 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. Mr. Saibotts, Mr. Saibotts! Got fire, sir? Seize fire. But they'll think we have quit, sir. I hope they do, Mr. Saibotts. Yes, sir. Captain, what about your leg? It's fine. Now pass the word, Mr. Saibotts. Right away, sir. Seize fire. Sergeant Gorse! Right here, Captain. Give me a hand. Behind that boulder. Yes, sir. Can you bear weight on that leg? I can get behind that boulder. Are you easy now, sir? Don't know when I've been more comfortable. If you're dry, I got part of a canteen here. No, no. Save it. You'll need it. Captain, there's a clearing about 100 yards back. We got the horses back there. Harrison and me together. I'll get you there. I'm fine here, Sergeant. You'd rest a might easier there, sir. Maybe you ought to take up nursing, Gorse. You're developing a fine manner for it. Well, sir, I reckon it's all this easy living. It's kind of got me soft. Go back to your position, Sergeant, and dig in. Flank in the canyon. This way, you must be figuring them engines will try another run-through. No use. 40 men spreading thin against 200, 300 to wrap a hoe. Yes, sir. Go on back, Gorse. Send Lieutenant Cybert's here. Right, sir. Lieutenant? Lieutenant Cybert. You set for me, sir? Men have their orders. All down the line. How about ammunition? We've enough, sir. What's enough? Well, sir, I think. Enough to lead a charge down the canyon and run them off? No, I don't believe so. Enough to hold our ground here and stand off an assault? That would depend on the size of the assault. Mr. Cybert's there at least 200 to wrap a hoe fire in what's left of our camp down there. I want to know if we can hold these positions. Not long, sir, not if they turn on us full force. Then we don't have enough ammunition, do we, Mr. Cybert's? No, sir, I guess not. What do we do, Captain? Sit here. Hope they think they wiped us out in their last run-through. That why you ordered the men to hold their fire? That's why. They're riding off, Captain. Don't look like they counted us too important, Captain Quint. That complaint, Sergeant? No, sir. I was born plain insignificant. I mean to stay that way. Help me get the Captain back to the clearing, Sergeant. His leg needs attention. Wait a minute, Mr. Cybert's. We can't waste any more daylight. You have six hours of good riding left before nightfall. Sir, you can't ride hard. You've lost a lot of blood. The patrol's going back to the fort under your command, Mr. Cybert's. Harrison and I will take it in easy stages. We can't leave you here, sir. Mr. Cybert's, you'll reach Fort Laramie tomorrow night. If you're lucky. Major Daggett needs a full report as soon as possible. Captain Quint, sir, we could strap you in your saddle. No need for that, Sergeant. I'd slow you up, and Major Daggett needs that report. Now, send Harrison to me. Prepare to move out. I know this country better than Harrison, Captain. Mr. Cybert's will need you, Gorse. This will be good experience for my orderly. Yes, Captain. Patrol, report to the clearing. Check your mouth. Prepare to move out. Good luck, Mr. Cybert's. Thank you, Captain. Report to the clearing now. Good luck to you, sir. You're all played out, aren't you, sir? There's fresh water ahead to the left there, that clump of trees. You can't go on just water, Captain. Well, it'll help. You can water the horses, too. Not much sunlight left. I hoped we'd find a settler where we could bed down for the night. This is a wrap-a-hold country, Harrison. They routed out most of the settlers. They sure got away acting like they owned the place, don't they, running off, whiting in. They were here first. I guess they got a funny idea that makes it their land. If we'd have had the whole company back there, we'd have run through them, sure. Show them whose land it is. Well, it would take an awful good company. Those were dog soldiers leading that raid. Dog soldiers? Toughest fighters in the tribes. Handpicked for the Darren, Hote Mintonio. How's Epson? That's the Cheyenne name for dog soldiers. But most Plains Indians have a select ban like them. Sue and the wrap-a-hold. Oh. Guess we were smart to take cover in that canyon, Captain. Yeah, I guess we were. In through the trees, Harrison. Good grass there by that stream. I'll be right there to lend a hand, sir. Stand steady me as I come over on this leg, Harrison. We'll bear weight. Yes, sir. All right. Oh. I guess I'm weaker than I thought. Don't you worry, Captain. I've got bull strength. Here, let me help you. Now, you just sit back against this tree. There. How's that, sir? All right, Harrison. Thanks. I'll get you some fresh water. You go on all the way. No, I'm all right. I'll ease those cinches and leave the mounts down to the stream and water them. Go on. I just need to catch my breath. Rest a bit. I sure wish I could make you right comfortable, sir. In bed with food and all. I know. Mind the horses. Yes, sir. Harrison. You awake, sir? You shouldn't have gone to sleep. You just didn't have no choice, Captain. Once you drank that cool water, you was plumbed through. What's that? Horses? No, they're not making a sound, sir. I hobbled them before I sat out. Shh. Wait a minute. His horse is all right. Sounds like they're riding this way. I sure don't hear a thing. Could be you got some fever, Captain Quince. Some folks hear things when they got fever. You keep listening and you'll hear them. Yes, sir. What I was going to say was, while you was resting so easy, like, I