 From Hollywood, it's time now for Johnny dollar It's from Lake Mojave resort in error. Oh say no more operator. Just put them on Hi, who is it this time Buster favor him Fred? Yeah, well, how's the fishing time for me to make another trek westward and find out huh red That's right Johnny red who the fishing line oh Yes, who claims to know Lake Mojave like the back of his hand and every good spot there is in it Then I repeat my question. How's the fishing? And you do yes, I do so you think it's high time I fly out out there and what a line is that it no Well, what is it? But unless I know why I'll tell you when you get here Well, look, I usually do my traveling on expense account for an insurance company And you can this time huh what company the one that insured insured who read Johnny I'll tell you all that when you get here now now look they tell me there's a plane lives New York right at high noon Listen red that'll get you into Las Vegas about 945 tonight. Okay. Okay. Listen. Bye Johnny red Crazy old coot he thinks for one minute that I'm gonna get on and yet on second thought The exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator yours truly Johnny dollar Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to the greater Southwest insurance and liability company Kingman, Arizona office Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the Mojave red matter Expense account item 1 420 phone call to the Kingman, Arizona office of greater Southwest insurance and liability on the theory It might be well to check with their agent Jake Kessler before going off half-cock. Hi, Johnny Haven't seen or heard from you since two years ago when you came out here to investigate the murder at the old Midas touch mine Yeah, I remember Jake now listen. Yeah, is uh, is Everything going along okay these days What? Well, I mean no trouble with any of your clients that sort of thing I'm not a bit Johnny. Why do you ask just uh wondered well if I did have you know who I call No problems at all, huh? I told you not a story. You got stuck in your car Johnny nothing nothing. I just Well, I just well Well, tell me this Any of your clients policy holders have any kind of trouble accidents anything like that over Lake Mojave resort lately So that's what's eating you now Johnny that claim was legitimate It's in the home office for settlement the company will pay it and that'll be that what claim So just you stop worrying about it and forget what claim Jake. No, sir Johnny There's not a single solitary thing for you to investigate out here. So just you Forget it. Hey, you know something Jake you've just convinced me there is something to investigate So I'm grabbing the first plane. I can well Johnny. I'd love to see you But I'm charging my expense account to your company if you find out that I'm right and Okay, Jake, then you could shoot the crow and I'll eat it to count item to $153 plane fare Hartford to New York and New York to Las Vegas, Nevada It was 945 on the dot as the big mainliners slowly circled down out of the clear starlit sky Unless you've seen the minions of stars that twinkle brightly through the clean dry air over the Mojave desert You really miss something and as we glide it down toward the landing strip on the south edge of Las Vegas The multicolored lights of the fabulous resort town made it sparkle like a vast field of joy beautiful Yeah, and expensive That is if you insist on trying your hand at the gaming tables in the casinos that line the main drag Believe me brother. I know But that's not a hint of there As I grabbed my luggage and started for the car rental office a tall angular man Well tanned and dressed in blue jeans high-heeled boots and 10 gallon hats soldered over to me So you wouldn't take my word part. Oh Jake that's right Jake Kessler and person and Johnny if you're here to investigate the claim on the Hobbes policy Well, they're just Well, I know that much And suppose you tell me who Hobbes is or what? I'll tell you all about it when I have you can hop on another plane and go right on back to Hartford and all at your own expense I still don't see whatever made you come out here Johnny apparently the Hobbes matter. So start telling me Well, come on Jake. Come on. All right, Johnny. All right, Elmer P. Hobbes real estate in Los Angeles Came over to the Lake Mojave resort about two weeks ago spent a few days fishing with his old pal a guide to have there You mean red red bear. Yeah Okay, go on and then Tuesday a week ago He rented one of the boats and went out by himself currently went up to a place called the big base Yeah, I know it well the lake's three or four miles wide up there Yeah, well that afternoon a big wind came up regular screamer all the other boats came back the landing all but Mr. Hobbes. Oh Next morning when the wind died