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Hopalong Cassidy - "The Phantom Bandito" (Old Time Radio, 1950) · Hopalong Cassidy | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Writer Harold Swanton sends Hopalong Cassidy and California Carlson to
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Council City, where cattlemen bring their herds to market. Tonight's
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: selection is The Phantom Bandito, the sixth episode in Mutual's
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: 1950 run of Hopalong Cassidy. William Boyd plays Hoppy, with
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: Andy Clyde as California Carlson, as they meet a young
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: rancher robbed of the cash from his cattle sale by
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: a masked figure called El Sombrero Negro, the Black Hat.
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: The marshal reports that other cattlemen have been hit in
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: the same fashion, and Hoppy follows the matter towards Stone Canyon.
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: Broadcast February 5th, 1950, the program came to Mutual under
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: the sponsorship of General Foods. The Hop Along Cassidy character
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: was created by Clarence E.
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: Mulford.
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: The series was directed by Ted Bliss. And now our
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: story begins.
• 0:52
  Speaker 3: It's Hop Along Cassidy!
• 0:53
  Speaker 4: Hop Along Cassidy!
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: With action and suspense, out of the Old West comes
• 1:02
  Speaker 3: the most famous hero of them all, Hopalong Cassidy, starring
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: William Boyd. The Ring of the Silver Spurs heralds the
• 1:16
  Speaker 3: most amazing man ever to ride the prairies of the
• 1:19
  Speaker 3: early West, Hopalong Cassidy. This famous hero thrills his 60
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: million fans with action and dangerous adventures. In the role
• 1:27
  Speaker 3: of Hopalong Cassidy is the popular star of the motion
• 1:30
  Speaker 3: picture series, William Boyd. And appearing as that laughable old character, California,
• 1:36
  Speaker 3: is Andy Clyde. Now to our story, The Phantom Bandido.
• 1:52
  Speaker 3: Hoppy's furs at the moment are jingling down the boardwalk
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: of Council City. The railhead where hundreds of cowmen come
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: from every direction once a year to sell and ship
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: their cattle. And Council City does everything in its power
• 2:04
  Speaker 3: to accommodate them. The honky-tonks, the hotels, the gambling joints
• 2:08
  Speaker 3: abuzz with activity. The marshal and his deputies on double duty.
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: And the cowmen, too many of them, looking for a
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: handy place to squander a year's wages.
• 2:18
  Speaker 5: Concerned, Hoppy, I'm reaching the end of my tie rope.
• 2:21
  Speaker 4: Now, take it easy, California.
• 2:23
  Speaker 5: Ain't we, partners?
• 2:24
  Speaker 4: Right.
• 2:24
  Speaker 5: Ain't I sighted you clean from Pawnee Junction to Pecos
• 2:27
  Speaker 5: since you was the greenest hand in the bar 20?
• 2:29
  Speaker 4: Sure.
• 2:30
  Speaker 5: And every time some outlaw run us up a tree,
• 2:32
  Speaker 5: who was right there hanging to the next branch?
• 2:34
  Speaker 4: California Carlson.
• 2:35
  Speaker 5: He, right. Then why, internationally, are you keeping secrets from me?
• 2:39
  Speaker 4: Secrets?
• 2:40
  Speaker 5: Oh, now, don't give me them innocent blue eyes, and
• 2:43
  Speaker 5: don't tell me we're here in Council City just to
• 2:45
  Speaker 5: sell them cats. Now, you know as well as I
• 2:47
  Speaker 5: do that Baker's crossing to Dern's site nearer the Bar 20.
• 2:50
  Speaker 5: You've been selling cows there for ten years.
• 2:54
  Speaker 4: Ah, here we are.
• 2:55
  Speaker 5: Huh?
• 2:56
  Speaker 4: The arcade saloon.
• 2:58
  Speaker 5: Now, what's that got to do with it?
• 2:59
  Speaker 4: It's run by a Mr. Sanderson, California, the man who
• 3:02
  Speaker 4: wants to buy our cattle. Come on, let's go inside. Ah,
• 3:08
  Speaker 4: better check with the bartender. What'll it be, gents? We're
• 3:12
  Speaker 4: looking for Mr. Sanderson. And, uh... He ain't here right now.
• 3:15
  Speaker 4: He's out looking over some steers. He'll be back any minute.
• 3:18
  Speaker 4: You want to wait? No, I guess we'll take a
• 3:19
  Speaker 4: look at the town and come back when... What's the matter, Hoppy? Say,
• 3:24
  Speaker 4: who's that fella?
• 3:25
  Speaker 5: Huh?
• 3:26
  Speaker 4: The bar down there. Oh, him. That's young Byers. Owns
• 3:30
  Speaker 4: a ranch off of here. Oh, I changed my mind.
• 3:33
  Speaker 4: I guess we will wait. Bring us a couple of Sarferellas,
• 3:36
  Speaker 4: will you? Huh? Without the snake juice. You boys sure
• 3:40
  Speaker 4: you want them straight? Might fix you up a little chaser.
• 3:43
  Speaker 5: Uh, Hoppy, look at that fire smell.
• 3:46
  Speaker 4: Why, what's wrong?
• 3:46
  Speaker 5: Don't stare at him. Looks like he's lost his last friend.
