'49-'17

1
Born and bred in the West,
Judge Brand had never quite
reconciled himself to the East.

Judge Brand... Joseph W. Girard

2
Tom Reeves had
been the Judge's sec-
retary for two years.

	Leo Pierson
                                
3
"Here are nine
invitations for the
coming week, sir."

4
 "Refuse
them all!"

5
"This necklace takes
me back to the old
days out West. Society
didn't count for much,
but our friends were real..."

6
"Hugh Adams, my part-
ner, and I, each made
a nugget chain to give
to the girl."

7
"It was the old story;
two men and a woman-
 and Adams won."

8
"For a couple 
of years they 
were happy..."

9
"But the life was hard.
One night, when Hugh 
came home.... "

10
"A few weeks later
we struck it rich -
but the girl never 
came back."

11
"I'd never have come
East but for my 
 invalid sister."

12
"She was all I had.
 So I stayed here
 taking care of her
  until she died."

13
"I've told you all 
this, Tom, so you
would understand
what I want to do."

14
"Nugget Notch is aban-
doned now, but I want
to rebuild it, and enjoy
one more taste of
the old West be-
  fore I die."

15
"I'll settle my affairs 
here. You go West
and find me a popula-
tion for Nugget Notch.
 Spare no expense."

16
            It was a wild
       dream, but Tom un-
  derstood -- he had dreams
himself sometimes. So, two
days later he left for 
     the West.

17
Tom soon discovered that 
Western types were
rare birds -- and shy.

18
      Tom had wasted
  three weeks of his 
  allotted time when he
reached San Diego, but he had
lost none of his determination.

19
The big fair was on.
"Castle's '49 Camp" was
the biggest side-show 
there, but its owner,
J. Gordon Castle, was broke.

	William J. Dyer

20
So were the members of 
his troupe. "Ma" and "Pa"
Bobbett wondered where
they would go when the show
closed.

	Ma......Martha Witting 
	Pa......George Pearce 

21
   Even Castle's principal
attraction -- "The Real '49
Bar" -- was not doing
enough business to pay
  for the lights.

22
"Gentleman Jim" Raynor ran
the gambling tables and
bar; but he didn't herd
well with the troupe.

	Jean Hersholt 

23
  In his search for 
"sons of the old West,"
Tom tried the waterfront.

24
"Why ain't you at 
the expo', working
for Castle, Pablo?"

25
"That bum forty-niners'
camp hasn't drawn a 
cent for three 
     days!"

26
"A crowd is coming 
in - a little pep, 
     folks!"

27
   "Call off the 
performance! Stella's
jimmied us out of
   a crowd again."

28
   Peggy Bobbett was
the only unconcerned 
member of the
camp.

	Donna Drew  

29
"I'm going down
to flirt with
the goldfish."

30
By careful questioning,
Tom learned that Castle's
Camp was on its
last legs.

31
"Will you introduce 
  me to Castle?"

32
"There's some of 
Castle's troupe now."

33
It didn't take Tom 
long to outline the
whole plan to Castle.

34
"That's what the 
Judge wants.
How about it?"

35
 "One thing more-
no one is to know my
part in this. Hire me
as a regular member 
of the camp, and call 
 me Tom Robbins."

36
"Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome Tom Robbins
to Castle's Camp - he's
  one of the troupe."

37
Castle waited two 
days, then sprung
the big plan on
  the bunch.

38
"This ought to prove 
 that the Judge 
 means business."

39
A week later the
outfit camped in
the mountains, half
of the dusty way to Nugget
Notch.

40
"You've got to 
keep Robbins 
away from Peggy
- do you hear?"

41
"I don't like to 
get personal, Bobbett,
but don't forget the
stranger who died so
suddenly when you and I -"

42
Late in the afternoon
Castle's outfit reached
    Nugget Notch.

43
By dark, quarters
had been assigned.

44
The Bobbetts were to
run the general store.

45
Gentleman Jim had
charge of the saloon
and the gambling hall.

46
   The hotel had fallen
to Colonel Hungerford's
     management.

47
"Buy what you want, 
  Robbins - and
  then beat it."

48
Nugget Notch decided 
to doll up for Judge
 Brand's reception.

49
"Ladies and gentlemen,
Judge J. R. Brand -
  the father of
  Nugget Notch."

50
 "You're a fine, tame
 bunch of Westerners,
 you are! How long
would a plug hat have
lasted in the old days?"

51
For a play, this
was pretty real!

52
"Judge, meet Gentleman 
    Jim Raynor."

53
Nugget Notch gathered 
that night to welcome
the Judge formally.

54
"Where did you get 
  this necklace?"

55
 "It's always 
belonged to her."

56
"Peggy ain't our child.
Her real name is 
 Lorena Adams."

57
"I've spent years 
looking for the girl 
who rightfully owns 
that necklace, and the 
fortune that goes with it."

58
Everybody was pleased 
except Tom -- for what 
business has a penniless
young man making love
       to an heiress?

59
"Judge Brand, we're in 
great trouble, and if what 
you said before is 
true, you've got to 
    help us!"

60
"Jim Raynor is threat-
ening to have father
arrested unless he
gives him ten thousand 
dollars before tomorrow."

61
"Tell Ezra Bobbett
not to worry about
the money or Jim Raynor.
I'll take care of that!"

62
"I don't know what you're
up to, Raynor, but if Peggy's
going to suffer by it,
Nugget Notch won't be
big enough for both
       of us!"

63
Next morning, Raynor 
found a means of 
disposing of Tom.

64
No one took Tom's
absence seriously --
except the Judge.

65
Tom realized that
the wolf would show
him the way out.

66
  "Tom, I think 
you've struck gold!"

67
No time was lost
in staking out
   a claim.

68
  Tom suspected Raynor,
but said nothing, and
the affair was accepted as a joke.

69
"The safe's busted 
open and all the 
 money's gone!"

70
 "Every gun and
cartridge in camp
has been stolen, Judge."

71
"You'd better get 
busy! Raynor tied me
up and ran off all 
the horses in the night!"

72
  "Shell out your 
ready cash, gentlemen!"

73
"I fixed all the guns 
last night, Judge.
It won't shoot!"

74
"I've a mind to shoot 
you, Robbins, but you've
lost the lady, so I'll
let you keep your life."

75
"I'll shoot the first 
  man that moves!"

76
"Don't be a 
fool, Tom."

77
"There are only two 
roads Raynor can 
take. I know a
  short cut!"

78
Gentleman Jim
was up for trial.

79
 "There is no villainy
too black for Jim Raynor.
Years ago, while my 
partner, Hugh Adams, was
out working his claim -"

80
"And now I have 
another little story."

81
"Naturally, Raynor tried
to steal the stranger's gold."

82
"Ever since, Gentleman
Jim has held the 
stranger's death over
  Bobbett's head."

83
"I can tell the rest of 
it! Jim Raynor made
me say Peggy was
Adams' daughter. She
isn't -- she's mine."

84
 "I knew it all the 
 time. Lorena Adams 
was found five years ago.
That's where Jim slipped up."

The End