Passengers.
Yeah, probably taken on
to make it look like any other stage.
If those two on top start trouble,
we'll have to be careful of the lady.
Oh, I'd be delighted
to look after the lady.
Always gallant.
Whoa!
Federal marshal.
I have a warrant from the United States government
to inspect your stage.
What are you looking for, marshal?
Weevils, mister.
Boll weevils.
You all right, marshal?
Yeah, fine. Fine.
You killed him, marshal.
This one's dead, too.
All right, ma'am, you can come out now.
Ma'am?
That's what the ruckus was all about.
Boll weevils?
Sure you can make it to town?
I'll try.
I tell ya, I don't know nothing
about boll weevils.
I never even heard of them before this.
You're lying.
I'm a stage driver.
It's what I do for a living.
That doesn't mean I have to know what I'm carrying.
All right.
I was hired to make a delivery.
From where?
I picked up the stage in Sausalito.
Before that, I got no idea where it came from.
Where were you headed?
Mesquite.
Never even heard of it.
Who has?
It's a settlement southeast of here.
Made this trip before?
A few times.
Who was the lady's date in Mesquite?
I never got that far.
There's a fork in the road about five miles north of town.
Bunch of acarreos meet me there
and take the stage.
I stay in Mesquite until they contact me,
then I pick up the stage at the same spot and head back.
Neatly organized operation, all right.
Who hired you in San Francisco?
A guy named Cass.
Cass, huh?
Well, that gives us two starting points, Jim.
Right.
I'll see what happens beyond Mesquite
at the fork in the road.
Fine.
I'll ride back to San Francisco,
turn this one over to the police.
I think I'll look up that man named,
"Cass."
Come on, you, and help me bury these men.
Thank you, Swanson.
Now, Mr. Gordon, we followed your department's memorandum
to the letter.
All ships coming into San Francisco
will be searched from stem to stern
before unloading cargo.
But what I don't understand, if-
Well, if I may be frank,
I get the feeling that you think my department, uh...
Well, may have been lax in this matter.
Oh, not at all, Mr. Jeffers.
It's just that, uh...
Boll weevils are rather unusual contraband, that's all.
They're very difficult to detect.
We thought your department should be alerted.
Mm-hm.
Boll weevils.
If they'd been smuggling whiskey or guns
I could understand that, but bugs?
Have you ever seen what they can do
to a field of cotton in just one day?
They're unbelievably destructive, Mr. Jeffers.
If the current rate of infestation continues,
in five years, there won't be a cotton field
left standing in the country.
If what you say is true,
if they're smuggling them in for this purpose,
why, uh- Why do you suspect my area?
Well, it isn't that we suspect it, Mr. Jeffers.
We had a tip that brought us
to the Sausalito stop.
That is your area, isn't it?
I see.
If there's anything else I can do to help, I'd be glad to.
That's very nice of you.
I tell you, there is something.
The only link we have to the case is a man named
Cass.
Cass? You mean Tom Cass?
You do know him?
Know him? He's one of my harbor supervisors.
I'd like to talk with him right away.
Could you get him here for me, please?
Of course. Swanson.
Contact the harbor police.
Have them pick up Tom Cass and bring him to my office.
Yes, sir.
Well, you've got your first break in this case, Mr. Gordon.
We hope.
Whoa.
Hello, señor.
Who are you?
Where's the regular driver?
Oh, he's sick.
Cass hired me to take his place.
And the others,
where are they?
Uh, Cass was afraid
he might be watched,
so he sent out a decoy.
But he, uh- He put the lady with me.
Look, if you don't believe me,
take me to your boss, I'll explain.
No one gets to the boss.
You ride to Mesquite.
Wait in the hotel.
We'll bring the stage to you tomorrow.
Well, suit yourself.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Hasta mañana.
Yah!
Guido?
I do not trust that one.
Make sure he gets to Mesquite.
Vamos.
Now,
you're gonna tell me where that stage is headed.
I cannot talk, señor.
You'd better talk, amigo,
and now.
So that's Tom Cass.
I don't understand it.
He just disappeared.
House is deserted, office deserted,
papers gone.
