microphone golden
Fort Laramie.
Fort Laramie, starring Raymond Burr as Captain Lee Quince.
He transcribed tales of the dark and tragic ground of the wild frontier.
The saga of fighting men who rode the rim of empire.
And the dramatic story of Lee Quince, Captain of Cavalry.
Captain, Captain Quince.
Sergeant, Sergeant Gorse, how are you?
It's sure good to see you, Captain.
You look kind of funny though.
What do you mean?
Them clothes, mufti. I ain't used to you out of uniform.
I'll be back in uniform at midnight tonight, Sergeant.
We'll stay in town till then.
And you can buy me a drink.
Me buy? I thought you was going to get rich in St. Louis.
Did I say that?
Well, you talked about nothing else before your leave come through.
Just prove you shouldn't believe everything you hear, Sergeant.
Yes, sir. I'll try to remember that.
See that you do. And to really fool you, I may go back to St. Louis.
With the Army?
A man can make money there, Sergeant.
I don't mean gambling, I mean honestly.
In an honest business, buying things, selling them.
Well, sir, the Army sure know a place for a man who wants to get rich. I'll say that.
The Army's no place for a man who wants to do any living at all.
You're either turning black with the boredom of garrison,
or you're riding hellbent into nowhere.
It's sure enough, Drew, Captain.
Well, come on, let's get our drink.
How's B Company, Sergeant?
Company's fine, sir.
Major Daggett's gonna be mighty glad to see you back at Fort Laramie.
He isn't gonna see me till midnight.
He'll be waiting up.
Send me into town to tell you.
Huh? Something wrong?
Yes, sir.
Well, what?
Arapahos. They've been raiding for horses.
Massacred a whole family over in the basin about ten days ago.
You mean... you mean they jumped the reservation?
Not the whole tribe. Just a few of them, I guess.
Mr. Cybritts took B Company out last week, but he didn't have any luck.
Why not?
I don't know, Captain. I wasn't with him.
What?
I've been on sick list till two days ago.
Sick list? You?
Yes, sir. A pack mule kicked me in the belly.
Oh. Well, a little whiskey'll cure that, Sergeant.
Well, here we are.
Mr. Cybritts is feeling mighty bad about it.
Your belly?
Like I said, it's good to have you back, Captain.
A bottle of rye and two glasses.
Coming up.
The army.
Hey, boylan. Look at what came in.
What's his trouble?
Eight soldiers, I guess.
Like a lot of people.
Since Richmond?
Yeah. Too much war, maybe.
I guess everybody'd like to forget it now.
We'd all like to forget it.
But there's a war still going on.
You're right, sir.
Who do they think stands between them and all the hostiles out there waiting to hack them to pieces?
Who does all their dirty work for them?
It isn't like people to be grateful for any favors, Sergeant.
No, sir, I guess not.
When I think of the troops aching for home while they sweat and freeze
and spill their blood all over the frontier for 50 cents a day,
it makes me mad.
Tell me about St. Louis, Captain.
Here's your liquor, gentlemen.
Hey, you! Hold it!
You know them, Sergeant?
No, sir.
What's your trouble, mister?
My name ain't mister. It's Rudio.
I ain't talking to you. I'm talking to the soldier.
I'm with the soldier.
You stay out of this. You know what's good for you.
You tell him, Moylan.
What do you want from me? I never saw you before.
You won't want to see us again after we're through with you.
What's this all about?
We don't like soldiers drinking where we drink, mister.
We like to teach them a lesson now and then.
Don't we, Moylan?
Yeah, we do it, too.
Now, just shut up, mister.
What's the matter with you coming in here with a soldier?
You got a drink with him, too?
Rudio, I just guess that he ain't no better than no soldier himself.
Just scum floating with scum.
That's what I call it.
Well?
Okay. Sergeant Gorse.
Yes, sir.
You can have Moylan there.
Thank you, sir.
Move out.
Hey!
I'll buy you that drink now, Captain Quits.
You can buy the first one, Sergeant.
