- 8 hours ago
A boy asks Hoppy to investigate the death of his father who was killed after being accused of cheating at cards.
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00:00See you next time.
00:02Here he comes.
00:03Here he comes.
00:05There's thegener90s.
00:06There's the drums.
00:07Here he comes.
00:10Pop-a-Long Cassidy.
00:12Here he comes.
00:16N maar!
00:22N maar!
00:27Ten bets.
00:30It had all begun a week ago in the Twin Rivers Bar and Gambling Hall.
00:34Dick Lewis, owner of the place, was sitting in a high-stakes game.
00:38Luck, as usual, was running with Lewis.
00:41When one of the other players discovered that there was a marked deck in the game,
00:46in our part of the West, that always called for quick and decisive action.
00:50And a moment later, Lewis lay dead, a bullet in his heart from the gun of Sam Coates.
00:57Before the day was over, the coroner's jury brought in the expected verdict,
01:03justifiable homicide.
01:06That was the story Red and I heard when we returned from El Paso,
01:09where I'd been taking care of some business for the Cattlemen's Association.
01:14Ordinarily, the verdict of the coroner's jury would have ended the story,
01:17if it hadn't been for Tom Lewis, the son of the dead man.
01:21Hi, Tommy.
01:22Hello, Hoppy. Hello, Red.
01:24Hi.
01:24Hoppy, I've been waiting for you to get back.
01:27Can I talk to you in private?
01:30You sure can. Come on into the office.
01:32Excuse us, Judge.
01:42Oh, why don't you get it off your chest, Tommy?
01:45Here, use this if you have to.
01:47Thanks, Red, but I've done all the bawling I'm going to.
01:50Hoppy, what am I going to do?
01:56I can't let people go on thinking my dad was killed on account of a marked deck.
02:00Was the deck marked, Tommy?
02:02Yes, it was.
02:04But somebody else must have brought it into the game.
02:06Dad told me he never had a marked deck or a pair of crooked dice in the place.
02:10He said the house could win honestly.
02:12Percentage would take care of that.
02:13If the boy was telling me the truth, this was more than just a shooting over a card game.
02:19It was a frame-up for a cold-blooded murder.
02:22Please, Hoppy, will you help me prove my dad didn't bring that marked deck into play?
02:27I'll do my best, Tommy.
02:28But first, we've got to figure out what we're going to do with you.
02:31Oh, I'll be all right.
02:33Why don't you listen to Hoppy?
02:34Why don't you lay off me, always telling me what to do?
02:36All I ever said to him is why don't you go to school?
02:39Why don't you clean yourself up?
02:40Why don't you quit hanging around your dad's gambling place?
02:43See what I mean, Hoppy?
02:44He wants me to death.
02:45Oh, Red only does that because he likes you, Tommy.
02:49I kind of like him, too.
02:51But he gets on my nerves sometimes.
02:53I got news for you.
02:55I've known Red a lot longer than you have.
02:57You should know what he does to my nerves sometimes.
03:01But I don't know what I'd do without him.
03:05Now to get back to you.
03:08Your mother lives in Denver, doesn't she?
03:11Has she been notified?
03:13Yeah, she and my stepfather are on their way here now.
03:15I'll be awarded the court until they get here.
03:18Well, that takes care of that.
03:22Now, Tommy, you knew your dad better than anybody else.
03:25Did he ever tell you that he had enemies?
03:28Someone that might want to get even with him about something?
03:31Only maybe a couple of sore losers.
03:33Or Jack Gardner.
03:35Jack Gardner?
03:37You mean your father's cashier?
03:38Yeah.
03:39He was always yelping about not getting a big enough share of the profits.
03:43He was, huh?
03:46Well, we ought to start someplace.
03:47I'll go over and have a little talk with Mr. Gardner.
03:53Wait a minute.
03:54You stay here with Tommy.
03:55Oh, Bobby.
03:56I...
03:57Hello, Cassidy.
04:04Hi, Gardner.
04:05What's on your mind?
04:06Oh, curiosity, mostly.
04:08I just found out you were in charge here.
04:11Court appointed me until Tommy's legal guardians get here.
04:14No, thanks.
04:15Did Lewis leave much of an estate?
04:18Well, you should have it.
04:19Over 50,000 cash in the bank alone.
04:22The kid gets it all, I suppose.
04:24That's what the will says.
04:25Just between you and me, how long had Lewis been using a marked deck?
04:31I don't know, Cassidy, but...
04:34He's had those in his desk for the last six months.
04:38Are these the same kind of cards that were in the game when he was shot?
