 From Hollywood, it's time now for Johnny dollar Thanks operator Hello, Pat McCracken. Hi Pat Johnny dollar. Oh, good. Practically Manage you the final report two days ago Yeah, well, I've got one all lined up for myself I just want to get you're okay for an expense account Depends who holds the policy holds several policies with the companies that you serve Who is it or is it a sheet? Oh, it's a he all right the most important client. I know Certainly the one deserving the most attention. Well, who is it me Pat? me Bob Bailey in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. That's truly Johnny dollar Expense accounts submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to the Universal Adjustment Bureau Hartford, Connecticut attention. Mr. Pat McCracken Following his account of expenses incurred during my investigation of and participation in they yours truly matter Item one thirty four dollars transportation and all the incidentals. I could think of Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Nevada. I Needed a couple of days of relaxation after that Kincaid affair Item two thirty one forty from my room at the Flamingo Hotel plus two fancy meals with a couple of drinks to go with them Item three eighty five cents phone call to my old pal Buster favor down at Lake Mojave Resort on the Colorado River Buster, how did you guess? I'll be I did that well in the flamingo boat yesterday on Lake me and I'll arrange yet. No, no I like to be independent, so I'll run a car here On that case wait for me, huh? So okay Buster, it's a deal. See you when you get here Item four a hundred dollars deposit on a rental car a shiny new air-conditioned Cadillac and remember Pat One of your companies holds the insurance on it Item five twenty one seventy for drinks and a big dinner with Buster when he arrived It was quite late when we hit rob 95 for the drive down to Lake Mojave Resort across the desert It was still hot after the day's high temperature of a hundred and eighteen You're driving so fast to keep up the breeze Johnny You ought to take it a little easier. They patrol these roads pretty good. You know, are you kidding? I haven't seen a car nearly 10 miles Yeah, and you mightn't see one of those law boys until he's right up on top here Oh Buster, you mean they hide on the side row? No, I'm not high they patrol some of them Hey, where do all those side roads go Buster? Some of them are a little more than wagon trails Mostly the old mines Johnny some of them 10 15 20 miles away up in the hills Some of them being worked some of them just now look yeah over to your right You see those lights look like they're on the side of the mountain. Oh, yeah That's Haley's tungsten mine up there real big operation a few miles ahead One of my old friends has mine. He works it for What's the matter look in the rear view mirror I see some other lights Oh, hey, if you think we're stepping along that guy behind us is certainly Oh, yeah that flashing red light above the corner of his windshield means a highway patrol car also means you better stop Well, it isn't so I've been driving all over the road So you haven't been keeping a sharp enough eye on this pedometer Okay, start thinking up excuses Johnny and they'd better be good. Oh, no, I'll take it like a man Shall we get out and greet the minion of the law? Oh, no, don't you might think you're trying to pull something those laddies carry guns just sit here Calmly eyes front and try to look innocent There's nothing in the back seat officer. I Why right mister nothing but me and This and I'll wait a minute. You're no hey Johnny. Yeah, I take it that thing's loaded. That's right. I'll get going You were flashing that red light flashlight Food is pretty good tonight. You were making like the highway patrol and man is that against the law? You think that's bad. Just wait you see what I've got for you I'll start her up. Hey look miss. Don't argue with a gun buster. Yeah Buster remember that Remember it's aimed right at the back of your head. I'll get going you sure here we go Watch it. Well, yeah, what's the idea of backing up that way? I'm sorry. It's a rental car. I guess I'm not used to it Yeah, well watch it. Sure. Yes, sir, you know Take it real slow, buddy. You know funnies are out Pull this trigger first and figure it out after we're sure you're the boss you bet I am Well, what happens now just keep going straight ahead when I want you to turn off. I'll tell you What do you think you're taking this mister? Where you guys will be a long long time getting back to civilization And by then I'll be loaded and out of the state just a plain stick up. Yeah, that's right Modern style. I'll look now just because we're driving a big car You got doing up the gamble big money in Vegas and rent a big car. You got enough for me You win a few others. I'll take over for the night's over unless you get tagged first This car will be plenty easy to identify you'll find this car back where I stopped you If you ever get there, brother, I wish I had a good look at that one of yours Why do you suppose I pull up behind you and didn't give you a chance to look let up on that gas Getting a little nervous. Well, I just want to be sure that if I have to put a hole in the back of your heads I can get to the wheel before this crate flips over pretty smart. Aren't you? Yeah That's why I stay alive and in the chips Easy now You see that little side road. Yeah, what about it? Turn off on it. Why not? Yeah The road old McKinney's my host McKinney's the one look if you guys want to talk talk up Quiet you down permanently Talking about this lousy road is all