At the gallop, follow!
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.
The story of the dark and tragic ground of the wild frontier.
Patrol! Halt!
Sergeant Gorse!
Yes, sir.
Dismiss the patrol. I've got to report to Major Daggett.
Yes, sir.
And see that their horses are babied right this time.
Yes, sir.
Control!
Fairs with mount!
Dismount!
Captain Quince reporting, sir. I...
Oh, I'm sorry, sir. I thought you'd be alone.
That's all right, Captain.
This is Major Barlow.
Major?
My pleasure, Captain.
Well, how did your patrol fare?
Routine, sir. No sign of trouble.
Good.
Oh, sit down, Quince.
Thank you, sir.
Major Barlow is here on orders from General Staff in Washington.
He's surveying all the posts in our department.
I have only a few days here, and then I'm going on to Fort Dodge.
General Custer's command?
Yes.
I'm looking forward to that.
Read hundreds of reports, and certainly that Seventh Cavalry is doing the best job with the hostiles that can be done.
You haven't surveyed them yet.
Well, not personally, no.
The record reads victory after victory.
I wish we could say the same about the second.
Well, the circumstances are a little different, Major.
They're waging open warfare from Fort Dodge.
Here, we try to keep hostilities at a minimum, maintain peace.
Captain, how much firefight have we seen in the last month?
Well, three or four skirmishes is all, sir.
Mostly with dog soldiers driven from the Fort Dodge section.
Dog soldiers?
There are two kinds of Cheyenne.
That's the tribe we've been most interested in around here lately.
Dog soldiers are the warriors.
They wear three feathers.
Oh.
The ones that don't wear the feathers are the reservation peaceful kind.
We don't bother either unless they make us.
Yeah.
Well, Major, it's the belief of many members of the staff, including myself,
that a soft policy such as yours is bound to lead to an uprising.
I hope you're wrong, sir.
Well, the hostiles see it as a sign of weakness.
The only way to enforce peace with these savages is to maintain constant pressure,
continual display of strength.
Will we get a directive to that effect, Major, or is that a private opinion?
It's my opinion at the moment.
I can assure you I'll do everything I can to see a directive based on it.
Now, Captain, if you'll show me to your troop area.
Yes, sir.
Major Barlow will be attached to your troop during his stay.
You'll place yourself at his disposal, do everything possible to assist him in making his survey.
It's an honor, sir.
MUSIC
First thing I want to do, Captain, is make a complete tour of the reservation camps.
I want a firsthand look at the natives, their condition, their attitudes,
extended their weapons, so on.
The camps are pretty well scattered, Major.
It'll take some time to cover all of them.
These reservation people should be centralized so they can be watched.
They've lived in small village bands for hundreds of generations.
They kind of need stretching room.
They're prisoners of war, Captain.
Prisoners of war live under imposed conditions, not their own.
Yes, sir.
Captain Quince.
Yes, Sergeant.
At ease.
What is it?
There's a man waiting for you in the orderly room, sir. Ben Coons.
What does he want?
He says his stepson was stole by the Cheyenne.
What's that?
Go in and find out.
Thank you, Sergeant.
I've just heard about your son, Coons. How did it happen?
How do I know? My place is only five miles outside of town.
He was gone when I got home last night.
Look at this.
Cheyenne scalping knife.
It was stuck in my door.
I've had a Cheyenne lodge oath hanging over my head for a year.
That filthy devil finally found a way to get to me.
You mean someone in particular?
One of the worst of the breed, Wasiah.
I've heard of him. Quite a warrior.
You say he's had a personal hatred for you, Mr. Coons?
Ever since last summer.
I was scouting for the seventh.
I run across his camp on that big north swing of the Solomon.
You know, Captain, just before it flows into Grand Valley.
Yeah, I know.
Well, I led the troopers into it, and during the fracas, Wasiah's brother was killed.
That's when he took the oath to put me under.
Or do worse.
Now he's done it. Taken Billy.
I'm sorry about your son, Coons.
But the way I heard the story of that attack,
Wasiah's wife and eight-year-old son were killed, too, by one of our scouts.
I didn't have nothing to do with it. I did what I was paid to.
