Frontier Town, the saga of the roaring west. Frontier Town. El Paso, Cheyenne, Calgary, Tombstone. Frontier Town. Here is the adventurous story of the early west, the tamed and the untamed. From the Pecos to Powder River, Dodge City to Poker Flat, these are the towns they fought to live in and lived to fight for. Teeming crucibles of pioneer freedom. Frontier Town. And lived to fight for, teaming crucibles of pioneer freedom. Frontier Town. Frontier Town. Howdy. Would you like to spend a few minutes listening to a Frontier Town lawyer? Because that's what I am. And Chad Remington is who I am. Attorney and sort of all-around general troubleshooter for Dos Rios and our surrounding territory. When I say troubleshooter, I guess I mean it in more ways than the term is generally used. Because down our way, and with the kind of people we have, the term troubleshooter gets the emphasis on both words. Yep, there's a heap of trouble out on the frontier and a lot of shooting, too. Let's take last winter, for example. It had been an especially severe winter. Colder than usual with almost constant snows. Snows so deep and heavy that even the winter range was useless. Cattle froze, starved, and died right and left. Well, it was late in February up in the little mountain town appropriately named Headstone. The principal business building in Headstone is a long, narrow room operated as a cafe or saloon and run by a strange hard-faced woman called Bourbon Kate. Her real name, or the rest of it, I guess no one ever knew. Well, this particular night was a blustery one. Kate's saloon was empty for change, and Kate stood behind the bar cleaning up and polishing glasses. And suddenly the door opened and... Well, Sheriff, evening. Evening, Kate, evening. I guess this is about the worst night of the whole winter. It'll surprise me none if there won't be a head of cattle left up here after this storm is over. I get you something? Yeah, yeah, I guess so. The usual. Oh, and Kate... Yeah, Sheriff? Make it four fingers this time. You bet. Man needs something to keep his insides from freezing. Here. Ah, listen to that. Don't know what's going to come of the cattleman now. A blade of grass for feed is worth more than a porterhouse steak. Well, Kate, here's to you. Thank you, Sheriff. Worst part of it is there ain't a man among a lot of them that's got money enough to buy even a hat full of feed. Another one, Sheriff? Yeah, thanks, Kate. Don't mind if I do. Yes, sir. Great we're going up here. Headstone would like to become a ghost town now. With the bank shaky like it is, where can the ranchers get help? Wouldn't surprise me none if the bank closed its doors before the month's over. Sheriff, I tell you, we ought to... Hey, looks like you got one customer, Kate. Yeah, what a night. Snow's clear up the treetops some places. Yeah, bad one for sure. Kate, if you don't mind, I'm going to sit down over there by the stove. Not at all. Make yourself at home. Now, mister, something I can do for you? You're Bourbon Kate, ain't you? That's my name. I'm Ben Madigan. Got a quarter section up in the Rimrock Country up high. This storm just about ruined me. Well, you ain't alone, Madigan. Believe me. I did manage to round up some of the yearlings and herd them into the barn, but... Well, I ain't got no feed left. Not a stick of straw or a single grain. Well, you can always buy a little feed. Tell me Josh Winterstore's got some left. Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. I went to the bank to borrow a few dollars, but that cheap old Jasper turned me down. Cold. Um... Well... Yeah? Well, uh... That's why I come to you. Me? You mean you want to make a touch? Yeah, I sure do. And I'll pay it back, believe me. Uh, come summer, every last red cent. Well, I'm sorry, Madigan. I ain't in the lending business. Well, from all I've ever heard, you're loaded. Made it all right here, too, out of the folks around Headstone. Folks like me. No, sir, I got a rule about... Yeah. How much you need, Madigan? Shucks, I guess I could get by on a hundred. Yeah, a hundred'd be fine. Well? You look honest. I am honest. Yeah. I said you did. Well, here. Here's five twenty dollar gold pieces. Well, don't go... I'll tell you what I'm gonna do with you. Yeah? I'll cut your high card, double or nothing. High card? You mean if I lose, I'll owe you two hundred? If you win, you won't owe me a thing. You don't have to run a bank, a hundred percent interest. You mean you won't cut high card? Oh, no, I'll cut. Okay. Well, here's the deck. You cut first. Well, what do you know? Red Queen. Queen of Hearts. Well, let's see you beat that, Kate. Well, you sure ain't making it easy on me. I might as well not cut and just give you the money. Go on, go on, cut him. It was your idea. Okay, okay, if you say so. Well, I'll be jiggered. An ace. The ace of clubs, Madigan. Yeah. Yeah, where'd you get it? Off the bottom of the deck? Madigan, I guess you don't need the money so bad after