• 3:49
  Speaker 4: Worse than that if I saw what I think I saw.
• 3:52
  Speaker 5: Hey, hey, look what he's... Stay right here.
• 3:55
  Speaker 4: I wouldn't do that if I were you.
• 3:56
  Speaker 6: Huh?
• 3:57
  Speaker 5: Leave me alone, will you?
• 3:58
  Speaker 4: What I do is my own business. I'm just asking
• 4:00
  Speaker 4: you to think it over a minute. I've thought it
• 4:02
  Speaker 4: over all I want to. Now beat it, will you?
• 4:03
  Speaker 4: Get out of here. Not till you give me that.
• 4:06
  Speaker 4: Nobody's going to stop me now, do you hear? I'm
• 4:07
  Speaker 4: afraid that's just what I'm going to do. Like that.
• 4:10
  Speaker 4: Now look, mister, I didn't like that. I didn't like
• 4:12
  Speaker 4: that at all. Okay, sonny. I hate to do this, but...
• 4:17
  Speaker 4: Shut it down, boys. Shut it down. What's going on here? Oh,
• 4:24
  Speaker 4: that's half for real, huh? The big man from out
• 4:26
  Speaker 4: the west. I'm sorry. I didn't want to raise a ruckus,
• 4:29
  Speaker 4: but I... But what? California. Yeah, Hoppy? Get this boy
• 4:32
  Speaker 4: over to our room at the hotel. Put him on
• 4:33
  Speaker 4: the bed. I'll be over in a minute. Sure. Looks
• 4:36
  Speaker 4: like he could use a bed right now.
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: Come on, Johnny.
• 4:40
  Speaker 4: I'm still asking my questions, Aspirello. What's this all about?
• 4:43
  Speaker 4: Take a look at that glass at your feet. Sure.
• 4:46
  Speaker 5: He poured a drink.
• 4:47
  Speaker 4: It's one of our glasses. Only look at what he
• 4:48
  Speaker 4: poured in it.
• 4:49
  Speaker 5: Huh?
• 4:50
  Speaker 4: Let's see that. Gosh, old Himmler. Poisoned. That kid was
• 4:54
  Speaker 4: trying to kill himself.
• 5:49
  Speaker 3: Now back to Hop Along, Cassidy. Hoppy and California are
• 5:58
  Speaker 3: in Council City to sell 500 head of Prime Bar
• 6:01
  Speaker 3: 20 steers to a Mr.
• 6:02
  Speaker 4: Sanderson.
• 6:03
  Speaker 3: Or at least that's the story Hoppy's given out. But
• 6:06
  Speaker 3: now as he hurries back to the hotel, his mind
• 6:08
  Speaker 3: is mostly on the young cowboy who almost succeeded in
• 6:11
  Speaker 3: poisoning himself in the arcade bar. The boy is just
• 6:15
  Speaker 3: coming to as Hoppy arrives.
• 6:16
  Speaker 4: At the room. How's he getting along?
• 6:21
  Speaker 5: Oh, he's coming around all right. You sure didn't pull
• 6:24
  Speaker 5: that punch, none.
• 6:25
  Speaker 4: I didn't want to stand there and argue it out
• 6:27
  Speaker 4: in front of all the customers.
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: What happened?
• 6:31
  Speaker 5: You walked into Mr. Cassidy's good right hand, sonny.
• 6:34
  Speaker 4: I'm sorry, kid. I had to do it. Now, why
• 6:38
  Speaker 4: don't you tell me what the trouble is? I... Oh,
• 6:41
  Speaker 4: talk about it. Now, you never can tell. Might be
• 6:44
  Speaker 4: able to help you.
• 6:45
  Speaker 5: Seems like we do more of that sometimes than selling cows.
• 6:48
  Speaker 4: You... You can't help me now. I don't suppose it'll
• 6:52
  Speaker 4: do any harm to tell you. I'm broke, see? Well,
• 6:56
  Speaker 4: there's nothing wrong with being broke. You need a job, why?
• 6:59
  Speaker 4: I got a job. Got a ranch, too. I had one.
• 7:02
  Speaker 4: What do you mean? Thousand acres. Prettiest range land you
• 7:05
  Speaker 4: ever saw. I come here to Council City six weeks
• 7:08
  Speaker 4: ago with my first cattle. 300 head of perverts. Everything
• 7:11
  Speaker 4: depended on the money I got for them. Then what?
• 7:14
  Speaker 4: I sold them for $ 20 a head. That's $ 6, 000. Cash. Cash?
• 7:19
  Speaker 4: I was pretty happy and pretty foolish, I guess. I
• 7:21
  Speaker 4: started home that afternoon. My ranch, the Circle B, is
• 7:25
  Speaker 4: 20 miles south of here. Four or five miles out
• 7:27
  Speaker 4: of town, out near Stone Canyon. Suddenly found out how
• 7:31
  Speaker 4: foolish I was.
• 7:31
  Speaker 5: How come?
• 7:33
  Speaker 4: El Sombrero Negro.
• 7:34
  Speaker 7: The black hat.
• 7:35
  Speaker 5: Huh?
