 It's Hop along Cassidy With action and suspense out of the Old West comes the most famous hero of them all Hop along Cassidy starring William Boyd The Ring of the Silver Spurs heralds the most amazing man ever to ride the prairies of the early West hop along Cassidy This famous hero thrills his 60 million fans with action and dangerous adventure In the role of Hop along Cassidy is the popular star of the motion picture series William Boyd and Appearance that laughable old character, California is Andy Clyde Now to our story death paints a picture Hoppy's horse at the moment is picking his way through the mesquite beside that of California's is that you men ride across the Great Flying K Ranch and they wave back to their own spread the bar 20 And as they ride through the night threading their way through moonlit arroyors and between ghostly Joshua trees Lifting their arms to the stars Hoppy's thoughtful silence is becoming slightly irritating to his partner, California You're gone and hoppy you can't plow a field just by turning it over in your mind. Huh? What's that? Well, if you decided to quit the bar 20 and go to work for the Flying K You might as well tell me quit the bar 20. What are you talking about? Well, ain't that what old man Kingsley wanted to talk to you about since Ben Garrett disappeared He's been looking for a new foreman for the Flying K Why else would he send a message? Yes, can you to ride over and talk with him better not jump the conclusion so fast, California? I will go lame first place. It wasn't mr. Kingsley who sent that note to me Yeah, I know I thought he sent it to when I walked into that country club They call a ranch house. Mr. Kingsley wasn't around. It was his wife Elaine Kingsley who wanted to talk to me. Yeah No fooling And now there's a woman worth talking to I can't get over hoppy why a gal so young and pretty She is would want to marry an old goat like that Kingsley. He must be more than twice a raid Maybe but that's none of our business. No, no, what she want is a secret between you and me No, she wants to find their brother brother. I didn't know she had one here Bob Well, it seems he was visiting her from the east an artist named of Rory Victor an artist. Yeah He went out to paint some of the saloons of poke a maze though. That's the last she saw them He sent Ben Garrett out looking for him like they hadn't get disappeared. Hmm. I see Seems like the last one who saw them get was a stable hand named one Lopez. Yeah He used to work for us seems like he told her I might be able to locate But she'd rather you'd find their brother. Is that it if I find the one I think maybe I'll find the other this way Where are you going? This route takes us right through ghost town. I know But uh hoppy not at night them tumble down old sex are haunted now Why go this way because Ben Garrett was headed this way with a stranger the last time Lopez saw him. Come on Charnet hoppy they say the ghosts of them minors who used to live here wait Oh, come on. There's nothing around here, but ghosts and look where the moonlight hits that clump of chaparral You see what I see. Yeah, someone someone someone's lying there. Let's have a look It's been Garrett. Yeah One of your ghosts put a bullet hole through the back of his head Now back to hop along Cassidy and our story death paints a picture After discovering the murdered body of Ben Garrett Foreman of the Flyin K hoppy in California ride back to the Flyin K ranch house the next morning accompanied by the sheriff Gordon Kingsley the rich easterner who owns the ranch is out But his lovely young wife Elaine tries to answer their question, but I tell you sheriff I don't know where my brother went Rory is so so unpredictable Surely you're not trying to hint that that he did I ain't hinting Mrs. Kingsley I'm just trying to find out seems to me it had been a lot better all the way around if you'd notified the sheriff right away about your Brother's disappearance then get would be alive today, and that'd be a lot better chance of finding your brother But there's still a chance of finding him. There must be I I know he didn't take the regular stagecoach out of here And he didn't take any of our horses or rent one in town. You're sure of course I've already checked besides he didn't have any money at least not very much a few hundred a few hundred Would be enough to get him a fur piece from here, but he didn't he left his things he wouldn't have gone without taking them Of course, they weren't much an old suitcase with practically nothing in it except a few worn-out clothes Rory was here to regain his health. We persuaded him to come west and stay with us. I told you about him, Mr. Cassidy. Yes, you did say however he was kind of footloose Yes, he he was never one to stay anywhere very permanently, but he wouldn't have gone away without telling me He's a brilliant artist, Mr. Cassidy brilliant He wanted to stay in painter while the West inspired him. Maybe so Where'd you say mr. Kingsley went this morning? Well, he rode off to the upper 40 He's having some of the boys lay out a golf course for him a golf course Yes, Gordon bought this place to retire on not to make money I reckon I'll write up and have a talk with him See you later, Mrs. Kingsley. Thank you. Thank you, sir California now be motioned back to the bar 20 Mrs. Kingsley. There's work to be done. You sure hope your brother Mr. Cassidy wait, please. Yes, you