Rancher George Perdue is secretly running a band of rustlers under the moniker Nevada, incorporating his obsession with the life and military strategies of Napoleon Bonaparte, as well as chess, in his mad dream of becoming an emperor of the west. When he tries to rustle off the stock of his neighbor, Jim Arnold, the latter writes a letter to Hopalong Cassidy to come, along with Red Connors, to help stop the outlaws. Johnny Nelson also goes to the Arnold ranch, but only to see Arnold's daughter Margaret, but he doesn't realize that Margaret is sweet on Perdue and his civilized manner (brought on more by her school days in Boston). In order to join Nevada's gang and get a better chance to attack the outlaw, Hoppy takes on the disguise and manners of Tex Riley, a card shark. Nevada lets Hoppy/Tex join and gives him his first assignment of killing the man who is responsible for the rift in his relationship with Margaret, Johnny Nelson. Hoppy is forced to shoot Johnny, while he is trying to work with Red, Arnold, and Windy (Hayes in his first appearance as the character) to round up Nevada's gang, while not being discovered for whom he really is. Another great entry in the series, aided immensely by Worth's portrayal of the sinister, yet prim and proper Nevada. A great scene in the film is when he tells Hoppy (as Tex) he can use him, while fondling a chess pawn in his hand. Boyd also plays the Tex role to the hilt, with a foppishness soon to be seen many times in later films. A good climax ends another winning film in the series. Rating, based on B westerns, 8.