down they found his body walked up on the shore on the Nevada side That's all that's all you say a claim has been filed. That's right by one of his two beneficiaries Oh his business partner back in LA mr. Stewart command me. I've passed the claim and the company will pay it No investigation of any kind. Well, of course there was Johnny the Kingman Please the sheriff's office and the county card accidental death do the drought So that's it Johnny now you just make your reservation back to Hartford at that window right over there And you are paying the freight. Oh, not so fast. Jake. I'm sticking around you. You can see for yourself There's no reason for you to be here much less at company expense Well, after all now that I am here to be kind of silly not run down to the lake You mean just to do some fishing on your own time. You want to drive me down there Johnny? Yeah Johnny do you know something about the hub case that I don't and the police and the sheriff's shake? I don't know a thing about it Okay, Johnny How do you want me to fix that crow? You're gonna eat first truly Johnny dollar in a moment our flag now numbers 50 stars and Behind each star there stands yet another flag representing one of the 50 states Vermont state flag in its early form imitated our national flag uniquely bearing 17 stripes and 17 stars with only the inscribed word Vermont to distinguish it The good people of Vermont assumed as did our national government that stripes as well as stars would be added as each new state entered the Union Vermont entered the Union after Tennessee and Ohio and with Kentucky to join shortly the Vermonters naturally put 17 stripes on their flag in 1818 the United States Congress put a stop to this and since then the stripes have always been at 13 and Only stars are added for each new state Vermont's present flag captures the famous beauty of the Green Mountain State in its coat of arms and inscribed as the phrase Vermont freedom and unity Vermont state flag the flag of the 14th state to enter the Union was adopted on April 26 1923 and now act two of yours truly Johnny dollar and the Mojave red matter Elmer P. Hobbs of Los Angeles had died of drowning when his small boat capsized in a high wind on Lake Mojave At least that's what Jake Kessler is insurance agent told me Accident pure and simply said and I could hire myself back to Hartford and forget about it, but I didn't Simply because of the phone call I'd receive from old red Barrett fishing guide at Lake Mojave resort I Pursuaded Jake to drive me over there on the excuse that as long as I was nearby I might as well do some fishing So he dropped me off and since it was after midnight went on back to Kingman I wanted on down to the dock and boathouse Ham You know darned well what he's doing here ham the fishing has never been better Only how'd you get the word and how are you John? Oh, just great busting Did you stop by the office let Marilyn fix you up with the room? No, no because as I recall old red usually sleeps here on the dock Oh Why do you say that way Buster because ham and I are wasting good sleeping time down here wondering why he hasn't come in yet You mean he's still out on the lake. Yes What is black as the ace of spades out there and no moon tonight Buster and I were about to take off about to look for it He pulled his very same stunt night before last we finally found him drifting around about nine miles up He said he'd run out of gas showed us at the tank to prove it. Yeah, but we knew better. What do you mean Buster? I mean when he saw us coming after him He dumped out what gas he had oil slick all over the lake if somebody struck a match wire You know Rads been doing a lot of crazy things this past week or so Ever since his old friend mr. Hobbs died. They were pretty close and that is why he phone Red phone. Yeah early this morning and if you ask me, it's because he doesn't believe mr. Hards death was accidental Johnny You know something I didn't quite believe it myself We're sure we have some pretty big winds on the lake now a man and it was a big one that day And then when the corner and the other thought is well who's to argue with them You know if red has found out anything anything at all all we know is he's given up taking out fishing parties And spends all his time prowling around the lake every day and night Says that we can find the boat mr. Hobbs. What kind of a boat was it one of our regular rentals in a room in the Arkansas traveler. Yeah with a 10 horse Johnson on it. Well, listen those boats have flotation tanks So even if it did capsize it wouldn't sink You're right John and there's been no sign of it. Not at all Then let's go up to the lake and find red Except for the stars far overhead the night was black as ink the 50 horse outboard skimmed also long at better than 