 Let me tie, I'll hold, get along, get a little doggy. You know that the fairy will be your new home. Button your age, just going on 14. There ain't no kid in any place can shoot better than you. Indeed. But I ain't gonna stop practicing. Not to let me shoot as good as you can, Pop. Are you the best shot in Malo's game? You're probably the best shot in the whole world. No, kid. I know at least one gentleman who's better than me. Lightning Jim. You mean the bad children? Yes, Billy. He's a United States Marshal and a fine man. They don't make him any finer than he is, Billy. But, Pop, I can't write a bigger this thing. You and Malo and Butch and Wicker go out of gym a lot. Well, how can you think so much of this lord dog like Lightning Jim? Listen, kid, my being with Malo is a long story. Someday I'll tell you all about it. But do you remember what I've always told you? Ever since I started teaching you the shooting. Sure, Pop. Go ahead. Say it for me. Well, we ain't gonna be with Malo forever. We're gonna make enough money to get out of the country. To South America, that's weird. The both of us in South America. Go on, kid. And then I'm gonna get changed to school, like all the other kids. Gonna learn things. Like your ma wanted you to. Gonna learn from Butch. Gonna mount us something. And what's the most important thing of all, Billy? As long as I live, I ain't ever gonna shoot again the Lord. That's it, Billy. And maybe it won't be so long, now. No, come in here. Hurry up about it. Come on, Malo. Go ahead with your practicing. All right, Dad. Oh, we can see I just got back from Dorisa. Says the last chance mine is sending out another shipment of gold bullion. Yeah, but it stays this afternoon. That means we ride again. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Well, I reckon they're never gonna learn no better. We already took three shipments away from them and left a couple of their drivers dead. Yeah, but it ain't what you might call hard work. Least wise, I don't mind taking off an afternoon for it. Ain't no. Let's take Billy along with us this time, huh? Huh? He's getting so he can handle a gun right smart for a pint-sized number. Oh, I told you, Billy ain't riding with us ever. You can get that. You think you can make a gentleman out of him, huh? Son of an old hooder like you. What I make out of him is my business. But you keep your hands off that boy. I may be low down, but I ain't so low down that I'd send my kid the way I've gone. And if you or anybody else- Get your hackles down, Snow. Take care of your rat your own way. Ain't no meat off my table. Come on. You ain't too proud to ride with us. Many unburied were the assignment given to the marshals of the Old West, but danger accompanied all of them. Whenever outlaws preyed upon decent citizens, then came the United States marshals to do whatever was necessary to stamp out banditry and make of the West a safe place for the building of homes and schools and churches for the growth of a new nation. The stagecoach carrying bullion from the Long Chance Mine has been robbed three times and two of its drivers have been killed. The United States Marshal Lightning Jim Whipple and his deputy Whitey Lawson have been sent to take over the job of protecting the stage and are even now riding as passengers in the big old Concord along the trail between Dorissa and Temple, the nearest railroad stop. No, I've been visiting. You ever feeling bad, Whitey? No, Lightning. You know I was just thinking. Oh, is that what you were doing? Well, it's certainly what you think. You see, even your mutt didn't know. Ha, ha. I bet he thought we were being attacked by Indians. The mutt you call him. Well, I'll have you know this ain't no mutt. Well, this is the best dog in the whole country. Well, I'm willing to bet his foot is seasick right now the way this old coach is bouncing long. He'd be lucky if he gets through with all his own bones. See, Lightning, where do you think those men that are going to Russia's? Well, any place along here now, Whitey. Oh, and they won't be expecting no trouble. They won't be surprised. Yeah, I hope so. The usual issues won't be here to the horses. That's just for one. Then, well, Marlowe Bert shoots the kill just for the fun of it. That's the time to throw this skunk. There's sure hope onto my bullets, getcha. The drivers is going to get down all