He was your only lead, too, wasn't he?
Yes, he was.
Well, there's a chance
I can come up with something else.
Thank you, Mr. Jeffers.
I'll keep in touch.
Uh, Mr. Gordon,
I'm sorry about Tom Cass.
That's all right.
These things never seem to come easy.
Hey!
You don't belong around here.
Come on. Let's go.
He's very inquisitive,
isn't he, Fatima?
Inquisitive
and clever to have got this far.
We go to great pains
to prevent such penetration.
What is your name?
James West. And yours?
Abdul Hassan.
And now I suppose you're going to tell me
that our San Francisco operatives
actually hired you
to make this delivery today?
No, I'm with the United States Secret Service.
Ohh.
Oh, that- That is most unfortunate.
I was afraid of something like that.
Now I shall be obliged to kill you.
Uh, since my curiosity
is going to cost my life,
do you care to indulge me further?
Our operation interests you?
Fascinates me.
You hear that? From-
From a Secret Service man, huh?
Well, as in any endeavor nowadays,
given a sound manufacturing system
and a good dependable product,
the success of our venture
has relied mainly on, um-
Now, what would you say?
Distribution.
Precisely.
Which is the, uh-
The specialty in which I-
if I may say so- have been most effective.
In developing a chain of smaller operatives,
who, for a consideration,
move the weevils
further and further inland,
through the western states
into the deep south,
where today a majority
of the world's cotton is grown.
You plan to destroy this country's cotton
and replace it with your own.
Uh, in simple terms,
yes.
Our syndicate has had the great good fortune
to seize control
of the rest of the world's supply.
Cotton from Africa,
South America, the near east,
and the Orient.
Then your syndicate will control
the markets and the prices.
Well, you, uh-
You understand the economics, at least.
If we supply the world's only cotton,
you can appreciate the tremendous advantage we enjoy.
But cotton is only a small
and very thin slice of the pie.
In these two containers,
we have what someday
may give us an even greater slice.
Anthonomus grandis.
Boll weevils.
Yes, but, um...
Examine these two specimens,
male and female, Mr. West,
with greater attention.
Are they not somewhat
larger than those you've seen before?
Now that you mention it, they're a great deal larger.
Mm.
Poor dears,
they're separated from each other now
in their glass prisons,
which may seem cruel to you,
Mr. West, when you realize that these two
magnificent weevils are-
They're in love.
Mm-hmm, yes.
They adore each other.
But the dictates of genetics and breeding
require that we postpone
their mating until warmer weather.
All of which means something
in some larger plan.
Oh, that's very acute of you, Mr. West.
Yes.
You see, um-
hybrid weevils have a unique aspect.
They're bred to take delight
not only in cotton, but, uh-
Wheat,
corn,
barley.
Imagine, Mr. West,
America,
eventually the whole world,
will be dependent upon us
not only for their cotton,
but for their basic food.
I would explain further,
but pleasure calls.
Dispose of him as quietly as possible.
Tom Cass.
What are you doing here?
I get the feeling
you don't really expect an answer, do you, friend?
Over against that wall.
Move!
Checked the warehouse, top to bottom,
Tucker's place, place next-door-
Both registered legitimate businessmen.
And no sign of Tom Cass's body.
Well, there you are.
I don't think you gentlemen know one another, do you?
Mr. James Jeffers, Mr. James West.
How do you do? It's a pleasure.
I've got bad news, Jim.
Cass was murdered before I could get to him,
And now his body has disappeared.
Any news from Mesquite, Mr. West?
I think I met the man that's the power.
His name is Abdul Hassan.
And?
And I'm lucky to be alive.
Hassan got away.
Well, that's not much help, is it?
Not altogether futile, sir.
I've got the route
and the name of his field men.
Oh, fine.
I'll wire that information to Washington
and have the territory police close it down
within 12 hours. It's a start.
That will be fine.
Come in.
Daddy, I- Oh, excuse me.
Hello, Betsy.
Betsy. Gentlemen,
Mr. Gordon, Mr. West,
my daughter, Betsy.
How do you do?
This is a pleasure for me.
Daddy said such nice things about both of you gentlemen.
