Luke Slaughter - Death Watch

Summary

Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: Luke Slaughter – "Death Watch"

Date: June 16, 2026
Podcast Theme: Showcasing classic radio dramas from the Golden Age of Radio; this episode features a full-length broadcast of Luke Slaughter of Tombstone with the story "Death Watch." Listeners are transported back to the days before television, when the family gathered around the radio for tales of drama, suspense, and adventure.

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Episode Overview

Luke Slaughter – "Death Watch" is a taut Western adventure that dramatizes the life of Luke Slaughter, a tough ex-Civil War cavalryman turned Arizona cattleman. In this episode, Slaughter is falsely accused of horse stealing and cattle rustling by his peers, setting off a high-stakes hunt for the real culprits. What follows is a tale of deception, pursuit, and frontier justice, as Slaughter and his sidekick Wichita go undercover to clear his name and unmask the true criminal mastermind.

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Key Discussion Points & Story Progression

1. The Accusation and Showdown

[01:52–05:25]

• Special Meeting: Ezra Canfield convenes a private Cattlemen's Association meeting with Slaughter and Homer Bigelow.
  • Canfield: “We kept it small on account of you… you are the reason for this meeting.” [02:17]
  • Bigelow accuses Slaughter: “This special meeting has been called to give you a private opportunity to answer to the charge of horse stealing and cattle rustling.” [02:40]
  • Tension Escalates: Slaughter demands proof and refuses to pay for cattle he insists he didn't steal, disarming Canfield and Bigelow before escaping.
  • Notable Quote:
    “No man accuses me without proof and there isn’t any proof.” – Luke Slaughter [03:03]

2. Going on the Run

[05:25–06:49]

• Wichita and Slaughter plan their escape, evading a posse:
  • They ride toward the river to throw off trackers.
  • Wichita questions the logic of running: “You ain’t going to disprove them by running away.” – Wichita [07:13]
  • Slaughter’s Philosophy:
    “It’s a time to fight and a time to run… this isn’t the time to fight.” [06:56]

3. Surveillance and Stakeout

[08:36–10:31]

• They hide out and spot a small group running stolen horses south across the border.
  • Strategic Waiting:
    “We’ve made our play. The next play’s up to somebody else.” – Luke Slaughter [09:34]

4. Following the Rustlers to Mexico

[10:31–13:46]

• The duo tails the rustlers to a town in Mexico, De la Rosa:
  • They witness the handoff, track the rustlers to a cantina, and encounter the shadowy Dominguez.
  • Slaughter’s Confrontation:
    “I want to know who’s behind this up Tombstone way.” [13:30]
  • Dominguez’s Threat:
    “When you walk through this door, you’re going to be shot.” [14:14]

5. Ambush and Pursuit

[15:47–17:22]

• Slaughter and Wichita evade an ambush, killing one of the rustlers, while Dominguez escapes.
  • They suspect the operation’s ringleader is based in Tombstone.

6. The Chase Home

[17:40–19:22]

• Chasing the surviving rustler, Faraday, north towards Tombstone:
  • Before they can interrogate him, Dominguez shoots and kills Faraday, erasing a key witness.

7. Laying the Trap

[19:22–22:35]

• Slaughter stages a deception:
  • They spread a rumor that Faraday is alive, wounded, and will soon reveal the boss’s identity.
  • Wichita spreads the news in town, targeting suspects Canfield and Bigelow.
  • “You figure Faraday’s boss will come a-runnin’ to keep him from talking?” – Wichita [20:54]
  • “That’s my gamble.” – Luke Slaughter [20:58]

8. The Final Confrontation and Reveal

[22:35–24:30]