Captain, the man's child's been kidnapped.
I see no reason to discuss anything else.
The Army's supposed to protect the civilians.
What makes you so sure it was Wasiah?
Well, he brought his band into the Laramie foothills two days ago,
put that and the knife and his oath together, and there's no place else to look.
Where'd you hear he was in this part of the country?
Your breed scout, Quanto, got wind of it.
I should think you would have learned about it in your patrol, Captain.
No, we were working in the other direction, Major.
Oh.
I heard this morning.
Right away, I got the feeling about what happened,
and I started looking for sign around my place.
I found it right enough, a wash about a half mile away,
tracks of nine ponies headed south toward the hills.
I want that Cheyenne dog brought in and hung up where I can see it.
Sergeant Gorse?
Yo.
Go look up Quanto.
He says there's a band of Cheyenne in the Laramie foothills.
I want to talk to their head man.
Find out where they are, pick out ten good men for the patrol, including you.
Yes, sir.
He'll make provision for me to go with you, Captain.
There won't be much in the way of provision, Major, but you're welcome, sir.
Coons, you go tell your story to Major Daggett.
As soon as I get word from him, we'll move out.
All right, Captain.
Oh, Coons.
How old is your stepson?
Nine years next month.
If he's still alive.
Same age with Sia's son would have been.
Well, if they're together, I don't think you have to worry about Billy being anything but alive and well.
You got a lot to learn about Cheyenne, Captain.
Maybe you could teach me.
You want to come along?
I'll go talk to the Major.
There goes a man with a bad conscience.
What about your own, Captain?
You seem to feel more sympathy for the savage than you do for this poor man who's lost a child.
I hardly think your attitude right for a man in your position.
I suppose it won't look good in your survey report, sir,
but there's a popular idea out here I've never been able to swallow and keep down.
That whatever a white man does to an Indian is all right,
but whatever an Indian does is all wrong.
You and I are soldiers, Captain.
We do not set policy.
We follow it.
Yes, sir.
The vast water Quanto talked about is just around this bend, Captain.
I know. I caught some beautiful trout in that stretch.
That's where their camp's supposed to be.
Hadn't you better order carbenes at the ready?
The show's preparedness, Captain.
Little late for that, Major.
They've had their eye on us for at least an hour.
Why do you bring a small force into a situation like this?
Surely you don't trust them not to catch us in ambush.
I don't trust them, Major. I know them.
The best place for ambush was about two miles back.
We've gone beyond the point of carbenes at the ready.
There you are, Major, up ahead, waiting for us.
Those are dog soldiers, some of the best-mounted fighters in the world.
We are well outnumbered, Captain.
They always are.
Now, they'll come in to meet us at full run and scream like banshees.
That's their way.
They don't want you to know whether they mean to be friendly or to open your throat.
If we had our carbenes ready, their run wouldn't be exactly friendly.
Patrol, halt!
Keep your hands away from your weapons, men, lest I tell you different.
Stay relaxed the way you do on the parade ground when I want you to be alert.
I should have ordered out your full troop, Captain.
Captain, here they come.
I see them, Gorse.
Act like this happens every day, men.
Just rest easy in your saddles and talk to each other.
Captain, order carbenes at the ready.
That in order, Major?
It's common sense. Show them we'll fight.
Don't draw your pistol, Major.
You'll spook them for sure waving that thing around.
They'd have opened up by now if they were going to.
Fahy, who is chief among you?
Which of you is wessiah?
I am wessiah. Why do the soldiers come to us?
We have done no wrong.
I brought you your scalping knife, wessiah.
Here.
Where is the one called Coons?
The woman killer? The child killer?
Did he die of fear when he found my sign?
Why, that insolent beggar.
He says that you came for vengeance and that you stole his son.
I have some evidence.
You stole his son.
I have stolen no son.
You were at his house and now the boy is missing.
I have stolen no boy.
Oh, he's lying, Captain.
What does the high soldier say?
I say you are lying.
Major.
I speak truth.
We'll search your camp and find out how much truth.
No, we want no soldiers in our camp.
Ain't there any way you can stop him, Captain?
You ever been able to stop me, Gorse?
