- 16 minutes ago
Hoppy is asked by immigration to investigate Chinese illegal aliens crossed from Mexico and left in the desert to die and finds a message in the sand beside a deceased implicating a Chinese speaking white man with a limp.
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00:00Here he comes, here he comes, there's the trumpets, there's the drums, here he comes,
00:08Humble on Cassidy, here he comes.
00:14Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.
00:24In answer to an urgent message from my friend Jim Morgan,
00:26and Red Connors and I had left our home range to report to his office in Phoenix, Arizona.
00:33Come in.
00:38Glad to see you, Hoppy.
00:39Hiya, Jim. You know Red Connors?
00:42Yes, of course. I want you, Red.
00:43Fine, fine.
00:44Have a seat, huh?
00:45Thank you very much.
00:46What's your problem here?
00:48I want you to do a job for the government, Hoppy.
00:50A very, very tough one.
00:52I'll do anything I can.
00:54I was sure you would. That's why I sent for you.
00:56You know the Yellow Sands Desert pretty well, don't you?
00:59Do we know it?
01:01300 square miles of blistering sand and rock.
01:05Not a drop of water in a whole blasted place.
01:08Right. And an ideal place for someone wanting to commit mass murder.
01:12Here's the story, Hoppy.
01:14It wasn't a pretty story.
01:16Four weeks ago, in the very heart of the Yellow Sands Desert,
01:19a prospector had come across the bodies of six men,
01:22all dead of thirst and robbed of their valuables.
01:25Investigation had proved that the dead men were aliens
01:29without the necessary papers to enter the United States.
01:33And that's not the half of it.
01:35Ten days ago, a work party repairing a telegraph line
01:38came upon the bodies of 12 more men in exactly the same place.
01:43All illegal entries, I suppose.
01:44Yes, same pattern.
01:46A man couldn't live out there in that heat without water.
01:49Why, he'd be a plum fool to go out there without at least three canteens full.
01:53There wasn't one canteen among them, Red.
01:55The tracks of two mounted men and a wagon backtracking to the border
01:59told us a fairly complete story.
02:01I don't get it.
02:02Well, it's pretty obvious, Red.
02:04There are thousands of people south of the border
02:06just waiting and willing to pay good money to get into the United States.
02:10Somebody's getting to them and promising to sneak them across the border.
02:12That's exactly my theory, Hoppy.
02:14I got it.
02:15They're taking these ill...
02:17Illegal.
02:18Yeah, these people out in the desert and robbing them
02:21and leaving them there to die of thirst.
02:23Ah, that's good reasoning, Red.
02:25If we'd caught these aliens, we could have deported them.
02:28But our service doesn't condone murder.
02:31Hoppy, we want the people responsible brought to justice,
02:34but what few agents I have available
02:37are too well known to work undercover.
02:39Well, I'll do my best.
02:41Good.
02:42I'll deputize you and you'll be acting as my agent.
02:44That's fine.
02:46Well, let me see here.
02:47If this is where the bodies were found,
02:50they must have brought them directly north across the border.
02:54That's about three miles west of the Twin Towns-aligned town of Mexizuna, isn't it?
02:57Yeah, yeah, just about.
02:59Now, that's where we'll start.
03:00Good.
03:01Good.
03:02Right, and we'll keep in touch with you.
03:04So long.
03:04Good.
03:04The Twin Towns are side by side.
03:16The one main street of Linetown becoming the main street of Mexizuna at the border.
03:20And on the Mexizuna side of the border was the headquarters of my friend, Captain Marino.
03:32The Mexican were rallies.
03:33I had told Captain Marino of my mission here on the border,
03:41and that since I was going to work undercover,
03:43I was going to let it be known that I was working on a survey for a railroad.
03:47Do not fear me, amigo.
03:48I will keep your secret.
03:50But further than that, I can be of little assistance officially.
03:53We have a law against the aliens crossing to your side of the border.
03:56Oh, I know that.
03:57I guess I'll just have to catch the men I'm after
03:59and they act of taking somebody across the border.
04:02But so long as I'm starting from scratch,
04:04you know of anybody that might be a suspect?
04:07Key and Savvy.
04:08In these border towns, there are many men who would do anything for money.
04:12But this I can tell you.
04:14Three nights ago, eight Chinese who were working in the nearby mines
04:17disappeared without leaving a trace.
04:20And I think I know where they can be found.
04:23Can you supply me with a pack horse and some water?
04:25Certainly, Senor Cassidy.
04:28This time, the water runners might leave a clue,
04:30something we can follow.
04:35We had started out late,
04:36so we could cover as much of the desert as possible
04:38during the cooler hours.
04:46Three miles north of the border,
04:47we reached the southern edge of the Yellow Sands Desert.