• Night stakeout at the camp:
  • Slaughter and Wichita wait for the would-be assassin.
  • After shots are fired, they ambush and capture the assailant: it’s Homer Bigelow, one of the very men who accused Slaughter.
  • Wichita: “It’s Homer Bigelow!” [24:23]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “No man west of the Rio Grande big enough to take it from me.”
  – Luke Slaughter introduces himself with steely determination [00:40]
• “You better back that up with steel.”
  – Growing tension between Slaughter and Bigelow [03:42]
• “You pay Bigelow for his cattle and we’ll just forget the whole thing.”
  – Canfield offers a compromise that Slaughter refuses [04:20]
• “A time to fight and a time to run… this isn’t the time to fight.”
  – Slaughter on knowing when to be tactical [06:56]
• “Don’t throw in your hand till you’ve used up all the aces in your sleeve.”
  – Slaughter’s patience and cunning come through [20:14]
• “It’s Homer Bigelow!”
  – The dramatic reveal of the villain [24:23]
• “What he didn’t know was going to kill him.”
  – Slaughter’s final line on justice and fate [24:48]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment Description | |----------|--------------------------------------| | 01:52 | Start of cattle theft accusation | | 03:42 | Slaughter challenges Bigelow | | 05:25 | Slaughter meets Wichita, plans escape | | 08:36 | Deciding to hide and observe | | 10:31 | Spotting the horse thieves | | 13:04 | Confronting Dominguez in cantina | | 15:47 | Action sequence, escape from ambush | | 19:22 | The fake camp and plan to snare boss | | 22:35 | Night stakeout, waiting for villain | | 24:23 | Bigelow revealed, final showdown |

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Final Thoughts

The episode is a classic Western whodunit, brimming with tension, strategy, and the rugged, laconic wit characteristic of Luke Slaughter of Tombstone. Slaughter’s savvy and moral code shine as he uses brains as much as brawn to clear his name and ensure justice is served. The dynamic with his loyal, earthy sidekick Wichita adds warmth and humor, and the twist ending hits all the right frontier notes.

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For listeners:
This episode is a representative gem from the Golden Age of Radio, full of suspense, personality, and atmosphere, delivering both the nostalgic charm and the timeless drama of classic Western storytelling. Whether you’re a vintage radio aficionado or new to the genre, “Death Watch” stands tall as a tale of false accusations, dogged perseverance, and, above all, Western justice.

Transcript

[Narrator]

I'm here on the job site with Dale, who's a framing contractor.

[Wichita]

Hey, good morning.

[Narrator]

Dale traded up to Geico Commercial Auto Insurance for all his business vehicles. We're here where he needs us most.

[Wichita]

Yep, they sure are.

[Narrator]

We make it easy for him to save on all his insurance needs all in one place with coverage that fits his business and bottom line. Oh, I shouldn't have looked down.

[Homer Bigelow]

It's all right.

[Narrator]

We're so far up here.

[Carvana Seller]

Look at me.

[Homer Bigelow]

Take a deep breath.

[Narrator]

I'm good.

[Wichita]

So good.

[Announcer]

Get a commercial auto insurance quote [e-mail] and see how much you could save. It feels good to Geico.

[Luke Slaughter]

Slaughter's my name. Luke Slaughter Cattle's my business. It's a tough business. It's big business. I've got a big stake in it. And there's no man west of the Rio Grande big enough to take it from me.

[Announcer]

Luke slaughter of tombstone. Luke Slaughter of Tombstone. Civil War cavalrymen turned Arizona cattleman across the territory from Yuma to Fort Defiance, from Flagstaff to the Huachucas and below the border through Chihuahua and Sonora. His name was respected or feared, depending on which side of the law you are on. Man of vision. Man of legend. Luke Slaughter of Tombstone.

[Ezra Canfield]

This special meeting of the Cattlemen's association of Tombstone is now in order to.

[Luke Slaughter]

And I guess it's in order for me to ask what's so special about it to take up my time when I'm getting a herd ready for shipment.

[Ezra Canfield]

That's a fair question, Slaughter. Now, we've.

[Luke Slaughter]

Now, wait just a minute. I'm not finished.

[Ezra Canfield]

Oh, go on.

[Luke Slaughter]

Mr. Canfield. How can you hold a meeting, special or not, when you haven't got a quorum? There's only you and Bigelow here. That's no quorum.

[Homer Bigelow]

It's enough.

