At the gallop, ho!
Fort Laramie
Fort Laramie, starring Raymond Burr as Captain Lee Quince.
Specially 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.
Looks like they're about ready to pull out, Captain.
Yeah. Walk back with me, Sergeant.
I never did see such a mangy collection of stock.
It's not a cavalry outfit, Gorse.
It sure ain't.
Most of these wagon trains heading west get through one way or another, but I sure don't know how.
I talked with Mr. Brown a couple of times. He seems like a good man.
He is.
But I wonder how much luck a Missouri farmer is going to have taking a couple hundred women and children through Indian country.
He'll make out, Captain.
I hope so.
Hello, Sergeant Gorse.
I beg your pardon, Miss.
I was afraid we'd leave without seeing you again.
Oh, well I...
And I wanted to thank you for last night.
Yeah, sure, Miss.
Goodbye, Sergeant, and thank you.
Still water runs deep, Gorse.
How's that, Captain?
Never mind.
All I did was give her a little old knife. I bought it at the Suttlers.
Never mind, never mind.
It's all it was, Captain. I... Just give her a little old present.
Sure, Sergeant.
I'll keep them wagons in line until we hit the river.
You're late getting started, Mr. Brown.
Oh, hello, Captain Quince. Only about an hour.
Wasting daylight.
Yeah, we're pulling out now, Captain. Any of your men going to ride along with us?
No, but you won't have any trouble.
Like they say, Captain, Oregon or bust, you guarantee no trouble, Captain?
Out here, we don't guarantee anything, Mr. Brown.
But you should at least get through to Salt Lake without trouble.
Yeah, I hope you're right. It gets mighty lonely out there once you're out of sight of the fort.
Yeah, I know.
Well, thank the Major for his hospitality, will you?
No, thanks necessary. Now, good luck.
Thanks. See you in Oregon sometime, Captain.
All right.
Well, Gorse, what are you staring at?
Oh, nothing, Captain. Just a train heading out.
You've seen a few hundred of them before, Sergeant.
Yes, sir.
What's her name?
Who?
The girl.
Emily. Emily McCutcheon.
Going to Oregon with her pa.
She was put up real good.
You're all cavalry, Gorse.
Yes, sir.
Long way to Oregon. I hope they make it.
So do I.
Yeah, come on. I missed coffee this morning. Let's find some.
There's a rider coming in.
Yeah.
Looks like a white man dressed in buckski. Hunter, maybe.
It's Will Granby.
He's a squall man, eh?
Yeah, lives with the Arapaho.
Captain.
How are you, old horse?
Pallable.
Well, it's good to see you. You haven't been in in two or three years.
Nope.
You come for supplies?
Come to parley. Got a proposition.
All right. Come on in, Will.
Bludge.
Sergeant Gorse, would you have Mr. Granby's horse stabled?
Yes, sir. Come on. Come on.
Sit down, Will.
Hmm. The bludge.
All right. Now, what is it? What's your proposition?
I figured maybe they'll hire out to you.
You want a job?
Cavalry always needs scouts.
Maybe.
You saying you want the job?
Why not? I know this country better than the hairs on my head.
Better than any man except old gay Bridger.
There's some few places I've been even gay-bait.
You're a mountain man, Will. You lived wild and free all your life.
Why do you want to tie yourself down now?
Yeah. Ain't like the old times no more, Captain.
Ain't pleasurable now. It's hard.
Maybe it's the doing you cavalry, fellas.
Or maybe it's our own fault.
Maybe we trapped too much. Took too much buffalo. I don't know.
But I got to be a young squaw.
Prettier you ever seen.
I figured if I was to work, her and me'd eat regular at least.
Right now we have peace. We don't need any more scouts.
I figure you do, Captain.
Tell me, Will.
Am I hired?
I haven't got the authority to hire you.
That'll have to come from the Major.
No, I'd rather deal with you. I know you.
I can't hire you, but if you've got information, I'll make you a promise.
At least I'll feed you and send you back with meat.
Yeah, meat I could carry wouldn't last long.
Then we'll go see the Major.
No, wait. I'd rather tell you.
But you've got to promise me one thing.
What's that?
That it'll be settled peaceful. They're my people.
Will, I'll do all I can.
All right.
There's going to be trouble.
Tribes are getting restless, all of them.
Arapaho even.
