Speaker 1: I learned two things in Cheyenne. One that Huckey dummy
is baking powderbread with raisins. The other that loves labor
is not always lost, even if you don't know how
to use a gun.
Speaker 2: Frontier Gentleman here with an Englishman's account of life.
Speaker 1: And death in the West.
Speaker 2: As a reporter for the London Times, he writes his
colorful and unusual stories. But as a man with a gun,
he lives and becomes a part of the violent years
in the New Territories. Now starring John Dayner, this is
the story of J. B. Kendall. Frontier Gentleman.
Speaker 1: I had spent a week in chud Water with Hyena
Bob Saunders, who ran the Cheyenne and Black Hills stage station.
Now I was on my way back to Cheyenne to
send off to the London Times one or two of
the more choice stories he had told me. There was
only one other passenger in the stage with me, a
man in his middle twenties. He introduced himself as Tom Hart.
He was well dressed, and at first glance I took
him to be an Easterner. No.
Speaker 3: I was born in Kansas, reared in Montana Territory, now
I call Wyoming my home.
Speaker 4: How about you.
Speaker 1: Born in England. I'm trying to make a living writing
writing articles on the West for the London Times.
Speaker 3: Oh you've been in Chia and yet Oh yes, hard things.
Speaker 1: Well, that's hard to say. I haven't seen too much
of it.
Speaker 4: Three years since I was there.
Speaker 3: I guess the town's changed some, but this road sure
hasn't run well.
Speaker 1: Cheyenne's thriving, I can tell you that.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I heard big cattle interest.
Speaker 1: I thot that you're coming back from the East.
Speaker 4: He's fancy dude clothes.
Speaker 3: And yeah, man in the East and other parts, he
gets tired to drift.
Speaker 4: You know, it's time to go home. That's where I'm headed.
Speaker 1: Cheyenne.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I made me some good money. Now it's figure
to get married. Raising the block of kids.
Speaker 1: It's worthwhile project.
Speaker 3: He's a girl in Cheyenne's candle. We been writing least
ways up to year back.
Speaker 4: I got a letter from her when I was in
New York. I wish you luck, thanks your well.
Speaker 3: They say ties a man down, but I triggered for
Gal's got her mind made up for marriage. You might
as well drop your rope on it, because if you
don't somebody else is going through it.
Speaker 1: I see you have the the philosopher's latitude toward marriage.
Speaker 3: Well, I don't know about that, but I've been lone
wolfing long enough. Carrie's and then Carrie Hudson used to
be a cookie pusher up at the Blue Star cafrat
cookie pusher a waitress. Oh, I'll tell you what. When
we get in town, you come on up with me
to the Blue Star. Used to have the best eats
in town. I guess they still do. I'll be proud
to have you meet carry.
Speaker 1: You spent the rest of the journey discussing matters of
both consequence and triviality. Heart had received no formal education,
but his travelers had given him a certain sophistication, and
the time passed pleasantly. When we arrived in Shia, and
I tried to persuade him that his fiance would be
much happier to greet him alone, but Heart would have
none of it. He insisted that I accompanied him, and
so together we walked to where he knew the Blue
Star Cafe to be.
Speaker 4: Charlie Banister runs the place.
Speaker 3: Charlie looks like bad medicine, his son says, he used
to be a short trigger man, but it ain't true.
By the way he looked after Carrie, you'd think she
was his own daughter. I sure had to play it
straight before Charlie let me start riding her down.
Speaker 4: Me Gal say, listen, you hungry a little? You wait?
You take Charlie's houckey dummy.
Speaker 3: He used to be a ranged cook and there's never
been a man made hockey dummy the.
Speaker 4: Way Charlie makes it. Hey, that's funny.
Speaker 1: Huh looks as ells closed?
Speaker 3: He does for a fact, the first time I ever
knew the Blue Star closed.
Speaker 4: Can you see anybody moving around there?
Speaker 1: No?
Speaker 4: Hmm, what she's open? Hello, Charlie, whoever you are?
Speaker 1: Morning back?
Speaker 3: Sure don't figure, Hey Charlie, Yo, Well you say, Tom
what Charlie?
Speaker 4: This is what I met on the stage coming in? JB. Kendall.