yeah, well, that's why I picked it buddy and I take it easy Hit these bumps too fast this guns liable to go off and You wouldn't like that now, would you? We continued up the rough curving road on the side of the mountain 10 15 miles I guess and I can see nothing but the road itself in the shadow of the mountain ahead of us Turn up that air-conditioning buddy. It's a hot night. Sure. Listen. We go much further on this road We'll scrape off the drip pan You know this road keeps getting worse and worse is all this car is built pretty low, you know Take it easy. I said how can I? Do you hear that? We don't stop pretty soon. We'll all get stranded out here. Yeah Yeah, maybe you've got something there Okay, buddy that that wide spot you turn us around and stop and take it easy. Okay, okay Now what just leave the engine running and both of you get out the right hand door. Yeah, sure. No, shut up Now on I'm not gonna waste any time. Come on get out this out here. I hope that's right. I Figure the temperature is still around a hundred. So you're gonna have to take it easy It'll be long after daylight where you get back down the highway if we make it at all Oh, you will if you go real slow, and if I don't have to use this on you I'll turn around both of you hands up in the air. I look mister with no water out here in this heat It'll be murder. It'll be murder if you try anything cute Nearly a hundred bucks. You don't know this desert heat shut up Now you Lower that lantan just a little and be careful Like that watch Say you must have done all right at the gablin tables. How easy come easy go. That's right but Well, well This card fall out of your wallet Johnny dollar insurance investigator Oh boy, that's a laugh a private dick just as big a sucker as anybody else. Yeah, I'm laughing All right now boys walk Ten steps straightforward together. Come on. Let's know sir. I'll look you if you think that you're gonna bust it. Oh, no, you You dirty rat. Yeah One pony move out of you and you're gonna get the same only right in the back. You hear me Now you walk Walk keep going master master By the dirty murdering Two of yours truly Johnny dollar in a moment While her husband was a captain assigned to a unit of the United States Air Force on the island of Okinawa Mrs. Carolyn Pesitura went along But friends and build greater understanding with other people of other land a chance to demonstrate her convictions Her maid Kikuko Chibana Invited her to her home Kikuko's mother Animated that Mrs. Pesitura had never done a hard day's work in her life not with a manicure job like that Well, that did it Carolyn Pesitura volunteered to do a full day's work just like any Okinawan housewife and Be no more tired at the end of the day Bright and early one day she found herself in the Chibana home After washing the breakfast dishes in cold sopless water She scrubbed the kitchen floor Prepared meals on a wood burning stove Drew 25 buckets of water from the well and worked in the fields for the rest of the day Carrying 50 pound bundles of cut rice stalks through knee deep mud Well, she did such a good job. She was invited back for the rice planting But more importantly Carolyn Pesitura planted Understanding so that others could reap the harvest of freedom the right of all men everywhere And now act two of yours truly Johnny dollar and the yours truly matters He'd overtaken Buster favoring me on highway 95 on the middle of the Mojave desert That gun pointed me to strive my rendered air-conditioned car of a rough winding side road miles and miles up into the mountains finally stopped There he'd ordered us out into the stifling desert heat He'd taken our watches and money there in spite of my warning Buster had turned on him Then with a gun aimed at my back he'd ordered me to walk away from the fallen man Then he took off in our car Buster Buster The dirty muddling just take it easy Johnny how what? Buster you're okay. Yeah. Yeah, but I sure had myself worried there for a minute pretty lousy shot What no brother you were crazy to make a dive at him only legitimate where I could think of to get down on the ground What are you talking about? You see these I can't see a thing But it sounds like a couple of stones. Yeah a real sharp one is a kind that cut a tire to ribbons out here It's chunks of lava I shoved him under the right front wheel Buster those tires are probably self-sealing So just to make certain I went to work with this old knife of mine that he didn't seem to want When he hits a few of those washouts we went all good boy But on that rough road and with power steering don't you worry? You'll have to stop and change a tire before he gets very far rubber sealant was already leaking out fast Meantime we better get on on after him come on. Are you forgetting? He still has that gun Johnny I'll show you tricks for getting a man in the desert at night That you never heard of and don't forget he'll be the one standing in the light from his car if he's had to stop He'll be stopped You stumble on to any rocks about size of baseball pick them up. Oh, yeah Maybe I'll show you why I ought to be pitching for the New York Yankees While I'm occupying him from one side in the darkness. Okay, Buster. Let's go easy He'll get you faster than you think then let's hope it gets him when he stops to change the tire That's what I'm back and on if he does don't you worry Johnny he will Slowly carefully we trudged on down the side of the mountain conserving our strength I was glad that Buster knew the ways of the desert a couple of times We left the winding trail to make shortcuts around big mounds and rocks