 It's Hopalong Cassidy. With action and suspense out of the Old West comes the most famous hero of them all, Hopalong Cassidy, starring William Boyd. The Ring of the Silver Spurs heralds the most amazing man ever to ride the prairies of the early West, Hopalong Cassidy. This famous hero thrills his 60 million fans with action and dangerous adventure. In the role of Hopalong Cassidy is the popular star of the motion picture series, William Boyd. And appearing as that laughable old character, California, is Andy Clyde. Now for our story, Bullets for Ballots. It's Election Eve in Healer Corners. Strangely enough, the excitement and spirit which goes with an election eve is missing. On the little main street in the casino in the blacksmith's shop, the talk is about who's going to be sheriff of Healer County. Honest faces look hopelessly at one another. Well, they know that the lawless element is strong enough to force another term for Sheriff Dotson, another term of killing, riot, Steven, and more important, another year of no justice for the honest man. Brad Sheever is the owner of the casino and Sheriff Dotson talked behind closed doors. Close that door, Brad. We don't want no speaking polecat listening in. Sure don't. Can't afford to have no slips now, Dr. This heard from Jess a few minutes ago. That feed's getting low back down the draw. If you don't move that 800 head out, we're going to lose them. Can't move them now? This election's got every busy body with their noses in the air. They can smell a bad deal. We can't afford it right now. What are you afraid of? Ain't either law. Yeah, of course you are. Anybody who don't like the way I'm serving them can walk in here and say so. Yep, they can walk in, but they ain't walking out like Claude does. Yeah, I guess your sheriff has the right to gun a man down. And shelf depends. Yep, and the right to seize his 800 head is still. Of course it don't make no difference, but maybe you better get rid of that herd before folks start nosing around. It's like Lem Curtie at the general store. Lem Curtie. Why, he ain't wearing us for my order. He don't dare back nobody but me. You got too much at stake to lose now, and I don't aim to lose. Your boys tend in the ballot box and me getting a posse of a law and order group to ride out of town. Only your boys will vote. There's only one thing. Oh, what's that? I saw Hoppe on Cassidy and his cowpoke friend in Lem Curtie's store. Huh? What's wrong with that? He don't like you, Sheriff. He don't, huh? Well, now ain't that just too bad? I just thought I'd tell you. Fred, we got too much at stake. Ain't stretching my neck in a hang-dance. Before I do that, I'll see Cassidy and all his kind in Boot Hill. There's trouble brewing in Healer Connors where the folks are determined to elect a new sheriff, and the present sheriff is just as determined that they won't. Hoppe along in his friend, California, first learned the seriousness of the situation when they talk to Lem Curtie, owner of the general store. Well, now, let's see, Hoppe, your bill comes to $7.30. What's the $.30 for? Those six hands full of crackers California's been eating. The four hands. Dang it, don't pay it, Hoppe. Well, we'll add it onto your jelly bean account. Yeah, write it down, Hoppe. I got my hand caught in that Dern coffee grinder. Can't hold the pencil in it now. Okay. Cassidy, $7. California, $.30. Who was that fella just went out? Stranger. Maybe here helping Brad Chiba's elect that only sheriff again. Seems like everyone's against Sheriff Dodson. And a good reason. Gunning down a man in cold blood. Nobody knows what happened to Claude Byrne's beef, sir. Eight hundred heads. Seems like there's enough good folk in town to elect a new sheriff. Everybody's afraid to vote against him. Brad Chiba's gunslingers watch the ballot boxes and when a Brad's boy is his deputy to count him. You mean nobody's gonna run against him? You can bet your bedroll the rich. I am. You? Yeah, me. And I'd win, too, if it was honest. Well, if you've got the gumption to run against, we're for you, Bertie. You're doing right. You've got yourself two votes already. Two votes ain't enough. We can get more for you. And we can do better than that. We'll see that every post and every tree gets a 30 for sheriff poster. Ah, all right, Betty. You know my little girl, don't