01x03 - Salted Ground

[bunniefuu]

♪ Champion, The Wonder Horse ♪

♪ Champion, The Wonder Horse ♪

♪ Like a streak of lightening
flashing cross 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]

[whimsical music]

[Rebel barking]

[Champ whinnying]

- Oh!

[Rebel barking]

[whimsical music]

Oh, you're a bad dog,
and it wasn't your fault,

and it wasn't your fault.

It was both of you.

If you hadn't cheated
and taken the shortcut,

and if you hadn't gotten mad at him,

because he b*at you in the
race and tried to kick him,

I wouldn't have fallen off.

[Rebel whining]

Ow!

[Rebel barking]

[dramatic music]

Well, just for that you can stay here.

[Rebel whining]

Go back to your herd Champ,
I'll get home quicker.

- Help, whoa, help, help!

- Looks like I'm gonna need ya after all.

- Help!

[dramatic music]

Help, help, help!

Help, help!

[Sally screaming]

Whoa, help, help!

Help, help, help!

- You all right?

- I think so, but if
it hadn't been for you.

- Well, never mind about that.

As long as you're not hurt.

My name is Ricky, Ricky North.

- I'm Sally Custer.

My father just bought the
store over in Wingate.

- My Uncle Sandy, he's
the one I live with,

told me there's a new owner,

and this is Rebel, my dog.

- Hi, Rebel.

- Meet Sally Custer.

- I was over at the freight depot,

picking up supplies, and on my way back,

well, there was a sort
of a blast of g*nf*re.

It sounded like a shotgun,
it scared the horses.

- Are you sure you're all right?

- Oh, I think so, just a little shaky.

- Well, I better take you home.

- I can make it.

- No, ma'am, you shouldn't try to drive.

See ya later, Champ.

[Champ whinnying]

[whimsical orchestral music]

Whoa.

Custer's Last Stand.

That's a funny name for a store.

- Custer's Last Stand?

Does sound a little strange,
but there's a reason for it.

You see, my father's the
nicest man in the world,

but well, as my mother used to say,

anybody can hornswoggle him.

- Hornswoggle him, well how?

- Oh, getting him to invest
in all kinds of crazy ideas,

and losing his money.

- Oh.

- So, we just had enough
left to buy the store,

and he promised to keep it.

- So, that's why he called it

Custer's Last Stand.
- Custer's Last Stand.

- Hm, if this dust keeps
assaying the way it has been,

I'll be, I'll be worth millions.

- Shh.

Daddy?

- Oh Sally, well who's this young fella?

- Pop, this is Ricky North
and he just saved my life.

- What, well, what happened?

- Ah really, Sally, I didn't do much.

- Not much?

The team got scared of a lot
of sh**ting and ran away,

and Ricky stopped them.

- Are ya, are ya all right Sally?

- Fine now, but if
Ricky hadn't come along.

- Ricky, I, I just can't
find words to thank ya.

- Ah shucks, anybody coulda done it.

- Yeah, but you did it.

Now, I, I, I could never
reward ya fittingly,

but did you ever taste ice cream?

- Ice cream, well, what's that?

- You got a surprise coming.

Eh, eh, get the saucers, will ya, Sally?

- That's the only thing
Pop never invested in.

- Yep, that's right, I was, I
was too smart for the fella.

Well, let's see.

Hm, thank you, honey.

You're gonna like this.

- Say, this is good.

- I thought you'd like it.

Selling it in all the big cities.

- Make it in that little barrel?

- This is just a home model.

The fella that invent it,
gave me the patent to, uh,

well, to clear up a debt.

[Rebel whining]

- Get down, Rebel.

- Maybe, he'd want some.

- Do you think he would?

Well, let's try some here.

- Well, I guess it smells as
good to him as it tastes to me.

- I'll bet it does.

I won't give him much, just
give him a little bit to try.

There ya are.

- Now you know you're not
supposed to eat it on the table.

[Rebel whining]

I should think this would be
a good thing to invest in.

- Now Ricky.

- Now you take this thingamabob here.

There's two catches to it.

First one is, this stuff has to keep cold.

Well now, who's gone to the trouble

to find ice in the summertime?

- Well, I didn't think of that.

- Now, you have to consider
the margin of profit.

There's mighty little
in a doodad like this,

but you take gold, you
make a good investment,

your profit is unlimited.

Like this.

- Oh Pop.

- Now, what's the matter, Sally?

- Is that what you were
figuring about when we came in?

Are you gonna invest in
a gold mine or something?

- Invest, no, oh nothing like that.

This is a sure thing.

- But Pop, you promised.

You called the store
Custer's Last Stand yourself.

- But it's for you, Sally.

- Excuse me, but I ought to be going.

- Couldn't you stay for supper?

- [Ricky] Well, thanks, Mr. Custer,

but my Uncle Sandy would
worry if I didn't get home.

- Well, you're not gonna walk?

- Oh no, I'll find Champ, goodbye.

- Bye.

- [Jim] Eh, goodbye, son.

Uh, if there's ever anything
you need, just call on me.

What's mine is yours.

- Thank you.

