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.
It's from Jim Lack at the old Laleh agency, Captain.
Asking us to stay away? That's what he usually wants.
This time he's asking for help. Claims he's about to have an uprising on his hands.
The way he parcels out the food, the Sioux haven't got the strength for an uprising.
Here, you read it.
All the troops you can spare, huh? Lack must be scared stiff.
But he doesn't mention what the trouble's about. Or if it's started. Just that he fears it at will.
You better take a patrol down, Captain.
That all the troops you can spare, Major?
It is until I know better what the problem is.
Yes, sir.
How long since you saw Lack?
Last month when we went up to butcher the beef on the agency, he was hovering around like a mother hen.
Making sure no Indian got a fair share.
You saw they did, of course.
Yeah, that's when he ordered us off the agency.
I got no way of knowing if the Indians got to keep their meat or not.
But they had it when we left.
He's a hard man to understand.
When he first came out here from the East, remember we both thought he had a good feeling about his job.
He talked a lot about Indians being human, treating them fair.
You saying he's changed, Major?
Hasn't he?
I don't think so.
He still talks the same way, pretty much. Goes back to what he calls being human.
He hasn't had much regard for us as human beings.
Or his wife. Never seen her?
I met her when they moved out here. Tall woman.
Saying never says much.
Never says anything anymore when he's around.
I don't think he feeds her any better than he does the soup.
Well, they're sure high on him in Washington.
Sure, the budget boys.
All lax keeping them in the black just fine.
Of course, they might feel different about him if there is a Sioux uprising.
How soon can you leave, Captain?
An hour.
Good.
As soon as you get an estimate of the situation, telegraph me.
I don't know what you'll find.
There's something wrong, Major.
Up to now, he looked on the Army as just so much interference.
Now he's asking for us.
I'd say lax in real trouble.
Looks like we got a delegation ahead, sir.
At least they're waiting for us, not charging out to meet us.
Ah, it looks like Red Deer.
Yes, sir.
He's right at the reservation line.
Might be that's as far as he wants us to go.
Red Deer's not a hostile.
Never has been.
Patrol, halt!
Greetings, Red Deer.
Greetings, Captain.
Captain, you do not come our way in long time.
I was here last month.
You were off hunting.
Hunting? No good.
Red Deer no longer find good hunting grounds.
Too much white man.
Sorry to hear that.
Many moons ago, you tell Red Deer white man leave reservation to Indian?
That's right.
Indian to have find hunting grounds, good lodges, plenty food.
Now lodges no shelter for squaw and papoose.
All many holes in walls bring wind and snow against us.
No good food.
Now no hunting grounds.
You powwow with Mr. Lax?
No good.
Red Deer go make talk, lack he not listen.
If Red Deer talk, lack he take food away.
Make less.
Not good.
That why you rode out from the agency to meet me, Red Deer?
Lack no like army to come.
When army come, bad for Indians.
We've never bothered you, Red Deer.
Not you.
But when army come, lack get mad.
When lack, mad, bad for Indians.
Is there new trouble on the agency?
No trouble.
You sure?
No trouble.
Good.
Now suppose you ride back to the agency with us.
You give hunting grounds back?
What's happened to them?
White men take all over, dig in rocks, make big hole, game or run.
No good hunting.
Miners?
Dig in rock, make big hole.
Sometimes?
Not good for hunting grounds.
No, not good.
All right, Red Deer, ride back with us.
We'll make powwow with Mr. Lax.
No trouble?
No trouble.
Then come.
You heard me.
Now go on, get on back to your lodges.
Move now or I'll cut your ration.
I told Red Deer we'd powwow, Mr. Lax.
You'd no right to do that.
I had the right and we will powwow.
Well, I want to talk to you first.
Alone.
All right.
Red Deer, go to your lodge and see your braves go to theirs.
No powwow?
Later.
You have my word.
No cut ration?
No.
Then Red Deer go.
If you had to deal with them every day, you'd sing a different tune, Captain Quince.
I'd have to live with them every day to know that.
You can powwow yourself half crazy and get nowhere.
I came at your request.
I asked for troops, not a patrol.
If you need troops, you'll get them.
Come on inside.
You never know who's listening around here.
Better have your men stand guard.
Over what?
Over us.
They'll see we're free to talk, Mr. Lax.
All right.
Go on in.
Oh, morning, Miss Lax.
Captain Quince.
Get on back to your kitchen, Claire.
Captain and I have a lot to settle in a hurry.