promised to look for Rory Then Garrett was my friend I'm gonna do my best to see to it that the man who murdered him hangs. Oh If I have to run across your brother in the process, it'll be accidental I hope I find him for you, but you understand Yes Yes, I understand Please if you think Rory did I'm pretty sure he didn't do it. What do you mean? Your stablehand Lopez didn't get a good look at the man He saw riding off with Ben toward ghost town But his general description of him sure doesn't jibber the one you gave me of your brother Oh, I have a little picture of Rory here. You're in my desk. I used to wear it in the locket Here it was taken over five years ago, but he looks just about the same it may help you to recognize him Thanks, and by the way, I was thinking there may be something in the stuff He left behind to give us a clue you mind if I ever look not at all. It's upstairs this way Nothing in that suitcase, but a mess of dirty shirts. Hey, here's something inside this shirt. What is it? Pencil sketch a dog ear beat up pencil sketch a landscape. Oh, yeah, your brother really could draw on her. Couldn't he? He was always sketching little things like that. Oh, yeah Look at the way you drew them wooded hills with that road winding up to the crest of the ridge Why that's just pretty is anything I ever saw. Yeah, but that's a funny place to draw a windmill, huh? Why well look at it It's one of those steel ranch windmills used for pumping water only he puts it on the side of a public road What difference does it make? You know this scene is very familiar. Well, you probably saw that all painting Rory did Evidently painted it from this sketch. It's hanging in the living room downstairs. Oh, I see Did he bring that painting with him when he first arrived here? Yes, and that's about all he did bring with him except those ragged clothes My husband Excuse me Gordon Gordon, I'm upstairs What's going on here anyway? We're all the servants. It's their day off dear. Don't you remember? What the devil who are these men mr. Kingsley? I am hop along cast a form of the bar 20 This is my partner California Carlson. Howdy. Well, what do you they found Garrett's body? He was murdered. Yeah, Cheryl just told me if you hadn't gotten me mixed up with that drunk and no good brother of yours Gordon I lose a first-rate formal on a kind of a worthless bum who'd be better off dead You'd like to see him dead, wouldn't you you hate him because he's got something you haven't got a soul Because he doesn't give a hang for your money. That's rich ever since he showed up You've been milking my bank account for his benefit. Why you even pawned your pearls to give him money you liar I told you I put them away in my safe deposit box But I'll be hanged if I'll lower myself to take them out just approve it to you All I have to say to you Elaine all I have to say is that you'd better be wearing those pearls when we attend the governor's ball at The state capital next week because if you don't if you try to beg off I promise you that will be the end come on California. We'd better follow the old saying live and let live Excuse us folks What are we riding back here to poke a mixer for this shores along way around to get back to the home spread We'll get there by and by California. We got things to do first First we're stopped by the sheriff's office now that they've got a telegraph station at poke a mason I think maybe it'd be a good idea having sent a description of Rory Victor the Fort Worth Ranger headquarters This picture Mrs. Kingsley gave me as all the sheriff needs shade Do you think can maybe Mrs. Kingsley's brother is wanted something? How do I know I'm like the sheriff just trying to find out While I'm at the telegraph office with the sheriff you write along and check every honky tonk and poke a mason to find out Who saw Rory Victor last? Find out anything California no I've been in five of these times nobody knows from nothing And did the sheriff hear from Fort Worth? You bet California that picture Rory Victor fits the description of an escaped convict named Rory Varick what like a glove every detail The Rangers wired that Drake broke jail after serving five years of a ten-year stretch for Robin the bank at Crown Ridge Jumping catfish. Hey, hey, that ain't far from poke a mason. You were telling me There were three men in the holdup according to the report, but only Rory Varick alias Victor was caught And that's not all I found out California this fellow very or victor as Mrs. Kingsley calls him Here you're looking for a fellow who paints pictures what makes you think so Well, I kind of overheard you asking the barkeep. Yeah, that's right We've been looking for a man who was last seen heading this way to paint some of the honky-tonks an artist He disappeared two or three days ago. That's right. His name was Rory Victor. Yeah, that's the man I hired him to help me work my claim back in the desert apiece. Yeah, we've been looking from high and low I can take you to him right now if you want. I'm just on my way back You'll sure be doing us your favorite. Well, let's get going. Oh Incidentally, my name is Reno Yeah, this is a place Reno you mean your claims right here in ghost town. Yes, sir under that abandoned old smelter plant I'd believe you could find gold there, huh? It's easier to believe that than to believe you're a minor What why hoppy somber is no minor. Look at his hands his face