Command {Elliott Reid} – Escape (12-06-49)

Summary

Old Time Radio Westerns Podcast – Episode Summary: "Command"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Old Time Radio Westerns
• Host: Andrew Rines
• Episode: Command from the series Escape (Original Air Date: December 6, 1949; Podcast Release Date: November 24, 2024)

---

Introduction

In this captivating episode of the Old Time Radio Westerns, host Andrew Rines delves into the classic Western radio drama titled "Command," originally aired on December 6, 1949, as part of the Escape series. This episode, expertly restored for enhanced audio clarity, transports listeners to the rugged terrains of the Old West, weaving a tale of military duty, leadership, and the brutal realities faced by soldiers on the frontier.

---

Setting the Scene

The story unfolds on the expansive prairie west of the Platte River, where a unit of the United States Cavalry is stationed. The narrative centers around the search for a missing patrol led by Lieutenant Gresham, which has fallen victim to a violent attack presumed to be by Apache warriors.

Andrew Rines sets the stage:

"[00:44] Andrew Rines: Welcome to the Old Time Radio Westerns... This episode is a story called Command... about the Union Army."

---

Introducing the Main Characters

• Lieutenant Cohill (Elliot Reed): The protagonist, tasked with locating the missing patrol and reporting back to Fort Stark.
• Captain Brittles (Bill Johnstone): The commanding officer whose questionable leadership becomes a focal point of the story.
• Sergeant Utterback (Ted de Coursea): Cohill's loyal sergeant, often questioning orders and expressing frustration with the chain of command.
• Private Sam Edwards (Sam Edwards): A young soldier whose interactions add depth to the unit's dynamics.

---

The Mission and Rising Tensions

Lieutenant Cohill leads his men in a methodical search for the missing patrol. Initial signs point toward a Sioux war party, but strains in leadership and observational oversights sow doubt among the soldiers.

A pivotal moment occurs when Sergeant Utterback discovers a broken rattle—a clue suggesting the involvement of Apache warriors rather than Sioux:

"[04:53] Ted de Coursea: Sergeant Utterback had found at noon showed clearly, sir... that broken rattle the Sergeant found?"
"[04:59] Elliot Reed: But if they were Sioux, they couldn't be more than 30 miles to the north in the deadlands."

This misinterpretation underscores the challenges of accurate observation in the field, a recurring theme that Cohill emphasizes:

"[03:18] Elliot Reed: I suggest that you cultivate [accuracy and observation] here."

---

Command Decisions and Leadership Flaws

Captain Brittles’ leadership comes under scrutiny as his decisions, or lack thereof, contribute to the unit's peril. His reluctance to engage proactively with potential threats and his adherence to restrictive orders hinders the soldiers' ability to respond effectively.

A critical exchange highlights Brittles' flawed approach:

"[08:50] Ted de Coursea: Can't we do something for him, sir?"
"[08:54] Elliot Reed: Can't we trust Mr. Cohill? The United States Cavalry is not out here to fight Indians... We fight only if they attack us."

This rigidity contrasts sharply with the necessity for adaptive tactics in the unpredictable environment of the frontier.

---

The Night Attack

Under Brittles' command, the soldiers set up a bivouac intended to act as a decoy to lure the enemy into an advantageous position. However, poor execution and consumed by complacency lead to disastrous consequences.

As night falls, the squad is ambushed by Apache warriors. The ensuing battle is chaotic and tragic, resulting in significant casualties within Cohill's unit. The soldiers are unprepared for the ferocity of the attack, a direct outcome of leadership failures.

During the assault, Sergeant Utterback's desperation is palpable:

"[20:17] Sam Edwards: Then she just left me standing there like a bound boy at a huskin."
"[20:35] Ted de Coursea: That was only the beginning."

---

Aftermath and Accountability

In the wake of the massacre, Cohill confronts Captain Brittles about his negligence and the devastating loss it caused. The dialogue underscores the themes of responsibility and the heavy burden of command.

A pivotal confrontation occurs:

"[27:38] Elliot Reed: Mr. Cohill, you did that? Well, you may do in time, Captain."
"[28:04] Ted de Coursea: An Apache headband."
"[28:16] Ted de Coursea: You had me fooled, sir."

Captain Brittles' inability to adequately assess threats and adapt to the situation is laid bare, leading to his eventual censure and Cohill’s rise as a competent leader.

---

Themes and Conclusions

"Command" delves deeply into the complexities of military leadership, the importance of vigilance and adaptability, and the human cost of flawed command decisions. Through the harrowing experiences of Lieutenant Cohill and his men, the narrative illustrates the thin line between duty and survival in the harsh conditions of the Old West.

