 Locks presents Hollywood. Leave your mother's company to makers of the Locks Radio Theatre starring Donna Reed and Jeffrey Hunter in Raw Hive. Ladies and gentlemen, your producer, Mr. Irving Cummings. Greetings from Hollywood ladies and gentlemen. Tonight we present Academy Award winner Donna Reed and that talented young actor Jeffrey Hunter in an exciting saga of the Old West, Raw Hive. What a box of screen hits. It tells the story of two strangers whom he had a lonely stagecoach station and are held as hostages by an escaped criminal. A hundred years ago the territory of New Mexico included much of the area, now known as Arizona and New Mexico. But a hundred years ago the hardy traveller of the territory had a vast wasteland separating California from the east. A wasteland of hostile Indians and ruthless bandits and of something known to its friends as the Jackass Mail. A crowd of dusts moving across the arid plateau, upward through mountain passes, downward along icy streams, endlessly across the desert, a plunging, pounding, panting thing of mule flesh and warren iron and human determination. That was the Oberlin Mail and Princess Dakota St. Louis in 25 days, 2700 miles in 25 days and 25 nights. The shortest, fastest, not breakingest ride you could buy for $200 gold. Meals included. The eating part of it came at the various relay stations along the route, at lonely cobbins and adobe posts where fresh teams were hitched to the stage. Raw high pass was one such station. I heard it, Sam. You don't want to wait out there all day? Answer him. All right. I think according to company rules... Well, let me tell you, without us blowing that bugle, how's the stage going to know everything's all right in here? I mean, there's engines and road agents hiding to ambush them. I get the point, Sam. I got it six months ago. Well, you sure don't act like it. You think I'm getting a kick out of learning you the stage business? Oh, come on. Let's get them yous ready. A baby in there. Come on, Mrs. Holt. He does most of the cooking at this station. Maybe he can help you. I'll be glad to, Mrs. Holt. Have you got some milk? Milk? Of course not. How about some dry oatmeal? All right, folks. This way. Well, I think so, Mrs. Holt. All right. Mix it with some water. Maybe I can get Callie to drink it. I'll fix it as soon as we change the team, Mrs. Holt. Thank you. And if you don't mind. Yeah? I'm not Mrs. Holt. I miss. Now listen here, boy. I can't change those yous by myself. All right, Tom. Put your eyes back in your head. You've seen a pretty woman before. There was all them stories about the St. Louis girls. Guess stories. Get those, Mrs. Holt. More coffee, Mrs. Holt. No, thank you. I bet you has never fed a meal by a crook wearing a six-shooter before. Hey, ma'am. You call this a meal? Won't do any good complaining. Tom here is the son of J.C. Owen. So everything Tom does has got to be right. Who's J.C. Owen? Superintendent of the Eastern Division of the Oberlin. Well, folks, we better be getting back to the stage. Hold on. Wait a minute. I'm getting my rifle. Looks like a patrol. Like is it? You just pulled it from the west? That's our goal. You see four men on the road? Nope. Nobody. Who you looking for, Lieutenant? My name is Ray Zimmerman. Zimmerman? Zimmerman. I thought they had him in prison over at Huntsville. Well, he broke out the day before he was due to be hanged. He and three others. They held that Johnny Madden stage outside of Armistia. Johnny Madden what? Well, he drove through here just yesterday. And today he's dead. Johnny Madden. The old is a driver on the line next to me. But why? Why did they do it? Johnny's stage wasn't carrying a gold shipment? They must have thought it was. Anyway, my patrol is here to give you where to go as far as Armistia. That suits me. All right, everybody, climb in. Oh, we will have to stay here. Why? Company rule, ma'am. I paid my fare. It took all the money I could scrape up. Now, I'm going through to St. Louis. On the next stage, maybe, ma'am. Company rule says that when there's a danger of M.D.N.s or road agents, the stage can't carry any passengers under the age of 12. Now, of course, if you want to leave your baby here with us... Me, happily? Well, I guess not. We're going to get on that stage both of us. Hey, Sam, get the ladies' bags off the stage. All right. No, don't you dare. Miss Hope, there's no use of you arguing. Get out of my way. Miss Hope, please. Get your hands off me. Let me go. All right, Scott, get that stage going and get out of here. I hope you're proud of what you've done, Mr. Owen. I'm awful sorry, ma'am, but you see rules are rules. I think these are all your bags, Mrs. Hope. Miss Hope, if you please. Huh? How's that? Never mind, Sam. You look after the mules and I'll carry your things inside. Hmm, Miss Hope. Oh, uh, Sam, there's a view. How