Riders of Death Valley – Chapter 4: Flaming Fury

OUR STORY SO FAR: Jim Benton and “Tombstone” survive the wild horse stampede, but are trapped by Wolf and his outlaws in a narrow cut.

By a clever ruse they escape, but they are discovered and are fighting a losing battle with the outlaws when Jim’s “Death Valley Riders” arrive and save the day.

Undaunted, and determined to get possession of Chuckawalla’s mine, Wolf attacks the expedition as it winds through a mountain pass and…

The four writers responsible for this serial (I’m leaving out Oliver Drake, who’s credited with the original story)—Sherman L. Lowe, George H. Plympton, Basil Dickey and Jack O’Donnell—were probably paid a pittance for their work…and my reasoning for this is because if you pay attention to the recapped “crawl” that introduces each weekly chapter, you’ll find any number of discrepancies in what they’ve jotted down and what actually took place on the screen.  Not to put too a fine a point on it—they make up a lot of stuff.

Take the second part of that recap: okay, “clever ruse” is in the eye of the beholder—but there was no losing battle, and Jim’s “Riders” most assuredly did not “save the day.”  They found Benton (Dick Foran) and Tombstone (Buck Jones) wandering around in the middle of nowhere and, because they happened to locate their horses in a bit of screenwriting luck, returned the nags to their masters so they didn’t have to expend any more boot leather.

Oh, well…c’est la guerre.  Last week, we had an exciting extended chase in which the villainous Wolf Reade (Charles Bickford) and his goons were bearing down on Benton’s caravan, which is making its way to the “Lost Aztec Mine”—the digs discovered by the dearly departed Chuckawalla Charlie.  Jim and Chuckawalla’s niece, Mary Morgan (Jeanne Kelly), were in a runaway wagon that had been separated from its team of horses and it looked as if the two of them were headed over a cliff and into the drink below.

So how do they escape from this dire predicament?  We see the wagon head over the cliff…

…there is a cut to the two of them still in the wagon (if the wagon was tipping, they would certainly be upside down)…

…then a cut to the two of them jumping into the water…

…then the wagon falls into the water.  Honest to my grandma—I think I would have preferred to see the two of them jump out of the wagon before it hit the drink.   It would be what’s known in the serial biz as a “cheat,” but it wouldn’t been nearly as lame as what’s in the screen caps above.

On dry land, Wolf and his gang continue to chase Tombstone and the riders—and despite the fact that we saw several members of Wolf’s coterie fall off their horses during the chase from the last chapter, his numbers mysteriously remain intact.  Spying the face of the cliff where the wagon signed off, Wolf says to his lead henchman Butch (Lon Chaney, Jr.): “Do you suppose Benton and the girl are in that wagon?”

“Looked like it to me,” agrees Butch…and so Wolf decrees that the two of them ride off toward the wet portion below.  Meanwhile, in the water, a half-drowned Mary struggles to get to drier land…and this is followed by an interlude with the “Death Valley Riders” for some (bad) comic relief with the English language-challenged Pancho (Leo Carrillo).

PANCHO: Hey!  We sure scared that Wolf gang, didn’t I?

TOMBSTONE: “I”?  You haven’t got “I” trouble, have you?

PANCHO: Eye trouble?  I no got nothing in my look…

TOMBSTONE: Oh, no…not your look…you don’t understand me…“I” trouble—“I did this, I did that”…

PANCHO: You did this you did what?

TOMBSTONE: No, not me…you don’t under…aw, skip it—let’s go look for…

PANCHO (interrupting): Ah, Americanos locos—let’s went!

Tombstone and his team of jesters ride off just as Wolf, Butch and Pete (Richard Alexander) arrive near the water’s edge to find an unconscious Mary, exhausted from wading to dry land.  At the same time, Jim has made it to solid ground as well—and he’s able to observe from a short distance that Wolf and his men are planning to put the snatch on Mary.  So what does our two-fisted he-man do?

He hides behind a freaking tree.  The lion in The Wizard of Oz showed more Moxie than this cowpoke.

WOLF: We’ll take her over to Hank’s place and use her to get the map from Benton…

BUTCH: I wonder if Benton’s still alive…

WOLF: We’ll soon find out…

But no sooner do they conduct a search for Jim (who’s still hiding behind that tree, the milksop) when Wolf spots Tombstone and the others riding in their direction.  “Get her on a horse and get out of here,” he barks to Butch and Pete.  Tombstone and the others arrive just in time to miss the bad guys, but were considerate enough to bring Jim’s horse with them when they spot its rider.

TOMBSTONE: 250 square miles to ride in, and you gotta take to water like a duck, huh…?

JIM: Never mind the wisecracks—the Wolf’s got Mary!

“I…I fought them off as long as I could…but they overpowered me…” (Sheesh…)  Pancho gives out with another “Let’s went!” and a screen wipe zeroes in on a remote cabin where Wolf and the pack (never gets old) arrive to greet a sentry out front.

WOLF: Where’s Hank?

SENTRY: In the tunnel…

WOLF: His wife inside?

SENTRY: Mm-hmm…

WOLF: Take ‘er in, Butch…tell Kate to keep an eye on her…Rimrock around?

