 It's Hapalong Cassidy. With action and suspense, out of the Old West comes the most famous hero of them all, Hapalong Cassidy, starring William Boyd. The Ring of the Silver Spurs heralds the most amazing men ever to ride the prairies of the early West, Hapalong Cassidy. This famous hero thrills his 60 million fans with action and dangerous adventure. In the role of Hapalong Cassidy is the popular star of the motion picture series, William Boyd. And now, another exciting story of the early West. Hapi and the school mom. When you have a spread the size of the VAR 20 to keep ship shape, it takes a lot of plain hard work. And it's kind of habit with fellows that work hard, they relax hard too. Give them a pocket full of wages and a day off and a cloud of dust marks their trail to town. Hapi has come to expect this of most of his boys, but when his pal, California, disappears in this same ominous fashion, Hapi decides he'd better do a little investigating. Investigating which leads him to the town's new saloon, the Golden Mill. California? Well, Hapi, my old pal. Oh, this ain't the gosh darnedest surprise. Sit down and name your own pison. How much have you had to drink? Why, not over three bottles. Four, maybe. What? Be careful not to drink too much of the darned stuff, Hapi. The bubbles go up my nose and tickle. Bubbles? What are you drinking? Sassaparilli. Sarsaparilli. Hapi, I came in here to get me some of the real stuff. And then, well, I guess you kind of lost my nerve. Yeah. With the dog on, someday I'm going to taste it. And when I do, I'll be a rip sortin'. Oh, well, you weren't enjoying yourselves, boys? Ah, we're just leaving. Oh, you can't do that. I'm a morson. This here's my little place. Isn't it a beauty? Right, swanky. You don't turn, it's a swanky. Had them plush seats brought in from New Orleans. Look at that fancy chandelier. Don't see things like that in these parts. Ah, we've gotten along all right. Look at the scenery. Hey, hey, you over there. You'll be careful where you throw it on the signal racket. Oh, gosh, Hapi, he's mighty particular about this place of his name. Yeah, when he started building everybody, that was going to be a new general store. I guess maybe it's doing more business as a saloon than it would have as a general store. Yeah, I'm afraid you're right. What's that? Duck down. Don't stand there. The positions are there. Somebody's breaking up the place. Hapi, did you ever hear such a ruckus? I can't even see. Hapi, Hapi, where are you? Lots of incarnations are happening out here. Sure, what is it? Nothing just seemed to explode all at once. That's right, Mr. Morrison. I was just sipping myself. You were the goat. Did you start a- This is me, old goat? My friend had nothing to do with this. Hapi, how about time you come back? I'll find who's responsible for this. So when I do what ain't gonna be pretty, I'm gonna break a bone for every piece of my chandelier that's a monster. He's probably Dinky Davis. He said he'd never let another saloon go open in this year, town. Nobody treats a monster this way. We're not paying for it. Rocks to Joe. Lippy, come here. He's awful mad, Hapi. Yeah, I think we'd better go warn somebody. Now, Hapi, you don't need to warn that other saloon keeper, Dinky Davis. He can take care of himself. It's not Davis I'm thinking of. It's the person who threw those, broke those windows. Yeah, but, uh, wasn't it Davis? Wait a minute. I thought I was right. See this? An apple. Now, what's that got to do with it? Well, while the smash was going on, I slipped to the door to see who was doing it. There was only one person in sight across the street for the schoolyard. Come on, California. Let's go to school. Huh? To school? I want to ask the teacher why she doesn't eat her apples instead of throwing them through windows. Now, back to Huffle on Cassidy. Hapi and California are trying to find out who threw a bag full of apples through the windows of the town's new saloon. Number one suspect is a prim little lady with tight corsets and a stern jaw. Even from behind her teacher's desk, they both show. Howdy, Miss Abbott. Well? My name is Huffle on Cassidy. There's nothing I can do about it. Why don't you have a change? The, uh, huh? Oh, the Huffle on part you mean. Well, it's really Bill. William would be the proper pronunciation of that. Oh. What do you want, quickly, to the point? Was this your apple? Oh, why? There's nothing further to discuss. I