around old mind workings and then we saw them Car lights Johnny you see yeah, but they're moving down there winding back and forth. He hasn't had to stop yet No, no, I guess you Hey, wait a minute those lights are coming up the trail. Yeah, why would we be coming back here? I don't know. Come on. Turn that little hill on the side He comes around it. We'll let him have a handful of rocks through the windshield. Yeah, right pick up stones Anything you can get your hands on right Hey, look, there's a good spot on that mound there. He won't see us, but we'll see him when he pulls around It'll be practically on top of Okay, good, and don't forget our eyes are used to the darkness his won't be well Just just aim for his windshield Johnny with all we've got but don't forget He still has that gun once we stop and we'll have the advantage the cracked up windshield He won't be able to drive in as long as it stays nice and dark Well, listen, yeah Yeah, I am listening. That's No Cadillac that sure isn't you Think maybe he's nailed somebody else down on the highway and is bringing him up here He hasn't had time to get halfway down there yet. Well, then who is Buster? I'm gonna jump down and hail him, but if it is him have to take that chance Johnny Johnny wait Hey You get lost or something listen listen mister did you pass a big sedan on the way up this road? Who's that Buster can't you see what's your favorite? That's right Hey, you've gone crazy or something wandering around out here this time of night. Look never mind that I asked you about a car Did you pass him pass him? I helped him out. Just move that Last year well, he had a flat tire, so I helped him put on his spare You what city dude have a lot of trouble with the heat, so I'll give him my hand And him he give me a ten spot from a trouble dog gone at Mack head guys do all our car and money from us and left us up on the Mountain no kid post-kidding Well, then maybe I done right it there. What do you mean? Yeah, I've been worrying about it ever since I left them down there Talking about Mack. Well me I got an instinct Yeah, the same kind instinct about everything and I got about finding a gold mine Buster Don't you tell the government? But I have took over 40,000 words of war out of my mind up there since eternity here Yeah, well go on with whatever it is you were getting there. Yeah, come on Yeah, well instinct now You take my gate down at the end of the road that wasn't closed when you come up here was it? No come think of it. I wondered about that, but now Mac usually when I go into Vegas like tonight I close it, but you know something tonight. I clean forgot all right Mac get to the point Would you please well the point being? Yet I did lock up the gate when I come off the highway just now Oh Hey, and I clean for good tell that fella. I locked it after a 50 turn wait a minute You mean he can't get back on the highway sure can't and he can't break down that gate Not without wrecking his car. All right, then. That's what I was worrying about on the way up to here All right now listen sure I go back on down and let him out or not Would you listen but then I remembered that budge in his coat pocket like a gun. It was a gun All right. Yes, sir, and my instinct I don't care Better get back to the mine and telephone the county police on account of maybe he'd been prowling around my mind Look Mac you've got a phone at the mine son. I got everything up there. How far is it on this road? About three miles. All right, then listen, but walking walking cross that ridge Not more than a half mile good. Can you make it on foot? I ain't been wandering around these hills about 41 years for nothing brother go to it Buster and I'll take the Jeep when you go up to the mine and call the police Tell them to set up roadblocks. Whatever they want to do and stop a 1956 Chevy It's gray and white license C. G. J. 158. You got that sure C. G. J. 158 a gray and white look Mac I'll pay you for the use of this cheap anything you like 50 bucks a hundred. Oh, yeah, he's not kidding Sure, you know I'm buster words as good as mine better and he's kind of a lawman. Oh Well now why did you tell me on up there to that mine? Yeah, please will you please what happened to us given that description? 1956 Chevy C. G. J. 158. That's the car that crook is using Then go to it And you better let me drive. Okay, okay Hold on to your seat and I'll show you how one of these things can really take these roads. What do you mean? You've only hit the road every 20 feet so far. Hold on Johnny. You ain't seen nothing Buster wasn't kidding and Mac's old Jeep would have put a mountain goat to shame This day. It's a wonder to me how he ever held the thing together Say nothing of how we managed to stay aboard You think 90 miles an hour on the open road is a thrill you should try 20 per on that old wagon trailer Wait, nothing. We got to catch up on that guy. No, what I mean is How'd you ever know the make a license of his car was enough light when he stopped is to see a thing Why do you suppose I put the car into reverse when we started huh doing that turned on the backup lights back up life? Sure, give me a good look at his car the rear view mirror Johnny Oh Hey, how much more of this isn't we ought to get to the gate any minute Hey, what's it? We ought to be shot. What's the matter? Mike didn't give us the key to that gate will be locked in as well as that man You don't think he's just gonna be sitting there. Do you know? Yeah, you're right You'll have to go on to his own car on foot which gives us more time Johnny to pick advantage now look no you look all right Yeah, yeah