Speaker 1: Slaughter's my name. Luke Slaughter. Cattle's my business. It's a
tough business, it's a big business. I got a big
stake in it. There's no man west of the area
of grand big enough to take it from me.
Speaker 2: Luke Slaughter of Tombstone. Luke Slaughter of Tombstone. Civil War
cavalryman turned Arizona cattleman across the territory from Yuma to
Fort Defiance, from Flagstaff to the Wachucas, and below the
border through Chihuahua and Sonora. His name was recent spected
or feared, depending on which side of the law you
were on. Man of vision, man of legend. Luke Slaughter
of Tombstone.
Speaker 1: There's a long, hot ride to Laredo. The last day
I pushed it hard, eating dust all the way. I
didn't know if i'd be in time or not. When
I rode up to the canteen in town and went inside,
I saw I was barely in time. The two of
them were sitting at a corner table. From the sound
of it, the deal was just about close.
Speaker 3: Me and my boys will bring that herd up across
the border for you in good shape.
Speaker 1: Hell, I hope so.
Speaker 4: Hancock Association's pretty word about all the trouble we've had
on these drives before.
Speaker 1: Excuse me, tents Ben Wilkins, Why, yes, President of the
Cattleman's Association. Yes, that's right. I don't think I know you.
Speaker 3: Look, mister, we're talking business. That's why I'm here, Hancock,
I'll come. You know my name, Wilkins.
Speaker 1: I understand you're aiming to bring a herd of cattle
up from Mexico into Texas. Well, what's that to you?
You're missing a good bed. I don't you drive him
west Arizona, Arizona. That's right. I have heard about the
new mines opening up around Tombstone. Everybody and his brother's
headed out there and they all got to eat. That
means a good market for beef, a lot better price
than you get around here.
Speaker 3: He's crazy, Wilkins. That's too far to drive a herd.
Speaker 4: He is sure too dangerous anyway, while those bandidos Russ loose,
even Indians.
Speaker 1: Maybe I took a herd out there last month. There
wasn't near enough to take care of all those beef
eating miners. I'll drive your herd out there for you
for a percentage.
Speaker 3: You just shut that big mouth of yours. Mister, whoever
you are, I'm the one drives Wilkins herds wherever they go.
Speaker 1: Oh, Wilkins, you can't afford Jess Hancock anymore. What do
you mean the last turd he brought across the border
for you? How many did he lose along the way?
Speaker 5: Why?
Speaker 1: Forty three head.
Speaker 3: Could have happened to anyone. Bandidos, that's what it.
Speaker 1: Was, Mexican bandits. Huh. Here's a bill of sale might
interest you, Wilkins. Seems last week a rancher named Hollister
bought forty three head, and good faith paid for him
proper man who's seldom was Jess Hancock. That's a lie.
Take a look, Wilkins, that Hancock's signature.
Speaker 3: Why sure, nobody's gonna accuse me or wrestling.
Speaker 1: You don't try it, Hancock. I can kick that gun
out of your hand before you get it loose from
their holster. You just try it, man, you convinced Hancock?
Who are you, mister slaughter? Luke Slutter?
Speaker 4: I've heard i'd be mister slaughter, but I didn't know
you was in these parts.
Speaker 1: You don't have to mister me. Wilkins. Just Slaughter's good enough.
Speaker 4: Hancock Association's gonna hear about this if those are the
same forty three. You got no prosy about that, Slaughter,
you said, Arizona.
Speaker 1: A lot of hungry miners and Tombstone big a price.
Huh half again as much?
Speaker 4: Beat me back here in an hour.
Speaker 2: You got yourself a job.
Speaker 1: I'll be here, Wilkins.
Speaker 3: Uh you hear me, slaughter. I don't care what your
reputation is. You ain't gonna beat me out of this.
Speaker 1: I'll stop you here. I am Hancock, and now's as
good a time as any. Go ahead.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you can talk mighty tall with my gun laying
there on the floor.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, you're gone there. It is Hancock. And I'm
just as far from that table it's sitting on as
you are. I'll go ahead.
Speaker 4: His other ways, Slaughter, these other ways, alok, slaughter. When
you signed for this job, you guaranteed me six good
trail hands. I didn't know you were just gonna pick
them cold out.
Speaker 2: Of the bar.