[Ezra Canfield]

Well, Slaughter, this is a very special meeting. We kept it small on account of you.

[Dominguez]

Me?

[Ezra Canfield]

Yes. You are the reason for this meeting.

[Luke Slaughter]

I gotta ask you to elucidate that, Mr. Canfield.

[Homer Bigelow]

Canfield. May I have the floor? I'd like to do the elucidating.

[Ezra Canfield]

Of course, Mr. Bigelow.

[Homer Bigelow]

I agree that the accused has the right to know the charges against him.

[Luke Slaughter]

Accused?

[Homer Bigelow]

So I think it only fair that you know right off that this special meeting has been called to give you a private opportunity to answer to the charge of horse stealing and cattle rustling.

[Luke Slaughter]

Who says I'm a cattle wrestler and horse thief?

[Homer Bigelow]

I do.

[Luke Slaughter]

You. Stand up, mister, and dig for your iron.

[Ezra Canfield]

No, no, no, boys. Now, let's not add injury to insult we want to get to the bottom of this, Slaughter.

[Luke Slaughter]

So do I, and I aim to. No man accuses me without proof and there isn't any proof.

[Ezra Canfield]

I'm afraid there is, Slaughter.

[Luke Slaughter]

Meaning?

[Ezra Canfield]

Meaning somebody's been stealing horses from around Tombstone, running them across the border and selling them in Mexico.

[Luke Slaughter]

I know I lost a couple of three ponies out of my string.

[Announcer]

Oh, I bet you did.

[Ezra Canfield]

Now Mr. Bigelow, now let me handle this. This appears to be a two way rustling deal, Slaughter, because this someone's been stealing cattle in Mexico and from around here too. And selling them in Bisbee and Phoenix and Prescott.

[Homer Bigelow]

Only this time you were stupid, Slaughter. You stole some of my cattle and you had the brass to turn around and sell them to Canfield along with that last herd you drove up from Mexico.

[Luke Slaughter]

Bigelow, I'm telling you again, you better back that up with steel.

[Ezra Canfield]

Afraid. We've got proof it's you, Slaughter.

[Luke Slaughter]

What proof?

[Ezra Canfield]

Well that last herd I bought from

[Luke Slaughter]

you, I paid for them in Mexico with my own money. I drove them all the way up here through some pretty rough country and fattened them on the way. I sold them to you for a fair profit.

[Ezra Canfield]

Yeah, and about a dozen of them had Bigelow's brand on them.

[Announcer]

What?

[Ezra Canfield]

Oh wait, it had been altered but it was a pretty clumsy job. Now what have you got to say to that?

[Luke Slaughter]

The only thing I can say. I didn't steal Bigelow's cattle or anybody else's.

[Homer Bigelow]

Well that ain't good enough for me, Slaughter.

[Ezra Canfield]

You're new here in these parts, Slaughter, but people hereabouts think pretty well of you.

[Luke Slaughter]

Thanks.

[Ezra Canfield]

So we got a proposition to make to you.

[Luke Slaughter]

Proposition?

[Ezra Canfield]

Yes. You pay Bigelow for his cattle and we'll just forget the whole thing.

[Luke Slaughter]

And if I don't?

[Ezra Canfield]

Well you leave us no choice but to turn you over to the sheriff.

[Homer Bigelow]

Well Slaughter, which will it be?

[Luke Slaughter]

Neither. Reach both of you. I'll just relieve you gents of your guns.

[Ezra Canfield]

You're putting yourself outside the law, Slaughter.

[Luke Slaughter]

No, you're putting me there.

[Homer Bigelow]

We'll get up a posse, Slaughter. We'll come after you. You do that and we'll get you sooner or later.

[Luke Slaughter]

That I doubt. Thanks for the guns, gents. Of course I'm not taking them permanently any more than I take horses or cattle. You'll find them in the watering trough across the street. If you take my advice, don't come looking for him until I've ridden out of town.

[Wichita]

Howdy Luke. What took you so long in town?

