 In a moment you'll hear James Stewart as the sick shooter. Just one of the many fine programs brought to you Sundays on NBC. Later this evening listen to the NBC star Playhouse with your favorite stars. Here meet the press with guest Roy Cohn in a newsworthy broadcast. And be sure to keep tuned for the dramatic story of communism in America on Last Man Out. It's a wonderful lineup of great programs 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 gray steel and rainbow mother of pearl. It's handled 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 Plainsman wandered through the western territories, leaving behind a trail of still remembered legends. I can tell he was a big man from the sound of his steps as he plowed through the trees toward where I was squatted by the fire eating my lunch. Finally came into sight. He's almost as broad as he was tall with bright red hair and a great big thick moustache that kind of curled up at the corners. Well, he sure wasn't any cowhand. Not with those duds he was wearing. Long black coat and light yellow britches. Looked like he'd been wearing them for quite a spell too, all mud all over the pants and a tear on one of the coat sleeves. He seemed cheerful enough though. At least a grin he gave me was so broad it showed off practically every tooth in his head. Lots of gold there too. Do you mind if I warm myself for a spell? Oh no, I don't want to have you. That sun just don't give off much heat. What time you make it, mister? About noon, maybe a little later. Hey, that grub sure smells good, don't it? Are you hungry? Well, I'm not hungry exactly. Stars would be more like you. Why help yourself towards the left of the being over there? Well, thanks, Mr. Thanks a lot. Well, worked up quite an appetite since breakfast. Well, they travel on foot, huh? Yep. Not from Troy's, understair. Not from Troy's. Had me a pony, find this little roan you ever saw. I lost him, though. Oh, by George it was beans are tasty. Well, you lost your horse? Well, last night, poker game over to Jackson. Oh, poker there. Well, you're a gambler, huh? Well, the way your car's been running lately, I ain't so sure. I see. But if I had to go broke somewhere, I guess Jackson was good at places any. At least it's within walking distance, Cloverfork. Well, that's quite a walk. Well, I know it. I ain't got much further to go, though, have I? About 15 miles, I think. Well, I reckon I'll make it somehow. You acquainted with Cloverfork, mister? So, I've been working on a ranch not very far from there. You should get into town every week or so. That's where I'm headed now. Well, then maybe you can tell me where I'll find my family. My wife and son, it is. Their name's Proctor. What? Proctor? We're still living in Cloverfork, ain't they? That's where they moved to last time I heard. Janet Proctor, that's my wife. Boy's called Ted after his grandfather. You know him, mister? Yeah. Yeah, I know Ted. Oh, I bet he's a whopper by now. Why, he must be... Well, let's see, he's going on 12 years old. He's a good-sized boy, all right. What about Janet, mister? She's still pretty. She used to be pretty as a picture when she was a girl. Yeah, well... As a matter of fact, Mrs. Proctor's dead. What? Yeah, she's... I was... Over a year ago now, pneumonia. Janet? Yes, I'm very sorry, Proctor. I... It's funny, they didn't let you know of her. I reckon they tried. I ain't an easy man to reach. I keep moving around. Yeah, well, to tell you the truth, I didn't realize that Ted's father was still alive. I sort of got the impression that you were dead. I mean... Poor Janet. She sure never had much of a life. It was my fault. My fault more than anybody's, I guess. But I just couldn't do no different. I tried to settle down, get a steady job. It didn't work out. Some men... Some men aren't meant to stay put. Yeah. Now, it wasn't that I really left her, you understand? At first, she used to come back and never had a win in streak and got some money ahead. And this time went on. I kept staying away longer and longer until... Well, it's been seven, eight years now. She wasn't living in Clover Fork when I last saw her. She told me she was fixing to move there. I thought, sure, I'd be around this part of the country before now, but, hell, there always seemed to be another card game to keep me away. Well, I... Ted's all right, you said, huh? Yeah, oh, yes, he's fine the last time I saw him. Who's looking after him now? Well, your wife's sister. He's been living with her the last year. Amy? Well, she's just a girl. Oh, she must be getting on to 30. 