Hopalong Cassidy #43

Whitey Whiskers tries to steal a giant sandwich from Daniel Boone Jr. by pretending to be a robber, but his plan backfires when Hopalong Cassidy mistakes him for a real crook and knocks him out. The joke spirals as Whitey ends up on the receiving end of a beating, only to be handed the sandwich he wanted — though he can't eat it thanks to his sore jaw.

Hopalong Cassidy is honored with a solid gold gun by the townspeople of Twin River, but when the weapon vanishes, he tracks down a group of gypsies who’ve taken refuge in town—only to find himself caught in a web of deception, mistaken identities, and a mystery that leads far beyond the stolen treasure.

Mesquite is tasked with babysitting Jed, the sheriff’s young son, and quickly finds himself entangled in a series of mishaps when the boy refuses to eat unless his hobby horse is nearby. What starts as a simple errand spirals into a chaotic chase when two crooks hide inside the hobby horse to escape detection, leading to a series of escalating, slapstick confrontations that leave Mesquite both flustered and unexpectedly heroic.

Hill Billy, ever the slow-burning presence, watches a flustered city dweller race past, clearly in a panic to catch a train. When the man finally stops to ask for the time, Hill Billy’s deadpan reply — that it’s “bout Tuesday” — only deepens the man’s frustration, especially when he learns there’s no train until Saturday.

Big Bow is too shy to ask any girl to the Indian square dance, so Hopalong Cassidy gives him a crash course in confidence—only to find Big Bow has unknowingly rekindled a past romance with a girl he once courted. When the girl shows up at the dance with a surprise, Big Bow’s nervous attempt to impress her leads to a chaotic mix-up that leaves Hopalong wondering if he’s made things worse.

Hopalong Cassidy investigates when a Pony Express rider fails to deliver a mail pouch containing a promised payment, leading him to discover the rider’s body at the bottom of a canyon and suspecting murder. As he follows the trail, he realizes the envelope was stuffed with blank paper, and someone went to great lengths to ensure it never reached its destination. With the truth unfolding, Hopalong confronts the real culprit, who thought the mail’s disappearance would cover their tracks.