about putting your eyes back in your head? I hardly imagine the son of the superintendent of the division would be washing dishes. Well, Sam and I take turns. He's all part of my education. Education? Yes. He has six months' work in a relay station, six months' ride and boot on a stage, and a year in the division office, and I'm ready for any job they got. And you're six months here? Well, that's up next week. Look, is there something you want to? Yes. Is there someplace around here I can take a bath? Well, there's a basin and a pitcher of water in your room. I said a bath. All right, come on. See that thing across the yard that Sam's pumping water into? The horse straw? Yeah, and you just see that you don't use any soap in it. Is that where you take a bath? No, there's a hot spring in the canyon back of the station. Ah, that's more likely. But you're going to have to watch out for snakes. Then maybe I'd better borrow your revolver. And maybe your gun belt, too. That's not a bad idea. You can't hit them. At least you can scare them to death. I can hit them. Don't you worry about that. Hey, John. I'm coming, Sam. I'm coming. Here, take your gun. Oh, she says she knows how to use it. Maybe too well. Sam, I don't figure her for a lady road agent. What do you figure her for? You don't know what she wants, you know? A bed, a bedroom with my gear out, and made it a nursery for her and the baby. Hey, huh? What's that? Yeah, that's it. Yeah, somebody's coming up the galley. I see them. We're just rounding them borders. Tom, there's that spear rifle in the stable. Get it. Stay out of sight and cover me. You be careful, Tom. I guess you'll wonder who I am or maybe that's Badgell. Deputy Sheriff? Yeah, Deputy Sheriff Miles from Huntsville. Well, I'm glad to know you. Oh, and it's my name. Not it. I suppose you're going to pick me up with a meal. Sure can. It's Sam. Sam, it's all right. It's the sheriff. You can come out now. All right. You're not taking any chances, I see. That's the way to stay alive in this country. Especially with Ray Zimmerman on the loose. Howdy, Sheriff. Hey, stay with your horse? Oh, as soon as I'm off him, you can't. Tom, he ain't no sheriff. Get your hands up, I said. Yeah, who's England? Some friends of mine down on the galley. Oh, maybe I'd better really introduce myself. My name's Zimmerman. I suppose you search the other room to see if there's anybody else around. You bet. You can't say you put our horses in the corral. I'd be settled. Sure. Good idea, boss. And now, Mr. Rohns and Mr. Whatchinam. Game card. All right. I now want some answers from you two, and I want them right. What time's the next stage, do we? The stage from the west. Tomorrow afternoon. Uh-huh. How much gold is carrying? Oh, none. That shipment went through today. Zimmerman, stop it. He'll get more than that the next time he lies to me. The California stage comes through tomorrow morning. It's carrying 100,000 gold bars, consigned by Crocker Mining Company and Sacramento to the government met in New York. And why ask God? Because I'm testing it. Unless you know I got everything figured. Oh, what is it? It's getting into your bonnet. Grats, keep them covered. Yes, sir. It's been a rock with that mistake, wasn't it? Yeah. I've been thinking about that. Hey, you. What's the whispering about? Well, that's nothing at all. I don't want to make a break for it. No, not now. The woman, your wife. I ain't got no wife. All right, then she's all in. Wife, where's your wife? What do you want me to do? Want her to name? How about this other woman? No, we need him. Grats, take him to the bedroom. Lock him up. Yeah, boss. You go first. Fire, did you hear a woman screaming? Hey, come to think of it, I did. Yeah, they come. Yancy's bringing him in. Look at what I found, boss. I found this wife on the table, and then I see this lady and this lady cutting across your eyes. No, butters. I saw you kill Sam. Good. And you know what you're up against. All right, Sabbath, take her back and lock her up with a husband. My husband? I sure. Or don't you like him since you've seen me? Come on. Hands off me. Oh, cut she ain't she? I like him with a spoon. Sabbath. Listen, Sam, hear those shots back in the canyon. How long do you think it takes for a bath? Hey, wait a minute. What happened to my gun in the cartridge belt? I dropped them. You dropped them? Yes. I was so startled when I heard those shots. I wonder I didn't drop Callie, too. Where's the gun now? I don't know. I think just the other side of that pile of fire went along the corral. A lot of good. It's going to do it out there. Us? I'm not in this thing with you. Ms. Holder. Mrs. Holder, whatever your name is. Isn't this Denny Hope? And while we're on the subject, Mr. Owen, what right did you to tell those men you're my husband? I didn't tell them. That Zimmerman's idea. Man, it