 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 star in 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 now another exciting story of the early West the shell game The hoof beats of Hoppy's horse at the moment are ringing on the cobblestones along the waterfront of no less a place than old New York City Longshoremen turn and stare at the unusual sight of Hoppy in California in their gala silver studded rodeo Shaps riding down the broad dirty street Study in the warehouse front as they ride along Our train heads west in less than two hours, California We have much time to defend social calls on your old girlfriend dog gone and hoppy The address she gave me is right on this here block. Oh, but that was two years ago Maybe this business Lil inherited from her uncle fold it up or move Sounds like shooting back among those ducks that hash knife Lil She always was kind of soft on me. Oh, she was a little shy, but mighty loving that girl. Yeah Wait, whoa, what is it? They're on the corner of that plate glass window. Can you read those words through the dust? Carver trading company. That's it. That's Lil Carver's warehouse. Come on Looks like the place is closed Nice open Looks like the place is empty California cows and why you bold like an old Maverick great damn I glad to see You're a sight for sore eyes. You remember Hoppy. Hi, Lil Do I remember Hoppy the most famous cow wrangler in the whole dead burn country? I take it easy. Lil when it comes to fame. They still talk about you in mascara Them sourdough flapjacks used to make it one I Joe's hash house and that tripes to oh boy The boys all felt that a woman like you should get her face on paper money like a president My face of woman like me would rather get her hands on it from the looks all this stuff You got piled up around here. You ain't doing too bad It's a living but there have been times out of traded at all for just one evening's walking hand-in-hand with you Under that Texas moon honey boy come here, California. You ain't kissed me Sounds like that kiss came complete with fireworks come on straighten up honey boys stop buckling at the knees That was just a sample now if I really No, no, give me time. I ain't caught my breath. I Didn't know folks were so free with a gunplay in New York, Lil they ain't you must be cops after one of them waterfront gangs Oh, well, like I always say the only reason folks don't mind their business is they haven't any mine or they haven't any business Let's get back to my office and said I already sent my help home We'll be able to chew the fat without the usual racket I've been a phone food child and telling to set a couple extra places for supper tonight That's might a nice of you, but we're leaving in less than two hours our train We've been with the Great West rodeo at Madison Square Garden show close today great day Why doesn't somebody tell me these things we would have called on you before but Honey, I just ground up a sample from this hundred-weight of black pepper Oh, yeah, you sell that stuff too. Well, I buy and sell just about everything honey boy from the looks of the stuff You got pile up here. I can believe it. This pepper just arrived from Shanghai aboard the freighter diamond Hold out your hand hoppy and I'll pour you a sample. I want you to smell what real peppers like now wait I'm at wait. You don't have to pour that whole sack into my head there. You can tell it's fresh by the way Watch it My my nose ain't the same since I once had it broken in two places. You should keep it out of those places Say I know it should be seen and not hurt I'll move back a bit. Then we are where did you come from put down there? Don't move. Don't move or I'd shoot Now back to hop along Cassidy and our story the shell game Couple of hours before they're due to catch a train out of New York head and back west with their rodeo show Hoppy in California visit one of California's old girlfriend's hash knife little cover who now runs a warehouse on the waterfront While shown hoppy a sample of a new shipment of pepper. They're held up by a skinny little gunman with an English accent He orders Lil into a storeroom. Get inside quick. Do as he says Lil keep your hands up. You you touch that lady Shut up California Easy with that gun mister the way you're shaking it's loud enough I'm good to follow that woman into that room if the police come send him away if I get him coming toward the door I'll kill you off that lady friend. Why are you so none of that so help me? I All right I'm going to cross over to that room. I want you to blithers to look Nestle like when the Barbies gets here Lower your hands wait What you got in that end nothing but a handful of pepper He's blinded That blood Lil let call me he's getting up California grab it come on Wait wait stop the police hold it California. Yeah He's running into a police trap. I know look. He's heading toward those ducks. They're gonna shoot