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. Teaming crucibles of pioneer freedom. Frontier Town. The Tamed and the Untamed. Howdy there. If you're ever in a frontier town called Os Reus, with the frontier being what it is, you'll probably get into trouble. And if you do get into trouble, you'll probably be needing a frontier lawyer. So if and when you do, here's your invitation to look me up. My professional card reads Chad Remington, attorney at law. But the way things happen on the frontier, I've been giving a lot of thought to changing my card so that it will read Chad Remington, attorney at gun law. Yes sir, there's trouble aplenty on the frontier. And whatever it is, along with my riding partner Cherokee O'Bannon, I seem to end up smack dab in the middle of it. Do you think I'm exaggerating? Well, let's take what happened not too far from Dos Reus at a cavalry post. Fort Disaste. Because of a savage outbreak of lawlessness in the territory which seemed to be the work of a double-dyed, cased hardened crook known as the Dallas Kid, the army had decided to reopen and reman the old frontier stockade known as Fort Disaste. When the new commandant, Colonel Carpenter, learned that he was being transferred into my neck of the woods, he wrote me a note asking me to drop in on him. But before Cherokee and I could get there, and even before the Colonel and his command reached Fort Disaste, the Dallas Kid swooped down with all the fury of a hurricane. Colonel! Yes, Sergeant? We're outnumbered, sir, at least three to one. Good, Sergeant. Tell my son I want to see him at once. Lieutenant Carpenter, sir, I'll give him the Colonel's instructions immediately. And so it was that when Cherokee and I arrived at Fort Disaste, Colonel Carpenter was dead and Larry, the Colonel's lieutenant son, was in temporary command. That's about all there is to it, Chad. Being on a route march, we were scarcely prepared for anything like that and I... well, they caught us napping, I guess. Well, all I can say, Lieutenant, is your father's death is a great loss to the Army and to the whole country. And imagine how I feel. I spent the last six months trying to be transferred to my father's command. And then after only two days with him, this had to happen. Well, Larry, I'd cut off my right arm to bring your dad back if it would do any good. I don't suppose he ever told you, but a few years ago he got himself badly shot up saving my life. No, no, he never did. But you know, Dad, he never talked very much. But since we can't bring him back, I can certainly help you with your mission out here. Well, that's the least we can do. Are you sure, Larry, that it was the Dallas Kid who attacked you? As sure as I can be. They weren't Indians or other troops. Besides, who else would want to keep the cavalry out of here? Yes, I suppose you're right. Have you any information at all on this Dallas Kid? Well, if we had, do you think I'd be sitting around here? If we could find his hideout, we'd blast him out with Gatling guns. All I know is that he must have more spies than the entire Army. Every time the U.S. Marshal tries to trap him one place, the Dallas Kid pulls a robbery or raid the opposite end of the state. I'm afraid, Larry, that the only thing to do with a critter like that is is to trick him into pulling a pre-arranged raid. Pre-arranged raid? What Chad means is for you to bait your own trap, force his hand and be laying for him. That's a great theory. But how are you going to force his hand when you don't know where he is? I've never yet seen a wolf pack that didn't come down for water, or a pack of gun totas that didn't like to drink. Now, Chad, that isn't a nice thing to say. Drinking is a very sociable habit. And now that I think about it, I'm starting to feel quite sociable. Well, I'm afraid that I don't quite see what you're talking about. In a nutshell, having successfully raided you, I think the Dallas Kid and his gang are probably celebrating in some nearby town. Maybe Durango or Shiprock or... A better possibility is that little new town deadfall. But even with my troops, we can't surround a whole town. Of course not. But not being known in these parts, there's no reason I can't cruise around these towns until I find the Dallas Kid. Chad Remington, have you the gall to stand there and say you think you can capture the Dallas Kid single-handed? Oh, I certainly haven't, Cherokee. But I could let him sniff the bait for the trap I have in mind. Trap? What trap? The trap I was just talking about. Now let's just suppose that I get him to thinking that your troops are going to escort a half-million dollar gold shipment coming through from Nevada. Don't you think that he'd at least make a stab at trying to get his hands on that much money? Oh, Chad, that's just too much risk for one man to take. There was a lot of risk your father took the day he saved my life. Yes, but what about this trumped-up gold shipment? How will I know? Tell me something. What am I supposed to do? Lieutenant, you make all arrangements to escort a decoy wagon train through Wolf Creek Pass the day after tomorrow. And I'll see that Cherokee gets back to you with some sort of definite word before