You don't stay this pale mining gold in the desert. I've been keeping quiet waiting to see what you're up to All right, what's your game? Let's have it my pal. I'll let you have it friend between the shoulder blades one move One move and I'll fill you full of buckshot. I should I tell you I'll show easy dust easy All right boys raise them before my pal behind you. Let's go with that sort of shotgun This better now. I'll just take your guns What do you want what's this gonna get you it ain't what it's gonna get me friend It's what it's gonna get you namely a visit with your old pal Rory Varick. Oh, excuse me. You said his name was Victor Friends are Rory's It beats me it beats me all the friends you made out here You know first that rule Garrett shut your trap Garrett then it was you you got Garrett out here Take it easy friend you killed him Give us trouble would give him lead Reno I was only going open the door of the smelter plant and light the lamps. I got him covered You're making a bad mistake, mr. Yeah, we'll get going to talk about that down there in the cellar Now back to hop along Cassidy in death paints a picture While looking for Mrs. Gordon Kingsley's missing brother Rory and escaped convict Hoppy in California also hoped to solve the mystery of Ben Garrett's murder After being held up by two strangers in a desert ghost town hoppy realizes that they are Garrett's killers The two Reno and Dusty force them down into the cellar of an old abandoned smelter plant in ghost town All right, this will do Lance and everything a Boys have this place fixed up like you're figuring on settling down and that we got plenty of privacy No windows in them two foot thick adobe walls the solid iron door at the head of them stairs Nobody can hear nothing. No Not even if I was to let go of this here shotgun. He's not even asked to let go I thought you said Rory Barrick was here. He is well right there at your feet. Pick them all sax away dusty Right there lying at your feet. So you murdered him to a well the accident friend Dusty here got a little trigger happy Very excellent missing for days, but he doesn't look like he's been dead more than a few hours. You're a detective, ain't you? Yeah, he was alive till just this morning. It's a wonder he hung on this long with him slugs at him That ain't here there. The question is where did Rory Barrick hide that $60,000 60,000 just what are you talking about? 60,000 pal the Doveric double crossed us out of he stashed it away somewhere in the hills around here Just before the law grabbed him that much. We know I See So you two were Roy's partners and that bank hold up at Crown Ridge, right? Ain't you guess maybe you don't know nothing about The windmill Windmill hey, you give yourself away friend. I saw it on your face So he did hide the door on the windmill windmill what are you talking about? Oh, so you don't know now? That's too bad Five years. It's been the dusty and me been waiting for Rory to get out of the pen when he does We lay for him out here, but my little pal has to shoot him before we can get him to talk I didn't mean to Barrick's been lying out here out of his head jabbering about a road a picture in a windmill And I tried that word windmill on for size and it fitted it's young. Yeah, you're Rory promised him a share I bet you yet help make it get away. I'll be a square these varmints are both local. Hey Maybe you'll remember if I start by shooting your ears off Put on that gun the only windmill I know about it. Yeah, go on Cassidy. It's in a picture now We're getting somewhere Go on and where's this picture? So help me. I'll kill your pal and then you if you think I'm choking on a wall Well on the flying cave ranch house Satisfied maybe Okay, dusty, let's go. Yeah. Yeah, sure Send someone to let you out of that pictures where you say it isn't if it means what I think it does But if you've been playing me for a sucker pal, I'll be back myself me and dusty In person we can rip a piece of this old smelter front is off. We may be able to pry that door frame away from the door. Yeah Hope just what was that dog on windmill got to do with all this California nobody builds a ranch windmill out in the hills alongside a public road My guess is that Roy painted it in the picture just to mark the spot where he hid the bank loot You mean a picture of the real place Of course, it's a spot just about a mile this side of Crown Ridge a painting like that drawing is a detailed picture of the area Well for the lower ass. Hey, do you think them pole cats will recognize Reno? Well probably chances are he went over that route more than once when they're rehearsing for that bank job Come on this piece of iron will do now Get at that door frame and try to get out of here But after we get out of here, we can't be sure they left our horses out. I know I only hope we get to the flying Can time We'll never catch them. We've been here almost an hour already We'll get those killers, California. We'll get them up. It's the last thing we ever do Sure, she was a lot of horses tied up at the ranch house. Yeah, say there's the sheriff on the veranda up along What's happened to murder and skunks held up mr. And mrs. Kingsley what you mean the shot and killed Gordon Kingsley come on in Doc Mason just finished examining the body. How long does he figure Kingsley's been dead not more than a half hour? He was shot through the heart died instantly half hour