sat out and took a look around. There's a cabin, sir. Not more than a couple of hundred yards away. They're coming from the north. Yeah. Yeah, I can hear them now. Could be cavalry, Captain. They move south long ahead of us. Look, look through the trees. Engines. Dog soldiers. Captain, we better make for that cabin. No, no, no. We're better off here. The trees will hide us. Unless they already know we're here. Lifeline Harrison. They start through the trees. Fire. Can you handle that carbine, sir? Yeah, I can. They're making for us, sir. Sure, we're seeing them. Wait them out. They're right at the tree, Captain. Easy, easy. I'm sure not keen on them seeing me first. Shut up, Harrison. On the tree line. Going on south. I can't make them out anymore. You see them? They've gone on past the thicket. I can't see them. That was close, sir. Still close. They stopped. You want us to get our horses, sir? I do not. They ain't moving as I can tell. I counted six, Captain. Six? Where is it? Near as I can tell. That's where they are, sir. It's that direction, not more than a couple hundred yards away. I tell you, sir, that's a welcome sound. You were talking about a deserted cabin, Harrison. Not a living thing around. Likely been that way for years. You'll have to near carry me. I can't mount again. Just you do worry yourself, Captain. I'll take right good care of you. Not ten more steps. You can make it, sir. I don't know, Harrison. You just lean heavy now. We'll get there. You make out fine. You don't come no closer. Ma'am, there's no cause for shooting. We're your kind, white folks. I'll judge about the shooting. My day is him. He's all shut up and weak. Ma'am, I'm not even asking for a hand, but I've got to put him down inside. Oh, me? The 2nd Cavalry, Fort Laramie. Harrison, I think I... Captain Wimps. Captain, you all right, sir? Is he dead? No, ma'am, not yet. Would you just try to help? Put that shotgun down and help a body? How are you on food? Oh, a tin of jerky, maybe. Blankets? Shot? You got anything? I got an awful sick captain here, ma'am. That's what I got. And I'm lifting him up right now and taking him in there. How much money you've got? I don't know. A little. Hand it over. Once we're inside. I tell you, son, I'd as soon shoot the both of you as y'all this way. I want your money and your guns. I don't rightly know how you stand yourself. His money, too. I'm bringing him inside now. Not for long. For this little bit of money. You're another weekend, are you? My arm's full of logs. Put him by the stove and quit your whimpering. Soft belly's a lot of you. How is he? Ask him. He's only pretending to sleep. Captain? You can't fool her, Harrison. Don't try. You gave me a fright, sir. I wasn't sure you was going to come around. I'll be all right. Did she get the bullet? Yeah. Yeah, she got it. I see new cubs are tougher hide. Captain, she took everything we had. Jerky, guns, money. What kind of white woman is she? Best quiet, him. I buried four husbands, 20 children. Couple of strangers don't faze me. Better get some sleep, Harrison. She says you watched me all night. You sure you all right? I'm fine. I go to sleep. That's an order. Yes, sir. Outlived them. But they were men, regular men. Didn't go around siring every other man. And ma'am and women folk. Yeah, they weren't in the army. Indeed they wasn't. No call for the army in those days. Mr. Palfrey and me lived as peaceable as could be with the Indian folk. We come here peaceful, me and Mr. Palfrey. When was that? In the thirties. Things were different then. Mr. Griffith, Mr. Albright. Even later on with Mr. Netherton. Yeah, there was lessons to learn in the west in them days. Eat the porridge. Much obliged, ma'am. Hattie. How's that? Hattie, I say. Hattie Palfrey, I go by that. I can't abide being called ma'am. Oh. I lean toward Hattie. Hattie, you live alone. Middle of Arapaho country. I didn't manage. Come by your guns. Such little money you had. Sometimes it's food, sometimes robes. I'll take what I can get. It don't matter to me if it's settlers or scouts or army folks. Or Arapaho. Folks don't find Hattie unless and they lost. Or half dead. Open your eyes to see what they part with. You always greet them with a shotgun. If need be. Before we came here last evening, a band of Arapaho braves stopped here. I got good errors. Strong bows. Rifles. Even a couple of Buffalo guns off a hunter broke his leg down the canyon. They got a camp near here, the Arapaho. You got something more to give me? Harrison said you cleaned us out. You're getting full measure. What's going on? My ring. Hey, you can't have that. But I got it. I ain't had a pretty first spout and that's a fact. A man ain't safe sleeping here. I bought that ring myself in St. Louis. It'll fit fine once a wrap some twine around it. Bought his fingers thin with age. Next you'll be picking my bones, you old buzzard. Mind your tongue. Give him his ring back, Hattie. Not likely. Captain Quince, what says you can't hit old woman when she's so contrary? Oh, for one thing, she's got a shotgun. I'd soon use it as jaw with you. You take his ring, you give us something, Hattie. I do admire a pretty. Clean forgot the bright feeling they give you. Our guns for the ring, Hattie. That's fair. I come by your horses down the creek this morning. They're grazing on my grass, swillin' my water. The prettiest to pay for that. Captain, I better seat in them mounts. You will stay with the sick and ailing. I'll seat