I'll give you a try if you went off half-cocked like he is.
There is trouble.
We want no trouble.
We are at peace.
You don't want us in your camp because you're lying.
The search is going to be made.
And if you resist us, I'll see the whole second cavalry out to do the job.
Pandoo, Nicceno!
Patrol! Carbines!
That's the ready!
Boots your carbines!
What was that, Captain?
Sorry, Major. They're going back to their camp.
Oh, those insolent...
Well, at least I've seen a prime example of what a soft policy brings about.
The hostiles move up here from the 7th Cavalry area.
Undoubtedly, they rest, repair equipment, and go back to take up the attack again.
Some of them do, some of them don't.
There are good ones and bad ones with these people, same as there are with whites.
Well, until such time as a magician is attached to the second,
who can distinguish between the two, Captain,
pressure should be exerted against all of them.
We'll return to the fort.
I'm going to recommend that at least two troops are assigned to this matter until that boy's recovered.
With your permission, sir, I'll stay here.
Sergeant Gorse will take command of the patrol and escort you.
Why on earth stay here? I need your statement at the fort.
You have plenty of other witnesses, sir.
Before you come back with two troops of cavalry, I'd...
I'd sort of like to see what one man can do in that camp.
You're thinking as an individual again, Captain.
It's a hard habit to break, sir.
If it doesn't work, it'll make a strong point in your survey report.
Very well.
I trust you don't expect commendation on your stubbornness.
I do plan to make reference to your own military behavior.
It'd be better if we could send old brass shoulders in alone.
Watch your manners, Sergeant.
Don't you want me to stay with you?
Thank you, Gorse, but I don't need you.
This may look crazy, but I don't think I'll run into any trouble.
Is that young'un's in there, you will, sir?
I don't figure he is.
I've been thinking.
If I was Wasiah and had a little more time,
I sure wouldn't have left a knife to point the finger at me.
And I would have hightailed it out of these parts a long time before this.
I sure hope you're right, Captain.
Sergeant, I'm ready to go.
Not far enough.
Watch your manners, Gorse.
Yes, sir. Good luck.
Easy, easy.
Stop, soldier!
You do not come in our camp.
Then come out here, Wasiah,
so we can talk without being bothered by others.
Do we talk about the son I did not steal?
I believe you.
I believe that you didn't steal him.
Your high soldier is blind.
His words are not enough to make you understand.
I'm not a soldier.
I'm a soldier who has learned to steal.
Your high soldier is blind.
His words cut like flint.
He's new to this country.
He has much to learn.
He went back.
Does he bring more soldiers to attack us?
That's what's in his mind now.
It'll take a day so you have time to move your camp.
Strange words from a soldier.
Why do you stand with me when the high soldier says I lie?
Wasiah, if you were going to steal a son,
you'd do it better than this.
I say this.
The days are gone when a son brought only gladness to his father.
Now the father looks to the day when his son reaches manhood
and sees nothing but sadness and hunger
and fighting a war that will not be won.
Some nights when sleep runs away from me,
I think of my son.
And I am happy that he is not with me
to share the trouble that follows us.
I would steal no son.
I have nothing to give him.
Do you truly want peace, Wasiah?
A peace with honor, yes.
We are tired of fighting and running.
This is a small thing, a missing child,
when you measure it against the bigness of the trouble that we're all in,
all the tribes, all the army units.
But it's a thing that could stir everything up again.
Word from the major could go to Washington.
His words from his mind.
They'd be believed because no other words could go to say they were wrong.
I'd like to stop it, Wasiah.
Would you help me?
How would a Cheyenne help a soldier?
If you and I could find the boy and take him back,
everyone would know that you were a man of honor and truth
and that you lead a peaceful band.
Then the high soldier's words would be lies.
You'd be right, and he'd be wrong.
For that I would help. But how?
Have any other new bands moved into this section
that could have taken the boy?
One Shoshone and one from my tribe.
Could you find out if they have him?
Yeah.
Will you do it?
I will.
While you do that, I'll try and get a line on him.
Will you meet me in the wash near Coon's place at sunrise tomorrow?
Do you know what you asked me to do?
