How you doing there folks? This is Ken Maynard with another tale from the Diamond
Caves. You know it's mighty nice having you drop in and visit with us every day
here in the tack room of the Diamond Caves Ranch. Tars would like to say hello
too, wouldn't you boy? You know that's his way of inviting you to visit with us
for the next 15 minutes. I've got a story to tell you called Devil's Kitchen. So
pull up your chair and make yourself comfortable. From the tack room of Ken
Maynard's Diamond Caves Ranch we're bringing you stories of adventure. Stories
of circus-like, fascinating transcribed tales of the Old West where cowboys
still follow the cattle trail. Stories of rodeos and parades, colorful legends of
the Red Man, hidden gold and buried treasure. The exciting tales from the
Diamond Caves are told by Hollywood's champion of Western stars, internationally
famous Ken Maynard. And Ken's got a real thriller in store for you today,
buckaroos. Speaking of thrills, just imagine Ken coming right into your
living room and saying hello to you personally. Say isn't that a thrill? And
that's not all, no sir. After Ken speaks to you directly, he'll tell you two of
his favorite stories about the Wild West. Now I'm talking about the Ken Maynard
personalized record album that you can have for your very own. Now you can't buy
it in any store, no sir. This is Ken's own Diamond Cave brand record album. It's
all in color with a big picture of Ken and Tarzan right on the front. And inside
are two big, eight-inch unbreakable phonograph records made of expensive pure
vinylite. Ken and Tarzan's picture is right on the record too and there's
another picture on the back of the album. Now here's the best part of all. When you
put the record on your phonograph, you'll hear Ken talking right to you with a
personalized message. He'll say, hello Andy, hello Betty, or whatever your name
is. It's all you do. Just put a dollar bill and your name and address in an
envelope and send it to Records in care of this station. Isn't that amazing? You
get two wonderful records with two real Western stories all in a beautiful
colored album for only one dollar. Send in right now kids and just wait till you
see how surprised your friends will be when you play the records and Ken speaks
right to you personally. Be the first in your neighborhood to own a real Ken
Maynard personalized record album. Now Ken. One afternoon about a month ago I
had a couple of young visitors here on the ranch. They came out from the city to
spend the day. Tommy Barton and his younger brother Bob. Well so they followed me
around the ranch as I did a few odd jobs and long about sundown we fed Tarzan
and bedded him down for the night. I'll tell you these boys could ask more
questions in the quiz show. You got to be riding your toes to keep ahead of
youngsters nowadays. Well after we finished the chores and fed the dogs
old Pepper and Lucky we went back to the tack room let the fire and settled down
for some storytelling. Tommy said to me Ken we don't want to hear any sissy
stories. I looked over at the youngsters curled up on the big Navajo rug in front
of the fire and said well what kind of a story do you want to hear Tommy? Well we
want something that's got a lot of excitement adventure he answered eagerly.
Well I could see just an ordinary yarn about cowboys wasn't going to satisfy
this young man so I picked up a map lying on my desk and pointed to a dot in the
southeast corner of Arizona and said can you read that Tommy? He looked at me kind
of disgusted like and said sure I can that's tombstone Arizona. He settled back
on the rug and I asked how would you boys like to hear a true story about one of
the toughest gang of robbers that ever toed a six gun. Well through their eyes
lit up like a prairie fire before they could ask more questions I started my
story. Curly Bill Boasius was the leader of this gang of robbers in a mean
ombre if ever I saw one. Curly had a face like a bulldog and a voice to match. Was
one night just after supper Curly Bill and his gang were sitting around their
fire in the hills somewhere east of tombstone as he said to them there's a
17 mule train coming over the border from Mexico heading for Tucson with a
load of smuggled gold. It's worth close to three million dollars. There's only one
hitch I don't know when they're leaving Mexico or how many men will be guarding
the train. We only got six men and they probably got ten maybe twenty but that's
not going to stop me from getting that three million dollars in gold Curly said
because I've got an idea they will have to work fast. Well sir Curly Bill did
have an idea all right. Sent one of his men an old cut soap with the name of
Hughes down to Mexico. Kept his ears open and found out the information he wanted
then high-tailed it back to Curly Bill's hideout. When Hughes walked in one of the
toughest men of the gang, Zwing Hunt, was sitting in the cabin digging his spurs in
the tabletop. Hughes looked at Zwing in surprise as he sat there acting like he
was boss. Where's Curly Hughes at? Zwing's lips twisted in a half smile as he said
hello Hughes. Curly's got something stewing over around Tombstone. Didn't say
when he'd be back. Then Zwing pointed to a chair and he said sit down Hughes you
look kind of nervous. Must have learned a lot of things down in Mexico huh? That's
you and me talking over while we're waiting for Curly Bill. Well sir Hughes
thought about that for a minute. He was supposed to report to Curly Bill. Zwing
was a sort of a second in line and there wasn't any time to lose. The mule train
with the goal was already on its way. Zwing started asking casual questions and
before Hughes had really made up his mind to talk he told Zwing the whole story.