just thought maybe I could help. Mawson isn't a man to be fooled with. Did he send you here? No, ma'am. Mawson thinks the rival saloon keeper did the damage. I guess I'm the only one who suspects. Oh. Then I've failed. I don't understand. Sit down, please. I'm no reformer, William, but I have a responsibility in this town. And that responsibility is to run this school and try to teach the children to be decent and upstanding. I can't do it with a saloon and a gambling hall right at our front door. A woman alone can't fight a thing like this. I'm used to fighting, William. I've been trying for years to get a new schoolhouse built on that plot over on the south side. I think I'll try persuading Mawson to close his place. You mean you're a better shot than I am with an apple? Well, not exactly with an apple, Miss Abbott. Why, it's the saloon window. The one remaining window. You may not be finished, Miss Abbott, but I sure think you started something. Mr. Davis, I'm Hop along Cassidy. I run the bar 20 out north of town. I'm always interested in what's doing around here. Yeah. Well, sit down. Have a cigar. No, thanks. Well, what can I do for you? I heard it was some of your men who made a shambles out of Mr. Mawson's gold mill saloon yesterday afternoon. Did you also hear what he'd done to my place? Yeah, I had to walk through it to get to your office. I saw some windows were broken. That scunk moves into this town saying he's going to be a general storekeeper, see? He builds that joint and opens it yesterday as a saloon, see? Well, I tell him this town ain't big enough for competition. So then his front windows are broken? I didn't have nothing to do with it. I know you didn't. Huh? You'll come over to Mawson's with me. We'll try to get this settled. Several men have already been hurt in the fighting that's going on. There's one more that's going to get hurt. Bad. We don't learn to stay out of things. My parents got to choose between Mawson or me. One of us is going to stay and one of us is going to leave. You're being pretty foolish, Davis, to continue these fights and brawls. I'm being pretty patient to sit here listening to you. Well, I ain't got no more time. I got to take my boys down to Mawson's place to pay my mourn and respect. Ah, good day. Yeah? Oh, well, do you managed to stay out of trouble this time? Oh, nah, Hoppy. It ain't my getting into trouble that ever bothers you. It's just that when I do it alone, you get jealous. Maybe you're right. You saw Davis? Yeah, but it didn't do any good. He just has determined as Mawson to continue this fight. He's trying to get all the folks in town to take sides. A lot of them will. A lot of them will get hurt before it's over. Yeah, and what for? What's any feud for? Just a fight between two selfish men. And if it goes on long enough, somebody will be killed. Are we going to see Mawson again? To talk sense to him, maybe? Before I do, I'm going in the schoolhouse here and have a word with Miss Abbott. Coming with me? Well, I don't want to, but I guess I... Oh, dog gone, dang blasted! What's the matter? Oh! Right in the ear! Oh, look at me, Hoppy. Oh, it's dangerous to get this near school. See, in my day, we just made spitballs, but them little critters soak them in ink. You can't stop progress. I'll see you. Well, be careful, Hoppy, going into that room full of wild little critters. If that's what education does for folks, I'm awful glad I ain't been exposed to it. Well, where's your teacher this morning, children? She's late to school. Who are waiting for her? Was she ever late before? Nope. Who's going to make her stand in the corner? Well, I'm sure Miss Abbott will be along presently. In the meantime, can you get along all right? Sure, I guess so. That's fine. Oh, by the way, don't you think you'd better erase that picture on the blackboard? Teacher only has one head, you know. I'll see you later. No apples this morning? No Miss Abbott this morning. Yeah, you mean... I'm not sure what I mean yet. Come on. I'm sure there's someone in there. You got one more knock like that and them hinges will give up the struggle. I heard someone at my door. What do you thought about right, man? How do you do? I'm Mr. Cassidy and we've come to inquire about your rumor. Don't have any room. No, no, I say we'd like to ask about Miss Abbott who rooms with you. I came to rent. Come on if you don't believe me, I'll show you. I already got a rumor. I'll take you right back