04:53And we headed into the heart of it.
05:00Within an hour after sunrise,
05:02we were in the very heart of the desert.
05:05Somewhere out there,
05:06I was sure we would find what we were looking for.
05:08A few miles farther on,
05:38we reached the end of the trail.
05:40Scattered in the hot sands were the bodies of the Chinese.
05:44The hot sun and thirst had done their ruthless job.
05:48But one of them had tried to leave a message.
05:51Scrawled in the sand were some characters in the Chinese language.
05:54I copied the characters as carefully as I could.
06:11What is it?
06:13Chinese.
06:14What does it say?
06:16Read it.
06:16Oh, Hoppy, you know I don't read Chinese so good.
06:21You're better off than I am.
06:23I don't read it at all.
06:26Well, come on, let's water the horses and we'll rest a while.
06:28Gosh, it's hot.
06:41Yeah, it sure is.
06:42You could barbecue a buffalo without a fire.
06:45Imagine them poor guys out there,
06:47left without any water.
06:48Yeah.
06:50Somebody's gonna pay for that.
06:52What do you suppose that Chinaman was trying to say
06:53when he wrote that stuff?
06:55Oh, he's probably trying to tell us who was responsible.
06:59Maybe we can find out when we get back to the border in the morning.
07:03Are we dry?
07:04Sure am.
07:06We should have had some more water for those horses, too.
07:08Well, that's the story, Captain.
07:14A grim one, indeed.
07:15Do you know anyone you can trust that can translate that for us?
07:18Yes, Sing Lee.
07:20He's a laundromen.
07:21He speaks Spanish and is my friend.
07:22Good.
07:23Would you see if he could find me for me?
07:24At once.
07:33He says,
07:34White man with limp who speaks Chinese.
07:37Betrayer.
07:39Gracias, Sing.
07:43Well, that's very simple.
07:45Now all I have to do is find a lame white man who can speak Chinese.
07:50You have my sympathy, amigo.
07:52A man of that description is not here in Arizona.
07:55Well, I guess all we can do is go across the border to Linetown
07:57and see what we can find there.
07:59Thank you very much, Captain.
08:00Hasta la vista.
08:08The post office seemed the best place to begin asking a few judicious questions.
08:13There's a restaurant just across the street.
08:18Are you hungry again?
08:20I'm starving.
08:21We just ate out on the trail.
08:23But that was three hours ago.
08:25Takes a lot of grub to keep me going.
08:26All right.
08:27You go over to the restaurant and get something to eat while I talk to the postmaster.
08:30Hey, wait a minute.
08:31Wait a minute.
08:32Who does that look like over there?
08:39A man talking to the window washer.
08:40Well, that's Cal Foster.
08:45That couldn't be him.
08:46He's still doing time for that job he did up our way.
08:48Maybe he got off for good behavior.
08:50Good behavior?
08:51That guy?
08:53Hey, maybe he's our man.
08:56No, it couldn't be.
08:57He doesn't limp.
08:58And if he speaks Chinese, he had to learn it in prison.
09:01I don't know what he's doing here.
09:04Three o'clock at my place.
09:10If you're looking for trouble, Cassidy, come and get it.
09:17Hold it, Red.
09:18Take it easy, Foster.
09:20Put up your gun.
09:25Look it, I served my time, Cassidy, so if you followed me down...
09:28I said take it easy and put that gun away.
09:31As far as I'm concerned, you've paid your debt to the law.
09:34Oh?
09:35What are you doing here?
09:36I'm here on business.
09:37The Arizona Eastern Railroad is putting a spur line down through here.
09:41I'm just waiting for the surveyors to get in.
09:43I'm going to act as their guide.
09:44Well, it doesn't make any difference what you're doing here.
09:47Remember this.
09:48If we ever lock horns again,
09:50there'll be a little different ending than it was the last time.
09:52Is that a threat?
09:54And a promise.
09:56I'll try and remember that.
09:57Oh, Mr. Cassidy, sir.
10:13Mr. Cassidy, I heard him call you by name.
10:23And I heard what was said.
10:25I feel I must warn you.
10:27He's a basic nobleman.
10:29With the danger of the cobra of India.
10:32And as free of moral values as a jungle savage.
10:36What kind of talk is this?
10:37Well, evidently, we're not only speaking to an educated gentleman,
10:41but to one who knows Mr. Foster pretty well.
10:43Oh, I've known him for only a short time, sir.
10:46And only through having done our jobs for him.
10:49But I know him for the individual that he is.
10:52A bitter man with a heart full of hatred for all humanity.
10:56You sure got a lot of words.
10:58Say, how come a man that can talk like you do
11:01has to wash windows and such stuff?
11:03A fair question, sir.
