 You forced me to wager my life against a thousand dollars Now you can wager yours against 30 miles of desert with a companion who hates you and half a canteen of water Have gone will travel starring mr. John Dana as Paladin San Francisco 1875 the Carlton Hotel Headquarters of the man called Paladin Well, I miss a paladin. This is a gentleman. I miss a Morgan look for you. Mr. Morgan. How are you? Hello there. I was looking for you in the lobby and I asked the boy here where I might find you Well, I tell you miss a paladin often take a place of concealment behind party palm with a chessbook. Yes, I hope I'm not interrupting No, not at all You bring two brandies, please. Hey boy. Oh, yes, sir So down mr. Morgan. Thank you So what can I do for you? Well, I'm leaving for Silver City early tomorrow morning with my fiance You could see to it that I get there alive Well, there's no need to go into all the details of the background, but the situation basically is that My railroad holdings are considerable a man named Danbury and his syndicate are determined to buy me out And I don't want to sell it seems to me. That's your privilege As with Danbury is the kind of man who gets what he wants one way or another Have been attempts on my life recently. Mr. Danbury has peculiar business methods I have narrowly escaped a bullet on three different occasions paladin the latest this morning three misses isn't a very good average Perhaps they're just trying to frighten you into selling. That's what I thought the first two times, but not now Oh, will you accompany us to Silver City, mr. Paladin? I'll pay whatever you ask. I'll be ready to leave at Sunnup Everywhere you go across the country trip or across the street party You carry the fun with you when you own a Columbia Stereophonic high-fidelity phonograph There's a marvelous selection of seven new portable models in smart new color combinations at your Columbia phonograph dealer From which you may choose each one is a masterpiece of design and beauty more quality more features and more styling have been built Into these sturdy portables than ever before How much fun you'll have enjoying all the wonderful new sound of stereo records Regular records take on new beauty to when played on handsome Columbia portables You'll be amazed at the big console sound that is reproduced by Columbia portable Stereophonic high-fidelity phonographs you'll thrill to the excitement of stereo one by Columbia number one in the wonderful world of sound and Columbia portables are economical too prices start as low as 24 95 See them and hear them at your Columbia phonograph dealer Silver City was a two-day ride through a hot dry stretch of desert Morgan drove a buckboard with Stacy Neal his fiancee on the seat beside him I rode alongside trying to keep out of the dust that boiled up It wasn't much chance that an attempt we made on his life out here Nothing moved Even the lizards had taken cover from the heat Morgan yeah Those willows off to the left will stop for water I give you a hand miss Neil, thank you It's not much of a spring is no It's the last water between here and rough and ready Rough and ready as the next town will stay there tonight and go on a silver city in the morning Oh, it's spring looks good to me. You know men come to the desert in search of gold Maybe this is the real treasure out here water I think the desert presents a challenge to come out and fight it. I could beat it I'd wait here. I'm darling. Aren't you happy there's no one here to call that particular bet? Yeah, I think we better get moving. Why what's the hurry look behind the rider on that far rise How long has he been there? I noticed him just after we stopped Suppose he's been following us maybe Chances are he's just another traveler heading for this spring. I don't like it For the town straight ahead after the horses are watered canteens are filled you go on What are you going to do double back do a little checking I Backtracked for some distance then stopped by a sandstone bluff to wait for the man riding down the trail toward me When he drew alongside he rained in Something I can do for you yeah Just give me a little information like Who you are where you're headed Why? That's a lot of information to give out to a stranger my name is Paladin You're still a stranger to me But I don't mind telling you I'm Howard Gorman. I've heard of you and your gun Well now 12 men isn't it? Yeah Come to think of it. Maybe it's about time. I started thinking about adding that lucky 13th. Oh There's something about nosy people I got the idea that maybe you were following us Why'd I want to follow you? I'm not sure But it's my business to find out That's fine. I Like to know you're tending to your business But just stay out of mine There's something about nosy people gets me riled Rough and ready was the only town within a good many miles And it boasted just one hotel So I wasn't too surprised to find Gorman in the dining room when we went into dinner He was sitting in a corner table deep in