I can see why now.
Oh, believe me, he's been much too kind.
I hope he's not working you too hard.
He can be quite a slave-driver.
No, he's been most helpful, ma'am.
Oh, uh, Daddy, before I forget,
would you fill out this application for me
so I can open a charge at the emporium, please?
Excuse me a moment, gentlemen.
Of course.
Uh, do you plan on being in San Francisco long,
Mr. West?
Well, right now it's a little hard to say, Miss Jeffers.
Well, I'd count it an honor if you'd allow me to show you
and Mr. Gordon our lovely city.
Oh, I'm afraid we're on too tight a schedule
to allow for any sightseeing.
Oh, well, uh-
How about dinner at our house tonight?
Really, I insist.
We'd be delighted to have you, gentlemen.
We'd be delighted to come, Miss Jeffers.
Betsy, please. Betsy.
I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me,
but I have another engagement for tonight.
Oh, I am sorry.
You will be there, won't you, Mr. West?
Right, 8:00. Now, Betsy, if you'll excuse us,
we have to get some information to Washington.
Very nice meeting you.
Nice meeting you.
Bye-bye, Mr. Jeffers.
Artie? Hm?
it's hardly like you
to give me a clear field with such a lovely lady.
What is it?
Well, as much as I hate to that miss dinner,
I saw something over at Tucker's
that I think is worth another visit.
Which was?
Mr. Tucker's lobster boat
is a shallow draft flatboat.
Flatboat?
Hardly the type a lobsterman
takes into the bay.
It would be if he was going to leave the bay
and go up one of the shallow inlets.
It's an interesting thought.
As soon as I get this off to Washington,
I'll go on over to Tucker's place
and have another look at it.
It's not that I'm complaining, you understand Jim,
but why is it I'm always the one who sends
these long-winded,
wordy messages to Washington?
Because, Artie, you have such a marvelous command
of the English language.
Oh, that's good.
That's- That's very good.
I thought you'd like that.
Well, let's see here.
Aaron Addison, age 68.
Businessman, white wig and eyebrows,
deep wrinkles, slightly shaky voice.
Died by an unknown assassin's bullet.
Paolo Martinez,
Portuguese fish skipper,
age 33, curly hair, slick mustache,
very proud type.
Put out to sea, never found again.
Lieutenant Jonathan Greeley,
Seventh Cavalry. Remember him?
Hooked nose, flowing hair- A real leader.
Artie, Hm?
You know, here's something that I bet
most people don't realize.
What?
The female boll weevil burrows inside
the boll of cotton to lay eggs.
It's the larvae which destroys the cotton.
Just like the clothes moth.
Jake the piano player in Deadwood.
Oh, what a handsome devil.
Hair...
Artie, that's quite a rogues' gallery.
Yeah, it's kind of nice to have, you know?
A record of all the disguises I've had to assume
in the course of our work.
You never know. It comes in quite handy.
I've got to cook one up now.
Oh, why don't you surprise me?
I'll check with you later.
Yeah.
See you.
Let's see.
They've already seen me at the docks...
so this should be somebody who just...
...blends into that
kind of environment.
Crotchety old visitor, huh?
A nice...
...vinegary old...
...salt of a man.
The kind that just loves
to sit at the docks...
...and watch the ships coming in.
¶ Me way hey ¶
¶ Blow the man down ¶
¶ A pretty young thing ¶
¶ I chanced for to meet ¶
¶ Give me some time ¶
¶ To blow the man down ¶
¶ She was... ¶
Ahoy, mates.
¶ And encountered a bluff ¶
¶ In the bough ¶
¶ Way hey ¶
¶ Blow the man down ¶
¶ Saw a soaking-wet sailor ¶
¶ I rightly don't know ¶
¶ Give me some time ¶
¶ To blow the man down ¶
Hey, old man!
You're gonna croak like that,
go somewhere else.
Croak?
That's a shanty, you landlubber.
Call yourselves sailors.
You're clam diggers, that's what you are.
What would lobstermen be doing
going out in deep water
in a shallow draft flatboat?
That's what I'd like to know.
You'll drown, the both of you.
