 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. Chad Remington's name. Occupation Frontier Lawyer. From a little cow town called Dos Reals. Advocation? Well, although I don't go out looking for it, I certainly get a lot of trouble dragged to my doorstep. I must admit I don't mind too much cleaning it up. You know, out on the Frontier things are pretty new. Pretty rough and ready. Although the land is rich, it sure needs water and plenty of it to keep it going. In fact, in some places, water rights and the control of water is sometimes worth the price of a kingdom. But to show you what I mean, let's take what happened not too far from my hometown in another little saddle stop called, believe it or not, Dry Gulch Springs. Water over in Dry Gulch became very valuable. As valuable as the price of men's lives. The trouble all started one day when two men described in my book as motley, sauntered into the gilded cage cafe and sat down at a table. Just as Lulu, the cafe entertainer, was ending a song. It's a good thing we wanted in here. Ah, Burke, what do you mean? Not gal, let's sing her. We can use her. I sure could. Look, not head. I'm talking business. You go over and introduce yourself to Miss Lulu. Yeah. Then tell her I want to see her. I'll be waiting for both of you up at the shack. Go on, do as I told. I ain't got all day. I'll get moving. Now look, Lulu, I ain't gonna wish you time giving you a lot of conversation. You're a good-looking woman and I didn't see you got brains. Am I supposed to do? Thank you. I'm not making no bones about it. The crowd I represent can use you and will pay for it. Pay good. You're starting to sound interesting. Who's this crowd? It's a company, see? A water company. Uh-huh. You see, another outfit's got the franchise to build a dam up here at Dry Guelty. According to the franchise, they got to finish before the 15th, if they don't. Well, my crowd gets the franchise. So that got to do with me. Plenty. When I saw how all those men over at the Gilded Cage went for you, I just got the notion that the construction gang working for the other water company, you do the same thing. You made it your business to see that they quit work. So that's the way your song goes, huh? You want me to get the men working on the dam to quit. Sort of like the Pied Piper or Hamlin. In this case, it might be the Pied Piper. And you've got the pipes to do it. Mr. Burke, there's just one teensy little thing you haven't told me yet. What do I get out of this? Well, let's say, 10,000? Let's say 30,000. It has a nicer ring to it. What are you trying to do? Pull me up? Better quit bargainin', Mr. Burke, because I've got an idea. This other water company would pay me 50,000 for the information you've just given me. Why, you little... Does 20,000 get a nice ring to a two? Well, it don't ring like the Liberty Bell to me, but... Okay, you just made yourself a deal. Now you're talking. Hey, Rick, give me a bottle of something and a couple of glasses. Lulu and me are gonna... Don't get nothin', yet, Rick. This deal's not closed until I got 10% of that 20,000 in cash. Well, as I said before, that's how it all started. The first thing I knew of it, however, was when Jim Underwood, who had the franchise and was building the dam, let out a whoop for help that I heard all the way over to Dos Rios. So I went to Cherokee O'Bannon, who used to be a medicine man and now owns the Dos Rios livery stable, and on the promise of introducing him to Lulu, the beautiful singer, prevailed upon him to provide the horses and ride along with me. A day later, Cherokee and I were closeted with Underwood and the little shack that served as an office on the dam construction job. And this is about the whole story, Chad. My men are quitin' work like there was a plague up here. Hey, now, if there's some sort of an epidemic, I'm willing to make you a very extra special price, and some of my genuine Cherokee Indian rattlesnake oil in quantity. Look, O'Bannon, all you're gettin' out of this trip is an introduction to a red-headed singer named Lulu. I've got less than three weeks to complete this job. At the rate that work's stoppin' it won't be finished for three months. Jim, I'll do what I can, but this is sorta like lookin' for one particular grain of sand on 50 miles of sea coast. What are you talkin' about? I've seen that girl up here myself twice. I don't mean findin' a girl. Chad, are you intimating that you intend to cross me up? No, Cherokee. I'm intimating that the girl's no great problem. The trick's gonna be to find the men behind her, the men who are payin' her to disrupt the work. Don't tell me you really mean that, Chad. Who else could there be behind it except this other outfit, the one that tried to get the franchise before I got it? Grantin' you're right, and I'm not sayin' that you aren't. Thinkin' they're behind it and proven they're behind it are two entirely different things. Yeah, I suppose that's so. Say, I've got an idea, Chad. Why don't you introduce me to the girl, and then when she succumbs to my manly charms, click no time at all, I'll worm all the facts out of her. You're just the kind of worm who'd do it, too. You