I'll be killed for you. Where is he? Where's that pole cap line over there for the dogs? Lil the police just shot him dead California sure taking a long time talking to that police sergeant out front. Oh still I gotta get this bandage Fesson my ribs were only grazed Lil not ventilated. You're wrapping me up like a mummy. Oh Here comes a honey boy now California. Did you find out who that gunman was? That their police fella said he was a smuggler smuggler Yep, name of English Eddie the police at Hong Kong cable the New York lawman to be on the lookout for him He was stolen away on some freighter They thought and and sure enough they find him on this here ship the Diomede the diamede. Yep, but he give him a slip that is until he run into us Well, what was he smuggling? I don't know you police sergeant said something about him running a thing called the Duke export company in Hong Kong what? Yeah, but seems that that was just a blind He disappeared from Hong Kong and well, you know the rest of it. What's the matter Lil? Well, nothing. I'll be except that I was planning to bid on a shipment of stuff tomorrow morning That was putting up at auction for freight charges a Shipman of abalone shell sent by the Duke export company of Hong Kong. That's mighty interesting Who will they ship to? Well, some ombre who never even showed up name of Simon Turner Bologna shells a bologna. You're such a nigger and fat boon, honey boy If I can get him cheap enough I can make a profit on them but in factories use them Well, what would a smuggler be doing shipping in the bologna shells let the police worry about that We'll be aboard that train heading back home in just 30 minutes from now I got news for you hoppy what that police sergeant says we got up here at the Investigation over at headquarters tonight. Oh, no, what are you worrying about? I can put you both up at my place I got plenty of room Of course, I was sorry we had to miss our train yesterday, Lil, but after tasting these flapjacks I'd say it was worth it. This is the best breakfast since we hit, New York You just share a mouthful of me. I sure hate to leave Let her write down the address of the apartment here, California So you can write Lil direct when you get back to bar 20. Yeah, yeah, good idea. Got a pencil. Yeah, right here in my pocket Are you hmm? That's funny. Oh Shucks, what is it honey boy? Oh these cartridges I took from that home breeze gun yesterday Yeah, I forgot to give them to the police when we give them the gun Well, I reckon Lil can take care of that. Be glad to hoppy. I'll gather them off the table here for you late What's your matter? Nothing especially just this cartridge light. I don't think there's any powder on it The lead is loose too. I think Yeah, I can pull it out with my fingers Look, it is empty. Yeah. Hey, wait a minute. What is it hoppy? There's something inside the case a rolled up piece of paper Okay, can you get it out just a minute There Why would that buzzard load has gone with a dummy cartridge probably got it mixed up with his regular amination There's writing on this bit of paper. Yeah. Yeah, I see. Oh, what does it say hoppy? Can't make it out. Just three words black cat Salem hmm what in tarnation? I don't know. Well, I let the police worry about it here You take it give it to him on you. Sure thing hoppy. Oh Great jumping bullfrogs. Look at that clock. I gotta get down to the pier that auction starts in 20 minutes See you two got nothing to do till train time. Why don't you come on down with me to the auction? Hey, that's a rip-snorting idea. Be glad to go with you. Lil Now lot 1621 Two and a half tons of fine oriental abalone shell with high mother referral content All right, folks, who'll open up two and a half tons of $10 $10 50 dollars by a fraction of their shipping cost come Looks like that fat old army in the audience. He wants them to live. Do I hear $60? $60 that's telling them $60. I hear 100 $100 the gentleman said $100. What's that old gold one and four? 150 I hear $150 200 They worth it 250 that'll stop the lady with a green all-street feather in a hat says $250 going 300 350 and I ain't work easy li'l 500 li'l. No, you can't leak us. Five hundred five. Do I hear more? Will you accept my kick? Hey mister the rules call for spot cash. The bid is $500 cash going going Sold to the lady with a green all-street feather for $500 It sure was sweet of you in california to help me load all them shells and storm away here in the warehouse hoppy That was some job. We were glad to do it There's a big wagon pulled up in front and guess who's getting off with two tough looking numbers We haven't got time for guessing games california a train leaves in an hour. We better collect their guns It's fat boy that dude in the sailor sombrero who rode again you in the auction He's coming in Good afternoon. I was hoping I'd get you in before you closed to the day. Well, we're just about to See