30 miles an hour Believe me. It was a strange feeling almost like flying through space I'll bust a found his way around the islands rocky points and reefs. I'll never know what he did You want to be about even with sculpture rock? Yeah, there it is And we're coming into the big fish You please tell me how you ever expect to find bread and all this darkness. Oh, don't worry about him He hears us coming your signal by striking a match or something. You're Johnny no matter how crazy you are You never let somebody wander around in the dark looking for you out here Red knows that because he's had to come out too many people at night itself and look Yeah I'm swinging over there. Hey, you're right. There's a fire on the beach. Yeah, it must be red What's he doing out here? Soon find out long enough to bring Johnny up here red you old reprobate one under the certainly you up to this time I just told you I've been waiting for you to bring Johnny now You can leave us and going back to the dock and I thank you very much red We're not leaving until we find out what this is all about and if I tell you would you promise to leave us alone? Sure, sure. We'll promise anything. Oh, you see I need Johnny's help. Yeah Well, because with him to follow up what I found today Well Johnny you and I are going to prove that my old friend mr. Hobbs was murdered Act three of your truly Johnny dollar in a moment Every American fighting man has heard the expression above and beyond the call of duty How many of us have sat down and considered just what that word duty means? According to one dictionary definition Duty is man's conduct as required by his station or occupation and that to which he is bound by moral Obligation to do or not to do When a man does more than his duty requires he becomes more of a man in the eyes of his fellow man One such was Captain John Philip Cromwell Commander of the submarine USS Sculpin flagship of a submarine coordinated attack group of the United States Navy Processing secret intelligence information of our fleet movements strategy tactics and attack plans Captain Cromwell led his attack group and patrol of enemy waters around truck island in November 1943 Just prior to the launching of our first large-scale offensive in the Pacific Despite savage enemy opposition He established a line of submarines around the enemy health stronghold of truck until his ship the Sculpin Became so rocked and battered by depth bombs that he ordered it to the surface He engaged the enemy with deck guns giving his crew an opportunity to abandon the mortally stricken ship Determined to sacrifice himself rather than risk capture and the subsequent danger of revealing the secret plans to the enemy Captain Cromwell remained aboard the Sculpin as she plunged to her death He thereby preserved the security of the mission at the cost of his own life Captain Cromwell earned the Medal of Honor for deep integrity and uncompromising devotion to the call of duty in the service of his country, but What he did defined the word duty better than any dictionary And now act free of yours truly Johnny dollar and the Mojave red matter I'll tell you this Johnny red here is one of the wildest most irresponsible old characters I know and he wants to be but he's okay Nonetheless and if he thinks you and he can find proof that mr. Hobbs was murdered Well must have a good reason for it. Well, right now ham you think a man like Elmer Hobbs Knowing the lake the way he did but ever let the big wind catch him off guard up here in the basin No, I don't read. I know that's the way Buster felt about it, too I said that to you myself red, but now what's this proof you have of murder? Well ham and Buster aren't you going on back now that I've told you why I want you to bring Johnny here Was there any harm and I know what you found red after all we might be able to help you and Johnny Yeah, I thought about that but you see I might just possibly be wrong about Well, I might just be wrong and I wouldn't want to be ashamed in front of a lot of people By a lot you've been free. Well, that's three times as many as just Johnny here Oh, well now look Johnny he means it so ham and I'll go on back to the dock But I still don't see what difference Johnny when you get to know red as well as we do You'll stop trying to figure out the wise and wherefores of some of the things he does and what makes it tick But you'll also learn that in the long run no matter how unorthodox some of those things are Well, oh come on See you when you get back to dock Johnny. Oh, you got some food red. Now, you know, I always keep something in my boat Buster Well far be it for me red, but all I have to say is that whatever you think you found proof of It sure better be something Oh, it is I think it is It is crunch yourself a place to sleep in the