Well before the evening was over the two men decided to give Curly Bill a double
cross and handle the job themselves. They lined up a couple of the boys they
thought they could trust and set out along about sun up to ambush the
smugglers train. After days of hard riding they picked their spot in Skeleton
Canyon right near Devil's Kitchen. It was a long narrow canyon with plenty of
boulders and patches of brush and mighty good hideout for them. Zwing, Hunt and Hughes
hid their men and horses back in the shadows of the rocks and started the
long wait for the first side of the mule train. It was early evening on the second
day when Zwing and Hughes heard the clinking of chains and saw the mule
train as they started this slow tedious climb up a narrow box canyon. Zwing's
voice was tense as he whispered, there she comes Hughes must be at least 30
mules and 15 or more men. We'll get on the narrows and pick them off one by one.
Well sir the walls of Skeleton Canyon echoed like thunder on a sultry day.
Reckon you could hear the cries and shouts of the Mexicans from miles around.
They were trapped, caught in the narrows with entire mule train. They couldn't
turn around there wasn't room. They had to go forward to desert the treasure-laid
mules. And Zwing, Hughes, their few men were placed so they could shoot the
smugglers like flies. In desperation the Mexican smugglers stampede the mules and
they came roaring down the devil's kitchen like angry bulls as the sacks
on their backs ripped against the rocks, scattering their contents like tumble
weeds in the wind. Whoo! Well telling this story sure gets me excited. While we rest
just a minute let me interrupt the story to tell you about something I'm mighty
proud of. Have you heard about my K-shirt? It's a real western shirt that a friend
of mine designed especially for me. It started like a t-shirt you know, nice
cotton about the color of desert sands with a flaming red diamond K brand
centered on the front. It's got our picture on too, me and Tarzan. Well the kids
in my neighborhood took a fancy to it and wanted one like it so my friend made up
some special. Kids said I ought to tell you about them so that's what I'm doing.
If you figure you'd like to have a K-shirt like I wear when I'm practicing
tricks and fooling around I'll see that you get one if you drop me a note.
A fellow said he'd fix you up with only a dollar apiece. That sure surprised me. Just
name your size 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12. If you want a K-shirt like mine just send me
your name and address and the size and slip a dollar bill in the envelope too
and send it to K-shirt and carry it to this station. Well now let's get back to
the gold of devil's kitchen. Young Tommy and his brother were sitting up on the
floor of the back room, my ranch with eyes as big as sauces as they both asked
questions at once. What happened Ken? What happened to smugglers and the outlaws?
Was there really gold on the mules? Well in the confusion of the stampede a few
Mexicans that were left high-tailed out of there like scared rabbits. Hughes and
Zwing took after the escaping mules shooting them down like a buffalo hunt.