to Miss Abbott's room. You're doing fine, Hoppy. Keep it up. Yeah, I'd rather bust a Bronco. Right here, Tiz. Now see, this room is taken. I'll say it is taken by storm. Hoppy, look at this. Must have been some struggle. Is that the blood on the floor? Yeah, and here's something else. Looks like a... Now are you convinced I got no room to rent? I kept telling you Miss Abbott lives here. Hoppy, she don't even notice her room is wrecked. This old gal is in bad shape. Yeah, I know she couldn't hear it. Now it appears that she can't even see. I heard that, you toadhead old goat. I can see every whisker on your dirty old face. Come on, Hoppy. I just let the fuse. You come here and annoy a person and insult them and scare a body half to death with... You and your big mouth. They're going to eat weren't born a whisker. Wait a minute. You're under Miss Abbott's window. A piece of torn clothing. And on the ceiling. More blood. Well, let's start looking. Well, there are four directions, Hoppy. Well, I'll start in the only direction I know. Moss, and I'd like a word with you. Oh, the cow puncher. Go ahead. Raise me two boys. I'm in. Miss Abbott isn't in school today. Well, now, what do you think of that? I'll tell you something. I didn't go to school today neither. So I see. But perhaps you did go to Miss Abbott's home, say, last night. What are you talking about? Miss Abbott. She's missing. Oh, what that mean to me? It might mean a lot. Seems you're the one who has the best reason to get rid of her. Are you insinuating... I'm not insinuating anything. I'm asking a question. Where is Miss Abbott? I don't know where she is. But I know where I wish she was. And that goes for you, too. Put down that chair, Ma. You all agree I had to do that in self-defense? Don't you, gentlemen? Yeah. That bullet just burnt your hand, Mawson. I hope I never had to come any closer. In the meantime, I'm staying in town till somebody remembers where a school teacher was misplaced. Now back to Hop along Cassidy and our story, Hoppy and the School Mom. Hoppy agrees with Miss Abbott and has joined the fight. It suddenly takes on a new note of seriousness when Hoppy discovers indications that Miss Abbott has been abducted by force. Come on, kids. Back in the school room. Has Miss Abbott come? Are you going to be the teacher? That's it. Get in your seat. Recess is over. I'm sorry, you kids didn't have a teacher today. We've been nice. Ah, let's have it quiet, please. I've got a little concentrating to do myself. I figured the school room is the best place to do it. I'll assign you some lessons and we'll all settle down, huh? Excuse, oh, sure. Run right along. Now, let's see now. What shall we study? I know we'll have an open discussion. How about each of you tell me what you want to be when you grow up? You over there, young man. I'm going to be an Indian. Indian? Why? My pop says we ought to give the country back to him. So what could I lose? Well, it's a neat trick if you can do it, son. Now, how about you in the second row, young fella? What do you want to do? I want to stand in the corner. I want to stand in the corner. Why? It fits my head. I see what you mean. Poor mishandled. Now, about you, young man. I'm Jimmy. And I'm going to be a bear hunter like my big brother. See, I've already got me a coon skin hat. I hear my desk. Well, that's a pretty good business, but I didn't know there were any bear around here. Oh, sure. High up in the hills, there's plenty of them. Only last week, I went with my brother, and he got two big ones, right near the old Mawson cabin. Right. Where did you say? Up the canyon, back in that old cabin of Mr. Mawson's. Do you mean the Mr. Mawson who owns the Golden Mill Saloon across the street? Yes, sir. Cabin's kind of old, and he never uses it much. I don't think there are any more bears around there. Come here a moment, please. You other kids, get out your history books and read about General Custer. But we can't read. Well, look at the pictures, then. Ain't no pictures. Look at the scenery, then. There's plenty of that out the windows. Son, does this cabin you mentioned very far from here? Oh, it's a hard ride up above the timber line. How many folks ever get up there? No, imagine not. That would be an ideal place. Tell me, how do you get there? Well, you ride five miles out to the fork in the North Trail. Now, looky here, you young engine. I want you to get something straight right off. I ain't here because I want to be. My pal Hoppy says you need looking after him, and I'm doing this for him. You got that straight? Well, can't you even talk? Here we can. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. All right, now I know you can talk. I guess we better get to studying because learning is awful important. And judging from the looks of some of you, you sure ain't got a minute to lose. Nature. You mean me? How many times is two going to nine? Two and a... Well, that's four. Yes, sir, four with a half left over. What do I do with a half that's left over? Well, do with it. Throw it away. What do you suppose? Half anything ain't no good. Glad I got out of that one. Where's China? China? That's a darn fool question. But I'll tell you anyway. It's a fur piece from here. It had a camp cook once who was Chinese. I knew him for twenty years. Fine fellow. He talked to me all the time. What did he say? He would return to find all you. It was all Chinese to me. You like that, huh? Well, oh, God, maybe you ain't such a bad bunch after all. I got lots more like that. And second thought, you better keep laughing at that one. Sounds like there's some trouble I'd better look into. Keep laughing now, and I'll be right back. Why, it's you, Jimmy. Mr. Cassidy. Well, I didn't mean to scare you like that, but whenever I hear someone that trail me, I just like a rope and make sure that they're friendly. Here, let me take this off of you. I just had to do it, Mr. Cassidy. I hope you aren't mad. Well, I guess I'm a little surprised. Now, I suppose you'd tell me why you're here. Well, you asked me how to get to the Mawson Cabinet, and I was afraid that's where you were going. Oh, I was just out giving Topper a little exercise. Oh, if you aren't going there, I guess it's all right. I guess I'll just go on back. Why, Jimmy? Why if I were going there? Well, I sneaked out of school after you left today. I was trying to get to the creek to do a little fishing without anybody seeing me. So I was kind of sneaking around behind the general store, and I heard somebody talking over behind a bush. Well, what were they saying? Well, one fellow was telling the other fellow that you had just taken the north trail out of town, and that he was sure you were heading for the cabin. I see. Is that all they said? Oh, no, sir. They talked about blowing up the little bridge across the ravine up above Bear Lake. Blowing up the bridge? Yes, sir. I think they meant why you were on it. That's all I heard. I guess that's enough. And you aren't mad about my leaving school and following you? Jimmy, folks don't get mad when other folks are nice enough to go to all this trouble to say they're live. Oh, gee, I'm glad. Now, let's see. We got to move fast before that fellow overtakes us on the trail. Oh, you don't have to worry about that. He's already far ahead of you. What? He took a cutoff way down the line. It's awful grown over, but he seemed to know it all right. Well, that puts a different light on things. You better go back, Jimmy. Oh, no, sir. I'm sorry, sir, but I can't. Why? Because I've got to lead you to where that fellow was going to hide until you got on the bridge. From there, you can see him and maybe even rope him like he did me a minute ago. Well, let's get going then. You seem to know a lot more about this than I do. You can see him through here, Mr. Cassidy. All right. Now, let me get where this bush won't be in the way. Just a little further now. He's looking around. By a flat, he didn't see us. But he can see our horses above if he looks again. We've got to be quick, Jimmy, and if I miss... Oh, you won't miss, Mr. Cassidy. Got him! I've been used to roping Cass along that I was afraid I might miss a pig. Well, there's the cabin. We'll leave the horses here. Now, Jimmy, I want you to stay here. Oh, no, sir. Haven't I been of help so far? And haven't we got to get Ms. Abbott if she's in there? But... Haven't we? I give up. Would you at least let me lead the way? Yes, sir. Thanks. Get the window before I catch my death a cold. Hello, Ms. Abbott. I had a feeling you'd come, William. His name's Hop along, Ms. Abbott. Jimmy, I'll have to give you a black mark for being out of school today. Now, William, will you please untie these ropes? I feel like a bullet, trust up for roasting. But are you all right? Certainly I'm all right. Those fools didn't hurt me. In fact, I drove them out of here early this morning. You drove