30? Well, isn't she married yet? No, no, there's talk, though. Fred Baker, a real nice fellow, he owns a ranch right outside of town. Well, how's Amy managing? She don't have no money. Well, I guess you didn't know it, but your wife had built up a pretty nice little dressmaking tray. And Amy took it over. Woman folks say she's real handy with a needle. Uh-huh. Ted does his part too, odd jobs after school, things like that. Oh, you'll be real proud of that boy. Yeah. Yeah, sure. Well, I guess I'd better be moving along. Well, I'll just clean this kettle out with some sand here. I'd like to offer you a ride into town if my horse was losing a shoe. I don't think he could carry both of us. That's all right, miss. That's all right. Yeah, thanks for the grub. Oh, don't mention it. Say, uh... Well, dog owner, I don't know your name, do I? No, it's Ponson. Not Britt Ponson. That's all right. Well, I always figured I'd be meeting up with you someday the way that both of us keep moving around. I'm real pleased to meet you, Mr. Ponson. Oh, uh, my first name's Gus. How are you, Gus? Before you shove off, I was wondering if you'd mind doing me a little favor. Mm-hmm. As long as you'll be getting into Clover Fork ahead of me, would you... would you stop off and tell Amy and the boy that I'm coming to see him for a day or so? I think... maybe they kind of deserve a warning. Sure. Sure, I'll be glad to, Gus. Britt, it isn't fair. He's got no right to come here, not after all this time. Well, Amy, he's Ted's father. He was Janet's husband, too. But that didn't make any difference to him. Nobody else ever made any difference. Now, all of a sudden, he remembers that he's got a son. Why didn't he ever think about Ted before? Don't get yourself all upset over it. He's only passing through. He'll just be here a day or so. That's what he said. What will it do to Ted? His father's dead. He would? I had to tell him something, Britt. When Janet was so sick, he got the idea that if his father was here, she'd get better. I could hear little Teddy praying. Every night, he prayed that his father would come home. And when he didn't, and Janet died, well, I... I told him Gus was dead. I said that was why he hadn't come. And for all I knew, it was true. For all I knew, he was dead. Well, I'm not saying I blame you, Amy, but Proctor's on his way into town, so if you want to explain to Ted, I... He isn't even here. He had some errands he was going to do for me on his way home from school. I imagine he'll... Oh, that'll be Mrs. Peters. I promised her I'd have a dress ready for tonight, and it's barely started. Oh. Hello, Amy. Pug. Gus. You were expecting me, weren't you? Yes, but... not yet. Not so soon. Britt said you wouldn't be here until later. Well, made better time than I expected. Side Buster, give me riding in his wagon. Oh. Well... coming. Howdy, Mr. Ponsett. I seein' you again. Oh, hey, Gus. You turned out real pretty, Amy. Have I? Well, uh... I think maybe I'd better be going. Oh, there's no reason for you to go. No, I have to get me a room for the night, and you and Gus have things to talk over. We don't have anything to talk about. No, Amy, I know how you must feel. You don't know how I feel. You couldn't know. It wasn't pneumonia that killed Janet when you left that last time and didn't come back. When she didn't even hear from you. That's what killed her. Well, I couldn't help myself. Amy, it wasn't that I didn't love Janet, but... Well, go away, please. Leave us alone. Ted believes that you're dead. It's better that way. I believe I'm dead. Oh, don't make him go through the same thing Janet did. I'm always wondering where you are. I'm always worrying about you. Let him go on believing you're dead. Amy, you shouldn't have... Oh, woman, Amy. I figured you wanted a piece of supplementary over... Oh, hello, Teddy. You remember Mr. Ponson? Sure. All right, Ted. Just fine, Mr. Ponson. Ted... Ted, this is... I reckon your aunt's forgotten my name, son. Can't say as I blame her, seen as how we just met up. It's Parker. George Parker. I stopped by because I used to be a friend. Do you pause? Well, Gus Parker carried it all pretty well, too. Sounded real convincing. The only mistake he made was saying that he'd known Ted's father. Well, sir, that youngster cut loose with a whole parcel of questions. And the man on Gus had... had a pretty hard time keeping up the pretending. He kept trying to leave, but it seemed that he just had to stay for supper. Ted wouldn't take no for an answer. And Amy, well, she had to go along with it. Finally, Gus agreed, but he made a plan that he wouldn't be standing in the clover fork overnight. Well, I went over to the hotel and got myself a meal and maroon. Oh, Amy had invited me to supper, too, but I told her