 In a moment, you'll hear James Stewart as the six-shooter, just one of the many fine programs brought to you Sundays on NBC. Later this evening, listen to the NBC Star Playhouse with one of your favorite stars. Here, meet the press, America's number one news-making program, 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 six-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. Its handle unmarked. People call them both the six-shooter. The NBC radio network presents James Stewart as the six-shooter, a transcribed series of radio dramas based on the life of Britt Ponsett, the Texas Plainsman who wandered through the western territories, leaving behind a trail of still-remembered legends. It's been about four o'clock in the afternoon when I rode out of the Saucer Mountains and hit the flat, and the scar stretched his leg and went into a high lope. It seemed real anxious to get across the eight miles of prairie between the hills in Clay City. Easy, boy. Easy now. Hey, what's your rush? Maybe he was hungry and maybe he was thirsty or maybe... Oh, no. No, no, he couldn't be that. Why, it was over six months since our last visit at Clay City. Scar couldn't still be remembered on the filly from the livery table, not after all that time, no. Besides horses don't have memories, at least not as good as... Now, you just slow down, boy, now. Quit. It wasn't anything I could do except just keep a tight rain on him, yes. I'm sure it was spur and scar along, whatever it was, it was important, at least was it him. Well, we'd covered about half the distance to town when I noticed a couple of dark specks, oh, maybe a mile or so ahead of us. And the way they were shaped and the way they were barely moving, well, they just about had to be packed bros. But it wasn't until we almost caught up that I spotted Hiram and he was beating one of those birds with a cottonwood switch and giving it such a cuss and he didn't even hear us riding up toward him. Easy, Scar. Easy, no. You start traveling, I'll set fire. You're such a burner that you won't be able to... A second there, you kind of startled me. I didn't know you was on my tail. The birds been acting up, Hiram? Oh, they're just being themselves, Brett. That's the trouble, they're just being themselves. Yeah, I sure know what you mean. Were you heading, Clay City? That's right. I heard you was riding herd for the Circle G. Last time I was in get some supplies, it told me. Are you going to town on business? No, no, ranch gave me a day off tomorrow being 4th of July. 4th of July? Well, I'll be cussing 4th of July. I've been out on the hill so long I lost all track of time. I didn't even know what month it was, not for certain. Oh, gee, I'm going to do a little celebration here. Well, I just thought... Come to think of it, I got me something to celebrate too. And it's more than just independence, Dave, Brett. It's a dine side more. Is that so? Yes. If these critters don't stop barking, it'll be Christmas before we ever get to Clay City. All right, Pierre, come on, start moving. Come on, come on, come on. That's it. Now, you two event, both of you. Come on, come on, come on, come on. What was that you called them, huh? Yeah, what's that? Well, it sounded like Pierre. Sure, sure, sure, sure. That's your name, Pierre. Oh, no. What's the matter? They're perfectly respectable names. I seen a show once in Denver called the Paris Review. That was the title of it from Paris, France. And there was a couple of dances. Well, sir, if they didn't put on a jig, I'm telling you, Brett, it sure was something. The fella, he just picked up this gurney through every rich way. I thought she was going to land right in my lap. Oh, Lord, we get dead. Yeah, that's the truth everywhere. And this year, a girl danced with him. She kept coming back for more like she enjoyed being used for a lasso. Yeah, it's Pierre and he vet. That's what they always call it. It was on a sign out in front of the Table Grand Opera House. Those names always kind of stuck with me. So when I bought these birds, you know, bears, they're very particular about what you call them. Now, you just keep moving, Pierre. Come on, keep moving. That's quite a load you're carrying there, Harm. Yeah, it sure is. Well, I guess I'll ride on, maybe see you in town. Hold up a minute, Brett. Aren't you going to ask me what's in them bags? Well, no, I just figured it wasn't any of my business. Well, I'm going to tell you anyhow. If I don't tell somebody, I'll bust. I know I can trust you. Hmm? Brett, I've struck it. I've made a strike the life of which I've never even dreamed of it. Oh, easy, easy scar. You see this here sack right here? If it don't assay out to over $1,000, and that ain't the half of it, there's plenty more where this come from. Well, that sure sounds good, Harm. It is good. Well, I just bet the vein I find delivers more gold in the year than they ever took out of California. Is that so? Well, you sure are entitled to a strike, Harm. You've been prospecting for quite a spell. Yeah, 45 years, Brett. 