 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 now another exciting story of the early West Gunsmoke rides the stagecoach trail in these early days of the West common way to travel is by stagecoach it's generally a long hot trip with no excitement unless a holed up man decides to stop the stage and liven things up by robbing the storm box and the passengers well in our story today driver Corrigan of the Ridge City bound stage has just looked down the barrel of a six gun as the stage was relieved of the mine payroll when the gunman departed Corrigan whipped up his horses and raced the remaining two miles into Ridge City get the sheriff quick the stage has been held up about a mile back took the whole dirt payroll just one of them give me you took to mind every red centipede the farm it's corrigan what's happened held up got held up I'm really the handkerchief over its face in the black hat horse didn't see none only thing I noticed was that gun barrel looked like a stove pipe to me good night how you look well he's about your side Bert black hat and I noticed when he turned sideways had red hair hanging out from under his hat yeah that's nice to appreciate that near the bar 20 I'm thinking the same thing well let's go get him on yeah for either Moses with a payroll yeah he's got a lot of explaining to do how about the sheriff we don't need the sheriff it's our money in it well that's right seems like you're overset and pinning it on the nest what you mean by that corrigan lots of fellas his size and your size we're waiting time boy come on you're right you'll be heading for the open spaces if we plan around here we got the law here Bert government will send a man I ain't asking the law to collect my pay I can do it myself come on boys we'll clean out this nest and spread what's a girl now back to hop along Cassidy and our story gun smoke rides the stagecoach trail stagecoach running into Ridge City has been held up by a lone gunman and the payroll for the mines about twenty thousand dollars was taken when the driver reported the holdup the miners decided from the description that the gunman is a red headed nested by the name of Pritchard tempers flair and the miners led by Bert Neil ride to the nesters ranch house hop along Cassidy unaware of what's happening at the neighboring ranch is on the porch of the bar 20 talking with a gentleman so I told judge doors I'd convey his greetings to you mr. Cassidy that I have done and I would appreciate your being my guest for dinner soon at my hotel hotel but mr. Butterfield no friend of judge door stays at a hotel when they're this close to the bar 20 the judge told me you would say exactly that mr. Cassidy but I'm used to being alone you can be to yourself here sir and you'd like it a lot better than the ridge hotel nobody to bother you lots of son I'm afraid you make it impossible for me to do other than accept your hospitality good California be back from town any minute now and professional man leads a stilted life very stilted sir we don't ask the man is business around here mr. Butterfield but I take it you're a lawyer for 15 years I had my own office buried my nose in law books working day and night to build a future only to have a crush about my ears mining no no it was a young woman I'd hope would be Mrs. Butterfield but come let's not be morbid that's the past I'm living now for the future mr. Cassidy that's the way to look at it a month or so here in the sun good food and friends and you'll be a new man but a few if you're sure that I won't be that's not say another word I've left my bag at the hotel California can get it for you later this evening you're very kind here come to California now my what a remarkable horseman wrong or he wouldn't be riding that's what the stage has been held up well don't lose your breath hello with red hair took a whole learn payroll every cent of it oh back up just a minute was your manners California we have company you know they're saying red Pritchard the the nesters the vomit California oh excuse me hoppy turn it meet mr. Butterfield friend of Jeff Dawes up in Preston howdy Bert Neal's head in a bunch of minors and ran he's out to Pritchard's place what for us won't come out looks like trouble where's your law he's out of town my rule is bad rule mr. Cassidy I know red Pritchard he's a nester but not a bandit you make yourself at home mr. Butterfield this goes too far it may be plain murder I hope we're not too late maybe not maybe race holding them on come on we got to stop this and why don't you come out and say so looks like he's waiting for our next what's going on here Bert the boys want to burn Pritchard out I knew this nester was no good no man's got a right to do his own lawmaking he took the whole payroll from the stage my money and everybody else's we got a right to get it back were you on the stage well no did you see the hold up now look at but you're sure red Pritchard's the bandit the boys think so he's got red hair headed this way better call them off Bert so you're