Riders of the Purple Sage

1
On the far reaches
of the Great Southwest
in the late eighties,
Frank Erne and his
wife are making a
brave fight to establish
their little homestead -

2
His wife, Milly, and
their only child,
Bessie.

   --- Beatrice Burnham.
   --- Seesel Anne Johnson.

3
Frank Erne.

   --- Arthur Morrison.

4
"In another year
we'll be out of
debt, Milly, and
things will be
different."

5
  "Another year
slaving like this,
and I'll be dead!"

6
"You must've been 
hearin' some more
of Lew Walters'
pretty talk, you're so
dissatisfied!"

7
"At least he's
sorry for me!"

8
Lew Walters, a local
attorney.

     --- Warner Oland.

9
"You needn't mind
your appearance for
me, Milly. I know
how you have to
live."

10
"If you'll only
go away with me,
I'll take you out 
of all this
drudgery -"

11
    In town --
Lew Walters' three
hirelings -- Herd,
Metzger and Slack
- anxiously await his
return.

12
"We've got to go,
that's sure, but
we're not going
alone!"

13
  Hurrying home,
determined, for the
sake of his wife's
happiness, to sell
out and move back
east --

14
"It's daddy!"

15
 "We're leaving 
these parts tonight
 -- for good --"

16
Although mortally
wounded, Frank Erne
clings desperately
to the thread of
life.

17
Jim Carson -- Milly
Erne's brother ---
summoned by her
husband from his
home town in Kansas.

	TOM MIX.

18
"--- And God alone
knows where they've
taken my poor
wife and baby!"

19
"Herd -- Metzger --
Slack -- Walters --
I'll get 'em --
I'll find Milly and 
Bess if it takes
a lifetime!"

20
  Across rivers,
mountains, deserts
-- the village of
Cottonwood, still remote
from the hands of
law and progress --

21
At the edge of 
the sagebrush, where
town and desert 
meet --

22
 Told that her 
husband had died
and forced to marry
Lew Walters, Milly
struggles hopelessly
on for the sake
of little Bess --

23
Walters, now known 
by the name of
Dyer.

24
"I told you to 
keep that brat out 
of my way ----
nobody gets any 
attention around here 
but her!"

25
Outlaws - mysterious
riders of the purple
sage --

26
Oldring, their leader.

	--- Wilfred Lucas.

27
"You sent for me,
Dyer - what's up?"

28
"I've done things 
for you, Oldring,
and now I want 
you to do a 
little favor for 
me --"

29
  "I'm sick and
tired of supporting
Frank Erne's kid -"

30
Towards sundown -

31
"Bessie! Bessie! -"

32
  On through the
night -- half-crazed
with grief -- searching
-- searching -- for
little Bess --

33
Dawn ----

34
 The years pass, while
over vaguely twisted
and oft-divided trails,
follows Jim Carson --
now known as "Lassiter",
whose dangerous trigger
      is no longer
      challenged -

35
Searching - searching 
-- studying every face
he meets ---- ever
asking the same, strange
question "Have you
seen Milly Erne, or
the men who took 
her?" --

36
That night - near
the end of the
long trail --

37
"Has anyone here
seen Milly Erne 
or the men who 
took her?" 

38
"- Walters - Herd -
Metzger - Slack?"

39
Herd - Metzger --
Slack - only Walters
remains.

40
"Where is Milly Erne?"

41
"Place -- called --
Cotton -- wood --"

42
 On the outskirts 
of Cottonwood -- the
Withersteen ranch.

43
The feudal gates 
and ancient stockade,
a relic of Indian
      wars.

44
Jane Withersteen,
the owner.

   --- Mabel Ballin.

45
Richard Tull, a
ruthless cattleman,
whose word is law
in the town.

   --- Charles LeMoyne.

46
"It's very nice 
of you to ask
me again, Dick, but
I'm not ready to
marry yet."

47
  "I suppose you're 
  in love with that 
rustler, Bern Venters!"