right. Then, as soon as Marlowe's killers are close enough, we start shooting and the drivers drop down on the ground. That way, they must stand for their getting hit. There they are. Get that Whitey short. Get your hands up. Get down on that seat. Stay low, Whitey. Here they come. Now, there they go. See, they're getting a read. Yeah, things wasn't as easy as they hoped for. And I'm quitting. I'm quitting right here now. I ain't going to get in the middle of no gunfight. Well, Robert, this is one of the tough things you're likely to meet up with. You should have known that when you signed up to drive the stage. Yeah, maybe so, but I didn't sign up to commit suicide. I'm proven. Well, you're safe enough for the rest of the trip. They won't fight again this time. But if I only had some to hear, they wouldn't get away. Meanwhile, Marlowe's snow, whippers, and butcher are riding swiftly ahead, knowing that they can out distance the heavily loaded stagecoach. Trying to get us in a trap. Snow, you've got to get that big brother of your pride. I won't know you since you've been just to be killing, Marlowe. We never could have got that gold this time. You could have got that big baboon. Somebody is going soft on us. That big baboon, as you call him, was lightning Jim Whipple, the master. Yeah, I recognize him plain. Hold on there. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Come on, Marlowe. This ain't no safe place to stop. We got just a few more yards till we turn off. Oh, you're trying to tell me that you had a chance to shoot that dang Marshal and didn't do it? Marlowe, that wouldn't have done no good. Killing a Marshal ain't gonna do us any good at all. Well, I'll get him. You can bet on that. But first, I don't want nobody working for me that don't play my way. Hey, that's no horse, Lincoln. They can use horses like snow. There was no need for you doing that, Marlowe. Snow was the right guy. I play this game my own way. You got anything to say about it, Booker? No, no. You're the boss. Hey, I got the horse all right, Marlowe. And let's ride. I reckon when he comes along, Lightning and Jim can bury snow for us. See that name Marlowe fits him, too. Marlowe, bad. He's all bad. There's a reward of $5,000 on him. Dead. Well, I'd be glad to get them for nothing. And then see a Marshal right beside you. Yeah, Marlowe. Yeah, what's just stopping for, Driver? There's just a line out here in the room. What? Maybe we hit one worse than we thought. See me, good old Marlowe. She helped by Godly. Oh, it's him, Marlowe, Lightning. But he was with the hold-up mentor, right? I recognize this fellow. Yeah, he's been plugged at close range. So it's them powder burns. Billy. Billy. He ain't dead, Lightning. Who are you? I can't see. My room work. Who are you? I'm Jim Whipple, United States Marshal. Lightning Jim? Yeah. Listen, Marlowe got me. Shot me, because I didn't shoot you back at the hold-up. Marlowe shot you? Shot one of his own men? Yeah. My kid Billy, he's up there with Marlowe. You got to get him for me. He's a good kid. You mean he got a little boy riding with you? He ain't never rode with him. I keep him in jail. Yeah, you be still, huh? He'll get you back in the shop. No, I'm true. At least take my gun. Find the boy Billy and when you find him. Yes, mister. What do you want us to do? Give him my guns and tell him. Tell him. You're what you want us to tell him. Tell him to do like I always said. Never shoot again the law. Tell him I want him to amount to something like his, his Marlowe on it. That's fine, stranger. Where's the hideout? Where can we find your kid? Yeah, hide him. He's dead. Yeah, but he didn't tell us where we could find Billy. Well, didn't I reckon we got to find Marlowe? Of course, that's what a kid did. Yeah, but what will Marlowe do with him now, buddy? Before we get to him. I'll tell you, Marlowe ain't got a heart. There ain't nothing too bad for him to do. Fine, Pop. There was no part, Marlowe. He's dead. He's just running, Marlowe. No, I'm telling you the truth. He's dead. But how did it happen? Where is he? Do I have to leave him? There weren't nothing we could do, Billy. Was Lightning and Jim shot your part? Lightning and Jim? Yeah. First he shot your part of his saddle and then he shot him again on the back while he was lying there on the ground. But Lightning and Jim wouldn't put him in the back? He