you, Hoppy? Little girl? When will you ever realize, Daddy, that I'm 20 years old? Hello, Hoppy. California. Hello, honey. Gee, girl. Seems like just a little while. Seems like just a little while ago, you were just a ganglin' little critter. Bert's a pretty one. And here you are, a fine young lady. I don't want to be a lady. I want to help Daddy in the store. Well, you'll get a chance to help him a lot. Now that he's running for sheriff. No, not you, Daddy. Oh, it's not true. Now, now, don't carry on, Betty. There ain't a thing to worry about. No, sure he ain't nothing. I mean, Hoppy's could help on him. But Brad Sheevers will. We'll worry about Brad Sheevers when we get to him. This is going to be an honest election. Come on, California. Let's get down to the print shop. As soon as the posters are off the press, we'll be back, Bertie. I'll be waiting for you, Hoppy. Looks like you're miscalculated again. Huh? Oh, hello, Jess. What are you talking about? Looks like Bertie's going to try his luck at the end sheriff. Who's going to back him? That Cassidy feller and his sidekick. What? You sure? Sure, shootin'. I'm around outside the store and heard him layin' plans. Oh, there was, eh? You don't nobody know about it. Looks like there are gonna. That Cassidy headed for the printin' shop said something about posters. Why they can't do that? That broken down maverick at the shop said he didn't have no wink when I wanted some posters for Dodson. I don't like the deal, Brad. You can pay me off and let me ride. You don't get a cent till them cattle is sold. I've been dealt that from the bottom, but I ain't never hung around till a shootin'. You was hired to watch them cattle back in the door. And you're playing the string to the end. That's what you say. That's what this says, Jess. Ain't scaring me a bit. Shootin' out, spoil your act. Don't push me too hard, Jess. Remember, they're still lookin' for the coyote with three fingers who held up the Fargo. Ain't got him yet, mother. Well, ain't gonna look far for him if you get skitterish. Now get back out there to the shed and keep an eye on that herd. I sure wish I'd have kept on holdin' up stages. Seems kinda like Ernest's work when I see fellas like you. This wasn't election week. I'd gun you down right where you're standin', Jess. Uh, get. All right, but you better have all your boys puttin' because they sorta think this cassidy's on the winnin' side. Get out. Oh, I forget what week this is. I hope the ink flows out, Hoppy. Ah, we're doin' fine. About 50 more billin' will have enough to cover the county. No folks, seein' Brad's game ain't gonna change. Yeah, it looks like I'm gonna have some explaining to do. Explaining? I told that Brad Sheevers I didn't have no ink to run up posters for him. Looks like if I'm stayin' in business, I'll have to get up a good story. Well, there's the whole cabernet of them. Don't smear the ink, California. Let him dry for a few minutes. Sure is attractive to the eye. How to let folks know who's runnin'. We get a visitor here, Hoppy. And howdy, Brad Sheevers. You got some ink for these things. I, uh, scraped some out of a can. And used it to print this pack of lies. For honest law enforcement, vote for Purdy. Well, a fella's gotta make a livin', Brad. Uh, nice lookin' poster. Right, Purdy poster. Sometimes a fella gets his neck out so fur he finds a rope around it. Look, I don't want no trouble here, Brad. Trouble? Nobody tells Brad Sheevers he ain't got ink. And find some to print something to gimme. I ordered the posters, Sheevers. And we're puttin' up every one of them. Go ahead. My troubles with Bill here. I'm back and Bill, same as I'm back in Purdy. And you can tell your sheriff friend, so he'll know. I'm tearin' up every one of these posters. Look out, California. Why, you went to fearin' thing off the town and prove the bridge, Hoppy. Now get up, and get back to your sheriff friend, and tell him this is the beginning. And lots more common, till we rid the county of your kind. Remember this, Cassidy. When the election is over, you'd better leave town. It won't be healthy for you around these parts. Looks like we're all gonna have to pack up, Hoppy. The election isn't over yet. And we ain't gonna be lettin' folks know about Bolton for Purdy if we don't get them posters out. And don't worry about Sheevers. He won't be