Yes, James.
Oh, you'll tell him about...
I'll tell him everything, Claire.
Now, go on.
You can sit if you want to.
Thanks.
Well, first things first.
You'll telegraph Major Daggett immediately for reinforcements.
I'd say we'll need at least 150 men,
full supply of arms and ammunition,
and of course, whatever food the Army will require.
I can't be expected to feed the Army on agency food.
I think the search should begin right away,
and after that we'll...
You want to slow down a little?
You wait till you've been through it as long as I have, Captain.
Before we move the Army from the entire department of the Platt over here,
maybe you ought to tell us about this uprising.
Mark my words, there'll be one.
We don't nip it in the bud.
You want a drink?
No, thanks.
Well, they've been growing sullen without cause, mind you,
for the last few days.
I've cut their rations each time there's been a disturbance.
Disturbance? What kind?
Oh, delegations.
Committees, I guess they are.
Every time I look up,
two or three chiefs are waiting to be sent to the Platt.
Two or three chiefs are waiting on my front stoop with some new grievance.
Well, these grievances...
They're what you're calling a disturbance?
That's what they are.
I was thinking more like a demonstration of some kind.
I think that's next on their list.
Why?
Because of the guns.
Now that they're armed, I say we can expect shooting trouble any day.
You know they've got guns?
Of course I know it.
That's why I called for the Army.
I want you to disarm them first, and after that...
Where'd they get the guns?
Well, Captain, you're the most obstinate man I've ever encountered.
I'm head of this agency.
It should be enough for you that I say they have guns.
But it isn't enough.
Yes, I can see that.
When this agency was established,
it was agreed that the Braves could keep their guns if they were hunters.
That was before my time, Captain.
I'd never have agreed to that.
No, but the Army agreed to it, Mr. Lack.
All right.
Then you may as well know I changed all that.
Shortly after I came here,
I was quick to see that no good could come of savages under my control,
having guns.
You took them away.
For disciplinary reasons, yes.
What happened to their hunting?
Well, what hunting they're willing to do, there's lazy sin, you know.
I figured they could do with bows and arrows.
Now, look, the Sioux are traditional hunters.
They're not lazy about it.
Have they got hunting grounds?
They've got hunting grounds by treaty.
Red Deer says the miners scare the game off.
Well, I can't keep miners out of here.
That's not my job.
It's the Army's job. We'll run them out.
I'm not interested in miners. I'm interested in the Indians having guns.
So am I.
Now, ever since I took them away,
I've kept their guns in one of the supply stores under lock and key.
You can be sure of that.
Well, yesterday, the lock was broken and the guns were gone.
They took their own guns back.
That was yesterday morning I found them gone.
That's when I telegraphed the Major.
Well, last evening I found some of my own rifles gone.
Now, I say they're spoiling for something, Captain.
Might be you're right, Mr. Lack.
I know I'm right.
And I don't mind telling you, it frightens me.
It should.
I've always been able to handle agency affairs by myself.
I've done a good job of it, too, if I do say so.
But when savages start arming against me, I don't mind admitting I need help.
I'll start a search going for the guns right away, Mr. Lack.
Well, good.
But you better get some ideas about helping yourself, too.
Well, in what way?
In the way you look on humanity, Mr. Lack.
Agency Indians got the right to enough food,
proper living quarters and hunting grounds.
I abide by the letter, Captain.
We'll start our search.
See what we come up with.
Naturally, I'll want to help you any way I can.
That'll be by staying right here, Mr. Lack.
Well, let us do the searching our way.
Mr. Lack said that store building there next to the laundry
was where the guns were kept, Captain.
Did you speak to Red Deer Sergeant?
Well, he said he'd meet us here.
Good.
Captain, I don't know quite how to say this, but
I don't just warm to searching engines for guns that are rightly theirs.
Well, not all of them are rightly theirs.
Some of them belong to Mr. Lack.
This is the building.
Yes, sir.
What you doing here, Red?
Dear White Captain, he will say no bother White Squawk.
Something wrong, Mrs. Lack?
Red Deer just started me, Captain Quince.
I didn't hear him come in, and then suddenly there he was.
We ask him to meet us here, ma'am.
Yes, so he said.
Red Deer, no bother White Squawk.
No, no, of course he didn't.
I'm just edgy, Captain.
We all are, and, well, I've just never got used to their moccasins.
You can't hear them, you know.
You just can't hear them at all.
If you've got business here, ma'am, we won't bother you.
Not at all.