wouldn't. My power's told me. Ain't got the way it happened, but you? Because? Sure, sure it is, kid. Why'd we want to lie to you? What do you say, but you? It's like the boss says, Billy. Just like he says. Now I guess you'll believe me when I tell you there ain't a lot, lot of dog living that'll give you a decent break. He shot my part when Pop didn't have a chance. I reckon you're big enough to help us get Lightning and Jim, ain't you? My part always told me not to fight again the law. You're gonna let your part get killed? Get shot in the back by a banged law bolster and not do nothing about it? Why, you little wolf, you ought to be beating your pants. I'll do it! I'll do it! I'll shoot Lightning and Jim myself. I can shoot, shoot good. You're a kid. You can shoot all right. Most as good as your part. But you can't shoot as good as Lightning and Jim, so I got a plan. Plan to get that, Marshall. Get them good. Listen carefully. What is Marlowe's plan? Will Billy be drawn into Marlowe's vicious scheme before Lightning Jim and Whitey can find him and deliver his father's dying message? Well, listen for part two of the adventures of Lightning Jim which follows immediately. True to his word, he quit as soon as he returned to Dorissa and no one else has as yet agreed to take on the dangerous job. However, Lightning Jim and Whitey have offered their services both to drive and protect the stage on its next shipment of gold and are now in Dorissa using the names of Jim Jennings and Whitey Swenson. Waiting for orders. Now, they're just pulling up in front of the livery stable. Who's under? Well, one more scout and expedition and not a trace of Marlowe. None of it may be. Oh, Lightning, I always thought they were dead when I got up at three in my thinking that then was the time to get drastical. But see how hard can I get drastical when there is nothing to get drastical with. Seems like you just have to hold up a while on that drastical business, Whitey. Hey, Lightning, how about taking care of the horses for us? Sure thing, Mr. Jennings. They're in great pleasure to take care of that horse of yours. You ought to feel the same way, Lightning. Yes. Here's how you two took on the job of driving the stage for the lost chance man, eh? That's right. Ain't you afraid of Marlowe Birch and his murdering vipers? I am sort the anxious to meet up with that drag guts. Oh, not me. No, sir. I stay close to home. Hey, but say, have you heard anything about a US marshal named Lightning Jim being sent down to guard the stage for you two? Lightning Jim? No, can't say as I have. Who's he? Oh, suffering snakes. You've been keeping your head in the rain by all your life. Why, Lightning Jim is the greatest marshal in these here United States. Well, this young in here has been hanging around all afternoon trying to find Lightning Jim, but he ain't seen him as yet. Well, what do you want to find a marshal for, young fella? Oh, you see, I want to... I mean, I'd like to... Well, I mean, I was thinking... Oh, y'all, you go right down and spit that out, Button. Well, I want to be a marshal, too. That's why I come down here looking for Lightning Jim. I heard he was in town and... Well, I... You didn't go and run away from home now, did you, son? No, I didn't run away from home. I... I ain't got no home. You ain't got no home? Well, she ain't no fine-looking boy like you had ought to have a good home. Yeah. Tell us about yourself, son. What's your name? It's... It's Billy. Billy? Now, stay now. Well, he's a shame. Maybe we've been looking for you, too. You've been looking for me, but what for? Well, uh, tell us about yourself, Billy. Where you come from? Who was your pa? My pa? He died a couple years ago. And my ma, she just died last week. And I ain't got no more family. And I've been walking for two days now, most a hundred miles, I guess, to get here, because I want to be a Marshal like Lightning Jim, and I want to find him quick. You've been walking for two days. Boy, I bit your hungry and tired, too. See, you come along with us right now. Yes, Billy, you come along. We get some food and listen, a little sleep. And tomorrow? Well, maybe so we can find Lightning Jim for you. Uh, walk on ahead, son. All right. See, Lightning, I don't really tell him who we really are. No, what in not one word. This boy's lion. I can tell that by the way he spoke, just like he learned