The government promised them if they'd go to the agencies, they'd get food.
Meat.
And that promise ain't been kept.
I know.
Supply train comes through now and then, but it's not enough I know that.
Arapaho are starving, Captain.
Eating bark and roots.
Game on agencies played out.
If they can't get food from the government or from the land, then they've got to go looking for it wherever they can.
They've got to eat.
Will, have they left the agency?
They're camped at Silver Springs.
That's on the Oregon Trail.
They've got to eat, Captain.
They went looking for buffalo, but there ain't no buffalo.
So they'll get food where they can from the wagon trains.
Will, we've got to talk to the Major.
You promise.
I said I'd do all I could and I will.
There's not much time for talking.
There's a wagon train headed for Silver Springs right now.
Yeah, I know. I saw it.
All right, come on. We'll see the Major.
How do we know this man's telling the truth?
I've known him for a long time, Major. He doesn't lie.
Could be a trap.
If it is a trap, then there's trouble for sure.
I don't trust a man who lives with Indians, marries them.
No, no, look here.
Major, there's a wagon train on the trail to Silver Springs right now.
They've got to be warned.
I can still ride out with a detachment to turn them back.
Captain Quince, our orders are to keep the trail open to Oregon
and to keep the Indians on the agencies.
If anything, we'll send a company to escort the train through
and run those Arapaho back where they belong.
Couldn't do that without fighting, Major.
That's one of the functions of the cavalry.
In this case, there's no cause for it.
The Arapaho have broken their treaty, Captain.
The way they see it, we're the ones who broke the treaty
by not keeping our promise about food.
All I know is they're off the agency and they'll have to go back.
If we go out and force, there's bound to be trouble.
If I take a small detachment, maybe I can talk to them.
This is a hostile action, Captain. It's got to be met as such.
Major, the Arapaho are starving. They've got to eat.
Mr. Granby, I'm sorry that they're starving,
but I can't do anything about it.
At least not until the supplies come through to me.
My orders are to keep the Arapaho on the agency
and I can do something about that.
Those are people out there, Major, and they're hungry.
They only want food.
Captain Quince, you'll take Company B
and escort the wagon train until you meet the Arapaho.
You'll send the wagon train on and escort the Indians to the agency
and use whatever measures are necessary.
That's all, Captain.
Yes, sir.
One thing, sir.
What is it?
Do you have permission to hire Will Granby as a scout?
I don't see why it's necessary,
but if you want him, take him.
Thank you, sir.
What kind of a man is that?
He's all right, Will.
He's an officer. He's got his orders.
He goes by the book.
He understands the situation all right, but he can't admit it.
Listen, can you be ready to move out in an hour?
I can't ride with you, Captain. They're my people.
Will, I said I'd do what I could.
I need your help.
Ride with me.
You know what you're asking?
You know what it might mean for me if there's trouble?
There won't be trouble if I can prevent it.
I'm afraid you can't, Captain.
But I'll go with you.
We should see him just over this hill, Captain.
If the Arapaho didn't see him first.
You figure they'd attack?
I don't know, Sergeant,
but it's a little easier when we spot that wagon train.
I was right, Captain. There they are.
All right, Sergeant, let's ride out.
Company! At the gallows!
At ease!
They've seen us. They're pulling up.
Sergeant, blind men would have known we were here.
Company, halt!
What's the matter, Captain?
I want you to stop here, Mr. Brown, for the night.
Why? We figured to camp at Silver Springs.
It's just over the pass there, not more than two or three miles.
We can make it easy before dark.
This'll make an all right camp, there's water and wood.
If there's trouble, Captain, I want to know.
It may be nothing, Mr. Brown, but I want to find out.
You're to camp here and stay here till I give you the word to go on.
It's Indians, ain't it? There is trouble.
Maybe, maybe not.
But there's no use worrying all your folks.
You'll be safe here. I'm leaving most of my men to guard you.
Well, why can't you escort us over the pass to Silver Springs?
Because if there were to be trouble, it would happen there in the pass,
with the wagon trains all strung out and hard to defend.
All right, Captain, whatever you say.
I'll come back or send word back to Lieutenant Cybritts
as soon as I know it's safe for you to cross.
Sergeant Gorse! Yes, sir?
You and two men will accompany Mr. Granby and myself.
Pick him and fall out.