siding with the I'm saving you a lot of trouble mighty nice but you were nobody else is going to back this that's where you're wrong Bert if he's so all fired innocent why don't he come out and run into a bullet put up them six guns and he'll come out I'll give my word he will Bert all right Cassidy we'll try it your way and if it don't pan out we're doing it our own way much and just a minute I'm going in and bring red Pritchard out I don't want any gunplay bring him back and I get him out and Bert if any harm comes to hoppy I'm a put in daylight through you they won't be no trouble that's red started there won't be any trouble any that I can't handle just don't get careless with that six shooter Bert I'm a watching that hoppy of course maybe it'd be better if I kind of cited you to the porch how you stay here California this is a job for one man Richard it's Cassidy hop along Cassidy I'm not here to make trouble I'm here to settle this trouble without gunfire now Mary Lou calm down a bit they'll kill me they hate it oh now let's settle down nobody's going to kill anybody close the door they'll get me they don't want you Mary Lou they want to talk to your power where is it I won't tell you they'll never find me and there's no way I can help him he heard that they was riding out after but he didn't steal nothing Mr. Cassidy I wouldn't do nothing like that it doesn't matter what I think for you Mary Lou unless your pot talks to them no telling what'll happen they'll gun fall down then tell me where he is and I'll promise they'll see him alone ain't nobody I'd tell Mr. Cassidy as it was you you've been good to pawn then quickly Mary Lou where is he back up in the draw in the old mine shaft thanks now don't worry anymore oh my God now we've been tricked he helped Richard get away keep your hand away from that six-gun curly why you saddle stupid oh go get the graphic we'll all be a news bound a man ain't guilty till the judge and jury says he is a nester ain't a man why is red cut up curly I'll do the plavin Bert red's gone see like I told you we've been tricked I told you if he was in the house I'd bring him out Cassidy somebody's in that house red's daughter scared daughter that's how we could find red we can get the daughter anyone bothers that girl answers to me hold your tongue curly we ain't even I'm no woman we just want our pay money and we aim to get it handbag we are curly hoppy's here in his good first send these men home the sheriff wants to deputize you men then it's legal but this way I'll get nothing but trouble maybe you're right you ain't stopping us if he ain't here we'll write till we find him yeah we'll smoke out the nest I'm so hungry I could eat a three-day old flatjack I know I haven't thought much about food California where now there ain't nothing more you can do until later huh be just stop worrying all those folks at the mine with no pay and red pictures up in that draw someplace hiding like a hundred animals were in here puppy look over yander what he's down to sleep in the hammock mr. Butterball Butterfield California yeah yeah Butterfield a poor fellow he'd had more company at the hotel well well I've been waiting for you so I must have Butterfield you'll have to excuse us for being late ridiculous I'll tell you ridiculous I've been having the time of my life I hope you won't mind my trying my hand at cooking food yes I took the liberty of preparing a meal when it got late and I am good you have no idea how good this is going to taste it wasn't much to get mr. Buttercup but Butterfield California how droll judge Dawes knew what he was about when he advised my looking you up I'm warning you I'm not too much of a yeah the very first time I had enough to eat for a week California your mouth I know I filled it I didn't do so badly for a bachelor if you ever decide to cook for a career let us know well helping better be riding back in the draw got lots to do yet tonight must you go again won't be long maybe you can find a book or something now don't concern yourself with my welfare I'll find us to do to keep busy we'll go in town tomorrow and make up for this mr. Butterfield oh Tish touch but isn't riding at night dangerous back in the draw horse might stumble you know well we just ride to the peak and then put it down to the shed you know where everything is mr. Butterfield if we're late just get a good night's sleep no tellin what time we'll get back good evening curly my boy I have news of great importance for you cut out that fancy palaver jinx if you ever mentioned jinx again you swine I'll slit your throat well now I didn't mean no harm we've got to work fast Cassidy I'm at stupid cowpoke California a meeting this nested when right now you know where the droids should do mine shaft near it no right where it is did you plant the paper bands off that money out near the nest is fence good we've got to beat Cassidy to the shaft and keep that nester out of sight until we make one more stage grab how about Cassidy he's a tough hombre dead men aren't tough men