 It's Hopalong Cassidy 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 Appear in as that laughable old character California is Andy Clyde Now to our story the empty saddle has a special meaning for cow punchers in the bar 20 or anywhere else for that matter The crisp nights the bright blue sky the red leaves on the maples and the creek bottoms are all background for the busiest time of the year the fall roundup So hoppy is all business as he stands with California at the rail of the bar 20 corral California, yeah, hoppy. What about a Who ace Beaumont? I want him to set up a corral for the winner cast on the flat. Where is he? He well, yeah, he ain't showed up. What do you mean? He was to be back last night. Yeah I know I was talking to boys at the bunk house this morning. He rode over to see forks Friday, you know I know he went over to three forks to see his girl Hopping and don't get sore. I'm gonna write to get sore when one of my best hands doesn't show up for the roundup He's in love hoppy. You've got to make a lousy spray. Well, maybe so sure didn't like him He's never let me down before knows how bad I need him now with a couple of times made a cattle around up and brand Sure hoppy, but a she's young and the minute he said eyes and Ellie summers over to three forks He couldn't hear a heifer bellen right under his nose for the wedding bellers and he's a wait Turn around take a look Off your mighty aces bucks kid. Yeah Sonata boy, where you been? I don't or up tail Full of birds since came loose that'll drop down under his belly and scared him I can you throw a some way there is no horse of lies I could throw a bowman, but what could have happened a snow is better and leave his kind with some time I don't know, but I've never seen the time when a man's horse came back without the man that something wasn't wrong Give me a hand with a saddle Look at them grease box in the saddle skirt there. That's not Greece, California Hoppy you mean it's blood. Yeah Horses all cut up and buck brush I became across the mountain from three forks What we're gonna do tell the boys we're going to three forks and we're not coming back till we find a bowman Oh Hop along Cassidy and the empty saddles Four months buck skin horses returned to the bar 20 a bloodstained saddle dangling on a loose cinch clearly telling Hoppy that something has gone wrong with one of his top hands It's almost dark when he in California tie up in front of the summer's general merchandise store in three forks Defined aces sweetheart Ellie summers waiting on a customer inside Mmm, she's got old pike peases in there. Yeah, give them a grub steak. I reckon poor old pike's the unrockiest prospect for alive 40 years of camping the mountains and not a strike Well, wait a minute. Remember what I told you not a word to Ellie about ace not showing up I don't want to get her worried, right? Hello, Ellie bike What's he doing here in three four just dropped by for a visit See by your partner here you still caring for the agent an infirm over at the bar 20 Old pack right here while you was in the pension list four hours ball don't mind us Ellie Go right ahead with pike here. We'll wait while you're until you're through all right now Let's see Mr. Peters 20 pounds of red beans on the salt packet soda a side of bacon and 50 pounds of flour Come to $4.00 and $0.20 Reckon you can put her on my account miss Ellie When are you gonna make that strike, Mr. Peters? Yeah, I'm nearing you think miss Ellie and what happens when you find it. Well We all get rich. It's like I agreed all you nice folks who've been grubstaking me for all these years now Well about these supplies here that I had take them along. I'll put them on your account Thanks miss Ellie. Well, I'm better be running along Oh, if father were alive, he'd have a fit never make money that well, I guess I'm just soft hearted Now what can I do for you? Well, we need a little hardware over the ranch do nails couple hundred feet of rope a roundup Coming off in a couple of days ace told me Did he tell you about I haven't had much time to talk to him. We're going to be married next month after the roundup Well, congratulations funny. He didn't tell you. He said you were number one on his list When did he get in? Well last night sometime I guess I was out with the writers didn't get a chance to see him last night Yeah, that must have been quite an error. He had to do. Oh, he left here before you knew yesterday You asked if something were wrong, Mr. Cassidy Is there all nothing at all nothing at all. Well, we'll see you tonight, Ellie But before we head back you'll be home. Won't you? Of course good. Come on, California My miss Ellie So I left you before noon yesterday had an errand to run What do you figure he was up to? I don't know but it's time. We took this up with a sheriff I'll take it easy ma. There's no use getting all riled up just because you ain't heard me out sheriff Maybe time I get through you'll see I got reason to be round. Oh Well up along Cassidy. Hello, sir, you know California Carlson here. Sure. Howdy, California Hi sheriff. Yeah, this here's Ma Strickland who runs the double dot easy here. How do you man do? Oh figures a foreman busted his tire open took off without saying where it ain't no joking matter sheriff Lane Who is it turkey Ed Higgins best turn ranch hand the county what happened to Turkey is well If I knew I'd run right out and put a load of quail shot in the seat of his pants How long you've been going ma most of week now? I'm telling you something powerful wrong here And I'm asking you to get off in that chair and do something and I'm telling you I ain't got time to go