then. But, but Chad... There are no ifs, ands, or buts about this, Larry. You've got your job to do and we've got ours. And before we waste any more time arguing, Cherokee and I are heading the trail for Deadfall. The night was half gone by the time we reached Deadfall. And being a new town of only 14 buildings, 11 of which were saloons, it was another few hours before I could pull Cherokee away from the various bars as we looked in desperation for someone who might seem to be the Dallas Kid. As Cherokee and I made our rounds, the Kid himself was enjoying life according to his lights in the Bobtail Straight Bar. How about it, Bella? Another bottle of champagne? Sure. I got lots of time and you got lots of money. You'd like lots of money for yourself, wouldn't you? I ain't working here just for the excitement. Now don't turn around, just look in the mirror. See that Jasper with the gray hair sitting behind us at that third table drinking a beer? Yeah. That's Matt Fitzgerald. He rides shotgun for Wells Fargo. You're all right, Bella. You know what goes on. In this business, a girl's got to. I learned a long time ago to keep my eyes open and my mouth shut. Meaning what? Oh, for example, I can tell you where you come from from the clothes you're wearing. But I ain't going around telling anybody. Where do I come from? Texas. What part of Texas? Northeast Texas. Couldn't call the town, could you? That's easy. Dallas. You're all right, Bella. All right. Just as long as you keep your mouth shut. What about Matt Fitzgerald, Dallas? I notice he's been watching you. Go on over. Sit with him. What for? For money. If you happen to let me know when Wells Fargo is hauling money, you'll get 10 percent. Don't go away. I'll be back. Right back. Sure, it was luck. But as Cherokee and I came into the Bobtail Strait and stood looking around, Bella attracted our attention. So did the man she was talking to at the bar. When I saw her leave the bar and head for a table, I had a feeling I might find something out. So I turned to Cherokee and... Cherokee, wait for me outside. But Chad, we only just got here. Outside, Cherokee, and fast. I'm going over and sit at that empty table right behind the one the girl's sitting down at. Now go on, vamos. I sat at the table, ordered a drink, and maneuvered my chair around to where I could just barely hear what was being said at the table behind me. Why, sure, Matt. I'd love to see you after on crew work, but tonight I'm too tired. What do you mean, you're too tired? Come on, fella, what do you say? Some other night, Matt. Any other night. You just name it. Tomorrow? Uh, well, I'd like to make it tomorrow, but I can't possibly make it tomorrow. See, I'm working. Working? You mean you gotta ride shotgun again for Wells Fargo? I'm riding shotgun again for Wells Fargo. Oh, don't be a chump, honey. What do you mean? Tell him you're sick. Just don't show up. Well, I'd sure like to, brother, but I can't tell him I'm going to be sick tomorrow because tomorrow's a little bit too important. You see, they're hauling silver from one of the mines up at Montrose. Oh? Oh, look, Matt. After you get back, come on in. After I get back, I will come on in. I'll be here. Uh, Belda, how about it? I'll be here, Matt. Just waiting for you. If you get back. Ah! It was luck, all right. But now that I had the same information the Dallas kid was getting, I paid for my drink, hustled outside, and held a little power with Cherokee. But how in the name of Billy Blue Blazers do you know that's the Dallas kid who was at the bar? I don't, Cherokee, for sure. But I am sure that maverick was up to no good and just wanted the information about the Wells Fargo shipment. So? So you and I are getting that silver off the Wells Fargo wagon before they do. And you're taking it to the lieutenant over at Fort Disaster. I'm taking it? What's going to happen to you? Well, Cherokee, I'm going to do a very stupid thing right after we hold up that Wells Fargo wagon. I'm going to be so stupid that I'm going to get myself caught. We'll return to the second act of Fort Disaster, our exciting frontier town adventure, in just a few moments. And now Frontier Town. Did I hear you mutter something about fool luck? Well, if you did, you're right both ways from the middle. I was a fool, and we certainly played in luck. But the trail was too hot and too new to give up that easily. So Cherokee and I satiate down and taking our lives in our hands, wave the express wagon to a stop. Sorry to hold you up this way, but... Hey, if you're really planning on holding us up, this here rifle has a little habit of talking. And it's liable to talk right in your face. All I want is to have you turn that silver you're carrying over to us. What? And if you don't give it to us, the Dallas Kid is waiting for you just up ahead. Dallas Kid? Hey, what are you talking about anyhow? It isn't what I'm talking about, Matt. It's what you talked about last night in the Bobtail Straight Bar to a young so-called lady by the name of Bella. Bella? Wait just a minute. What do you know about Bella? Why, you unmitigated imbecile. Didn't you realize she was pumping you to find out about this shipment? Now, if you're looking for credentials, we