Yes, sir.
You're half an hour late, Captain Quince.
I was on the post at midnight, Major.
I wanted to get back in the uniform before reporting.
I'm glad of that, anyway.
I kind of figured you would be.
You still think I'm too army, don't you, Lee?
We've known each other a long time, Major.
Since Vicksburg with Grant.
I remember a night in Chattanooga you weren't very army.
I've forgotten the girl's name, of course.
Captain Quince, I trust Sergeant Gorse told you about the Arapaho trouble?
Yeah.
They're out raiding for horses.
They've slaughtered a family over in the basin.
It's got to be stopped.
Settlers are beginning to wonder what the Second Cavalry's doing at Fort Laramie.
If this goes on, there won't be any settlers.
Hard enough homesteading this country without a man waiting for him and his family to be massacred by renegade Indians.
I'll take a patrol out in a few days, have a look around.
You'll take B Company out tomorrow morning.
May I make a suggestion, Major Daggett?
If it's in order.
Lieutenant Sybritts took B Company out and found nothing.
Sure, he's green, but a fewer Arapaho can hide easy from a whole troop of cavalry beating its way through this country.
Give me 12 men.
I'll scout those Indians, get them set up.
Then I'll come back for the company.
No, no, it's too slow. There isn't time.
Better let me try it, sir.
I said no, Captain.
You haven't got very far your way, Major.
You have your orders.
Yes, sir.
Oh, Captain.
Yes, sir.
I heard you and Sergeant Gorse were in a brawl earlier this evening in town.
Conduct on becoming an officer.
You should learn to control your temper, Captain.
I wonder what family the Arapahos are putting the knife to tonight, Major Daggett.
I should never start this sort of thing with you.
Take your patrol.
Yes, sir. Any further orders?
We have Sergeant Gorse and Lieutenant Sybritts, but no other officers or non-commissioned officers.
Right.
Bash your men through the main gates of the post half hour before Reveille.
Any questions?
No, sir.
Then move out.
There's a cabin just over this rise, Captain Quince.
Ah.
Must be new, Mr. Sybritts.
Yes, sir. It is.
A man and his family, he's raising horses.
The man's a fool.
I'm not a fool.
I'm a man of the heart.
The man's a fool.
There's just as good land a day's ride from the fort.
You're right, sir.
Am I, Mr. Sybritts?
Of course, sir.
What if the man likes it out here, away from people?
That make him a fool?
No, sir.
Then I'm wrong.
I'm afraid I don't understand, sir.
You agree too easily, Mr. Sybritts.
Better learn to think for yourself.
Yes, sir.
Now, where is your cabin?
Well, you'll see it in a minute, sir.
There it...
No.
Look, it's been burned.
Whoa!
Sergeant!
So, Zarapehose again, Captain?
Yes, Captain.
Look down there, Sergeant.
Well, the patrol out of scout, Sergeant.
Thousand yards between men.
If there's any Indians around, I want to know it.
The men will watch us at the cabin for arm signals.
Right, sir.
Then join Mr. Sybritts and me down there.
Move out.
Yes, sir.
Follow me, Mr. Sybritts.
Looks like they slaughtered every one of them.
Man...
Woman...
Young boy.
Is this the whole family, Mr. Sybritts?
That's all of them, sir.
Thank God for that.
Every one of them scouted.
Even the boy.
At least they...
They weren't tortured.
No, sir.
Tell me...
Tell me, Mr. Sybritts,
was the other family like this?
Why, yes, sir.
I see.
Made quite a mess, didn't he?
Take a good look, Sergeant.
How many horses did this man have, Mr. Sybritts?
About ten, as I remember, sir.
Well, Sergeant?
Funny thing...
What is?
Well, Captain, I don't know how them Arapahos
could have surprised him so fast.
What makes you think they did?
Not many arrows around.
If a man had had a chance to put up any fight at all,
there'd be a lot of arrows.
Is that all?
Yes, sir.
You sure?
Well...
Yes, sir.
