 In just a moment you'll hear James Stewart as the sick shooter. There's music for you tomorrow evening with two of your favorite song stylists. First it's the Dinosaur Show, and then songs with Sinatra. There's laughter too in your Friday lineup with three comedy favorites. The Bob Hope Show with Bob's guest Jerry Kelowna, the Phil Harris Alice Faye Show, and can you top this? It's a great Friday night program lineup, all of them heard only on NBC. James Stewart as the sick shooter. The man in the saddle is angular and long-legged. His skin is sun-died brown. The gun in his holster is grey steel and rainbow mother of pearl. It's handle unmarked. People call them both the sick shooter. The NBC radio network presents James Stewart as the sick shooter. A transcribed series of radio dramas based on the life of Britt Ponsett. The Texas Plainsmen who wandered through the western territories, leaving behind a trail of still-remembered legends. It was about seven o'clock on a Saturday evening, and I was riding down the east trail that led from Calais City over to Crown Ranch. It's been a real warm day. The little breeze was coming up now, and things were cooling off with a nice comfortable twilight. I hadn't seen any signs of habitation for the last few miles. The soil was pretty thin and sandy. It probably wouldn't grow much. But a little further on, the ground turned brown, rich-looking. I noticed a frame house sitting back, old 50 yards back from the trail. When I was almost even with the house, the front door opened and somebody came running out toward me. A young boy looked like about 15, 16, wearing blue jeans and a checkered shirt and a little peak cap pulled down over his ear. Howdy, son. What can I do for you? You come from town, mister? Got your eye. You didn't run across Friendly DeWitt on the trail, did you? Friendly DeWitt? You know him, don't you, mister? He runs the Travel and Mercantile. How's that? Oh, sure. We're too far out to get into town very much, so he brings around a wagon load of goods every once in a while. I just don't know what we do without him. Well, don't stand out there all night joyous. Just find out about Friendly like I told you. The gentleman ain't seen him, ma'am. Oh, shut up, Fern. You can wear something else to have, too. This is a way to Cindy Lou. What? What was that she called you? Cindy Lou. But that's a girl's name. Oh, oh, oh. Oh, and this light here, the way you were dressed, I sort of thought maybe you would... It don't matter. Thanks again, mister. So long. Ah. Ah, so long. Hmm, Cindy Lou. Well, I gave Scar a little touch of my heel. That's cool. Come on. Come on, boy. Let me start it off. I figured I'd had about eight miles to go before I'd reach the Crown Ranch. I hadn't been through this part of the country and quite a spell, but I was pretty certain Floyd Prince had remembered me from the old days. He'd sign me on for the summer if he had an opening. Come on, Scar, come on, come on. It was about 15 minutes later, and I came to the fork in the trail. I saw a wagon rolling along from the south. There's some wagon, too. Almost twice the size of anything I'd ever run into before. And the way the canvas bulged out, it looked like it was loaded to the brim. Well, it stood the reason that this was the traveling mercantile that Cindy Lou had mentioned. Whoa, Scar, whoa. Okay, whoa, okay. Easy, no. Easy there. Howdy, friend. Your, uh, Mr. Dwatt, I tag it. You take it right, sir, except for that Mr. Point. Just call me friendly like the rest of the folks. A friend in need is a friend indeed. Uh, something you needin', mister? No, no. Shoelaces, chewin' the back of flowers, salt, kitchen utensils, ammunition, yardage, zone equipment, anything at all. Just you name it, I got it, here in my wagon. It sounds like quite an assortment there. Oh, there's only a part of it. I didn't even touch on my medical supplies. Oh. Oh, Doc Bostow's painkiller says simple or purpose self. Miss Jenny's bunion, plastic, and corn removers. You got any corn since troublein' you, mister? They're just a thing. No, no, I don't do too much walkin'. Oh. Some liniment there. No, thanks, just the same. I'm in pretty good health. Well, what about wearin' a peril? I got a full line of Levi's shirts, bandanas, cotton and wool socks. No, I'm just, friend, I'm just not in the market for anything, friendly. The only reason I stopped was to tell ya that those folks down the trail were gettin' kinda anxious about you. Folks down the trail? Uh-huh, you know, they're farmhouse a couple miles back there. Well, I just can't imagine who you're talkin' about, mister. I ain't even headed that way. I'm makin' a delivery over the Davis Ranch near Evergreen. Davis girl's gettin' married tomorrow morning. I'm bringin' all the paraphernalia