Not that anybody's worrying much about that.
Old man,
might be healthy if you
went fishing someplace else.
It's a public wharf, ain't it?
I'll catch more with that one pole
than you two will take
in that whole flat-bottomed scow
with all your fancy rig
and them fancy lights, too.
Why you cover them up
when you're getting ready to pull up anchor
is a lot more than I know, too.
Maybe it'd be healthier for you, grandpa,
if you didn't have such sharp eyes.
Now, don't give me none of your sass,
you young whelp.
Take my cane to the back of your skull.
Old man,
I'm gonna count to three.
He's had schoolin'.
Ha ha ha.
I bet you can't make it up to five.
All right, all right.
Put away that pigsticker.
I'm moving.
Fellow can't make
a little time for himself.
Sure,
push him around.
Don't even get to fish no more.
Lot of folks making sure you can't
enjoy your free time.
By the time the troopers had arrived
at Hassan's hacienda,
the whole place had been completely cleared out.
Sounds like a difficult operation to break up.
Not that difficult.
Because of that information we sent to Washington,
his field men in the South
are being picked up now.
Daddy,
I didn't ask Mr. West here
just to hear you two talk about boll weevils.
I'm sorry, darling.
Betsy, you were right.
It's been a delightful dinner.
Thank you.
The best is yet to come.
I've had a marvelous meringue glacé prepared for you.
Grooves, whoever it is,
I don't wish to be disturbed.
Yes, sir.
Maybe next time you'll convince Mr. Gordon to join us.
I'm sure that Mr. Gordon would be delighted to come.
Let me go!
Ahh!
Betsy!
Got to help...
I'll go after her.
When I got up off the floor,
I got a glimpse of him getting into the carriage.
I lost the carriage on Pacific St.
near the waterfront.
I got a feeling they may be coming here.
Poor Betsy.
Boat's coming in, Jim.
Any idea who took her or why?
Not so far. What's been happening here?
A lot of strange comings and goings, you know.
A couple of things-
A couple of things need more looking into, I'd say.
Like what?
Well, you know that lobster place
I was telling you about
near the warehouse, Tucker's landing?
The ones that fish in the flatboat?
The same.
Now, if you were going into a channel
as people to San Francisco Bay,
would you be apt to cover
your running lights with oilskins?
Definitely sounds fishy.
Channel's clear.
The little lady's waiting.
Tell Joe to shove off.
They're shoving off now, Jim.
I better tail them.
Right. I'll wait until the foot traffic dies down
then have another look-see at that warehouse.
I'll meet you back here, Artie.
Hey, you young whelp, come here.
Better look after your nets over there by the wheel.
Someone's been tampering with the floats.
Come on, man,
put your back to it.
Fight the bit of tide.
There you go.
Monsters.
Find a new home for you.
All right. Hurry, hurry up.
There you are, my darling.
¶ Oh, ho ¶
¶ Blow the man down, Please ¶
¶ Blow the men Down to me ¶
This is no place for you
this time of the night, old timer.
I'll be moving along soon enough, young whelp.
You got a light?
¶ Way hey ¶
¶ Blow the men down ¶
¶ Oh blow ¶
That thing never did draw too good.
Ready to give the little lady a ride?
Put her aboard.
Here's your route.
When you get to Fresno,
check into the Royal Hotel.
As soon as we get a new field man,
he'll contact you.
Let's go, boys.
Yah.
Where are you headed?
Fresno.
Unh-unh.
Where?
Presidio Police Station.
Keep your eyes on the road.
Hold that for me, sweetheart.
I'll be back for it later.
Betsy.
Betsy, wake up, honey.
Betsy?
Betsy, I'm gonna take you home.
You understand me?
I'm going to take you home to your father.
Take him, Lance.
Stay right where you are.
You're all under arrest.
Mr. West,
I appreciate all you're trying to do.
But please try to understand.
This ransom note
is very clear.
We've all got to stop investigating this case,
and you and Mr. Gordon have got to leave it right away,
or Betsy's going to be killed.
I understand how you feel, Mr. Jeffers,
but they're not going to release Betsy.
By now, she probably knows too much.
What they want is time to reorganize.
