 Remember this, Jim. Nobody has a right to a gun unless he knows how to think when he handles it. Gun will travel, starring Mr. John Daener as Paladin. San Francisco, 1875. The Carlton Hotel, headquarters of the man called Paladin. Yes. Oh, we saw Paladin? Oh, you get ready to go away again? Yes, hey, boy, I have to make a trip out to Nebraska. What's on your mind? Oh, I'm Mr. Paladin. Hey, boy, have exceptional good fortune. Well, I'm glad to hear it. Oh, yes, sir. You know, guest in hotel, Colonel Seymour Van Quotney? That slick-looking gent who took the suite on the third floor. Yes, sir. Well, Colonel Van Quotney think, hey, boy, very nice fellow. Go along with that. Oh, yes, sir. Thank you. Colonel Van Quotney, with utmost generosity, permit, hey, boy, to buy a mining stock. Mining stock? Stock that con artist is floating? Oh, yes, sir. Again, hey, boy, now have investment in Golden West Consolidated Mine Company. Limited. Oh, hey, boy, won't you ever learn? Too bad you must go away, Mr. Paladin. Maybe, hey, boy, could talk to Colonel Van Quotney when he come back. Hey, boy, I would say you good friend. Maybe he permit you to buy stock, too. Where's Colonel Van Quotney now? Oh, he checked out a hotel this morning. Must look after vast business and a price. Yes, yes, I see. Oh, hey, boy, you work hard for your money, and it seems time you started thinking about your future. But when I get back, we're going to have a long talk. Oh, he saw, maybe by that time, hey, boy, can fix, so you can make splendid investment, too. Never mind, hey, boy. I was following a rutted trail through the Nebraska plains, dry, desolate land, parched by drought. I was still a good many miles from the nearest town when my horse stepped into a prairie dog hole and went down, breaking his leg. It's a bad thing to have to shoot a horse. The sun was already low in the west when I shouldered my gear and started walking toward a wisp of chimney smoke in the distance, and it was dark by the time I reached the little farm. As I started through the yard, a dog let out a howl, and the chickens began to squawk. The farmhouse door opened, and a boy stepped out on his porch. He looked in my direction, then raised a rifle to his shoulder. Hello there! Where's the man? Where were you shooting at, boy? Boy, I shot a man out here. Jim? Mr. I don't think the good lordy ain't dead. I thought it was them coyotes after her chickens again, Pa. Don't try to say nothing there, stranger. It slugs in a ticklish spot. We gotta take care of how we handle him. Jim, go tell your mother to get some water, boy, and then come back here and give me a hand. Well, stranger, looking at you today, I'd say you're gonna make it. You just lie back there quiet. You've still got a long way to go. I don't mind telling you. Now, it looked pretty touchy there for a while. But we can thank the good lord you're alive. Well, I guess we can thank you, too. There ain't gonna be a man's blood on my son's hands. Not if I can help it. Mr. One, I'll let go of that shot. I thought it was them coyotes out there. I figured I'd scare them off. I've been trying to teach you, boy, to be dang sure when he sends a bullet off. A gun is only as dangerous as the hand that holds it. Guns. I hate them. He's got some strong notions. I wasn't much older than Jim here when they took me off my farm back in Illinois, put her soldier suit on me, shoved a gun in my hand and sent me out to kill. I wasn't a soldier, I was a farmer. But there's men might be livin' today, except I shot him with that gun they gave me. Were you in a war, mister? Yes, but I trained to be a soldier. That's different. I... I understand how your father feels. I don't. I guess I ain't like Paul. I wish I could've been in the war. Well, you can say that, boy. Now, it's over and done with. Stranger, you ain't gonna be able to travel for a while yet, and we want to make you comfortable. Thank you. Oh, by the way, I'm James Buford, and this here is my son, Jim. My name is Paladin. You're Paladin? Paladin. The gunfighter? Well, I don't consider myself a gunfighter. Is that true that you live by your gun? Well, yes, I guess that's right. He who lives by the sword shall perish by the sword. Paladin, it might cross your mind once in a while. How you was nearly killed for sneaking coyote. Indeed it might. Jim's gonna bring up the wagon. He'll drive you into town. You'll be able to pick yourself up a horse. You're sure now you feel up to travel? I'm sure. I've gotta be on my way. Thanks. Well, Paladin, I don't approve of the way you make your living, but I got to admit it's been awful nice knowing you. I've enjoyed our talks, Buford, and I hope you get that rain soon. Oh, sure it'll come. But I can just forget this crap. Corn all stunted and shriveled on the stalks. Might still be time for some winter wheat, though. Oh, say, you can do something for me in town. Sure. This letter here. It goes to Mr. Kyle at the bank. It's about a loan we talked about. You really have to put up a fight for