them? How, Ms. Abbott? With the one weapon a woman always has. Talk. Their ears were good and red when I got through. I wonder where they are. One's asleep on the porch. How many are there? Three altogether. Was Marsden with them when they kidnapped you? I don't know. I just turned the lamp off when they came in my window. I struggled, but they tied and blindfolded me. I found some blood. Oh, yes. I bit one, scratched another. I don't know which drew blood. I'd like to hear more about that later. Right now we've got to get out of here. I guess our best bet is this window. Yeah, I'll look to see if everything is clear. Yeah. Well, if this ain't a surprise... Get back. Maybe this will fix him. Ah, thanks, Ms. Abbott. I always maintained a heel of a shoe is a most adequate weapon. Gee, he sure out cold. That's nothing new for him. He was unconscious 15 years ago when he was a pupil of mine. Stay low, both of you. The other two are about to rust the cabin. Let's see if this will slow him down. Man! Man, listen to me. I just got word. Quiet. What is it, David? A rider just come down trail for Bear Lake. And he says that Ms. Abbott has been found. Listen, that ain't all. She was found all right, but she's dead. Dead? Yeah. She was shot by the vomit she was holding her prisoner. And do you know where she was being held? In Steve Mawson's cabin. Mark, of course that you said. Out of my way, you all walrus. Man, what are we going to do? Now look at him, Mr. Davis. These men ain't in a very nice mood. With a little more of your urgent, there's no telling what they might do. They'll bring justice, that's what. A mob like this ain't no judge or justice. What's the matter? You mixed up Ms. Abbott's killing too? Me? My dislike of school teachers don't go that far. Ah, men! Are you with me? Let's go get Mawson. What do you say? He ain't the one who done it. Let's get him. Yeah, come on. All right, come on. Now back to hop along Cassidy. Well, here he is, man. What are we waiting for? Here, Steve Mawson. Davis, what's the meaning of this? What are you doing here with these men? They're outraged town folks, Mawson. And they just got word that Ms. Abbott was killed in your mountain cabin. In my cabin? Everybody knew you had a feud on, Mawson. But I didn't think it'd go quite that far. I tell you, I have nothing to do with this. Come on, man, let's... That's not to do anything for a while, man. Hop along. There's no word big enough for the awful thing you were doing just then, Davis. A mob with a bad leader is the deadliest thing on earth. What's Ms. Abbott? Ms. Abbott is very well thanked. After the ride down that trail, I'll be standing on my constitutional rights for a while. Oh, don't get this straight, Ms. Abbott. I don't know anything about what's happened to you. Ah, what's the use of lying, Mawson? How'd she get there if you didn't take her? Davis, suppose you tell us how you know where Ms. Abbott was. Wait, wait. One of my... Could it be that you went to Ms. Abbott's room where you were careless enough to drop this band off a very unusual brand of cigars? Huh? Why you... God, reach for your gun. Well, I guess that takes the care of Davis. Thanks, Cassidy. I was in a pretty tough spot. And you'll still be in one, Mawson, if you don't make peace with Ms. Abbott. Oh, Ms. Abbott, I don't want to know no more trouble, but I can't move the saloon of mine after all the money I spent on it. You'll have to spend more to keep getting new windows. All right, I tell you what. If you promise not to buy apples with it, I will donate the money to build that new school you've been wanting on the other end of town. Sounds like a good deal. Yes, indeed. Your offer for the new Mawson Elementary School is accepted. Without any further applesauce. Hoppy! You in there, Hoppy! California, where you been? Trying to keep down trouble in two spots. I couldn't look after the school kids and the mob Davis was gathering two. So... Sorry? So, I dismissed school, ma'am. And I made a friend of every kid in town because I started summer vacation four months early. Goodbye from Hoppillong Cassidy. We hope you'll be back with us soon when Hoppy will again bring you more adventure and excitement. Hoppillong Cassidy, starring William Boyd, is transcribed and produced in the West by Walter White Jr. Hoppy and the school mom was written by Tom Shirley. All stories are based upon the characters created by Clarence E. Mulford. This is a Commodore production.