♪ Champion, the wonder horse ♪
♪ Champion, the wonder horse ♪
♪ Like a streak of lighting
flashing across the sky ♪
♪ Like the swiftest arrow
whizzing from a bow ♪
♪ Like a mighty cannon
ball, he seems to fly ♪
♪ You'll hear about
him everywhere you go ♪
♪ The time will come when
everyone will know the name ♪
♪ Of Champion, the wonder horse ♪
[dramatic music]
[Champ neighing]
[Champ neighing]
- What's that blame mustang
trying to do us, Landers?
- Get us out of here I guess.
- Well, I'll get rid of him.
- Wait a minute, we can't afford that,
might attract some attention.
Get out of here!
[Champ neighing]
- That's Champ, something's bothering him.
[Rebel barking]
Let's see what it is.
- [Landers] Get out of here!
- Hey, cut it out!
What's going on here?
- Well, what's it to you?
- Well, in case you two don't know it,
prospecting isn't allowed
here, this is government land.
- Not anymore it isn't.
- What do you mean?
- Mister, for a stranger,
you ask too many questions.
- I'm no stranger, I'm Sandy North.
I've got a ranch over there.
- Well, then you better get back to it.
[dramatic music]
[Rebel growling]
- All right Rebel, let him go.
- Burk, Landers, what's going on here?
- Ask this North fella, he started it.
- I only got tough because they did.
Maybe you can explain to me
why they're prospecting
on government land.
- Prospecting?
Why, we're railroaders.
These men are testing rock
formations for the road bed.
- Railroad through Wild Horse Canyon?
- That's right, the
McNab railroad company.
I'm Mark Jessup,
superintendent of construction.
We've got a federal permit.
- [Sandy] That's strange.
I should think this route would
cost you more money than--
- Look Mr. North, I'm a railroad
man and you're a rancher.
I don't tell you how to raise cattle,
so suppose you don't tell
me how to build a railroad?
- Well, I didn't mean it that way.
- Mr. McNab, the president,
made the decision.
He'll be here tomorrow and if
we haven't made some headway,
he's not going to like it.
All right you two, get back to work.
[tense music]
- Uncle Sandy, if the
railroad comes through here,
what'll happen Champ and the herd?
This valley's their home.
- Well, we'll just have to find them
another home somewhere else.
- Then I'd never see Champ at all.
We've gotta get Mr. McNab
to pick some other route.
- Mr. McNab's a big business man, Ricky.
He's not gonna change his
plans because of a horse.
- But Champ isn't just any horse,
he's the king of this
valley, he belongs here.
- Well, you can see Mr. McNab
tomorrow if you want to,
but you'll just be wasting
your breath and his time.
- Now, don't worry, Champ.
I'll get Mr. McNab to
change that route, got to.
- I've juggled the figures
in the surveyor's report
so it looks like Wild Horse
Valley is the cheapest route.
- Good, we can start digging
for what we're really after soon as we--
- Mr. McNab?
- Yeah?
- I'm Ricky North.
I've got to talk to you
sir, it's about Champ.
- Champ who?
- Well, Champ's a stallion
that leads the wild herd.
He and are sort of friends and--
- What's this gotta do with us?
- Everything, if you put the railroad
through Wild Horse Valley,
the herd will have to be
moved, and I'll lose him.
- Just a minute, son.
How about starting at the beginning?
I didn't hear the first of this.
- Well, I was just trying
to President McNab--
- I'm the president, son.
This gentleman here is my cousin George.
He's the vice president.
- Oh, then you're the one
that can change the route, aren't you?
- You don't seriously
think we'd change our plans
for a fool horse?
- Champ isn't a fool horse.
He's smarter and stronger--
- Well, it just so happens
I'm quite a fancier of horses too,
and if this Champ is so remarkable,
maybe I ought to acquire him.
- You couldn't, Mr. McNab.
He won't let anybody ride him except me.
But come out to the valley
and see how wonderful and handsome he is.
- Matthew, this is an
absurd waste of time.
We've got reports to go over here.
- Oh George, Rome wasn't built
in a day, nor is a railroad.
As a matter of fact, I'd
like to see Wild Horse Valley
before I make any decisions.
- Let's go right now, Mr. McNab.
- But Matthew.
- We'll be back soon.
Come on, son.
[tense music]
- Matthew, go scouting
around Wild Horse Valley.
- He wouldn't be fool
enough to reroute that line
on account of that kid
and a horse, would he?
- No, but he might find out
it's not the cheapest route,
and we'd lose our chance to
sew up the mineral rights
to the gold we found there.
- Wait a minute.
With that wild herd out there,
it shouldn't be hard to discourage Matthew
from spending too much time
snooping around the valley.
Come on.
[peaceful music]
- There's the herd!
- That's a great sight to a horseman.
[Ricky whistles]
- There's Champ.
[Champ neighing]
- What a fine looking horse.
- Just watch.
Now, bow to Mr. McNab, Champ.
And now rear, Champ.
[Champ neighing]
- He's magnificent, Ricky.
- Just wait till you see him in action.