this land, don't you, Buford? Yeah. And it's been fighting me back every inch of the way. But I'll beat it yet. You ever feel like giving up? Lots of times. I'm hanging on for Jim, Mayor. When he's ready to take over, he's gonna have a farm. He can be mighty proud don't. Oh! Yeah. How's so long, Buford? Good luck. Bye, Paul. Back for a sundown, Jim. It seems too bad. What seems too bad? It won't be a very good time when we get into town. Oh. Good time for what? Well, the town will be kind of empty. I was hoping there'd be a lot of folks around. Just to see me drive up with a gunfighter. No, what kind of nonsense is that? And I'm not a gunfighter. Well, however you call it. I've been sort of telling around how Paladin's been out at our place. I see. You know, Mr. Paladin, Pai, you don't understand. All he thinks about is farm. I never did have a chance to talk to you much. I've been practicing with a gun I got, which I could have showed you. I think I can do pretty good. Don't you like farming, Jim? No. I don't want to be a farmer. I want to do something that takes nerve. It takes gizzard. I want to be like you. Uh, pull up here, Jim. I might as well deliver this letter to the bank for your father. Oh! Look, those men. Quick, Jim, out. Look down the other side of the wagon. Pull up, Mr. Paladin. They've been holding up the bank. That's the bank money. Yeah. Aren't you going to do something? I'm going to stay right here behind this wagon. But don't get away. You got your gun? Five men with rifles. You don't go up against odds like that. You're scared. Sure. Well, let's go talk to the sheriff. I never saw nothing like a sheriff, Brady. Right there in broad daylight. Those men really got gizzard to do a thing like that. Sure, that's what it took, Jim. It figured their odds pretty well. What do you mean? Wouldn't take much studying of this time to learn that there aren't many people on the street, and the bank's nearly always empty at that time of day. But now, we got to do a little figuring. Well, they can't be planning to ride far during the daylight in this open country. They can't be very far away now. You could spot them anywhere out there. Why don't you just go out after them? They're desperate men. The criminals are if the law catches up with them. If we'd face them out there in the open, it would mean just violent warfare. Somebody'd get hurt, bad. You're scared. Sure. No, we'll have to figure to get them cornered someplace where we'll have the odds on our side. From the forks on, the roads are so dry and hard, packed it's impossible to pick up a trail. It's my hunch they're headed toward Wheatville. Wheatville? Yeah, it's about 10 miles north of here. It's been a ghost town since the grasshopper invasion wiped out the crops in 74. Oh, that sounds like a fair hunch. I'll get a posse together. We'll ride up that way. Well, I'd be happy to ride with you. Glad to have you. Can I go along? Jim, your pa said you were to be home before sundown. Jim? Yeah. Yeah, all right. Have you ever been exasperated by a child who has reached the why stage? Why is the sky blue? Why do birds fly? Why do I have to go to bed? The questions are endless. But through questions like these, a young child learns. Encountering an inquisitive child, be grateful that here is a youngster whose mind has the capacity and the urge to grow. There are some without this capacity for mental growth. They are our mentally retarded children. 120,000 are born every year. 3 out of every 100 babies. Naturally, we want to help these retarded children to develop into normal responsible members of the community. And we can. But the process is a long, slow one that requires many special services, expensive services, and continuing research into the causes and cures of mental retardation. Funds for education and research come from the National Association for Retarded Children. Won't you give now to your local unit in order that more children may be helped? Sheriff, those tracks in that drawer back there, your hunch was right. This is where they headed. Yeah, but as you can see, wheat go with a pretty spread out little community. Where they're holed up is another thing. Hold it, fellas, hold it. Oh. Yeah, this is quite a town. What's that tall tower up ahead there? Rain elevator built by some eastern outfit and wheat was booming. Might be a likely hideout. Not a very healthy one. It's loaded with grain dust. Wouldn't take much to cause an explosion, huh? The tiniest spark, not thinking it would go right up. As dry as this country is, that could be bad. I hate to think about it. A fire that could start from an explosion on that elevator could wipe out the country for miles around. Well, if they are in there, it's a cinch we can't smoke them out. Wherever they are, when we corner them, when they see how they're outnumbered. Let's ride up the elevator and have a look-see. Hey, wait a minute. Look. Look back there, that horse. Isn't that Jim Buford? That sure is. Oh, Palin. Jim, what are you doing here? Going