 It's always good to meet up with an old friend. But I didn't know when we renewed this friendship that it would lead to your destruction. Have gone. Will travel. Starring Mr. John Daener as Paladin. San Francisco. 1875. The Carlton Hotel. Headquarters of the man called Paladin. Come in, hey boy. Oh, Miss Wong, well, come on in. I thought it was hey boy, he was going to pick up my laundry. Mr. Wong bring laundry. Well, thank you. Hey boy, very busy making reservation on stagecoats for you. He say, tell you stage leaves in one hour and that carriage will be waiting in front court in few minutes. Oh, then I better hurry. Would you mind unwrapping those bundles for me, Miss Wong? Oh, yes, sir. Thank you. I know sooner get back to San Francisco and I have to turn around and go out again. You go this time, Mr. Paladin. Well, Miss Wong, I am going to a place called Diamond Springs at the east of Sacramento. Diamond Springs? Mr. Wong, never hear of it before. Big mystery for you to solve there. Far as I know, only the mystery of a bank robbery. One man got away with $20,000 and the bank president has hired me to find him. $20,000, awful lot of big money. Yes, it is, Miss Wong. Mr. Paladin. Yes. What a nice thing about when you got most of time. What's that? Not when you're not here to mess it up. I'm glad that you're happy I'm leaving. Constipation is something people don't talk about much, but it can be a problem for anyone, even doctors. And when constipation occurs, it's interesting to see just what doctors consider important about a laxative they might use or recommend. Well, a majority of the doctors we heard from had this to say, a laxative should be effective, gentle, as close to natural acting as possible, and a medicine that can be used with complete confidence. Now, X-Lax has been popular with many doctors and millions of people over the years because pleasant tasting chocolate at X-Lax is effective. Overnight, it helps you toward your normal regularity. X-Lax is gentle. Next morning, it gives you the closest thing to natural action. And that's why many doctors and millions of people use X-Lax with complete confidence. X-Lax, the laxative that helps you toward your normal regularity, gently. Overnight, is X-Lax in your medicine cabinet? Traveling on a stagecoach can be a lonely, tiring experience unless you're fortunate enough to have someone interesting to talk to. And at the beginning of this trip, I was fortunate. Accompanying me was a man I had known in the Army during the war. He had been a supply sergeant in my company in Illinois. I hadn't seen him for 10 years. His name was Wake Lockton. After many miles filled with chatter of old times, I remember that I had not been particularly fond of this man. If I'd known you'd lived in San Francisco, I'd have looked you up, paladin. I'd get in there about three times a year. Yeah. What kind of work do you do, Wake? I'm a big drummer. I cover all the Sacramento, Amador, and El Dorado counties. And I can tell you, it ain't much fun being on the road all the time. No, no, no. It isn't. How far are you going? Diamond Springs. Well, I'll be doggone. So am I. That's my home. Oh, really? How long you'll be there? That all depends. You're welcome to bunk down at my house. No need to stay at that lousy hotel in town. Lydia can fix up a cot for you in the front room. We've been back in Boston now. We've been married a little over a year now. Congratulations. You thought I'd never make it, huh? Well, it was a struggle, all right. I begged her for five years to come out and marry me, but her family wouldn't let her come. But you know something, pal? I mean, she loved me so much. She just up and left him and came out here all by herself. Well, he must be quite a girl. Oh, she is a prettiest little thing you'll ever see. You hiring out your gun to somebody in Diamond Springs? That's right. Mr. Baldwin. The man who owns the bank? Yes, that's right. Hey, I bet he hired you to look into that robbery he had a couple of weeks ago by that bandit fella. What's his name? Grant Hallick. You know who can tell you more about that holdup than anybody else in town? No, who? My Lydia. Well, how's that? She was an eyewitness to the whole thing. She was in the bank when it happened and was on a trip at the time. What happened? Wrote out of town where they're kept her in the mountains overnight and then let her lose. Sheriff and his men found her the next morning walking back toward the town. You know there wasn't a scratch on her? She