• 7:36
  Speaker 4: Go on, Byers. What about the black hat? Well, he
• 7:38
  Speaker 4: was waiting for me at a narrow place in the trail.
• 7:40
  Speaker 4: Before I knew it, there was a gun in my
• 7:41
  Speaker 4: back and the 6,000 was gone. Did you get a
• 7:43
  Speaker 4: good look at the bandit? Not very. He's dressed in black.
• 7:46
  Speaker 4: Black chaps, shirt, sombrero, black mask on his face, rides
• 7:49
  Speaker 4: a big black stallion. Must be the fastest horse in
• 7:51
  Speaker 4: this part of the country. I was crazy mad after
• 7:54
  Speaker 4: it happened. Even though he took my gun, I went
• 7:56
  Speaker 4: after him. But it was hopeless. Got my money and
• 7:59
  Speaker 4: the rancher went with it. What can I tell my wife, Mr.
• 8:02
  Speaker 5: Cassidy?
• 8:02
  Speaker 4: Sorry, Janie, I got robbed. I lost the ranch. Sorry,
• 8:04
  Speaker 4: but it's gone. Take it easy, Byers. For six weeks
• 8:07
  Speaker 4: now I've been after him.
• 8:08
  Speaker 5: I swore I'd get him.
• 8:10
  Speaker 4: I've covered Stone Canyon down to the last clump of greasewood.
• 8:13
  Speaker 4: It's like chasing a phantom. That's why tonight I... I
• 8:17
  Speaker 4: guess I gave up.
• 8:17
  Speaker 6: Hmm.
• 8:18
  Speaker 4: That's a tough one, Byers. The answer you hit on
• 8:20
  Speaker 4: over at the arcade isn't the right one. I guess
• 8:23
  Speaker 4: I know that now. You say you lost your wrench?
• 8:25
  Speaker 4: I got two weeks left. There's a loan on it
• 8:27
  Speaker 4: that has to be paid off. Who holds it? Mr. Sanderson.
• 8:31
  Speaker 4: I see. Did you ask for an extension? Why should
• 8:34
  Speaker 4: he extend it? He wants that land. Finest piece of
• 8:38
  Speaker 4: cattle range in the county. Yeah. Who'd you sell the
• 8:40
  Speaker 4: cattle to? Sanderson. That's interesting. Why didn't he write off
• 8:44
  Speaker 4: the loan right there? Why'd he give you the cash?
• 8:47
  Speaker 4: I thought it was funny at the time. He said
• 8:49
  Speaker 4: I'd better take the cash. But he had to send
• 8:51
  Speaker 4: away for the papers. And he'd come down to the
• 8:53
  Speaker 4: ranch on the due date and close it up official.
• 8:55
  Speaker 5: You know, Hoppy, I'm beginning to see why we come
• 8:57
  Speaker 5: to Council City to sell.
• 8:58
  Speaker 4: Never mind, California. You keep fire company for a while,
• 9:02
  Speaker 4: will you? It's about time I looked up an old friend.
• 9:14
  Speaker 4: So you think it's going to be tough, Marshal? Tell me, Hoppy.
• 9:17
  Speaker 4: Have I ever sent for you on an easy case?
• 9:20
  Speaker 4: Excuse me for living. No, it's a tough one, all right, Hoppy.
• 9:23
  Speaker 4: In more ways than one. El Sombrero Negro, they call him.
• 9:27
  Speaker 4: The Black Hat. He's more like a ghost. Smell money
• 9:31
  Speaker 4: like a bloodhound. Knows just who's carrying it and who isn't.
• 9:34
  Speaker 4: Hits hard and fast. Four times in the last three weeks.
• 9:37
  Speaker 4: Have you seen him? Twice. Thought we had him once.
• 9:40
  Speaker 4: Ran him up Stone Canyon right to the end. One
• 9:43
  Speaker 4: minute he was there and the next he was gone.
• 9:45
  Speaker 4: Disappeared almost before our eyes. That's one of the things
• 9:49
  Speaker 4: that makes it tough. And what's the other one? Sanderson.
• 9:52
  Speaker 4: That's what I thought. He runs this town, Hoppy. You
• 9:55
  Speaker 4: suspect him? Well, there's been five robberies altogether. All of
• 9:59
  Speaker 4: them cattlemen who just sold their stock to Sanderson and
• 10:02
  Speaker 4: were leaving town with the money. Don't take much of
• 10:04
  Speaker 4: a detective to add that up. But it's still only suspicion.
• 10:08
  Speaker 4: We've got to catch the black hat in the act, Hoppy.
• 10:11
  Speaker 4: The only way. And that's why you wrote me to
• 10:14
  Speaker 4: bring my next batch of cows to Council City. Right.
• 10:18
  Speaker 4: Who's that? It must be Miss Vance, Sanderson's secretary. She
• 10:21
  Speaker 4: said she wanted to see me tonight. Wait a minute.
• 10:23
  Speaker 4: I don't want anyone to know we're working together. I'll
• 10:25
  Speaker 4: be in the next room.
• 10:32
  Speaker 5: Marshal.
• 10:33
  Speaker 4: Come in.
• 10:35
  Speaker 7: I can only stay a minute. I can't let him
• 10:36
  Speaker 7: know I'm here. You heard about Fred Byers.