To help the man who killed my son and my wife?
I know, Wasiah.
We meet at sunrise, soldier.
Hold, hold.
I am here, soldier.
You hide well. What did you learn?
The boy is not with the Shoshones and not with the Cheyenne.
Then we have another way to go.
He has an uncle in the Rock River settlement.
He's talked to some of his young friends about going to live with him.
He told them the trail he'd take.
If I put you on it, could you pick up his sign and follow it?
I have followed older sign.
We'll go then.
Wait.
He fell here.
Right. Look there, a piece of cloth.
I'd say he has torn clothing and a sore knee.
He rested here, slipped, I think.
See, the grass has pressed down.
He's traveled a long way for an eight-year-old.
I think not much farther than this.
He started very slow from here.
There, soldier.
Billy. Billy.
We're going to take you home.
No, I won't go back. He...
It's all right, Billy.
Who is he?
His name is Wasiah. He's a friend of mine.
You are a good strong boy to come this far.
If I had a son, I would hope he would be so strong.
You've got a nasty bruise on your face, Billy.
You must have taken a bad fall.
He hit me.
Who did?
My pa, with a stick.
He hit me till I ran away.
Here, let's see under your shirt.
Yeah, he sure did hit you, didn't he?
I won't go back. My pa hit me again.
Come on, come on. Stand up, Billy.
Look, I don't blame you for running away.
I guess I'd have done the same thing.
I won't go back.
If you want to live with your uncle,
I think we can work it out.
In Rock River?
Yeah. And instead of trying to get there all by yourself,
how would you like it if you could ride with the cavalry?
By myself? On a horse?
Yes. A horse all your own.
Now, now, you ready to start back?
I won't stay with my pa.
You won't have to.
Come here, boy. You ride with me on my pony.
No, I don't want to.
Why, sure you do, Billy.
Think what you can tell your friends.
I'll bet none of them are ridden with a real Cheyenne warrior.
Come on now. Show them how brave you are.
Come here, boy.
Am I strong enough to lift you up?
Do you not know the feel of a white man on his back?
You all right, Billy?
Does this pony run fast?
Oh, yes. Faster than prairie fire.
I go.
Wait, soldier.
They're forming the two troops for the big search.
I go no farther.
I know how you feel because I felt the same way riding into your camp.
But the major from Washington won't believe you had a part of this
unless you ride in with me.
You have my word that everything will be all right.
I go on your word.
Right up to the major, Wissiah.
Captain Quince reporting, sir.
Well, the savage did steal the boy.
In spite of his surrender, he's to be punished.
This is no surrender.
Give me the details, Captain.
I'd rather you ask the boy, sir.
All right, son.
What did he do to you?
He didn't steal me. He found me.
I ran away because my pa hit me with a stick.
He does it lots of times, and I won't go back.
I just won't.
Order the troops dismissed.
Yes, sir.
Prepare to dismount.
Come on, Billy. We'll find you something to eat.
Wissiah, I'd stay out of the Seventh Calvary territory for a while.
The high soldier is going to be moving that way.
There is very far place where there are many antelope.
I think my people are hungry for antelope.
My thanks go with you.
Mine stay with you.
You grow strong, boy.
One day you can beat your stepfather.
I leave my vengeance with you.
Thank you.
Goodbye.
Come on, Billy.
Captain.
Yeah, guys?
Old iron side sure don't want to admit
there's such a thing as a good engine, does he?
He's a better soldier than we are, Sergeant.
What?
He operates strictly from the book.
Maybe in the next situation the book will be right.
Fort Laramie is produced and directed by Norman MacDonald
and stars Raymond Burr as Lee Quince, Captain of Cavalry,
with Vic Perlin as Sergeant Gorse.
The script was specially written for Fort Laramie by Gil Dowd
with sound patterns by Bill James and Ray Kemper,
musical supervision by Amarigo Marino.
Featured in the cast were Lawrence Dobkin, Clayton Post, Ralph Moody,
Jack Moyles, and Richard Beals.
Company attention.
At ease, miss.
Next week, another transcribed story of the Northwest frontier
and the troopers who fought under Lee Quince, Captain of Cavalry.
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