Come on, Rebel.

[Rebel barking]

- Oh Pop, you promised.

- But this is different than
anything I ever got in before.

It's a great chance.

Ah Sally, I know I'm
doing the right thing.

- But we haven't any money to invest,

it's all in the store.

- Ah, I just swung a deal
with Art Harris at the bank.

They're loaning me the money.

- But Pop, we'll lose the store.

Oh please don't.

- Now, there, there honey, oh.

[whimsical music]

[Ricky whistles]

[Rebel barking]

[Champ whinnying]

- Hi, Champ.

[Rebel barking]

Now stop it, Rebel.

We haven't time for another race.

Now you stay here.

[Rebel barking]

[Champ whinnying]

Hi, Champ.

[g*n f*ring]

I wonder if that's what Sally heard?

[g*ns f*ring]

What're they sh**ting into the ground for?

[g*ns f*ring]

Craziest thing.

- I've got it all staked out.

Don't look now, but there's
a kid up in the rocks.

- A kid, what about him?

- He's watching us.

He could tell somebody what we're doing.

- Yeah, we better get him,
but don't let on we saw him.

[ominous music]

- Let's take a closer look.

[ominous music]

- Hey, kid.

Where are you going?

[Rebel barking]

- What's your hurry, son?

Stick around awhile.

- Let me alone.
- Now wait a minute.

- Let me alone.

[g*n f*ring]

[Rebel barking]

[Rebel growling]

Come on, Rebel!

[Rebel barking]

- A dog.

- Yeah, but what do we do now?

- Well, we gotta close the
deal faster than we thought.

[whimsical music]

- Hi, Uncle Sandy!

Go on, Champ, thanks.

Uncle Sandy, I know I'm late, but listen.

- No sir, you listen, you
know the rules of this ranch.

Anybody comes in late for dinner

has to chop wood before he eats.

- But I have a reason for being late.

- Sure, who hasn't, but
the rule still goes.

Come on, if you got a good
excuse, I may let you off easy.

- But this isn't an excuse.

[whimsical music]

First off, Rebel, Champ
and me stopped a runaway.

- [Sandy] Oh, now Ricky.

- We did, it was a buckboard,

and the girl that was
driving it was Sally Custer.

Her father just bought
the store over in Wingate.

- [Sandy] Oh, Jim Custer's girl?

Well, your excuse is
starting out pretty good.

- And it's gonna finish even better.

- Why, don't tell me after that,

you went out and captured Billy the Kid.

- Uncle Sandy, why would anyone fire a g*n

right into the ground?

- Why, who did that?

- Two men up in that rocky hollow.

One of them was kind of staking
out a claim it looked like,

and the other one kept f*ring
his shotgun into the ground,

over and over.

- Yeah, and then what?

- When they saw me watching
them, they chased me.

- Ricky, how often have I told
you not to get into trouble?

- I didn't, Rebel stopped
them, and Champ got me away.

- Well, it's hard to
believe anybody tried,

it's so well known, but that's
a way of salting a claim.

- Salting?

- Yeah, they put gold dust in
the shells instead of sh*ts,

then they fire the g*n into the ground,

and try and swindle some poor, easy mark

into buying it as a rich gold claim.

- Hornswoggle somebody?

- That's the idea.

- I bet I know who, Sally's father.

- Custer, why?

- Sally Custer said her father's
always being hornswoggled,

and he said he's gonna
get rich out of gold.

- Ricky, was one of these
men tall, slim, gray haired?

- Mhm, you know him?

- No, but I rode passed
their camp yesterday.

They told me they were prospectors.

- Uncle Sandy, what'll we do?

- Not gonna do anything for sure.

We'll investigate tomorrow though.

- You bet, I wouldn't want Mr. Custer

to get hornswoggled again.

He's nice, and so is Sally.

- You know, your excuse
turned out pretty good.

That's enough wood chopping for the day.

[ominous music]

- Ah Bennett, right on time.

- Well, I see you got the money.

- Of course, I'm a man of my word.

Now, if I ain't satisfied,
I don't part with a penny.

- Look, if you got any doubts
Custer, forget the whole deal.

We don't need your money,

we got somebody else in town interested.

- Now look, you can't
sell to anybody else.

I made the first offer.

- Yeah, but we don't have to wait on you

to make up your mind.

- All I ask is to look at the claim.

- All right, get a horse.

- I got a horse, here.

- Pop!

[whimsical orchestral music]

[Rebel barking]

- The prospectors' camp
is right over that ridge.

I'll go over there.

Might be a good idea if you
go in town and talk to Custer.

- All right.

[Rebel barking]

- Go ahead, Rebel.

[Rebel barking]

[whimsical orchestral music]

[ominous music]

- Something I can do for you?

- Well, that all depends.

Have you seen anything of a couple of guys

around here salting a gold claim?

- Salting, what do you mean?

- You know, you fire a g*n full
of gold dust into the ground

to make some poor sucker think
it's a rich claim and buy it.

- Well, why ask me?

- 'Cause my nephew says

you're one of the two
hombres he saw yesterday,

doing just that.

- Well, he's lying.