Mr. Brown, Lieutenant Cybritts is in charge here till I get back.
I don't see a dog on thing, Captain.
Now keep a sharp eye. Move the troopers further out the flank.
Yes, sir.
Captain, Jenkins, follow up to your right, sir.
You need to hear somewhere that I can feel it.
They must have seen the train, Will.
Yeah, they have, but they also saw the soldiers.
They might be making tracks already. They disappear pretty fast.
I don't think they've had that much time.
They'll probably stand for a fight.
And, Captain, what are you going to do?
Will, a few miles back, did you notice anything?
On the trail? Sure, a buffalo sign.
Right. It's the first I've seen this close to Laramie in a year.
Big herd, too. Across the trail going south.
It'd make a lot of a rapaho meat.
Yeah, it might work.
Worth a try. Wait.
You see anything, Will?
Yeah. One of the scouts. Leave it to me.
And you, Nina, you ain't seen a dog?
No, no, no.
It's all right. He'll take us in.
This is the first Indian village I've ever been in.
It wasn't full of barking dogs.
They had to eat them.
You notice how it is, Captain?
Yeah, I see.
I'd say they're not very happy to see us.
No.
I'm sorry, Will, to turn them against you.
Can't be helped. This is it.
Hi, Dirty Two.
Why do you bring white soldiers to fight your people?
They don't come to fight, Grey Feather.
This is Captain Quince. He comes as a friend.
White soldier is not a friend of our rapaho.
White soldiers break promise. They do not give meat.
I think I can get you meat, Grey Feather.
I think I can take your hunters to Buffalo. A big herd.
You think? You do not know.
Our rapaho have arrived.
We do not know.
Our rapaho have arrived from agency in north.
Hunt Buffalo all through wide valley.
No Buffalo.
Grey Feather, on my way here from Fort Laramie,
I saw much Buffalo sign.
You hunted only the north side of the river.
You haven't been south of the Platte. I have.
There are Buffalo there.
To hunt take many days.
Wagon train is here now.
If you attack that wagon train,
it will mean much fighting.
Many dead among the rapaho.
Great mourning among the rapaho.
There will be mourning for the white soldiers too.
The army will keep on sending soldiers, rifles,
until the rapaho is no more.
You know I speak the truth.
My people are hungry.
Then ride back towards the fort with me.
If you see a Buffalo sign, then you can track from there.
Take many days.
It's the only way you can be sure to find Buffalo and food.
If you find Buffalo in two days,
Grey Feather does not attack wagon train.
Two days isn't very long.
Two days.
If we do find Buffalo,
I want your promise to go peacefully back to the agency.
If you find.
Then the hunters will come with me.
But meantime, you must let the wagon train go through in peace.
This one.
Maybe not next one.
It is agreed then, Grey Feather.
Aina.
Captain, two days ain't very long.
We got to be awful lucky.
We don't have much choice.
You know what will happen if we don't find Buffalo.
And we just the five of us out there with Grey Feather's hunters.
Like I say, we don't have much choice.
We got to guess where the Buffalo will be.
We don't have time to backtrack them.
Sergeant Gorse.
Yes, sir.
I'm sending you back to the wagon train with a message for Mr. Sybertz.
Private Jenkins, horse's fresher, captain.
I ain't been on no Buffalo hunt in a long time.
All right, Sergeant.
Jenkins.
Jenkins, you'll go back to the wagon train, tell Mr. Sybertz to escort the train past Silver Springs.
Then return here in Bevwack.
If I should not return, he's to get clear if he can and report to the fort for reinforcements.
Move out.
Well, we got 48 hours, Will.
Let's find those Buffalo.
You see anything, Will?
Nothing, captain.
Not on that side.
Nothing this way either.
You can see a long way.
I don't like the look of them back there.
Gray feather's getting anxious.
I know.
I just don't understand it, Will. It's not a sign.
I've been thinking, captain, we're too far south.
The Buffalo were headed south.
Maybe not as fast and as far as we thought.
Maybe they veered east.
No, I've been thinking.
It's been hot and dry for these last few days and no wind.
Buffalo don't travel much in the heat. They just stand and graze and suffer with thirst.
But there's wind now.
Well, some from the southwest.
If they was up north or here, it'd bring them the smell of water from the Laramie River.
