Tom, Mix, Ralston, Strait Cuters are on the air from coast to coast.
Let's get going!
Up, up, up, Tony, up, boy!
The mystery of the mastermind.
Dangerous gang led by a man known as the Madelter Mind has taken Wrangler prisoner.
And yesterday, this same gang tried to capture Pecos Williams in a taxi cab.
Pecos escaped when he ford the cab driver who was a member of the gang into a raging rive.
He was kept off a high bridge into a raging river below.
Pecos, who was carrying a flower in his pockets, a flower containing the secret formula which the gang is after,
had to remove his overcoat in order to swim to shore and save his life.
As a result, both the overcoat and the flower were swept downstream and lost forever.
Because of this, the top Mix now finds himself in a desperate situation.
That's why he has just received a message from the mastermind saying to him that unless he delivers the flower by midnight,
the Wrangler will die.
What will Tom do?
In a moment, we'll learn.
First, here's Tom Mix himself with an important message.
Howdy, straight shooters. With a new year just around the corner, we all make our New Year's resolutions.
All us straight shooters usually set aside to read over new, our straight shooters' pledges.
I'm going to read this pledge to you again. Here it is.
It says, first, I promise to shoot straight with my parents by obeying my father and mother and by eating the food that I'm going to eat.
Second, I promise to shoot straight with my friends by telling the truth always, by being fair and square at work and at play,
trying always to win, but being a good looter if I lose.
Third, I promise to shoot straight with myself and keeping my mind alert by striving always to be at my best.
Fourth, I promise to shoot straight with Tom Mix by regularly eating Ralston, a fish-flavored straight shooter cereal.
Because I know Ralston is just the kind of cereal that will help build a stronger America.
Straight shooters, if you'll all renew this pledge and follow it, I know that
1942 will bring you all the good things and happiness you wish for, all we wish for.
And now, come on out to Tom's hotel room in Capitol City.
There you find Tom Pekus, the chief of police in various conferences.
Mix, what am I going to do? We can't say there must be some way out of it.
If you can find the answer, you're a genius.
Tom, why couldn't we leave another flower?
One I lost. We could leave it at the desk downstairs.
No, Pekus, that won't work. The minute this mastermind finds out it's the wrong flower.
What if we leave the false flower at the desk downstairs and then shadow whoever picked it up back to the mastermind's hideout?
Try that if we can't think of anything better, and I'd rather not.
Let's see. Yeah, here it is.
Don't shadow my agent. If he does not return, Wrangler will die as the tower clock strikes midnight.
I've got to hunch this gang is...
All right, then, make use of guess something.
Aye, dear chief. I don't know what's the chance that it might...
What is it, Tom?
Smaller clues than this, if I couldn't this piece of paper do the same thing.
Sorry, the time element. I'm not sure what it is, but even if we can, we haven't the...
Oh, we can. We've got to save Wrangler. All right, if you say so, we'll try it.
Not a minute to lose. We've got paper in the lab right away.
Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going.
Les Bachman, where are you from?
One moment more, chief.
Yes, yes, I think I can tell you.
My tests show, chief, that this paper is a product of Hickman and Cubs.
I see the watermark very clearly.
With the Mr. Mix, it's a fine grid of paper that...
What else can you tell us?
Well, sold only at the leading station when people are putting out a... a fusionary.
How long have you been on the market?
Not, chief.
Now, that narrows it down considerably. We know that this paper must have been sold to the mine within the last six months.
I know anything about it. This paper has been sold within the last two months.
Good. Now, our next step is to get the paper out of the lab.
Now, our next step is to get in touch with Hickman and Company right away.
Yes, this is George Hickman of Hickman and Company Los Angeles.
This is Tom Mix, Mr. Hickman. I'm calling from Capital City.
Oh, yes, Mr. Mix. What can I do for you?
Mr. Hickman, I want you to give me a list of all jobbers in Capital City to whom you've sold your new Stylist brand of paper within the last two months.
Anything wrong, Mr. Mix?
Plenty, but I can't take the time to tell you now.
I'll be mighty obliged if you'll just give me the information I need without asking questions.
Oh, yes, certainly. Just give me a minute to get the list of our jobbers in Capital City, and I'll be able to tell you what you want to know in no time at all.
I'm from the police department. I want a list of all your customers who bought the new Hickman Stylist brand of paper within the last two months.
Now, don't ask questions. Just give me the list.
I don't need like a complete list of all the people you've sold this Stylist brand of stationery to in the last two months.
And I'm trying to get on the trail of all the folks who's bought this year kind of paper in the last two months.
I'll be mighty obliged to you, Porden, if you do that.
342 people, of which we've gone through 129 so far, and here it is 11 o'clock.
Yeah.
Mix, I tell you, we'll never make it. There isn't time. We've got to do something.
Yeah, you're right, Chief. We'll never be able to check the rest of this list in the next hour.
No.
I hate to think of it, but there's always a chance that the Mastermind may have bought this paper in some other city.
Doggone. Do you reckon he might have done that, Tom?
Yeah, there's no telling, Pegas.
Chief.
Yeah?
I'm afraid we'll have to leave another flower at the desk in the hotel. After all, it'll gain us another hour or two, and...
Well, you never know. We may be able to turn up something in that time.
It's possible.
Pegas.
Yeah, Tom?
Now, you go back to the hotel.
Yeah?
I better stay here at police headquarters and keep checking on these names.
Uh-huh.
Now, stop in at a florist on the way and pick up a faded rose.
Uh-huh.
And leave it at the desk. Give it to the clerk. Tell him to give it to whoever calls for it.