don't like my idea. Well, to be polite about it, no. Now, what we've gotta do is... Yes, sir? What is it? You told me to let you know the next time that red-headed girl showed up. Well, she's here now. Well, it's quite nice of her to cooperate this way. Don't go giving her the credit I got her up here. Simply proves the efficacy of a man never giving up hope. Jim, I think we better walk out on the job and see what the young lady's up to. All right, Chad, let's go. Well, it was about a hundred or so yards from the office to the job itself, and the walk down there gave us a pretty good chance to observe Miss Lulu. I don't mind saying she was well worth observing. I sure couldn't blame the men for gathering around her. The face was a little hard, but pretty. She was round in just the right places. I don't know if she spoke extemporaneously or not, but she certainly put up a highly convincing argument. That girl's right. Why shouldn't we go on working if we're not going to be paid? Hey, listen, man, that's nothing but a bald-faced lie. Well, you call me a liar, will you, Underwood? Why, you blast- She'll look out! What's the matter with you men, anyhow? You all gone out of your heads? Mr. Underwood says the payroll's going to get here, then you're going to be paid. He's the man who should know. I don't know who you are, Mr., but I agree with you. Mr. Underwood should know. That's the whole trouble with him. He doesn't know anything about what's going on. And maybe you can explain just how you happen to have advanced information on the payroll being stolen. Information of that kind should be interesting only to a sheriff. Or another water company. That's all. Well, which kind are you? A tinhorn sheriff? Madam, if you'll pardon the formality, permit me to introduce myself, and then I'll introduce you to Mr. Remington. My name is... Cherokee, let's skip the social amenities and face a few facts. First, you want to know if I happen to be a sheriff, Miss. Would it make any difference to you, if I were? Yeah, it might. I don't think jail would be so bad if I had a good-looking, curly-headed six-footer like you to see that I was locked up every night. That's a good one, Sam. She certainly... Oh, I guess it was with that. She was trying to make a fool out of you. Would that be so hard to do? Probably not. I'm talking to you about something as ridiculous as this rumor you're spreading around here to stir up trouble. Rumor, my eye. I'm telling you, boys, there'll be no payday for you. And I'm telling you, there will be! Are you going to take this woman's word for it, or believe Mr. Underwood? Now, look, man, you've been on this job three months or more, and you've been paid every week, haven't you? All right, then. Go on back to work. The payday doesn't roll around. Remember, they've got laws in this state to see that a man gets paid. As far as you're concerned, Miss, I think it'd be a lot better for you if you started back to town. All right, Curly. But if you get down to town, look me up. A man who's as persuasive as you are in broad daylight, ought to be really something at night. Come on, Curly. Well, I just told you, and no, I don't remember. And I do believe you swept the little lady off her feet. I'd sure like to sweep her off her feet and put her where she belongs. In your arms? No, in jail. In jail is just where she belongs. Jim, where'd you say she worked in town? What was the name of that cafe? Uh, Gilded Cage, why? Because if you don't mind riding along with us, I'd like very much to go into Dry Gulch. See just what sort of birds actually flutter around the Gilded Cage. Chad, the more I think about it, the more incredible it appears that a young woman of such, uh, well, such excellent and satisfying stature would willingly lend herself to so nefarious a scheme as you and Mr. Underwood have outlined. Chair Key, I'm afraid you're confusion what's inside of her with what's outside of her. Did I am? Did I am? And what outside she has. And that, Mr., is your big trouble. You're always confusing your point of view. I am? You sure are. When it comes to beverages, you're only interested in pouring them into your own insides. When it comes to the ladies, you switch around and you're interested in... Billy Blue Blazers, Chad. Underwood's been shot. Chair Key, come on. Down off that piece of buzzard bait. Well, I saw where that shot came from and it makes a pretty good aiming point. Look at them run the yellow-sold vulture. Here, Chair Key, give me a hand. Looks as if Underwood's pretty bad hurt. Gotta get him to town to the doctors. Once we get him there, we're going to the Gilded Cage Saloon and tear a few bars out of it till we get this thing settled once and for all. We'll return to the second act of Trouble is His Target, our exciting Frontier Town adventure in just a few moments. Frontier Town. Well, as I said, a lot of troubles have dragged to my doorstep and this one was about the worst yet. First, if Underwood's company lost the franchise and the other crowd got it, they would have had the ranches around Dragouch over a barrel. A water barrel, which would probably be worth its weight in gold. Second, although Trouble is