 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 Pekos 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! Friends, howdy. I'm Chad Remington, frontier lawyer from the Frontier Town called Osreous. And you can take it from a frontier lawyer that the frontier is every bit as rough and tough and extraneous as they say. Or I don't mean that everybody is a gunman or lives by the law, the six gun. But by and large, most of the enforceable law is the law that's barked out of Samuel Colt's single action frontier model. With the frontier just developing, there are areas which are unincorporated and still have no law at all. Now in my neck of the woods, there's a 1,200 square mile section completely detached from any law governing body, which we just call the Badlands. And it was only a few weeks ago that the United States Marshal in our district sent for me and told me that there was a man in the Badlands he wanted brought back. A man he couldn't get to because the badge of his authority wouldn't extend that far. Not wearing a badge myself, I offered to gather up Cherokee O'Bannon, ride into the Badlands and see what I could do about bringing Slash Stoner back over the border into justice. Well, it was while O'Bannon and I were on our way up to the Badlands that something was happening on a small ranch. The O-Box O, owned by Judy McGovern, which colored and complicated the task ahead of us. Stepping out on her ranch house porch, Miss McGovern called to her foreman. Cheyenne? Oh Cheyenne, come over here a minute, will you? I'm straggling in there through the brush. Well, I'll be cow kick if they ain't. Can't understand it. Pulled the boys myself this morning to run them urines into a box canyon till we got some new drift fence up. With the rate they're tearing our fences down, I wonder what's the use in putting new ones up? Well, Miss Homesteaders never were welcome, even in so-called civilized country. When you get up here in the Badlands, well, there ain't no... Cheyenne, those shots, they're coming from Armada. They sure are, Miss. And before it gets any worse, we'd better ride. What else happened? Well, that's about all there is to it, Miss McGovern. Me and the boys saw someone tearing out our fences, so we come out after them. By the time we got here, they was gone. And I wished I knew who was tearing down our fences all the time. You know as well as I do, Cheyenne. Who was using this land as open range before my father fenced it off? Slash Stoner. Easy now, Miss. Stoner's a pretty powerful man around these parts. If I were you, I wouldn't talk too loose about a man like that. A man like that? A murderer, that's what. He killed my father and someday I'm gonna prove it. I hate arguing with a lady, Miss McGovern. Especially a pretty one. But if I was in your... Stoner, where did you come from? From my place. I heard some shooting and rode over to investigate. Looks like they wrecked your fences good this time. Looks like they wrecked my fences. You got your nerves, Stoner, wouldn't you know better than anyone else just who they are? Miss, I used to figure you talked too much as you didn't think first. Now I know it's because you can't think at all. Why you? Miss McGovern, if you've got half a brain in your head, you'll keep your mouth shut when I'm around, because I'm afraid the only language you understand is hot lead. Look, Cherokee, what do you make of all those punches milling around in front of that ranch house? Billy Blue Blazer's chat, that looks like a small-sized riot. And if it is a riot, and since we are up in the Badlands now, maybe we're getting close to doing what the Marshal asked us to do. You mean you think Slash Stoner is right there in that front yard? I don't know, O'Bannon. But until we find out, suppose you let me do the talking, and you just follow my lead. All right, slow down now. Yes and no, Miss. But if you own this place, what with it getting to be roundup time, we thought maybe you could use two extra hands. Well, I might have a minute ago. Now all that I need is a first-class miracle. Oh, my men are quitting, and I'll tell you this much. I don't blame them. Quittin'? Well, they look like you feed them enough. What's the trouble? Well, we're sick and tired of making clean pigeons out of ourselves for $30 a month. That's what. That's right, ma'am. Why not two months ago, the girl's father was killed? Just this morning, the town Marshal was gunned down. From behind. We're getting out while they're getting out as good. What's wrong? A little gun smoke by the nose? There's one thing about my nose. I don't go around sticking it in other people's business. We're looking at that twisted horn on the front of your so-called face. Any business you'd find to stick it into would have to be plenty crooked. Yeah? Well, here's something straight. Straight for your jaw! Anybody else like a free swing at my jaw? Well, then, maybe you've all changed your minds and you'd like to stay on working for the young lady here. Well, since they'll stay, how would you two like to stay? You bet, miss. We'll get our blanket rolls right away. Oh, incidentally, what's