[Luke Slaughter]

Plenty.

[Wichita]

Well I'm ready to move these critters over to Tucson anytime you are Luke.

[Luke Slaughter]

Have to wait. Wichita, how long will it take you to get together your gear and chow for three days and saddle up?

[Wichita]

Oh, half hour. If I was rushed.

[Luke Slaughter]

You're rushed. Make it 20 minutes. There's a posse less than a half hour behind us.

[Wichita]

Luke.

[Dominguez]

Yeah?

[Wichita]

If we're figuring on getting any further use out of these horses we'd better give them a rest.

[Luke Slaughter]

Yeah, I know what you're telling. That's why we're headed for the river.

[Wichita]

Oh, figuring on throwing the posse off the trail by riding down the middle of the stream?

[Luke Slaughter]

That's right. We'll come out on that lava outcropping down at Jackrabbit Falls and we'll see whether they can pick up our trail. If you had to ask me, I didn't witch down.

[Wichita]

Well I know but if you had it, that's just what I would have done.

[Luke Slaughter]

That's just what I figured. Oh boy. Slow down there. Oh.

[Wichita]

Come on there you ornery critter. No time. Stopped for a drink now.

[Luke Slaughter]

You got that much time Wichita let him wet his whistle.

[Wichita]

All right. Good. I don't know Luke. I just can't get over it. What you ain't like you to take this lying down.

[Luke Slaughter]

Well I'm not exactly lying down Wichita.

[Wichita]

No, you're high tailing it which is worse. And I always thought you had more guts than you could hang on a fence.

[Luke Slaughter]

It's a time to fight and a time to run Wichita. And this isn't the time to fight. Come on there fella. That's enough Guzman. Come on.

[Wichita]

If I was you I'd have blown the heads off them two slandering Sharp.

[Luke Slaughter]

That'll only prove I could outdraw them. I wouldn't disprove their charges.

[Wichita]

Well you ain't going to disprove them by running away.

[Luke Slaughter]

I hope I am. What you're talking about. I don't know yet. But it's a nice day for a horseback ride, isn't it?

[Carvana Representative]

I sold my car in Carvana last night.

[Carvana Customer]

Well that's cool.

[Carvana Seller]

No, you don't understand. It went perfectly. Real offer down to the penny. They're picking it up tomorrow. Nothing went wrong.

[Carvana Customer]

So what's the problem?

[Carvana Seller]

That is the problem. Nothing in my life goes to smoothly. I'm waiting for the catch.

[Carvana Customer]

Maybe there's no catch.

[Carvana Seller]

That's exactly what a catch would want me to think.

[Dominguez]

Wow.

[Carvana Customer]

You need to relax.

[Carvana Seller]

I need to knock on wood. Do we have wood? Is this Table wood.

[Carvana Customer]

I think it's laminate.

[Carvana Seller]

Okay. Yeah, that's good. That's close enough.

[Carvana Customer]

Car selling without a catch. Sell your car today on Carvana. Pickup fees may apply. What is that?

[Carvana Representative]

Oh, yeah, it's a World cup holder.

[Carvana Customer]

Like the soccer tournament.

[Carvana Representative]

World cup holder for the world. Fits every car, holds every cup.

[Carvana Customer]

It has a Carvana logo.

[Carvana Representative]

Carvana made it. They buy and sell cars, so they made a car cup holder.

[Homer Bigelow]

So.

[Carvana Representative]

Got any good cups lately?

[Carvana Customer]

Used to. Just couldn't figure out where in the world to put them.

[Carvana Representative]

The World cup holder, brought to you by Carvana. Proud sponsors of the World cup holder, sign up today to win [e-mail] not

[Luke Slaughter]

authorized or endorsed by FIFA.

[Carvana Seller]

Not a real product.

[Luke Slaughter]

For parity and various purposes only. Let's give these fellas a little rest.

[Wichita]

I could use it a little myself. That lava field ain't the easiest thing to pick your way through for man or beast.

[Luke Slaughter]

Let them graze a while behind these rocks.