said he was real kind to her. Just using her to cover up while he got away. Can you imagine that happening to my Lydia? I'll be anxious to talk to your wife. Any information she has will help me track him down. It's a blessing I was out of town when it happened. It was all over when I learned about it. Go on in, Paladin. Meet the prettiest little girl you ever saw. All right, Wake. Lydia, must be in the kitchen. Come on. Wake, is that you? It sure is. I wasn't expecting you today. Well, I didn't have time to let you know, honey. How's my little princess? Put me down, Wake. Ain't she full of spark though, Paladin? Put me down. Honey, I want you to meet an old friend of mine. Mr. Paladin, my wife, Lydia. I've asked him to stay with us, but he checked into the hotel instead. You don't have to put your arm around me in front of guests, Wake. Is she the proper one? It's a pleasure to have you in our home, Mr. Paladin. I've asked him to have supper with us, honey. You can fix up some of those fancy vitals so I can show them what a wonderful little cook I've got. Oh, no, no. Don't go to any trouble for me, Mrs. Lockton. We're delighted to have you. Wake, you'll have to get some pork out of the smoke house. I wasn't expecting you home today. Sure, honey. I'll only be a few minutes, Paladin. Oh, he wants to talk to you about the bank holdup, Lydia. Tell him all about it. Why are you interested in this bank robbery? Mr. Baldwin has hired me to find Grant Hallock and the money. Mr. Baldwin hired you? Yes. I have an appointment to see him tomorrow morning. For a fee, he's hoping that I may succeed where the sheriff failed. Oh, I see. Wake was telling me that you had a bad experience in connection with the holdup. Wake talks an awful lot. I was hoping that you might be able to give me some details about Hallock's appearance or habits that would be helpful to me. If you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about it. Oh, well, perhaps later then. Mr. Paladin, I don't wish to discuss it, not ever. Have a real cigarette. Have a real cigarette. Have a real cigarette. Have a real cigarette. Again, for the 11th straight year, Camel outsold every other cigarette, filter, king size, and regular. The best tobacco makes the best smoke. So if you're smoking more now, but enjoying it less, change to Camel's. Get more real satisfaction every time. Start to really enjoy smoking again. Have a real cigarette. Have a real cigarette. Have a real cigarette. Have a Camel. My short visit to the Lockton home was clouded by Wake's usual generous warmth and the cold, formal behavior of his wife, Lydia. On the way back to the hotel, I couldn't help but wonder why she refused to discuss the robbery, but then I realized it must have been a painful experience. The next morning I had breakfast at the hotel and then walked toward the bank to keep my appointment with Mr. Baldwin. Paladin, Paladin, hold up. Wake. Paladin, I got to talk to you right away. What's the matter? It's Lydia. She's gone. Gone? Left me. When? This morning, I woke up and she wasn't there. She left me a note saying she was leaving on the early stage. Where was she going? Back east to Boston. Why did you do that? I don't rightly know. What didn't she say? Well, there was something in the note about things not working out the way she thought they would, but I don't understand that. She's been happy as a bird. You saw that for yourself last night. Oh, yes, yes, but did you check the stage office? No, I wouldn't do that. Why not? I wouldn't want anybody to think I didn't know she was leaving. I see. It made me look like a fool. Well, don't you know they'll find out sooner or later anyway? Well, not if I can stop her and bring her back. How do you figure on doing that? Well, I thought you might be able to help me. How? We could ride up to Placerville and meet the stage there. I can talk her in to come back. Well, the stage has been gone two hours. I know that, but it always stops there for an hour or so. If we rode hard, we'd make it. No, wait. This is something you can do alone. I can't see that I would be any help just by riding up there with you. This is a private matter between you and your wife. If I didn't need you, I wouldn't ask you. Now, I'm not much for barring down on a horse, especially alone on a trail. We're old friends, Paladin, remember? And I'm asking you to help me. Ah, well, all right, wait, I guess my business with Mr. Baldwin can wait. Let's go. I told you we could make it. Look, there, the stage is