Even today you can still see the bleached bones of mules half buried there
in the desert. Yes sir, there was treasure all right. The outlaws gathered the loot
together in huge piles. There were statues of solid gold, boxes filled with diamonds,
sacks of gold and silver coins, more treasure than they could possibly carry
away on their pony. So they decided to bury it and come back later. That same
night Hughes left for Galeyville to put Curly Bill off the trail leaving the
arrangement to Zwing. Now I reckon that's where he made his mistake. No sooner had
Hughes left than Zwing decided to give them all the double cross. Next morning a
few hours before sunup he found a Mexican with a team and a wagon. He hired
him to haul the treasure to a new hiding place. As Zwing stood looking to spot
where the treasure now lay buried the Mexican said, you pay me now then I go
huh? Zwing smiled his cunning eyes filled with greed. Sure I'll pay you he said. I'll
pay you double. Well sir Zwing put his smoking guns back in their holster and the
Mexican lay dead in the desert sand. It was one night a couple of weeks later
Zwing was sitting in a saloon in Tombstone and the door swung open and Curly Bill
Bochus stood framed against the night. He eyed Zwing and adjusted his guns and
started to walk slowly toward the little man with the beady eyes. Curly Bill's lips
were tightly drawn as his voice was hard and he said, hello Zwing I've been
looking for you. I heard rumors you've been kind of busy lately maybe you've been
looking after my answers maybe you got something important to tell me huh? Zwing
smiled sure I got something important to tell you and it won't take long either.
Zwing was sneaking his gun out under the table as he talked but Curly was too fast
for him. He shot the gun out of Zwing's hand and then creased his shoulder. Curly
didn't want to kill Zwing he still had to find out where the gold was buried.
Well sure they took Zwing to the hospital in Tombstone and that's where his old
friend Hughes caught up with him. When Zwing heard Hughes was in town he ducked
out of the hospital window and that was the last anybody ever saw him. Curly Bill's
gang said Zwing was killed by the Indians but an uncle down in San Antonio
swore Zwing came to him wounded and badly infected. Zwing knew what was done for us so
one night he called his uncle to the bed. His face was twisted with pain. Zwing
asked his uncle to get a pencil and paper. It was hard for him to talk now. He said
the money three million dollars. I've got to tell you where it's buried. I'll draw
a map see in Arizona by the San Simone River. Sands and mountains and between
silver springs and gum springs is a burn wagon. Close by is a stone about hip high
with two crosses on it. Then 20 pieces east of the rock under the burn wagon is
three million dollars. Three million. But Zwing Hunt never finished the sentence.
Well sir Zwing's uncle spent the rest of his life looking for the treasure but he
never found it. He made one mistake. He took for granted that everyone knew where
Davis Mountain was. He didn't realize that Zwing named the mountain after one
of his dead outlaw pals who'd been killed in the ambush. The uncle found a burn
wagon and a rock with two crosses on it but nothing buried under it. So folks
somewhere near Skeleton Canyon there's still three million dollars in treasure
waiting for you. Are you? Are you? The lost goal of Devil's Kitchen. Holy Toledo
Ken that was a humdinger of a story. You know I felt like I was really there
during all the excitement too. And say kids how would you like to have Ken
really there right in your living room anytime you want? Why it's just like
having Ken in person when you own one of his wonderful Diamond K record albums
made especially for you. Remember what I told you earlier you got a whole record
album with two complete Ken Maynard western stories and a beautiful bound
album for only one dollar. Now both the album and the records have colored
pictures of Ken and Tarzan blazing right across the front. Don't forget these
records are personalized with a message from Ken just for you and he'll call you
by name. They're high quality records too made from pure vinylite the finest
material that money can buy. It's impossible to break one of these
wonderful records and you can play them over and over as many times as you want.
So be sure to send in your name and address right now to Records in care of
this station and close a one dollar bill. The records in the album will be sent
right to you postage prepaid from Hollywood. Hurry now the quicker you
write the sooner you'll have your western record album to hear and enjoy.
Now let's get back to Ken. Well folks it's time to bring our story around up
to a close. This is Ken Maynard and Tarzan closing up the tack room at the
Diamond K Ranch till I see you next time when I'll tell you the story of secrets
of Three Horn Ranch. We'll be looking for you. In the meantime get your one dollar
bills in the mail now for some real Western fun. So long. You've been
listening to Tales from the Diamond K, stories of adventure told by Ken Maynard,
internationally famous cowboy, stunt rider, and Hollywood's champion of
western stars. Tales from the Diamond K was produced and transcribed in
Hollywood.