon), joined the cast at the beginning of season two. He made an excellent addition to the cast and fitted in really well. He quickly carved out a wonderful character. Jimmy meets him first when he sees Noah buying slaves and freeing them. After helping him out of a jam (or two), Jimmy notes that if Noah keeps behaving the way he does, he will hang. Noah says that he was born to hang. Noah seems a little better educated than some of the other riders. He carries a whip more often than he carries a gun but is proficient in using both. He feels strongly about slavery because his mother was a slave. This often leads to arguments with the Kid who is from the south. This issue is explored to wonderful effect in the episode 'Kansas' where Noah is held in a slave labor camp.
Noah is always ready to defend himself, often getting fights. The most memorable (and longest) is the fist-fight with a soldier in 'Between Rock Creek and a Hard Place'. This is a very realistic fight scene where Noah fights for the honor of his only love on the show Cassie Ellis (ER's Gloria Rueben). The soldier is later murdered and Noah is blamed. It is later found out that he was framed by Cassie's little brother who was trying to protect Cassie, who is the real killer. She tell them that she was beaten and raped and isn't charged.
I would describe Noah as intelligent, headstrong, loyal and, like all the riders, really gorgeous. He also has a dry wit and often makes amusing observations about the situations they are in. Noah (along with Ike) is the only other series regular to be killed off. He dies in the final episode and I'm sure we all shed a tear or two at his funeral. My favorite Noah quote is when he tells a northern army recruiter who won't let him join up because he is black: "It seems strange that folks willing to fight for the likes of me, won't let me fight along side them."