• 10:39
  Speaker 4: Hmm?
• 10:40
  Speaker 7: Tried to kill himself in the arcade an hour ago.
• 10:42
  Speaker 4: I see.
• 10:43
  Speaker 7: How much longer are you going to allow this to
• 10:45
  Speaker 7: go on?
• 10:45
  Speaker 4: Until I get proof, Miss Vance.
• 10:47
  Speaker 7: Well, I don't need any more proof.
• 10:48
  Speaker 4: What do you mean?
• 10:49
  Speaker 7: While Sanderson was out this afternoon, I went to his desk.
• 10:53
  Speaker 7: I found this.
• 10:55
  Speaker 4: Well, a black mask.
• 10:57
  Speaker 7: Is that proof enough for you?
• 11:00
  Speaker 4: I don't know.
• 11:01
  Speaker 7: Well, I do. The townspeople are ready to lynch someone, Marshal.
• 11:04
  Speaker 7: They're tired of waiting, and so am I. If you
• 11:06
  Speaker 7: insist on sitting up here in your office while I.
• 11:08
  Speaker 4: Now, just a minute, Miss Vance. Until the United States
• 11:11
  Speaker 4: government tells me different, I'm in charge of the law here.
• 11:13
  Speaker 4: And I'll conduct my office as I see fit. When
• 11:16
  Speaker 4: I get a case against Sanderson, I'll move, and not until...
• 11:20
  Speaker 4: All right, Marshal.
• 11:21
  Speaker 7: But I hope for your sake you move soon enough.
• 11:24
  Speaker 7: Good night.
• 11:25
  Speaker 4: Good night. Well, what do you think, Hoppy? Hard to say.
• 11:32
  Speaker 4: There it is. Prettiest piece of evidence a man could want.
• 11:36
  Speaker 5: Hmm.
• 11:37
  Speaker 4: Wonder if Sanderson's in his office now. Why, sure. The
• 11:40
  Speaker 4: arcade runs till midnight. Why? Thought I might run over
• 11:43
  Speaker 4: and talk business with him. After all, he's the boy
• 11:45
  Speaker 4: who's gonna buy my cows, isn't he?
• 11:47
  Speaker 3: No!
• 11:55
  Speaker 6: Well, nice of you to drop in tonight, Cassidy.
• 11:57
  Speaker 5: Here, have a cigar.
• 11:58
  Speaker 4: No, thanks, Mr. Sanderson.
• 11:59
  Speaker 6: I hope you don't mind if I do.
• 12:03
  Speaker 4: I always think better with a cigar in my mouth.
• 12:05
  Speaker 4: There we are.
• 12:07
  Speaker 6: Now, we'll close at 20, huh?
• 12:08
  Speaker 4: 20 satisfactory to you? That's a fair price. Good.
• 12:10
  Speaker 5: Eight to haggle.
• 12:11
  Speaker 6: I can see you hate it, too, Cassidy. The minute
• 12:13
  Speaker 6: you came in tonight, I said to myself, now, there's
• 12:15
  Speaker 6: a man who's got a price in his mind. If
• 12:17
  Speaker 6: I meet it, fine.
• 12:18
  Speaker 4: If I don't, no deal. Ha ha. Kind of an
• 12:21
  Speaker 4: amateur student of character, Cassidy.
• 12:23
  Speaker 5: Usually come up pretty.
• 12:24
  Speaker 4: Close, too. And you're a mighty good businessman, aren't you, Mr. Sanderson?
• 12:28
  Speaker 5: Oh, I do my best.
• 12:30
  Speaker 4: Make a pretty good go at the candle broker or
• 12:32
  Speaker 4: run a couple of saloons?
• 12:33
  Speaker 5: Well, I like to keep busy.
• 12:34
  Speaker 4: And I see you play around with mining, too.
• 12:38
  Speaker 6: You mean the map on the wall?
• 12:39
  Speaker 4: Yeah, and those gold nugget cufflinks you're wearing.
• 12:42
  Speaker 5: Well, I'll tell you a secret, Cassidy.
• 12:44
  Speaker 6: As a mining man, I'm a flop. Put a lot
• 12:46
  Speaker 6: of money in it, too. That map on the wall
• 12:49
  Speaker 6: up there is to remind me I can lose money
• 12:51
  Speaker 6: faster than I can make it sometimes. Is that so? Mm-hmm.
• 12:54
  Speaker 5: It's called the Gold Arrow.
• 12:55
  Speaker 6: A few miles out of town, just over the ridge
• 12:58
  Speaker 6: from Stone Canyon. Spent a fortune, put in six miles
• 13:01
  Speaker 6: of tunnels. But all I got was this pair of cufflinks.
• 13:06
  Speaker 6: Pretty expensive cufflinks, huh?
• 13:08
  Speaker 4: Well, back to business. Here's the bill of sale.
• 13:11
  Speaker 6: And 500 head at 20 is 10,000 each. There you are.
• 13:16
  Speaker 4: In cash?
• 13:17
  Speaker 6: Well, why not?
• 13:18
  Speaker 4: Seems like a lot of money for a fellow to
• 13:20
  Speaker 4: pack around in green bags. How about a check?