Sergeant Gorse, I excuse Mr. Sybritts
because of his lack of experience,
but you...
You're a disgrace to the cavalry.
Or to clean your sleeve and send you back to Stabley Tale.
Yes, sir.
Don't stand there, Gab, and use your eyes.
I'm looking.
Look harder.
There ain't no tracks.
No tracks?
Somebody dragged him out with a blanket.
Somebody? Why do you say somebody, Sergeant?
I don't know, sir.
There's something wrong here.
Look, how old's that boy, Sergeant?
Maybe 12, 13?
Old enough to be a brave in a couple of years
if he was an Indian?
Yes, sir.
Don't a Rappahos usually keep a boy that age
and try to make a warrior out of him?
They always do.
Now, wait.
Them tracks, they wouldn't hide their tracks.
No, they wouldn't.
Captain.
Yeah?
Now, I know why you got so mad.
I'm pretty mad myself.
Took you long enough.
Mr. Sybritts.
Yes, sir?
A man named Gorse,
he's a man wearing moccasins,
doesn't care about his tracks.
He's got nothing to hide.
Wasn't the Rappahos did this,
wasn't Indians at all,
was white men?
Whose place is this, Captain?
Jake Steele and his wife.
Their daughter lives with them.
Shouldn't their daughter live with them, sir?
Ali's 19, going on 20.
She had some schooling back east.
You mean she should be married now.
This country needs women, Mr. Sybritts,
but it doesn't need single women.
Yes, sir.
Patrol, halt!
Mr. Sybritts.
Yes, sir?
Dismount and unsaddle.
Dry the horses,
turn them into the corral yonder.
Cash the saddles over in that brush
so they can be seen.
All other equipment the men will keep.
Yes, sir.
Two men will stand by for escort duty.
Move out.
Yes, sir.
It's Captain Queens, Miss Steele.
Captain, what are you and your troopers doing out here?
I'll tell you if you ask me in.
Oh, come in.
Where's your family?
Well, they rode over to the Abbott place.
That's a long ride.
They're spending the night.
They'll be back tomorrow.
Why? Is there trouble?
No, not for you, Holly.
Then what are you doing here?
I came to borrow your ranch.
What?
I need it for a few days, maybe a week.
No, Captain.
You and your folks can stay with the Abbott's for a while.
I'll send for you when I'm through here.
You seem to have it all figured out.
I have.
Of course.
Shall I leave right now, Captain Queens?
Sooner the better.
I'm sending an escort with you.
Well, that's good.
I can spare a couple of troopers.
Then you'll move in here.
Sergeant Gorse and me.
Wouldn't you like for me to stay and cook for you?
No, no, no.
You couldn't do that.
Why?
Don't you think I'm a good cook?
Maybe when this is over, I'll ride back sometime.
And find out.
Captain Quince, just because you and I have met once or twice at Fort Laramie, Dan...
Just a minute, Miss Holly.
You don't understand.
Don't I?
I should have explained.
There's going to be a fight here.
Fight?
I'm using this place for a trap, baiting it with a bunch of horses.
And when the men I'm after come for them, then I'll be the one to fight.
Well, we'll be waiting.
What men?
Men who've been stealing horses, murdering settler families, blaming it on their Arapahos.
You mean it's white men who've been doing that?
I do.
Captain Quince, I'm beginning to understand that being in the cavalry, you're accustomed to ordering people around and not explaining anything.
I'm sorry, Holly, I upset you.
Now, if you'll wait outside while I get some things together, I'll ride up to the Abbot's with that escort you promised me.
Good.
Oh, Captain.
Yes?
I hope you have a chance someday to find out about my cooking.
What I mean is, good luck.
Thank you, Holly.
Go on, get out of here now.
Well, it took me that long to do something. I'd get busted to a private.
You can still get busted, Sergeant.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Cybots.
Right here, Captain.
You'll take over the patrol, Mr. Cybots.
I want you to spot the men in a complete circle around this place, half mile out.
They're to dig in.
