Spotted Tail’s Return – Fort Laramie (07-22-56)

Welcome to the old-time radio Westchern's I'm your host Andrew Rines, and let's get

into this episode.

This episode is going to be for Larmy original AirDate, it's July 22, 1956, and the title

is Spotted Tales Return.

Hope you enjoy and again, thanks for listening.

Port Laramie.

Port Laramie, starring Raymond Burr as Captain Lee Quits, 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 Quits,

Captain of Cavalry.

Of course, right below me, I see him, wait, he's looking up this way, all right, now

you're going to leave him here, Captain?

I better hide him, no sense in announcing ourselves to fleet there, that ravine down there

is choked with brush anyway.

Yes sir, easy now, then brulee soo grow big, don't you know?

This one did, maybe too big to sit a horse, it's way ahead and stuck up here and look

out, dude.

All right, this spot's good enough, the best pile son of this brush over him, no one

am fighting him right off, at least it was quick killing, the beach's fleet bears way,

kind of even the score on that woman we found all staked out, you can't even score as

like that, goers, now we can watch this powwow without being interrupted, now we got the

best seat in the house, Captain, along with all the ones that knows it, that's no war party

down there, too many lodges, TPs, fleet bear must be using this for his permanent camp,

all his raids lately have been within striking distancy here, those drums and war drums

out there, more like a celebration or some kind, got a lot of killing to celebrate, yeah,

I wish we had them in, we'd stop his killing right now, they sure don't look like they

expect any trouble, there's be a couple thousand down there goers, half of them warriors, we got

60 men from B company, they're not going to have any trouble from us, fleet bear, is he

really spotted tail son, the old man looks on him like a son but he's an nephew I think

no more than that, it doesn't seem like they're the same breed of men, I never heard a spotted

tail killing wholesale, stealing women, he could roam free when he was a young brave, this

was all suit country, no white settlers, no white army, that'd make a difference, sure

would, ever think what you'd do goers say you were fleet bear and the intruders came

into your hunting grounds, that's one of my troubles, I know blame well what I'd do, that's

not excusing what they do to win, that's not excusing anything, but it makes you wonder

where men like spotted tail get their courage, anyway I call it courage, agree and to give

up your land, sign and treaties moving on to a reservation, you call that courage, what

you call what we're doing, two of us sitting up on the rim of a canyon looking down a couple

thousand hostile, I wouldn't call this courage, it's more stupid than anything, I'm getting

kind of tired of them drums, well we can report a big powwow, the makings of a feast but

we sure can't tell the major what they're celebrating, unless, unless what, unless you want

to slide down there and ask fleet bear what all the commotions about, like I said I'm

getting kind of tired of them drums, well that being the case we'd better get back to

our own camp.

I hope it was successful reconnaissance sir, I hope so too, we'll talk about it, I'll

see to the horses captain, right Sergeant, oh a captain has a runner here from major

dagger, I think we have new orders, don't you know, the packets got your name, you were

in charge of the camp while I was gone, I know that, how long has he been here, since

early this morning, I knew you'd be back, Mr. Cybert, we found fleet bear's main camp,

two thousand brulee sue, half of the warriors along the big horn, about twenty five miles

north of here, that near, we had to kill a lookout so we could stay long enough to get

a good look, might have been the other way around Mr. Cybert, you might have seen us first.

Next time when orders come I'll open them back, right, oh he's in your tensor, come on

in Mr. Cybert, oh captain Quince, orders from major daggers, as your word trooper, when

you leave Fort Laramay, noon yesterday sir, and he sleeps since then, no sir, except just

now, begin to doze off, go find yourself a place to sleep, some food if you need it, thank

you captain, Lieutenant Cybert, sort of that, will you be sending me back sir, not without

arrest, we'll find you when we need you, yes sir, I don't believe this, what is it sir?