Speaker 1: Oh, hello, Charlie.
Speaker 4: What's happened? How'd you get like this?
Speaker 5: I guess you ain't heard. There was a shoot up
in here a year or so ago.
Speaker 4: Carrie's Carrie all right?
Speaker 5: When it was finished, the boys had done the shoot
and robbed me, and how I tailed that? I I
had moved from the.
Speaker 4: Bed since Tom what about Carrie.
Speaker 5: She ain't here no more.
Speaker 4: We'll work you go.
Speaker 5: A's Jack Feeney up to Hollomin saloon.
Speaker 4: I'm asking you, Charlie.
Speaker 5: And I ain't saying you and me was friends, Tom
I was leave keep it that way.
Speaker 4: Now, what's Jack Feeney got to do with it?
Speaker 1: What?
Speaker 4: Charlie?
Speaker 5: All right, I'll tell you Carrie took a shine to
him while he was gone.
Speaker 4: That's a lie.
Speaker 5: I told Feeney to leave her alone. There was words.
I throw him out. Same night he comes back with
one of his boys and they fill me full of lead.
Speaker 1: Well wasn't this Feenie arrested then, Charlie?
Speaker 5: Sure, but it was his word against mine, and Carrie
took his side and swore at the trial with someone
else that'd come in and shot me up.
Speaker 4: Is she with Phoenie?
Speaker 1: Now?
Speaker 5: I ain't seen her since that day. Hey, Tom Boy,
while you're here, pump me a jug of water, will you?
Old Doc Thorne says, I got a drink plenty of water,
and missus Carroll's been helping out, but she ain't showed
up yet today.
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, sure, I'll be right back, Charlie, thank you.
Speaker 5: I ain't got the stomach to tell him all the
truth of it. You'll have to find out sooner or
later for yourself. She married Phoene, Oh, right before the trial? Yes,
what was partly my fault. I should have seen it.
Carry getting lonesome waiting for Tommy and Poenie coming in
here his fancy spending ways. He runs a gambling and
hollom and saloon. Well, next thing you know, Carrie's looking
cows at him.
Speaker 1: Well don't you think it'd be better to tell heart
now about the marriage?
Speaker 5: Hey, listen, you keep an eye on and with you.
Tom's got a bad temper. He gets it in his
head to start trouble. There's likely to be a killing.
Speaker 1: Well, the more reason to tell him. Then. This way
he'll go up to the saloon looking for him.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I guess you're right. It wouldn't be so good.
Speaker 3: Here's your water, Charlie. Anything else I can.
Speaker 4: Do for you?
Speaker 5: Yeah, stay away from Holloman saloon. I lied to you
before Tom she's there with Phoenie. They're married.
Speaker 4: See anything else I can do for you, Charlie?
Speaker 5: Oh, I reckon not come on back and see me
if you have a mind too, I sure like to
hear about your travel.
Speaker 4: I'll do that so long.
Speaker 5: You take it easy, Tom.
Speaker 1: Good bye, Charlie.
Speaker 5: You take it easy, Tom.
Speaker 4: Well, I guess i'll be seeing you, Candle.
Speaker 1: Where will you go? Tom?
Speaker 3: Not that it's any of your business, but I guess
you ask out of kindness. I'm going up to hollom
at saloon and have me a few drinks.
Speaker 1: Oh well, mind if I come along?
Speaker 4: No, no, I don't mind.
Speaker 1: We walked down the main streets. I knew it was
pointless to tell him that trying to see his girl
was the worst thing he could do to himself. I
rather liked him, and I suppose that's the and I
went with him. He didn't say a word until he
reached the saloon. Then he said, you.
Speaker 3: Go ahead, Candle. I'll meet you in there in a
few minutes. I got an errand to do first time.
Speaker 1: I'll come with you. I don't mind.
Speaker 3: I do. Just order me a bottle of whiskey. I'll
see you inside. All right.
Speaker 6: Well, o stranger, you're a little early. But what's your pleasure?
Cards dance?
Speaker 1: As a matter of fact, i'm looking for Carrie. Oh
for what are you carrying? Yes, Ken, we sit at
the table.
Speaker 4: I don't sit with customers mischief.