11:06You see in me the result of circumstance.
11:10I, Wilberforce Lawrence Edgemont,
11:14once a world traveler,
11:16a man of position and means,
11:18a college professor,
11:20forced through the uses of adversity and liquor
11:23to earn my meager food and lodgings
11:26by doing odd jobs.
11:29Gee, that's tough.
11:30Here.
11:34Here's a couple of dollars I can spare.
11:36You take it.
11:38Thank you, sir.
11:41This is a small fortune to me.
11:44And now, if you good gentlemen will excuse me,
11:47I'll go into the restaurant for a meal.
11:50A far better one, I assure you,
11:52than would have been my stipend
11:54for having washed its windows.
11:55If you have any need of my services
11:59for an odd job,
12:00just feel free to call upon the professor.
12:03We shall do that, professor.
12:08Poor feller.
12:11You'll never learn, will you?
12:13That was the neatest piece of panhandling
12:16I've ever seen him...
12:17Hey.
12:18You see what I do?
12:25I don't see nothing.
12:26He's got a limp.
12:36Hey.
12:38Hey, this may be only a coincidence,
12:40but I want you to stay here in town
12:41and watch every move he makes.
12:43Where are you going?
12:44I'm going over to see Captain Marino.
12:45I want to get some information.
12:47Keep your eye on him.
13:08Hi, Captain.
13:10I hate to make a nuisance out of myself,
13:12but I need some information.
13:13You never could be a nuisance to me, senor.
13:17Sit down.
13:18What is it you wish?
13:19I know you're trying to find out
13:21as much as you can
13:21about strangers that settle here
13:23in this community.
13:24What do you know about this Cal Foster?
13:26He was released about four months ago
13:28from the New Mexico State Prison.
13:31Here's a small ranch
13:31five miles south of here
13:32where he buys and ships hides.
13:34Among us, he has given no trouble.
13:37And the man who calls himself
13:38the professor?
13:39There is little to tell about him
13:41except what he himself says.
13:43He is obviously what you call
13:45a drifter.
13:46He came to Lintown
13:48about three months ago.
13:49In his spare time,
13:50he collects rocks and plants
13:52on one side of the border
13:54as well as the other.
13:55He's supposed to be a little loco.
13:57Yeah.
13:58This might be only a hunch,
14:00but I wish you'd send a telegram
14:01from me through your headquarters
14:03in Juarez.
14:04Gladly.
14:05Write it out.
14:05The telegram I wrote
14:09was to the borden
14:10of the New Mexico State Prison.
14:12I wanted to know
14:12if the professor had spent
14:13any time in prison
14:14while Cal Foster was there.
14:18An hour later,
14:19there was an answer.
14:20Gracias.
14:21Very interesting.
14:29Wilbur Forrest Lawrence Edgemont,
14:37alias the professor,
14:38was a cellmate of Cal Foster
14:39while serving two years
14:41on a fraud charge.
14:42Edgemont has a long prison record
14:44both in the U.S.
14:45and abroad.
14:46He was released from here
14:47three months ago.
14:49Well, now all I have to do
14:50is find out if the professor
14:51speaks Chinese.
14:53And until I can prove it,
14:54we might be able to stop
14:55some of these murders.
14:56What can I do?
14:57I want you to stake out
14:58some of your men
14:59at Foster's Place
15:00every night.
15:01From sundown to sunrise.
15:03If they see anything suspicious,
15:04have them get in touch with me.
15:05I'll be at the hotel
15:06in line time.
15:07I'll do as you wish.
15:08Adios amigo.
15:10And thanks for the coffee.
15:19We're fresh across the border
15:21and headed south on the road.
15:23I'll make a bet
15:23he's on his way
15:24to Foster's Place.
15:25We'd better follow him.
15:25Come on.
15:42A short distance
15:43south of Mixa's owner,
15:45we caught sight
15:45of the professor.
15:56Keeping out of sight
15:57ourselves,
15:58we trailed into
15:58a small ranch house
15:59just off the road.
16:00You stay here
16:21and watch the horses.
16:22I'm going over there
16:22and see if I can find out
16:23what's going on.
16:24I'm going over there.
16:26And the other one
16:28and see if I can find out
16:28what's going on.
16:29Come on.
16:30I'll be here.
16:30I'll be here.
17:33I've told them we have the means of doing exactly that.
17:37For a consideration, of course.
17:39Five thousand Mexican dollars now, and five more when they're safely delivered.
17:45They've agreed to our terms.
17:47Well, you don't have a thing to worry about.
17:57I'll do the dividing later when we have it all.
18:00You can take the boys into the back room, and after dark, we'll deliver them across the border as usual, under a load of hides.
18:07I'll do it.