[tense music]
- Look, Matthew.
- Right where Burk and Landers
are going to stampede the wild herd.
[g*n f*ring]
- Stampede!
Take cover, Mr. McNab!
- If Matthew doesn't
get out of there quick.
[horses neighing]
- Well, cousin Matthew
got out of that one.
- Maybe so, but I'll bet he
isn't going to spend much time
exploring Wild Horse Valley after this.
- Mr. McNab, now that you've seen Champ,
won't you let him stay here
and put your railroad
through somewhere else?
- Ricky, you see all these plans here?
We worked a long time preparing them,
and we can't change them
without losing a lot of money,
even if we wanted to.
- Gosh, Mr. McNab,
there's plenty of places
where a railroads can go
besides Wild Horse Valley.
- Ricky.
- We heard about that
crazy bunch of mustangs
that stampeded, you all right, Matthew?
- [Matthew] Yes, but I've had
enough of Wild Horse Valley.
- But Mr. McNab!
- Ricky.
Ricky, you run along, I want
to talk to Mr. McNab a minute.
- Yes, sir.
- Those horses usually don't
behave like that, Mr. McNab.
Somebody spooked them.
I heard men yelling to
get them started running.
- What's the difference
how they got started?
The point is they're dangerous.
Just to keep them in the valley
is no reason to reroute the railroad.
- I agree to that of course.
- Well, there is one more point.
When you surveyed this area,
why'd you decide against Red Rock Canyon?
It's the most direct route,
the one the stageline uses.
- Red Rocky Canyon?
I didn't get a report on it.
- It was useless Matthew, we
didn't want to trouble you.
The survey reports are all here,
check the figures yourself.
- Well, I don't want to
argue with the figures,
but I should like to have
you ride out there with me
and look it over.
- All right.
I can't promise anything,
but I'll bring the surveyors
reports on Red Rocky Canyon
to your place so we can
go over them together.
- If he gets Matthew out to Red Rock--
- Well, he won't if we
can keep him busy enough.
- So long.
- So long.
- North and the kid think
so much of that horse
that if he got lost,
they wouldn't have time
for anything except looking for him.
- Blind chance of Champ getting lost.
- Well, I can fix that.
I'll get some of the
boys and we'll stalk him.
Look, you keep after a horse,
drive him away from his home range,
never give him a chance
to eat or drink or sleep.
- Then what?
- Nature takes care of the
rest, with a little help.
[dramatic music]
- Ain't that beast gonna
ever get tired, Mr. Jessup?
We've done lost two sets of
horses chasing him already.
- Landers is bringing
up some fresh mounts.
Let's keep after him.
My scheme is working all right.
- I didn't think it's possible
for any horse to go that
far without food or water.
- Hyah, hyah!
Hyah, hyah, hyah, hyah, hyah!
[gentle music]
- [Jessup] He's just
about ready to give up.
[tense music]
[Champ nickering]
- Well, Mr. Jessup, took us quite a while,
but he's good as lost now.
- And he's got to stay lost.
We want the Norths busy
looking for him a long time.
- When they find him, it'll be too late.
- [Jessup] Now, we better
put up a barricade here.
- Uncle Sandy, I went all over
the west end of the valley
today, Champ just isn't anywhere.
- Well, he's gotta be around somewhere.
You better wash up now
and get ready for supper,
it'll be ready in a minute.
- I don't want any Uncle
Sandy, just not hungry.
- Sandy, why don't you
give Rick a hand tomorrow,
and I'll scout Red Rock Canyon alone?
- Thank you, Mr. McNab.
Please come, Uncle Sandy.
I've got a feeling Champ's
in terrible trouble.
- We'll find him, Ricky.
There's lots of ground
we haven't covered yet.
[tense music]
[Rebel barking]
Well, here's some print,
but the horses were shod.
- Here's an unshod one, and it's Champ's.
- Are you sure?
- See that cr*ck?
- Yeah.
- Champ has one in his right forehoof.
- Rebel, find Champ, go find Champ, Rebel.
Well, now that he's got a fresher scent,
maybe we'll have better luck.
- George, here's the
essay report, take a look.
- Boy, our gold mine is worth
three times what we thought.
- Well, when do we start mining?
- Just as soon as Matthew
okays construction
in Wild Horse Valley.
I've almost got him convinced
that Red Rock Canyon won't do.
- And the North's aren't
around to un-convince him.
I took care of that.
[tense music]
[Rebel barking]
- It looks like Rebel's really
on the track now, come on!
[Rebel barking]
- [Ricky] Look Uncle Sandy, it's Champ!
- I heard Rebel, did you find Champ?
- Champ.
It's me, Ricky.
He's hardly moving, Uncle Sandy.
You don't think he going to--
- Champion isn't king of
the herd for nothing, Ricky.
He's as rugged as they come,
and he's got a great heart.
He'll make it.
- You'll be all right now, Champ.
We're gonna make you strong again.
- How could Champ get trapped like this?
- Why, all of this the stuff
was dragged across here
to block the entrance,
you can tell by the marks in the dirt.