[Wichita]

Yeah, let's go up and peek over the rim. Maybe we can see our pursuers.

[Luke Slaughter]

All right, Get down now. Pick up your hat.

[Wichita]

Sure.

[Luke Slaughter]

I want to make a silhouette against the sky.

[Wichita]

A mighty pretty view of the valley from here.

[Luke Slaughter]

Yeah. What's so funny?

[Wichita]

Look out there. Upriver about a mile. There they are.

[Luke Slaughter]

Yeah.

[Wichita]

Fanning all over the desert. Riding back and forth and up and down the river.

[Luke Slaughter]

They'll never pick up our trail.

[Wichita]

No, we shook em for fair. What are we gonna do now?

[Luke Slaughter]

Sit.

[Wichita]

Sit here?

[Luke Slaughter]

That's right.

[Narrator]

Why?

[Luke Slaughter]

See what happens next. We've made our play. The next play's up to somebody else.

[Wichita]

Woohoo.

[Luke Slaughter]

That's what we're sitting here to find out.

[Wichita]

Ain't we sat here long enough, Luke?

[Announcer]

Not quite.

[Luke Slaughter]

Would you tell?

[Wichita]

Sat here all day yesterday. Sat here all night, freezing to death out of fire.

[Luke Slaughter]

I told you I didn't want anybody to know we were here.

[Wichita]

Well, who's to know? That posse faded back to Tombstone before sundown yesterday.

[Luke Slaughter]

Wichita, didn't you ever learn that patience is a virtue?

[Wichita]

I was never known as a very virtuous man.

[Luke Slaughter]

And that virtue is its own reward.

[Wichita]

Now, Luke, sermonizing me ain't gonna get you nowhere.

[Luke Slaughter]

Oh, I don't mean to play sky pilot, Wichita, but if you look over there, over there toward the east, a cloud of dust. I think that may be why we've been sitting here.

[Wichita]

Just a small string of horses. Six, eight maybe. Couple of hands are herding them.

[Luke Slaughter]

That's right. Herding them south across the border.

[Wichita]

Maybe you think they've stolen horses?

[Luke Slaughter]

I'd bet on it.

[Wichita]

Well, how come you're so certain?

[Luke Slaughter]

Well, now, if you were running this rustling and you'd accused me, why, I'd

[Wichita]

never do that, Luke.

[Luke Slaughter]

I know, but just supposing. And I skipped town. Now, wouldn't you take advantage of that fact to wrestle some more horses, make it look like I'd done it for certain?

[Wichita]

Why, sure. Sure, I would, luky, if I was a rustler.

[Luke Slaughter]

Which hang now, I think we can both be pretty sure that we aren't the rustlers.

[Wichita]

I reckon so. But if we ain't? Then them waters down there are. So let's go get them.

[Luke Slaughter]

No.

[Wichita]

Why not? If your theorizing is correct, they're guilty of sin.

[Luke Slaughter]

Yeah, but they're probably just trail hands. I want to know who the boss is.

[Wichita]

Well, how you going to find out? Right down there and ask them.

[Luke Slaughter]

No, Wichita. We're going to trail them. Let's hit the leather. We trailed them south across the border and into Mexico, keeping well out of sight. By dark on the second day, they'd reached the little town of De la Rosa. We watched the two of them herd the horses into a corral on the outskirts of town, then paralleled them along a back street. As they headed for the cantina. We edged up to the door, keeping in the shadows. Fifteen minutes later, they came up and started across the street.

[Wichita]

Looks like that's a rooming house over there. They're hidden for Luke.

[Luke Slaughter]

Yeah. You recognize them?

[Wichita]

Nope. Never seen either of them before. We gonna follow them?

[Luke Slaughter]

Not right now. We know where they are. I'm more interested in seeing who they've been talking to in the cantina. Come on. Keep your eyes open. In your hand near your holster.

[Wichita]

Right

[Luke Slaughter]

those tequilas.

[Ezra Canfield]

S Senor.

[Luke Slaughter]

Over there at that table.