04:42Yeah.
04:42Take a look at the markings.
04:44They're perfect.
04:45Not one chance in a million of anyone finding out about it.
04:49Coach found out about it.
04:51Well, that's that chance in a million.
04:53This place was making a lot of money.
04:55Why do you suppose he took a chance on using a marked deck?
04:58He wanted to sell out.
05:00I guess he figured on getting everything he could out of it before he sold.
05:05That's a lie.
05:06That never meant to sell out.
05:07Don't call me a liar, you little brat, or I'll slap you silly.
05:11Don't you touch that kid or I'll break your neck.
05:13That's enough, Red.
05:14You too, Gardner.
05:17Tommy, there's certain things you have to learn to face, and this is one of them.
05:20Your father was killed because he cheated with a marked deck.
05:23Sorry I was hasty.
05:37Guess it must be pretty tough on the kid having to admit his father was a cheat.
05:41Ah, he'll get over it in time.
05:43I guess so.
05:45Well, anything else I can tell you?
05:46No, you heard what I told the kid.
05:48That's my final word on the subject.
05:50As far as I'm concerned, the book is closed.
05:53See you later.
06:03Tommy, I'm sorry I had to talk the way I did.
06:06You let me down, Hoppy.
06:08Let me call.
06:09I haven't quit you, son.
06:12I'm still on your side.
06:15But I heard what you said about Dad cheating and everything.
06:21Maybe we'd better go inside and talk this over, huh?
06:24Come on.
06:24Come on.
06:24Tommy, will you come here a minute, please?
06:42I know what I said to you in front of Gardner, well, that sounded pretty bad.
06:52But I want you to know that you and I are in this deal right down to the finish.
06:57No matter what you hear me say or see me do, you'll have to trust me and no questions.
07:05It's a deal, Hoppy.
07:07But I still don't see why you talked like you did.
07:10I had to do that.
07:11I had to make Gardner think I believed him.
07:14Don't you understand?
07:15I should have known what was on your mind, Hoppy.
07:19I'm going over there and bring him in.
07:21Hey.
07:24You're going to arrest him, huh?
07:25Of course I'm going to arrest him.
07:27And what are you going to do for proof that he's involved?
07:32Well, you believe he's guilty, don't you?
07:34Of course I believe he's guilty.
07:35He lied about enough things.
07:37Before we make any move against him, I want to find out if there's any tie-up between him and the man who killed Tommy's dad.
07:43You mean you're going to look up this man, Coach?
07:45Exactly.
07:46I want to find out all about him.
07:47You won't have to look far for him, Hoppy.
07:50What do you mean?
07:50There's Coach now.
07:54The one leading the horse.
07:58Somebody else must have gotten a card game with him.
08:01Yeah.
08:02Let's see what this is all about.
08:15This man is hurt.
08:18Where is there a doctor?
08:19Right across the street here.
08:21The doctor's out of town, Hoppy.
08:22He is?
08:23Bring him over to my office.
08:34Help him get him off of there, will you, Red?
08:35What happened to this man?
08:48His buckboard ran away.
08:50I was riding along the road when I first saw the runway.
08:53I tried to stop the horses, but they got away from me.
08:56Ran off the road and over the cliff.
08:58The woman with him was dead when I got down to them.
09:02Where did this happen?
09:04On the cliff road, a couple of miles out of town.
09:09He'll be coming out of it in a minute.
09:11Any idea who he is?
09:13Never saw him before in my life.
09:15I've only been around here a couple of weeks.
09:18Your name's Coates, isn't it?
09:20Mm-hmm.
09:21My name's Cassidy.
09:23Yes, I know.
09:24You're the law around here.
09:26I represent what law there is in Twin Rivers.
09:29You figuring on starting something over that shooting last week?
09:32Well, not at all.
09:34I'm satisfied with the coroner's verdict.
09:37I might have done the same thing you did
09:39if somebody rang in a marked deck on me.
09:41If I can help any more with him, I'll be glad to.
09:44Oh, no, that's all right.
09:45We can handle him.
09:46Thanks.
09:47Right.
09:59Where am I?
10:01Who are you?
10:02What happened?
10:03You better take it easy, mister.
10:05You had a bad fall.
10:07Oh, yes.
10:10Yes, I remember now.
10:13My wife.
10:15Where's my wife?
10:16Is she all right?
10:17I'm sorry to have to tell you this, mister, but your wife is dead.
10:22Dead?
10:23No.
10:24No.
10:25She's dead so happy, looking forward to having her son, Tommy, with her again, after all these years.