all, making a remark like that. I just think I'll put them gold pieces back. Oh, no, you don't. I always heard a man didn't stand a chance in a game with you, and now I know why. Madigan, keep your hands off that money. Yeah, I'll do it. You're not going to stop me, you understand? Why, you loco-brained idiot, put that gun away or I'll... Kate, look out! Well, I'm sorry, Kate. I wouldn't have done that if he hadn't pulled his gun first. Kate, what's that red on your shirt waist? Couldn't you see I was just trying to make him a present of that money? Why, that bomb unplugged you after all. Here, take this. Sheriff, don't waste your time. You leave me here and go fetch the... the doctor. Ben Madigan was killed, all right. The sheriff's bullet hit its marked plumb center. But poor old Kate, she got a slug too. Two days later when the storm died down, I received a telegram from the sheriff asking me to come up to Headstone because she wanted some legal help. It turned out it was her will that was bothering her. We didn't know that till we got there. That is, by we, I mean my landlord and sidekick, Cherokee O'Bannon, the former medicine man who now runs a livery stable over which I have my shabby little legal office. Well, we wasted no time going to Kate's and seeing her. She looked tired, awful tired, and mighty old as she lay there, her face gray as ashes against the clean white pillowcase. Fellas, it was mighty nice of you to come, particularly in this kind of weather. Ma'am, I'd like you to know that we have weather down in our part of the country too. But for a woman whose name is Bourbon Kate, I'd walk halfway around the world in snow up to my eyebrows. Cherokee sure talks a tough game of two-fisted business. Tough game of two-fisted drinking, doesn't he, Kate? I've known the old fraud since he peddled his genuine Cherokee Indian rattlesnake. Even when I was giving him drinks on the house, he'd never take more than one. Well, let's talk about you for a while, Kate. The doctor says you're going to be all right. Yeah, that's what the doctor says. He's a good man. Once saved me from a nasty snake bite without the use of the usual remedy. The doctor who can do that with you, Cherokee, must be a miracle man. Well, we'll see if the doctor's right this spring. If I'm still kicking around this spring. Oh, you'll be here longer than I will. Now, what's on your mind? Chad, I ain't been no angel, you know. I danced in Rio, worked saloons in Sydney, in the girly girly chorus and shows out of New York. Well, that's nothing to be ashamed of, ma'am. Besides, you've accumulated a lot of the lovely green folding stuff. I've made money and I've spent money. But my life ain't never monitored very much. I've never done anything folks call constructive. What are you talking about? Wasn't too long ago you practically nursed a whole Indian village through an epidemic of the de-ferior single-handed. Oh, anybody had done that, Chad. It just happened that I was there at the time they'd come down sick. Well, like Cherokee says, I have got little money tucked away and well, I ain't got nobody to leave it to. Well, now, if you're looking for someone to leave it to... Kate, don't I remember hearing my dad tell me that you used to be married? Sure, sure. And in 20 years I ain't even had so much as a Christmas greeting from a kid. Married by this time, I reckon. His father was a no-good sort. Yeah. Well, about this money, Chad, when the storm was over ranches are gonna need money bad and I kind of thought I might help them out a little. Well, that's a wonderful idea, Kate, but you don't need me for that. Yeah, I do, Chad. I want you to handle it. Most folks I've ever known don't like taking money from a woman and after that Ben Madigan being shot in my place the other night... Oh, for goodness sakes, Kate, it wasn't your fault. No, but try to convince folks. Oh, come on in. Who are you? My name's Madigan. Cleve Madigan. There's no call for coming into a woman's room with a chip on your shoulder. Yeah? My father was killed in her place the other night because she tried to fleece him out of some money. Oh, young fella, that remark calls for an apology. Oh, Chad, let him be. Now, don't go try to help me, too. I'm fully able to take care of myself even though my pa wasn't. Mister, you're either gonna have to stop yelling around here or get out. And fast. I'll get out when I've had my say. And I'm telling you this, you old harridan, the folks around this part of the country are mighty sick of you and your kind. And if you know what's good for you, you'll move along. Get out! Oh, God, you anyhow. Now I do want that apology, and this time I'm not gonna wait for it. Let me along. Take your hands off me. Now, look, are you gonna apologize to Kate? You're darn tootin' right I'm not. You're not getting no apology out of me, but you are getting this! You lame brain young idiot! Chad, you put that young pup to sleep the rest of the winter. Chad. Chad, you