Speaker 1: Here. That's the difference, Welkins. They're not good hands now
they will be by the time we get to Tombstone.
I'll suit of that. I guess you will. How many
you got so far. Two Mexican boys in other country
pretty well, and a cook.
Speaker 4: It still leaves your three shy.
Speaker 1: I'll get them.
Speaker 6: Say mister, your name, slaughter, Yeah, mine's rusty. And here
you're looking for trail hands.
Speaker 1: Maybe you ever been to Tombstone, not.
Speaker 6: With the herd, didn't know anybody had. This will be
the second that been almost every place else. You can
take your herd. I guess God's city, shy hand, the panhandle,
you name it?
Speaker 1: All right, I'll take you.
Speaker 3: Who's the one that's hiring.
Speaker 1: Mister, that's right. You're look a little old for the
drive I've got in mind. Tombstones a long way, don't
worry about that. And none, I'll keep up. Bet your
name they called me all all right, you're on. Got
a room for one.
Speaker 7: More, slaughter, Hell, your son name is Carson, Jim Carson.
Speaker 1: Ever ridden trail before?
Speaker 5: No?
Speaker 7: But I don't figure it'd be too tough side slaughter,
I come in handy when this trouble.
Speaker 1: How about when this work?
Speaker 7: I work? I need the money. I want to buy
me a gun.
Speaker 1: You already got a gun.
Speaker 7: I want to get me another one.
Speaker 1: All right, I'll put you on. Say your name was Jimmy.
Speaker 7: It's not Jimmy, it's jim I don't like being called Jimmy.
Speaker 1: Go get your stuff together, Jimmy.
Speaker 7: I guess you didn't hear me, Slaughter, I said, I
don't like being.
Speaker 1: Want to come along, don't you?
Speaker 7: I want to come?
Speaker 1: Then get moving to me.
Speaker 2: I don't like that one.
Speaker 1: Slaughter. He's on the prot good by, Wilkins.
Speaker 2: I take a chance with him.
Speaker 4: Then, I don't want any trouble.
Speaker 1: With this herd. Now just a minute, Wilkins. I didn't
guarantee no trouble. Matter of fact, i'd be surprised if
there wasn't. I guarantee just one thing to bring that
herd through that you can count on.
Speaker 5: I have seen young punks like him before Slaughter. They
go run with a chip on their shoulder, trying to
show how.
Speaker 8: Tough they are.
Speaker 5: He probably heard about you, what about me with you
to oh no friends? You got a kind of reputation
that's all punk like that. Sooner or later you probably
want to find.
Speaker 6: Out how to fe Maybe I heard him shooting off
his mouth at the bar earlier about how he'd gonned
down a couple of men here and there.
Speaker 7: Oh I bet he's awful green on the trail, though.
Speaker 1: You can show him the ropes restie. Maybe the trail
takes some of the toughness out of him. Anyway, I
need what men we can get. He goes with us.
Speaker 6: You're the boss.
Speaker 3: Where are we heading from here?
Speaker 1: Del Gatta, little town below the border. That's where we
pick up the herd when we're leaving. Since we sat
eleven tonight, yeah, we should be able to hit the
trail with the cattle tomorrow afternoon. Make a few miles
toward Tombstone for dark.
Speaker 3: What's a hurry?
Speaker 1: There's a man named Jess Hancock. Couldn't mind making a
little trouble for me. I want that HRD all in
one piece to start with, anyway.
Speaker 9: Pretty good looking herd rusty, yeah, but no herd's worth
pounding leather like we did all the way down here
to Dell Gotta.
Speaker 8: Slaughter said he wanted to make it, but this afternoon
he did.
Speaker 7: Where is he anyway?
Speaker 8: Sign the papers over there at the pinch.
Speaker 7: I don't see why we can't hang around town tonight.
Leave in the morning.
Speaker 8: We'll why not take it up with the bosh here
you come?
Speaker 7: You think you're pretty funny, don't you wit?
Speaker 8: You talk just once in a while.
Speaker 1: Well, I guess we're already resty. How about the cook.
Speaker 3: Oh he's got all the grub loaded in the chuck
wagon ready to roll.
Speaker 1: Good your slaughter. Yeah? Who are you?
Speaker 10: I'm Carlotta and you're going to Arizona?
