 This situation is so mixed up with Chinese custom family and honor, I don't know where to turn. I'm afraid any move I make might endanger Hey Boy's life. Bill Travel, starring Mr. John Daner as Paladin. San Francisco, 1875. The Carlton Hotel, headquarters of a man called Paladin. Mr. Paladin. Hey Boy, what in the world are you doing hiding behind that potted palm? Sorry. Not hiding to seek, Hey Boy? Oh, it's not frivolous matter, Mr. Paladin. More serious. Is Missy Wong coming down the hallway? No, she turned into the linen room. If you're hiding from her, you can come out now. Oh, good. Mr. Paladin, may I see you in room, please, for a discussion of most disturbing matter? I certainly, Hey Boy. Come on. Trouble? Oh my, plenty trouble, Mr. Paladin. Best selling records. Here's a familiar tune about America's best selling filter cigarette. Winston gives you real flavor. Full rich tobacco flavor. That's because only Winston has filter blend up front. Choice flavorful tobaccos, specially selected and specially processed for filter smoking. No wonder Winston tastes good. Like a cigarette should smoke Winston. Now, what's the idea of trying to dodge Miss Wong? What have you been up to this time? Oh, Mr. Paladin, Hey Boy cannot come face to face with Miss Wong at this moment. Hey Boy confused. Hey Boy crushed under a weight of most distressing problem. Oh, come now. It can't be that bad. Oh, you saw it. It's much worse. Here. A DC letter come from China today for Hey Boy. Oh, I see. Well, of course I could probably make a more intelligent comment if I could read Chinese. Oh, Mr. Paladin, this is letter from May Chen or how you say go between. Go between? Yes, sir. Or the same like the marriage broker. DC letter say go between is come to San Francisco to settle arrangements for Hey Boy's marriage to his betrothed. Your marriage to your betrothed? Yes, sir, Mr. Paladin. That's what it says. Well, no wonder you didn't want to face Miss Wong. Hey Boy, do you think you've been exactly fair to her in considering you're engaged to be married to a girl in China? Oh, but Hey Boy forget all about engagement to marry. No, wait a minute. Engagement to marry is not the sort of thing that just slips one's mind. Oh, Mr. Paladin, you have no understand. Well, shall we try again? Marriage contract made when Hey Boy nine years old. Hey Boy don't know girl, never see girl. Parents make deal. Oh, I like that. When Hey Boy fifteen, he come to America. Oh, so different many things happen. He forget. Yes, I see. These are Hey Boy like America. Hey Boy like Miss Wong, but now come go between to settle arrangements for marriage in China. We got Hey Boy never seen. Hey Boy must leave America. Hey Boy must leave Miss Wong. And for my... Surely you're not obligated to go through with this thing. Well, here is most distressing problem, Mr. Paladin. Hey Boy, mother, father, now dead. But aunts, uncles, cousins, and girl, girl, father, mother, aunts, uncles, cousins, all live in same village in China. And Hey Boy must do nothing to make a loser face. And Hey Boy in pretty pickle, huh? Yeah. You help, maybe? Well, I don't know. It's a little out of my line, Hey Boy, but I can try, I guess. Oh, thank you, Mr. Paladin. Well, it seems to me, Hey Boy, that you're going to have to make a stand. Make a stand. That's right. Now, I realize how important it is to save face and to avoid bringing dishonor to the families, but you'll just have to be firm. What's the girl's name? Her name is Mei, her father, Guy Kung. Guy Kung. Any connection with the Guy family here in San Francisco? Well, yes, sir. Is it the Guy family that controls the Guy Sonyap Tong? Yes, sir, same family. I guess that's the most powerful Tong in San Francisco's Chinatown. Oh, yes, sir. Well, they can call it a Chinese Mutual Benefit Association, but I guess you know as well as I do that they have their fingers on every underworld activity on the Barbary Coast. Yes, sir. Oh, wait a minute. Wait a minute. How about Guy Kung Ho, the Tong Hatchet Man, also known as Bloody Pete? Oh, Bloody Pete. He means brother. Oh, you see, Mr. Paladin, very essential, hey, boy, not bring dishonor to family. Oh, yes, I'm beginning to understand. Losing face