I was just looking for some soap.
I thought we'd stored the surplus here.
I guess we've used it all.
Mr. Lack keeps a very close check on supplies, you know.
I'll bet he does.
Yes.
Well, I'll go now.
Oh, ma'am.
Yes, Captain.
I was wondering, is this supply store kept open as a rule?
Anybody can come and go?
Oh, did not, no.
No, Mr. Lack keeps it bolted at all times.
He and I have the only keys.
Then you unlocked it just now, before we came.
Yes.
That's how Red Deer got in without my hearing him.
Thank you, ma'am.
Thank you very much.
I'll see.
It's locked immediately.
You're finished, Captain.
Yes, ma'am.
This cabinet, Red Deer, this where Lack kept your guns?
Not, no.
Lock's been spliced clean, Sergeant.
Real clean, Captain.
A hatchet, maybe.
Pretty good-sized cabinet.
How many guns did it hold, Red Deer?
Not, no.
Red Deer not know about guns.
They were your own guns once.
Maybe you figured you had the right to them.
Many rights once belonged to Red Deer and people.
No more.
You hate Lack, don't you, Red Deer?
Red Deer come.
Make power with Captain.
Captain say talk about hunting grounds.
Not guns.
Not hate.
But you do hate him.
Not like.
Lack give Indian bad lodge.
Not much good.
No, no good hunting.
Hate, yes.
Hate.
Enough to want to kill him?
Maybe kill.
Red Deer not need gun to kill Lack.
No, you wouldn't, would you?
Well, if you didn't take the guns yourself, Red Deer,
you know who took them?
Many questions from Captain.
No power.
We don't want to search your lodges, but we will if we have to.
You understand we'll go through every stick of building on this agency to find those guns?
Unless your people give them up of their own will.
Red Deer not know about guns.
Red Deer.
Red Deer, listen to me.
We're going to try to do our best for you about the food and your lodges.
And we'll drive the miners off your hunting grounds.
But you've got to help us too.
Now you go to your people.
Tell them to give up these guns or we'll come looking for them.
How much time?
Till tomorrow morning.
White soldiers camp on agency tonight?
Yes, we'll have to.
Red Deer go to people.
Make talk.
If find guns, bring to Captain.
Stack them in front of your lodges.
If do this, Captain not take pappos from Indians?
Now where'd you get an idea like that?
Red Deer go to people.
Now who's going to take their kids from them?
Nobody.
But I'll sure find out who threatened it.
That kind of question doesn't deserve an answer, Captain.
Well, I'm still asking it.
Take their pappos away? Why?
What in tarnation would I do with their mangy kids?
The point is they got the idea you mean to take them.
Well, not from me they didn't.
I'd steal guns too if I got that kind of threat.
What kind of man do you think I am?
I've had a look around today, Lack.
I've seen what they live in.
Seen what they eat.
I know what kind of man you are.
I do my job. I keep Indians in their place.
I run an agency with a strong hand because that's the only thing they can understand.
But I've never told them I intended to take their children.
Now you can believe that or not.
Got all the food stuff locked up tight now, have you?
All of it.
You can go around exchanging honor pledges with them if you want to, Captain.
Give them your word on this and that.
But I keep their food for them.
And that's something they understand.
You're wrong, Lack.
No man understands starvation.
I'll say good night to you, Captain.
And sleep well, Mr. Lack.
Captain?
Mr. Sabitz?
We kept our eye on the lodges until sundown, sir.
No sign of the guns.
They haven't till morning.
I hope they give them up voluntarily.
So do I.
Well, if you don't need me anymore, I guess I'll turn in, sir.
Get a good night's sleep, Mr. Sabitz.
Tomorrow stands a chance of being quite a day around here.
I know. Good night, sir.
Good night, Mr. Sabitz.
Captain?
Over here, Captain.
Miss Lack?
I hope the pebble didn't startle you.
I wanted to get your attention.
You got it, ma'am.
I think we can talk better in the supply store.
Mr. Lack knew I'd come to you. He'd...
Please, Captain.
We don't dare light the lamp.
Whatever you say, ma'am.
I'm so much to blame, Captain.
I want you to know I know that now, but...
at first I thought it was only right.
After so much wrong, Captain, I thought...
Mr. Lack's not easy to talk to. He's never easy.
Whatever you did, Mrs. Lack,
I can believe you thought it was right.
That's kind. That's kind.
I'm not good with talk, I think, a lot,
but I never say, I never dare say,
Mr. Lack isn't one to listen.