Yeah.
Got that straight?
Yeah, I got it.
All right, after you've done that, come right back here.
Yeah.
Now, wait a minute.
Huh?
You got a gun with you?
I ain't traveling without one anymore.
Good. Get going, then.
I'm on my way.
Come in.
I regret the lateness of my arrival, Master.
No matter.
You have brought the flower?
Yes, Master.
They waited long enough before making up their minds.
It's an easy thing, I dare say, to trifle with another's life,
so long as it is not your own.
You've saved the wrangler's life by a scant ten minutes.
It was not my fault, Master.
The flower was left at the hotel desk only fifteen minutes ago by Mixer's cowboy friend.
You assure you were not followed here?
Positive.
Give me the flower.
Yes, I have it here.
You will keep your promise, Master.
You will not do away with this wrangler person.
Have you ever known me to go back on my words?
I never say something I do not mean.
I will release the man as said in the years I should have killed him
on the stoke of twelve, had you not brought the flower.
Wait.
Yes?
Is that the flower?
It is, Master.
That is the flower left at the hotel desk?
Yes, Master, of course.
I would not bring you any other flower.
You senseless fool, you idiot.
Have you no eyes that you cannot see?
There's something wrong.
Wrong? Of course it's wrong.
That flower has the bloom still on it.
Well, I do not see what...
The flower we are after is withered and dead.
It was given to the girl by her father two weeks ago,
the day on which he died.
Already it was losing its freshness when she gave it a tom mix on the plane.
And you, you idiot, bring me a rose plucked only a day or so.
Master, I never thought I...
Does Mix consider me such a fool that he thinks I will fall for so obvious a trick?
Mix will suffer for this.
And I will also get the flower.
He'll suffer through his friend, Wrangler.
Where is Mix now?
At the Chief's office, police headquarters.
You will go to the corner drugstore.
You will telephone Mix from there and tell him either I hear from him by one o'clock or Wrangler dies.
I will give him one more hour, one and no more.
Is that clear?
Yes, Master.
When you have delivered my message, hang up quickly.
We do not want the police tracing the call.
Very good, Master.
Then go.
On your way out, tell Joe to bring the Wrangler.
I watched, Tom.
And I saw an hombre come up to the desk,
take the flower from the clerk and skedaddle out of there pronto.
Good. I hope it works.
We need the time to get through these names.
How are the reports coming in, Tom?
Police cars throughout the city are investigating names and addresses that look suspicious.
My boys here at headquarters are telephoning all the others just as a double check.
Oh, Mix. This may be what we're waiting for.
Hello?
Let me talk to Tom Mix.
Just a minute.
Will you, Mix?
Thanks.
Hello?
Tom Mix?
I'm calling for the mastermind.
Yes? Yes?
Chief, please come home.
You are fool, Mix, to think you could deceive the mastermind by sending the wrong flower.
What? I'm sorry. I didn't get that.
There's a call coming in on 604. Quick.
You need not pay for time, Mix.
Suffice it to say, my master has discovered your trick.
And you will pay dearly for it, unless you give him what he wants.
You will pay dearly through your friend Wrangler.
Oh, what do you mean? What are you talking about?
Unless you leave the right flower at the desk,
before one o'clock Wrangler will die.
This is your last warning.
This is a matter of life and death.
All right. I guess I haven't any choice in the matter.
You tell the mastermind I'll do as he says.
I'll leave the real flower at the hotel desk by one o'clock tomorrow afternoon.
You do not understand me.
I said one o'clock in the morning.
Oh, but that's less than an hour from now.
I can't get the flower in that time.
Get the flower or Wrangler dies.
Now listen to me. I've got to have more time.
Mix, keep him on there as long as you can.
It's impossible for me to get that flower by one o'clock.
I'm merely giving you the message I was told to give you.
Goodbye.
Hello. Hello.
He's hung up.
Well, at least we've gained another hour, Chief.
But this time the mastermind means what he says.
Either we manage to reach Wrangler by one o'clock,
or I reckon we won't have to bother about reaching him at all.
Tomorrow Tom Mix swings into action.
Closes in on the mastermind's hideout.
And then, for the thrilling climax to this exciting mystery,
be sure to listen in tomorrow.
And now, the makers of good old Ralston Wheat cereal
join with Tom Mix, the old Wrangler,
Pecus, and yours truly, Don Gordon,
in wishing our straight shooters everywhere
a happy and a prosperous New Year.
Well, look, it's roundup time, so let's get going.
Up, Tony. Up, boy. Up.
Help Uncle Sam win the war by buying defense bonds and stamps.
Buy them tomorrow and keep on buying them
from your bank, post office, or local store.
This is Don Gordon reminding you to listen to Tom Mix at 5.45 tomorrow.
Good night.
Mother, now you can give your family the hot breakfast
you know they need without wasting a minute.
Serve instant Ralston, the amazing new hot cereal that needs no cooking.
To fix instant Ralston, just pour it into boiling water or milk.
Turn off the heat immediately because it needs no cooking.
Stir and serve. That's all you have to do.
And instant Ralston is piping hot and ready to enjoy.
As thoroughly cooked as if you had prepared it yourself.
Your family will love the hearty, zestful flavor of instant Ralston.
It's the cereal you've been looking for.
A cereal that will let you sleep later,
yet send your family off to work or school
with the kind of nourishment you know they need.
So don't delay. Ask for instant Ralston
in the familiar red and white checkerboard package.
Made by the makers of famous Ralston wheat cereal.
A family favorite for over 40 years.
This is the Blue Network operated by the National Broadcasting Company.