either he didn't see the gate or he tried to plow right through it Look what it did that nice car Over this way buster all right Stay out of the jeep's headlights circle around. You may still be in that car Okay, we'll take it easy and pick up a rock or two. I'm way ahead of your brother He's probably moving it down the highway to his own car We're gonna take no chances. I kind of his liquid right. He's Yeah Brother what he's done to this car Somebody's gonna pay a pretty penny the insurance company Come on. We'd better light out after we'll use the Jeep The buster if this big car couldn't knock down that drive off the road and cut through the fence if old Mack had a pair of pliers in the toolbox come on There were pliers in the toolbox all right a pair of wire cutters too But it took us longer than it should have to find a place where even the Jeep could navigate through the fence Finally though we got out on the highway Why not too fast buster? It'd be still on foot. I want to be sure we see him first You know what I'd like to see what's that the lights from a couple of patrol cars coming this way You think they'd have time to get there even if Mack phoned them right away. Yeah, that's true With our little pal with a gun we ought to come on his car pretty soon unless he's already got to it and taken off I just don't think so Johnny. He'd try to move too fast and his heat eat collapse Must be somewhere along this highway hide maybe under one of those storm bridges along there No, no, I think he's too smart for that. Well the racket like his he has to keep moving Maybe he's bummed to ride back to his cars on his merry way again. I will soon find out Place he stopped us right ahead on the curve behind that hill just beyond that next bridge. All right, then take it easy, wouldn't you? Yeah, maybe we ought to stop the other side of this bridge They long about here Buster yeah, there was something underneath that bridge looked like a car Your eyes are deceiving you now. Let's stop right here. Let's keep going. What? Just keep driving until you get to my car get it Why don't you put that thing down? Listen, how did you get in the back of this jeep? Why do you two bird brains prowl around the cab there at the gate playing de deck into you? Pretty smart, aren't you? That's right Like I told you, that's how I keep a line Just more than I can say for you boys. What's that mean? Pull up. There's my car Pull up right beside it. Now look, don't argue with him Buster Okay, here's your car All right now Give me those keys. Come on. Come on Yeah, and get killed your headlights kill them Okay, now look things got ball up tonight I I got held up too long Now I heard you say something about getting word to the cops so I got to get out of here I got to get out of the state I don't know how you guys got the jeep away from that crazy old man I I didn't plan on you getting down off that mountain for daylight, see But it's too bad you did. Oh You sure? Oh, yeah, I'm sure Because I didn't take a chance and you're getting away now. I can't especially you mr. Private I well, thanks That means you think I might find some way to get the police on you in a hurry. Yeah, that's right Maybe I have No chance For I leave here. You're gonna be dead From this you're out of your mind. Yeah buster. I think he is. Oh, yeah I'll stop waving that gun one shot just one shot and you'll be dead so fast Oh, yeah, wise guy. How you know buster. I was right What Johnny there was a car parked under that bridge back there a police car. You're crazy. Oh Oh, yeah, Johnny. I see what you mean. Well, what do you see? You don't think you're the only one who can hide in a backseat to you What are you talking about? Old mac must have really got that phone call throwing a hurt. What are you talking about that officer there? The officer waiting there in the backseat of your car with his gun aimed straight at your head. Oh, yeah There Took a lot of nerve Johnny and throwing that rock in his windshield when he turned was just not Hey, would you get that rock anyhow? Oh for some silly reason I'd been hanging on to that rock ever since we started down the side of the mountain Silly reason, huh? Not by a long shot. No, sir Oh, and what do you know here comes patrol car The one you were supposed to see hiding under that bridge. You know something buster I really did think I saw a car under there. Oh, no, no, no, really honest. I think I saw it back there Expensive out total hold your hat pat including incidentals in my fare back to heart rate five hundred twenty eight dollars And that includes 50 bucks to old man mckinney for the use of a jeep and 81 50 for the repairs to buster's car By way of thanks for his help The car rental agency will present you with its own damage claim on the can Oh, and of course the windshield on that Chevy will have to be replaced You see it was also insured with one of your companies So pat you can just charge off this case to recovery of that car yours truly Johnny dollar Now here's our star to tell you about next week's story next week A small round piece of metal a coin face value 50 cents insured value $20,000 Join us won't you? yours truly Johnny dollar Johnny dollar starring bob bailey originates in hollywood It is produced and directed by jack johnstone who also wrote tonight's story Heard in our cast were virginia greg laurence dobkin barney phillips jet stratton and junius matthews Be sure to join us next week same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly Johnny dollar This is dan coverley speaking This is the united states armed forces radio and television service