got plenty of them. What I want to do is to have my partner here take the strong box with the silver in it over to Fort Disaster for safe keeping for a while. Let your partner take the strong box? Yeah. Just a minute. What's the idea of that? Well, I want to see if we can't make the Dallas Kid think I'm a bigger crook than he is. Well, sir, I was lucky again. Lucky that Matt Fitzgerald believed me. So loading the box of silver aboard Cherokee's horse and waiting until he was on his way, Matt and I staged the doggone-less running gunfight anyone ever saw. Heading right for the spot where the Dallas Kid, or at least Bella's bar companion, lay in wait. All right, boys. Grab those bridles and pull that wagon to a stop. Yeah! Keep them covered, boys. Now, you, who are you? What are you doing here? Say, I don't know who you are, but this long-legged lobo's been chasing me for the last two miles trying to stick up my wagon. It's a lucky thing that you fellas came along. I'll say it is. I'd have had that silver and been back up in the hills by this time. Yeah? Well, we'll save you the trouble, mister. All right, you, we're taking the silver. Silver? What silver are you talking about? Don't be so smart. The silver you were hauling down from Montrose. The silver, eh? Ho-ho! So, ho-ho-ho! So that's what all the reception committee was about, eh? Well, let me tell you something, friend. The joke's on you. When I got up to Montrose, I found they shipped the silver out yesterday by muleback. Here's Ryan. Come on, let's search the wagon. Just a minute. If you know what's good for you, you'll keep out of this. But I tell you... Shut up! Mike, pull that topling off. See what he's got in the back of the wagon. Hey, I'm telling you, there's nothing there. Never mind telling. Well, Mike? Sure nothing in the wagon. It's plumb empty. What? See? What'd I tell you? Well, can I go now? Yeah, yeah, go on. Leave it. Wait a minute, missy, and I'll ride along with you. Oh, no you don't. You're coming with us, my friend. You and me, we're gonna have a little talk. You didn't think you were the only one who could find out about that silver shipment, did you? That's not answering my question. I asked you how come you figured you could take that Wells Fargo wagon alone? I never found the game yet where I needed someone to back my play. Pretty salty, ain't you? No. Just figure I got a good head on my shoulders. You keep talking like that and I'll blow the head right off your shoulders. I don't think you could. Oh, no? No. You need a gun for that? Only you haven't got a gun anymore. I've got it. Mister, you are fast. That's the first time anybody's got my gun out of my holster before I could reach it. You and me, we ought to be playing on the same team. I don't know. Who are you? Who are you? Montana's the name I go by, if that means anything to you. I've heard a lot of gents call Montana. Yeah. So have the sheriffs and marshals in about nine states. But that isn't telling me who you are. My handle's Dallas. The Dallas kid? My handle's Dallas. Okay, Dallas. Maybe I could use you at that. You use me? That's right. Because the job that really brought me down this neck of the woods may be too big even for me. Job? Government money. A half a million in gold. A half a... What's the deal? Fifty to me, fifty to you and your boys. Fair enough. Where is the dinero? It's coming. Coming in army wagons. But don't let that worry you. I know when and where and I got the whole thing figured out. All you gotta do is... Dallas, I got something here for you. Come on, man. Blasphemous bushwhacker, let me go. Who's this Mike? When we split us right back in town, we came across this Lemox and what do you think he was totin'? That silver box off the Wells Fargo wagon. What? Why you... Let me handle this, Dallas. Now listen, you red-nosed pasty-lookin' scarecrow. You got about three seconds to start talkin'. We wanna know who you are and if you work for Wells Fargo. I said I wanted an answer. Belly-blue blazers? What sort of a yellow-spined creature are you, taking advantage of an old man? Now, are you gonna answer my question? Take it easy, Montana. He's so scared now he can hardly talk. He won't be able to talk when I get through with him. Now, where did you get that silver? The mine hired me. I was supposed to pack it down because they were afraid the wagon would be held up. I think you're lying. I don't think he's lying. Remember what the shotgun guard said? Yeah, and I think he was lying, too. Well, it'll be the last lie this one will tell because I'm gonna... Hey, don't go in it, Montana, you loco. I don't want any gunplay in here. You'll only bring the whole town running. And then where'd we be with... Well, you know what I'm talking about. Well... Well, okay. I still think he's lying, though. Before he makes any more trouble for us, have some of your boys tie him up. Tie him up? What for? Because I got an idea how we can use this crummy old saddle bum up at Wolf Creek Pass when the government tries to get their gold shipment through. Now, for the life of me, I can't tell you why I did what I did when poor Cherokee showed up. Except that I instinctively realized if I didn't do something to