[Wichita]

Who is he?

[Luke Slaughter]

Dominguez? A bandido. Smart and tough.

[Wichita]

You think he's the one?

[Luke Slaughter]

I think we better have a talk with him. Hello, Dominguez.

[Dominguez]

Noche, Senor Slaughter.

[Luke Slaughter]

Night if we sit down.

[Dominguez]

You should not have come here, Senor Slaughter.

[Luke Slaughter]

Why not? We're just drifting through.

[Dominguez]

Oh, no, you're not just drifting through, Senor Slaughter. You will run out of Tombstone because they thought you were stealing horses and cattle.

[Luke Slaughter]

You've got big ears, Dominguez.

[Dominguez]

You see, these big ears are very valuable to me at times. I think you follow those horses here to find out who's behind this.

[Luke Slaughter]

All right, Dominguez, let's play it your way. But I don't think you're the boss of this Operation. I think you're just receiving the stolen horses at this end of the line. And that's your business, not mine. I want to know who's behind this up Tombstone way.

[Dominguez]

I have no information for you. No?

[Luke Slaughter]

Might be a good idea for you if you did have.

[Dominguez]

You're in no position to make threats. I'm holding a gun on you. Under the table, Luke.

[Luke Slaughter]

Easy, Wichita. Yeah, I figured you were, Dominguez. What's your play?

[Dominguez]

There'll be no play, Senor Slaughter. I'm leaving now, and you will not follow me.

[Luke Slaughter]

That's a matter of opinion.

[Dominguez]

If you do, Senor Slaughter.

[Luke Slaughter]

Yeah?

[Dominguez]

When you walk through this door, you're going to be shot.

[Announcer]

In a moment, Luke's Slaughter of Tombstone returns. As anyone who's heard our Amos and Andy Music hall and Robert Q. Lewis show can tell you. Good entertainment does the trick. Night after night here at CBS Radio. Amos and Andy are old hands at delighting listeners. Stirring up a good time is second nature to them. Call it genius, call it showmanship. But Amos and Andy have what it takes to please Robert Q. And his gang. Make life easy, too. Blessed with wit, they shuttle back and forth. Between gentle humor. And sheer hilarity. With disarming speed. Tomorrow night satisfy your entertainment needs. Join us when CBS Radio's Amos and Andy and Robert Q. Lewis. Come your way on most of these same. And now, Act 2 of William and Robeson's production. Of Luke Slaughter of Tombstone.

[Wichita]

What are we going to do, Luke?

[Luke Slaughter]

Go out that door, I reckon.

[Wichita]

But you heard what Dominguez said. We'll get dry goats the minute we step outside.

[Luke Slaughter]

Maybe now's as good a time as any to find out.

[Wichita]

He's in the dark out there, we'd be setting ducks against the light.

[Luke Slaughter]

That's why we're going to have a little less light in here. Stay where you are and nobody will get hurt. I figure it's just as dark in here as it is out there. Now, come on, Wichita. All right. When I give the word, we'll go through this door fast. Flatten yourself against the wall on the left. I'll be on the right. Ready?

[Dominguez]

Yeah.

[Luke Slaughter]

Now. You all right, Wichita?

[Wichita]

Yeah. He missed.

[Luke Slaughter]

Came from over near that horse trough. Don't shoot till you see what you're shooting at.

[Wichita]

Watch out, Luke.

[Luke Slaughter]

I see him.

[Wichita]

Pears, you got him?

[Luke Slaughter]

Stay low. Let's go take a look.

[Wichita]

You think it's Dominguez?

[Luke Slaughter]

I doubt it. He's too smart to leave cover like that. Here he is.

[Wichita]

It's one of the rustlers you plugged him dead center.

[Luke Slaughter]

Dominguez probably cleared out. I know him. He won't ever call unless he's sure he's got a winning hand.

[Wichita]

Well, maybe he's. Wait. Listen.

[Luke Slaughter]

Sounds like somebody's real anxious to get out of here in a hurry.

[Wichita]

Dominguez.