your name? Oh, uh, my name? Well, it's not much of a name, miss, but, well, any time you call me, I'll answer to just plain John Doe. I see. The only place I've ever heard that name before was in court, Mr. Doe. And if you have any ideas of your own about this ranch, that's where you'll end up. Back in court! That's fair enough. But from what I've just witnessed here, I suspect the only court any of us will be in for a long while will be presided over by Judge Kult. Now, if you want to cluck your tongues and wag your heads and say, I didn't know what I was getting into, well, you're as right as an early morning rain. I didn't. But before that night was over, I started to find out, with a vengeance, deciding to go into town. My first problem was to stop Cherokee from coming with me. Billy Blue blazes, Chad. I'm sick and tired of you treating me like an orphan. But you are an orphan, Cherokee. I certainly am not an orphan. I had just as many mothers and fathers as you did. All right, Cherokee. You might as well stop all that blustering because I know as well as you do why you're so insistent on going into town with me. You'll figure if I can run into Slash Stoner that you ought to be able to run into an old friend of yours. Friend of mine? Who could that be? It couldn't be anyone other than your boozen companion, John Barlicorn. Why, of all the unfair things to say, here I make the unselfish gesture of offering to go in to protect you from the multitude of dangers which will be set to you on every hand, and you have a temerity to call me a low-down name like a yaws. Yaws? What's yaws? Three fingers of bourbon to never mind the chaser. I certainly tripped you up on that one, Chad. You certainly did, Cherokee. But it isn't going to do you a bit of good. I'm afraid I've got trouble on my hands tonight, Cherokee. And when I find Slash Stoner, I don't want to have to keep one eye watching you at the bar and the other eye watching Stoner's hand at his holster. Slash, will you listen to me? What eatin' on you, Drago? It's like I just told ya. After I had it all fixed and the governed gals' punchers quit, these two big jaspers ride in and knock everything higher in the kite. Have a drink, Drago, and quit worrying, will ya? Suppose he signs on 20 new punches. You think that's gonna stop me? But if you want to get that land back so that you can... Hey, huh? See this maverick walking over here toward the bar? Yeah. He's the one that liked to beat my head off this afternoon. Very interesting, Drago. Call him over to have a drink. Hey, you! You! Come over here a minute, will ya? Are you callin' me? Yeah. Have a drink. No thanks. I don't like the company you keep. Why are you cheap poppin'? Drago was just tellin' me about you. Oh? He said you were one of the new hands duty McGoverns signed on. Yeah, that's right. I'm one of the two new hands. You may think you're a new hand, but to me, you look more like a broken down old foot. Well, you should know a lot about feet. I understand you escaped from the state pan on foot, Stoner. Huh? What's that? You mean you thought I wouldn't recognize you? Why, I got a piece of paper here in my pocket with your picture on it. Published by the United States Marshall. When you see him again, give him my regards. If you live long enough to see him again. I see you're reaching down toward your holster. You want to try your luck? But not right now. Thinking of waiting until my back's turned? Maybe. It's a nice broad back. Room for about six slugs. Stoner, I don't intend to have my back turned, but I do intend to get you back. Back out of the badlands and across the border. You sure talk tough, don't ya? I thought you and I settled that argument this afternoon. However I see that you've got hold of your gun, you think you can do any better with that than you can with your fists? I don't know, but I sure could make an awful good... The only reason I was interested in him, Stoner, was so that you could see I make a practice of hitting what I aim at. In your case, I'm aiming at bringing you back and turning you over to the United States Marshall soon. Real soon. Next morning, Cherokee and I managed to get Cheyenne alone and do a little groundwork on him. Important groundwork. Well, I knew it. It's just like I'm telling it to you. A gal really can't run on a ranch like her daddy could. And unless she can raise some money, the bank over here is going to gobble her up. Well, and why doesn't she drive her cattle over to Mendocino and raise some money? Oh, great idea. Drive the cattle over to Mendocino. What do you mean, Cheyenne? How far do you think she'd get before some of these black-hearted sidewining buzzards around here swooped down and took every head of cattle she had? Do you think you could convince her to at least try to drive them to Mendocino? Probably could, but it'd be just like convincing the gal to commit suicide. I'll tell you what, Cheyenne, you convince Miss Judy to drive to Mendocino and sell the cattle, and I'll promise you that no matter what happens, she'll get enough money to pay off the bank. Promises like that don't mean very much, son. Miss