10:38Well, you must be Tommy Lewis's stepfather.
10:40Yes.
10:42I'm Brad Mason.
10:44So you're the skunk that ran away with Tommy's mother when he was only five years old.
10:48What are you doing for a living now?
10:50Rustling sheep?
10:51That's enough, Brad.
10:53Tommy, come here a minute, please.
10:58This is Tommy Lewis, Mr. Mason.
11:00Hello, son.
11:05I want to be friends with you.
11:07I'm going to try to make up for everything you've lost.
11:10I don't want any part of you.
11:12Tommy, now that your mother is gone, I'll be your legal guardian.
11:16I know of a wonderful school in Denver.
11:19You'll be happy there.
11:20I still don't want anything except to see my dad cleared.
11:24Hoppy, you won't let him take me with him, will you?
11:27It might be best for you.
11:29Remember our agreement.
11:31This boy's been through quite a lot in the last week.
11:34Suppose you leave him here with me, and maybe I can help straighten him out.
11:38Thanks.
11:39It's a good idea.
11:40I'll take a room in the hotel until I can get things settled.
11:48You know the estate and everything?
11:50Yes, I know.
11:57Oh.
11:59Is there someone here who can take care of my wife's body?
12:03I'll see what it's done.
12:05Thanks.
12:06I'll talk with you later.
12:07Right.
12:10For a man who'd been over a cliff and a runaway,
12:28he'd got away with mighty little damage to himself.
12:33And suddenly, two and two began to make four.
12:36First, the boy's father had been killed, and then his mother.
12:40I was sure it was more than just coincidence.
12:50I'm going out where that accident happened.
12:52You stay here with Tommy.
12:52No, no, no, no, no.
13:02Ow!
13:04Ow!
13:04Down at the bottom of this ravine lay the wrecked buckboard
13:28and what was left of Tommy's mother.
13:31She had paid for the mistake she had made.
13:34I had learned one thing on the climb back up to the road.
13:37The man didn't live who could carry an unconscious man up that steep ball.
13:42In the dust of the road, footprints showed that two men had walked to the edge of the ravine
13:46and then walked back to a horse.
13:49There were footprints of a woman's shoes, a woman who had struggled for her life.
13:55I was sure now that this so-called accident had been just a cover-up for another cold-blooded murder.
14:01And I was just as sure that Coates was tied in with Tommy's stepfather.
14:07Now, if I could find evidence that would tie them in with Gardner,
14:10the law would be able to put ropes around the necks of all three.
14:13The place to look for the evidence I wanted lay in town.
14:22I made sure that Coates was out of the way,
14:39for purely on a hunch I wanted to have a look at his room in the hotel.
14:42So, let's go.
15:57In the saddlebags, I found the tie-in between Coates and Gardner.
16:07The cards I had found were identical with the decks used in Dick Lewis's gambling hall.
16:25And here was marking ink and the pen.
16:31Now I could see how Gardner was able to get the marked cards into the game when Lewis was shot.
16:36But the evidence that tied the three killers together was a letter postmarked Denver to Coates.
16:42And the part that would hang all three of them red.
16:51Glad to hear that you have contacted Gardner and that he will play ball with you.
16:56As soon as my wife is notified of Lewis's death, we will leave for Twin Rivers.
17:01The rest is up to you.
17:02And it was signed, Brad Mason.
17:05The rest is up to you.
17:36Get your hands up, Cassidy.
17:37Get back in that room.
17:47Hold it.
17:49Get your hands high, Cassidy.
17:51Lucky for me that Mason saw you going into my room and warned me.
18:01But I should have figured you had ideas right from the start.
18:04I knew you were a lot smarter than the rest of the dumb clucks around here.
18:07Thanks for the compliment.
18:09Find anything interesting?
18:11Enough to hang all three of you.
18:13You mean if you had lived long enough.
18:15But you won't.
18:17You see, I surprised a prower in my room.
18:19And I killed him before I found out he was Hopalong Cassidy.
18:23You won't always get the brakes.
18:25Yes, we will.
18:26Plenty more.
18:28Before this day is over, Mason and I will be on our way back to Denver.
18:31With a bank draft for $50,000.
18:34And Gardner will own the gambling hall.
18:37A fair deal all around, wouldn't you say?
18:40Then what happens to Tommy Lewis?
18:42That's not my affair.
18:44It's up to Mason to take care of his stepson.
18:47I can imagine what that would be.
18:49Oh, well, nobody lives forever.
18:51And that includes you, Cassidy.