conversation with a well-dressed man. He keeps looking over here That's the man who was following us. Yes Names Howard Gorman. He certainly looks as if he knows how to handle those guns. He's wearing. He does He has quite a reputation as a gunner Danbury hired him. I'm sure of it Hey Morgan, do you know the man with him? No, I've never seen him before Paladin he's coming over here Morgan taking us Neil and get out of the way Do as I say Come on. Stay see You're making a mistake Gorman You go understand that I'd rather finish my dinner It's finished You shouldn't do that to good food We'll have it your way You had killed 12 men remember? Well, this is number 13 Winston tastes good like a cigarette should because And Filter blend is a mighty good reason for you to smoke Winston because it means tobaccos specially processed for filter smoking a Winston secret you get Winston's own pure white Modern filter plus the rich delightful flavor of fine tobacco And makes Winston taste good like a cigarette should Winston taste good like a cigarette should I've been forced to kill a man and I wasn't sure why It was a fair fight Gorman drew first But somehow it didn't make any sense and I didn't like it Later I went to the bar in order to bottle in a glass Paladin. Oh Morgan Drink oh, no, no, thanks Paladin. I think we should discuss a little business What are you going to do dear talk him out of his fee to cover your loss Stacey? Now Paladin here is your pay in this envelope well You're very generous mr. Morgan, but I haven't finished the job How's that? Arrangement was for Silver City. Oh, it doesn't matter now. It's it's ended. I Don't understand Gorman is dead That that is there's no danger now Morgan If it had been Gorman shooting at you back there in San Francisco He wouldn't have missed No matter Paladin. It's it's finished Come along Stacey not now Oh Stacey don't bore mr. Paladin You know why I'm not going with him Because he's hit me for the last time Hit you. I know how he is when he's been crossed or when things don't go his way But don't look so shocked mr. Paladin. Surely, you know there are men like that He's rotten Maybe I'm rotten too Put up with him because he was rich But I've had enough tonight was too much tonight. Oh, you still don't understand. Do you I guess not Do you remember the man sitting at the table with a gunman? Yes, his name is Shawcross He said Morgan's business partner business partner, but Morgan said I know He said he'd never seen him before They're two of the same kind those men sporting gentlemen It was a bet a Bet they'd heard of your reputation with a gun They knew Gorman was good and could be hired to kill so they set it up for you to shoot it out and made a wager on the outcome Morgan lost This was all set up. Yes, I Killed a man to provide an evening's entertainment. Yes They've been doing things like that for years and getting away with it. Oh It's over paladin you might as well forget it forget it They didn't break any law. There's no way to reach them. There never is Morgan Come down here. Yes I was very interested in what miss Neil had to say. Oh He told you Well, you've no complaint paladin you were well paid paid for what mr. Morgan to kill a man for a side show Well, I didn't realize you gunman drew a fine line. Well, right now it might be a pleasure to kill You're wearing a gun. Why don't you draw? I had no reason to draw against you pal? Now you have a reason I Won't draw paladin. I won't give you the excuse to shoot me There's no way paladin unless you choose to commit a real murder I spent a long night with no sleep and an anger that kept growing But finally I had to face the fact that probably the lady was right. It was over and I should forget it It was early morning when I stopped at the desk on my way out of the hotel Yeah, lady miss Neil as you come down yet come down. Oh, yeah, sir Left in a book board before dawn two three hours ago. What do you mean all of them? Well, lady and mr. Morgan mr. Shawcross. They all left together. Yeah Lady poor little thing poor little thing. What do you mean? Yeah, she was crying. I kind of got the notion. She's no cotton to the idea going along Have them bring my horse around. I have some riding to do Have you ever heard a case site smooth seal? Why no, I know is it new? What's it do? Well, this is off the record just between us boys your automatic transmission Does it ever make a noise you mean a little kind of grinding does that little chatter matter? I hear a very weird whir sometimes it doesn't sound good boys But let's be sure when you're sitting at the light and it goes to green you put your foot down hard Have you ever felt a sort of a jerk a kind of a jar or heaven helped you a real thud bump? Oh, I've got me too. I've had it stranger. What do we do? Well, don't buy a horse and don't trade your car just get yourself some new case side smooth seal new case I smooth seal new case side smooth seal new case side smooth seal How will that help why it's made to soften those shrunken seals which are