Yeah. Yeah, the river's still high.
Yeah, and they'd probably be craving for water about now and they'd stick their noses into the wind and make a run for it like they do.
You might be right, Will.
So if we cut back northeast to the Laramie, we'll find them.
They might be there. There's only one trouble.
What?
Look who's coming.
Uh-huh.
Captain, it is as Greyfeather spoke.
You promised Buffalo two days.
Now two days are gone.
There is no Buffalo.
Your promise is like all promises of white soldiers.
We've been looking a long time, Greyfeather, but now we know where the Buffalo are.
Captain, give much talk. We want Buffalo, not talk.
Greyfeather, my soldiers are at Silver Springs.
If we do not return there, it will mean war for the Arapaho.
Maybe you return, but he not.
It is not yet evening of the second day.
There is little time.
Maybe, but enough.
We're going to the waters of the Laramie and find your Buffalo.
On this next rise, we ought to be able to see.
That's right, Will.
What if they ain't there, Captain?
If not, maybe we can get to the river, find some cover.
So stay close, watch for my signal.
Yes, sir.
You should have gone back to that wagon train, Sergeant.
I guess I ain't much of a garrison soldier.
All right, look sharp.
Captain, they ain't at the river. There's nothing.
Wait, look there. Coming over the hills beyond, running for the river.
Look at them, thousands of them, noses in the wind and running belly bent for breakfast.
There go your Buffalo grape feather, all you can eat.
Well, go on, get them.
Ego!
He sure was mighty hungry, Captain.
Yeah, well, I guess our luck hailed.
I guess it did.
Well, let's ride on down to the river.
I could do with a drink.
Company, halt!
Sergeant Gorse, dismiss the company.
Yes, sir.
Company, prepare to dismount.
Well, you're back.
Yes, sir.
Did you have any trouble?
No, sir. No casualties. Either side.
It took long enough.
The Oregon Trail is still open, Major.
The Arapaho are back on the agency.
What took the time?
Why, uh, why, we, we found some Buffalo. Stopped the hunt.
The Indians took enough meat back to the agency to keep them quiet all summer.
I see. Well, that, that was fortunate.
It was mostly Will Granby's doing. He found the Buffalo.
Oh, well, maybe I was wrong about him, Lee. Maybe he can be useful to us.
I think he can. I, uh, brought him back with us. His wife, too.
You, uh, you'd like to meet her?
An Arapaho?
She's sure not St. Louis.
Sure. All right, Captain.
Uh, Granby?
Howdy, Major.
This is Will's wife, Major. Larkwoman. How do you do?
Yeah, lawyer.
Uh, Mr. Granby.
Yes, sir?
If she's to stay around the post, she'll, uh, she'll have to wear something more than that.
Huh? Oh, yeah. She's got a shirt somewhere in the baggage.
She, Arapaho women aren't like Cheyenne or the Sioux or Crow.
They don't wear much except when it's right cold.
There are a lot of men in the post, Will.
Huh? Oh, yes, sir, Captain. I'll, I'll see to it.
Oh, and Mr. Granby.
Yes, sir?
My compliments on your work with Captain Quince.
As of now, you may consider yourself on the Army payroll as scout.
It'll be in tomorrow's special orders.
Yes, sir.
The quartermaster will house you.
Of large, Major. Come on, child.
Oh, she's, uh, kind of pretty, isn't she, Lee?
Yeah. They make, uh, pretty good wives, too.
Clean, quiet, hardworking, nice people.
You wouldn't be trying to soften me up, would you, Lee?
Win me over to your way of thinking?
I figure a man's got to make up his own mind about things, Major.
Captain Quince.
Yes, sir?
Don't get too smart.
Just be thankful I don't ask how you happen to run into Buffalo
and turn a serious police duty into a pleasure trip hunting.
My striker's cooking up some buffalo steaks, Major Dangit.
You, uh, like to come over to my quarters and try some?
Sure, let's go, Lee.
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 Dunkle
with sound patterns by Bill James and Ray Kemper,
musical supervision by Amerigo Marino.
Featured in the cast were Jack Moyles, Ralph Moody, Edgar Berrier,
Frank Catie, and Eleanor Tannen.
Company, attention!
Christmas!
Next week, another transcribed story of the Northwest frontier
from the troopers who fought under Lee Quince, captain of cavalry.
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