• 13:22
  Speaker 6: Sorry, I don't do business that way, Cassidy. Don't even
• 13:24
  Speaker 6: carry a check.
• 13:25
  Speaker 5: In the car.
• 13:25
  Speaker 4: Any particular reason?
• 13:27
  Speaker 5: Yeah. I don't trust banks.
• 13:29
  Speaker 6: My father lost everything he had in 73, and I
• 13:32
  Speaker 6: don't intend to do the same.
• 13:33
  Speaker 4: I see. So if you want to do business with me,
• 13:35
  Speaker 4: it's cash on the barrel head. I get to leave it.
• 13:38
  Speaker 4: Is that what you told Fred Byers?
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 13:41
  Speaker 6: Anything wrong with that?
• 13:42
  Speaker 4: I think so. You could have written off that mortgage
• 13:45
  Speaker 4: on his ranch with a bill of sale on his calendar.
• 13:46
  Speaker 6: Now, wait a minute, Cassidy.
• 13:47
  Speaker 4: I'm not through. If you'd handled the deal sensibly instead
• 13:50
  Speaker 4: of sending him out of here with $ 6, 000 in his jeans,
• 13:52
  Speaker 4: he'd have owned his ranch clear.
• 13:54
  Speaker 5: Now he's wiped out.
• 13:56
  Speaker 4: Walks into the bar downstairs and tries to kill himself
• 13:58
  Speaker 4: with poison. All because you don't trust banks. Or is
• 14:02
  Speaker 4: that the real reason, Sanderson?
• 14:05
  Speaker 6: You've been listening to it, too, have you?
• 14:07
  Speaker 4: What?
• 14:08
  Speaker 6: The talk around town about me. I guess it's the
• 14:11
  Speaker 6: same everywhere, Cassidy. Man pulls into town with nothing except
• 14:15
  Speaker 6: the clothes on his back, a pair of hands, and
• 14:16
  Speaker 6: a lot of ambition. He works hard, he builds up
• 14:19
  Speaker 6: a business, he gets rich.
• 14:21
  Speaker 5: While he's poor, he's a good fellow. When he makes
• 14:23
  Speaker 5: his pile, he's.
• 14:24
  Speaker 6: Suddenly a thieving skunk who'd murder his own grandmother.
• 14:26
  Speaker 5: For a dime.
• 14:27
  Speaker 4: I'm not talking about your money, Sanderson. I just said
• 14:29
  Speaker 4: if it weren't for that crazy note of yours about banks,
• 14:32
  Speaker 4: Fred Byers would have his ranch instead of you. And
• 14:35
  Speaker 4: I don't think it's going to break your heart to
• 14:36
  Speaker 4: pour clothes on him, is it?
• 14:40
  Speaker 6: Seems to me you've come here to sell some cattle.
• 14:44
  Speaker 6: You going to sign the bill of sale?
• 14:45
  Speaker 4: Sure. There you are. Thanks.
• 14:51
  Speaker 6: Take care of that cash, won't you?
• 14:52
  Speaker 4: You can bet I will. Good night, Sanderson.
• 14:56
  Speaker 5: Good night.
• 14:58
  Speaker 6: And, uh, good luck.
• 15:06
  Speaker 4: You don't mean you're going to risk the whole ten thousand?
• 15:09
  Speaker 4: Hand me that bundle of bills there, California.
• 15:10
  Speaker 5: Here you are, but I don't even know what you're doing.
• 15:13
  Speaker 4: I think a thousand ought to do it, Marshal. We'll
• 15:14
  Speaker 4: leave the rest here and you're safe.
• 15:16
  Speaker 5: Oh, darn it, Hoppy. I wish you'd slow down to
• 15:18
  Speaker 5: a fast gallop so a body could catch up. What
• 15:21
  Speaker 5: you doing putting them marks in them bills?
• 15:23
  Speaker 4: Just putting a little black dot next to the serial numbers.
• 15:27
  Speaker 5: Sure I can't help you? Yeah, look, let me sit
• 15:29
  Speaker 5: down beside you and put Whiskers and Andy Jackson's picture there.
• 15:33
  Speaker 4: I'm going fishing, California. Good Lord almighty. Fishing. And I'm
• 15:38
  Speaker 4: telling you, you ain't gonna get a bite, Hoppy.
• 15:40
  Speaker 5: And I ain't gonna stand for this another minute. What's
• 15:42
  Speaker 5: going on here?
• 15:43
  Speaker 4: There's a big fish swimming around out in Stone Canyon,
• 15:46
  Speaker 4: and I'm going after him with this money here.
• 15:49
  Speaker 5: You mean the black hat?
• 15:51
  Speaker 4: That's right. Hoppy figures the bandito will tackle him if
• 15:54
  Speaker 4: he starts back to the Bar 20 tonight with that money.
• 15:57
  Speaker 4: I don't. Why not? Because he's too smart to tackle
• 15:59
  Speaker 4: Hopalong Cassidy on a dark trail, even Steven, that's why.
• 16:02
  Speaker 4: He knows he'd get run off with more holes in
• 16:05
  Speaker 4: him than a Swiss cheese. Hmm. Well, maybe you're right, Marshal.
• 16:09
  Speaker 4: But it's a cinch he wouldn't tackle you. So? Hmm.