ballin' you, Bill. If he comes back here, I'm doin' my talkin' with a six-gun. You ain't aimin' to put him up around town, too, are ya, Hoppy? I sure am. I'm puttin' one up right here in front of the blacksmith shop. Looks right and good, Hoppy. Them big letters is easy to read. Well, we'll let folks know an honest man is runnin'. But if Sheevers gunslingers all Bolton, he'd stand folks away from the polls. I think I know how to handle that part, if my plans work out. Somebody oughta put one of these posters in the casino. Brad Sheevers would tear it down. Ha-ha, might be worth a try. Come on, let's show him to Purdy. You got the posters, Hoppy. Yeah, I got a lot of them. Better be puttin' them up fast. Yeah. Ain't that powerful, Readin', Purdy? Hey, you can see that 50 rods away. Eh, my daughter will be back here in a few minutes to tend the store. So then I can help you put him up. Thought you'd take the meal road, Purdy. I know every post on it, Hoppy. Me and Hoppy will take the stage line, right? And we'll meet back here in the morning. Yeah, morning of election day. By the golly, I got a feelin' you're back in the winter, Hoppy. You bet we are. Well, we got a couple hours before dusk. Let's go. Gail's in the store alone, Brad. Sure, and keep the handkerchiefs up around your faces, boys. Let's get going. Remember, boys, I don't want a stick left that ain't broken. Come on. Wait. Better put up the light. It's a work, boys! That's it! Hoppy and Californian tend to see that the folks in Healer Connors have a chance to elect a man of their choose and a sheriff. Brad Cheever and his gang have kept the present sheriff in office by terrorizing the honest voters and don't expect to allow an honest vote to accept their plan. So, while Hoppy and Californian, the honest candidates, Pertie, are out puttin' up posters, Brad's gang proceed to break up the Pertie General's store like it was hit by a summer tornado. What's your own, Hoppy? I smell gun smoke. No light in the store. You think something's happened? We'll soon find out. Now stay down, California. He's nothing, Hoppy. We're goin' in. Stay along the wall, California. Right behind you, Hoppy. Get out! Get out or I'll shoot! Huh? Pardon me, Miss Betty. It's Hoppa Long-Cassidy. Hoppa Long-Cassidy? Oh, thank goodness. Oh, he was afraid something had happened. Something has. I've been sittin' here in the dark. I thought I'd choose the first one who came back. First one to come back? I mean that crowd. They just left. Wait, I'll light a lamp. Uh, what is that, uh, barrel of crackers? Well, that's a war I thought I could find into the dark. The crackers are gone, just like everything else. There. Now you can see. Hey, what happened here? Well, in the places Kinglin would run. W-w-w-where's your pa? He didn't come back. Didn't come back? If they've hurt my daddy... No, no, no, no. Ain't no used to worry. Did your father come back at all this evening? No. Maybe in the dime, Hoppy. He's had plenty of time. You stay here with a lamp lit and the door's bolted, Betty. We'll find your father. Be sure to lock the door after us, Betty. I will, Mr. Cassidy, and good luck. Hangin' too good for those thieves. We gonna go out the middle road? Right. I could gun them sight and winder down one at a time for what they done on that? Well, they'll pay for it. Ruinin' all them crackers right away. Easy, Popper. All right, let's go, California. Now look close now, see if you can make out any posters on those posters. This moon breakin' out behind them clouds sure helps somebody to see. Wait, there's a poster? Yeah, see it there. Well, we know he come this far. Should be an easy trail to follow. Come on. That makes three of them so far, Hoppy. I will keep on, California. Hold it. What do you see? Some paper over near the fence. A whole bunch, I suppose. And look, his hammer. See, and there's been some scuffin' gone, too. And this was Purdy's last stop. Oh, they gunned them down. No, I don't think so. What, they're down with them, then? They might need to produce Purdy or folk to ask about him. Then they're hidin' them out, huh? Looks that way. One trail ends and another starts. We have to move fast. Well, it's a sure bet they didn't go north and nothin' but Greece will. I got a hunch they'd be holed up in some cave over to the west of that pass. Maybe you're right. We can