Rattle snakes couldn't have gotten very far mind if I ask mrs. Kingsley a few questions I'm making you a deputy on this case. Hoppy ask all the questions you want Mrs. Kingsley Yes, would you mind telling me just what you and mr. Kingsley did this morning after I left your house? Well, it was it was the servants day off. We had lunch in town at the mansion house Yes We we came back later than I expected There was someone someone in the dining room Gordon went in and he came running out Those two men they they followed him and shot him I'm mighty sorry about this The day take anything else besides that painting Yes, the one Rory did it's been cut in the frame. Hey, what's this something valuable only as evidence chef You see Rory painted that picture while he was doing time in prison. What are you talking about? Maybe you don't know that that window in the picture meant mrs. Kingsley But you did know Rory escaped from the pen didn't you what are you saying? It's not true. I'm afraid it is ma'am Where's Rory what happened to him? He's dead killed with the same varmints. Who killed your husband? Oh, no California time's getting short run over to the telegraph station and send a wire the crown ridged sheriff What explain the situation give him the location of that imaginary mill on the ridge road Here's that drawing the crown ridged sheriff will add time to arrange a little welcome party I get it stay there and wait for a message saying whether they caught him or not you bet Happy what the dick in that picture sheriff is unmapped to a stolen $60,000 this is all absurd Why in heaven's name should I have been so anxious to find my brother if I thought he was actually an escaped convict Because he stripped you of all your cash and because you needed the money to redeem the pearls You had to wear to the governor's ball next week the pearls you told your husband you still had You knew Rory had $60,000 buried somewhere in near here didn't you mrs. Kingsley What well they couldn't have not this soon, but they did here the telegram got an answer just a minute there Let's see that what does it say? Yeah California's right Crown ridged sheriff says them two side wonders were already there when he and his posse got there They were up to their necks in a hole. They were digging wait a minute Those two bandits who had to leave more than a half hour ago to have gotten up there that soon No, it isn't possible. What do you mean? Hope he I mean that it isn't possible for them to have been here 30 minutes ago It takes over an hour of hard writing to get where they are now. I mean that they couldn't have killed Gordon Kingsley Now back to hop along Cassidy those two coyotes didn't kill Kingsley who did yeah The only other person with Kingsley. Yeah Two from three leaves one you you liar. I was just subtracting Why should I kill my own husband? Could it have been because Reno and Dusty gave away your little secret when they came here to steal that painting They greeted you not as Rory Victor's non-existent sister, but as Rory Varric's divorced wife wife What kind of a frame up is this didn't you realize we'd find out? After all when I got that report from Fort Worth on Varric's record. You were in it too Mrs. Kingsley. All right So he was married to me once I couldn't tell Gordon about him It would have ruined my marriage Rory blackmailed me into giving him shelter here I couldn't help myself. Is that why you killed your husband? What are you trying to do? I love Gordon But when Reno and Dusty spilled the beans it wasn't past him to threaten to put you in jail for concealing an escaped convict Was it this is outrageous after they left with the painting you probably spent some time pleading with Kingsley Well, I don't guess it was much use was it so you got that Spanish Derringer and shot him Spanish Derringer. Yes The one you buried in that potted palm on the conservatory What Derringer if you found a gun someplace around here I I've got it wrapped here in my bandana silver mallet with your name engraved on it 35 caliber Same size bullet that killed Kingsley Don't reckon you seem any 35 caliber handguns around these parts. Do you share? That's the only one I ever seen around these parts the only one you better take it You will be needing it for evidence at the trial But Hoppy how in turn nation did you know where to look for that there's You take a gallant pretty and clean looking as mrs. Kingsley never a hair out of place Kind of surprises, you know those all of a sudden some black dirt under her fingernails Like she'd been digging with him and hadn't had time to wash So while you were the telegraph always I moseyed around sort of snooping about until I noticed those potted palms in the conservatory So they've been some digging in them recently. Well, that's about the whole story honey I never noticed her hands were sturdy. Well with the kind of gals you go out with California I reckon you're just used to it. Yeah, I reckon I What what do you say? Goodbye from hop along Cassidy and all the gang We'll be back soon And of course, we hope you'll be with us when hoppy in California really ride through another thrilling and exciting adventure Hop along Cassidy star and William Boyd is transcribed and produced in the West by Walter white, Jr Death paints a picture was written by urban Ashkenazi All stories are based upon the characters created by Clarence E. Mulford. This is a Commodore production