• 16:13
  Speaker 5: I don't like the direction this conversation is going. Now,
• 16:17
  Speaker 5: why are you looking at me?
• 16:18
  Speaker 4: No. California wouldn't work either. I reckon not. Why not? Well,
• 16:23
  Speaker 4: you can't send a boy out to do a man's job, California.
• 16:26
  Speaker 5: No, wait a minute.
• 16:27
  Speaker 4: Bandito's a mighty tough hombre. Can't tell what might happen.
• 16:31
  Speaker 5: I ain't afraid of.
• 16:31
  Speaker 4: Forget it, California. I wouldn't risk your neck for anything.
• 16:36
  Speaker 4: After all, at your age, a man ought to begin
• 16:38
  Speaker 4: to take things easy. At my age?
• 16:40
  Speaker 5: Now, listen here. If you think I can't give that
• 16:43
  Speaker 5: bandito coyote cards and spades and hog time with one
• 16:46
  Speaker 5: hand behind my.
• 16:47
  Speaker 4: Back, you're... You mean you want the job?
• 16:51
  Speaker 5: You darn tootin' I want the job. Now, give me
• 16:54
  Speaker 5: that money.
• 16:54
  Speaker 4: Geez, all yours.
• 16:56
  Speaker 5: Why, I was in the saddle when you fellas was
• 16:57
  Speaker 5: in three-cornered pants, and that bandito fella, too. Just so
• 17:01
  Speaker 5: let me see him face to face.
• 17:03
  Speaker 4: You will, California. You will. Huh? You just got yourself
• 17:09
  Speaker 4: a job.
• 17:10
  Speaker 5: Huh? You know, I get a feeling I was euchreed
• 17:14
  Speaker 5: into this.
• 17:25
  Speaker 3: Before we continue with this exciting story, here is a
• 17:28
  Speaker 3: word from your announcer. Now back to our story. It's
• 19:06
  Speaker 3: now almost midnight, three hours since California, carrying a thousand
• 19:10
  Speaker 3: dollars in marked money, set out on the trail leading
• 19:13
  Speaker 3: north from Council City, supposedly on his way back to
• 19:16
  Speaker 3: the Bar 20. Hoppy and the Marshal, high on a
• 19:19
  Speaker 3: rocky peak, are watching the moonlit valley below.
• 19:21
  Speaker 4: Take it easy, Hoppy. I can't help it, Marshal. I'm
• 19:26
  Speaker 4: beginning to get jumpy. He's a half hour overdue. Oh,
• 19:28
  Speaker 4: you told him to take his time. Yeah, I know, but... Well,
• 19:32
  Speaker 4: we're in luck in one way at least. Huh? That moon.
• 19:35
  Speaker 4: Bright as daylight down there. I hope you're right about
• 19:37
  Speaker 4: the black hat. If anything happened to California... Forget it, Hoppy.
• 19:40
  Speaker 4: There are two kinds of outlaws. The killers and the
• 19:43
  Speaker 4: smart ones. And the black hat, the smart kind. California
• 19:47
  Speaker 4: ain't gonna get hurt. Well, I'd feel better if I
• 19:49
  Speaker 4: was down there instead.
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: Of.
• 19:50
  Speaker 4: Wait. What's up? Look where the trail comes out of
• 19:53
  Speaker 4: that shatter down there. Yep. It's California, all right. He's
• 19:56
  Speaker 4: moving into the shatter again. Ought to come out on
• 19:58
  Speaker 4: the other side of that boulder. There it is, just
• 20:01
  Speaker 4: like I said. What do you mean he isn't a killer?
• 20:03
  Speaker 4: He's shooting high. That's his stopper. And that's the one
• 20:06
  Speaker 4: that he means business. Come on, let's get going.
• 20:09
  Speaker 2: Where'd he go?
• 20:24
  Speaker 4: Ran him right up the cliff here. Then it seemed
• 20:26
  Speaker 4: he'd dropped out of sight. That black stallion of his
• 20:28
  Speaker 4: is the fastest thing on 4B. Where's California? Right behind me.
• 20:31
  Speaker 5: He's okay.
• 20:32
  Speaker 4: Good. That doesn't make sense, Marshal. A man and a
• 20:35
  Speaker 4: horse just don't vanish into thin air. He's got to
• 20:38
  Speaker 4: be around somewhere. You sure there's no trail leading up
• 20:41
  Speaker 4: to the rim? Positive. There's no way out of Stone
• 20:43
  Speaker 4: Canyon but the way we come. I've been over every
• 20:46
  Speaker 4: inch of it with Fred Byers.
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: California.
• 20:49
  Speaker 4: Oh, hey.
• 20:50
  Speaker 5: I seen you take out after him.
• 20:51
  Speaker 4: Oh, nice work. I wish I'd done my job as
• 20:53
  Speaker 4: well as you did yours.
• 20:54
  Speaker 5: Where'd the varmint go?
• 20:55
  Speaker 4: That's rather an embarrassing question, California. Seems we were chasing
• 20:58
  Speaker 4: a spook.
• 20:58
  Speaker 5: Ain't no spook I dealings with down there in the trail.
• 21:01
  Speaker 4: What'd his voice sound like? I couldn't tell.