running after every Cowhand the county when he gets an idea wants to go to city first fell Now you brought back the double dot calm down. He'll show up in a day or two wait a minute sure He's right. There is something wrong. I'm missing my best hand. Who's that ace Beaumont? He didn't show up at the bar 20 this morning. Okay, what about that sheriff? Well, wouldn't be the first time to cowpokes took a notion to go on a spree only turkey Ed Don't know this ace Beaumont from Adams or Fox. Anyone see a surround town share Yeah, I did. Oh, this is Tom Oliphant, my deputy. Don't get riled up about a she's all right. How do you know I had a talk with him down at the Aurora cafe Saturday night Played a little poker. I know he's okay. What are you holding back all of them fill it? I'm sorry sheriff just a little private matter a business secret. Maybe you better talk or maybe you'll get fired. Yeah But don't write a head sheriff. It's a funny thing. I ain't too worried about my job right now Well, come on Why that young whipper snapper take it easy sheriff, California. Yeah, keep an eye on all of them I want to know everywhere he goes tonight and don't let him know he's being followed you understand. Yeah Now what about primarily over at the Aurora cafe? What's his line all gambling booze, you know Two men disappear. There's no connection between them. They don't even know each other both of them might have won heavily at the Aurora Maybe this family couldn't afford to lose that much. No informally I'd say that ain't a bad guess for a son. Well, I still ain't convinced, but I'll go along with you Let's have a talk with family All right sheriff all right Turkey Ed Higgins played cards here a week ago. He's full month Saturday night. Both of them took me for a ride Is there any law against that might be both ace and turkey Ed disappear real sudden disappear? That's right finally So you think I shot him down on a trail somewhere to get my money back, huh? Didn't say that at all. Well, that's what you're implying So I shot him down in cold blood and while I was at it I did the same thing for one of my own dealers. What do you mean bill hendershock? He's been missing for five days now Three total strangers Ed ace and this hendershock nothing to do with each other Maybe turkey Ed had an enemy or two don't know a ranch boss who hasn't and there might be someone who's gunning for ace I know half a dozen like to have hendershock hide sure But who'd ever grudge against all three? Okay, oh, excuse me folks. Did you trail on a friend? Yeah, just saddled up followed them out of town to shadow canyon trail Now why don't you reckon he's starting up into the mountains this time of night? That's what we're gonna find out, California Let's get going much you can go further up here with them clouds over the moon. I can't see a thing They might kind of might catch up with him. It is too fast for us Holder something's up. Yeah, not too far off. Let's go up a little farther And exactly comfortable riding this play like a sitting duck if in that moon comes out again We're right. I'm gonna let the wait for a day break. Oh Pack me up ahead must be pike Peters like Like That's me hop along Cassidy Cassidy Say I was I was getting a night nervous heard some shooting up the canyon. Yeah, and if you're smart You'll stay where you are pike. Yeah, you heard the shooting. Yeah, I think it's got something to do with the disappearance of three men Three men. Hey, what you talking about? There's no more about it tomorrow I get my way Sheriff Lane will have a posse up in these hills, but son up. Come on, California. Let's go back Where in Tarnation's you go road a ways up shadow Canyon how far far enough convinced me our three boys aren't off on a spree Guess we're all convinced happy we'll have a posse together by six tomorrow morning. It ain't three boys with a way Huh for like I say, I'm convinced now elephant force just showed up at the corral without elephant Saddle and have mysteriously disappeared from the little town of three folks within a week and with the last one Tom Elephant the sheriff's own deputy Sheriff Lane has convinced. It's a job for a posse Meanwhile Ellie Summers sits alone in her house at the edge of town waiting for hoppy to drop by for the hardware He ordered a few hours ago at the store It's late at night when it's about time. You got here. Mr. Cassidy. I've been. Oh Howdy, Miss Ellie pike. What are you doing here? Well? I Run on the mr. Cassidy and shadow Canyon and figured there's something you and me ought to talk over Mind if I come in? Oh, no, of course not I've been waiting for mr. Cassidy to drop by and play in courage. I see Solitaire solitaire is no game for a nice young gal like you to be playing miss Ellie. What is it like? Well, uh, mr. Cassidy says they deposit form and mark on a strike up into the here a posse. Is something wrong? Well, yes and no Seems there's been some mysterious Disappearances, what do you mean? Turkey Ed Higgins and Bill Hendershott and Tom all of them. They're all disappeared oh and One other a small man a yeah, party's going hunting for him son. It's appeared. I don't understand If you give it a good. Thank you. Well Higgins and a shot all of them and they They each have a share in any goal you find Get out of here With this your gun in my hand, I might take a notion to make you disappear too Sit down and be comfortable Sit down. What are you gonna do pike? Take a look at this miss Ellie Yeah, that's just a sample here She'll run five hundred to the ton according to the assay office 100,000 in the strike I made maybe two Maybe a million 40 years now. I've been hunting 40 years of bacon