Chapter 5: Forged letter/Mocassin joins the Telegraph
Mr. Crane: Now, you're going back to your old profession.
Kilgore: What, forgery?
Mr. Crane: Exactly. We're going to make sure Rita White travels without an escort. That way, you and your men can get the survey. Sit down and write what I tell you. (Kilgore sits down across from Colonel Martin, who hands him a pen and a piece of paper) Attention, Ms. Rita White-(Cuts to Ken riding along past a rocky hill, then a rope pops out and throws him off his horse and he fights the henchman till Yellow Hawk comes up with a rifle and gestures for him to walk towards their horses)
Henchman: Fetch his horse, Yellow Hawk. I'll watch him. (Back in Los Angeles, a stagecoach comes to a stop outside of Rita's office, where we also see her, along with Hodge coming over carrying a piece of paper in his hand)
Hodge: Here's the list of materials that were destroyed during the raid. Luckily, we still have plenty of supplies on hand for the time being. That stuff should be ordered right away.
Rita: I'll take care of it, Hodge. I just hope Dad will be cleared of that phony treason charge.
Hodge: Don't worry, Ms. White, I'm sure the Governor will help him out. (The door opens as a man in a suit comes in and takes off his hat)
Mr. Larkin: Ms. Rita White?
Rita: Yes.
Mr. Larkin: (Walks up to her pulling out a letter from his coat pocket) Larkin's my name. My friend, Commissioner Eckles, has asked me to make sure and see if you got this. He said it was important.
Rita: Thank you. (Rita opens the letter and cuts to it saying, "Attention, Ms. Rita White Dear, Ms. White: Please be advised that any change in the proposed route of your telegraph line must be registered at my office not later than 12 noon, June 1, 1876. Yours truly, J.B. Eckles, Land Commissioner") When did the commissioner give you this?
Mr. Larkin: Just before I left St. Joe. I just came in on this last stage. Why, is something wrong?
Rita: Not exactly. This calls for an unexpected change in my plans. Thank you very much, Mr. Larkin.
Mr. Larkin: All right. I'm happy to oblige. (Turns and heads out the door)
Rita: Hodge, when Mr. Mason gets back, give him this letter and tell him I couldn't wait for the Army escort. I've got to get to St. Joe to record the survey of the new route. I'll stop by camp and pick up an extra wagon. That way, I can bring back the supplies to replace those on this list.
Hodge: All right, you're the boss. But I don't like it.
Rita: I'll be all right. (Walks over to the door and grabs her hat off the hook and walks outside, cuts to Mr. Larking hiding in a dark alley across the street watching Rita climb onto her horse and ride away)
Mr. Larkin: Looks like she fell for it.
Kilgore: (Comes out of the dark) Good. That means the trap is set. (Cuts to Ken still held prisoner by Yellow Hawk and Crane and Kilgore's henchman with Ken struggling with the rope tied around his wrists behind his back)
Henchman: Wonder what's up.
Yellow Hawk: It is better not to ask questions. We hold him here for the next few hours as we were told to do, then we let him go.
Henchman: I guess they just want him out of the way for a while. (Pulls a deck of cards out of his pants pocket) How 'bout a hand of cards?
Yellow Hawk: All right. (Ken watches them as they walk over to a spot, lean down and Yellow Hawk rubs away some dust on the ground as his companion shuffles the cards as he's able to get himself untied)
Ken: Hey, how about a drink of water?
Henchman: (Puts the cards down) Shuffle 'em. I'll get it for him. (As the Indian shuffles the cards, his companion walks back to his horse, grabs his water canteen, unscrews the cap and walks back to Ken) Here, drink it.
Ken: You drink it! (Grabs hold of the outlaw and they get into a fistfight, Yellow Hawk pulls out his knife and runs over, but Ken grabs the Indian's arm and twists the knife to the ground and punches him a few times, then the other guy joins in and Ken punches him some more, jumps on his horse and manages to escape, cuts to Hodge as he is filing up some papers in a folder at Rita's desk as Ken walks in)
Ken: Hi, Hodge.
Hodge: Glad you showed up, Mr. Mason.
Ken: Where's Ms. White?
Hodge: I was afraid of that. (Pulls out the phony letter from a desk drawer and hands it to Ken, who looks it over) She got this letter, then she took off for St. Joe alone, except for an extra freighter. I told her it wasn't safe.