45 years, come with me. But I ain't got no regrets. Not now, I ain't. I told them in Clay City. I told them all there was gold in the Saucer Mountains. Oh, I could smell it. Just the way my birds sniff water. No, they said old Harm was tetched. Then I'd never find nothing but yellow-colored rocks. Yeah. Let's start singing a different song now. Oh, you're sure it's gold, you found. Oh, you think I don't know it when I see it? You mark my words. Old Harm has turned up the real thing. Of course you mustn't let the news out. Oh. Not until after I get my assay report and file my claim. Oh, sure, sure. Uh, but I just wish there was some other assay office round here. What's that? Well, that Enoch Wilson. He would know a gold nugget from a teacatter. And what's more, I don't trust him. I don't trust him better. Well, no, Harm, you know... Some of the samples I brought him in before looked mighty good to me, but not to Enoch. I don't think he even tested him. Just let him try to say that this batch is worth it. Yeah, just let him try to say that. I don't know what's the matter with Scar. He sure is a wrestler. Just go on ahead, Brit. Just go on ahead. Well, I guess I might as well. Easy, boy. Easy. I hope everything works out the way you expect, Harm. Don't you worry yourself about that. Ah, nice running into you. Mutual, Brit. Mutual. All righty, Brit. Come on, come on, come on. You can't eat that cactus. Get your nose out of there. The sun was just going down and we got to Clay City. I figured on stopping at the hotel first, making sure of the bed, but Scar had other ideas. He headed right straight for the livery stable. There just wasn't any doubt about it. He'd remembered that filly. Yes, sir. And mind you, I'm not saying that a horse can really get a disappointed expression on his face, but I'll tell you this much. Scar gave a pretty good imitation of it when he saw a big, ruined stallion occupying what had been that filly stall. Well, I left him there anyway, and I got myself supper in a room. And about nine o'clock I started feeling sleepy, you know. Oh, yeah, he pulled off my boots. Oh, yeah. That man sure does get tired and stays up late. Holy smoke. What's that? All those shots right outside my window. I grabbed my gun and I... Oh, and then I saw I wouldn't be needing the gun. A couple of kids shooting off Chinese firecrackers didn't look like I was going to get much sleep that night. And the way things worked out, I sure did. Well, yeah, who is it? I've got to talk to you. It's important. Well, come on in. Oh, thanks, Britt. Thank you. What's the matter? You look like you're getting ready for a real hard winter. You knock, Wilson. That's what's the matter. Remember, Britt, I told you I didn't trust him. Do you remember that one? Yes, well, I got me some cookies. Oh, no, it's just some firecrackers harm. Enoch, he... What, he said you haven't found gold. No, no, no, no, no. He said nothing one way or the other. By the time I got the birds into town tonight, it was almost seven o'clock. Enoch was just closing up the assay office. Uh-huh. But I'd given them sacks of gold, you see. And I said I wanted a report as soon as possible. And you know what he told me? Oh, he can't say as I do. Oh, Friday. I couldn't have no word because... he says I couldn't have no word before late Friday. Why, Britt, that's two days off. Well, tomorrow being a holiday. But that's the excuse he tried to hand me to. Oh, that lion scum. Oh, no, no, no. You know, the 4th of July is a pretty important occasion. Well, I don't give him the right to tell me a whole pack of lies, does it? No, no, no. Well, of course it does. Anyhow, I had to leave my gold with him. I didn't have no choice. I went to Brian's café and then I went back to see about the burrows. And that's when I noticed the light in Enoch's office. Oh. So naturally, I was kind of suspicious. So I snuck up and I peeked through the window. You know what I saw, Britt? I haven't the faintest idea. He was just sitting