And when they think they're hidden, I'm going to ride that circle.
I understand, sir.
Heaven help any trooper I can see.
Yes, sir.
They're to let those men through.
When they hear gunfire from the cabin here, they're to kill anything that tries to get back out.
Any questions?
No, sir.
Move out.
Yes, sir.
Well, Sergeant, you and I are going to be sitting on the pan of this trap.
Like poisoned meat, huh?
Maybe.
Before we get off.
You have to do that, Sergeant.
I didn't join the Army to be locked up in this coop for three days.
Maybe you'd rather be sitting outside with the real men, half buried, afraid to move,
with nothing but a canteen of water and a handful of jerky.
And no smokes?
And no smokes.
Captain Quince, I never had it so good, sir.
Then shut up.
Dock out already?
Good.
Ain't the kind of men who'd attack even a woman in the daylight.
No, I guess not.
Gorse, you lied to me.
What?
No smokes.
You tried to make me think you'd find it rough out there with the troopers because they can't smoke.
Well?
You never smoked in your life, you ape.
Not with that quitter tobacco in your jaw day and night.
What are you trying to give me?
You need action too, Captain.
As bad as I do.
Yeah, I do.
Three days of this is worse than a winter in Garrison.
You go to St. Louis, I'm going with you.
That easy money sounds...
Shh, wait, wait.
Come here.
What is it?
Horses.
Listen.
We got him, Captain.
We got him.
Okay.
Move fast, get out the back window.
Come up the off side of the cabin.
But don't shoot till I get at least one of them inside here.
Yes, sir.
Good hunting, Captain.
Same to you, Sergeant.
I know they're both...
Yeah.
Hello?
Hello there.
Come on, open up.
We want to have a little talk with you.
Look out, Jim.
You'll have a gun.
Listen, mister.
We ain't going to hurt nobody.
We got something to tell you is all.
Let's fix them and get out of here, Jim.
We're just playing with the game.
We got some news for you.
Maybe there ain't nobody home.
They wouldn't leave all them horses alone, would they?
I'm coming in, mister.
Don't shoot now.
Have your daughter come in.
Have your daughter light the lamp, mister.
Then we can talk.
Jim.
What happened?
You're next, mister.
You okay, Sergeant?
Yes, sir.
We got two of them anyway.
I didn't realize there were more than that.
He was holding their horses.
Well, the troopers will take care of him.
They deserve a little action, too.
They sure do.
Who are they, do you know?
Strangers.
The one inside dead?
I didn't kill him.
You took an awful chance, Captain.
It'll be worth it.
Maybe we can find out what they did with all the horses they've stolen.
Maybe we can take them back.
Yes, sir.
Well, there's two families. We'll never get theirs.
Hear that, Captain?
Mission accomplished.
No more women and kids dying hard.
Feels kind of good, doesn't it, Captain?
Doesn't it?
Sergeant.
Yes, sir?
Feels a whole lot better than making money in St. Louis.
Fort Laramie is produced and directed by Norman MacDonald and stars Raymond Burr as Lee Quince, Captain of Cavalry, with Vic Perrin as Sergeant Gorse.
The script was specially written for Fort Laramie by John Meston, with sound patterns by Bill James and Ray Kemper.
Musical supervision by Amarigo Marino.
Featured in the cast were Harry Bartel, Dan Riss, and Joyce McCluskey, with Lawrence Dobkin, Clayton Post, Paul Duboff, and James Nusser.
All Man Trouble takes it on the chin five nights a week when Bing begins to sing, which is just dandy for everybody else who's listening in.
Since All Man Trouble has no great charm to speak of, and since Bing Crosby has an ear for melody, a cheery disposition, and many other charms as well, folks naturally prefer to spend their time with Bing.
For good company and easygoing songs, hear the Bing Crosby Show Monday through Friday nights over most of these same stations.
Any tension? Dismiss.
Join us again next week for another transcribed story of the Northwest Frontiers and the troopers who fought under Lee Quince, Captain of Cavalry.
.