Speaker 1: Yeah, Tombstone? Why take me with you?
Speaker 5: What?
Speaker 10: I want to get away from this place? I want
to go to Arizona. Please take me with you?
Speaker 1: Sorry, what are you doing here, Carlina?
Speaker 3: Come on back to the canteena.
Speaker 1: Where you belong. Well, Jess Hancock, I'll come here down here, this.
Speaker 3: Is my stamping ground, slaughter. I was, I ain't forgot.
Speaker 1: I didn't figure I had first.
Speaker 3: You take my job. Now you try to take my girl.
Speaker 1: Just a minute, hencock, don't get things any more twisted
up than you can help you get moving, Carlina, you
leave me alone.
Speaker 3: I hope you have a real pleasant trip to Tombstone, Slaughter.
Speaker 1: I better have.
Speaker 8: Getting pretty dark slaughter, don't you reckon?
Speaker 3: We better get that herd better down.
Speaker 5: For the night.
Speaker 1: A little further.
Speaker 5: You've been avoiding a regular trail, expecting trouble.
Speaker 1: I usually do with it.
Speaker 5: I've been watching you around horses, Slaughter, been thinking you
was in the cavalry.
Speaker 1: Oh.
Speaker 5: I heard about a man named SLAUGHTERA once commanded a
regimen from Millinois in the war.
Speaker 8: Yeah, raiders, they was used to read across the line.
This Slaughter I heard about.
Speaker 5: He always used to come back leading a string of
Confederate horses with their saddles empty.
Speaker 8: I've been thinking you're the same, Slaughter.
Speaker 1: And I've been thinking you're a pretty nosy old man.
Speaker 10: Hip that's me.
Speaker 1: Oh this is fine enough. Fast eke that down here, right,
we'll you tell that chuck wagon of ours. I just
saw the tarp move. There's somebody inside.
Speaker 8: Yeah, I sure too.
Speaker 1: All right, Carlotta get out of there.
Speaker 10: Listen. I want to go to Tombstone.
Speaker 1: You picked the wrong way.
Speaker 10: But you don't send me back now. It's nice. It's
white country. You wouldn't do that, would you.
Speaker 1: You counted on that, didn't you. All right, you'll go
with us, but you'll earn your way. You'll help the cook,
you'll clean up after him, you'll wash the dishes.
Speaker 10: Work me like a horse h or worse? Maybe do
you let the horses better?
Speaker 1: There's one big difference. I invited the horses. After we
bettered down the herd, the cook wrestled up some grub.
I thought it was plenty of sullen, but she worked.
Jimmy kept eyeing her, so I figured I'd better put
him one night. Heard I turned in around midnight. Everything
was peaceful, but it didn't stay that way very long.
Speaker 8: Slaughter, you hear that?
Speaker 5: Yeah?
Speaker 1: Where they come from?
Speaker 8: I don't know, but he's got the herd round up.
Speaker 11: If there you go, they stamp Veeden. Slaughter there Stampeden.
Speaker 2: In a moment, Luke Slaughter of Tombstone returns. Somebody ought
to set Jack Benny straight about how to make a movie,
because he's at it again. When you join him later
on today, CBS Radio's Misguided matinee Idol will attempt his
own version of a famous movie to make it even better.
Hollywood producer Stanley Kramer, who made the movie, will be
right there when he does for a hilarious example of
how not to make a motion picture. Here the Jack
Benny Show. Later today on most of these same stations,
Henry Morgan and Mitch Miller will be around following Jack Benny.
Henry Morgan, his host on The Fast and funny guessing game,
says who his star studded pandel of experts spark one
laugh after another as they try to identify memory teasing,
mystery voices, and speaking of stars. You'll find an hour
of fast and funny conversation with the biggest named stars
of Hollywood and Broadway waiting for you on CBS Radio's
Mitch Miller Show Tonight and now Act two of William N.
Robeson's production of Luke Slaughter of Tombstone.
Speaker 1: When you do turning in, we gotta get a turned out.
Speaker 11: You're getting too close holiday resting your laugh. I can't
turn the punch in the lead swaller, watch out, he'll
run you down.
Speaker 7: Yuck it out, hid the lead.
Speaker 1: Stair right, you don't take the melon. That's it. Let's
got up slop. Whoa, yeah, I was close with your tie.