shouldn't have done that. You shouldn't have done that. After the way he talked to you and about you? The boy was upset. He's upset right now after what Chad just did to him. Chad. Chad, that money I was talking about. Yeah? Because that Madigan boy's father was killed in my place. I want to see that the Madigan family gets help. Every bit of help. And with every last penny I got. Oh, but Kate... You're my lawyer, Chad, and as my lawyer I'm giving you my orders. That Madigan family is gonna get all the help money can buy. We'll return to the exciting second act of our Frontier Town adventure in just about one minute. And now Frontier Town. Well, her name might have been Bourbon Kate, but in my reckoning she wasn't just a hundred proof. She was 100% guilt-edged woman. With a heart truly as big as a proverbial hole outdoors. For being the kind of woman she is, one you don't talk back to for long, Cherokee and I started to see what we could do with the money to help the ranchers. We talked it over with the sheriff and decided to order several carloads of feed shipped up to Headstone. It was while the three of us were talking it over that we got our first bad news. The barber ran into the sheriff's office to tell us that a mob had descended on Kate's saloon and was busting the place to pieces. While leaving the sheriff to round up some deputies, Cherokee and I raced down the street to the scene of the battle. Come on, men. Smash this place into kindling. You look like you need stopping. Cut it out. That's Bourbon Kate's bodyguard. Don't listen to him. Go on, let's finish the job. Madigan, unless you want to go to jail, you'll stop inciting these men to riot. Look who's talking. Come on, let's throw him out. Okay, anybody who thinks he can, step right up. I'm stepping up, mister. Good. You're stepping right in. Right into this. Just in time, Chad. Here comes the sheriff and his deputies. Here, every guy, I'll turn one of you. You're under arrest. If you know what's good for you, you'll come along peaceable. My men have got orders to shoot, to kill. The sheriff didn't hold anybody very long, but his prompt appearance did break up the riot. The next day, Cherokee and I rode out to the Madigan place to pay a call on young Cleve Madigan. Hello there, boy. Well, I hope the young man's at home. That last nice little experience has calmed him down. Of course, I don't blame him for not... What do you want? Cleve, we rode all the way out here to talk to you. Yeah, I'll bet. I really want to find out how I enjoyed being locked up. If Kate wasn't the kind of woman she is, you'd still be locked up. If you come out here to talk to me about that old witch, you're sure wasting your time. Well, nice plight, young fella, isn't he? I certainly don't like him calling Kate an old witch. Cherokee, the sad part of it is that someday, pretty soon, he's going to swallow those words. I just hope he doesn't choke on them. Come on, best place for us is back at the sheriff's office. Well, I guess you'll be pleased to know that the freight car's got through with the feed. Pulled in while you were gone this afternoon. They're down to the siding. That's certainly a relief. By the way, how's Kate? Have you heard, Sheriff? Well, I talked with the old sawbones a while back. He says the wound don't amount to nothing no more, but she ain't getting no better. Says he just can't understand it. You ask me, and you may if you wish, I think Kate's lost her spirit. Her fighting spirit. Well, no wonder. From all she's been through. And that... Say, I almost forgot. The ranchers called a meeting this afternoon to try to get some help from the state. Oh, that's great. By the time the state could vote on it and send the ranchers some help, the snow would be flying again next winter. Well, all you've got to do is go to the meeting and tell them about the feed that Kate's bought for them. Yeah, yeah. I guess that's the thing to do. With all the ranchers together, I'll just go to that meeting and tell them the good news. All right, all right, all right, folks. Quiet down now. Uh, neighbors, neighbors, I telegraphed a fellow I know in the state senate. He says the state will be glad to help, but they can't appropriate no money until the next regular session. Excuse me, but, uh, may I say a word? Why, sure you... Jay, you got a nerve coming to our meeting after what you pulled the other night. Now, look, you're... you're in trouble, all of you. I think a mighty good slogan for this meeting might be, let bygones be bygones. Let him talk, Rod. He's so full of hot air, if he talks long enough, he may melt off all the snow and we'll get some grass around here again. Please, that isn't a bad joke. I'm gonna accept it as a joke. But I came to this meeting to tell you that at the junction siding, outside of town, there are five cars a feed. Five cars a feed? Sure, there are five cars a feed. And from what I hear, the feed was bought by Bourbon Kate and brought up here. And