Let's give them time.
Betsy may not be killed.
Believe me, I do know how you feel,
but I have to take my orders from Washington.
Mr. Jeffers, you're gonna have to trust me.
I'll get Betsy back.
Welcome to the club, Mr. West.
You were much too thorough
for your own good, Mr. West.
Not really.
I fell for you and Betsy's kidnapping act.
That was no act on her part.
She's next door at Tucker's place right now,
genuinely scared.
Betsy knows nothing of what's going on here.
She'll find the truth out soon
if Tucker hasn't told her already.
Tucker takes orders from me.
And he just might be useful
in this final move.
I'll order him
to burn this warehouse down,
you included. At just the right moment,
as a desperate father
and an outraged citizen,
I'll shoot him,
rescue my daughter Betsy amidst the cheers
and congratulations of San Francisco citizens.
Burning all your bridges behind you, so to speak.
Tucker is expendable.
Gentlemen, you've caused me
considerable inconvenience,
but I shall meet with Hassan within an hour,
and we shall reorganize the operation.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I must leave you.
I don't think so, Mr. Jeffers.
Tucker.
Expendable, am I?
Tucker,
I was just talking.
You picked the wrong words, Mr. Jeffers.
Never did trust him,
ever since he killed his old man,
Tom Cass.
But Jeffers idea about the fire is a good one.
By the time they discover which one of you is which,
I'll be in New Orleans
setting up a new boll weevil operation.
Hassan's syndicate
will do business with me
just as well as he did with that scum.
Ringo,
go on out to the carriage and wait for me.
As soon as I make a bonfire
out of this warehouse,
I'll join you.
What about Betsy?
She'll burn as well as the rest of you dummies.
She can't hurt you, Tucker.
Not when she's dead, she can't.
When you're done on one side
be sure and turn over.
You'll make better-looking corpses.
Boy, he really burns me up.
Artie, come on. Let's get out of here.
Yeah.
You're right.
You know, it's no wonder that
that smuggling operation
worked as well as it did...
...with Jeffers the commissioner of harbors.
Yeah, Artie, but the question is
how do we tell his daughter?
First thing's first.
We got to get her out of here...
...from next door.
You go get her, Artie. Yeah.
I'm going to Jeffers'. That's probably where
Tucker's gonna meet Hassan.
Help!
Oh! Oh!
Oh, Mr. Gordon, may I say
I'm awfully glad to see you.
Betsy, you may say anything you wish.
Can we get out of here?
You have just said the right thing, Betsy.
Here's to our partnership.
We'll build a new network,
stronger than ever.
My syndicate has never
doubted your value, Tucker.
Jeffers was weak,
untrustworthy.
Let me show you the cornerstone
of our future success.
Thanks, Artie.
Where's Betsy?
I dropped her off at her aunt's
on the way over here.
Did you tell her the news?
Yeah. She took it very bravely,
but it's a rough shock
to hear about your father.
Especially at her age.
I think Betsy will come through it
with flying colors.
Well, Artie,
what are we gonna do with these two?
You know,
I was told that San Francisco
held more delights
than any city west of Saint Louis,
and here you are
proving that claim a reality.
Well, it's not every visitor
who brings his own train, Mr. Gordon.
Oh, it comes with the territory.
And now...
Hi, Artie.
James.
Good evening, miss.
Hi.
I thought this was supposed to be dinner for two.
Artie, I've got something
to give this evening real meaning.
Oh, fine.
Huh?
Hassan's boll weevils.
Samson, Delilah.
Joanne and I find that utterly fascinating.
Now, if you just be good enough to take that and-
Uh, Washington wanted them
to have tests.
I got to thinking about them
looking longingly at each other.
Yeah, and you decided that
before they meet their eventual doom,
they ought to get to know one another better.
That's very kind of you, James.
Now, if you just be good enough-
Oh, look.
They do like each other.
Yes, they do.
They really do.
Joanne, the wine is getting warm, dear.
Artie,
have you no romance in your soul?
Yes, I do.
That's why I only have enough pheasant for two.
Who could think of food
at a moment like this?
That's right, Joannie.
You think just like I do.