[Luke Slaughter]

More than likely it's the other rustler heading north toward Tombstone. And if it is, we've got to catch him before he gets there and make him talk. Come on,

[Carvana Seller]

Luke.

[Wichita]

We ain't gained much on him all night.

[Luke Slaughter]

I know. I was hoping we could head him off before he crossed the border.

[Wichita]

Yeah, well, how far you figure we are out of tombstone?

[Luke Slaughter]

5, 6 hours.

[Wichita]

Starting to get light.

[Luke Slaughter]

We got one chance of nailing him. He's swinging to the left around this ridge. We're going over the top,

[Wichita]

Luke. If he's got by ahead of us, we're licked. That'd climb over the ridge like kill these horses.

[Luke Slaughter]

I don't think he has got by us, Wichita.

[Dominguez]

Ooh.

[Luke Slaughter]

Here's the trail. There's no fresh tracks on it.

[Wichita]

Yeah, I hear him coming. Luke.

[Luke Slaughter]

We're around the bend from him. He won't see us until he's right on top of us.

[Wichita]

You gonna rope him?

[Luke Slaughter]

I'm gonna try to. I want him alive. Here he comes.

[Dominguez]

Hey, Slaughter.

[Narrator]

Yeah?

[Wichita]

Bottom.

[Luke Slaughter]

All right. Hold it. How'd you cut me off? Doesn't matter now. What's your name? Ben Faraday. All right, Faraday, who are you working for?

[Homer Bigelow]

Nobody.

[Luke Slaughter]

Don't give me that. Who's your boss? Come on, start talking. I don't know what you get down. What you to.

[Dominguez]

Hey.

[Wichita]

Came from up on the ridge. You see anything?

[Luke Slaughter]

Yeah, a piece of a Mexican sombrero up there for a minute.

[Wichita]

Dominguez and I gotta hand it to him for being a good shot. Faraday's dead as a doornail.

[Luke Slaughter]

Yeah, he can't do any talking now. That's a cinch. Come on. Keep low behind these rocks. Keep that head of yours down and you'll get it blown off.

[Wichita]

Appears to be a lot of COVID for him up there.

[Luke Slaughter]

Yeah. Once we get over this shoulder, you can see the top of the ridge. Easy now. I'll go first.

[Wichita]

You see anything?

[Dominguez]

No.

[Luke Slaughter]

Looks like there he is atop his

[Wichita]

horse and heading for the border.

[Luke Slaughter]

Sure he isn't interested in us anymore now that Faraday's dead and can't tell us who the boss is?

[Wichita]

Maybe it is Dominguez.

[Luke Slaughter]

That's likely. This operation's too big for a tin horn bandito. It's Gotta be somebody at the north end of the line. Probably somebody right in Tombstone.

[Wichita]

Well, with Faraday and that other rustler both dead, looks like we don't have much chance finding out who it is.

[Luke Slaughter]

Come on now, Wichita. Don't throw in your hand till you've used up all the aces in your sleeve.

[Wichita]

Meaning?

[Luke Slaughter]

See that hollow down there in the rocks near Faraday's body?

[Wichita]

Yeah, what about it?

[Luke Slaughter]

I'm gonna rig up a little camp there for Faraday and me.

[Wichita]

You gonna set up camp with a dead man?

[Luke Slaughter]

That's right. And you, Wichita, you're going riding.

[Wichita]

What you think I've been doing for the last 12 hours?

[Luke Slaughter]

You got some more riding ahead of you. I want you to ride into Tombstone and tell him we caught Faraday. Tell him he's wounded and unconscious. Tell him to send the doctor because as soon as he comes to we're gonna find out who the rustler boss really is.

[Wichita]

You figure Friday's boss will come a runnin to keep him from talking?

[Luke Slaughter]

That's my gamble.

[Wichita]

It's a pretty loco scheme if you ask me.

[Luke Slaughter]

I didn't. But I'll ask you this. You got a better one?

[Wichita]

No.

[Luke Slaughter]

Then hit the leather for Tombstone. Get that story around town and then get back here as soon as you can. Who's that? Who's out there?