Sentry Guy tells Wolf that “Rimrock” is getting ready to go to town, so Butch escorts Mary inside the cabin, and greets Kate (Ruth Rickaby), a rather imposing elderly woman whom I would not be surprised worked as a matron alongside Evelyn Harper (Hope Emerson) in the later Caged (1950)—she’s that scary.

BUTCH (to Kate): Hello, ma…

“Stop calling me that!  I was young and the wine had gone to my head!”

KATE: Hello, Butch…whatcha got here?

BUTCH: As far as I’m concerned, a mess of trouble…

Outside, Wolf catches up to the aforementioned Rimrock, a seedy-looking guy played by Charles Thomas.

WOLF: I wanna talk to you…I want you to take a message to Jim Benton…you’ll find him somewhere near Superstition Pass…

RIMROCK: I’m not takin’ any messages to Benton…I’m not cuttin’ any didoes with that man…

A “dido” is defined as “a mischievous prank” or “antic” according to Dictionary.com.  It can also mean a “bauble” or “trifle.”  (I looked this up because it sounded like he wasn't pronouncing the "1.")

RIMROCK: …I want to stay healthy…

(He turns away, but Wolf spins him around)

WOLF: You wanna stay healthy…

RIMROCK (fearful): Whaddya want me to do?

WOLF: All right…I want you to find him; tell him I want to see him here alone tomorrow at sunup…and tell him to bring his map…he’ll understand…

RIMROCK: I think I could find him tonight, Wolf…

WOLF: I don’t want him here till sunup!  Then I’ll be sure none of his riders are trailin’ him…and don’t you try any funny business…

Or “didoes,” either.  Rimrock mounts up and rides off, and we’re back inside the cabin.

KATE: So…you’re a mess of trouble—eh, Baby?  (Moving menacingly toward her) Well…trouble’s my dish…make yourself at home…take a load off your feet!  (Mary sits down as Kate pulls up a chair to sit down as well) That’s right, Dearie…do everything I say like that and you and me’ll get along fine…

Kate pours herself a generous portion of something from a bottle—and offers some to Mary, who politely refuses.  (Humorously, Butch is not extended the same courtesy.)  The scene fades to black, and then we’re back at Benton’s camp, where Jim and the rest of the riders are pulling up.  Jim is greeted by Rance Davis (Monte Blue), a no-goodnik who’s inexplicably been left in charge…and considering the man’s nature, I’m surprised he hasn’t sold the entire outfit by now.

DAVIS: I didn’t expect you fellas back until you had the Morgan girl…

TOMBSTONE: Whaddya think we are, a bunch of owls?

“More like pigeons, to be honest…”

TOMBSTONE: How are you gonna pick up a trail like that at night?

“In my business, I’d probably just foreclose on the trail.”  Rance slinks away, and Tombstone goes over to Jim, who sits down looking dejected.

TOMBSTONE: Why don’t you get some shuteye, Jim…?

JIM: Oh, I couldn’t sleep, Tomb…

“Particularly in light of how I hid behind a tree while the bad guys pounced…”

TOMBSTONE: I know you’re worried about that girl…but it’s not gonna do you any good…come mornin’, we’ll pick that trail up and her, too…

“Everyone knows she’s an easy pickup.”  (Oh, like you wouldn’t have gone there.)  Over at one of the wagons, Pancho and Borax Bill (Guinn “Big Boy” Williams) are having one of their hysterical conversations which I’m not going to bother to transcribe…except to note that Pancho is interrupted because “I hear footprints.”  The “footprints” belong to Rimrock, who’s riding into camp to do Wolf’s bidding.

TOMBSTONE: What’s on your mind?

RIMROCK: I met the Wolf and some of his boys on the trail this afternoon…

JIM: Did they have a girl with them?

RIMROCK: I didn’t see no girl…but he asked me to bring you a message…

Rimrock tells Jim that Reade wants to see him, but he refuses to elaborate on just where—and that gets Tombstone’s dander up, to the point where he’s ready to yank the guy out of his saddle.  “It’s no use in tryin’ to bully me, Tombstone,” he explains calmly.  “I’m a heap more afraid of what the Wolf will do to me if I told you…then what you’d do to me if I don’t.”

JIM: What did Wolf tell you?

RIMROCK: He told me…to take you to where he is tomorrow morning at sunup…and for you to bring a map…he said you’d understand…

TOMBSTONE: Well, you can tell the Wolf as far as I’m concerned he can go…

JIM (interrupting): Wait a minute!  That’s not the way to play it…

TOMBSTONE: If you play it any other way, Jim, you’re crazy…

JIM: Maybe I’m crazy…but I’m ridin’ out tomorrow with Rimrock alone… (To Rimrock) Unsaddle your horse and bed down…

It is morning…and Jim and Rimrock are riding off in the direction of the cabin.  High on a ridge, they are being watched by two of Reade’s goons, Dirk (Roy Barcroft) and Rusty (Ethan Laidlaw).

JIM: Who are they, Rimrock?