at the desk, Enoch himself getting ready to do some assing. And if those weren't my three sacks of gold in front of him, I'd trade you a whole hog for a slice of bacon. That's what I'll do. Enoch was testing you or that doesn't prove anything. Don't you see, Britt, he's fixing to take my law for himself. And once he makes up his mind how valuable it is, he'll do little substituting. And I'll wind up with three bags of rocks when I come in to see him on Friday. Oh, no. Probably aims to find out where I got it too. Oh, yes. File the claim himself. No, no, that doesn't sound very likely. Then why did he say it'd be Friday before he'd know anything? Why did he tell me that if he was planning to work tonight? Well, if you're so upset about it, you should have just come right straight out and asked. I'm going to ask you, Britt. That's just what I'm going to do. I'm going to ask you. But I want you there when I confront him. Me? Enoch's already lied to me once today. But if you're with me, if he sees you're my friend, maybe he'll think twice before he tries anything funny. Maybe I'll get a decent ass safe for a change. Well, I'm afraid I don't understand where I come in. Enoch knows you, don't he? Who's it? You're the six-shooter? Well, we've met up a couple of times. Yes, well, come on in. But let's get over there while we can catch him. No, wait a minute. Hold on. Britt, you know how much this strike means to me. You ain't got to let anybody swindle me out of it. No, no, no. We ain't got all night. All right, all right. Just give me a chance to tuck in my shirt tail. Now, you just remember one thing, Hiram. This wasn't my idea. Remember that. And Britt punts it with me, too. So you better get this door open. No, Hiram. Come on in, Britt. What's the trouble? Well, I, uh... There you are, Britt. There you are. You see right there? See? They were my sacks. Of course they're your sacks, honey. You see him? You see, he ain't denied it, is he? Hiram, are you going loco or something? I'll do the askin', Enoch. You'll do the answerin' from now on. And you better not lie in front of Britt punts it here. Huh? I thought you said you wasn't going to be able to assay this horror for Friday. What if I did? It appears like you changed your mind, don't it? Well, Britt wants to know the reason. Well, it was just that you were kind of anxious, that's all. And your stuff did look a little more promising than usual. Would I tell you, Britt, yeah? Would I tell you? He knew it was good. I said it looked promising, Hiram. Promising enough so you'd try to cheat me out of it, eh? Well, you're not gettin' away with it, Enoch. The sick shooter here will see to that. No, no, just hold on. Hiram Grover, I oughta throw you right out of my office. If I was tryin' to cheat you, would I have sent word for you to stop in tomorrow mornin' for the parade and get your assay report? You just, you the... You sent word? You just asked Michael Bryan. I was over at his cafe lookin' for you. You'd already left, though. I told him if he saw you to give him the message. You, uh, you told Mike? Well, Hiram? Well, doggone it, but how was I to know? You think he might've stumbled into something, Enoch? Real strike? Well, ain't part of it yet, Britt, but some of the samples are mighty encouraging. A couple more tests. Evening, gentlemen. Who are you? Don't turn around. Just grab the some air. All three of them. Well, no, you just wait a minute. Come on, do a little stretchin' before we... That's better. Consider it of you to stay open tonight, mister. Saved us the trouble of breakin' it. All right, then. Let's start loadin' up. We'll return to James Stewart as the six-shooter in just a moment. Our religious institutions are strongholds of the American way of life. Our country was founded by men who had faith in God and who were willing to endure hardship and sacrifice for the sake of that faith. Today, the religious institutions in your community need your interest and support, so take an active part in religious affairs. Your pastor, rabbi, or priest will give you invaluable family counsel and aid if you are a newcomer to the community. To face the problems of the future, America must be morally strong, and that moral strength comes through worship and faith. Go to church this week and take someone with you. Act two of the six-shooter, starring James Stewart as Britt Ponsett. There were two of them, young fellas. Both were on Levi's and leather jackets, both carrying 45s. They're about the same bill, same color, and