and beans and so deep biscuit 40 years of dry camps cramp in those mountain Miles dry miles with my tongue like leather and my mouth swole up so I couldn't swallow Well, I found her after 40 years of looking and I don't aim to share and share alike with Well, I sent each of them a note One by one told him I'd made this strike and keep it a secret Told him to ride up here to Canyon and meet me I was waiting for him all right with my whole single shot sharp rifle Yeah, that's where I made my mistake Then J bird flew down and spoiled my aim knocked him off in his horse But the varmint crawled up on a ridge and hold up Yeah, yeah, that's why I dropped in tonight You're gonna help me get him down Figured with me down below holding a gun in your back ace Beaumont will be really reasonable And if I won't go with you You're coming all right and now you heard not being very smart pipe Cassidy you'll see an unfinished solitaire game on the table. All right, but the cards away hurry up about it I don't want to keep a twist Cassidy, I don't know Ellie's door open the lamp's still burning. You say she told you she'd be here. Yeah wait a minute What's this? Looks like Elliot playing cards You left the ace of spades face up on the desk for this rock on top of it. Let's see it Gold high-grade or why looks like the sample turkey had showed me just before he disappeared He showed you a sample like this one. Yeah, he got him every once in a while. It was grub steak and old pike Peters Funny so was Bill Henderson. That's it. I'll bet ace Beaumont was in on a two What do you reckon? It's the one thing that links those three men. They all have a steak and pike Peters That's what happened to Ellie That's why she left the ore sample on top of the ace ace Beaumont Peter's got it from the up in the hill somewhere Yeah, but where an army couldn't find crazy old pike Peters and them mountains if he wanted to hide We must have had a sample tested go get the sheriff come on California now meet him at the assay office Mr. Peter But I'm tired You hear me get up Let me go Trying to stall a I'm too smart for that lady. Oh, yeah, where'd you get that night? Yeah, wait, thank you for a lady to be carrying somebody might get hurt There's a good place for your knife and now Now I get back up in front there before I lose my patience and kill you All right, Mr. Peters It's no you sure I just grilled Crawford the assay office. He doesn't know where the mine is Well, we're licked before we start ain't got the chance of a snowball and Hades a fine and pike Peters in them hills California now start out now you can follow the posse of Sunnup and Sheriff yeah, I'm dropped by your office for a high-powered rifle. It's like I might need it It's getting right now Thought you might want to see the Sun come up miss Ellie And in a minute or two to be able to look down the valley of the earth and granted cliffs next to trail What about them? I'm gonna give them a new name I got my own special name for every spot in these hills here now And can't decide though whether to call them Higgins Cliffs or maybe Hindershots Cliffs toss up, you know both of them buried at the bottom All of them too, but I'm saving his name for later how much longer Getting dark here once he ate Okay, okay Yeah, whoa They're right where you are now. Don't move. I've got my 44 right on your back Hey Where is it right below it the cave in the rocks He hears me all right Hey, come on. Hey, so I've got your gal here gonna glory the kingdom coming if you don't come out of that He isn't there Now I can't move with that leg He was there when I left him You call go ahead. I wanted to warn you dear. I wanted you Shut up Come out of that eyes Sorry you're gonna He hear me Not too fast now You shouldn't have come I didn't give her no choice shut up Peters. Huh? Oh sure sure I'll shut up You got a ride to your last minutes together. You're a crazy pike. You don't know what you're doing I don't know what I'm doing Listen you'll never get away with it. They'll comb these mountains till they find you So Well, I ain't worrying none First place they couldn't find me if they was hunting second place they ain't hunting because all of us who know about our little grub steak agreement is Has either over there at the foot of the cliff or right here Like listen to me. I've always tried to be fair with you or them that sometime Yes, just do one thing pike give us a little time, please a few minutes Maybe maybe an hour Now Miss Ellie That'd be pretty stupid, wouldn't it? Sun's almost up now posse's starting out from three forks Don't think they'd he stole me that long. Did you wait a minute pike? Don't do it What happened a shot the rifle shot from that clearing across the canyon Hi dead Since the rifle shot from across the gully dropped pike Peters at ace and Ellie's feet Then they see who was behind the rifle Hoppy hoppy. Hey. Oh, Mr. Cassidy Did I get him sure did he's down for keeps? Hey, hey boy. How are you? Okay, California? Got a bad leg though. I Can't move let me take a look might be broken just above the knee It's like you're gonna miss the roundup here, and you're my lucky didn't miss more if it wasn't for Michelley here Ellie, what do you mean? Well, didn't she tell you? You're gonna have to go stumb down smart your wife ace. She thinks pretty fast in the clinches What is this Ellie? I'd never found you if Ellie hadn't used her head down below just before pike left the trail We tracked that old barman up the mountain side like a monkey climbing a rope. Tell me. What did you do Ellie? Oh, it wasn't much ace. I just jabbed a knife in that fifty pound sack of flour on the back of pike's pack mule