RIMROCK: Likely some of Wolf’s men…makin’ sure you don’t try any tricks…

JIM: Oh, I see…let’s get movin’…

Jim, to his credit, waits until he and Rimrock are well out of sight of the two thugs before he tries a trick—because Jim is all about the didoes.

JIM (drawing his gun): Get off that horse…

RIMROCK: What are you aimin’ to do?

JIM: Come on—get off that horse!

Jim’s “clever ruse” is to ask Rimrock for his hat and coat…because he’s going to pretend to be Rimrock and vice versy.  Dirk and Rusty are back a bit, and have lost sight of the two men.

DIRK: Can’t see ‘em…

RUSTY: Maybe they stopped at the spring to fill their canteens…

Or maybe…they’re undergoing a wardrobe transformation!

Ooh, baby—you are so talented!  (And they are so dumb.)  Jim instructs Rimrock to mount his horse, Smoke, and “play it straight.”  The two of them ride out of the cut where they exchanged clothes and are spotted by Dirk and Rusty.

It won’t be hard to discern why Dirk and Rusty are never going to advance beyond being mere henchmen.  Look at the screen cap above, and you’ll see that Rimrock (dressed as Jim) is leading the way.  Now—if that were Jim, why would he be leading the way?  Rimrock is escorting Jim, not versa vicey.  Back at Camp Wolf, Reade and Butch sit around, awaiting the arrival of Rimrock and his prisoner.

WOLF: Rimrock and Benton started at sunup…they oughta be here…

BUTCH: Yeah… (He then spots Sentry Guy on a hill, waving his hat) They’re comin’…

WOLF (to Butch and the others): Get back out of sight…

BUTCH: Hey…whaddya gonna do?

WOLF: Whaddya think I’m gonna do?  What I’ve been waiting for…

BUTCH: Yeah, but if you plug him now and he ain’t got the map we’ll never find where it’s hid…

WOLF: He’s got it, all right…he’s countin’ on exchangin’ the map for the girl…

These last two lines are heard from inside the cabin, where a terrified Mary is starting across the room and heading for the exits—only to be stopped by Kate.    As Rimrock and Benton approach, Wolf draws his pistol.  “Now I’ve got Benton right where I want him,” he snarls.

He fires at the man wearing black, and Rimrock falls to the ground—which prompts Jim to do what he does best, namely run and hide.  As Wolf and his men go over to where the dead man lays to do an end zone dance, he gets a rude surprise.

WOLF: Rimrock!  Benton’s outsmarted us again!

I love it when a plan comes together.  “He’s in the rocks somewhere there, on foot,” barks Wolf.  “Get after him!”

Jim, clever little sod that he is, has doubled back to the cabin and enters the domicile with his gun drawn…because there’s no need to be fearful when his only adversary is a little old lady armed only with a bottle of bootleg hooch.  “Don’t make a sound,” he warns Kate, and with Mary’s help he changes out of his Rimrock duds and back to Bentonwear.  He grabs a hat hanging on a peg and tells Kate: “A fair exchange is no robbery—tell Hank he’ll find my hat down on the trail with a hole in it!”  The two of them then run out the back, leaving Kate to cry “Wolf!  Wolf!”  (I believe there’s a cautionary fable that addresses this.)

Jim and Mary jump on two horses tied up outside the cabin (so much for that “fair exchange/no robbery” crapola) and ride off—they’re spotted by Wolf and his bunch who give chase.  But Jim and Mary are seriously boned, for as Jim observes: “We’ll never make it, Mary—these horses are all in!”

 

Fortunately for the purposes of our narrative, Jim spots a cabin in the distance and they are able to reach temporary shelter.  But the Wolfpack has arrived, and there’s a spirited exchange of gunfire.  “Can we hold them off?” asks Mary breathlessly.

“As long as I have ammunition,” returns Jim as continues to fire away.  (Ten bucks says that once he runs out he hides behind Mary’s skirts.)  Outside the cabin, Wolf and his men execute a short tactical retreat.

WOLF: No more shooting, boys…

BUTCH: Come on, Wolf—let’s rush ‘em!

WOLF: No…I wanna take ‘em alive…

Minutes ago, you shot a guy dead thinking he was Benton.  A little consistency, big guy—that’s all we ask.

BUTCH: How are you gonna do that?

WOLF: We’ll smoke ‘em out in the open…

Wolf points to a wagon that someone has conveniently left across the way, and he and his men quickly fill it with brush, with the intention of setting fire to it and rolling that bad boy toward the cabin.  The coinky-dinks do not end there: Mary discovers a cache of ammunition in the cabin, stored right behind several kegs of blasting powder.  (Yes, you see where this is going.)

Wolf and the boys send the fiery wagon on its way—and then there’s this exchange, which sent me to the floor laughing:

DIRK: That’ll be the last of Benton…that old discarded cabin is filled with powder and blasting gelatin!

WOLF: What? Why didn’t you tell me that before?

“Um…I was afraid how you’d take it, Wolf…you have a tendency to raise your voice and all...”  Well, there’s a reason why this chapter is called “Flaming Fury”—though Jim has a Plan B: “If I can only cut that rope that steers the wheels in this direction I might be able to turn it off.”

He fires. 

And misses. 

Stuff happens.