[Wichita]

Only me. Luke, put that gun away. I. I bet I got more saddle sores than this horse has.

[Luke Slaughter]

Did you get the word around?

[Wichita]

I sure did.

[Luke Slaughter]

Who'd you talk to?

[Wichita]

Well, Ezra Canfield for one.

[Luke Slaughter]

Who else?

[Wichita]

Homer Biglow happened to be in town. I saw to it that he heard and a lot more.

[Luke Slaughter]

What'd they say?

[Wichita]

Well, they said they hoped Faraday could clear you. And they tried to sober up Doc Eaton and get him out here. Somebody went to find him. Bigelow, I think it was.

[Luke Slaughter]

You told them exactly where our camp was located?

[Wichita]

Yeah. Luke, you figure it might be either of them too? Camfield or Bigelow?

[Luke Slaughter]

Could be. On the other hand, it could be anybody. Or maybe our message didn't even get to the right man. Any way you look at it, Wichita, there's only one thing we can do now. Let's wait.

[Wichita]

It sure gets cold out here at night. I'm gonna put another piece of mesquite on the fire.

[Luke Slaughter]

Leave it be. Would you tell?

[Wichita]

But I'm freezing, Luke.

[Luke Slaughter]

Just leave the embers like they are. You don't want to light yourself up for a target, do you?

[Wichita]

Oh, now that you mention it. What time you figure it's getting to

[Luke Slaughter]

Be past midnight by the looks of the stars.

[Wichita]

Nobody's gonna be looking for us this time of night.

[Luke Slaughter]

Maybe. Maybe not.

[Wichita]

Luke, do you realize that this is the third night running that I haven't had any sleep to speak of?

[Luke Slaughter]

Then get some. I'll stand watch.

[Wichita]

But I can't sleep, Luke. I'm too dang cold.

[Luke Slaughter]

Well, it looks like I'm gonna have to turn you out to pasture, Wichita. You're getting too old and crotchety for this kind of play.

[Wichita]

Now you see here, Luke. You're just as sleepy and just as cold as I am.

[Narrator]

Only you won't admit it.

[Luke Slaughter]

Quiet. Looks like the party's about to start. Quiet.

[Wichita]

I can't.

[Luke Slaughter]

You all right?

[Wichita]

Yeah. But I'm going to need a new stetching.

[Luke Slaughter]

Serves you right for sneezing.

[Wichita]

Dark as easy spades out there. I can't see a thing.

[Luke Slaughter]

You're thinking he. He just shot at the sound. Keep your eyes open. Now. I'm gonna toss a rock to one side. Make him think I'm circling. Watch for his gun flash.

[Wichita]

Right.

[Luke Slaughter]

Here goes.

[Dominguez]

Over there.

[Luke Slaughter]

I've got him. Come on.

[Wichita]

Here he is.

[Dominguez]

It's.

[Wichita]

It's Homer Bigelow.

[Luke Slaughter]

Yeah, Bigelow.

[Ezra Canfield]

Is he.

[Wichita]

Is he dead?

[Luke Slaughter]

No shoulder he'll keep long enough to stand trial. Anyway.

[Wichita]

If he hadn't fallen for your trap. If he'd have known that Faraday was dead and couldn't talk, he'd still be in the clear.

[Luke Slaughter]

Yeah. You know, they say what a man doesn't know won't hurt him. That isn't true in Bigelow's case. But he didn't know was going to kill him.

[Announcer]

Luke Slaughter of Tombstone, starring Sam Buffington. Was written by Robert Stanley and adapted for radio and directed by William N. Robeson. Editorial supervision by Tom Hanley. Supporting Mr. Buffington were Louis Van Ruten, Lawrence Dobkin, Junius Matthews and Don diamond. With music composed and conducted by Wilbur Hatch. Next week at this time we return

[Luke Slaughter]

with Slaughter's the Name Luke Slaughter. When we meet up again. You can call me that. Luke Slaughter. This is the cbs radio network.