for the widin'. You sure somebody in this neighborhood's lookin' for me? They seem to be. I don't know the family's name exactly. The girl I bumped into is called Cindy Lou. Well, that must be Cindy Lou Ames. But why would... great yellow pumpkins? Patty Ames. That dress she ordered for her daughter Fern. What time you may get out to be, mister? I ain't unpacked my shipment of alarm clocks yet. Oh, it must be 7.30. Well, maybe I can get there before they leave. If I don't, Patty Ames will skin me alive. Ah, get out, Patty. Come on now, come on, Francis. Come on. I knew there was somethin' else. And I was workin' on that dress only this morning, too. Shultin' in the ham. So long, mister. Hope you enjoy the square dance. Dance? What are you... Come on, Scott, come on. Dance, what are you... what are you talkin' about? Well, that's where you're headin', ain't it? Count Rand? Yeah, as a matter of fact, it is. But I didn't know about any dance or anything. I was goin' with that Floyd Prince for jobs. You mean tell me you ain't heard about the celebration or nothin'? No, not a word. Well, it's a count of Floyd Prince's son. He just come home from school and back east. Well, you mean Monty Prince? Yeah, that's the boy's name. You know him, mister? Well, I used to. He was just a little shaver then. He's all grown up, huh? Well, he must be 20 or so, somewhere's long in there. I guess he'll be takin' over the crown one of these days. Let's see. Well, I reckon I better put off my job huntin' until some other time. I wouldn't want to bother Floyd Prince gettin' a party. I'll ride along with you first, pal, friendly. Well, if you're an acquaintance of Floyd Prince's, I imagine you'd be more than welcome in his party. In fact, the neighborhood's been buddy. Maybe so, maybe so. Fact is, I'm not too good at square dancin'. I don't know, but there's just somethin' about my legs, and a little too much of them, I reckon. Well, I just hope you're the only absentee. Well, what do you mean? Well, Hattie's daughter, Fern. She was planned to wear this here dress. I'm all odied from it. Oh. Now, she's havin' a tantrum right now. She sure takes after Hattie. She does, huh? Yes, sir. And why not deliverin' her outfit on time? Well, there'll be real catastrophe. You see, Hattie's aimin' to marry her Fern off to this young Molly Prince. And she'll probably manage it too. Hattie usually gets her own way. Uh-oh. Look over there, mister. Hmm? Yeah, buggy comin' up the trail. That'll be Hattie and Fern on the way to the crown. Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised. Well, still ain't doin' anything about the dress now. If there's somethin' off, yeah, the best thing for me to do is to stay out of sight. I'll get my wagon over here under these trees here. Well, but... It really seems easy now. But what do you... They're bound to say you're sittin' there. Oh, you don't know Hattie aims like I do. What do you mean? Well, she's as nearsighted as a buffalo. Can't see her hand in front of a face unless she's wearing her bifocals. Oh. And she won't be wearin' him either. Not if she's headin' for a shindig. Well, what about the daughter? Well, I told ya, Fern takes after her mother. She's as blind as a bat without her spectables. I said... Here they come. There? There? What did they tell ya? Dog gone. They never even glanced over towards you. Oh, no, not a glance. Well, I guess I might as well move you over to the Davis Ranch. Nice meetin' you, Mr... Oh, I'm sorry, friendly. I meant to introduce myself. My name's Ponson. Brooke Ponson. Oh. Oh! Why, Mr. Ponson? I didn't recognize you. Oh, no reason why you're sure, friendly. No reason you're sure. Well, I heard so much about you. And that gun. Here, Mr. Ponson, here. I got me some samples of a new hair, Tony. Smells real and it can do. Maybe you'd like to try it. They say it'll grow fuzzier. Not that there's anything mad with your hair, you understand? Well, my supply is kinda decreasing. A little Tony might be very handy. All right, sir. Just a second now. I got it right back here. Yeah, here it is. Oh, thanks, friendly. My pleasure, Mr. Ponson. My pleasure. Well, I... Say, I just happened to think, what happened to the other daughter? Well, that buggy that just went by, there were only two women in it. Now, the girl I met back at the farm, she wasn't qualified. Oh, you mean Cindy Lou. Well, she wouldn't be going to Prince's dance. She wouldn't. No, no. You see, Harry ain't got much use for her. Cindy ain't had his real kids. She just stepped over. Oh, oh. Yeah, Harry and Fern, well, they just seem to go out of their way to make things miserable for her. Well, I like this here dance, for instance. Everybody knows that Monty Prince and Cindy Lou used to be real friendly when they were kids. Well, she'd