Speaker 8: I thought I've seen everything, Slaughter, But I guess what
was wrong? What do you mean riding into.
Speaker 5: That herd the way you did?
Speaker 1: You know a better way to turn them?
Speaker 8: You could have been run down.
Speaker 1: Que to me, come out of here.
Speaker 8: Look look slaughter up on the ridge.
Speaker 1: Small fire could be Indians. We'll go up and take
a look in a minute.
Speaker 7: What do you want, slaughter?
Speaker 1: There's two shots that started the stampede. Sounded like they
came from over there. Way you were? You fire those
shots to me? I said, did you fire those shots? Yeah? Why?
Speaker 3: Why?
Speaker 8: Thought?
Speaker 7: I saw something moving in the dark near me.
Speaker 2: Figured it could be trouble.
Speaker 1: So you just hauled up and blasted away. Pretty spooky
with that six gun of yours, aren't you?
Speaker 7: I tell you, I thought someone was coming at you.
Speaker 1: Almost cost us the whole herd. You want two of
those guns, but one's too much for you. I'm taking
your six gun, Jimmy, No, you ain't slaughter. I'll leave
you you're rifle in case you're run into trouble in
the way to tombstone. I can't take any more chances
on that itchy trigger finger of yours. I hand it over.
Speaker 7: Ain't nobody gonna take my gun away from me? How
drawing you?
Speaker 1: Fo? I let you? No, you won't.
Speaker 7: Maybe you ain't heard about them. Two men are guns, slaughter.
Speaker 1: He was shooting off your mouth about it in a saloon,
But I don't believe it. Jimmy, you've never gunned the man,
and you're not going to start now. I'll hand it over,
But first let's have it. I'll get back to the herd.
Speaker 5: You've taken a lot away from that kids, slaughter first,
calling him Jimmy, now taking his.
Speaker 1: Gun, had no choice even so you cut him up
and he won't forget it. You're trying to be my
conscience or something, Wichita.
Speaker 8: Oh like you say, I'm just a nosy omen.
Speaker 1: Then let's got those around that fire up on the ridge.
There's some dirt on that fire, Wichita, get it out.
Speaker 8: Nobody around here. You know this could be a signal fire.
Think it was Indians at Lytch?
Speaker 1: I doubt it. I think it was intended as a
signal for Jess Hancock so he could locate the herd.
Speaker 8: You subject somebody in our outfit, sure off.
Speaker 1: The fire could being with your stampede.
Speaker 8: We was all there.
Speaker 1: Fire could have been lit just before the stampede.
Speaker 8: You say, somebody in outfit that include me?
Speaker 1: Yeah, right now? Which its ow. There's only one person
in the outfit I'm sure.
Speaker 7: Of who's there me.
Speaker 10: I tell you I didn't start the fire, Slaughter. I
wouldn't help Hancock. I told you I want to get
away from him.
Speaker 1: I know that's what you told me, Karlada, But you
don't believe me.
Speaker 10: You think I'm still Hancock's girl. Why don't you trust me?
Why don't you been nice to me?
Speaker 1: Maybe I could be your Sorry now, my job's riding
hurt on cattle, not women.
Speaker 10: Would you make me sick? You don't care about nobody
about yourself? Is she right?
Speaker 8: Slaughter?
Speaker 1: Oh? Which I might have known you'd be listening?
Speaker 9: Yep?
Speaker 6: Well, slowly the herds quieted down. Two Mexican boys are
keeping an eye on it. Did Carlotta admit anything? No,
I wouldn't trust her any I.
Speaker 1: Don't rest You want us for anything more? Or can
we turn in in a minute? I want to lay
out the plans for tomorrow. I think we're in for
some trouble. How so, we've got two possible routes through
the country ahead, resting through a narrow passer along the
river bottom. The question is which way to take the herd.
Speaker 7: You're expecting to be dry gulch.
Speaker 1: That would be surprised to me.
Speaker 6: That narrow pass would be the logical place for a
bush waking. Why not take the herd through along the
river bottom?
Speaker 1: Yeah, there's one thing wrong with that resting It could
be just what Hancock wants you to do, right. It
might be trying to out figure me. There's a lot
of willows and underbrush along that river bottom. He could
be hold up there. That's why we're going to take
the herd through the pass. We'll start right after sun up.
