The musical score, including the stirring theme song, is by William Lava.
Chapter Five: The Decoy
The quick recap segment makes it clear that Tarmac (and yes, it's spelled that way) is the chief of the Yaqui people.
The action picks up with the Yaqui pursuing Zorro to the suspension bridge. All happens as before, but there's a protrusion on the cliff face that slows the swing at the last moment so that Zorro is prevented from smashing into the cliff and losing his grip. He's able to find a ledge to hide on below the protrusion, so the Yaqui assume Zorro fell to his death.
As soon as the Yaqui leave, Zorro simply climbs up a still-intact rope, then starts rearranging some brushwood.
The toughs spot the munitions train and finalize their plans. The train drivers wonder where their military escort is.
Moreno produces orders telling Lieutenant Antonio Gomez to turn over the munitions and return to Jalapa for another shipment. They're signed by a J.B. Ortega (who apparently is one of the silent council members.) Gomez is suspicious, since Moreno and his men are obviously not the military. Too bad the toughs are faster on the draw than he is.
Zorro sets the brushwood on fire. It's the Z-Signal!
The toughs, now in possession of the munitions, spot the signal and realize the Legion will soon be on the way.
Zorro, having regained his horse, meets up with his men and leads them to where the munitions train was massacred. There are no survivors, so the Legion follows the wagon trail.
The toughs unload the wagons at an off-trail hideout, then return the empty transportation to the trail and set the horses to running.
The Legion spots the runaway wagons and catches them, only to find out it's too late. Zorro realizes that Don del Oro plans to arm the Yaqui and start an uprising that the fledging republic of Mexico can ill afford. Searching the entire area would take days, too long to stop Don del Oro's plan.
But Zorro reasons that a military patrol will soon stumble on the murdered train drivers and report back to the council. And then....
At the council meeting, Commandante Manuel produces the fake orders, which Governor Felipe immediately denounces as a forgery. At that moment, a message tied to a rock crashes through the window. The person who throew it is nowhere to be seen, and the guards outside noticed nothing.
Magistrate Pablo looks at the note. It claims to be from Zorro, and states that the stolen munitions have been located. Zorro will deliver them to San Mendolito within twenty-four hours. Pablo floats the theory that Zorro himself stole the weapons and is trying to trick the council into thinking he's a good guy.
Diego suggests using the militia to set a trap for Zorro when he arrives with the munitions, and Manuel agrees to post lookouts on all approaches to town.
Diego believes that this development will force Don del Oro to move the munitions earlier than planned, and tells Ramon to have the Legion ready.
The conspirators meet. They're not sure Zorro really knows where the munitions are, but the weapons have become too important to the plan to risk their loss. Manuel starts talking about raising "an irresistable army" with a gleam in his eye. I think the other conspirators feel a little nervous about Manuel, given Pablo's "yes, yes, a splendid dream but one thing at a time" response.
They decide to move the munitions to "the ceremonial cave."
At said cave, Don del Oro orders the Yaqui to help transport the weapons under the leadership of Tarmac.
The Legion is assembled, and Zorro hands out three messenger pigeons. He's picked the three most likely routes for the munitions to be moved, and sends a Legionnaire to watch each.
Tomas and the toughs finish loading the munitions into covered wagons. Shortly after they set out, the Yaqui arrive to escort the new train.
Such a big group is pretty easy to spot, so the local Legionnaire is able to send off his pigeon. Zorro and his men soon learn that the place to go is Barajon Pass. They split into two groups.
Ramon and the majority of the team act as a decoy to lure off the guarding toughs and Yaqui. Meanwhile, Zorro and a few others tackle the now lightly-defended train.
The baddies eventually catch on, but not before the wagons have changed drivers. Too bad the wagon Zorro liberated lost a wheel.
The Legion has circled around to the new wagon location as the baddies come up from behind. There's soon a stand-off, with the Legion using cases from the two healthy wagons as a makeshift barricade, while the baddies recapture the crippled wagon.
The black hats repair the wagon, and unhitch the horses, then apparently forget the purpose of their mission, set the wagon on fire with the powder still inside. It's then pushed downhill at the barricade.
Zorro goes out to do something about the oncoming fireship while the Legion provides cover fire. He's unable to halt the wagon before its load of powder explodes just as the barricade is reached, dooming Zorro and the Legion!
Tune in next week for Chapter Six: Zorro to the Rescue!
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