Somebody wanted to make sure
that Ricky and I had our
hands full finding Champ.
- Well, I've got an idea
it's the same somebody
who docked the reports on Red Rock Canyon.
- What?
- You were right, I made a thorough check
of every section of that area,
and I found George's
figures had been juggled.
- But we still don't know
what he stands to gain
from the Wild Horse Valley route.
- We'll find out, and when we
do, there's every prospect--
- Well, you just said
it Matthew, prospect.
When Champ is back on his feet,
you and I are going prospecting.
[dramatic music]
Hey, this doesn't look much
like building equipment.
Looks more like mining equipment.
- Gold pan, you think?
- Say, this is quartz,
wonder where it came from?
[tense music]
- Let's try that ledge up there.
- Been a lot of traffic here.
- No sign of quartz.
Sandy, look.
- This could be our answer.
- You were right Sandy,
this could be the answer.
- We're in trouble, McNab.
That cousin of yours and
North found the mine shaft,
and they're in it right now.
- They're inside?
- That's right, and I heard enough to know
they're suspicious of what you're up to.
- If they're inside,
they might not get out,
but we've got to hurry, come on.
[tense music]
Yeah, this is what I hoped for.
The horses are back there,
so they're still in the mine.
Let's go.
- What's your idea, George?
- Cousin Matthew's gonna have an accident
that could happen to anybody
exploring an old mine shaft.
Here, set this in the shaft mouth.
Be quick about it.
- With this ore, sh**t,
I'd say I was very rich.
- That accounts for George's whole scheme.
Using the railroad as a coverup
while digging for gold
in Wild Horse Valley.
[dynamite explodes]
[dramatic music]
- Let's get back to camp.
I'll ride into town in a little while
and report cousin Matthew missing.
[tense music]
Somebody's coming, get behind cover.
It's that North kid, and he's got Champ.
He may save us the trouble
of reporting the accident.
Better for us.
- Sounded like the expl*si*n
was right down there.
But there's Uncle Sandy's
horse, and Mr. McNab's.
Uncle Sandy!
[Rebel barking]
Go ahead, Champ.
What is it, Rebel?
They're inside?
[Rebel whimpering]
[Rebel barking]
Go Champ, pull!
Good boy, Champ!
Stay here.
[Champ neighing]
- You and Landers get down there, quick.
- Come on.
- Uncle Sandy!
- I guess I'm all right, but Matthew.
- What happened?
- All I know is it wasn't an accident.
[Rebel growling]
[Rebel barking]
- I'll go see what's bothering Rebel.
[Champ neighing]
- I think it's broken.
- Mr. Jessup's there, and Landers!
- You ought to have a g*n, Matthew.
- I got one.
- Well, can you hold it in your left hand?
- Indeed I can, as long as it's
pointed at George or Jessup.
- I can get those two in there,
you hold them long enough
for me to go get George.
Ricky, take cover behind those rocks.
[dramatic music]
[Champ neighing]
- It's a good thing you're here,
Matthew's in there and he's hurt bad.
- Is he still alive?
- I think so, but I don't
know how long he'll last.
Go see for yourselves.
[Rebel barking]
It's all right, Rebel.
[suspenseful music]
Hold it there, Champ.
- It's a trick, Matthew's
alive down there.
They're trapping Jessup and Landers.
[g*n f*ring]
[g*ns f*ring]
[men grunting]
[Rebel growling]
- Let him up now, Rebel.
- I wish Sandy'd hurry up,
but I don't care how long it takes,
as long as he catches up with George.
- [Sandy] All right
Matthew, let them come out.
- Looks like he's done it.
Keep your hands up and march.
[peaceful music]
- Can you make it, Mr. McNab?
- I wouldn't miss having
a few words with George
even if it k*lled me.
[Champ neighing]
[Ricky whistles]
- Here he comes.
[Champ neighing]
Champ, the valley is all yours!
- It most certainly is.
- What do you got there?
- Ah, this is a government permit
to let the railroad through here.
Thought I'd let Champ see me tear it up,
but I can't do much
tearing in my left hand.
- Rebel will take care of that
for you, just give it to him.
- Oh, you think so?
Here you are, Rebel.
[Ricky chuckles]
- Go on back to the herd
and tell them not to worry.
So long now, Champ!
[triumphant music]
♪ Champion, the wonder horse ♪
♪ Champion, the wonder horse ♪
♪ Like a streak of lighting
flashing across the sky ♪
♪ Like the swiftest arrow
whistling from a bow ♪
♪ Like a might cannon
ball he seems to fly ♪
♪ You'll hear about
him everywhere you go ♪
♪ The time will come when
everyone will know the name ♪
♪ Of Champion, the wonder horse ♪
♪ Champion, the wonder horse ♪
01x19 - Rails West
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Ricky has an uncanny ability to find himself in some kind of trouble, but is always rescued by his faithful friend Champion, the Wonder Horse, a wild stallion who has befriended Ricky.
Ricky has an uncanny ability to find himself in some kind of trouble, but is always rescued by his faithful friend Champion, the Wonder Horse, a wild stallion who has befriended Ricky.