sort of a specialty with me, woman trouble is something I steer away from. And finally, it must have been a pretty low-down crowd to cold-bloodedly shoot Jim Underwood out of his saddle just because their little cooked-up payroll story had failed. Well, making as good time as we could with a badly wounded man across the saddle, Cherokee and I got Underwood to the doctors in Dragouch and then set out for the Gilded Cage Saloon. It was quite a place. A lot of guilt and fancy paintings, railroad tables, roulette layouts. Or it seemed to have everything, everything that is but a sense of decency. Cherokee and I walked in and stood looking around the saloon. Quite a place, Chad. Quite a place. Quite a place. Ah, that's quite a bar. This is Chad, my dear old friend. Now look, my dear old friend. Don't you, dear old friend, me. We're in here on business. And their business is dispensing of beverages. So I say, turn about this fair play. Let's make a few purchases from their business and then we'll set out on our... Nothing doing, Cherokee. Underwood almost dead. My mind's not on anything but our business. Come on. Save bartender. Yes, sir. How'd it be, mister? For the time being, just a little information. Who runs this place and where can I find him? Dutch Altberg. He's the owner. His office is down there in the back. Anything else? Cherokee, come on. You were Dutch Altberg? I am. Well, my name's Chad Remington. I've been here an hour looking for a little information. What's on your minds? You've got a singer working here, haven't you? A girl by the name of Lulu? So what? That doesn't seem to quite answer my question. What's wrong with you? Aren't they proud for trouble? I mean, too much trouble now to be on the prod for anymore. I want to, I mean, we want to find out about this Lulu woman. Well, you're not alone. So do I. I'm afraid that answers a little too cryptic for me. Does the girl work here or not? She didn't, but not anymore. Chad, she's flown the coop. I mean, our little pigeon has flown the gilded cage. Cherokee, will you just take a deep breath and simply hold it? Well, what happened? Did you fire her? Will you fire a gold mine? Altberg, why is it so difficult to get a direct answer from you? Look, my friend, I don't hanker after that kind of talk and I don't like that tone of voice. Either what you like or what you don't like. I'd like a few answers. Unless, of course, you, uh, you got something to hide. You are on the prod for trouble, aren't you? I wasn't when I came in here. But if you think clear in your hostess a kind of answer I'm looking for, go ahead, scratch left. You're pretty salty, aren't you? Just salty enough to skin you and put you away so you won't spoil. Now, look, Altberg, I didn't come in here for an argument and I still don't want one. So get the hump off your back and behave. Let me tell you something, mister. Anytime anyone mentions that Lulu's name around me lately, I start seeing red. After all the money I paid her, she walks out, leaves me without even saying so long. Oh, where'd she go, do you know? Two jaspers come in here a few days ago and one of them went back to her dressing room to talk to her. And I ain't seen her from that time to this. Who were they? Had you ever seen them before? Nope, but I'd sure like to see them again. You mean they were strangers? Yeah, yeah, I looked to me from the way they were dressed like they were railroad men or something. Railroad men? What do you mean? Oh, you know, war-laced up boots and them hats with the narrow brims. You've seen fellas like that, haven't you, hanging around railroads? Yeah, they sound like construction men. And construction men are the kind who'd want to get hold of that dam. You mean the new dam up in the hills? You just bet we do. With a little help from you, Dutch, we may be able to close my case and get your silk-like soprano back for you. Now, come on, let's sit down and talk this thing over. Well, after Dutch got over having his back up, we found out that Miss Lulo had been or posed as being the apple of his eye. He was most anxious to get her back. And on our promise to help him, he told us what he knew. He gave us a fairly accurate description of the two men who later turned out to be Burke and his gun-toter, Rick. And with that description to go on, we went over to talk to Mr. Underwood at the doctor's house where, fortunately, he was resting pretty comfortably. Uh, Chad, from that description, I'd bet my bottom doll the little one's Burke and the big one is his bodyguard, a fella they call Rick. Well, then, though we still have a long way to go, we've proved one point, that the men who employed the girl do work for the crowd that wants to get the franchise away from you. This is chicanery of Lulo's type. Imagine a poor girl like that consorting with villainous characters. Well, Chad, I guess the thing to do now is to tell what little we know to the sheriff. You do what you want, Jim, but I think you're being a bit premature. What do you mean? As far as I can see, there's no possible way of ever proving Burke's connection with the only thing so far, which is actually a crime, shooting you. Well, then, what do you hope