Major says spotted tails beginning to move, Scott reports indicate he's moving his whole

tribe off the reservation, well it is hard to believe, I'd have to see it first, hand

me that map case, will you, yes sir, where is he supposed to be now, I don't have to

figure that, ordinarily as lodges are set up along here at Pleasant Valley Creek, Rosebud

Agency in the Black Hills, let's see, this report was a day getting to us two days before

that getting to the major, which way is he traveling captain, this way, toward us on the

big horn, that's what the report says, hmm, wonder why, I don't know why, but we're going

to get the chance to find out, we're supposed to go after him, he's still an Indian country,

we can't keep him from moving around if he wants to, spotted tails are supposed to stay

at the Rosebud Agency, Mr. Cybert, if he's going to move around, he's supposed to ask permission,

you're not calling us a treaty violation, I'm not calling it anything, yes sir, but the

major, the major wants to know why spotted tails moving, he has the right to know, yes

sir, I suppose he does, this is going to go hard with you, we'll see him spotted tail

again, no sir, I'd want you to be sure about that, Mr. Cybert, I'm sure, it doesn't take

spotted tail to remind me of his daughter captain, not with her grave at Fort Laramie, and even

if Ahuaapa's grave weren't there, I, I do remember, I don't know, we're doing some map work

tonight, Mr. Cybert, I could use a hand, yes sir, tell Sergeant Goss to pass the word, we'll

break camp at dawn, right captain, oh, what about the runner, you can start back to the

Fort when we break camp, no needing them starting early, he needs the rest, yes sir, oh

Mr. Cybert, yes sir, spotted tail is my friend, all I want to do is talk to him,

this must have been their camp captain, it's likely, I wish I didn't think it was, how's

that sir, look, all along here, wagon tracks, only deeper, lodge poles, they make that kind

of mark dragging behind ponies, campsite this big ponies trail in lodge poles, that's got

to mean spotted tails moving his whole tribe, you can't understand, there's no understanding

unless we can talk to him, at the rate he's moving that might not be too easy, captain's

spotted tail's like red cloud, he believes in the treaty table, he's always kept the peace,

now something's got his dander up, I guess he wouldn't go off the reservation without a good reason,

it's the way he's going off that bothers me, how do you mean, how they could have moved up north

in the Dakota territory, could have cut off a corner Wyoming, gone up to Montana country,

there were lots of ways he could have left, getting off the reservation was what he had in mind,

from the black hills to the little powder, he's taking the long way, all right,

it'd be a direct way if you were heading for the big horn and fleet bear, you don't think that

kept, I don't want to, could be some trouble in the black hills drove him out, but this looks more

deliberate to me, you think we can catch up with him, not standing here Mr. Cyborgs,

Sergeant, pass the word, prepare to mount and move out, prepare to mount, captain,

if he were heading for fleet bear, then what, that'd be something I'd want to find out from spotted

hail Mr. Cyborgs,

I've been here since the tree kept and I never saw anything like it,

they've been gone about three hours you say, just about,

you talk about folding tents and silently stealing the way I read that in the book one,

yeah I read the same book, you're going to wait here for a reply ain't you, I haven't much choice,

that's what you want me to say to the major, just put down I'm waiting for orders, all right,

this year when I bedded down last night, I was the only one on raw hide,

quick, far as I knew, woke up this morning, got a whole engine village,

set it in my front door, yeah you told me,

fires going, squals, turn up, pots of food, papuses squallin and darned if some of their

braves were fishing right out there in the raw hide, that don't happen to me every morning,

papuses squallin, yeah, if funny thing about that, no matter what color hide young and

it's gotten, when they squall they all sound the same thing, how long you think it'll take to get

an answer, and that'll be more up to your major than me, you're quite a philosopher aren't you,

yeah I am, it comes from having time to think, alone a lot you know, once in a while some of you

were soldier boys or someone from the engine agents, if they get lost, tote in the mail, it come

by, like I say I've been here since the treaty, and I never saw anything like this, talk about

fold intents and silently stealing away, oh yeah you read that book too didn't you, well sir I

no sooner got used to him, cooking and squall and fishing, he was gone, like one minute they

was there and then right away they they they wasn't, like I say, not three times you're not going to

say it, all right, you think they got win you was trailing them, I think they did, well I won't say

it again but I'll tell you, get left it's mark on me, it sure did that, you get anything for me,