• 21:03
  Speaker 5: Underneath that mask. All he said was, stick him up.
• 21:06
  Speaker 5: And my teeth was chattering so loud I was lucky
• 21:08
  Speaker 5: to hear that. But while he was relieving me of
• 21:10
  Speaker 5: my money, he left something behind.
• 21:12
  Speaker 4: What's that? Here, take a look. What is it, Hoppy?
• 21:17
  Speaker 4: A cuff link.
• 21:18
  Speaker 5: I picked it up. I picked it up after he
• 21:20
  Speaker 5: took off.
• 21:21
  Speaker 4: He dropped it on the trail by accident. I wonder
• 21:23
  Speaker 4: if it was an accident. What do you mean, Hoppy?
• 21:25
  Speaker 4: I don't know, but Mr. Sanderson might have an idea
• 21:28
  Speaker 4: or two on that subject when I give it back
• 21:29
  Speaker 4: to him tomorrow morning.
• 21:40
  Speaker 5: Ah, good morning, Cassidy.
• 21:41
  Speaker 4: Oh, hello, hello, Mr. Sanderson. I was just looking at
• 21:44
  Speaker 4: the map of your mine here.
• 21:46
  Speaker 7: So I see.
• 21:47
  Speaker 4: Looks like you tunnel almost through the ridge here from
• 21:49
  Speaker 4: Green Valley to Stone Canyon.
• 21:50
  Speaker 6: That's right. I suppose you tell me what you're doing
• 21:53
  Speaker 6: in my office.
• 21:54
  Speaker 4: Oh, come now, Mr. Sanderson. I'm not holding any grudges
• 21:57
  Speaker 4: about yesterday. There's no reason why you should.
• 21:59
  Speaker 5: I asked you what you were doing here.
• 22:00
  Speaker 4: I thought I'd do you a favor. Ever seen that before?
• 22:04
  Speaker 4: Where'd you get it? Answer my question first.
• 22:06
  Speaker 6: Of course I've seen it before.
• 22:07
  Speaker 3: It was stolen from my home a few days ago.
• 22:10
  Speaker 4: Oh, seems to me I saw you wearing a pair
• 22:11
  Speaker 4: of nugget cufflinks yesterday.
• 22:12
  Speaker 5: That was the other pair.
• 22:13
  Speaker 4: I have two. Where were you last night at 11 o'clock, Sanderson?
• 22:17
  Speaker 6: At home.
• 22:18
  Speaker 4: Anyone with you?
• 22:19
  Speaker 5: No.
• 22:19
  Speaker 6: I'd like to know where you got that cufflink.
• 22:23
  Speaker 4: I know you would. See you later, Sanderson. Eh, no dice, Hoppy.
• 22:41
  Speaker 4: This rock wall's two feet thick. And the whole end
• 22:44
  Speaker 4: of the canyon here is the same way. I want
• 22:46
  Speaker 4: to see for myself. Let's work up farther up the slope.
• 22:49
  Speaker 4: Any luck, California? Nothing down here. There's got to be
• 22:52
  Speaker 4: somewhere along here. I wish I were as sure of
• 22:54
  Speaker 4: myself as you. It's almost dark, Hoppy. Why can't we just...
• 22:57
  Speaker 4: We've still got a half hour. That mine tunnel of
• 22:59
  Speaker 4: Sanderson's comes almost through to this side. This side of
• 23:01
  Speaker 4: the cliff here. Goes right under the ridge between this
• 23:04
  Speaker 4: end of Stone Canyon and Green Valley on the other side.
• 23:07
  Speaker 4: It can't be coincidence the black hat seems to disappear
• 23:09
  Speaker 4: right at this exact spot. Yeah, but good Lord, man.
• 23:11
  Speaker 4: A hole big enough for a horse and rider would be...
• 23:14
  Speaker 4: Hold it. Look up there.
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: Oh, where?
• 23:16
  Speaker 4: That crack in the granite about 15 feet up. Look
• 23:19
  Speaker 4: what's coming out. That's... Well, I'll beat thousands of them.
• 23:23
  Speaker 4: There's your cave, Marshal. Yeah, but how in tarnation could...
• 23:27
  Speaker 4: That thin rock underneath it must shove aside or something.
• 23:29
  Speaker 4: Come on, give me a hand.
• 23:31
  Speaker 5: California. Right behind you.
• 23:32
  Speaker 4: This big slab looks like it might... Yeah.
• 23:34
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 23:35
  Speaker 4: Look at those scratches in the dirt.
• 23:37
  Speaker 7: Come on, now.
• 23:38
  Speaker 5: All together.
• 23:42
  Speaker 4: Well, satisfied now, Marshal? I'm eating crow, Cassidy. Let's go in.
• 23:47
  Speaker 4: Light up the candle, California.
• 23:49
  Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah. And I'll bring up the rear, if you
• 23:52
  Speaker 5: don't mind.
• 23:54
  Speaker 4: Just as soon as.
• 23:55
  Speaker 5: I don't want to meet that critter face to face
• 23:57
  Speaker 5: in his own hole.
• 23:58
  Speaker 4: Let's pull the stone back the way it was. Yeah.