the horses. You sayin' he can't leave the cabin? Not alive, he can't. Why, you... She means it, Harrison. I do that. Now, I've got tendon to do. Outside. No need peering around for your rifles whilst I'm gone. You won't find them. Captain Quince, we gotta move out of here. No, we need horses to do it. Here, you steady me. You ain't fit to stand yet, son. Just you stand still. Yeah. We'll have to crawl once we're outside anyway. I can manage to the door. The lack is not she just crouched out there waitin' for us. It's worth a chance. We may not get another. Yes, sir. Get the door. Get on your belly. Move small through this brush toward the stream. Can you see her? No, sir. Stream, how far is it? A good 50 yards. Maybe more. Do you see the horses? Not yet, sir. Flatten, Harrison. It's a wrap-hole. She'd come out of those trees by the water, sir. She's talking to them Indians. Don't even breathe. She's going back toward the trees. Yeah. But they ain't a sign of our horses, sir. No sense trying to go it without them. We'll have to go back. To the cabin? Without guns or horses, we're no good out here, Harrison. Come on. What do you reckon? She's done with them, Captain. That woman? She might have eaten them. I'll steady you for the walk, sir. I'll give her a lot for some of her strength right now. You think I could find them alone? Get yourself killed doing it. It's no good, Harrison. We'll have to wait. It's about as foolish as it can be, ain't you? Crawling around in the brush out there. What's I.D.? Got no guns, no food. There's a wrap-a-ho all around. You don't think too good of your hides, do you? Where are the horses, Hattie? The color's coming back some. You heard the captain. What about the horses? They come right high in these parts, young'n. I could get me a parcel of things, trading horses. You're real friendly with the wrap-a-ho, Hattie? They treat me good. Of course they know Mr. Periphery and me come peace-able to their country. Not to run them off what rightly is their land. You never seen them at the killing. White women, babies. No matter to them. You ever ask yourself who started it all? I've seen it happen. The whites and their guns moving in. It wasn't pretty work they did. Women, children, too. Hey, they let you live here. There's got to be a reason. You come here like you, full of shot, ailing white men's doing. Mr. Periphery and me, we took him in, attended him. He was a young chief then. Standing bare, never forgot. Not in all these years. He's as near to a relation I got. You're from another age, Hattie. You and standing bare. You got anyone? A wife? No, no wife. Mother then? I got her memory. Periphery rings, that's all. Not on you. I'd have found him. They're back at Fort Laramie. Whoa, that's a pity. Yeah, that's a pity. Think you can get the guns without waking her? I can't make out good with no light. But I can fight an old woman in the dark. Not long till, son, this may be our last chance. Easy now. Now that's just close enough. Stealing up on an old woman. What kind of men are you? I don't mind shooting a bit. You're a witch. That's what you are. Seeing in the dark, hearing. You're no kind of woman at all. Maybe not now, young'em. But I was once more woman than you could imagine. Now shut up, both of you. Someone's coming. Come earlier than I said. It's probably them same engines again, Captain. Now get back where you belong. Over there, to your beds. Captain, I had my gun. I had my gun. I'd blow us all up before I'd let them take us. I know. Maybe I'd help you. She's out there right now. Trading for us. You know that. Get ready, someone's coming. That sight of beef will last me the winter and more. Gift for my friend, standing bear. For us, Hattie? Now then, you're worth a sight more than that. They're riding off, Captain. You sparing us, Hattie? For what? Sparing you. You didn't tell them about us? They didn't ask. You acting human so sudden, like? After they're scaring us to death. I ain't gonna miss this, young'em. That's a fact. I'd soon keep company with a ball in calf. I'll tell you I'm bone brittle with you two around. Well, we'd be glad to get out of your way. Trade for guns, our horses, and a cut of your new beef. I've been thinking about them earbuds. I've been thinking about our guns. Under my bed. These two horses are saddled at the spring. Now, them earbuds. They're back at Fort Laramie, Hattie. You mean to ride back with us? I gotta watch who I'm seeing with. Yeah. Well, there I might get back your way someday. You do well. I'll bring them to you. For these old ears. Here, young'em. Pretties ain't for me, not no more. I'll take my ring, ma'am. And thank you. But I ain't even pretending to understand you. If you was regular men, you'd find yourself a woman. Pretties don't belong on a man's hand. Locked up at no fort. Now, as women folk, it gives us that bright feeling. Having a pretty. Next week, another transcribed story of the Northwest Frontier. And the troopers who fought under Lee Quintz, captain of Cavalry. Anyone who has ever been helped by the Red Cross can tell you how important help is when the need arises. And everyone who is a member of the American Red Cross can tell you how much deep satisfaction comes. With knowing you'll help provide aid in an emergency. Make your investment in humanitarianism soon. CBS Radio urges you to join and serve your local Red Cross chapter. Your membership and your contributions make all Americans neighbors in a time of need.