still here. They're behind the schedule. We didn't make up that much time. Who? That I'm here. I don't know for sure what I'm going to say to her. You'll think of something. Come on. I don't see her. Maybe the clerk knows where she is. I'll ask him. Wait a minute. This man will know. You, the driver? That's right. Well, we're looking for the woman who was on your stage. Well, the one that got on in Diamond Springs? Yes. You from the sheriff's office here in Placerville? No. Why? Well, I was just wondering. I knew it was out of his territory. We wired the sheriff at Diamond Springs so he can take care of it. Take care of what? Didn't you hear? Hear what? Hey, now, wait a minute. Why are you fellas so interested anyway? She's my wife. We rode in to meet her. Oh. What happened, mister? Well, she was kidnapped. Kidnapped? Right off the stage. We were about ten miles out of Diamond Springs when it happened. This fella rode out in front of the stage carrying a shotgun, signaled me to stop. I thought he was going to rob us. But all he did was yell to the lady inside to step out, and she did, and then he told me to go on. What did he look like? I couldn't tell much. He had a bandana over his face. Tall, lanky fella, though, with a deep voice. That's about all I noticed. Who'd want to do that to my lady? I don't know, Wake. Could have been Grant Hallock. Hallock? But why? You might find out if we could pick up this trail. I can tell you right where it happened. How about it, Wake? You ready to start back? Sure. All right, go take our horses over to the livery stable and rent some fresh ones. I'll meet you there in a few minutes. 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The stage driver's directions made it easy for us to find the spot where the kidnapping occurred. Lydia's heel prints in the soft ground led to the side of the road and disappeared in a maze of hoof tracks. She'd obviously mounted the horse with Grant Hallick or whoever her abductor was. At this point I couldn't be sure, nor could I imagine the reason why. Wake and I followed the tracks into the mountains to the east. The road for hours. You'd think we would have run into the sheriff by now. Yeah, if he is out looking for her. Yeah. If it was like the time when Hallick robbed the bank, it'll take him till tomorrow to get some men together. Lydia hadn't left me this morning. We wouldn't be in all this trouble. I don't understand why she had to cause me all this agony. Aren't you worried about your wife, Wake? Sure I am. What made you ask that? I don't know. Oh, boy. Oh, no. Yeah. See, this is where the trail ends. Which way do you think they went? Either straight ahead or to the right into that thicket. It isn't likely they'd go up into the rocks to the left. Which way do you want to look first? The thicket. Come on. We better get down the scout for tracks. Now you get down there and I'll look up this way. You all right? You find some? Yeah, right there, see. We better walk. Follow me. Get that. Who'd ever guess there'd be a clearing back here with a shack sitting right in the middle? This may be where they are. It looks empty to me. There's no smoke coming out of the chimney. If anybody was there, they'd surely have a fire. No, no. Not if it was Hallick, he wouldn't want to attract attention with smoke. Hey, did you hear that? Yeah, it was a horse. Came from the other side of the shack. Somebody's in there. What do we do? We better wait until it's dark and then ease up and take a look inside. If Lydia's in there with Hallick, we gotta be careful she doesn't get hurt. Look. That must be Hallick. If it's a description the driver gave us. Yeah. He's going out back to see about the horse. You stay here. Where are you going? You stay here. All right, Hallick, stand where you are. You all right, Mrs. Lockton? You shot him. Yes, ma'am. He's dead. Dead? They're not. Don't fret, Lydia. You're safe now. No need to cry and soil your pretty little face. Well, you get your hands away from me. Lydia, where are you acting like this? Let her be awake. She's had a bad shock. I'll just give her time to collect herself. Yeah, you'll be all right, Lydia, as soon as we get back to our little home. Get some rest and forget about this terrible experience. I'm not going back with you, Wake. What? I left diamonds springs this morning for good and I'm never going back. What are you saying that, Lydia? You wouldn't understand if I explained it to you. Oh, there's no use talking about it. Well, sure I would, honey. I