to make it some other time. After I'd eaten, I settled down the lobby. The usual poker game was going on over in the corner. So I sat around for a while. And just as I was getting ready to go upstairs, I saw Gus come strolling in. Good evening, Britt. I was hoping you'd not go into bed yet. Yeah, well, I sure was thinking about it, Gus. How was the supper? Oh, it was first-rate, first-rate. Amy's a real fine cook. She's a fine woman, too, Britt. She's done a good job with the boy. Well, I never heard anybody say otherwise. You went on planned dead, huh? I must say I wrote myself a mighty pretty obituary. You did? Yeah, yeah. Of course, Ted's concerned. He had just about the greatest father that ever lived. Why did you change your mind, Gus? Why didn't you tell him who you really were? Well, Amy was so set against it, I don't know, I figured maybe she was right. Ain't as if I was going to be with him or be hanging around town, but, well... Yeah? I did sort of promise to stay over another day. Oh. Well, a boy wants to go hunting tomorrow. It's Saturday. He don't have no school and he ain't never been hunting with a man, Britt. I guess I don't own that much. Yeah, sure, sure. The only thing is, if I'm going to stay over, well, I'll need me a little steak now. Now, I'm not asking for a loan, you understand? Well, it's not that often security, anyhow. You noticed my stick pin, didn't you? Yeah, yeah, I noticed it. Well, it sure looks like a genuine diamond, don't it? Well, it ain't, of course, it's just glass, but I've moved fire. I really fooled more than one jewel over that pin. So if I wasn't to claim it back, so you could always get more than $5 for it, you wouldn't be hot nothing. No, I don't know because $5 is a lot of money, you know. You're gonna have it back before morning? I will, huh? Sure, sure. You see that game over there in the corner? Yeah. Well, not one of them, fellas, knows the first thing about poker and tells them the way they're holding their cards. Maybe so. Maybe so. I thought you said you were in a losing streak. Well, I was. I was until the night. I got the dull, gauntest feeling my luck has changed. Ted sure had his heart set on going hunting. All right, all right, all right. All right, here you are. Here's the money. Thank you, Bruce. Thank you. Here's the pin. Oh, you don't have to get it. No, sir, no, sir. A business transaction is a business transaction. Here you take it. Say, by the way, what did you tell Ted about yourself? I mean about this George Parker you were claiming to be. Oh, I said I was a no good, no count, rovin' gambler. Oh, I said you're dead, huh? Well, I had to tell him some truth, didn't I? Yeah, I guess you did. We'll return to James Stewart as the six-shooter in just a moment. But I'd like to pass on a word of thanks to you, our audience. Thanks from Jimmy Stewart, from our writer, Frank Burt, the entire technical crew, and our director, Jack Johnstone, for the warm, friendly letters we receive from you every week. It makes us feel that you are somehow sharing the pleasure that is ours in bringing you the six-shooter. We only wish it were possible to answer them all individually, for we appreciate hearing from you more than you may realize. Now, act two of the six-shooter, starring James Stewart as Britt Ponson. Well, Gus paid me back first thing next day, and he had a whole lot more than $5 in his pocket, too. Plenty of silver and a roll of bills. I guess his luck had changed, all right. He was all fixed up to go hunting when I saw him, wearing some new britches and a flannel shirt, carrying a couple of first-class rifles under his arm. I went about my business, picked up some parts for the pump on the Eagle J where I was working and headed back to the ranch. It was almost a week later before I came into town again, new harness from you all this time. I was kind of surprised to see Gus playing poker in the hotel lobby when I registered. I figured he'd probably moved on by now. He waved to me and went on with the game, and it looked like to me he was still winning. Well, I went upstairs to my room and started to clean up her supper. Come in. Oh. Howdy, Mr. Pontus. Well, how are you? Well, what can I do for you, Ted? I stopped by the hotel to see Mr. Parker, but he's busy. He said you were back in town, so... Well, I'd like to talk to you, Mr. Pontus. Sure, sure, go ahead. You're a friend of Mr. Parker's, ain't you? Well, more lass or I can... Well, I think he's getting ready to leave Clover Fork, Mr. Pontus. Oh? He told me he never stays in one place very long, not more than a few days usually. Mm-hmm. I'm going with him, Mr. Pontus. When he leaves, I'm going along. You