• 24:00
  Speaker 5: And leave us all shut up in here?
• 24:02
  Speaker 4: Yeah, sure. All right. Okay, let's go. How far do
• 24:11
  Speaker 4: you think the tunnel goes, Hoppy? It ties in with
• 24:13
  Speaker 4: that blind drift Sanderson told me about. From there, you
• 24:16
  Speaker 4: could go right through the ridge to the Green Valley. Hmm.
• 24:18
  Speaker 4: No wonder he was able to disappear so easy. Do
• 24:22
  Speaker 4: you reckon he went right through, or... Wait a minute. Butcher,
• 24:25
  Speaker 4: take a look in this pocket of the tunnel. Well,
• 24:29
  Speaker 4: cigarette butts, a lamp, boxes. Hold the candle, Marshal.
• 24:33
  Speaker 7: Yeah.
• 24:33
  Speaker 4: Let's see what's in this box.
• 24:38
  Speaker 5: Look at them greenbacks.
• 24:40
  Speaker 4: Gee, that's it, Hoppy. There's the Wells Fargo pouch. The
• 24:44
  Speaker 4: envelope Fred Byers kept his money in. It's all there. Yeah.
• 24:47
  Speaker 4: Looks like we've found out where our friend hangs his
• 24:49
  Speaker 4: black hat. The End.
• 25:49
  Speaker 3: In the darkness of a cave at the end of
• 25:51
  Speaker 3: Stone Canyon, Hoppy, California, and the Marshal have found the
• 25:54
  Speaker 3: answer to part of the mystery surrounding El Sombrero Negro,
• 25:58
  Speaker 3: the phantom bandit in the black hat. But even though
• 26:01
  Speaker 3: the stolen money is there, the most important question is
• 26:04
  Speaker 3: still unanswered.
• 26:05
  Speaker 4: What do you figure I'm doing, Hoppy? Waiting here for
• 26:07
  Speaker 4: Sanderson to show up. What makes you think it's Sanderson?
• 26:10
  Speaker 5: What makes her... You ain't telling us the bandit's somebody else,
• 26:13
  Speaker 5: are you?
• 26:13
  Speaker 4: I didn't say that. I'm just not sure it's Sanderson. Well,
• 26:16
  Speaker 4: good Lord, everything points to him. He ran the mine,
• 26:19
  Speaker 4: knows the tunnels. Every one of the robberies followed one
• 26:21
  Speaker 4: of his money deals. Yeah, and what about that cufflink?
• 26:24
  Speaker 4: That still doesn't mean it's Sanderson. Well, who else could have...
• 26:26
  Speaker 4: His secretary, Miss Vance.
• 26:28
  Speaker 2: Huh?
• 26:29
  Speaker 4: What do you... She knows all of Sanderson's business. She
• 26:32
  Speaker 4: could have stolen that cufflink and had it planted to
• 26:33
  Speaker 4: throw suspicion onto him. And above everything else, she hates
• 26:36
  Speaker 4: him and makes no secret of it. I can't believe that.
• 26:39
  Speaker 4: Miss Vance. Another thing. I don't think that's her right name. Right.
• 26:42
  Speaker 4: If her name isn't Vance, what is it? Wait. Wait.
• 26:45
  Speaker 4: Put out the candle. Right, Harvey. Shh.
• 26:48
  Speaker 5: All still now.
• 26:49
  Speaker 4: I'm ready. Uh, Janice.
• 26:58
  Speaker 6: Who's there?
• 26:59
  Speaker 4: Put up your hand. No, you don't. Oh. Light up
• 27:06
  Speaker 4: the candle. Who is it, Huffy? Fred Byers. Yeah. I
• 27:11
  Speaker 4: thought that suicide act was a fake. He knew why
• 27:14
  Speaker 4: I was here and was trying to throw me off. Frank, well,
• 27:16
  Speaker 4: I never would have agreed. No, I guess he had
• 27:18
  Speaker 4: us all fooled for a while. Well, let's get back
• 27:22
  Speaker 4: to town. I think we owe Mr. Sanderson an apology. And,
• 27:25
  Speaker 4: of course, we'll have to notify the widow. Widow? Sure. Mrs.
• 27:29
  Speaker 4: Fred Byers. Otherwise known as Miss Vance. I'll leave that
• 27:34
  Speaker 4: one to you, Marshal. That seems to be a matter
• 27:36
  Speaker 4: for the law.
• 27:49
  Speaker 3: We hope you'll be with us next time when Hoppy
• 27:51
  Speaker 3: and California will again ride out from the Bar 20
• 27:55
  Speaker 3: for another dangerous and exciting adventure of the Old West.
• 27:59
  Speaker 3: Hop Along, Cassidy, starring William Boyd, is transcribed and produced
• 28:03
  Speaker 3: in the West by Walter White, Jr. The Phantom Bandito
• 28:06
  Speaker 3: was written by Harold Swanton. All stories are based upon
• 28:10
  Speaker 3: the characters created by Clarence E.
• 28:12
  Speaker 6: Mulford.
• 28:13
  Speaker 3: This is a Commodore production.
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: The curtain falls on Hopalong Cassidy's The Phantom Bandito. Follow
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: Hopalong Cassidy for more classic broadcasts.