Suppose you've been busy examining those high priced tabaloni shells, eh? You think there was it? I don't know. We haven't opened the crates yet You haven't there Mrs. Carver and dr. Sydney trotter the trotter laboratories. This is my assistant, will he Frankly, I was quite bewildered as to why you should be willing to pay so fantastic a sum for those shells You seem to be willing to pay even more Ah, but my dear sir for me. They have a remarkable value The unique balance of calcium carbonate in the south china sea abalone shell Gives it a great advantage for certain medicinal experiments being conducted by my laboratories. So Mrs. Carver and pay you six hundred dollars cash for those shells. So good my wagon is outside and my men are waiting Willy you and Oscar pull up there doctor We just spent the whole darn day storing the stuff away now These boys gotta catch a train won't tomorrow do I'm afraid not my experiments cannot wait Beside my men can handle it by themselves. They don't need any help from your assistance. Oh, the point is my friend I'm closing up and tomorrow have to do Yeah, you distress me, madam Willie they refuse to make delivery. Maybe this changes their mind Will the gun like that looking me in the face? I could change anything except my opinion of you, will they Keep your opinions all we want are the shells Right into that back over this gentleman and shall I say lady? Hoppy california and lil are held up by a so-called dr. Sydney trotter After tying the three of them up in lils office trotter and his two thugs take lils crates of abalone shells and drive away Darkness has fallen as hoppy finally gnaws through the rope around lils wrists Enabling her to reach for some shears on her desk and cut them loose There, okay, hoppy. Thanks. Where are our guns on top of that captain? Uh, hold down that six gun off the wall while you're about it There get up in california You bet Yeah, what do you want with a gun lil? I'm going after those road agents. That's what I want with a gun Now hold on you ain't got no horse I got a whole dirt stable full of horses and if they can hold dre wagons and beer trucks I reckon they won't have any trouble toting lil carver bear back. Let's go Hoppy, what about our tree? We missed it an hour ago. Don't gong them horse-grown street cars Out of the way. Take it easy lil. Let's use our head to pull up here We'll never get anywhere riding around the night like this. We've lost them dead burn it Hoppy, I'll catch them wall-eyed coyotes if it's the last thing I ever do Let's find the shipping office that put on that auction this afternoon Maybe the auctioneer knows our fat friend dr. Trotter. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go Did you find that auctioneer in the shipping office? Yeah, he says he never saw a trotter before and doesn't know who he is Lil I've been thinking those shells were shipped for the duke export company Another word by english eddie who stowed away on the same ship with him He addressed them to some lumber. You apparently doesn't even exist named simon turner Now, why would english eddie want a fool with a mess of abalone shells? Could be the captain of the diamond might give us a clue The captain of the who? The ship that brought those shelves over from china Fell at the shipping office said the captain is living aboard while she's in port. Come on topper Might it nice of you to go to all this trouble captain taking us down the ship hold I'm glad to be of any assistance. Mr. Cassidy. Is this where you found english eddie hiding out? Yes, um Him um crates the shells another cargo He got away from my man when we first discovered him after arriving in new york Left in such a hurry forgot to take his coat Funny thing fill these pockets with abalone shells. Oh, what happened to them those shells in these pockets? Oh and tossed them back into the crates He'd opened a number of crates and the shells were scattered everywhere. What'd he do that for? Searched me Probably never would have been caught if he hadn't come back to the ship day after we docked and Trying to get back down in the hold Don't ask me why Police had been alerted by then of course and Well, you know the rest of it. Yeah I see your men didn't quite clean up all those shells off the floor. Where? Over there. What's done to those pipes of the wall near the floor? Well, it looks like there's a couple of dozen jammed under there. Let's have a look I'd like to examine a few of those shells Sure are big, ain't they? Yeah A lot heavier than they ought to be Look here, li'l. What? Under here where the edge of the shell curves inward Same Looks like it's been filled with some kind of seaman. Exactly Captain if you don't mind have you got a little hammer I could borrow Oh gone at hoppy that ship's captain has already notified the police So why are we still galloping through the night? And if those pole cats are going to be caught we got to catch