takes on a new meaning. You're tangled with Bloody Pete, and you're apt to lose your whole head. Oh, my. One thing, hey, boy, you're going to have to face Miss Wong and explain this whole thing to her. Oh, no. Oh, yes. Oh, my. Can you make the passing grade in driving? In other words, do you know and do you use what you know about safe passing practices? Almost every driver finds it necessary to pass other drivers at times. The problem is doing it safely. Here are some passing tips from the National Safety Council. Be sure there's plenty of time to pass before meeting another vehicle coming toward you. See that no other vehicle is about to pass you. Give a left turn signal for the driver behind and make sure he sees it. Sound your horn for the driver ahead and make sure he hears it. Speed up a little before leaving your lane, not after you get alongside the vehicle you're passing. Don't cut back into the right-hand lane too soon. And always pass on the left, unless the driver ahead has signal his intention to make a left turn. Pass, friend, but do it safely. I wanted to help, hey, boy. But when I began to weigh the odds, I was doubtful of success. The opposing force was too strong. 4,000 years of custom and tradition and the most powerful organization in San Francisco was Chinatown, Yugi Sung Yap Tong. Even more discouraging was the fact that, hey, boy, his prospective brother-in-law was none other than the high binder known as Bloody Pete, chief of the Tongs professional murderers. I felt I would never fully understand Chinese custom, but I knew all I needed to know about killers. I thought about it all through the night, and in the morning it seemed so hopeless that for a moment I allowed myself to wonder what San Francisco would be like without, hey, boy. It was very depressing. Also, I hated the thought of facing poor little Miss Wong. Come in. Oh, good morning, Miss Wong. Oh, yes, yes, of course, Miss Wong. Go right ahead. Miss Wong, you... you seem so light-hearted this morning. Oh, he's light-hearted. Have you seen Hey Boy? Yes, sir. But did he have a chance to talk to you? Oh, yes, sir. Regarding a very grave matter? Hey Boy, tell Miss Wong about marriage contract with girl in China. But you... Miss Wong... Miss Wong, Mr. Paladin. Nothing, I guess, except that it's... it's constantly being brought home to me. What, Mr. Paladin? You can't figure women. I thought you'd be heartbroken or at least angry. Oh, you smart man, Mr. Paladin. Hey Boy, smart man. You fix? It's nice you have such confidence in us, but I'm not so sure. Oh, almost forgot. This letter come for you. Oh, thank you. This is from Mr. Sui Li Tsung. Yes, sir. He go-between. Come to make arrangements for Hey Boy. You see now, the illustrious great one who bears noble firearm and whose honorable will it is to journey forth always in benevolence, yet reaping great treasure will receive the lowly inferior self of the Sui Li Tsung on the fifth day of the seventh moon of the fourteenth year of Kuang Su. Yes, sir. What does that mean? He want to know if man who have gone will travel will see Mr. Tsung week from next Tuesday. Why didn't he say so? He did. Well, I wonder why he wants to see me. On Tuesday, the fifth day of the seventh moon of the fourteenth year of Kuang Su, I serve tea to the lowly inferior self of Sui Li Tsung. Mr. Tsung was a short, round man with a smooth, plump face and shrewd eyes. He wore an elaborate purple brocade robe and carried a delicate ivory fan in his small, dimpled hand. The fan fluttered continuously as he talked, and he talked a great deal. But as the afternoon wore on, I wondered when he was going to say something. Excellent tea. This pitiable one is indeed honored to be at one time know the pleasure of such a cup of tea and to realize its pleasure in the presence of the esteemed one. May I fill your cup, Mr. Tsung? No, thank you. The great one of benevolent travel has been the given of vast treasure to have permitted this unworthy to share his costly time thus far. Oh, well, I'm sorry you have to be leaving. At last the joy of such a meeting, rare and precious as it is, must, like all good things, come to an end. Deplorable one that I am. What? So entranced was