home, got my gun, and cut across. What's the idea? I want to be in on the excitement. You're acting like a fool, kid, but there's nothing to do about it now. Yes, sir. All right, men, let's ride to the grain elevator. Well, Sheriff? It's their houses, all right. Get away in that lean tube. Then they are in this grain elevator. No question about it. How do we go about getting them out? I got the men stationed all around the place. I don't think they'll give us any argument when they know they're surrounded. None of your men are apt to go for their guns, are they? They know better. They can do too. Being jailed for bank robbery is better than being blown to kingdom come. Come on. Well, I'll be... Hey, look up there. On that ladder, going up the side of the tower. That's Jim Buford. What's that crazy kid up to now? What's he doing climbing up there? He's heading for the cupola on the top of the elevator. He's got that gun, Paladin. You suppose he's figuring to get in there to get those holed up men? That's probably it. All the odds is one ain't got sense enough not to fire that grain dust. I think you're right. He's got to be stopped. Jim, come down here. Jim, climb down here. I know what I'm doing. You're a fool. Jim, stay where you are. Just stay where you are. Give me that gun. No, Paladin, I know a way to get in from the top here. Come on, we'll face those guys. Give me that gun. Now. Now you little fool, climb down from here. Go on, climb down. What's the matter with you, Paladin? Are you scared? Afraid to face up to those men in there? You got too much gizzard for you? I'll show you how much gizzard they have. Come on. You were right, Sheriff. He was going in there to smoke them out. You want to set fire to the whole Nebraska boy? No, I don't. There's 20 of us. We got you surrounded. Let's have your rifle. I didn't think so. Come on, let's move. Why? Well, they just give up without any fight at all. Sure. The odds were against them. I got them all locked up. I guess I'd better get back to the farm. I guess you better. You'll never make it before sundown. Are you going to give me back my gun? I suppose I'll have to. It's yours. I've got no right to it. But you haven't either. What do you mean? Nobody. Nobody has got a right to a gun unless he knows how to think when he handles it. Jim, you nearly killed me because you took a wild shot at a sound in the dark. You didn't think. Back there in wheatville, you might have caused a disaster like this country has never known by firing into that grain dust because you didn't think. Well, I... How old are you? 14. Well, it seems to me it's about time you started thinking like a man instead of a crazy kid. Yes, sir. I guess so. Jim, there's something else. You were disappointed in me that you didn't stand up to five men with rifles, weren't you now? Sure, you were. And you were let down when those holed up men wouldn't fight it out with a posse of 20. Yeah, I guess that's right. Well, this past week, I have known a man who will stand up to any odds and fight. Who? Your father. Pa? When your father homesteaded his land, the government was betting that 160 acres that he couldn't stick it out six months. But your pa won the bet. But that didn't end the struggle. There was this spring blizzard in 73 that wiped him out. But he came back fighting. There was the grasshopper invasion, in 74, his crops just leveled to the ground, but he stood up to it. Now there's the drought. But he's not about to give up. He's negotiating alone right now. So that he can keep up the fight. A fight against real odds. Do you understand what I'm saying, Jim? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Your pa. Now, there's a man doing a job that takes gizzard. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Miss Wong. Just give the room a lick and a promise. I'm going to lie down and rest a while. Oh, a hard trip, Mr. Palligan? Yes. I'm tired. What's too bad? You work so hard for your money, Mr. Palligan. Too bad you can't make splendid investment like Hayboy. What's that? Oh, Hayboy buy mining stock. Then he sell mining stock and make lots of money. What? Hayboy was able to sell that stock he bought in the Golden West, whatever it was? Oh, yes, sir. Make lots of money. Now Hayboy have investment in laundry business with his cousin, Leasing. He has, huh? Yes, sir. Laundry business are very good. Wow. Mr. Palligan. Excuse, please. But seems it's time you started thinking about your future. Maybe you and Hayboy should have a long talk. He'll tell you how to invest money. Hmm. Have gun. We'll travel. Created by Herb Meadow and Sam Rolfe is produced and directed in Hollywood by Frank Parris and stars John Daener as Paladin with Ben Wright as Hayboy and Virginia Gregg as Miss Wong. Tonight's story was specially written for Have Gun We'll Travel by Ann Dowd. Featured in the cast were Harry Bartel, Barney Phillips and Richard Beals. This is Hugh Douglas inviting you to join us again next week when CBS Radio presents Have Gun We'll Travel.