don't know it yet, but I made up my mind. I ain't never had so much fun in my whole life as I have since he's come to town. We've been hunting and fishing, and he even let me play hooky from school the day before yesterday, so we could hire some horses and take us a ride out in the country. Oh, only don't you tell Aunt Amy. All right, okay. He must like me, don't you think? Well, that sure looks like it, doesn't it? He says he ain't got no family of his own. Well, I bet he gets lonesome. I bet he'd like having somebody with him. Well... He's just got to take me along. If he don't, I'll go anyway. I'll run away and I'll follow him, and I'll find him, too. No, no, just hold on. Oh, he thinks that I don't appreciate what Aunt Amy's done for me, but I'm grown up now. I don't need a woman fussin' and making me behave. I want to be like Mr. Parker. I want to move around and see lots of places the way he does, and I'll learn to be a gambler. I've watched him. I already know how to play poker, some. Oh. Uh-huh. Well, most anybody could learn how to play it, is learnin' how to win, that's a might more difficult. Well, he never loses, Mr. Ponson. There ain't nobody who can beat George Parker. Is that so? He's just about the finest man I ever met. Maybe not as fine as my Pa was, but he is a friend of my Pa, so Pa must have thought good of him, too. Uh-huh. I've been able to ask him about letting me go with him. I'm scared he'll turn me down. Of course, it wouldn't make no difference if he did. Like I said, I'll go anyhow. But... Well, would you ask him for me? I mean, would you tell him what I've decided? Well, don't you think maybe you ought to talk this thing over with your aunt, Amy? Oh, that'd be just a waste of time. I know what she'd say, but it wouldn't make no difference. All right, Ted. I'll ask Mr. Parker. I mean, I'll tell him what you've decided. Well, I'll be doggone. So he wants to go off with me, huh? Well, I guess that proves something. Ted's my son, all right. And I guess maybe somewhere down deep inside, he knows it. Maybe so, guys. Maybe so. I don't know why I never thought of it myself. Well, ain't no reason why I shouldn't take him. Oh, I sure don't know of any. Why not? When I was his age, I'd already left home. He'd just be following in my footsteps. Except in this way, I'd be round to look after him. Yeah, yeah, and he's a pretty big boy. He must have had some schooling by now, probably enough. More than likely. Oh, well, now I don't know about that. Well, of course, it won't make much difference, guys, as long as he's gonna be a gambler. What? Oh, oh, yes. Oh, yes. That's what he's said to his mind, to be in a gambler. Well, he ain't gonna be no gambler, Britt. You think I want Ted to have the kind of life I've had? You think I'm proud of myself? A man wants his son to do better than he's done. Any man wants that? Of course he does. I could settle down, get a job again, make a real home for him. And then later on, I could let him know who I really am. But I'm his pal. Yes, sir. Yes, sir, that's just what I'll do. Sure, sure. What's used to trying to fool myself? I couldn't work steady or stay put. I couldn't do it for his mind. I couldn't do it for Ted. I'd be moving on inside of six weeks. Well, I guess it's up to me to lay down the law to him. You know, he's a real determined youngster, guys. He told me he'd run away and follow after you no matter what. And I blame him. Oh, he'd come back to Amy soon enough. You know, you didn't come back when you were his age and you ran away, did you? Well, he ain't me. And he ain't gonna make the same mistakes I did. Well, maybe a good talk and do will set him straight. But right now, you're his idol, guys. Finest fellow that ever lived. Next to his dad, of course. Yeah. He said that? That's what he said. Britt. Britt, I can't be nobody's idol. And I don't want nobody following my example, least of all my own boy. I'm getting out of town tonight. Right now. You know, kids have pretty good memories, guys. Some things they never forget. And some people, too. Even after you're gone, he'll still want to be like you. No. No, he won't. Not if I... Look, it's still early yet. I left time for a couple of hands of poker before I go. You... You don't play, do you, Britt? No, not very much. Sometimes I kind of enjoy watching. There was a seat open when we got downstairs and Gus moved right in. Boys sure were anxious to have him play. Spacially Bart Finch. Seems he'd lost quite a bit during the last week and he wanted a chance to get him some of the bags. I stood by Gus's chair watching the play. He was just about holding his own for a few minutes. Then along about the fifth or