48
"You know that isn't 
true -- Venters is
my most faithful
rider!"

49
   "Faithful, eh?
  Well, we caught
 him comin' out of
that rustler, Oldring's,
territory!"

50
Bern Venters ---

	Harold Goodwin.

51
  "Please, Dick,
I sent him up
  there to trail 
some stolen cattle!"

52
"Beg pardon -- am
I interruptin'?"

53
"What's your trouble,
young fellow?"

54
"They've accused
him of rustling,
but he's innocent
---- they won't
listen to me --"

55
"I'm takin' the 
lady's word --
untie him!"

56
"Lassiter!"

57
  Changed only 
in appearance and 
now Judge of the 
  local court.

58
"Jane Withersteen's
goin' to marry me,
or I'll crush her
-- make a beggar
of her!"

59
"Tull, you've been
running things with
a high hand lately
- better go slow -
she has friends."

60
"Dyer, I made you
Judge, an' you'll
do as I say!"

61
"I'm thinkin' you
know who this 
Lassiter is an'
what'll happen if he
finds out about
Milly Erne --"

62
Once again Lassiter
asks his strange
question and learns
from Jane Withersteen
of the tragic fate
of Milly and her
child.

63
  "-- I loved
Milly ---- she was
my dearest friend
-- and when little
Bess disappeared, it
broke her heart --"

64
"And where is 
Lew Walters?"

65
  "Milly made me 
promise - if anyone
ever came seeking
revenge -- to do
all I could to
prevent it."

66
"I'll think it over
awhile, ma'am."

67
That night, ominous
whispers float across
the purple sage.

68
"That's Oldring and
his masked rider
-- nobody's ever
seen his face."

69
"Get the red herd
first -- the white
one next -- then
take her saddle
horses --"

70
  "Looks to me
like trouble for
Miss Withersteen."

71
"You'll be protected
- Judge Dyer's here
for that purpose."

72
 Fay Larkin, an
orphan, whom Jane
has reared from
babyhood.

73
   "About the
question you asked
me yesterday ----
I'll let my purpose
wait for awhile."

74
   "And you'll
 stay here as my
foreman, Lassiter?"

75
"I'm awful glad
you're goin' to be
Aunt Jane's boss!"

76
  "Can you play
you're a great big
woolly dog?"

77
"Wag your tail!"

78
   Jane's most
prized possessions
-- her thoroughbred
saddle horses.

79
 "Oldring's gang
got away with the
    red herd!"

80
  "Get on their 
trail! If you find
'em, come back for 
       me."

81
 "Oh, Lassiter,
I'd gladly lose 
everything to stop
 this outlawry!"

82
      The secret
 entrance to Oldring's
undiscovered rendezvous.

83
Venters, close on 
the heels of the
stolen herd, enters
the camp unseen.

84
  With a feeling
of security in the
company of Lassiter,
Jane rides the range
for the first time
in months.

85
"They're trying to
stampede the herd."

86
 "There are two
things we can do
- take him before
Judge Dyer, or settle
with him now!"

87
"He's one of Tull's
men -- Judge Dyer
would do nothing.
Please, Lassiter, let
him go!"

88
Hours later -- high
in the canyons --
Venters halts to
dress his captive's
wound.

89
 "Who are you?
What's happened?"

90
"What are you 
going to do with
      me?"

91
"Take you back 
to Oldring's camp
when you're better."

92
"I don't want to 
go back there! I 
  loathe them!"

93
"Tull, I just
caught two men
tryin' to stampede
Miss Withersteen's
cattle."

94
"-- I let 'em off
this time, but I'm
warnin' you don't
send any more!"

95
"Were you goin' 
to say something
---- Mr. Tull?"

96
  Searching for 
a safer place in
which to hide his
fair convalescent.

97
Steps cut in the
rocks by ancient
cliff dwellers.

98
The last defence of
the cliff dwellers, a
balanced rock, placed
by them, still poised,
ready to roll and
block the entrance
forever.