probably give her eye tooth to go to that part of the night, see him again, but... Well, that's too bad she can. Yeah, yeah, but there's nothing anybody can do about it. Why, she don't even have a dress to her name. You know, I've got a hunch she'd be real pretty if Harry ever allowed her to fix herself up. Well, she seemed a mighty nice-looking girl. Yeah, sure is. Yeah. What's the matter? Why shouldn't Cindy Lou go to that dance tonight? With all the stuff in this wagon, I could fix her up so she'd be the prettiest girl there. Well, maybe a cord, friendly. Maybe a cord. Woo-hoo! It sure be a good trick to play on Harry and Fern. Why, if they couldn't tell my wagon at 50 feet, they'd never know Cindy Lou when I got done with her. Come on, Mr. Ponson. Why? Well, girl can't go to Square Dance all by herself. She's got to have this go. Oh, I suppose so. But hold on, friend. What, you don't mean me? Well, you're a friend of the princess. You said so yourself. Why, I'm old enough to be her friend. If we don't hurry, Mr. Ponson, Square Dance will be all over. Come on. Step right out of there, friends. Come on there, Peggy. There's still a prevalent. Come on, Mr. Ponson. Um... I just don't understand, Mr. DeWitt. You mean you want to lonely address? And all the trimming, Cindy Lou. Before I get done with you, you'll be so duded up that your own stepmother won't recognize you. And you want to take me to the dance, Mr. Ponson? Uh, yeah, sure. Not as if you want to go. Well, that's right kindly of you both. But the fact is, I don't have no interest in attending the doings at the crown. Oh, oh, you don't. Well, in that case... I don't know where you ever got such a notion, Mr. DeWitt. As if I cared anything about seeing Monty Prince again. Well, I haven't even thought of him since he went away to school. Not once. Well, I reckon your step-sister has done something about him. A lot of good it'll do. Monty wouldn't look to... I mean it. None of my business. One way or the other. No. No. I guess it's... I'm sorry we bothered you. Let's go, Farley. Okay, Mr. Ponson. That's it, Lou. Mr. DeWitt. Mm-hmm. Was there something you wanted, Cindy? Yes, maybe I'm acting kind of ungrateful. I mean, well, you both did put yourself out for me and it was real generous of you to do it. I don't suppose it would do me no harm to go to that square dance. For a little while anyway. If you really want me to. Well, now that's more like it. And you see now, the first thing we got to do is find a dress. You come on out to my wagon. Cindy, we'll pick something that'll make you look like a princess. Yes, sir. A real princess. Well, I want to tell you, Friendly wasn't very far wrong. That's just exactly how Cindy Lou looked when she came out of that bedroom about half an hour later. And for a minute we just stood there, just not saying a word, just staring at her. Well, don't I look good enough to go to the dance? Good enough. Well, Cindy Lou, you're, you're a pretty picture. Ain't she pretty? Well, she sure is. Well, if you're all ready, Cindy, well... There's just one thing. We forgot the shoes. Shoes? I don't have any party slippers of my own. Oh. Well, you see, Cindy Lou, that's about the only item I don't stock in my wagon. Well, I guess you can make do with the shoes you wear, can't you? I don't see how. Well, look at them yourself. Yeah. Yeah, no. No, wait, wait. I am carrying one pair of fancy slippers. They're part of the Davis Girls' wedding outfit. Well... Oh, no, no. I couldn't loan them to Cindy though. I got to leave for the Davis Ranch as soon as you two start off with the dance. I promise I'll be there first thing in the morning and it's a good eight hours' drive on that wagon of mine. Oh, I see. Well, it was real nice of you both anyhow. I'll never forget what you tried to do for me. How I felt when I put on this dress. How wonderful. Now, hold on, Cindy, hold on, hold on. It's all right. Just let me do some figuring here. See, if I was... Well, let's leave here by midnight. Maybe the Davis place long about 8 a.m. That ought to be early enough. There ain't no reason why you both couldn't be back here before 12 o'clock, is there? No, no, no reason at all. Well, then I guess the next thing to do is to find out whether them slippers will fit or not. I'll bring them right in. I just don't know what to say, Mr. Ponce. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. Well, it all seems like something out of a storybook. You know, Cindy, I was just thinking the same thing. Well, here you are, Cindy. Try them on. Gee, they sure do look small, don't they? Well, you think you can make it? Oh, I don't... Oh, there. Oh, it is kind of tight, but I... Well, well, try the other one. If you can get one on, the other ought to go too. There. Good, good. Now, you're going to be able to walk, aren't you? Oh, I'll be able to walk all right, Mr. Dewey. The way I feel, I can almost fly. Well, then you better get started. You won't have too long to dance, you know. And don't forget, wait. You've got to have her back here by midnight. Don't worry, friendly. I won't forget. You are listening to James Stewart as the sick shooter. The story of Britt Ponsett, the Texas Plainsman whose name has become legend throughout the Great Southwest. Now, act two of the story called, When the Shoe Doesn't Fit. I heist that Cindy blew up on scars. She managed to see herself in front of the saddle. I kind of held on to her to keep her from falling off, and we started off at the Crown Ranch. Took us about 45 minutes to get there, and that party was in full swing when we walked into the parlor. Rope your car and brand your cab! Bring here! Floyd Prince came over to the door when he saw our thing. He told me we were more than welcome. He's real nice, considering I'd invited myself. I sort of managed to avoid mentioning Cindy Lou's name, and what with all the hubdobs, Floyd didn't seem to notice that I hadn't introduced her properly. But Floyd's son, Monty, well, he didn't wait for any introduction. He just took one look at Cindy, and that was the last time I saw her. As far as I can tell, the other girls at the party were just completely out of the picture from then on. I waited until there was an animation, and the dancing, and I moseyed over to the punch ball. Oh, can I help you, Mr. Ponson? Uh... Oh, yes, ma'am, thank you. I'm Mrs. Ames. Happy Ames. Oh, how do, Miss Ames? Oh, Fern! Fern! Over here, dear. I want you to meet somebody. This is my daughter, Fern, Mr. Ponson. I'm pleased to meet you, Fern. Well, speak up, speak up. Oh, Fern sought a shy. Uh, yes, yes. Oh, by the way, that young lady that you brought to the party, she doesn't seem to be spending much time with you, does she? Oh, that's the trouble when a man brings a pretty girl to a dance. He's apt to find himself all alone. Fern, stop the fidgeting. Of course, now, some girls have characters, as well as looks. I say... Goodness, they're starting another dance. Now, Mr. Ponson, don't think that you have to ask my permission to dance with Fern. You just go right ahead. Uh... Uh, yes, uh... Uh, Fern? Yeah. Like I said, I'm not much of a square dancer, but there just didn't seem to be any way of turning Fern down. Well, I guess I should say there wasn't any way of turning her mother down. So, we did our best. Sorry, Fern. As the evening wore on, it didn't look like she had any other part lined up. Well, I figured it was up to me to sort of fill in. Oh, right. I sure didn't mean to kick you, Fern. As one thing about her, though, she sure didn't talk a man to death. And somehow, the time passed, and the next thing I knew it was after 11 o'clock. Now, that meant Cindy and I had to be starting home, so I looked around for her, but she wasn't in sight. I excused myself from Fern and headed out to the front porch. Yeah, Cindy was there all right, but the thing that surprised me was she was all alone. Looked like she'd been crying. Cindy. Oh, Mr. Ponsett. What, are you all right? No, I'm fine. Just fine. Where's Marty? I don't know. Well, maybe you'd better find him and say good night. I never want to see him again. Not as long as I live. Oh, what happened? I thought you two were hitting off real good there. I thought so, too, at first. While we were inside dancing, everything was just wonderful. And then, all of a sudden, he started acting like he didn't care about me at all. Said he couldn't be spending all his time with one girl. He had to dance with some of the others. Well, after all, the party is in his honor. And that ain't all, Mr. Ponsett. He didn't even know who I was. Well, didn't you tell him? I thought sure he'd know. I never figured he'd forget me, not in just a few years. Well, you've changed, Cindy, and the way you're all fixed up. Oh, that wouldn't matter. Not if Marty really liked me. I'd never forget him. I'd know him no matter how much he changed, or how he dressed. Well, all you had to do was just tell him who you were, you know? I just couldn't. And you mustn't tell him, either. You've got to promise me you won't. Now, please, Mr. Ponsett. That's what you want. Well, I think maybe we'd better leave. I'm ready. You got everything? I guess so. Why? I don't know. I just thought maybe you'd lost one of your slippers. My slippers? Whatever gave you that idea? I just sort of crossed my mind. Never mind. I'll get scarred. Well, it just goes to show you that stories in real life don't work out the same way. Instead of falling in love, Cindy and Marty Prince were just far away as ever, even farther. And they didn't seem to be anywhere getting them together, either, at least ways. He wasn't going to be able to do it by finding one of her slippers at the dance, that for sure. As a matter of fact, she couldn't have lost a shoe at the dance if she wanted to. When we got her home, we found out she couldn't even get them off. Go on, Cindy. You must not be trying. You didn't have as much trouble getting them on. Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Dewitt. I'm doing my best. My feet must have swelled up from the dancing or something. Here, let me do it. Oh, sure. They're just plain stuck there. I know. Maybe in the morning, my feet will go back to normal. Hey, look out the window there, friendly. Isn't that a buggy out there? Holy smoke, frowning heady. So long since it vibrated. Oh, wait a minute, friendly. I don't want them catching me here either. But what about the slippers in the wedding tomorrow? The bride's wearing a long dress, which is clear down to the floor. She can get married in a bare feet if she has to. Well, thanks for everything. Oh, nice, Cindy. I'm sorry things didn't work out better for you, but... It's about noon time. The next day, I was in my hotel room, washing up the funny dinner. They were planning to serve fried chicken and corn fritters and apple pie. The castle hotel always put the food on family style, so I figured I'd better be real prompt or there wouldn't be anything. Yeah? Yeah, come in. Oh. Oh, Marty. What are you doing in town? I came to see you, Mr. Ponsett. No, that's all. It's about that girl you brought out to the crown last night. Well, I sort of had the impression you weren't too interested in her. Oh, I'm interested all right. I wish I wasn't, but I am. How's that? Well, you see, Mr. Ponsett, before I went back east, I was... Well, I was real fond of another girl. Cindy Lou Ames, her name is. Oh. And we sort of promised that we'd wait for each other. But last night, that girl with you... Oh, she sort of made me forget Cindy. She did, huh? For a while, anyway. And then I remembered and I felt real bad because it didn't seem like I was being fair to Cindy. So I went inside and I left the other girl to herself. But all night long, I kept thinking about both girls and they sort of got mixed up in my mind. I couldn't even keep them straight. Uh-huh. You've got quite a problem there, haven't you? Yeah. Excuse me. Good morning, Mr. Ponsett. I finally managed to... Oh. Cindy Lou. Hello, Monty. Golly, it's good to see you. I was hoping you'd be at the dance last night. Were you? You know, you haven't changed a bit. No. No, I guess I haven't. They're in this paper bag, Mr. Ponsett. Those things I borrowed last night. Oh. I thought maybe you could return them to Mr. DeWitt for me. Well, I'm not sure I'll be running into him again, Cindy. Here, Mr. Ponsett. Now be careful. Don't go... Oh! Oh! Oh, Mr. Ponsett. Oh, don't go on it, Cindy. I just sort of slipped out of my fingers. Well, here, I'll put these party shoes back in the sack. Well, goodbye, and thanks. Goodbye, Monty. Cindy, wait a minute. Where'd you get those shoes? I don't know what you mean. Well, they're the same ones that... They're exactly the same. Cindy Lou, you weren't the square dance last night. You and that other girl... Well, there wasn't any other girl. It was you. No wonder I couldn't get you straightened out in my... What are you talking about? Tell her, Mr. Ponsett, what I told you just before she came in. Well, I think maybe you'd better tell her yourself, Monty. As a matter of fact, I'm kind of anxious to get downstairs while there's still some fried chicken left, so... Now, you listen to me. I've been in love with you ever since I can remember. I don't believe... Well, it's true. And it doesn't matter what kind of address you wear or how your hair is fixed for... Well, there wasn't much point in my hanging around to see if Cindy and Monty would finally get together. There's only one way a story like this can end. I guess you know as well as I do. They were just bound to live happily ever after. The Sick Shooter is a transcribed NBC radio network production in association with review productions. It is written by Frank Burt and is based on a character created by him. Mr. Stewart may currently be seen in the Universal International Picture of the Glenn Miller story. Others in the cast were Barbara Eiler of Cindy Lou and Eleanor Audley, Sandra Gould, Bill Johnstone, and Sam Edwards. Special music for this program was by Basil Adlam and the entire production was under the direction of Jack Johnstone. All characters and incidents were fictitious and any resemblance to actual characters or incidents is purely coincidental. This is John Wall speaking. Here, McDonald-Carrie in Jason and the Golden Fleece tonight on the NBC radio network.