look. Without another candidate around, Sheriff Donaldson will win for sure. Think they'd get them holed up in one of them caves, huh? The only other place I know would be... What, Hoppy? What burns this place? Over by the draw. Ain't nobody been livin' in it since Sheriff Dodson finished him off and in self-defense, I guess he called it. Deliberate killing. We have to even that up, too. Somebody's told each cattle. I'd say, at times, we look there first and we can circle around back to the pass. Well, there ain't nobody in the ranch, Sheriff. California. I smell smoke. Me, too. Greenwood, too. Somebody's got a campfire out of sight. The breeze is goin' from that little draw back there. Come on. Quiet now. Maybe we can see somethin' past this boulder. Hear that, California? Cattle. Didn't know there was any around here. And they're hungry. Like there's nothin' to eat but snakes and factors. And findin' Purdy is more important right now. See somethin', Hoppy? Right down there between those two big boulders, a lean tube. And a whisper smoke comin' out the top. Could be the end of the trail, California. We'll have to get down back to the boulder so we can stay on the side. See anything through the window, Hoppy? That stranger who left the store today. Anyone else? Looks like someone's lyin' on a bunk past the fire. Can you see who it is? Wait a minute. That's Purdy. He just looked into the fire. Well, what are we holdin' up for? I don't want any gunplay. I'll toss this rock out and front toward the bushes. I hope he comes out to look. Go ahead. Oh, when he steps out, I got him. There. He heard it. He sneaked in toward the door. He's got his six gun. Steady now. Now, California. You ain't hidin' me! Ah, yes, we are. Use his belt, California, hog time, Poppy. I'll enjoy it, Hoppy. You all right, Purdy? I'll have you loose in a second. There. Hoppy, I knew you'd find me. Is Betty all right? Did you see her before you come out here? Don't worry, she's all right. I don't dare do anything to spoil the election. Looks pretty even. Even? Six boats either way could do it, Purdy. Let's get back to town and see what... Oh, whoa, hold up, Purdy. I got other ideas. I wish them cattle had shut up. They'd drive a man loco. They're locked in the drawer. Who'd do a thing like that, Hoppy? I aim to find out. Maybe when I know that, we'll know what to do next. I sure saw them when they were bringing me here. Looked like an Air Barbie brand. I knew it. Claude Burns brand, boy. That's even sheriffy. Now it's clear. Purdy, I know how we can outwit those coyotes. First get me a six gun. No guns. Two minutes of sling led back at us. We have to outsmart them, and I know how it can do it. One of the poles closed. Well, the law says six o'clock. Good. We stay right here till three o'clock tomorrow. Election day. I don't think Purdy's still gone. Right. Now you get in the town in the morning, California, and have the printed dropper remark to Brad Sheevers that there's a herd of beef Roman loose on the Burns ranch near the draw. Yeah. And what else? Nothing. Just get back here as soon as you can. I'll be back, Compto. Good. If things work out, we'll need you. Here. Good broke out of the drawer. Look out, how'd you know? Never mind how I know. What are we going to do now? I ain't losing that herd, Brad. Looks like we've got to move fast for anyone who snoops around. Seems like just to let us know, he could hog top Purdy. I told you not to trust that three-fingered bombing. We're wasting time. Get the boys out there, Compto. How many of them? All of them. Ten or twelve of them. Tell them to ride hard. But they ain't voted yet. They'll be back in time. Anyhow, with Purdy gone, we don't even have to count them. He loses on the technicality. I'll ride with him. See, they don't cut none of the herd for themselves. They're even, Purdy's. Good idea. Then get back for the drawings. You can make a speech for me like you've done before. How about the voting? Cut out, John, about it. The boys is cloudin' the ballot box, and hardly nobody can get to it. Get them, Purdy's, back in the drawing. Come on, cut out the plava. Now, if the writers can't find the herd, they'll write in the draw to see where they are. Then we close in behind them and hold them in. If I have sheriff now, I jail every one of them, skunks. Are you sure the news got to