- He doesn't lie very
good, he might be mistaken.

Well, if you're not the one,

I guess I better go see the Sheriff,

ask him to find out who it might be.

[fists thudding]
[tense instrumental music]

[bat thuds]

- Take him in the tent,
tie him, and stay with him.

[ominous music]

[dramatic music]

- Ricky!

- Sally, where's your father?

I gotta talk to him.

- He's not here.

What's the matter?

- Gosh, I don't exactly know,

but Uncle Sandy and I think some men

may be trying to hornswoggle
him with a fake gold claim.

- That must be it.

He rode outta town with a
strange man a little while ago,

and he went to the bank first.

- Well, don't worry, if he's
going where I think he is,

I can catch him.

- I've got a pony, I'm coming along too.

- Good, we may need Uncle Sandy.

Rebel, go find Uncle Sandy, find him.

- We better hurry.
- Yeah.

[dramatic music]

- Good boy, come here.

[body thuds]

[suspenseful music]

- How does this one look to ya, huh?

- Just as good as the first sample.

This ground must be
saturated with gold dust.

- Do you wanna try another shovelful?

- No, no I, I seen enough to say

there's a mighty rich gold strike here.

- Well then, this is the
partnership arrangement.

You get one third when
you put up your money.

We already signed.

- Yeah, one thing is,
with a fortune like this,

why do you wanna take in another partner?

- That's the way we operate
all over the country.

We need a local man to look
after our interests here.

- Oh, well, I guess I'll read it over.

Not that I don't trust ya.

- Sure, sure, take your time.

[ominous music]

- Good boy.

[dramatic music]

Don't move anymore than that.

You won't be needing this.

On your feet, and get in there.

Let's see how you like being
tied up like a pig in a poke.

Come on, move.

- Yeah, very good terms.

Looks to be fair to all of us.

- Yup.

[dramatic music]

Money talks, Custer.

Now, if you can't make
up your mind, speak up,

so we can do business
with this other party.

- Here's the money.

Exact amount we agreed upon.

- Pop, wait!

Pop, these men are swindlers.

They're trying to hornswoggle you.

- Yeah.

- But Sally, you don't know
anything about things like this.

- I've got the answer,
Custer, it's this kid.

He's been snooping
around, watching us dig.

He's probably trying to discourage you,

so he can get the claim for his uncle.

- Watching you dig?

I watched you salt this ground.

- Salting, Ricky, are you sure?

- Yeah, they did it with a shotgun.

- He's telling the
truth, Pop, I know he is.

- Maybe too late Sally,
but I've learnt my lesson.

- Oh Pop, I'm so glad,
and it's not too late.

- The deal's off.

- Not as far as we're concerned.

Hand over the money.

- [Jim] Now, don't try and bluff me.

- I'm not bluffing, not even
counting to three to prove it.

- [Sally] Help, help, help!

- Drop your g*ns, both of you.

- Not us mister,

you try and sh**t without
hitting these kids.

You drop your g*n.

Turn around and walk away peaceable.

- No, don't do it, Uncle Sandy.

[dramatic music]

[fist thuds]

- [Sally] Pop!

- Get the money, Bert.

[Rebel barking]

- Rebel, come here, boy.

Go get him!

[Rebel barking]

[g*n f*ring]

[Rebel growling]

- You caught him, Rebel.

[dramatic music]

[Champ whinnying]

[fist thuds]

[Rebel growling]

- Let him go, Rebel, drop it.

- But the other man
has Mr. Custer's money.

- Take this and keep an eye on him.

[dramatic music]

[fist thuds]

[Rebel growling]

- [Sally] You all right, Pop?

- Yep, all but one thing.

Give me that money.

Here, you take it, Sally.

- [Sally] But Pop.

- Now I don't think I'll
be hornswoggled again,

but you never can tell.

- We're gonna get these two into town.

Come on, let's go, get moving.

[dramatic music]

Say, this is mighty good ice cream.

I should think that gadget

oughta be a pretty good investment.

- Oh no, no more investing for me.

The fella that gave me the patent,

he's always sending me telegrams.

- [Ricky] Telegrams, well why?

- He wants me to finance the
manufacture of the freezer.

- Pop got one yesterday.

What was in it?

- Hmm, well, I don't
know, I never read 'em.

Might just as well though,
now that I've been cured.

Well, let's see, it might be,
oh I won't bother you, no no.

Let's see here.

Oh, oh.

- Well, what's the matter, Pop?

- Oh it's, it's with a fellow in Chicago.

Offers me $10,000.00 for
the rights to the freezer.

- Well, I should think
you'd be very happy.

- Yeah, Pop.

- Gosh, $10,000.00.

- Yeah but, the thing that gets me is

it's the only investment
that I never would make is,

is the only one that I should've made.

[laughing]

♪ Champ, The Wonder Horse ♪

♪ Champion, The Wonder Horse ♪

♪ Like a streak of lightening
flashing cross the sky ♪

♪ Like the swiftest arrow
whizzing from a bow ♪

♪ Like a mighty cannonball,
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 ♪

♪ Champ, The Wonder Horse ♪