tried to tell you many times, Wake, but you never listened. Would you understand if I told you I was tired of being put on a pedestal, carted around the streets of diamonds springs, with you pointing your finger up at me and saying, Look, there's my pretty little wife. Ain't I something to have her all to myself? Ain't I the luckiest man you've ever seen? No, Wake, no. You never stopped to think that I was a human being. That I was a woman. That I found out what it means to be a woman. And I fell in love with Grant Halleck. Lydia, what are you saying? Yes, I fell in love with Grant the first time he carried me away. He told me I had to go back before the sheriff found him. He told me to wait until we could plan something so we could leave this country together. When you were away on your last trip, he came to the house late one night, told me his plans. He didn't kidnap me today. That was what we'd planned to do. We were gonna hide here for a week and then go up north to Oregon. And take the bank's $20,000 with you. I didn't care about that. But you knew he had it? It didn't matter. Where is the money? In the cabin somewhere, I guess. I can't believe you'd do this to me, Lydia. Wake. Wake, why don't you get our horses? All right, sure. He'll never understand. I'm afraid you're right. What am I gonna do now, Mr. Paladin? Well, first you're going back to Diamond Springs. The sheriff will want to know what's happened. After that, well, I... I'm sure you can decide what's best for yourself. Miserable, cold. And my sinuses. Haven't you heard about Dresstan? Dresstan decongestant tablets for real relief from Coles misery and sinus congestion. Dresstan is the revolutionary three-layer tablet which for the first time makes it possible to unite certain medically proven ingredients into one fast-acting, uncoated tablet. Dresstan not only helps drain all eight sinus cavities, critical areas of Coles infection, but circulating through the blood, Dresstan's decongestant reaches all congested areas, shrinks all swollen membranes, relieves pressure and pain. An exclusive anti-allergent helps keep breathing passages dry and clear. Pain relievers reduce body aches, fever, vitamin C helps build body resistance. This is Dresstan. Today, Dresstan is widely imitated, but the exclusive Dresstan formula cannot be duplicated. There's nothing, nothing like Dresstan decongestant tablets. Oh, Mr. Paladin. Hello, hey, boy. Didn't know you're coming home today. And what are you doing all dressed up in your Sunday suit? Oh, oh, work all done for the day. So I changed clothes here for a big party tonight in Chinatown. Just leaving when I see you come in hotel. Well, I must say, you look like you just stepped out of the pages of Harper's Weekly. Oh, he's a, uh, here boy, plenty smart dresser. Hey, uh, you have nice trip? It was all right. You cap your bank robber? Uh-huh. Return money to bank? Yes. Oh, you get big fee? Yep. Then, uh, bank president, plenty happy he hired you, eh? He seemed to be, but he was a little puzzled. Puzzled? Why? I finished the job before I had a chance to meet him. Oh, you finished your... How you do that? There's a long story, hey boy. I'll explain it to you tomorrow. You better go. You don't want to be late to that party. Oh, no, sir. There'll be plenty champagne, lots of pretty girls. Well, if I don't see you tomorrow, I'll know the reason why. Oh, yes, sir. Good night, hey boy. Good night, Mr. Paladin. Next time you want something to munch on, try Fritos. They're so crisp, so tasty, so good. You'll see right away why we say Fritos are the corn chips made to munch. Fill a big bowl with Fritos. Next time you settle down to watch your favorite TV program. Boy, there's contentment in every munch. Fritos are golden chips of corn as nutritious as they are delicious, so full of good crisp flavor, such good for you nourishment. They're the ideal snack for grown-ups and children alike. Get a bag of Fritos corn chips today and munch a bunch. F-R-I-T-O-S. Fritos corn chips. Munch, munch, munch a bunch of Fritos corn chips. We'll travel. Created by Herb Meadow and Sam Rolfe, he is produced and directed in Hollywood by Frank Parris and stars John Daner as Paladin, with Ben Wright as hey boy and Virginia Gregg as Miss Wong. Tonight's story was specially written for Have Gun Will Travel by Mr. Parris. Featured in the cast were Harry Bartel, Clayton Post and Betty Harford. This is Hugh Douglas inviting you to join us again next week when CBS Radio presents Have Gun Will Travel.