Key insights include:

• Leadership Accountability: The episode emphasizes that true leadership requires not only adherence to orders but also the wisdom to make real-time decisions based on situational awareness.
• The Brutality of Frontier Warfare: The story does not shy away from depicting the grim realities of conflict, highlighting the physical and emotional toll on soldiers.
• Personal Growth and Redemption: Cohill’s journey from a dedicated officer to a respected leader showcases personal resilience and the capacity for growth even in dire circumstances.

A reflective moment from Cohill encapsulates the core message:

"[27:00] Ted de Coursea: It was a strange feeling. A mixture of pride and guilt... watching a man die whom I had commanded into action..."

---

Conclusion

Andrew Rines' presentation of "Command" offers listeners a gripping portrayal of military life in the Old West, enriched by powerful performances and enhanced audio restoration. This episode not only entertains but also provokes thoughtful consideration of leadership and the human elements within historical conflicts. Old Time Radio Westerns successfully revives a timeless tale, making it accessible and engaging for both seasoned fans and newcomers alike.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• "[03:17] Ted de Coursea: Lt. Gresham and his squad, sir."
• "[07:43] Elliot Reed: Lieutenant Colhill."
• "[16:03] Elliot Reed: Yes, Mr. Cohill, I do. This is Officers Call..."
• "[27:43] Ted de Coursea: You knew they were Apaches yesterday at sundown."

---

Final Remarks: Listeners are encouraged to explore more classic Western tales through the Old Time Radio Westerns podcast, where history and storytelling converge to bring the golden age of radio back to life with exceptional clarity and depth.

Transcript

[Instacart]

The holidays are all about sharing with family. Meals, couches, stories, Grandma's secret pecan pie recipe, and now you can also share a cart. With Instacart's family carts, everyone can add what they want to one group cart from wherever they are. So you don't have to go from room to room to find out who wants cranberry sauce or who should get mini marshmallows for the yams or collecting votes for sugar cookies versus shortbread. Just share a cart and then share the meals and the moments. Download the Instacart app and get delivery in as fast as 30 minutes. Plus enjoy free delivery on your first three orders. Service fees and terms apply.

[Andrew Rines]

Welcome to the Old Time Radio Westerns. I'm your host, Andrew Rines. And let's get into this episode. This episode is going to be Western Stories. Original air date comes from December 6, 1949 it's. It's gonna be an episode of Escape. And it's a story called Command. The story is about the Union Army. Let's get into it. Hope you enjoy. And again, thanks for listening.

[Narrator]

Tired of the everyday routine? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all?

We offer you escape. Escape designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure.

Tonight we escape to the prairie west of the Platte river and to the fighting US Cavalry of the Old west, as James Warner Bella describes it in his exciting tale. Comm.

[Bill Johnstone]

Captain Brittles.

[Elliot Reed]

Yes, Sergeant?

[Bill Johnstone]

Here comes Lieutenant Cole back with a patrol.

[Elliot Reed]

Yes, I see him. Call to column.

[Bill Johnstone]

Yes, sir.

[Ted de Coursea]

Column.

[Elliot Reed]

Hand me my field glasses. Hold you.

[Bill Johnstone]

He wants them.

[Elliot Reed]

Thank you.

[Bill Johnstone]

Captain Brittles.

[Elliot Reed]

Well, Mr. Cohill, here's the best body of grass, sir.

[Ted de Coursea]

This slope with a small run below for water. This is the best bivouac for tonight, Mr. Cohill.

[Elliot Reed]

You see the rise there to the left behind you across the valley?

[Ted de Coursea]

Yes, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

What are those shapes lying on that slope?

[Ted de Coursea]

A small herd of buffalo, sleeping, it's seems. We didn't go that far. We turned back when we saw them.

[Elliot Reed]

The wind has shifted a bit. Take a deep breath, Mr. Cohill.

[Ted de Coursea]

Yes, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

Smell anything?

[Ted de Coursea]

No, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

Take another deep breath, Mr. Cohill. Get it into your nostrils. Tell me if that thing you smell is sleeping buffalo.

[Ted de Coursea]

No, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

Smells like dead men and not freshly killed.

[Ted de Coursea]

Lt. Gresham and his squad, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

I imagine so. The men we've come to find, we'll make sure after midnight. Mr. Poyell, there are several fairly obvious differences between the Great Plains and a classroom at West Point. There you can fail and try again. Here, you may not have that chance. There. They taught you, I'm sure, that accuracy and observation is a military virtue. I suggest that you cultivate it here.

[Ted de Coursea]

Yes, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

Sergeant Utterback.

[Bill Johnstone]

Yes, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

This is the bivouac. Dismounting on saddle. Night grazing area between the crest of this hill and the creek bottom. Use the picket rope. No individual pins.