them while the trail's still hot No horde trail You remember that piece of paper we found that empty cartridge case from the english eddie's gun? Yeah, it said black cat Salem Couldn't that be the name of a ship the black cat out of Salem hoppy and my business I know just about every ship that ever comes in and out of new york and there ain't no black cat Well, it could be a smaller vessel most of the small fry dock over on the sound or over on sheep's head bay off brooklyn Wait a minute. I just thought of something There's a street a Salem street in brooklyn running right down to sheep's head bay with a pier at that end Well, come on. Let's give it a whirl Well, this is it Salem street pier and nary a boat in sight hold it over there in the moonlight fat boy's wagon sure is But there ain't nothing in it. Where do you suppose they took them shells wherever they took the boat What boat take a look at that sign on that post you can read it right well in this bright moonlight Yeah, black cat daily fishing parties captain willy all big willy that big baboon who is with grotter That sees like glass you can still see the wake their boat left when they sailed out of here We can follow it like a trail. Hey, there's some lights over there a boat house. We could rent us a boat Yeah, I think we'll catch them yet. Come on This wake we're fine is getting brighter and heavier. It won't be long now I hope not. Oh, my stomach's beginning to back up and turn around try to hold out california I aim to climb aboard hoppy. We'll run this thing close under a stern california Now grab the lifeboat and climb aboard. Well, what about me? I'll be missing out on all the fun You go back and call the police. I want to turn those armors over to somebody when we bring them back Hey, am I seeing things or are them lights ahead? Yeah It's their boat. All right dead ahead the black cat I only hope the sound of the engine will drown out our motor. All right, get set california Okay, grab for that light boat that we pass under jump Now back to hop along cassidy Confound it will it there must have been another creek But mr. Trotter you yourself point them out to us. We take every creek you say Maybe english said he make a mistake Impossible English said he never made those kind of mistakes Would he write me he was enclosing diamonds in 20 shells and then send only five But do not blame me. I told you to put in a claim for the shipment before it was actioned off Oh, you incredible blockhead. I should tell him I suppose the deadie duke and I did business together With him wanted by the police of three continents. That's all I had to do to put us all behind bars. I tell you shut up Here you lost a crate off the wagon, or Rising lady friend. Mrs. Kerber lied when she said she hadn't opened those grates. That is it. She lied She took those shells perhaps He'll ask her to turn back I'm afraid we'll have to pay mrs. Kerber another visit willy Tonight can I spare you the trouble? Daddy willy don't try reaching for that shooting iron. You too dr. Trotter. How did you get aboard? Does it matter? Nice little assortment of diamonds you have there on the table There's quite a mess of broken shells. I know this I have a few diamonds myself to match yours doctor In fact the whole pocket full Here Well, he's what you're looking for where you you did find them with the cooperation of the late english eddy duke You see he laid them aside in the hole of the diamond for his own use in america Only it wasn't america he ended up in but in another place where he doesn't need his diamonds And neither will you gentlemen where you're going? I tell you california there's nothing like stretching out in the hay in an old-fashioned horse car heading back to god's country Except maybe the way you make trouble pay off. Huh? What do you mean? Well, look at the cranes we missed and getting ourselves nearly shot and drowned and half dead of sea sickness And in the end what happens the government pays us a hat full of money for our half of the fine They slapped on them smugglers. Well, it isn't that I go around looking for trouble Wish I had a chance to shed it all at once like you like me. What are you talking about? Lil she's mighty sweet on you You to stay behind and marry me. You're a trouble to have been over for life Oh, I just reckon I ain't a married man hoppy. No, sir marriage ain't for california carl Ah marriage is a great institution. Well, if it's so great, why ain't you ever married? Well, california I'll tell you it just doesn't seem to me. I'm ready for an institution Oh you need Oh shucks Goodbye from hoppy in california We'll be back soon. And of course, we hope you'll be with us Hop along Cassidy star and william boyd is transcribed and produced in the west by walter white jr The shell game was written by urban ashkenazi All stories are based upon the characters created by clarence e mohford. This is a commodore production