looking up like big brothers. They hadn't bothered covering their faces. That meant that they weren't worried about being recognized. Probably didn't come from Clay City. The tall one gave most of the orders. Who's running this office? Will somebody speak up? I... I... I do the ass, then. That's more like it. And you'd be the fellow who'd know how to open this safe. Well, uh... There ain't really nothing worse. Cut out the stalling, mister. Get over here. Move. Oh, okay, okay, okay. You know, Xayah, he didn't have much choice. So he bent down in front of the cast iron safe. He started fiddling with the dial. And the other outlaw, the short one, he was standing beside the desk. He reached out his free hand. He picked up on a harm's or sax. I hear something, man. Feels pretty heavy, too. Can you let that alone, mister? All right, take it easy. That error belongs to me. You ain't got no right to it. I guess you don't hear so good. I told you to take it easy. He didn't think he could bully me just because you're holding a 45. No harm. Yeah, you've got another thing coming, young fella. I spent most of my life on that gold. And he ain't gonna walk in here and swipe it. You just let it be, uh... The next time I knew Hiram gave a leap forward, I tried to stop him, but it was too late. For a second, he just kept on moving. Oh, a stubborn two. Then his legs buckled and he grabbed the edge of the desk. But his fingers couldn't hold the grip. Both the outlaws were staring at Hiram. They weren't watching me. Get down, Enoch. My bullet hit the short one in the arm. The gun flew halfway across the office. The other one spun around and knocked over the kerosene lamp. I got off a second shot. It was so dark I wasn't sure I'd hit anything or not. For a couple of minutes, there wasn't a sound. Nothing but heavy breathing. I stretched out my hand and I fell to chair. I waited a second and then I gave it a good hard push. I sure had good ears. The bullet splintered into the chair before it even toppled over. But the flash of his gun showed me where he was. Crouch right behind the safe, out of range. I edged over to the right. If the window without him seeing me. I made a dodge and fired. Enoch lit up another lamp. The boy that was shot in the arm, he hadn't passed out. He was lying there staring at me. Looking even younger than he had when he first came into the office. The other fellow, he'd taken the bullet in the shoulder and he was bleeding pretty bad. But hire him, he was worse off than either of them. He was flat on his back, gasping for breath. There was a big red splotch on his chest and his mouth was covered with sort of a pink foam like. It's a good thing Doc Nibble's house was in the next block. Well Doc, there's too early to tell anything yet, but I'll let the bullet out when he's still hemorrhaging. I see. Them other two, they'll be as good as ever in a week or so. Good enough for a hangin' if I hire him, don't pull through. Oh no, no, he's just got to pull through Doc. He's an old man, Brent. I've seen fellas a lot younger. Yeah. Well, you better get yourself some rest. It's almost 4 a.m. Well, I thought maybe I might... There's nothing you can do here. Ain't a chance of him coming too far morning. I was standing right beside him when it happened. I could have drawn maybe and then... Maybe then you would both be sure to... And I'll see you in the morning, Brent. Hotel, but I just couldn't sleep. Well, I'm about 6.30, I gave up trying. I figured it was too soon to find out how a hiring was done, so I went for a little walk around town. I wasn't very hungry, but as long as Mike's cafe was open, I thought I'd just might as well stop in for a cup of coffee. I was just going through the door when Enoch Wilson came up and runnin'. Brent! Yeah, yeah, good morning, Enoch. I was hopin' I'd run into you. Stopped by the hotel, but they said you was out. Yeah, I started lookin' the town over. I just left hire him. Oh, well, he's not... No, no, no, no. He sure don't look good. Doc Nibble says he's got a good, strong constitution for a man his age. He'd have a pretty fair chance, but the hire him just don't seem to have any fight left in him. He ain't even tryin' to live. Well, how's he come to? Yeah, about an hour ago. I happened to be there. I went back to the office after that gunfight last night and finished up the hire him's assay. Well, I thought maybe it turned out to be somethin' good. Well, I wanted him to hire him to know about it before he... Oh, yeah, well, that was mighty