The King of Spades

Roundup time at the old Bar 20 has come and gone, and Hoppy has taken a leave of absence to do a special favor for a friend, the head of a railroad that's pushing out through the lonely mountain ranges of the Southwest.

Together with California and an engineer named Reno Ryan, Hoppy leads an exploring party seeking an unmapped past of the purgatory range.

Night overtakes them just before they reach the colorful border town of Mesa

Seca.

The men sit around their campfires talking and singing while Hoppy, California, and Reno discuss the terrain ahead with their guide, Francisco.

The Badlands beyond Mesa Seca will be the worst yet, señor.

So whatever it is, wild and lonely.

We've crossed tough country before, Francisco.

Si, but the Badlands is

different, amigo.

It is filled with outlaws and murderers.

Usually they kill first because they mean business.

Then they ask the rest for money.

Have they got a leader? Oh, si.

He is one few men have seen.

They call him El Rey.

Uh, how you say, uh, uh, the king of spades? The king

of spades? Why do they call him that?

Because,

senor

Cassidy, his victims are found usually with a king of spades on the

chest and a knife driven through it.

Seems to me that what the Badlands need is a positive vigilante to go in and clean it out.

There has been such talk before, but...

He's king of spades.