99
A hidden valley
having no entrance
nor outlet, except
past the balanced
rock.

100
"I just saw the
masked rider in
your camp - wounded.
What happened?"

101
"-- And she doesn't
want to be taken
back. Good reason,
I guess and if
I ever see Oldring -"

102
On the way home -
near the Withersteen
ranch --

103
"Tull's men tried
to get me, but
they're all bad
    shots."

104
"Lassiter, you must
forget about me
and go away before
it is too late!"

105
"No, Jane, I'll
never leave you 
      now!"

106
In "Surprise Valley" -
for the first time
the injured girl
ventures out-of-doors.

107
"I got another 
one of Oldring's 
calves."

108
"Please don't go 
there any more -
your life is in
danger!"

109
 "I won't need 
to ----- with the
supplies I've already
taken, we could
live here forever."

110
Tull strikes again -

111
"Our peaceful
methods have failed.
This time I'm goin'
to try something
different!"

112
All night long --
Lassiter trails the 
stolen horses --

113
At the camp of 
the marauders --
someone has cheated 
at cards --

114
 "Don't stop on
my account --- go
right ahead -- fight
it out."

115
 "I knew you'd 
get started pretty 
 soon, Lassiter!"

116
Outwitted at every 
turn by Lassiter,
Tull strikes a
final blow through
Judge Dyer.

117
"Judge Dyer has
taken little Fay
     away!"

118
  "Oh, Lassiter,
I --- I can't keep
Milly's secret any 
      longer."

119
"---- it was Judge
Dyer who took
Milly away from
her husband ---
he is Lew Walters!"

120
"I'll get your 
    horse."

121
"Please, Lassiter --
please be careful
-- I don't want 
them to harm you!"

122
 "Jane, if you
really care - have
a horse saddled
and be ready to
leave with me when
I get back."

123
"Do you promise
to give this child
a home and proper
      care?"

124
"Judge, I've trailed 
you for years, but 
I'm goin' to forget 
my purpose on one
condition --"

125
"Give little Fay back
to Miss Withersteen."

126
"Lew Walters ----
I am Milly Erne's 
brother!"

127
"Oldring, I want to
see you --- alone!"

128
 "-- but she's 
dead to you --
dead to the rotten 
life you made her 
lead!"

129
"Quiet lad -- listen
-- just a minute -"

130
"Don't follow him, 
boys -- I'll be all 
right ---"

131
   "Find his
friend, Lassiter --
tell him who the
masked rider is
-- everything --"

132
Determined to have 
Jane, Tull gathers 
a posse ---

133
"Wherever you go,
I'm going with 
     you."

134
 "Venters shot
Oldring, but he
ain't hurt bad."

135
"It was about the
masked rider --
she's your niece
- Milly Erne's girl."

136
"But Venters must've
had a wrong notion
about 'em -- Oldring
raised her as his
own child."

137
Bess and Venters 
bid farewell to
the hidden valley.

138
  "It's Jane and
Lassiter! Tull and
his gang are after 
      them!"

139
"Dear, I've got to 
tell you the awful 
thing I did today -"

140
"---- I thought
Oldring was -- I
shot him!"

141
"Oh, Venters -- he
is my father!"

142
"We were on our 
way to be married.
I had to tell
her about Oldring -
I shot him today
-- and he's her 
father."

143
"He'll get over it,
Venters ----"

144
"-- besides, Oldring's
not her father."

145
"You are my niece 
Bess -- my sister
Milly's daughter."

146
"Take Jane's horse
and go on to
the railroad. I'll
stand them off in 
the gorge."

147
"Jane, the only way 
I can save you 
now is to roll 
that stone down the 
gorge."

148
"Lassiter -- roll
   the stone!"

149
"I want to, but
I don't dare. We'd
be shut in forever
--- just you and 
Fay and me."

150
"I love you, Lassiter
--- roll the stone!"

151
"Some day that old
valley will bloom
like Aunt Jane's 
garden."

THE END