I with the delight of each passing moment partaken in the presence of the noble one that this poor muddlehead has experienced a lapse of memory. But now it comes to me a matter to bring to the great one's attention. Sit down, Mr. Tsung. Now maybe we'll get to the point. I beg your pardon? What's on your mind? I'm sure you didn't ask to come up here today so we could have a cup of tea together. If the great one will only allow this unworthy soul... Please, Mr. Tsung, Mr. Tsung, I don't wish to be rude, but if the unworthy one doesn't wish to waste any more of the great one's costly time, let's stop all this nonsense and get down to business now what do you want? Very well, to business. We will discuss conditions of the wedding of Kim Chang. Hey, boy. Yes, hey, boy. The small name by which he is known to you. Now, you as his benefactor... Benefactor, I'm his friend. We will assume that as his friend you will in this case wish to place yourself in the position of benefactor as well. Now, there's the matter of the prescribed wedding gifts you're offering in the tradition to the family of the bride. Well, I don't understand, Mr. Tsung. Is it according to tradition to go outside the immediate family in this case? Gi Kung, father of the bride, is generous enough to allow you as benefactor to share in their rejoicing. I see. Mei is the only daughter of Gi Kung. In view of this fact, he feels that besides the conventional ceremonial gifts there should be an offering of substantial reality. How substantial? I believe he estimates in American dollars 5,000 would be of sufficient substance. Well, Mr. Tsung, it is more than kind of Gi Kung to permit me to take part in this happy occasion and to share in his rejoicing to the amount of a $5,000 donation, but you see, I'm opposed to this marriage and if there's anything I can do to stop the ridiculous thing, I will. Oh, my. That would be most unwise. The Gi family is a proud one. They could not bear the loss of face. May I humbly suggest it would be far more prudent to accept Gi Kung's indulgent offer. More prudent? What do you mean? Are you acquainted with Gi Kung Ho of your city? You mean bloody Pete? Yes. He is so devoted to his only sister, I'm afraid he would feel the necessity to avenge any dishonor brought to her. That sounds pretty much like a thread. As an occidental, you would never understand. I don't know, Mr. Tsung. I believe a deal like this is recognized all over the world as blackmail. When I mentioned blackmail to Sui Lich Tsung, he merely smiled and bowed his head a couple of times, fluttered his fan, and assured me that the lowly one soul had known a feast in the times spent in the illustrious one's presence or something like that, and he left. He apparently felt we had reached an agreement. As a matter of fact, I wasn't quite sure of myself. The whole thing was so outrageous I was confused. Several weeks passed, and we heard nothing from the Gi family. I was getting anxious. Hey Boy was getting pale and thin. Only Miss Wong seemed undisturbed. You don't finish your breakfast, Mr. Paladin. I don't have much appetite. This situation with Hey Boy seems to me I should be doing something. Poor Hey Boy. Well, I'm at a loss, Miss Wong. I'm afraid any move I make may endanger Hey Boy. Bloody Pete, bad man. Well, even if I faced him, there'll still be the rest of the Gi sung yap-tongued to uphold the honor of the family. I can't fight them all. Mr. Paladin, you fool around with all customs. You have to fight all China. You believe in the stuff, Miss Wong? Miss Wong, Chinese girl. Miss Wong understand, but Miss Wong raise in missionary school. Miss Wong think different. You don't seem to be as upset about all this as we are. Miss Wong, no one thinks girls, girls, boys, boys. Well, yes. I've been aware of that for some time. Hey Boy, not see girl in China. He not want to marry? Yeah, like Miss Wong. Girl in China, not see Hey Boy. Maybe she not want to marry. Maybe she have boyfriend. Oh, Miss Wong, as I understand, it doesn't work that way. No, no. Chinese girl wouldn't dare go against her parents' wishes in a case like this. No, that would really bring disgrace on the family. Sometimes Chinese girl do, Mr. Paladin, sometimes. Well, I