Judy's father now. He promised the bank he'd pay him off. Well, look what happened to him and his promises. You do as I ask you to, Cheyenne, and that'll make two promises I've got to fulfill while I'm up here. And believe me, mister, I'm going to make both of them stick unless I end up in a little ranch of my own in the Badlands Boot Hill. We'll return to the second act of the Badlands our exciting Frontier Town adventure in just a few moments. Oh, Frontier Town! Well, maybe you're like Cherokee and thought that I was bluffing when I promised Cheyenne that I'd see Judy McGovern would get enough money to pay off the bank if she at least tried to drive her cattle to Mendocino. It was just an idea I had, but an idea I felt would work. And what happened subsequently over at Slash Stoner's dismal ranch house certainly proved that I was on the right track. I told you that new man was going to make trouble, Slash. Now he's gone and done it. Done what? He's got her rounding up her beef, getting them ready to drive to Mendocino to sell. Once she sells the cattle and raises the money... And what makes you think she can raise the money? Now look here, Slash. If you mean you want us to raid that cattle drive, nothing doing. When you first hired me, it was a question of just scaring them off their spread. But now... Yeah, but now... Well, by thunder, first you kill her old man, then you gun down the Marshal, and now you're talking about more shootings. Maybe you want to end up in jail, but I don't. I've been in jail once too often. But I've got a pretty good idea where you'll end up, you yellow spine... Yeah? Does this look like it? Yes. You're backbiting rat because you haven't got salt enough to pull that trigger. Hold on. Pull it. While your hands tremblin' now like you had palsy, what you needed... Blast you, Slash. Look at that. Not six inches away from me. And the best you can do is break a window. Here, give me that gun, Slash. I... I... You see, Slash... Never mind that whining, I'm trying. You get that job done for me right. Because if you slip up, the next time I see you, I'll blast you the way I did that town Marshal. I understand, Slash. Honest. And something else. I don't just want that McGovern cattle. I want that busy body's hide. All full of holes. I'll get busy. I'm going to town and order a few dozen funerals. Mr. Doe. John. Oh, you talk out of me, Miss McGovern? Yes, I... Well, I guess I was wrong about you. You did a wonderful job roundin' up the stock the way you did. I appreciate it. Thanks, Miss, but... Well, you save your appreciation until you've got the bank paid off. What do you know about the bank? Oh, I know a few things, Miss Judy, that I don't talk about. Oh, Cherokee. You call me, champ? Yes, any sign of anything in that gorgeous head? Don't see anything yet. What do you mean, is there any sign of anything? Well, if anyone's going to raid our drive, that's about the most likely place for it. Well-covered and... Now, you see what I mean? All right, rain up, boys, and hit for cover. Find yourself a nice big rock, Miss. Those Mavericks are in dead earnest. What are you doing? Are you just going to let them take my cattle? I reckon so, Miss. There are five of us and about 20 of them. Why, you critic. Well, I'm not going to let them get away with it without even trying. I've got a gun and I know how to use it. Judy, Judy, get down. Drop that gun. Don't make me hurt you. You! You're in with those rustlers. That's a jar. There you are. All right, Miss, have it your own way. But remember what I told you. Save your thanks and your condemnation for a while until the banks paid off. It sounded bad for me, I guess, didn't it? Well, as you shall see and soon, not only wasn't it bad, but it worked out. If not the way I'd planned it, certainly the way I'd hoped for. Judy McGovern's cattle had been rustled and now it was up to Cherokee and to me to fulfill my promise that you'd get enough money to pay off the bank. With Judy's money and my promise about Slash Stoner to the United States Marshal fully in mind, Cherokee and I took up positions behind some rocks on the trail leading back from Mendocita to the Badlands. Chad, I've taken chances with you on more bat-brained ideas and the law allows. But this one is about the most ridiculous I've ever heard of. You've heard of the old saying, it takes a crook to catch a crook. Well, that's how I propose to catch Slash Stoner. What about the girl's cattle? Don't you believe that Stoner rustled her cattle? Of course. Well, since I promised to get Miss Judy her money, it's our job to get it back from Stoner. Get it back? Why'd you let him rustle the cattle in the first place? Well, since Stoner seems to be the only man who can get any cattle out of his valley, I simply let him take the cattle so he could sell them and get the money for us. Billy Blue blazes Chad, here comes Stoner and some of his gun slicks now. Man, unless I'm mistaken, that bulge inside his shirt is the money he got for Judy McGovern's cattle. All right, come on, Cherokee. You and I are going to pull a hold up. All right, Stoner, and the rest of