thoughtful of you, Enoch. Yeah, and it is good, Brent. A real strike. Well, didn't you tell the hire him? Oh, sure, sure. But it didn't seem to make no difference to him. Not it, and sorta dozed off like he didn't even care. Is that so? Doc don't understand it neither. You'd think if anything it'd make him want to live. No one he'd found gold, sure turned a trick. Yeah, yeah, you sure would. Maybe he figures I'm lyin' to him because he's so bad off. Uh-huh. Well, I guess it could be that. Yeah, yeah, so we thought, Doc and me, we thought, well, maybe if he used to hear it from you, well... Oh, sure, sure, Enoch. I'll go right over there, sure. Graham, how ya feelin'? Pretty good, baby. Pretty good. Oh, well, that Doc says you're gonna be all right real soon, too. Yes, yes, yes. Sure, sure. Of course, you've gotta help him along some, you know. He can't cure you single-handed, you know. Oh, don't, it don't matter, bro. Just don't matter. Oh, now what are you talkin' about, Hiram? Well, I figured you'd be jumpin' up and down, fightin' your way out of bed when you heard the news. You mean about the gold? Sure, sure. Enoch said he told you. Yeah, he told me. Well, you believe him, don't you, Hiram? Well, I shouldn't have believed him. I knew it was the real thing when I first found it. I knew it was real. Still, maybe, maybe that was a sign. The sign? That my life's over. Forty-five years I spent lookin' for that yellow stuff. Well, no, I finally found it. I ain't got no reason to go on lookin' for the reason at all. I finally found it. I'm all tired, bro. I'm all tired, man. Well, you're gonna be a rich man, Hiram. Well, I wasn't. Oh, because it was makin' me rich, bro. Or maybe when I was younger, that was the reason. But lately, these past few years, I just wanted to prove to folks that I knew what I was talkin' about. That I wasn't touched, like they thought. Oh, of course you are. Knows or samples prove it, bro. So it ain't gonna be too hard to die. Ain't gonna be hard at all. I've done what I set out to do, so I reckon I'm luckier than most men. Well, I... That's one way of lookin' at it, I guess. Yeah, if this goes, you'll see, things work out for the best, bro. For the best. Well, maybe, you know, I did the right thing, after all, so... Oh, nothin', nothin', Hiram, nothin'. No, you better get some rash, too. You started to say somethin' about Enix. Did I? Yes, I finished it up, bro. What was that you were gonna say? What I was gonna say. Well, you're a pretty sick man, Hiram. I wouldn't want to get you all upset. All upset? What are you drivin' at, bro? Weak and feeble, and... It wasn't my idea, of course. Well, you don't mean that Enoch was lyin' to me that that oar wasn't full of gold? Uh... Now, I didn't say that. I knew Enoch Wilson couldn't be trusted, so it ain't true, uh, about my strike. Now, uh... So they figured I was gonna die, didn't they? Then they'd all have to laugh on me. I ain't gonna be that obliged, and I'll get well if it kills me. And I'll find gold, too, right out there in those mountains where I always said I'd find it. Oh, they think they're gonna soft-silt me into kickin' a bucket, don't they? Oh, they do. Well, Britt, you just tell them different. I'd be glad to, Hiram. I sure would be glad to. Well, by the time Hiram got well and found out he was responsible for a genuine gold rush, I just thought much he could do about it. And the way the money poured in, and faster than Hiram could spend no matter how hard he tried, he sure went in for some fly-by-night schemes, too. Like that was that organizing a prospect and expedition to go up to Alaska in some place called the Kondike, I think it was, something like that. Everybody knew he'd never find gold up in a place like that, because they're all expecting him to come back any day now. It meant that it was just a wild goose chase. But he hasn't shown up the last time I was through Clay City. Folks are beginning to wonder what's keeping them. The Six Shooter is a transcribed NBC radio network production in association with review productions. It is based on a character created by Frank Burtz and is written by him. Mr. Stewart may soon be seen in the Universal International Picture, the Glenn Miller story. Others in the cast were Herb Bygren, Bill Johnstone, Barney Phillips, Tony Barrett, and Howard McNeer, who played Hiram. Special music for this program was by Basil Adlam, 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. This is Hal Gibney speaking. This is the NBC Radio Network.