don't think it's anything to depend on. Wait and see. Mr. Paladin, Mr. Paladin. Well, that's Hey Boy. Come in, Hey Boy. Oh, Mr. Paladin. What's the matter? Downstairs, in lobby come this way. Bloody Pete, Sui Li Xiong, many men carry baskets around shoulders. Oh, many things. You mean they're coming up here? Yes, sir. Well, don't worry, Hey Boy. They wouldn't dare start anything here in the hotel. Oh, I can't see what reason. Well, anyway, I'd better have my gun ready. Oh, did you already, Mr. Paladin? Well, we'll see what they have to say. Now you just stand back, both of you. Mr. Xiong? Most illustrious one. I come with bowed head to your door as escort to the first son of the House of Guy who walks in shame to this meeting. What are you talking about? All right. Just you, Xiong, and the first son of the House of Guy here, your gang can stay outside. All right, now? What's on your mind? Kim Ho of the afflicted House of Guy wishes to prostrate himself at the feet of Chang of the noble House of Kim, family name of the one you call Hey Boy. Look at that. I never thought I'd see the day bloody Pete would be kneeling in front of Hey Boy. What did he say? He said, I'm not a human being. Very sad thing to say. Mr. Paladin, what happened? I'm not sure, Hey Boy. What's the meaning of this, Xiong? The House of Guy mourns the loss of its only daughter. Hey Boy's betrothed? You mean she's dead? She is dead to the House of Guy. She has brought shame and dishonor to her family and brought a great wrong to bear on Kim Chang whom you call Hey Boy. What has come that she has in disgrace deserted her home to secretly marry and unworthy from the next province? Oh, indeed. What humiliation. And how does the House of Guy propose to restore face to the House of Kim? The House of Guy grovels in the dust and begs that Chang of the House of Kim will in grace accept the gifts the bears hold. May I ask them to enter? We know those men out there have presents for Hey Boy, whom you call Kim Chang? Yes. Sure. Bring him in. You might as well tell Pete there. He can get up now. Well, that's quite a win for Hey Boy on those gifts. Oh, yes. Who are you, Mr. Paladin? Oh, my. Hey Boy, I'm pretty confused. So am I. About one thing. Miss Wong, how did this happen? You were able to call a turn on this thing. Oh, well... Oh, come on. I know girls are girls and boys are boys. You had it figured May had a boyfriend someplace, but now there has to be more to it than that. Now, what? Mr. Paladin, you know cousin to Miss Wong named Son Yap. Don't believe I do? Well, Son Yap, nice boy, but most ugly boy ever lived. Uh-huh. Well, Miss Wong's and picture of Son Yap to a Chinese girl right on him Hey Boy name. So she thought it was a picture of Hey Boy? Oh, yes. Miss Wong will only take chance, but Miss Wong think maybe Chinese girl rather lose face and spend all her time with face of Son Yap. See? Oh, good place, must get to work. Uh... Women. Oh, you saw Miss Paladin. Whoo, women. This miserable cold and my sinuses. Haven't you heard about Dristan? Dristan? Dristan decongestant tablets not only help drain all eight sinus cavities, critical areas of colds infection, but circulating through the blood, Dristan reaches all congested areas. In one fast-acting, uncoated three-layer tablet, Dristan, for the first time combined, a decongestant to shrink all swollen membranes, relieve pressure and pain, an exclusive anti-allergent to help keep breathing passages dry and clear. There are 15 relievers to ease body aches, reduce fever, vitamin C, to help build body resistance. This is Dristan. Today, Dristan is widely imitated, but the exclusive Dristan formula cannot be duplicated. For real relief from colds misery and sinus congestion, there's nothing. Nothing like Dristan decongestant tablets. Will Travel, created by Herb Meadow and Sam Rolf, is produced and directed in Hollywood by Frank Parris and stars John Daner as Paladin, with Ben Wright as Hayboy, Virginia Gregg as Miss Wong, and Edgar Berrier as Sui Litzung. Tonight's story was specially written for Have Gun, Will Travel by Ann Dowd. This is Hugh Douglas inviting you to join us again next week when CBS Radio presents Have Gun, Will Travel.