you, start clawing clouds. What do you want? That sack of money you got inside of your shirt. All right, come on, get it out. Oh, not that way. He said your shirt, not your holster. Now, if you can still use your hand, toss that bag over to me. Boy, a thieving sidewinding. Yeah. All right. Now, all of you, get down off those horses. Come on. And if you know what's good for you, you won't try to follow us. Because next time, I won't shoot over your heads. All right, Cherokee, we'd better be riding. Get up there, you. Slash, you're going to let him get away. What do you think? Come on, back at them horses. Let's go. Giving Cherokee the money for safekeeping, I circled behind Stoner, crossed his trail and came out ahead of him, where I waited for him to approach. All right, Stoner, that's far enough. Oh, who? Got that drop on me again, didn't you? Never mind the chatter. My horse threw me and ran off. So just get off of yours and I'll be on my way. Why, sure. Sure! Smartie, I'm sure of you. Get up, watch it. This gun will go off right through you if you make one phony move. All right, all right, take it easy. I don't think even you would shoot down a man whose gun is on the ground. Oh. Well, I got a better idea. I'm taking you into town, wise guy, and locking you up. Anything that ever happened around here, you're gonna be blamed for now. Well, there's not much that I can do about it. I'd rather live in jail than be buried out here. By the way, with my horse gone, we'll have to ride double on yours. Riding back of you won't be so bad. Not when I know when you're going. All right, salty. Let's get started for town. What's the matter, Stoner? You uncomfortable? We get to the road. I'm moving you over onto one of my boys' horses. Hey, look. There's a stagecoach coming. How about trailing your horse and getting a ride in that? Long as I'm going to jail, I might as well go and comfort. I've been in this saddle long enough for one day. I guess the boys will find their way back. Come on. This stagecoach looks like a break for you. Join your stagecoach ride, wise guy. Your last stagecoach ride for the next 50 years. My last? I guess you haven't been very attentive, Stoner. What does that mean? Take a look, Stoner. You should recognize that by now. We've just arrived in your old stamping grounds, Colorado. Colorado? Hey, where are we? This isn't the road to the bad land. No, no, it's not. That sign we're just passing says state border. You just crossed the line into the United States. Marshall's bail away. All right, driver, rain up. Why, you double dealin'? Easy now, Slash. You see, you didn't clean out my shirt. I had another gun in there. How's that? I'll get you for it. You fool. That slug just went through the fat part of your leg. All right, come on, Slash. You're able to walk. It's not far to jail. Hey, Marshall, he's right in here and ready for a pair of handcuffs and a nice striped suit. Who says a prodigal son never comes home? I guess I can call you Chad now instead of John or Mr. Doe. By whiskers, Mr. Judy, after what he done for you and for everybody else up here in the bad lands, you ought to call this broad-shouldered, trouble-shooting galoot your highness or something just as respectful. No, a thousand times no. Your highness sounds too much like your honor to suit me. I've been healed up in court so many times even I start to think my name was Mr. Defendant. You know, he's not fooling about that either. When Cherokee peddled that rattlesnake oil of his that was supposed to do everything from growing hair to making a cooling drink in summer, you know, you can gun down a man out here on the frontier and go scot-free, but you certainly can't show a man he's a sucker and get away with it. Well, you certainly made a sucker out of Slash Stoner and got away with it, although I still don't know exactly how you did it. Well, in the first place, when Cheyenne told me you had to raise some money to pay off the bank, I realized Stoner would never let you drive your cattle out of the valley. Well, I understand that part of it. Tricked him into wrestling my cattle and then stealing the money he got for them back from him. But how did you ever figure you could get him into that stagecoach you hired? Chad hired? Why, I hired it. The marshal's expensive, of course. You see, with Cherokee, you've got to give him something to keep his mind off his principal pastime, so that was his assignment. And just what is his principal pastime? Bending his elbow and then keeping on bending his elbow. Why, Cherokee, I'm surprised. A man of moderation would take only one drink. And being a man of moderation, I only order one drink. But the one drink invariably makes me feel like a new man. What's a new man got to do with a second drink? Well, counselor, being a hospitable person, what else can they do except order another drink for the new man? Frontier Town, starring Reed Hadley and featuring Wade Crosby as a Brucell's production. Supervision in 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, Reed Hadley. And now this is Bill Foreman telling you that Frontier Town comes to you from Hollywood.