apt to leak when there's power on the wheels It stops those thud bumps jerks and jars that are apt to creep into these modern cars What is case side smooth seal and one application can pack them all off on a long vacation? And it's less than two dollars at your service station a little new case side smooth seal boy I'm on I'll go and if it doesn't work you get double your money back I had no trouble picking up the tracks of the buck boy But my travel was slow I wasn't quite sure what I was looking for until I found it And then I realized I'd had a hunch that was correct She was lying just off the trail Stacey Stacey Here Here's water for you. I take it easy. No not too much this Was his way of getting even for what I told you as I realized that I guess it doesn't matter Because I asked for it of course it matters Stacey, you think you can stand up? Yes, I think so here. Let me help you A little wobbly, huh? A little wobbly Where we're going I'm gonna help you on my horse then we're going to find mr. Morgan and mr. Shaw Cross you'll never be able to catch up with no not on the trail But we can cut across the desert and head them off You feel able to travel? Let's go It was a hard ride When the buck board came into the turn where the trail leveled off to border a dry lake We were waiting Stacey stay back If I fire again Morgan it won't be in the air Yes Shaw Cross I understand this gun won a bet for you Give you some respect for it, huh? All right get down paladin. Whatever it is down throw your guns on the ground Paladin wait. Are you you're a smart man? And we have money paladin. We have lots of money. So I understand. I'm sure you're a reasonable man Certainly, but I'm also curious I'm curious as to just how far your money will go on protecting you Let us go on to silver city. You just name a price Silver city. Yes Yeah, I'll show you a shortcut Silver city Is due east across this dry lake 30 miles exactly about a About a three-day walk You better get started What are you insane? I told you I'm curious You left Stacey to take her chances with the desert with no water. Well, but paladin You're going to have better odds. I'll give you a canteen. This is murder. Oh, no, no, no It's a wager. I made it better with myself that two men carrying a canteen of water Could walk 30 miles across this desert. You can't mean that. Oh, but I do. All right You're going to force us to do this paladin. I am very well In spite of what your intentions might be We will consider it a challenge Short cross All right A canteen paladin Here. Thank you Let's just understand this much short cross. We make it to nightfall Before taking any water. Yes The important thing is not to lose our heads by all means One thing paladin You'll pay for this Suppose you get started Paladin. Yeah, it is murder. No, that son will kill them. No Stacey They'll destroy themselves We watched the figures of the men grow small in the distance Then I tied my horse on behind the buckboard and we started out across the dry lake Driving slowly behind them keeping them always in sight Hours passed and the sun beat down without mercy And more hours passed Their plan didn't seem to work. What's that saving the water? Have you noticed? You can see them passing the canteen back and forth. Yes Oh, Stacey I don't belong here. Where in the judgment seat Nah, I'm going after them. I thought you would Come on Paladin paladin. Look. Oh no, you better stop him Morgan Morgan he's dead as I killed him He took two swallows of water He was only supposed to take one I killed him with this rock And I guess you're not beyond the law this time morgan two swallows The agreement was won Come on the bickers and John bickers and I can't stand. No, what's the matter blanche? What's the matter? It's that horrible snoring Must be that fat guy next door. I'll fix him Why did you close the window John? You said the neighbors were snoring. Oh, silly. They're on vacation And I've been worried they might have car trouble on their trip. She's worried before they left Harry took the car into his gm dealers for guardian maintenance Right now they're offering performance service specials Just so summer driving will be trouble free and worry free. You think guardian maintenance is all right, don't you? All right, why is the best kind of service for the best kind of cars even at three o'clock in the morning now? Good night blanche We recommend a daytime call on your gm dealer for educated service by trained mechanics Using special tools and factory approved parts if you own a Chevy Pontiac old's buick or Cadillac get guardian maintenance Have gun will travel Created by herb meadow and sam ralf is produced and directed in hollywood by norman mcdonnell And stars john daner as paladin with ben right as hay boy Tonight's story was written by denis and terry sanders and adapted for radio by and out Featured in the cast where laurence dobkin lin allen barney phillips and vick parlin q douglas speaking Join us again next week when cbs radio presents Have gun will travel