Found in Mexico -- Missouri

Originally Aired: January 12, 1940 Lum #243, "Found in Mexico -- Missouri," The government has dropped all charges against Lum for running an illegal post office, but there's a problem: Abner and Grandpap had been keeping this news from him as a prank to teach him a lesson. When they finally decided to tell Lum the truth, he had already fled, convinced the authorities were closing in on him. Now Abner and Grandpap worry that Lum has headed to Mexico to start a revolution, just as he'd mentioned earlier. The two men frantically search Pine Ridge for any sign of their missing friend, and Cedric has disappeared along with him. As guilt weighs heavily on them for taking their joke too far, they realize the dangerous situation they may have created. Desperate for answers, Abner and Grandpap begin discussing how to find Lum, considering placing advertisements in newspapers. Their concern deepens when they remember Lum talking about starting a revolution in Mexico, which Grandpap explains could get him killed. Overcome with remorse, they rummage through Lum's desk looking for his life insurance policy to see who should be notified, and they discover his last will and testament.