How you doing there folks? This is Ken Maynard with another tale from the Diamond Cave.
You know it's mighty nice to make new friends and kind of visit with the old ones too.
Tarzan would like to say hello too wouldn't you boy?
You know that is a way of inviting you to visit with us for the next 15 minutes.
I've got a little yarn to tell you about a friend of mine,
old rusty Bill used to hunt and scout along the river Colorado way out there in the Indian country.
Well sir, the tack room door is open so why don't you all come right on in.
From the tack room of Ken Maynard's Diamond Cave Ranch, we're bringing you transcribed stories of
adventures, stories of circus life, fascinating tales of the old west where cowboys still follow
the cattle trails, stories of rodeos and parades, colorful legends of the red man,
hidden gold and buried treasure. The exciting tales from the Diamond Cave are told by Hollywood's
champion of western stars, internationally famous Ken Maynard. Now when you meet a champion like Ken,
you just know he's full of adventurous stories, real life stories too. For did you know Ken Maynard
holds the world's championship for trick riding and Ken's hunted for gold himself. Stunt ridden
in the circus, made scores of movies in Hollywood and so on. So naturally his stories are just
loaded with thrills and kids you can have some of those stories for your very own to hear anytime
you want. I'm talking about Ken's exciting Diamond Cave album of phonograph records and listen,
these stories were made especially for you. Ken opens the stories with a personal message for you
and he'll call you by name like hello George or Dawn or Sally. Ken will speak right to you alone
on your set of Ken Maynard records. Now can you tie that partner? No siree and you can't beat the
value either. Here's what you get, a beautiful full color record album with a thrilling picture of Ken
and Tarzan on the front and inside are four sides. That's two complete Wild West stories that start
out by Ken talking personally to you. The two big eight inch unbreakable pure vinyl light records
are standard 78 rpm speed for the regular familiar kind of phonograph and they have pictures of Ken
and Tarzan right on the records. And it's so easy to get them. All you do is send your name and address
to Ken Maynard in care of this station and enclose a one dollar bill. Just one that's all. Just a one
dollar bill for ages of fun and enjoyment. Now don't forget you can't buy these records in any store
because Ken makes them just for you and he calls you by name right on the record. Now don't you
wait to get your Diamond Cave record album. The sooner you write Ken the sooner you get your
personalized album. So right now to Ken Maynard and close a one dollar bill and your name and address
and send it to this station. Now let's hear the exciting story Ken has for us today. Ken?
Well folks we're going to get on with our story now. You know when I was a youngster just starting
to ride the cattle trails I met an old crapper an Indian scout his name was Rusty Bill. We were
sitting around a chuck wagon just before child time my first trip on a cattle roundup. Old Rusty
said to me that I'm going to give you a piece of advice young fella. Maybe it won't mean much now
but in years to come while you're riding through life it might keep the trails open for you.
Well I never forgot what he said and so I kind of like to pass it on to you youngsters because
it kind of pertains to everything we do. Rusty Bill said keep your eyes on the trail sometimes
it twists and turns. Remember the water holes because there's always someone passing by.
When you're not climbing the hills remember it's rest not speed that gets you to the top.
Watch the trees they always bend with the wind and when you're lost don't keep pushing on. It's
not too much trouble to go back and start all over again. Well sir and then on I spent much
time as I could with old Rusty. He taught me a goody about horses guns and men.
I wasn't very old when I made my first trip from Colorado across the mountains and down into
eastern Arizona. We were trailing a string of ponies. It was about the middle of the summer
and we were camping a small ravine somewhere near the little Colorado River. Old Rusty was frying
a pan of bacon that smelled mighty sweet in the early evening there. I was sitting on a dead log
alongside the mountain stream watching the chipmunks darting out among the rocks. Then I heard
old Rusty's voice call me Ken boy come on over here. I reckon this is the prettiest country you
ever saw huh. Now take this very spot we're camping on nothing like it nowhere else in the world he
said. I've been following this trail back and forth and hunting and trapping for years.
Most every time I've camped in this very spot you can see the ashes and burnt rock all around come
over here. I got up from the log and followed him to a big stone a dozen feet away. He looked
at me his wrinkled old face lit up with pride. See that stone with the writing on it son?
Well sir I fixed that myself in 1901 got my name and party I was taking through.
Then he looked around the hills and said I know where the rock and tree stream along this here old
trail clean into southern Arizona. Look down the ridge Ken you see that old cabin. I couldn't be
lonesome as long as I saw that once a year. You see I helped build it Rusty said. Mighty funny how
it all come about. It's a strange story. Mighty strange. Don't get me talking now there's work to
be done. Better check up on a horse or son. It was hard for me to leave then. Old Rusty was a great
storyteller but he was the boss. As I checked the hobbles on the last horse to see if they'd be
all right for the night I happened to look down the ridge and what I thought I saw almost made
my heart stop beating. I started to camp calling for Rusty. Rusty, Rusty, hey Bill. Well he dropped
the frying pan came running to meet me. I said Rusty use your glasses quick look down that ridge.
You see that big rock in front of the cabin? Old Rusty looked at me in a kind of disgusted way then
he grunted. Of course I see it. I've been seeing it for a good many years. What is there about that
rock that got you so all fired excited? I pointed again at the rock and my voice must have quivers.
I said well there's a girl an Indian girl dressed in white buckskin stand on that rock.
Is she real or am I seeing things? Say kids you enjoy my story? Hope so because it's always been a
favorite of mine. Let me just wove here for a minute and catch my thoughts while I tell you about
another favorite of mine. It's this little old K-shirt of mine that I wear every day. Have you
heard about my K-shirt? Well in case you haven't it's kind of like a t-shirt but made especially
for me in soft cotton about the color of the desert sand. And right smack in front is a big
diamond K brand from my ranch in flaming red. And Tarzan and me are on the K-shirt too saying howdy.