just might be the thing that'll save your skin. Oh. You're sure it's not your own skin you're worried about? Well, sure I am. Killing me doesn't seem to be part of their plan, at least not yet. See, they need me alive until I've stayed through with that big gold shipment. I'm going to be their decoy. What's that got to do with them thinking on your wife? No, I'm staying out of your mess. I'm going to tell them the truth. Now, look. Can't you understand, Ms. Holder, that they'll be nice to you as long as they think you're important to me? Until they don't need you any longer. But after they get the gold shipment... We'll figure out something before then. And if we don't, then what happens? What do you think? I think I'd like to live. Even if it's just for another 24 hours. It's late afternoon in the lonely station at Rohad Pass, where Vinnie and Tom are held prisoners. In the main room of the station, Zimmerman, Tevis, Yancy and Gratt, wait impatiently for the arrival of the state's coach from the east. Right in the cupboard? Put it back. Right now. There's not going to be any drinking. That goes for you, too, Gratt. Yeah, yeah. You hear that, Yancy? Ain't no drinking, man, boss. All I ever done wrong in my whole life was to steal that horse. It wasn't for that you and me had never met. I regret it even more than you, Mr. Just because you three busted out of jail along with me, that doesn't mean I picked you for this job. You just came along. And that's my bad luck. Now, there's no call to talk to honorees. Damn everything's going just right. Is it? That guy down the yard, there's Todd's body laying there for the whole world to see. But if any of you got brains enough to go bury him, no. I got to tell you everything. I'll put up a nice little cross over here. Are you crazy? All we need for the stagecoach to come along and see a cross, you go bury him. You're such a dumb, you cunt. Yassim, I do it good. The rest of you keep a lookout for that stage from the east. I come through here early. What are you going to do, Zim? Never mind. I don't remember seeing you wear a revolver. Yes, you're a gun. I handed in this. What do you think? What was wrong with it? Zones, I'm going to have to look through your things. I'm not stopping you. Go ahead, search the whole room if you want to. If you're lying to me. Go ahead, look. We had a gun. We wouldn't be putting up with your bullying. That's a point, man. Oh, and when the stage from the east comes through, I want everything just as usual around here. You feed the passengers and the crew and get them on their way again with no questions. They're one of no worse than that. You're telling me it's gone to Tucson or to Yuma. They had a bad tooth. He had to go to a dentist. You think that'll work? It'll better work. A lady here and a baby, they'll be counting on you to see that it doesn't. Company rule. What are you talking about? It's a wonderful company rule that was supposed to keep the baby and me out of danger. If you would let us go through on that stage in another week, Callie would have been with her father's family safe. No, no, that brings up something I've been meaning to ask you. Where is her father? Dead. He killed three months ago. Her mother too. Oh, but I thought that she was... I told you. I'm plain as any host. Callie isn't my baby. Her mother, Jeannie, was my sister. She married a gambler who got the gold fever. He just had to go to California. What took you out there? Jeannie wouldn't go without me. Now I'm going home without her. You say she and her husband were killed? How? Jeannie was too pretty. Jeannie was too jealous. One night a drunk and clean jumper took a fancy tour. The shooting was over. I was alone with Callie. Well, that explains some things. Does? Yeah. I guess you've got reason enough not to like men. I don't. Is that the impression I get? You sure do. That's a stage. There must be some way to get word to them. All right, now we've got to be careful. They're going to be watching us like a hawk. It's on the bill, stage driver. You just said they'll be watching you every instant. They may give you a chance. Here, hide this in your box. And you be careful. If anything goes wrong, they'll shoot down everywhere. I know, but don't you think... Wait in front of her to answer them. All right, then do it. Come on out here. Yes, sir. Yeah, boss? Go on back there and stay with the baby. Lock yourself in that room and keep her quiet. Sure, I will. I just love babies. What about my wife? I was coming to her. Tavis? Yes, him? Take Mrs. Owens out the back way. Take her up in that canyon behind the station. Far enough so she can't yell. You bet. This is the kind of work I enjoy. Every woman you can do that, not with Tavis. Why not? You know why as well as I do. Just look at it. She'll be all right. As long as you don't make any mistakes. Now, why