I'll be outside, oh say captain, yeah, I've got a couple of pulls, any you soldiers when they get

some good fishing, thanks, thanks very much, maybe next time,

have a quince, up on the blood, yeah,

he wouldn't come back to make a stand captain, I don't think so,

we'd have more than we could handle if he did, runners coming down under a flight sir,

and see them in, hold their fire, yes sir, hold your fire, hold your fire, I think it's not, he wants a

power, white captain, I come from spotted tail, you have a message, spotted tail say you come,

white army stay, you come alone, up on the bluff, spotted tail me, white captain at trees by water,

like white captain spotted tail, come alone, get my horse Mr. Cybert, right away captain,

and Mr. Cybert, well I'm gone, orders may come from Major Daggett, I'll receive them sir, good,

corporal captain, you may tell your chief I will meet him at the trees by the water, spotted tail

send white captain ring to show good faith, tell your chief I know him to be a man of good faith,

tell him to keep his rings, as you say white captain,

greetings spotted tail, white captain,

you are from Fort Larmy, I know your face, it's been a long time since we've met spotted tail,

many moons, I came to you then in sorrow, to put only daughter a hoapa in white man's burial grounds,

I remember, she spoke of love for white man, you, no, not me spotted tail, a young officer,

he's with me back there at the station, the place of her burial and he's still

honored among you, she was our friend, as you are, friendship is always on it, the words are well

spoken, I too speak of honor of white captain, you follow me do you, yes for two days now, it is

honor for a friend to track a friend, I wanted to talk with you, to talk or to make questions,

questions and answers make talks by the tail, by terms of treaty, white army not belong in land of

Indian, from big horn mountains to black hills, all land north of river which flowed by your fort,

all this Indian hunting ground, by terms of treaty spotted tail belongs on the agency called

Rosebud, not in the valley of the little powder, or on the bluffs above Rohide Creek,

this is why you follow me, this is why, if I say my people want new hunting grounds,

what does white captain say to that, I say you left the best hunting grounds in the west when

you left the black hills, see, we do not wear the paint of war, our mission is one of peace,

I believe you do not want war spotted tail, when red man go to war,

all who see can tell he plans war, the headdress, the paint of war, all who look can see,

the white army wears same face at treaty table as on field of battle, only white army knows

when white army plans war, the white army plans no war against spotted tail,

you are only white army who follows, I think this is so, I ask what you know, not what you think,

I can only tell you what I think, as far as I know we are the only white army to follow spotted tail,

my scouts count you small, I am told 60 soldiers of white father, that's no war party spotted tail,

you are moving all your people, many times my 60 soldiers, all your lodges have been moved,

squas, papuses, your old people, as well as your warriors, I have told you our mission is one of peace,

to leave the reservation without permission of the white father is to break the spirit of the treaty,

no words in treaties say spotted tail must ask white father to breathe, this is the land of my

fathers, on it we hunt fish live and breathe, do you consider the valley of the big horn the land of

your fathers, my fathers have come to there many times, have yours, no, then it is more the land of

my fathers than yours white captain, the big horn river lies beyond the treaty limits spotted tail,

if you go there you break the treaty, I speak to you of peace and you reply of breaking treaties,

it is you who first talks of the valley of the big horn not spotted tail, do you go to fleet bear,

do you know the son of my brother, I have seen his camp on the big horn, I have seen his killing,

he does much harm, he is young and has the feel of a warrior, I have seen the killing of young white warriors,

three burial grounds of sousquares and papuses should once near your fort Laramie, I know that,

so there is no good left in talk white captain, the sun moves and spotted tail moves with it,

one last time I say to you, I speak with truth and honor, our mission is one of peace,

if you follow me white captain, I cannot be sure of the peace,

you doing a good at your power captain, he is going to fleet bear, I know he is,

we tell you that, he told me everything but that, but that is where he is heading,

well they have moved off the bluff, they must be going on, you know, he told me they would,

are we going after him, if we do we start a war, he told me that too, now where is Mr.