Well I kind of like the colors and the way it fits and everything. I thought you might like one too.
Some of the kids around the neighborhood where I live asked me to get them some and I did.
They're made buckaroo size of course in two four six eight ten and twelve. And if you figure you'd
like a K-shirt for yourself like I wear when I'm practicing stunt riding and tricks around my ranch
well you can have one. Let me know your name and address and on account of the fellow that
makes the man a millionaire he says would you enclose a one dollar bill so he can make the
shirt up special for you. Sounds kind of simple like so if you want a real western K-shirt like mine
send your name and address and a dollar to this station. Well it may be pay a whole lot more than
that for the ones I wear so it sounds like a mighty big value to me. Now quit gabbing get on the story.
Well sir as Rusty Bill raised his glasses to look where I told him there was an Indian girl standing
on the rock. He looked at me kind of strange like for a minute then he focused on the spot and
sort of a quiver ran up and down his back. Then he finally turned to me and he said
the Shoshone's must be going north again. He didn't talk for a while after that just started
puttering around the campfire doing little things and trying to prove to me that there was nothing
unusual about an Indian girl standing on the rock as straight and still as a statue.
Finally the motion for me to put a couple of chunks of pine on the fire. Say you'd like to see
it blaze up a little so it makes shadows among the trees. Then he said now Ken can you bring that old
stump of wood over here so I can lean my back again. I knew what was coming old Rusty Bill decided
it was time to do a little talking about the Indian girl he said. Her name was Painted Flower
and she was the daughter of Chief Whitehorse leader of the Shoshone band. Rusty Bill was
the leader of the Shoshone band. Rusty Bill went on to tell me that Painted Flower fell in love
with Jim Rankin, gentleman soldier and scout who rode the hills when the first white man moved in.
This fellow Jim had been all over was a great one to fall in love with any woman as long as she was
beautiful and Painted Flower was sure beautiful. The big chief like Jim so much he allowed them to
marry and they had an Indian wedding on the banks of the river Colorado. Rusty pointed towards the
trail and said he'd come through there in the summer with a band of ponies when Jim and his
squall Painted Flower were building the cabin and they'd just seen him down the ridge. Well Rusty
stayed with them and helped Jim build the cabin. One day Jim said to Rusty why don't you marry one
of these Indian gals and settle down there's room for another cabin. Oh Rusty Bill snorted, no sirree.
He was hitting the trail pronto. Then Rusty Bill told me he looked at Jim and his voice was dead
serious. Two bloods like this will never mix. Well Jim laughed at that and said Rusty was crazy
when he came this way again next year he would find a hearty welcome in the cabin in the hills.
Rusty pushed on spent the winter out in the desert. He didn't do so well as soon as the trails broke
he started back across the mountain. It was about two months before he made it back to where we were
now Cam. When he rode in he said the sun had just gone down. He looked across the ridge and there
stood Painted Flower on that rock. Rusty said he sure was mighty glad to get back and wave to Painted
Flower but he guessed she didn't see him. So he took the rope of the lead mule and started down the
trail. He called her as he went but still she didn't answer and looked kind of funny standing there so
still. So he started to run down the trail calling but still she didn't answer. When he got there he
was plumb out of breath. Where's Jim he said. She didn't move and they puzzled looked him over her
face. Where's Jim he repeated. Her body's stiff and her black eyes were expressionless. He go, he go.
That's all she said. Rusty Bill stopped telling his story. I looked over at him as he poked at
the bright red coals in the campfire. Then he straightened up and walked a few steps from camp
and called to me. Come here Cam old boy what do you see down there. Well sir there were hundreds of
small fires that lit up the whole valley. Kind of spotted like stars on a bright night. Rusty Bill
spoke he kept his eyes on the valley below. That's the show showing camp he said. Once every year at
about the same time of evening you could see Painted Flower standing on that rock looking for Jim
but he never came back. You see son like I always said two bloods like that will never never mix.
There's a story folks. The day Jim Rankin disappeared no white man was ever allowed in the valley and
believe me they didn't dare go. And long after the Shoshones were driven from their land this Indian
legend was remembered. And many who disbelieved lost their lives mysteriously in the valley of
Painted Flower. Gosh Ken that was some story. I could listen to that one again and again. And
again and speaking of stories kids wouldn't you like to be able to hear some of Ken's famous
stories whenever you wanted. Well you can with Ken Maynard's exciting Diamond K album of Wild West
records you can play them again and again for yourself and for your friends. They're terrific
stories. Tales of cowboys and Indians lost gold and desperadoes. Stories just packed full of
excitement and best of all these Ken Maynard records are personalized made just for you
and you alone with a message from Ken. When you put the needle down on the record the first thing
you'll hear is hello Teddy. Say it Ken. Hello Teddy. Hello Barbara or whatever your name is. Ken will
say hello to you personally and tell you some of his favorite stories. Remember you get an album
with four sides two records of standard 78 rpm speed and all you do is send your name and address
and enclose a one dollar bill and send it to this station. Do it now Buccaroo's because the faster you
write the faster you'll get your album. Now here's Ken to tell you about his next story.
Well folks this is Ken Maynard in Tarzan closing the door of the Diamond K Ranch pack room till
next time we meet and I'll tell you a mighty fascinating story then called the Oklahoma Kid.
In the meantime be sure to get your one dollar bills in the mail for some real western fun.
You've been listening to Tales from the Diamond K told by Ken Maynard internationally famous
cowboy and Hollywood's champion of western stars. Tales from the Diamond K was transcribed and
produced in Hollywood.