is your pupil hanging over there? All right, go get it. Tim, you told everybody what to do except me. You're going to be out in the stable with your rifle. Grab your cover Owens and me when we meet the stage. Yeah, good. Owens and his old friends. Deputy Sheriff Miles. Owens, I said answer them. Everything's cool and there's not much of it. It didn't have time to fix it then. Well, why not? I've been too busy. Oh, busy doing what? All right, Tom, I thought you told him. You know, about Sam. Toothache and having to go to the dentist and Tucson. Yeah, he told his sheriff. And you're staying on here to help out? Yeah, I... Mr. Fickert, what are you bound for? Oh, just traveling, Sheriff. Uh-huh. What about you, Mr. Chickering? I'm going to California. So you know something, Sheriff? There's something about you that you... Well, there is. Yeah, I keep thinking now. Ain't I seen you somewhere before? You ever been to Huntsville? No, I never went or read it. That's where the territorial prisoners located, isn't it? The one that fellow Zimmerman broke out of? Yeah, that's where I'm, Mr. Fickert. I suppose Sheriff, you must have known Zimmerman. Well, I... I saw him once this way. Mr. Fickert's from the New York Herald, Sheriff. He's probably looking for a story. Oh, a newspaper man, eh? You hear that, Tom? Maybe you could give Mr. Fickert a story, huh? Oh, would you, Mr. Owens, maybe something with flavor and excitement? I'm sorry, Mr. Fickert. Nothing much happens around here. Sheriff, what about this fellow Zimmerman? Yeah. He came from a pretty high-told family. Ah, that's right, he did. If you met him, you'd probably take him for a complete gentleman. He can call a murderer a gentleman. Well, I heard he went wrong and caught a some woman, a Creole, from the audience. Yeah, he said she was a real looker. Zimmerman caught a double dealing him with some other young, fancy dance. Still involved. You seem to know quite a bit about Zimmerman, Mr. Fickert. Oh, forget I'm a newspaper man. Why don't you tell us the rest of this story? I don't see what's been added to that story, except from the caption again and hanging. Uh, Mr. Chickering, what's your line of business? I'm a drummer, a cult firearms, hard-foot kinetic. No, is that so? I hear cults getting out some new army models. That's what I'm taking to California. I'll assure you. Uh, no. No. No, no, that's all right. No, trouble. Got my sample case right here. There. You ever see such beauty? You mind if I handle one, Mr. Chickering? Go right ahead. We're proud of our product. If you want to test it, I've got ammunition off the stage. You're an excellent salesman, Mr. Chickering. But I don't think there's time for that. There's just a coyote. Yeah, like a king from the canyon. Well, it might have. Tom, may I see the gun, please? Tom? He came from the canyon. There's only a coyote. The guns, huh? He kind of knows. Ain't it good? Yes. Is that why you're shivering? It's cold. The stage would be pulling out almost any time. Plenty of moonlight, so we can see it come up. Do you know what that coyote is howling about? He just calling for his lady friend. Come and be sweet to him. Do you know coyotes? Mr. Tebas, please. Oh, Mr. Tebas. You don't have to be so nice and nice, girl. Don't run away. I ain't gonna hurt you enough. I'll tell Zimmerman. I'll let him know. Just tell you that. You think I'm afraid of him, huh? Just because he thinks he were on the stage? Mr. Tebas. Mr. Tebas. Mr. Tebas. Little girl, you know how long it's been since I've seen the footage. Wait a minute, girl. I told you I'm not gonna hurt you enough. What's that you dropped? What? You dropped that piece of paper. No. Yes, you did. I seen that fall out of your blouse. My blouse? Well, there it is. Right there at your feet. Mr. Tebas. I'll pick it up. Go on. But it's only a letter, a personal letter. Where? Who from? My brother. Let me see if it is. You can't read it. There's no life. There's no life? That's good enough. Now, hand it over. You thought I didn't know how to read, didn't you? Well, I guess I showed you, didn't I? Yes, Mr. Tebas. I guess you did. I did indeed. How long, Davis? Good long time. Good shift. Goodbye, gentlemen. All right, Orange. It's back in doors. My wife is over here. Tebas is bringing her in. Come on. Now, just a minute. That's for trying to get that salesman's gun. And that's for not following my orders. And that's so you'll remember next time. What's the matter? You're waking the baby. How do you think she can sleep? It's always right. Oh, get out of here, Yancy. See him. Go on back to the room. All right, boys. All right. Now I'm going to have to rock her to sleep again. Let me in a minute. That's Benny. Don't move. I want to stay where you are. No, Davis. Him goes on it. Why? Do you want to leave her alone? All right. No, I didn't think. Back to your