18:21Ray, I'm going to stick here until dark.
18:22You take my credentials and go to the postmaster in Linetown.
18:25Tell him to get a posse together.
18:26Get him up, mister.
18:28I wanted to warn you, Harvey, but they said they'd kill you if I made a sound.
18:31I thought there was something wrong when I saw you prowling around the house.
18:33The professor won't have a talk with you.
18:35Come on, get moving.
18:37Come on.
18:38This proves my wisdom in having lookouts posted whenever we're expecting clients.
18:47So, Mr. Cassidy, now you're an officer in the immigration service.
18:52Cassidy, I've been waiting a long time to meet you on even terms.
18:57What do you mean, even terms?
18:59Harvey went after you and your two cattle thieving pals single-handed.
19:02Brought them all three in.
19:03You keep out of here, loudmouth.
19:04Cassidy, I'm going to kill you for that.
19:09Hold it, Foster.
19:10I'm still chief around here.
19:12What do you mean, hold it?
19:13He knows too much.
19:13You've got to get rid of him anyway.
19:14Agreed.
19:15But sometimes I'm amazed at your lack of reasoning power.
19:19The immigration service is bound to start a search as soon as Cassidy fails to report.
19:24If his body is found on this side of the border, it means an international investigation.
19:29Then what happens to our lucrative business?
19:32Grimes, Grimes, you and Felton, tie him to a chair.
19:41What plans do you have in getting rid of him?
19:43Simple.
19:45Tonight, two wagons loaded with hides.
19:48We'll cross the border and go into the Yellow Sands Desert.
19:51So we're going to have guests, huh?
19:54Hmm.
19:55Well, it's almost time to start moving out.
19:58Come on, all of you.
20:00We'll load the other wagon.
20:01We're going to have a nice long ride, Cassidy.
20:03Come on, let's get in.
20:11How are you going with your ropes?
20:16Not making any headway here.
20:19Keep trying.
20:20Manuel.
20:28Manuel.
20:32We're going to use your wagon too, so load your hides back on.
20:43No use, Javi. These knots will hold her doomsday.
20:46I'm afraid so.
20:50The Chinese and their thirst had given me the one chance in a million.
21:03They had been brought here by a Mexican, so I felt sure they must understand a little Spanish.
21:09Señor Chino, your amigo, savvy?
21:12Si, yo comprende amigo.
21:15Los otros hombres, and amigos.
21:20I tried to explain that the other men were his enemies.
21:24They meant to kill them, but he kept insisting they were his friends.
21:30You and Felton get Cassidy and Connors.
21:32We'll load them in the wagon in the barn before we load the Chinese into Manuel's wagon.
21:36Right.
21:40Time was running out. There was only one chance left.
21:43I told the Chinese to take the notebook from my breast pocket and look at the characters I had copied from the scrawled message in the sand.
21:51They said, the children and have the same.
21:54Well, what are your friends?
21:56How are you?
21:58Those enemies.
22:00Yes, you're tooting them, the enemy.
22:02You leave them for me, yes.
22:03How are you doing, Red?
22:25Having a time in the life!
22:30You take care of these two, I'll go after Foster.
22:33Go see what's keeping Grimes.
22:58Hang on, Senor Hoppe! We're with you!
23:03I surrender to you, Captain Marino!
23:28Come on!
23:30I think these two Chinese have learned a lesson without any further punishment, don't you?
23:50Yeah, besides, they saved their lives.
23:52I will send them back where they came from, with an escort.
23:55Yours is a hollow victory, Cassidy.
23:59Under Mexican law, you cannot force me to accompany you across the border.
24:03So, I shall plead guilty of having fired upon a rally.
24:09A two-year sentence at the most.
24:12It is as he says, Senor Hoppe.
24:14Yeah, I know.
24:15But there's no law against you escorting him to the border and booting him across is an undesirable, is there?
24:21You're right.
24:23Let us depart for the border and proceed with the booting.
24:28Hey, just a minute.
24:30What are you doing, Red?
24:31I'm getting back that two dollars I gave this joker in Linetown.
24:34There.
24:35Now you may depart for the border and proceed with the booting.
24:38Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
24:46Hi there.
24:47You know there are certain laws that are made to protect all of us,
24:50but we must do something to help about that protection.
24:54Well, here's a thought that might help prevent an accident.
24:58Help other people protect you.
25:02Now, to make it a little easier for you to remember those words,
25:04those words, the first letter of each of those words spell the name of a man who thinks you're
25:10pretty wonderful and who doesn't want you to be hurt. So till next week, so long. In the meantime,
25:17be careful, won't you?
25:34Hop along, Cassidy, he'll return soon again. There's no use to say goodbye until then. Hop along, Cassidy, so long, hop along.
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