I guess I didn't make the Indians understand me very well.
What did you tell them?
About the school. Just the women, of course, the squaws.
They're all I see, really, in the laundry, mostly.
Mr. Lack never comes there, and sometimes we talk.
About the school?
I thought if they couldn't see any hope for themselves here,
that it would mean something to think their children
would have a better chance.
I told them maybe we could start a school.
And they took it you meant to take their kids from them, huh?
I guess I just didn't say it very well.
It was after that they took the guns?
Yes.
It's a terrible thing I've done, Captain.
Some terrible things have been done here, ma'am.
But what you tried to do was a fine thing.
Children, they're a mother's full hope.
A woman will bear anything.
No one, her young, will have it better and easier.
I don't know what's possessed me speaking so free.
Nothing wrong with speaking free.
I'm a childless woman, Captain. I'm not the right.
I'd best get back to my quarters now.
I wanted you to know.
Will it help? You're known?
I think it will, Mrs. Lack.
I'm much obliged.
I don't see the guns, Red Deer.
No guns, Captain.
You've had time to talk to your people?
No guns.
I asked for your help, Red Deer.
Is this your answer?
Can do nothing.
Mr. Cybertz?
Yes, sir.
You will direct the search of all lodges,
all buildings housing Indians.
Yes, sir.
I'm starting the search with your lodge, Red Deer.
Would you lead me to it?
Squaw in lodge.
I won't bother her.
Corporal Mercer, take three men start the fire in.
Harrison, you and the others come with me.
Captain.
Did you find something, Sergeant?
No, sir.
The fact of the matter is we lost something.
What's that?
Miller and Kincaid, Captain.
It was too sheepish to speak out till now.
During the night their rifles was took.
Red Deer.
You look, Captain.
You know fine.
What's this?
Belong to Squaw.
Soap?
For papoose.
Learn from White Squaw.
Mrs. Lack?
White Squaw keep all things very clean.
My Squaw, she learn from her.
Your papoose could learn from her too
if you let her start a school.
No take papoose from lodge.
You want them to grow up scared,
hatin',
the way you do?
Use your head, Red Deer.
A school in this agency might make a lot of things better.
No take papoose from lodge.
We'll have a lot of talking to do later.
Big pow wow. Red men, White men, settle many things.
Will you take soap?
Oh no, here.
But your Squaw took it, didn't she?
From the supply store by the laundry.
Not know.
Maybe she took the guns too.
You find no guns, Captain.
We'll see about that.
They're not lying around here anyway. Come on.
What?
All people taken from lodges.
Why?
We're gonna find those guns, Red Deer.
Red Deer, some sort of privileged character, is he, Captain?
He'll stand search in due time, Mr. Lack.
You'll conduct the search yourself, Captain?
Of course.
I'll walk right along with you.
All right, you walk along with me.
But save your talking for the Indian Commission.
Major Daggett will be sending one over as soon as he gets my report.
Captain, you'd have my job?
You bet I would, Mr. Lack.
You'll walk with us, Red Deer.
Yes.
This running bird.
Huh?
This many rivers.
Hmm.
This squaw of Larkwing.
Hmm.
Sergeant?
Yes, sir.
Sergeant, walk toward us along that line.
Take a good look.
Yes, sir.
What is it, Captain?
The Indian Commission.
What is it?
The Indian Commission.
What is it?
Yes, sir. What is it, Captain?
You didn't see, Mr. Lack?
I saw nothing.
Well, Captain,
you took quite a little doing on their part.
Yeah, a lot of doing, Sergeant.
Go on, Mr. Lack.
Look again. Look close this time.
The beads the squaws are wearing,
their shells, cartridges.
The old men are leaning on canes, only their gun barrels.
The kids got arrowheads hanging from their belts
and right along with them, gun locks, hammers.
You mean they took the guns apart?
They're wearing them?
Yep.
And if you're smart, Lack, you'll ask to get relieved from your job
before they put them back together.
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 Kathleen Height,
with sound patterns by Bill James and Tom Henley.
Musical supervision by Amarigo Marino.
Featured in the cast were Joseph Kearns, John Danaer and Vivi Janis.
Jack Moyles as Major Daggett and Harry Bartell as Lieutenant Syberts.
Company, attention!
Dismissed.
Next week, another transcribed story of the Northwest frontier
and the troopers who fought under Lee Quince, Captain of Cavalry.
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and the problems that come up wherever the kingfish happens to be
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