she's gonna try to charge us $70 a ton. Now, wait a minute, wait a minute, Cleve. Are you talking like a wild man? Are you trying to tell me that Bourbon Kate doesn't own that feed? No, I'm not but you... If she thinks she's gonna squeeze blood money out of us, she's better off dead. And for one, I'm in favor of going down to the siding and putting a torch to those cars, just to show her what we think of. Great day in the morning. What's black to do you, man? Haven't you got any less to say? Come on, men. At least we'll be warm around here for a while. Get some pitch torches and let's be getting down to the railroad track. Ever tried a reason with a mob? I'm here to tell you it just can't be done. Neither the sheriff nor Cherokee nor I had any influence with them. Nor would even one of them stay to hear the truth about those cars of feed. Well, as soon as the hall had cleared, the three of us decided to go down to the siding and not wanting any bloodshed to see what we could do about straightening them out. The wind had started again and going was tougher than ever. Doggone it, Chad. This wind is just gonna make it worse. At the rate you're running, I could use a little wind myself. If we can uncouple just two of the cars and save them, we'll have done some good. Hey, look. Look, they've done it. The fire's already starting. Oh, what fools these mortals be. Slope into the south and we can just unhook two cars. They'll roll down that ravine and be safe. Chad, I don't think we're gonna get there in time. If we do, it'll be because someone has carried me. Great. Jumping Jupiter, Chad. Hey, ain't that somebody climbing on the ladder on the side of that burning car? Sure is, Sheriff. He's climbing up there to release the brake. Release the brake? Then once that car starts rolling, he won't be able to get down without jumping. Hey, hold it. Hold it. No use running now. It's too late. Chad, am I seeing things or did you see what I saw? Oh, Cherokee. We saw it all right. That sure was a close one. You boys cut that car loose just in time. We didn't cut it loose. We didn't get here in time. Well, then who was it? That was Bourbon Kate who done it, Roderick. Yeah. There she goes riding that boxcar probably to her death. Look at her roll. Not a good looking at that car does because it ain't never going to make that curve. Mercy for Providence. The car's tipping. It's going over now. That's the end of her. What an awful way to end. Smashed up in the wreck of a flaming freight car. Son, come on back to town with me. You and I have a bit of talking to do. All the fighters gone out of Cleve Madigan. So he came along quietly and chased them. I thought the best place to talk to him would be in the room where Bourbon Kate had lived. So the four of us headed for there. I don't mind going with you, but what's your idea of taking me up to her place? Cleve, there's a letter here that I want to turn over to you. Wait. I'll open the door. She is sick as she was. I'll never know how she managed to get out of the bed and down to... It just can't be. Are we crazy or something? I know I saw her riding on top of that freight car. We all saw Cleve, but still there she is, right in her bed. Is she... is she... well, you know, is she... Yeah. Reckon she's been dead more than two hours. But... but... I don't understand it. Well, there are a lot of things in this life we live that none of us understand, Cleve. A good deal of it has to do with the spirit inside of us. I'll say amen to that. You mean you think this was a miracle? I'd be a pretty poor model to judge miracles, Cleve. Maybe after you read this letter you'll... Letter? A letter from who? That's a letter for you. It was written by your... It was written by the woman we knew as... Burbank Kate. Cherokee, I think you and the sheriff and I had better be on our way. Goodness knows we don't want to be around if there's another miracle performed tonight. For the life of me, Chad, I still can't understand it. Shouldn't even try to, Cherokee. The important thing is that we were there to see that Kate's desires and her will were carried out. Plenty of feed for everybody now. I imagine Cleve Madigan won't judge folks quite so harshly again. Every time I think of her I get a lump in my throat. That might be a good thing for you, Cherokee. It may stop you from pouring things down your throat that you'd be better off not having. Look, if you don't mind now, I don't feel much like talking. Let's just rattle up these ponies and get on home. Come on. Come on, may you. Start moving. Frontier Town starring Tex Chandler is a Bruce Ells production, supervision by Joel Murcutt, story and direction by Paul Franklin, music written and played by Ivan Ditmars. Be sure to be with us again same time next week for another fine action adventure story with your favorite young western star, Tex Chandler. And now this is Bill Foreman telling you that Frontier Town came to you from Hollywood. Thanks for watching.