to do? To my way of thinking, the thing to do is to arrange things without Mr. Burke's prior knowledge so that if he's really the crook in the sand pile, we'll be on hand to catch him in the act. Arrange things? What kind of things, Chad? Look, Jim, the doctor told us before we came in that you were still a pretty sick gent, not to talk to you too long. So now that you've told me the name of Burke's little outfit and, well, providing you'll give me your blessing, Cherokee and I are going out to arrange this little set of circumstances before it's much, much too late. Chad, I sure wish you'd let me in on what you're going to do. Docs, Jim, he hasn't even told me yet, and I'm his landlord. Well, fellas, here's the way it is. If I told Cherokee he'd waste so much time asking questions, we wouldn't get through till the 15th of next month. Dirty dig, man. And if I told you, Jim, well, you might not give me a blessing. Then when Burke put you out of business, you'd have a client who couldn't pay his fee. So under those circumstances, I think the old man and I had better be off and run. Well, if I sounded confident, I really wasn't inside. Or maybe I should have been like Cherokee, interested only in the outsides. Well, the idea I had was as low-co as any anyone had ever had. But knowing that if I turned Cherokee loose in dry goats, he'd find Miss Lulu if she were within 500 miles of the town, I'd turned him loose with instructions and with a message. Lulu, a woman of your fragile beauty needs a man around. A man like me to protect her. Uh-huh. Go on. Tell me more. Well, a man to protect you. I already told you that, didn't I? Yes, you did. Sounds like a speech you might have learned. A speech, you say? Let it go, let it go. Now, as big and handsome as you may be, you'll be in the kind of protection a gal like me needs across the money. You got a lot of it loose? Have I? Well, I'm filthy. A filthy rich, I mean. Rolling the stuff, you know? Yeah, yeah. And where does it come from, honey? Promise you won't turn a soul? I promise. Across my heart. Well, Chad Remington and I are getting a $10,000 fee for Mr. Underwood for bringing in his last wagon train of supplies for building his dam. Half of that fee belongs to yours truly. Oh. And when is this wagon train coming in? I mean, when do you collect this money, you big protective man? Yeah, that's a secret. But I'll tell you tonight at nine. Well, where are you going, Lulu, my beloved? You just wait here for me, honey. I've got to see a friend. And I'll be back soon. Just you wait here. Well, I'll be a prohibitionist. Chad was right. Little Miss Lulu fell for it. Little Miss Lulu sure did fall for it. She thought Cherokee was just a big jump, and I'm here to tell you he's far from it. He got away with that bit of acting and made it stick. Now, while Cherokee was playing Mr. Moneybags to Miss Lulu, I was out on the other part of the mission. I rode 20 miles and back and arranged for the wagon train. Everything went as slick as a greased rabbit and an oil well. And just before nine o'clock, Cherokee, the sheriff of Parsi, and I reigned up on a hill looking down on Dry Gulch Valley. The moon was a burnished silver dollar, and in its pathway of painted light, we could see the road, the wagon road, all unrolled on the canvas below us. You see anything, Chad? For you, Chad? Road looks deserted to me. The wagon train will be here on the dock, don't you worry. I do see something in that chaparral down there. From here, it looks like a man called Burke and a dozen gunslammers. And I do believe there comes the wagon. Well, in that case, we ought to be hearing a few reports from other sources, almost any... All right, Sheriff, Burke's falling for it. Let's get to riding. That's it, boys! Let's go get him! Well, maybe it did get me. But then we're not going to finish that damn on time. We'll lose the franchise anyhow. Them wagons of his were smashed to bits. Yes, the wagons were smashed to bits, Burke. But the timbers and stuff destroyed didn't belong to Jim Underwood. They belonged to your crowd. What? You a loco or something? He's far from loco, Burke, my good man. Only a brilliant genius like Chad Remington would ever have thought of going to your camp and filling the wagons with your supplies. You're so sorry, Mr. Burke, but little Miss Lula was your downfall. Double dealing? Oh, Curly, how could you do this to me? Oh, the judge will explain it all to you, Lulu, in due time. And in your case, the due time ought to be about 20 years, with a few months off for good behavior. If you know how to behave, good. Okay, Sheriff, they're all yours now, on charges all the way from hold up, concealed weapons, right through the book to attempted fraud by posing like a lady. Why, you big... Come on, Cherokee, before she falls on my neck and chokes me. Hello, fellas. You really need to protect her. The warden has lots of... Frontier Town starring Tex Chandler and featuring Wade Crosby as a Brucell's production. Story in Direction by Paul Franklin. Music written and played by Ivan Dithmarz. 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 to tell you that Frontier Town came to you from Hollywood.