19:07We heard a shot, Cassidy.
19:08What happened?
19:09I just saved the county at the expense of hanging coats.
19:13I just saved the county.
19:43Oh, my God.
20:13Oh, my God.
20:43Take him in off the street, will you, please?
20:49Thanks, Fred.
20:50Well, that's two down and one to go.
20:53Where's Tommy?
20:54Well, that's why I came looking for you.
20:56To tell you they came and took him away about ten minutes ago.
20:58Who took him away?
20:59Judge Graham and his stepfather.
21:01Where'd they take him?
21:01The last I saw of him, they were headed for the judge's office.
21:04I came looking for you, and when I went back, there was no sign of the kid or Mason.
21:08Boy, I guess I'm just no good to you, Hoppy.
21:11Oh, that's all right, Fred.
21:12I guess you couldn't help it.
21:14Come on.
21:14I want to talk to that judge.
21:18What's the shooting, Hoppy?
21:19Never mind the shooting.
21:20Where's Tommy Lewis and Mason?
21:21Well, I'll tell you, Hoppy.
21:22Mason and I discussed the situation.
21:24He thought it was in the boy's best interest to be taken away from the scene of his unhappiness as soon as possible.
21:29So I concurred at his opinion.
21:31Turned over a bank draft to him.
21:32Never mind the campaign speech, Judge.
21:34Where's the boy?
21:35He was on his way to the junction.
21:36He got to train for Denver.
21:38I loaned Mason my rig.
21:39Something wrong?
21:40Not much.
21:40You probably just signed that boy's death warrant.
21:43Come on, Red.
21:57Ah!
21:58Mason must have caught sight of us just about the same time we caught sight of him.
22:14Get him!
22:15Get him!
22:21We didn't dare shoot back at Mason.
22:23We couldn't risk hitting Tommy on that swaying buckboard ahead.
22:26Come on, come on!
22:28Yeah!
22:38Mason's sixth shot.
22:40His gun was empty.
22:42Now we get chances.
22:47Pull up!
22:48Pull up!
22:56Keep him covered, Red.
22:57I'm glad you're here.
23:02I was scared.
23:03Don't worry now.
23:04Everything is all right.
23:06Would you like to ride Red's horse back to town?
23:08Sure.
23:09Thanks, Hoppy.
23:10Red, you drive the buckboard.
23:17Get over there.
23:18Go.
23:19Red, Hoppy's back from the county seat.
23:32Where are you, Hoppy?
23:33Hi, Derwin.
23:35How's the family?
23:36Fine.
23:37Hi, everybody.
23:42Hi, Hoppy.
23:42Well, for goodness sake, you look wonderful.
23:47Thanks, Hoppy.
23:48Hi, Red.
23:49How are you, Hoppy?
23:50Well, Judge, they took care of Mason.
23:52Yes, what happened?
23:53Well, the jury found him guilty of murder in the first degree.
23:56He spent the rest of his life in prison.
23:58With the evidence you had, he'd have hung if I'd have been the prosecutor.
24:01Personally, I think there's been too much hanging.
24:03I'm satisfied that they put him away for life.
24:06Got my papers ready?
24:07Yep.
24:08Here you are.
24:09This paper makes you the legal guardian of Tommy Lewis until he reaches the age of 21 years.
24:13Is that all right with you, Tommy?
24:15Sure.
24:15That makes me just about the luckiest kid in the world.
24:18Well, Red and I will get you over to the junction so you can get the train for Austin.
24:22But this time next week, you'll be enrolled in one of the finest schools in Texas.
24:27Thanks, Judge.
24:27See you later.
24:28Here we go.
24:29Goodbye, boys.
24:30Goodbye.
24:31Goodbye, Judge.
24:32Goodbye, Tommy.
24:38Gee, Hoppy, I know you're doing what's best for me, but I hate to leave you to Red.
24:43I don't know what's the matter with you, Tommy.
24:45Here you got a chance to get an education and be a big doctor or a lawyer or something.
24:50I don't want to be a big doctor or a lawyer or something.
24:53I'd rather stay here and be just like you.
24:58Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.
25:00Come on, I'd rather get you on that train.
25:05Up you go.
25:08There you are.
25:09There you are.
25:09There we go.
25:22There he goes on his way, down the movement trail to where cowboys race.
25:35Hop along, Cassidy, he'll return soon again.
25:46There's no use to say goodbye until then.
25:51Hop along, Cassidy.
25:54Hop along, yeah.
25:59The name of the world will be good.
26:03Oh, man.
26:05All right.
26:06You
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