Speaker 6: That's for the girls. You want to talk business, you
can talk to my husband.
Speaker 1: A friend of yours is and shy Amne tom Hart.
Tom he has just heard about you. He'll be coming
in here in a minute. I it's what you ought
to know.
Speaker 6: Thanks, mister. How did he take the news?
Speaker 1: He got it from Charlie? Well, you'll probably get very drunk.
I imagine I do the same.
Speaker 6: He won't make trouble.
Speaker 1: I'll try to see that he doesn't.
Speaker 6: Has he said anything about me, only that.
Speaker 1: He was expecting to marry you?
Speaker 6: Right? I thought it doesn't matter. Anybody got the price
of a drink in his pockets. Welcome. That goes for
tom Hart as well as the next man. You want
a table, mister.
Speaker 1: Yes, a table would be fine this way. What are
you drinking?
Speaker 2: Oh?
Speaker 1: Beer? I think yes, and a bottle of whiskey.
Speaker 6: My husband Jack doesn't like him. I wouldn't want to
him to get hurt on account of me. Will you
get him out of here if he's looking for someone
to sharpen his horns on.
Speaker 1: I'll do my best.
Speaker 6: Thanks, Beer in a bottle of whiskey.
Speaker 7: Listen, Well, where's the drinks on their wacome. What's the
gun for Tom?
Speaker 4: She's right clean and China, ain't. She sent me back
twenty dollars put in a word.
Speaker 3: I bought it and I aim to use it as
soon as I get drunk enough. I'm gonna kill me
a skunk called Feene.
Speaker 2: In a moment, we returned to Frontier Gentleman, Fast with
the quip, faster at making time with a beautiful girl, but.
Speaker 4: Fastest of all with a clue.
Speaker 2: Yours truly, Johnny Dollar will be along with his latest
insurance investigation and later today on CBS Radio get next
to yours truly, Johnny Dollar on most of these stations.
Now we return you to the Anthony Ellis production of
Frontier Gentleman.
Speaker 1: Tom Hart and I sat at the table in Holloman's saloon,
and between us lay a brand new forty four Revolver.
After a moment, Tom picked it up and slowly rotated
the cylinder. He didn't turn as carry came toward us,
didn't look up as she put down my beer and
Tom's bottle of whiskey.
Speaker 4: Sir, it's mighty pretty talking. I how are you? Tom?
Oh Carrie? Yeah, I heard you was here. Well, you're
looking good. You know. Back East they drink a toast
to new married folks, So I drink to you. Carrie.
Where where's your husband? Missus Phoene, Jack's out.
Speaker 6: Don't make trouble, Tom. What's done is done.
Speaker 4: That's the way you see it, don't Carrie.
Speaker 5: You never run.
Speaker 4: I didn't have to. You were my girl. I told
you i'd be back, but you couldn't wait. I waited
two years. You was in such a hurry you had
to get Phoene to put Charlie out of the way too.
Speaker 3: That's not so, Tom, Charlie. He's lying in bed. He
don't move anything but his arms anymore. Your husband did
a right fine job. You ain't even been to see
him since that doesn't do much good. You know she's
not the same anymore. At first I thought she was,
but he's not. She was a girl, a nice girl.
When I left. She got too much paint. Now looks
like a honky tonk woman.
Speaker 1: You should drink, will go.
Speaker 3: There's time, There's plenty of time. I want to have
a talk with Jack Feoene. He shot up a.
Speaker 4: Friend of mine. You remember, he won't leave. It's all right, Kenny,
you go ahead, I'll stay. You want to whiskey? It
a chase down at your ear? No?
Speaker 1: Thank you.
Speaker 4: Do you know why I'm going to get drunk.
Speaker 1: I've got a rough idea.
Speaker 4: Yeah, how rough?
Speaker 1: Well? Tom, you know you really haven't got any right
to start trouble with Phoeni.
Speaker 4: What about Charlie? What about him?
Speaker 1: The court said Phoeni was in.
Speaker 4: Charlie says he did it, And.
Speaker 1: If you shoot Phoene they'll find you guilty. What will
you approve?
Speaker 4: She said she was going to wait. She said he
loved me. No, ain't that a laugh? Love?