I didn't know if my bluff at work or not.
It was the only way I could find out who
Hancock's spy was. I rode away from camp toward the herd.
Whoever it was, I had to give him a chance
to make a move, and it didn't take long. Pretty
soon I heard muffled hooves moving away. I rode back
to camp and took a look. It was Rusty. He
was gone.
Speaker 7: Carlota's going too slaughter.
Speaker 1: I guess she wasn't so anxious to get away from
Hancock as she let on so rush.
Speaker 8: He's going to chet him that. We're bringing the herd.
Speaker 2: Through the past.
Speaker 1: It's just what I wanted him to do. Unless he
knows this country a lot better than I do, he's
going to lead me right to Hancock.
Speaker 7: You're going after him?
Speaker 1: Yeah, they should give me the slip. We're going to
be in for some trouble or you want us to do.
Split the outfit in two, which take half the herd
through the pass the other half through the river. About
him be ready for trouble, especially in the past.
Speaker 7: Let me take the pass.
Speaker 1: Slaughter you you're sure you want to?
Speaker 7: Yeah, real sure, And I think I can handle it.
Speaker 1: I think he can too. Oh, and you might be
needing that six gun of yours. Here it is Jim,
Thanks Luke, slaughter'll do get moving its sun up, Join
up on the other side and wait for me. I
picked up Rusty his trail. He was headed for the
ridge between the pass and the river bottom. He was
getting light when I reached a short cut where I
could gain some ground on him, but I gained too much.
Just as I got back to the trail again, my
horse came pounding around the bend, carrying Rusty in Carlotta.
He pulled up when he spotted me himself Carlotta off.
Then I saw I'd been holding a gun on her.
His slug burned my shirt as I dove at him. Slaughter,
you are right, Carlada, I think so.
Speaker 10: Rusty made me go with and he was taking me
back to Hancock.
Speaker 1: Came from all those rocks up above there, take cover.
Speaker 10: I can't walk. My ankle is twisted.
Speaker 1: All right, I'll carry you. Get up behind this rock.
You'd be all right there, said here, you'll be safe.
Speaker 10: Now, what's wrong about your slaughter? What mean you do
care about somebody beside yourself?
Speaker 1: Yes, it's gotta be handcock up there in those rocks. Here,
take my rifle and stay put. I'm gonna try and
circle around behind him. It was a big shoulder of
rock above me into my left I could get around that.
I might be able to get behind Hancock if you
didn't hear me coming there. He was twenty yards away,
his back to me, his gun in the holster so
he could get a better handhold as he edged his
well along the rocks. I holsted my own gun and
stepped out into the clear. Hancock slaughter, Yeah, yeah, I
am man Cock. Now go ahead draw.
Speaker 7: I don't like it with it all slaughter should have
been here by now.
Speaker 10: Here'll belong to Jim.
Speaker 7: Well, maybe we ought to head up there and see
if we can find him. He could be in trouble.
Speaker 5: He shared weight for him here, even so many coming
up the drawer call out it with him?
Speaker 8: Ain't that Rusty's horse she's riding.
Speaker 7: Yeah, and Slaughter is leading another one, uh.
Speaker 8: Huh with an empty shadow.
Speaker 1: All right, yeah, all in.
Speaker 8: One piece, no trouble. But you looks like you had
John a little and horser leading? Is it Hancock's it was?
Speaker 7: I knew you could outdraw him.
Speaker 1: Matter of fact, that Joe's about even. But how come you, Jim?
You've got a couple of things to learn. Isn't getting
your gun out of your holster that's the most important thing.
It's what you do with it once it's out.
Speaker 8: You figure Hancock was after the herd or after Carlotta.
Speaker 1: I didn't take time to ask him which it.
Speaker 2: Luke Slutter of Tombstone starring Sam Buffington, written by Robert Stanley,
with editorial supervision by Tom Henley, and directed by William N.
Speaker 1: Robeson.
Speaker 2: Supporting mister Buffington and the first of this new Sir
were Lillian Biaf, Edie mar Herb Vigrants, Sam Edwards, Junius Matthews,
and Vic Perrin. Next week, at this time we returned with.
Speaker 1: Slaughter's the name Luke Slaughter. When we met up again,
you can call me that, Luke Slaughter