The game works here in 0.74 and SVN, so I suspect your cart image doesn't have the right format. It should have a 512 byte jRipCart header that starts with the word "PCjr" or it won't work.

I guess I have a brutman dump then. I had read a thread about the headers in regards to a different pcjr cart, but I don't know how to go and change headers.

The version at HotUD is some windows version.

I also saw a thread with a diff file that adds support for these alternate pcjr headers, but I have yet to successfully compile a working dosbox.

is there a page on the net somewhere about how to edit the headers? I googled and did not find one.

I once found a supposed dump of this game, but besides lacking a valid header of either type, it doesn't even have the ROM extension word (55 AA) - most likely a bad dump, if not an outright fake, so changing headers won't do a whole lot. Check if that is the case with yours.

I know there is a dump on the net, but it's headerless, and it soesn't work with most IBM PCjr emu's, the only one that does is MESS.

That one (exactly 16KB in size, starts with "55 AA") should work fine if you add the attached header.