[Bill Johnstone]

Yes, sir. This smoke.

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Ted de Coursea]

Herald is. Yes, sir. Captain Brittles. No, sir. Captain Brittles. Of all the officers in the United States Cavalry why did they have to assign me to him? A handbook. Soldier overage in grade A gray. Bitter failure of a soldier. Marking time out here on the plains until he retires. Taking up space in the table of organization. Standing in the way of younger and more aggressive. Yes. More capable officers. My father wouldn't be guessing. My father would be over yonder right now to see if those corpses are really Gresham and his men. Father would have made sure instead of losing time making camp. The broken rattle Sergeant Utterback had found at noon showed clearly, sir. That broken rattle the Sergeant found?

[Elliot Reed]

Yes, Mr. Coyle.

[Ted de Coursea]

When we crossed the trace of that Sioux war party at noon today.

[Elliot Reed]

That could have been the trail of a Cheyenne war party. Or Comanches. Or Apaches. They all make rattles like that from the ends of buffalo toes.

[Ted de Coursea]

But if they were Sioux, they couldn't be more than 30 miles to the north in the deadlands. They're afraid of ambush. So they'd be camping away from timber and near water. Two hours rest and we can be at the upper reaches of the river by dawn, sir. Ahead of them.

[Elliot Reed]

Mr. Cohill, I have no orders to be anywhere by dawn or any other time. My orders are to find Mr. Gresham's patrol. Having found it, return to Fort Stark and report it. I think I found him. I'll know as soon as the moon rises and I go over and take a look. Water the mounts in half an hour. Saddle blankets to be left on until they're watered. Remember always, Mr. Cohill, cavalry is a very delicate arm of the service depending as it does on the health of a dumb beast. Yes, sir, Mr. Cohill. Reading minds is an uncomfortable habit but one I have never been able to lose.

[Ted de Coursea]

Yes, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

Look at the other side of it, Mr. Cohill. Suppose that war party was Cheyenne, which they might be instead of Sioux. They wouldn't be in the Deadlands. Cheyennes would head for timber along the lower mesa Roja. So would Arapahoes, Kiowas or Comanches. They'd all be of a whack in open timber. And Mr. Cohill, they all make rattles out of buffalo toes.

[Ted de Coursea]

Yes, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

Pass the word to Sergeant Utterback that dinner will be at 6:30. But the bugler will not sound called.

[Ted de Coursea]

Yes, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

And Mr. Cohill.

[Ted de Coursea]

Sir?

[Elliot Reed]

There is no shortcut to the top of the glory heap, so we'll not run all over the west tonight looking for one.

[Ted de Coursea]

But if death in battle is a soldier's path to glory, Mr. Gresham and his patrol had found a shortcut. Yet what we looked upon that night on yonder slope was not glorious. 10 bodies stripped naked, pin cushioned to the prairie with arrows. Their feet and their right hands hacked off. They sold their lives dearly. The empty cartridge cases said that.

At.

[Bill Johnstone]

Least they respected them as fighting men.

[Ted de Coursea]

How's that, Sergeant?

[Bill Johnstone]

Every one of them skin bald headed so he can cross the shadow waters without trouble. And whoever did it don't want to fight them again.

[Ted de Coursea]

Why?

[Bill Johnstone]

Hands and feet cut off, that's why. To cripple them in case they meet him in the hereafter.

[Elliot Reed]

Sergeant.

[Bill Johnstone]

Yes, Captain?

[Elliot Reed]

You still think the Sioux did this?

[Bill Johnstone]

No, sir. Not now, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

Why not?

[Bill Johnstone]

I made the march from Bent's fort to Santa Fe with Steve Carney. I know an Apache arrow when I see one, sir. Even a thousand miles from where they're made.

[Elliot Reed]

Yes, but that Sioux trail we crossed this morning. That war party could have brushed with an Apache war party and come by Apache arrows that way.

[Bill Johnstone]

I don't think so, sir. This job is two days old. It wasn't that Sioux war party. This is Apache work.

[Elliot Reed]

How do you figure that?

[Bill Johnstone]

Well, mostly because the Captain knows it's Apache work too.

[Elliot Reed]

Lieutenant Colhill.

[Ted de Coursea]

Sir.

[Elliot Reed]

Take the grave detail.

[Ted de Coursea]

Yes, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

Sergeant.

[Bill Johnstone]

Yes, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

We shall move the company out 10 tonight.

[Bill Johnstone]

Yes, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

We will return to Fort Stark to report this massacre as fast as we can.

[Bill Johnstone]

Yes, sir.