you mean you see this little 45 bullets all polished up I see it what's it for when you bid farewell to your host you always leave him a little gift of appreciation I'm leaving this right in his back now back to hop along Cassidy and gun smoke rides the stagecoach trail a hold up was occurred in Ridge City and the stage robbed of the $20,000 mine payroll some hot-blooded miners accused a nester red Pritchard of being the gunman meantime a cultured gentleman named Butterfield arrives at the bar 20 saying that he is a great friend of hoppy's pal Judge Dawes so hoppy is offered in the usual Cassidy hospitality but now we learn that the visitor is a very much wanted hold-up man and is working with the minor curly their edge in their way toward the old mine shaft where the nester is hiding how'd you find out where the nest is hiding that overfed underbrain California let it drop sure was a smart thing you moving in there and then telling you everything you want to know yes it takes real brains to keep the law off for seven years and I'll take it easy right across the creek there up about 60 feet an old mine shaft must be the one and we're here ahead of Cassidy good are we going to get over there we don't go over there then we don't leave Prince I'm using this rifle I practice by shooting hummingbirds at a thousand feet yeah I seen you do it stay behind this folder you can see when he moves around back in there that opening behind him silhouettes in perfectly how long you staying around gents I mean what a field one more payroll then back to Kansas City I gotta lay low for a while after you get you will wait there he is in that opening and hardly see back in there I see good enough you got him he's down of course I never miss convenient isn't it to have that dead master take the blame for two whole laps I wish it weren't quite so simple I'm getting a little bored fellas like is not to break his neck if that move weren't out not much further now California mine entrance is just around these rocks you know something I'll be I don't think red Pritchard had one darn thing to do with that stage order it's not for us to judge but gosh 10,000 that it buy a whole room full of meatballs with green under the yeah careful not drop down the lead maybe we better let him know who we are he's scared like it's not he'll be a shooting that's a good idea better call him to him red come on you come on come on back California he's down happy what's wrong with him it's Cassidy red he ain't moving come on California he's hit now he's breathing someone beat us here he looks like he caught it in the shoulder tie up the wound stop that bleeding gotta get home boys Mary lose alone let me go take it easy red it's Cassidy Cassidy and I was thinking you was my friend we are red we just found you this week how do you feel red shoulders doing some throbbing just got creased red feel up to leaving here where you taking me the only place I know it was safe for you as a bar 20 you'd be mighty hard to take out of there seems like we should let the sheriff know about red that we got him out here in our barn plenty of time for that we want whoever we read to believe he's dead show your hands I ain't saying a word to nobody about where he is even if they cut out my tongue I know that California I'm gonna need all the help you can give me because I've got a feeling that something's going to happen and right soon you know I feel plummeting Mr. Barfield the way we been doing well you got it right this time we'll make it up once we get time well glad you're back won't you join me in a game of P knuckle sure like to Mr. Butterfield but I'd better get washed up a bit your sleeve you hurt Mr. Cassidy hurt hmm hmm blood what happened oh I know when we moved the master we got blood on us great Scott you mean something happened to the poor man is there no law no protection he's all right now don't let it upset you sir they ain't finding the more he is now I must say you're a friend and need Mr. Cassidy and I know a little about treating a wound you know no he's resting very well you're here to enjoy yourself well you know best of course I couldn't induce you to play a little P knuckle in how we don't play much courage I'm a poor loser myself sure a poor loser haha you're nothing like judge Dawes well I played P knuckle all evening with him just a dollar a game and how he complained when he lost mr. Butterfield I hope you understand why we can't spend more time with you perfectly indeed I do me well I feel a little fresh yeah would do me a world of good like to join me Mr. Cassidy well not right now maybe later well I won't be long don't worry about me at all it's a fiction to get dark don't get lost I don't go far well I better get cleaned up California I have some writing to do hmm writing yeah forgot to get a get a couple of things in town won't take me over an hour to you stay around keep an eye on red Pritchard oh shucks hoppy we can't keep bread in a hay barn long with his holder like that I'll have a talk with the dock in