sixth hand, I noticed he sort of tensed up. That wasn't like him, not from what I'd seen of his poker plan. Gus was the dealer and Bart opened the pot. They raised each other a couple of times and the other players dropped out. Then it came to a draw. Bart tossed in two cards and one of them kind of hit on edge and almost flopped over. I couldn't see what it was, though, not from where I was standing. Gus dealt Bart two fresh cards and drew to himself. Then everybody seemed to get kind of quiet. Bart made a $10 bet and Gus raised him to $25. Bart came right back with another raise and Gus upped it again. Oh, that part got to be about $300, I think. Well, finally Bart called. All right, Parker, what do you got? Well, let's see. Looks to me like about two pair. Well, that just don't happen to beat a full house. Well, it might. It might. You see, Finch, I got two pair of Jacks. What? There you are. Four Jacks. Keep away from them chips, Parker. Well, what's the matter? You're not cheating me out of this hand. You're talking crazy, Finch. Listen to me, boys. I threw in two discards. One of them was a Jack. There's only four Jacks in a deck. Oh, he's all mixed up. That must have been the last time. Well, they had the discards. It's supposed to be four of them, two from me and two from him. There, now, what did I tell you, boys? Only three. You tell him so, my Jack. That's how he's been winning all week, too. That's how you got our money. Well, you ain't gonna cheat on anybody else, Parker. Hold on. I'll take it easy, Finch. You stay out of this, Ponsett. You put that gun away. I mean it. You ain't gonna stand up for the crooked gambler, Brent. Now I'm fixing it so he won't ever... Ow! Now, Russia, you sit tight. There's gonna be any more gunplay around here. Somebody's gonna get hurt. Except for you, Parker. You better get out of town and fast. And you better think twice before you come back, too. Don't worry, Ponsett. I won't be coming back. Sit. Oh, oh, hello, Ted. I've been looking all over for you. It's true, is it? What they say about Mr. Parker? He didn't cheat at poker. He couldn't have. No, I'm afraid that's how it looked. I don't believe it. I won't. He isn't that kind of man he used to over for it and not to come back. That's right. That's what I told him, Ted. Did anything happen? What I heard? It happened all right. I think I wanted to go with him. And I wanted to be like him. And I must have been local. Why, a man who cheats at cards, he's lower than a snake, even. Well, maybe Mr. Parker had a reason for what he did. There couldn't be no reason. Not for something like that. I wish I'd never heard of him. And I don't think he was a friend of my paws, either. I don't think he ever knew paw at all. He was a skunk like him. No, I don't know about that, Ted. Well, I do. Uh-huh. Look, I... Maybe you ought to head for home. Your aunt Amy will be worrying about you, don't you think? Yeah, yeah, you bet. You know, Mr. Ponson, I ain't ever gonna leave her. Oh, someday you will. But not for a while yet. Not for a while yet, Ted. Well, it was plain as day that pulling a stunt like Gus did in that poker game, he was bound to be found out. Any card player would know that much, let alone a man who makes his living gambling. Of course, I told Amy what he's done and why he'd done it. You know, he wanted to tear down that idol Ted had built up. And even feeling the way she did, well, she had to admit that maybe there was some good in it. She and Fred Baker, they're married now. So Ted's got a father to take him hunting and fishing. Everybody says Fred's as good to him as if Ted was his own son. I never have run into Gus Proctor again. But like he mentioned, we're both on the move most of the time, so it's more likely we'll bump into each other someday. Anyway, I kinda hope so. The Sixth Shooter is a transcribed NBC Radio Network production in association with Review Productions. It is based on a character created by Frank Burt and is written by him. Mr. Stewart may currently be seen in the Universal International Picture, the Glenn Miller story. Others in the cast were Shirley Mitchell, Dick Beals, Barney Phillips and Robert Griffin. Special music for this program was by Basil Atten, and the entire production is under the direction of Jack Johnstone. All characters and incidents were fictitious and any resemblance to actual characters or incidents is purely coincidental. By the way, you'll be interested in knowing that the Sixth Shooter has been chosen for broadcast to our men overseas through the facilities of the Armed Forces Radio Services. This is John Wallsby. Listen to Jan Murray in Sunday at home on the NBC Radio Network.