it by heart. I don't know why he's lion, but I'm going to find out. That was the funniest thing I ever saw, which is fun with dogs. Look at that. Oh, that's good. Now, now you find your man, there's puppy. At that infinite, they won't run by some people on the toes. Yeah, that don't make for no sociable fee. Now he's going to eat you up. Oh, look at the little thing. He's thinking you're wild. Hey, you ain't going to have no nose left at all. Why, if that pup keeps on working. Hey, Gally, there's half off, no. Come on, gee. I wish I could have a pup like that. He sure has some pup on. Ain't you never had a dog, Billy? No. No off. I never had one. Well, no, he ain't so awful hard to get there. Maybe if I was to put my mind to it, I could find the dog for you. Yeah, well, right now, we're going to find ourselves some breakfast. I'll just leave, Billy. Suelle, well, that's the softest bed I ever slept in. And the pillow's got real feathers in it, too. Oh, I'm real glad to hear that, honey. You know what we're going to do after breakfast? No. What are we going to do? We're going to buy you a pair of boots. Boots? Is that me? Yes, sir. You're going to be a Marshal. You've got to have boots. Oh, that's right. The government did not know barefoot did, Marshal. You get to have yourself some boots. Oh, gee. How it feels, huh? Guys, it feels swell. And look at him shine. I can almost see my face in him. Are you sure if you're all right? Swell. I can wiggle my toes in the inside. But they don't rub up and down at all. And six pairs of socks. Just like yours, Whitey. Made with yellow string. Someday Whitey's got to take his boots off in public and folks are going to think war has been declared. No, they're in nothing wrong with my socks. They sort my personality out. Hey, Jim. Yeah? You and Whitey come in here a minute. You all burn it. Be right with you. Rick, can we get the nod to your burner hands? Yeah, that's about it. You wait here, Billy. We won't be long. Maybe I better go back to the hotel and take care of the dogs for you, Whitey. Yeah, that's a good idea. Take her out for a walk. If you'd rather. Gee. Kid. Kid. Get back in here. Oh, you're with us. Hurry up. Hurry up. All right. It isn't exactly safe for me to show my nose around here. It's all set for the day, kid. We didn't figure on it being this soon, but they're sending out another load of bullion this afternoon. This afternoon? Yeah. They miss the Jennings and why you'll be going along. They drive the stagecoaches. I wouldn't want nothing to happen to them. They're Swell. Jennings? You mean that big galoot you was just talking to? Yeah. The little one's whitey. And he's got a pup and they brought me new boots and... Jennings, eh? Why they've been stringing you for a fool, kid? That big guy has lightenin' Jim himself. And the little guy's his sweet deputy, Whitey Lushen. No. No, that can't be. But they're both Swell. Jennings brought boots for me and Whitey brought the socks and... Eww, I come local, kid. That big guy is lightenin' Jim and the other one's his deputy. Heh. They've been fooling you. Then they lied to me. They said he was just stagecoach drivers and... Eh, you can't never trust no law badgers. Don't you know that? They lied to me. And the big one shot my pup. And I ate with him. And I slept with him. And I let him borrow me boots. I'll throw these boots in the mud in the stock. I won't have them. I'll tell you. I won't have them. Listen and stop that young man. Here. Here's a gun. Take it and stick it inside your shirt. Now you know what to do? Yeah. Soon as the stagecoach is loaded, you sneak inside and don't let nobody see ya. You won't be looking for no storeways and you can get inside easy. Then when the trouble starts... Then I come out and shoot him. Yeah. They don't seem like the kind of guys that... I would shoot my pup in the back. Maybe you're too much of a sissy for this job. I ain't neither. I'll do it all right. I bet your life I'll do it. Well, I didn't have one of a billy man to eat. He wished I couldn't find a no place when we was getting ready to leave. I wanted to tell the little fellow goodbye. Most like his graying around in his new boots while he's... You know, he's a plumb nice kid. Even if he did tell us a whopper last night. Yeah, how did you know that he must have been... Oh, I can read faces pretty good. And he was just telling a