town be right back during you ain't gonna get much sleep hoppy I've got a feeling that you're not too far wrong California Butterfield what are you posting in my cabin for what's wrong very curly Cassidy catching on that Cassidy it's the nest the nest I miss my shot at him how do you know Cassidy and that car poke friend of his brought the nest of the ranch blood on both of them maybe he's hit so bad he can't talk I don't think so well what are we gonna do there's only one thing to do kill the nester before he talks spoils our next grab with him being found there isn't gonna be any next grab curly I may have to leave rather sudden so get out that 10,000 and I'll take my hat I'm leaving with you you're doing no such thing you're still following orders but I ain't gonna Butterfield that six gun I say you're still following orders sure of course I am what do you want me to do I want you to ride in round up those miners get them in a hating mood and bring them out to the bar 20 get the nester get him if you have to burn the barn down line in the hay barn I scouted the barn while taking a short walk for air thought I've heard someone moaning you know what you're asking me to do don't you what do you mean Cassidy's bad medicine I entangle him with him you don't have to I'll be there and cite the miners to rush the barn and then take the nester out Liga like start for town with them fair trial and all that body is where he didn't do it certainly the answer to it is this he's not gonna get to town push weapon how crude of course not he tried to escape and the boys had to shoot simple I'm done glad you're on my side Butterfield now let's split the money then get to town and stir up the miners and ride for that nester feeling better red man sure do nice a doctor coming clear out here just for me no shocks doctors don't ask who's hit the hurt isn't there any way I can take my father home Mr. Cassidy not yet Mary it isn't safe turned if I wouldn't like to get that guns in my sights I'll make gun red suffer like this I don't think red will have to stand it much longer did you hear that daddy oh how wonderful to be like we was I can't stand it you're being hunted like an animal well he's safe for the time being I hear riders I know I expected you expected it my gun hop along I can stay where you are red don't come out Mary you stay here to have to leave you but stay where you are come on California we'll take our stand in front of this door California to against that mob you know what it'll mean as they take red Pritchard now back to hop along Cassidy Cassidy we come to get the fellow robbers of our payroll meaning who meaning the nester red Pritchard we know he's here we know he's here how do you know he's here keep in talking ain't gonna stop us Cassidy now move aside we're going in come ahead curly you boys heard curly say he's going in we say he ain't make your move curly well are we gonna wait all night boys let's get on with the work maybe you're wrong curly maybe the nester he's in that barn and he's coming out if we have to burn it down we want him to drop this I don't blame you for that curly and I'm going to give him to you what's that hoppy are you local I mean just when I said then hand him over and let's get him in child get ready for anything now great Scott Mr. Cassidy what's the row the boys want to hold up artist and in heaven's name why don't you give him to them I'm going to do just that Jenks what's up stay back curly something 20 years shooting a man in cold blood Cassidy Jenks is all right he'll have a sore hand for a while there's your stage robber boys take him in I got plenty of proof they're taking you too curly I'll not go alone remember this and someday I'll even the score we'll meet again you can drop the dramatic butterfield the only thing you'll meet as I hang new that's right come on butterfield and no funny all right I'll go but don't worry I'll get it well now don't you sit there grinning like a chassis cat hoppy you know during well you got some explaining to do yeah I guess I have California it was the telegram hmm what telegram I sent a telegram to judge doors when I went in for the doc I thought you was going a long time just to get doc judge doors said he never heard of butterfield but the check and see if my description didn't fit a fellow by the name of Jenks well I know hoppy but how did you know to send a telegram to judge doors turned if I suspicion anything wrong well you see California Butterfield slipped when he mentioned P Knuckle the judge hates cards like a rattlesnake never played a hand in his life good boy from hop along Cassidy so an exciting adventure ends for hoppy in California we hope you'll be back with us soon when hoppy will again bring you more adventure and excitement hop along Cassidy star and William Boyd is transcribed and produced in the West by Walter White Jr. Gunsmoke rides the stagecoach trail was written by Howard Swart all stories are based upon the characters created by Clarence E. Mulford this is a Commodore production