room. You too. Hey, I haven't got that guts. Baby, no. You're going to forget about her, Yancy. Yeah, we'll take care of her. Call me. Call me, honey. I'll see both of you in the morning. Come. Wait. You may be lifting out the door. Could you get word to the stage starters? No. Tom, what are we going to do? I don't know. We've got to keep on thinking and trying. How much time have we got? Till the stage comes through from California with that gold shipment? Till tomorrow morning. Oh, late at night. Some 12 hours have passed since Zimmerman and his companions took over the station at Raw High Pass. Locked in the small back room of the station, Tom stares hopelessly through the barred windows while Vinny attempts to comfort the restless baby. That hollering coyote that's bothering Yancy. Just some way of closing that window so we couldn't hear it. I know the company put up those iron bars so it's more imaginable. Oh, thoughtful of them. What is it? Press your face against these bars and look as far at the right as you can. Do you think a fine one by the corral? Yes. Well, that's about where you dropped my revolver, isn't it, right? Yes, on your far side. Well, maybe it's down there. I see. If anybody found it, please hear about it. I think we've got to get there. All through this Adobe wall tunnel and opening big enough to crawl through it. We'll dig it out with our fingernails, I suppose. I don't need something with a sharp point to it, sharp and strong. You must have a butcher knife out in the kitchen. Oh, sure. Then let me get it. It'll be easier for me. But, Ralph... I'll tell them I need water for the baby. Well, we've got to try, Tom. Tell me exactly where I'll find that knife. You know where the cast of water is? Alongside the cup. The baby's got a fever. I want to get her some water. All right, give me the picture. You know, I'll fill it. The picture has to be ripped out first, Mr. Zimmerman. I don't want to ask such a favor of you. What time it is? He's outside. I put him on lookout. You're sure? About what? That he's on lookout. What do you mean? I just see him. Well, if you'll excuse me, Mr. Zimmerman, I'd like to fill this picture. Yeah, I'd say first heaven. Didn't say that at all. No. Then what were you trying to say? Why, nothing. No way, Mr. Zimmerman. No, do you have a picture? Yes. What's the matter with your baby? I don't know. She does very easily. I don't know why she had to be here, anyway. Why not? I just don't like her being here, that's all. Callie, if you're flying through this hole, you crawl across the yard to that pile of fire, wouldn't bring back that big, shiny revolver? Yeah, yeah, revolver. She's just old enough to talk to understand. I guess that's it. Yes, that's it. Getting your hands raw like a couple of rats for what? For 24 hours, we've let those murderers walk all over us, order us around, do this, do that, and we did it. You can't argue with a gun. Why not? Where is this darkness? Well, we're still alive, aren't we? Still alive. It's going to happen just as well as I do. Well, sure I do. Any minute now they're going to come in here and take me out there to harness that team. I'm Zimmerman's bait for the stagecoach, a bait for ambush. But what do you want me to do about it? Say, I'm sorry, Mr. Zimmerman, I'm not working today. Oh, Callie, Callie, please. And maybe I've been wrong about something else, too. Maybe we shouldn't have pretended to be Mr. and Mrs., but I figured it was a good bargain for both of us. I thought they'd treat you all right because they wanted me to cooperate. Oh, yes, they just treated me wonderful, especially Heather. All right, from here on out you can just do better on your own. Maybe you better tell Zimmerman who we are. Maybe I will. Callie, stop it. Now's the time. Go ahead and tell her. It's nothing that concerns you, Mr. Zimmerman. A husband and wife can quarrel in private, can't they? Well, it wasn't very private. The stage ought to be along any time. Get out there and hitch up the team. All right. Get back in the room, Mrs. Zorn. I'll say that it doesn't bother you any more. The gun, the gun, where is it? You have pepper's idea? And I was worried about you being able to handle a gun. But you and the baby can be honest. What about you? You're leaving, too, aren't you? My relief won't get here until next week. I'm just going to have to wait till then. Tom, do you mind if I wait and go back with you? I was hoping you might want to. I do, Tom. I'd better answer that bugle and let him know that everything's all right. It is all right. Everything's all right now. The award time is almost here. Last night, we're William Conrad as Zimmerman, Lawrence Dodkin as Teves, Tim Graham as Sam, Polly Bear as Yancey, and Jack Krushen as Grats. Our radio play was adapted by Leonard St. Clair, our music, followed and directed by Rudy Schrager.