story he made up. There wasn't a word of truth in it. Well, the poor little fellow here never had nothing in all his life. You know, Lightning, I was thinking... I make enough money to take care of a little button like him. I don't hardly spend money, you know that. Oh, I know how you feel, old timer. Between us, we can make up his living expenses all right. And the other billy, too. We ever find a poor little shave tail? Oh, billy, one for you and one for me. See, that might be lots of fun. Yeah. Well, well, well, boy... Yeah, but to stop it all here, of course. I want you to get on the inside, Wattie. Me and the... No, sir, I ain't going to do that, Lightning. That way you are taking all the chances. I ain't going to do it. Now listen, Wattie, we've got a job to protect him this hip and the gold. We've got to use our heads. As long as you're inside, you've got to bet the cans to defend both of them. Well, that can be you, yes, as well. Now listen, go on, why do these as orders? You get on the inside. Well, all right. But I can handle these horses, yes, as well as you can, Lightning. Billy. Steve, what are you doing on this, Steve? Of course, sir. What? Billy, well, Wattie, don't... He got loaded up. He didn't see me at all. But, Billy, you shouldn't have done this. Is it true that you're Lightning Jim, the Marshal? Did you lie to me last night? Well, well, yes, I am Lightning Jim. Take that dirty bag, buddy. Stop him, you! Look what you vented on. You shot Lightning. Well, you didn't, son. You only got me in the shoulder. Listen now, before I shake your tea, Bruce. You tell me what you shot Lightning for. Who put you up to this? He shot him with a pop. He shot him off his horse, and then he shot him in the back when he was laying on the ground. Marlowe told me so. Marlowe, you mean that your pop... Billy, did your Paul ride with Marlowe and did he get killed three days ago? Yeah, and you shot him. You shot him in the back. No, no, he didn't, Billy. No, you got to believe us. We fought to form him off. He got to be, and then later we found your Paul. Someone shot him close, so... Billy, your Paul told us that Marlowe was shot in. Shot him because he wouldn't kill me just to be killing. And he gave me his gun to get through your son. That is, if we could find just... His... his gun? Yeah. My pop's gun? Yeah, and he told us to tell you never to fight again the law. That's... that's what he always told me. Always... I knew you was both all right. You was swelding me, but... But Marlowe said he told me, he made me promise that... Oh, no, no, never mind, son. There's just a misunderstanding, that's all. I don't cry. Whitey, help me get this show the title. Hey, all right, then. She may be... we better go back. No, I can use the other hand, all right? And you got two hands, ain't you? Yeah, and I can shoot. Shoot good, the grown man. Oh, please. Please let me fight with you. For... for my pop's sake. No, Billy. The two youngs are staying your hand with blood, even if it did kill you, Paul. You get down on the bottom of the coach and stay there. I understand. All right. I'll drive from here on, Lightning. You get inside the coach with Billy. No, Whitey, my shoulder will be all right. Oh, now listen, you get inside there before I bust you one. For once by jump and hymny, I'm the boss, sir. All right, Whitey, all right. If we're held up, Whitey, put up your hands and wait for a cue from me. You're taken by surprise. Oh, hey, get you, Lightning. Get out, boys. Get out there. Now, Billy, I want you to obey me. If we're stopped, I want you to keep low. Be a deal to your begatly. Keep down, Billy. All right. Don't try no funny business, Sweet. Yeah, it's one move. He has six guns and we're brilliant. Come on out with your hands up, Marshall. Yeah, come on out. Get what's coming to you. You got the drop on. Billy, stay back. I won't. Let me go. Let me... Yeah, now's my chance. My chance to give a stunt would murder my pop. What's coming to him? And there's reward money enough on Marlowe to give you a good education. You're going to take that money and get a chance in life. Yeah. Yeah. Just like Pop wanted. But I'm going to amount to something. When I grow up, I'm going to be just like... like you and Whitey. So ends another thrilling chapter in the lives of Lightning, Jim Whipple and Whitey Larson, courageous U.S. Marshals of the Old West.