Ken: Let me have your gun, Hodge. (Hodge does as he's told) Get another one in the back room. I'll try to overtake her. Thanks. (Walks out the door, cuts to him urging his horse, we see Rita as she heads for St. Joe driving 1 wagon with another one close behind as Kilgore and some of his men ride up to a vantage point and see the wagons down below them)
Kilgore: It's the first wagaon we want. The one the girl's driving. (Cuts to Ken as he rides all the way back to the secret cave, where Moccasin was waiting)
Ken: Quick, Moccasin! Another job for Zorro!
Moccasin: I'll get Tornado ready! (Goes into the stall to put Tornado's saddle on him as Ken begins to change clothes, cuts to Kilgore and his men as they charge to Rita's wagon, back to Zorro as he climbs aboard Tornado)
Zorro: Audios. (The masked man rides out of the cave and we see Yellow Hawk and the henchman riding around)
Henchman: The Boss'll skin us alive if he finds out about Mason getting away.
Yellow Hawk: Look! (The henchman looks up as Tornado rears and whinnies)
Henchman: Zorro! (The masked man and black horse charge over to him, the henchman draws his gun and fires some shots, Zorro shoots back as the 3 men charge at each other, they then jump off their horses and go into a fistfight, Yellow Hawk again tries to join in with his knife, Zorro draws his rapier and fences with Yellow Hawk, twists the knife out of Yellow Hawk's hand, punches him and Yellow Hawk falls back hitting his head on a rock, the henchman and Zorro fight a bit near the edge of a cliff until the masked man grabs him by the arms holding him over the edge)
Zorro: Is there any reason why I shouldn't let you drop?
Henchman: Don't let go, Zorro, don't let go!
Zorro: Where's the rest of your gang?
Henchman: I don't know!
Zorro: All right, I am dropping you!
Henchman: No, wait, wait! They've gone to stop Miss White and her wagons heading for St. Joe.
Zorro: (Smiles) That's a better attitude, senor. Much better. (Pulls him up, cuts to him with Yellow Hawk, who had regained consciousness, both bound and gagged to a tree) That should hold you for a while, senores. Oh. I almost forgot. (Draws his sword and carves a "Z" on the henchman's shirt, whistles for Tornado, climbs aboard the black horse and rides away, cuts back to the wagons as Kilgore's men begin their attack, Rita and the driver of the second wagon hear gunshots and look back)
Wagon driver: Hey, Mike, wake up! (Another man sleeping on the wagon wakes up and looks to the driver) We got trouble! (Points to the rear as the Indians and outlaws come up behind them and he urges the horse, cuts to Zorro riding through the countryside, back to the wagon with the outlaws still chasing them, Rita urging her horses, Zorro comes up onto the top of a hill to see the situation and begins to ride downhill to the rescue, cuts back to Rita's wagon as the coupling begins to slightly loosen as the Indians chase her, Zorro soon comes into view, cuts back to the extra wagon as 2 of the Indians pass it and head for Rita's wagon as she continues urging her horses, 1 Indian jumps onto her wagon with a tomahawk in his hand and comes up to her until she grabs a whip nearby and lashes at him with it, Zorro then chases after them as the Indian falls back and throws his tomahawk hitting the back of Rita's head, knocking her unconscious, he then pulls out his knife looking to scalp her until Zorro shoots him with his 6-gun and chases after Rita's wagon, Zorro then gets off Tornado and walks up on top of a boulder waiting for the wagon to pass, jumps onto it as the coupling finally loosens sending the wagon to the left with the horses running on towards the right as Rita regains consciousness)
Zorro: Jump, Rita! (She crawls under the seat and they jump off the wagon as it rolls on until it runs down a cliff and Zorro gives Rita some bags he grabbed before they jumped)
Rita: Thanks, Zorro. The survey maps are in these bags. I guess that's what the Indians were after.
Zorro: Then you should put it in a safe place immediately.
Rita: I can't do that now. I have to get to St. Joe. The route has to be approved by the commissioner before we can begin work on the telegraph line.
Zorro: It would be safer to ask the commissioner to send someone to you.
Rita: That's a good idea. I'll get word to him right away.