sand. It's pretty late. Huh? Well, it took you so long to get here and we can't see anything in the dark anyway Oh now look red for heaven's good night Johnny sleep well And that was the end of our conversation I began to wonder if Jake Kessler hadn't been right in the first place if I hadn't come out here on a wild boost chase after all But the more I wondered and thought about it with nothing but the warm desert night about us twinkling stars The magic sound of fish jumping in the lake the sleepier I got so I slept The smell of bacon frying over the campfire awakened me Although the Sun still hadn't shown over the mountains that boarded the eastern side of the lake Now it's your face in the lake Johnny then grab yourself some of this bacon and egg I did as I was told then squatting in the sand in front of the fire stuffed away a hearty breakfast of bacon eggs And pancakes made from sourdough and you know there's something about a meal cooked over a campfire that Well, we had other things to do we climbed into reds old a little bit of boat and slowly drove up the lake staying close to shore Finally we reached a small rocky cold right here is a spot Johnny this little cold the spot for what red? You know you still haven't told me see there. You see where somebody has climbed up the rocks No, but I'll take your word for it Well, he couldn't have climbed up off of the water so he must have climbed out of a boat So and there's footprints leading the way across the desert and Johnny They aren't Elmer Hobbs footprints no sir So somebody climbed out of a boat here for one reason or another and took a walk into the desert a man who killed Elmer Hobbs What makes you think so look down over the side in the water Yeah boat sunk down there. That's the boat that Elmer had can you see it clear? Yes, very then you can see it wasn't Damaged enough to sink it's not that bold. You're right red Particularly since it has flotation tanks, but it's down there. It's sunk. Well, you better strip to your shorts Johnny I'll get on and take a look me already have but I want you to look Johnny and remember I knew everything that Elmer had in his boat when he left the dock remember that okay and you're sure the footprints leading into the desert couldn't possibly have been made by Mr. Hobbs that I'll swear to Johnny by all this good and hold not a slip in easy so you won't disturb the water too much I took a deep breath surface dive and swam down to the second boat and the water was clear and I could see plainly I saw the red was right I bobbed back to the surface Did you see him the cut yeah red those flotation tanks were slashed open with an axe or a sharp heavy tool of some kind But Elmer had no axe on that boat so it was somebody else Johnny Somebody who murdered him Yeah, and then sank the boat red. I'm afraid you're right Elmer Hobbs was murdered but there you have it Jake and if I were you I'd call off payment on that claim immediately Branded the cases and over yet. I still have the job of finding out who killed Elmer Hobbs But you know something You're gonna have to wait for my next report Meantime expense account total to the moment 159 20 including the cost of shooting and retrieving one crow Jake How would you like it cooked? Until the next report then yours truly Johnny dollar We'll return in just a moment Our flag now numbers 50 stars and behind each star there stands yet another flag Representing one of the 50 states Oklahoma state flag depicts an Osage warrior's circular buckskin shield from which hangs seven eagle feathers Across the shield is the Indians Calumet or pipe of peace Crossed with a white man's peace symbol the olive branch on the shield are small crosses The Indians graphic sign for stars indicating lofty ideals or a purpose for high endeavor The background of the flag is a field of blue the blue of the Oklahoma sky Signifying loyalty and devotion the important symbols however are the Calumet and the olive branch These override the shield the symbol of war and bespeak a predominant love of peace by a united people Oklahoma state flag the flag of the 46th state to enter the Union was adopted on April 2nd 1925 now here's our star to tell you about next week story next week Well after all the case isn't really closed, but it will be next week. Believe me join us. Won't you yours truly? Johnny dollar a Johnny dollar is starring Bob Bailey originates in Hollywood and is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone Who also wrote today's story heard in our cast were Lucille Meredith or us Lewis Harley Bayer Allen Reed and Barney Phillips Be sure to join us next week same time and station for the conclusion of this exciting story Of yours truly Johnny dollar This is Roy Rowan speaking. This is the United States Armed Forces radio and television service