Speaker 1: That's why you're getting drunk. Then you'll be able to
get angry without thinking.
Speaker 4: You talk too much.
Speaker 1: You asked me where she goes up the stairs?
Speaker 4: Hey? You figure she was lying? Maybe Jack Phoenie's here,
She's going up to tell him.
Speaker 1: I don't know.
Speaker 4: Well I'm gonna find out.
Speaker 1: Now.
Speaker 7: I wouldn't not sit down, Tom, give me that gun, kindle, Now.
Speaker 1: You sit down. You're not that drunk yet, and you're
not going up there to start shooting.
Speaker 3: Give me the gun. No, you're bigger than me, but
I ain't afraid to tangle with you. I didn't say
you were all right, I'm going up there without a gun. Oh,
don't be a fool, Tom, don't rile me.
Speaker 1: Tom, she's married to him. You'll find another girl.
Speaker 5: Hey, where are you going?
Speaker 4: I'll come. You're going up to me and my wife's rooms.
Speaker 3: I figured to find you there, Phoene. Well, Tom, har
that's right. I stepped out for a while. If I
had known you was going to pay a visit at
a come back sooner. Have you seen my wife.
Speaker 4: Tom, Yeah, yeah, I've seen her. Well, we'll have to
get her down and have a friendly drink together. I
haven't had the pleasure of meeting your friend JB.
Speaker 1: Kendall.
Speaker 4: Put her there, Kendall, carry come on down. Hey, let's
to bring a bottle of champagne. I didn't come to
drink with you, Phoene. I came to kill you. Well,
sure you can do that anytime, but you'll have a
drink first. Huh here, sit down, boys. When did you
get back in downtown today? And I seen Charlie? Yeah,
I heard about Charlie.
Speaker 3: That was too bad him getting shot like that, the
way Charlie tells it, you did the shooting.
Speaker 4: Poor fella, They said made him a mighty loco.
Speaker 5: Here's your champagne, and here comes the prettiest little woman
and shining carry.
Speaker 4: I hear you met mister Kendall here and Tom. Yes,
well it's like old time, except the thing to his change.
I got me a new wife. What you get back
East time?
Speaker 3: I'm telling you something, Feeni. I had a gun with
your friend of mine. Didn't figure I was drunk enough
or maybe sober enough to use.
Speaker 4: Well I'm going out and get another one, and the
next time I see you, I'm gonna be using it.
He sure is excitable anyway. You figure he's still galling
over you, Carrie.
Speaker 6: What does it matter?
Speaker 4: What do you think, Kendall?
Speaker 1: I think that Tom Hart's in the mood for murder.
Whether it's because of your wife, Charlie, I don't know.
Speaker 6: Didn't shoot Charlie, mister Kendall. I know he didn't because
we were together that night.
Speaker 4: That's true. Must have been a couple of cowboys dropped
at Charlie's place and robbed him, gave him lead poison.
Speaker 1: But it wasn't me. Why does Charlie said it was?
Speaker 4: That was at the trial.
Speaker 1: He said it then too.
Speaker 4: Of course my lawyer he showed where. It was dark
in Charlie's cafe, and Charlie couldn't rightly tell who was
in there that night. Charlie figured it was me because
we'd had words the same day.
Speaker 1: I think I better find Tom. No, don't you.
Speaker 4: Go worrying, Kendall, you cool down sides. Tommy ain't no
kind of a hand with a gun, and he knows it.
If he comes looking for me, we'll take care of.
Speaker 1: Him, which was exactly, but I was afraid of him.
I spent the next hour going from one saloon to
the next looking for Tom. I couldn't find him anything,
and so I went back to see the one person
who I thought might be able to help.
Speaker 5: No, he ain't come back here. Took it bad? Huh? Yes,
I anto trouble with that boy. Everything nice and easy
with him. Never could figure what he was really thinking.
But when he busted loose.
Speaker 1: Charlie, are you still positive it was Phoene who shot you? Sure?
I am well? Carry says he was with her that night.
Speaker 5: She's lying.
Speaker 1: Why would she lie?
Speaker 5: Or don't ask me how come a woman does what
she does?