Zorro: Good. You stay here, Ms. White. I'll catch my horse and see that you safely get back to Los Angeles. (They later return to Los Angeles as Captain Garcia returns with his patrol)
Captain Garcia: Zorro!
Zorro: Audios, Rita. (Jumps onto Tornado and rides away as the soldiers ride up to Rita)
Captain Garcia: Ms. White, are you all right?
Rita: I'm just fine, Captain.
Captain Garcia: After him, men! After him! (The soldiers soon chase after the masked man, cuts to Rita in her office meeting with Ken and Moccasin)
Rita: So Zorro suggested I send word to the commissioner. And as you can see from his note, he's sending his agent, Mr. Mulvaney, here to approve and record the survey of the new route.
Ken: Sounds very good.
Rita: I think so, too. Even better when Mr. Mulvaney reaches Los Angeles. We're to meet him tonight as the stage gets in. And be here, Ken, it's important.
Ken: I don't think I'd get lost. (Gestures towards Moccasin) Now that I have a good guide. Meanwhile, Moccasin and I will ride over the new route. There's always the possibility of a shortcut.
Rita: I'll see you tonight. Oh, Moccasin. Take good care of him. He's not used to the ways of the west.
Moccasin: That's right, Ms. Rita. Not till he'd learn it. (The 2 men head out the door, cuts to them outside)
Ken: What's the idea of agreeing with me not being used to western ways?
Moccasin: Well, I thought I'd test out my new roll.
Ken: What new roll?
Moccasin: Remember when my grandfather used to pretend be both deaf and dumb?
Ken: Oh, I get it.
Moccasin: Now, you get the ways of the west. (Walks off chuckling)
Ken: (Laughs sarcastically) Very funny, wise guy. (Cuts to them entering Fort San Pedro and walks up to the door leading to Colonel Martin's office and knock on it until they hear Captain Garcia's voice)
Captain Garcia: Come in. (Cuts to the captain sitting at the desk looking over some papers as Ken and Moccasin enter the room) Ah, Ken. Moccasin.
Ken: Hello, Demetrio.
Moccasin: Captain.
Ken: Where's Colonel Martin?
Captain Garcia: The Colonel's gone on Army business and won't be back till the day after tomorrow, so he's put me in command till he gets back. I understand Ms. White's been getting some progress with the telegraph line.
Ken: Yes, especially with some help from that Zorro character.
Captain Garcia: Well, nevertheless, he's still an outlaw.
Ken: Honestly, Demetrio, you know from how our grandfathers used to tell us the stories of Zorro that he fought for justice and befriended the people, sort of like Robin Hood.
Captain Garcia: Even so, he helped Ms. White's father break out of the guardhouse.
Ken: You know those treason charges are unjust.
Captain Garcia: I don't like it anymore than you, but I'm still a soldier. My orders are to bring him back to stand trial. Even I hope for him to be acquitted.
Ken: Tell me, how are you working with Colonel Martin?
Captain Garcia: Well, I somehow feel the same way as my grandfather when he served under Capitan Monastario. (Sighs) Capitan Monastario. I remember how my grandfather used to tell me about that black-hearted scoundrel when I was a kid. He would shake his fist and call my grandfather a stupid idiot, and when he'd turn his back, Monastario would kick him down the stairs. He also told me of one time when Monastario made him say a bit of a speech over his criticism word for word. (Stands up at attention) "I, Sergeant Demetrio Lopez Garcia, am a fat stupid pig. I am a fat stupid pig not fit to be a Sergeant in the California forces of His Majesty, the King of Spain. And particularly in the command of the distinguished Capitan Enrique Sanchez Monastario."
Ken: My grandfather told me of Monastario, too. The guy even tried to have my grandfather arrested when the Viceroy was here trying to prove that my grandfather is Zorro.
Captain Garcia: I remember that. I sure can't imagine the look on his face when Zorro appeared out of nowhere soon after. (They all laugh)
Ken: Well, we better go look over the new route. Bye, now.
Captain Garcia: Bye. (They then head for the door as the Army officer sits down again to continue looking over the papers)
A/N: The part where Zorro threatened to throw that henchman off a cliff was inspired by another Republic Pictures Serial, Son of Zorro, which was released 2 years before the original Ghost of Zorro. I might be including other references towards it in future chapters.