make Dallas feel we were strangers, he might put two and two together and get me. Now, believe me, it hurt me worse than it hurt Cherokee, and I didn't pull my punches with him either. But when it came to saving both our lives, I figured that a few skin knuckles or a bruise on Cherokee's cheek was at least a reasonable price to pay. Although I didn't know it then, Cherokee being caught was only half of my pat little plan, which had gone haywire. The other thing that happened, well, take it from me, nobody could have anticipated. Having told the Dallas kid about the hypothetical gold shipment coming through Wolf Creek Pass, I couldn't back out now even though I knew Cherokee hadn't gotten through to give Lieutenant Carpenter the message. But while I was debating what I'd tell Dallas when the wagons didn't show up, out at Fort Disaster, the lieutenant got a surprise of his own. Sergeant, this just doesn't make sense. See, Chad promised that Cherokee would bring word back to us if we were supposed to drive those decoy wagons through Wolf Creek Pass. I know that, Lieutenant, but the courier just brought in this message, and as you can see, it's official, signed by the adjutant himself, and it's shipping $100,000 in gold for payroll purposes. Well, while we're out trying to protect the actual wagon train, what happens if Chad does succeed in getting the Dallas kid and his gang up into Wolf Creek Pass? I'm sure I don't know, Lieutenant, but this is an order signed by the adjutant to the commanding general of the area, and if, begging the lieutenant's pardon, I know that old curmudgeon, well, you'd better be having the bugler blow boots and saddles and getting the troops ready to ride. Yes, of all things, an actual gold shipment going through Wolf Creek Pass, and I was leading the Dallas kid there to get it. Now, fortunately, I knew nothing about it and walked into my own trap as innocent as a newborn babe. The only thing I did do was to make sure that Cherokee was brought with us, and it wasn't because of any feeling I had that he might be able to do it. I was just trying to make sure that he was brought with us. And it wasn't because of any feeling I had that he might come in handy. All right, boys, button up your lips and listen to what Montana has to say. All right, it's all very simple. There are 33 of us, and we're splitting up and lining both sides of the pass. You've got to spread out about 20 yards apart, understand? Now, Dallas and I are staying right here where we can see both ends of this pass together. When we figure that we got them hemmed in, we'll throw the first shot from here. That'll be the signal. And remember, there's to be no shooting until the first shot from up here. Now, go on. Get to your places. I got to hand it to you, Montana. This is about as perfect an ambush as I've ever seen. What are you going to do with this maverick you made us bring along? You said you had some way you were going to use him, too. I have. And to start with, I'm going to untie him. Untie him? You got bats in your belfry? Sure, I'm loco, completely batty. Now, don't you see, if we untie him and then when the shooting starts, we put a slug through him and leave him down there, and they find him, they'll figure that not only did he swipe the Montrose Silver, but also was the Jasper behind this deal. See, that's really thinking. Sure, knowing who he is, they'll figure that he was behind the whole thing. And when they bury him, they'll think they got the man they've been looking for. Here, hold your hands out while I cut those ropes. Chad, how are we ever going to get out of this? I don't know, Cherokee, but... Hey, Montana, here come the army wagons now. Army wagons? Billy Blue Blazes, Chad, he's right. See, down there, three U.S. Army wagons. It's the real thing. What in blazes are you two talking about? Why, we were just... Cherokee, quick, lend me a hand. Wait, wait, wait. Chad, I got his gun. Don't let him fire at Cherokee. If those men hear it, they'll think it's a signal to attack. Before I'm through it, I'm gonna flood... I got his gun, Chad. I found his jaw. Well, we got him, Chad, but how in the name of my holy air are we gonna save that government wagon train? Well, we might as well die trying. Chad, Chad, maybe we're dead now. I think I'm hearing music. Music? You bird brain clown, you. That music is a bugle, a cavalry bugle. I don't know how it happened, Cherokee, but here comes Lieutenant Carpenter and all of his troops. Cavalry? Chad, do you realize this changes the entire course of history? Course of history, what do you mean? Why, in any books I've read, it's not supposed to be the cavalry. It's always the Marines who come to the rescue. Well, come on, Cherokee. We'll change the course of history right back to its normal channels ourselves. We're gonna ride down there and get in on that flight. And you can be General Cherokee O'Bannon of the horse marines. That works, I like that. Frontier Town starring Reed Hadley and featuring Wade Crosby is a Bruce Ells production, supervised and directed 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 Reed Hadley. And now this is Bill Foreman telling you that Frontier Town comes to you from Hollywood.