Speaker 1: I think the one reason that Tom's going after Phoene
now as a matter of pride. He doesn't matter. Back down,
he'll use he was an excuse.
Speaker 5: I don't need any man to fight my war.
Speaker 1: Do you think there's had a chance, even a remote one,
that it was dark that night you were shot, and
perhaps you were mistaken about PHOENI.
Speaker 5: Well, I guess there's a chance.
Speaker 1: But Charlie, if I can find Tom, if he knows that,
if you'll touch my time, Carrie, is he here?
Speaker 4: No?
Speaker 6: I had to come. I don't want him to get hurt.
I wanted to talk with him.
Speaker 5: He much for you say? Seems to me I made
a mistake.
Speaker 6: I'm not making another.
Speaker 5: It was Jack shot.
Speaker 6: I lied for him, he said. If I didn't either,
hear his boys, it gets you for good.
Speaker 4: He said he'd kill me too.
Speaker 5: And why did you marry him?
Speaker 4: I had to.
Speaker 6: That doesn't matter. Now we've got to find Tom.
Speaker 4: Jack sent two of his boys out looking for him.
He wants to kill Tom.
Speaker 1: Why.
Speaker 4: I guess he knows.
Speaker 6: He's always known how I feel.
Speaker 1: And I'm going back to the saloon. You better stay here.
Speaker 4: Carry couldn't find him, man, No, Well, he's probably sobered
up by now. He'll be all right. And nice fellow Tom,
I'm just a little too hot.
Speaker 1: Headed for his own good and so all right, Imagine
when a man comes home and finds his girl married
to another man. He can be a little upset him, sure,
and then seeing a good friend of his lying paralyzed
shot by the man who married his girl, it's likely
to make a chap unreasonably.
Speaker 4: Even though he's wrong. Yeah, I see what you.
Speaker 1: Then if he finds out that the girl's husband forced
her to lie, and if he finds out that the
girl still loves him, he'd be in quite a state.
Speaker 4: Yeah, that wouldn't be so good.
Speaker 1: Word it m Now, if I were the husband, I'd
want to get rid of that fellow. Say if I
like Tom, because my life wouldn't be safe for one minute,
I'd send some men out looking for him, with orders
to shoot on sight.
Speaker 4: You got any more ideas along that line.
Speaker 1: Well, if a man like Tom had a friend, the
friend wouldn't want to see Tom bushwhacked.
Speaker 4: I think it's the word that friend is talking himself
into mighter trouble.
Speaker 1: You think so, Then the friend would make another suggestion. Yeah,
the husband is quite obviously a most unpleasant person, and
the best thing he could do would be to give
his wife a divorce so that she can live a
decent life with Tom Hart.
Speaker 4: I'm back, phoene Yeah, I see Tom Candle get away
from me.
Speaker 3: I'm giving him a chance to draw, which is more
than he did for Charlie.
Speaker 4: You hurt him, Candle. It's a fair fight.
Speaker 1: I heard Tom without behind you. M thank you not
at all. Those are two of mister Phoeney's chums. They've
been looking for you. Now. Feeney, you were saying something
about a fair fight.
Speaker 4: Listen times, Draw, I ain't fighting with you.
Speaker 3: You ain't got the guts of a lizard, Draw, I
told you I have.
Speaker 4: I ain't fighting well. I a.
Speaker 1: Oh mine sounded as though you broke jaw Tom, Yeah, yeah,
didn't he. I think mister Feeney will be leaving Tom.
I also think he'll want to give carry a divorce. Oh,
I thought you might be interested. Incidentally, what would you
have done if he had drawn on you?
Speaker 4: I don't know.
Speaker 3: You ever thought about it. He probably would have killed me,
he is I think he wouldn't. Well, I'll take care
of the arrangements here. You better go over to Charlie's now.
Carrie is waiting waiting for me, Well, I don't imagine
it's for me.
Speaker 2: Frontier Gentlemen was written, produced, and directed by Anthony Ellis
and stars John Danner as Jab Kendall featured in the
cast where Vic Perrin, Virginia, Greg Jack Krushian, and Harry Bartel.
Music was composed and conducted by Wilbur Hatch. Join us
again next week for another report from the Frontier Gentleman,
John Wall speaking. This is the CBS Radio Network.