Brad, California? I wish to. Hand them to the blacksmith's shop when Brad Sheevers run like a polecat was after him. Plumb into the sheriff's office. Then we can get some action soon. You mean now, Purdy? The sooner the better, so I can get back to my store. The more it's left of it. Never mind. Hey, from the dust they're makin', there must be a dustin' of them. We're gettin' behind these rocks and lettin' them go through. Right, then spring the tramp. Hoppy, Brad Sheevers is writin' with them. Better than I expected. Careful of them or I'll find our party. Got a hair-trigger on it. I won't use it, lest I have to. Hoppy, they're goin' in. Wait till the last one's through in the opening. Eight, nine, ten, eleven. Nevin' up, Hoppy. Nine-eleven can be mighty important to you, Purdy. They're stoppin' inside. Good. Now cover me, California. Fast one, reach it, we'll drop, Hoppy. You boys can get off your horses now and take a rest. Brad Sheevers, there's only one way out of this draw. The first one who tries to make it gets a 45 slug. It's a trick. Just take it easy, Brad. You might as well rest, you're not goin' anywhere. We're sittin' in this passage with our guns handy. The first one who makes a move starts trouble. We ain't done nothin'. That's just what you're gonna keep on doin', nothing. Close five o'clock, Hoppy. Well, I guess I can handle things alone now, California. You and Purdy get back to heel a corner. I'll get these men's horses and guns and leave them here to stew. Let's get close up to the office so we can hear Sheriff Dodson, Hoppy. Not too close. I don't want him to see Purdy yet. First thing I'm gonna do after I'm elected is run that Polkhead Dodson out of town. He's open round for Brad. Quiet, California. Fellow citizen, I've been waitin' the legal time for my phone and Purdy to get here. Like it's not a high-tailed out of town. It's two minutes to six. I guess you might as well go home. I'm Sheriff by law, seein' there ain't no opposition. I was about countin' him rough. They're being counted now. I'll put the votein' figures on my bulletin board. You can all see him tomorrow. We want Purdy! You can't want somethin' that ain't here. You're wrong there, Sheriff. Who says that? I did. How'd you get here? Boy, it's Shoppaloam Keshidy. He's got Purdy. Purdy's right here. You're Dan Wright and I'm here to stay. The vote will say who's payin'. I got the totals right here, Sheriff. Shall I read him? Read him! We want the count! For Sheriff of Heeler County, Sheriff Godson, 59 votes. For Lem Purdy, 66 votes. Well, Purdy, ah, Sheriff Purdy, I know you'll make a good lawman. Well, I'll sure try, Hoppy. And with them gunslingers cleaned out, things will be better around here. Eh, but I sure paid the price. Everything are owned, smashed and ruined. You know, Purdy, I think we can straighten that out for ya. Folks are pretty good to their own kind here. Eh, it'll take a lot more than I got left to open another store, Hoppy. But I was just thinkin'. If I talk to the folks just right, like it's not they'd agree to sellin' that herd of beef out there in the draw. Well, sure, they don't belong to nobody know how. Ah, Daddy! Betty, honey! Oh, I'm so proud of you, Daddy. I'm givin' you a big kiss and a big hug. Let's go, Hoppy. Hoppy, in California, the ones you should thank, honey. Good. I'll have a kiss for them, too. Uh, we gotta be gettin' her, uh, Hoppy, uh, see the darn time. Eh, we ain't never gonna get back to the March 20, but... And now a kiss for you, too, California. To California! Wait for me, California! To California! Humiliate. That's what it is. Darn, humiliate. What all the girl wanted to do would give ya a kiss. All she wanted to do? Hoppy, it ain't often I talk to ya like a father, but it's my duty to warn ya, you can step around the aircraft, you can dodge bullets and knives, but by golly, when a woman starts after you with a kiss, there just ain't nothin' to do but beat a hasty retreat. Well, let's go then. Goodbye from Hoppy, in California, until the next time they ride out from the March 20 for more adventure and excitement. Hop along Cassidy, star on William Boyd, is transcribed and produced in the West by Walter White Jr. Bullets for Ballots was written by Howard Swarth. All stars are based upon the characters created by Clarence E. Mulfer. This is a Commodore production.