Winds of the Wasteland

I think they're plum crazy to do away with the Pony Express.

So do I but they claim this new

fangled telegraph will be a lot of faster.

It won't work. You mark my words.

Who ever heard of sending messages over a piece of wire?

What are you going to do now Jim?

Punch cows again I reckon.

Seems pretty tame after a Pony Express ride.

Yeah. I guess I'll hunt buffalo.

They say there is pretty good money in the hides.

What's Johnny Blair going to do?

I don't know but he won't starve. He's been saving his nickels.

2:00 here in 10 seconds.

He'll be here in...

There he comes now!

Here you are Ed.

Right on time Blair, as usual.

Wouldn't be late on my last run Mr. Dodge.

Sorry to see it end.

So am I.

Men.

That mare reaches Sacramento

means the end of the Pony Express.

You've established a record in carrying the mail

that would go down in history.

In appreciation of your loyalty the

company is giving each of you a gift.

Two Pony Express horses.

Toughest and fastest in the country.

Thanks boss!

Let's go down to the corrals

and pick out the ones you want.

Best of luck to you boys.

Thanks Mr. Dodge.

2 thoroughbreds each. That's a real gift.

Yeah, let's go pick ahead and pick them out.

What are you going to do with your horses?

Sell them.

Oh no you're not. I got a better idea.

We're going to start a stage line.

A stage line?

Sure. There is plenty of money in it.

We haven't got any stagecoach.

- Oh, we'll get one. - Suits me partner.

And we'll pick out 4 good stagecoach horses.

We'll head for Buchanan city.

Maybe even be able to get a stage there.

Well, there she is.

Bucahanan city.

Hope that fella' Drake's got a stagecoach he'll sell us.

Well with the stage line the size of his he'd ought to

have plenty of old ones he'd be glad to get rid of.

We'll soon find out.

- Well, here we are. - Yeah.

We're looking for Cal Drake.

That's me.

Come in.

What can I do for you?

We want to buy a stagecoach Mr. Drake.

We'd figured you might have an old one you would sell us cheap.

Stagecoach? What are you going to do with it?

Start a stage line.

Where are you going to run it?

We hadn't figured that out yet.

You mean you haven't got a franchise?

Franchise?

You have to have one of those to start a stage line?

Well you boys are certainly new at the game.

Takes a lot of money.

You've got to go through a lot of red tape to start a stage line.

How much money you thinking of putting into it?

Oh, about 1000 dollars.

Maybe I can help you boys out. See all those lines?

Those are all my stage routes.

I kind of bit off a little more than I could chew and

I've been neglecting the Crescent city lately.

I'll sell it to you cheap.

2 ambitious fella's ought to make a good pay out of it.

How much do you want for it?

3,000 dollars.

1,000 dollars right now and the

balance in 2 payments. 60 and 90 days.

Cut easy out of the profits and you'll find

a stagecoach in Crescent city that goes with it.

How far is this Crescent city?

35 miles north of here.

We'll think it over and let you know later.

Right!

Here's an atlas. Give a little idea about the town.

Here it is. Crescent city.

Population 3,500. Climate: Healthful.

Water supply: Excellent. School and church.

What do you say?

Don't you think we'd better go up and look it over first?

What for? All those towns are alike.

Alright. We'll take it Mr. Drake.

Fine. Fine. You boys got great thing in this.

And I'm going to get a lot of

pleasure out of watching you make a pay.

Crescent city.

Home of the Adams and Blair stage lines.

Mail, passengers, and freights.

Carried from coast to coast.

Let's start advertising right now.

Get a crowd together and make them a speech.

Quiet little place isn't.

Yeah. 3,500 people don't make much noise.

Well, maybe they're out on a picnic.

Or just out.

Wait, I hear someone.

Well, it's a ghost town.

Drake just...

He knew it all the time.

It's all my fault.

- I talked you into it. - Forget it.

He fooled me too.

Given us the hee-haw.

Hey strangers! Was that you I heard shooting?

Sure. What of it?

As sheriff I could arrest you for that.

But as mayor I welcome you to Crescent city.

As president of the council I gave myself the afternoon off.

I'm Rocky O'Brien.

Anyone else live here besides you and the pigs?

Uh... well yes!

Yes! Doc Forsythe lives there over near the hotel.

That makes 2 customers for our stage line.

Yeah.

Are you going to run the Crescent city stage stranger?

Well we bought it.

Yipee!

Hey doc! Here's some good news for ya!

These fellas are taking over the Crescent city stage line.

We're the suckers who bought it alright.

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm William Forsythe.

My name is Blair. This is Larry Adams.

Someone sold it to you under false pretenses I suppose.

Human nature is like that Mr. Blair.

Well, you boys must be hungry. I'll prepare a bite for you.

Drake told us we'd find a stagecoach here.

You know where it is?

Yeah. Come along. I'll show you.

You know even after the gold petered out,

this had been a good town

if Doc and Cal Drake hadn't had a falling out.

What do you mean?

Well they was partners, but Doc

didn't like the crooked deals Drake was pulling, so

Drake squeezed Doc and moved

all his ducks to Buchanan city.

Looks like he did a good job.

Sure did. Drake's crooked as a snake.

Well, there it is.

Well, it isn't much to look at.

Well, you can still carry passengers.

If we can get 'em.

You can get 'em alright.

If you can land that mail contract.

- Mail contract? - Yeah.

Being post master of this here city I'm in on the know.

Look at that.

This deal doesn't sound so bad after all.

I smell something funny.

Wonder why...

Look out, it's a skunk!

Whew. That was a close one.

It sure was.

Where can I get a rag and some water?

- Did he get ya? - No.

We got to clean that coach up.

Our franchise calls for a

round trip to Bucahanan twice a week.

We got to get started.

Fix you right up!

There's a record for ya.

We doubled our population in one day.

Ain't many cities can do that.

There, how's that.

- Crooked. - Huh?

Oh, you mean the picture.

What'd you think I meant?

Blair's coming into town the stagecoach.

Empty.

Well, how did you think it would be?

Be ready in case he tries to start anything.

We'll take care of 'em.

I'll have the boys give them a welcome.

Don't forget boys. Let's give him a great send off.

Hooray!

All aboard for Crescent city!

Hooray for Crescent city.

Ghost's carry free to ghost town.

Crescent city is a swell place to die.

Well. I didn't know school let out so early.

Well, Blair. How's it going?

It's fine.

Be a lot better when I land that mail contract.

I want to enter my stagecoach in that mail race.

Good.

I was beginning to think that there