Sybot, in the telegraph station, the order is captain, we are supposed to return to fort Laramie,

and the majors made my decision for me, follow in spotted tail might not be the best move now,

this isn't the complete message Mr. Sybot, I know sir, the telegrapher says the line must have been

cut between here and fort Laramie, return to garrison immediately, fleet bear has,

that's all it says, fleet bear is what, I don't know sir, but it does say to return,

that's the important part, I wonder if it is Mr. Sybot's,

your convinced he was going to fleet bear, I'm convinced, but that doesn't do much good now,

captain you can't help what's happened, fleet bear has been asking for a fight for a long time,

major little came across the same encampment, you did only he had enough mentally to charge,

my orders were reconnaissance, I know that, and I didn't know major little and three companies of

cavalry and two of infantry were this side of california, major little's not in my command,

I didn't know either, tell that to spotted tail, spotted tail's an old chief,

he knew any renegades were open to attack,

it was a quiet little scene major, spotted tail and me into the trees by a stream,

talking peace and honor, you didn't kill fleet bear captain, spotted tail was talking to the white

army when he talked to me, told me his mission was peaceful, I told him mine was no war party,

we believed each other, well you were right, yours was no war party, his wasn't either,

they could have wiped us out right there at the raw hide, spotted tail is going to figure that he

was talking peace with one white man while another attacked and killed his nephew, you say your

convinced spotted tail was going to fleet bear to join him, I think it was more likely the other way

around to persuade fleet bear to join him on the reservation, but you don't know that, I don't know

that, but I know spotted tail, he signed the treaty, he's kept it, that remains to be seen,

major captain, outside the post gate spotted tail his whole tribe, oh we don't want any trouble,

we'll meet him outside the gates,

you show great courage spotted tail riding up to the gates of Fort Laramie without first sending

a runner, I have sent runner before to speak to white army, I have sent him with a ring to show

good faith, that was before major when we met on the raw hide, I am now come to white army with no

faith, we didn't break faith with you spotted tail and we broke none with fleet bear, the words

faith courage honor come easy to the tongue for white man, have no meaning to spotted tail unless

they are words of the heart, fleet bear broke faith with us by his killing, I told you that when

we pow out, there was not yet faith in him to break, white man has killed not only fleet bear,

but the faith that was not yet born in him, is that why you were going to him?

I have seen much good in treaty and council, fleet bear young had not seen this, you think you

would have listened to your spotted tail, we will not know that answer now, you have made his ears

forever deaf to the words of his father's brother, I can say what is in my heart and in my heart

I believe he would have listened, why do you believe that, you tried to talk to him before, you told

me you saw his camp on the big horn, if you saw and knew what you saw, then you know he planned a

feast of celebration, that's what I saw major, feast for his father's brother spotted tail,

we do not make feast and talk war, that is not our way, we can't be sorry for fleet bear,

but we will counter the loss to lose your friendship spotted tail, you have lost more than that,

I am an old man, my friendship has not long to last, but the young brave they will live on and

remember, you have lost the hope in their hearts for peace and honor, is that why you've come here

to tell us that? No, I come only for what is mine, the remains of my daughter,

a hoappa, he was buried in our cemetery at her request spotted tail, her grave here at Fort

Laramie has been honored, I am yet her father, she will return to the land of her people, she lived in

peace, she will rest now and forever in the peace her father understands. Captain, help him any way you can,

you can help me? Just one way for now spotted tail,

I can lead you to her grave,

Fort Laramie is produced and directed by Norman McDonald and stars Raymond Burr as

Lee Quince, Captain of Cavalry, with Vic Perron as Sergeant Gors, the script was specially written

for Fort Laramie by Kathleen Height, with son patterns by Bill James and Ray Kemper, musical

supervision by Amarigo Marino, featured in the cast were Ralph Moody, John Daener, Tim Graham and

Lou Krugman, Jack Moils as Major Digit and Harry Bartell is Lieutenant Cybers.

Company tension,

this mess.

Next week, another transcribed story of the Northwest Frontier and the troopers who fought

under Lee Quince, Captain of Cavalry.

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