[Ted de Coursea]

So he's showing me. Makes his lieutenant first grave digger and confides his plans to the sergeant in exchange for flattery. He's an old woman in blue fatigues. Can't hide his bad temperature. And worse, he's a frightened old woman. Instead of striking when he has the advantage, he's going to cut and run in a stiff action. I'd probably have to shoot him and take over the command. A grave doesn't take long to dig in the soft black earth of the plains and the rocks were nearby to pile upon the still mounds against the hungry muzzles of coyotes. And after the air was sweeter in the cold moonlight and the job done in plenty of time for Captain Brittle's scheduled retreat.

[Bill Johnstone]

Command is ready to mount, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

Very good, sir.

[Ted de Coursea]

Captain brittle, sir?

[Elliot Reed]

Yes, Mr. Cohill?

[Ted de Coursea]

Excuse me, sir, but can't we go after the Indians who did this?

[Elliot Reed]

Can't we trust Mr. Cohill? The United States Cavalry is not out here to fight Indians. We had to watch them and report on them for the Indian Bureau. We fight only if they attack us. I refer you to the standing orders of the Department of the Platte. They are most explicit on this point.

[Ted de Coursea]

Yes, I know, sir, but Mr. Gresham was attacked.

[Elliot Reed]

How do you know that?

[Ted de Coursea]

Well, I don't for sure.

[Elliot Reed]

Of course you don't.

[Ted de Coursea]

But he's dead. And his command dead and mutilated, and we ought to.

[Elliot Reed]

Ought to what? Avenge him? Disabuse yourself of Classroom Valor? Mr. Cohill, out here, we obey orders. Sergeant.

[Bill Johnstone]

Yes, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

Pass the word to mount.

[Bill Johnstone]

Yes, sir. I'm tank. You pass the word. Mount.

[Sam Edwards]

Pass the word.

[Ted de Coursea]

Mount. 30 miles already today and who knows how many miles ahead of us tonight. The men are tired, the horses are tired. Cavalry is a delicate arm of the service, Captain Brittle. Hour after hour as the moon threw our lengthening shadows ahead of us. Hour after hour. Walk 30 minutes, trot 5 minutes, dismount and lead 10 minutes unbidden graze 15 minutes every hour. Hour after hour.

[Sam Edwards]

You got a chore eating tobacco, Mittendorf?

[Ted de Coursea]

I ain't got much.

[Sam Edwards]

Give me a loan of some, huh? You can get some more at the fort tomorrow night.

[Ted de Coursea]

Here. Why don't you ever have any of your own?

[Sam Edwards]

Don't approve of John Tobacco. My ma don't, that is. Thanks.

[Narrator]

God, Frame, Mighty Gettysburg wasn't like this.

[Sam Edwards]

Well, do tell.

[Narrator]

No, sir. We rode up to Gettysburg on the steam cars.

[Ted de Coursea]

Hey, Mittendorf. Sarver's back on Cemetery Ridge again.

Yeah.

Pity you didn't stay there.

[Sam Edwards]

By the only mistake Robert E. Lee ever made. Not to leave Sarver where he found him.

[Narrator]

Yeah, just the same, the army was army in them days. Slept in tents and you got a furlough. There was girls, not squaws girls.

[Sam Edwards]

Well, if you like it so much, why don't you go backwards, girl?

[Narrator]

Cause I was gold bricked, that's why I joined up again. Because they said there'd be fighting out here. Yeah, fighting. Only fighting I seen west of the Missouri is on Saturday nights in the barracks. Yeah, sure ain't like the old army, I'll tell you that. I remember a girl in Richmond time when I was with Grant, when we Took Richmond. Prettiest little Virginia creeper you ever did see. She fried me.

[Ted de Coursea]

43 kick Sergeant Utter back.

[Bill Johnstone]

Yes, sir.

[Ted de Coursea]

I'd like to ask you a question.

[Bill Johnstone]

Yes, sir.

[Ted de Coursea]

How did you know the captain thought they were apaches that killed Mr. Gresham's detail?

[Bill Johnstone]

I've been his first sergeant for a long time, sir. You get to know.

[Ted de Coursea]

I see. Do I get to know.

[Bill Johnstone]

Well, sir, this is a different kind of service out here. Like Sarver up there was saying a minute ago, this ain't Gettysburg. It ain't full dress war. But it's the only kind the captain and I ever served in, sir. Well, you get to know it. Just like you get to know siege operations or saber charge by company front after you've had enough of it during.

[Ted de Coursea]

The War between the States, didn't.

[Bill Johnstone]

No, sir. Neither Captain Brittles nor I saw service in the States, sir. While the north and the south were fighting each other the west still had to be held and, well, somebody had to do it.

[Ted de Coursea]

I see. Yes, I see a lot. Now, that would explain Captain Brittle's contempt for what he calls heroics. He's jealous he never had his chance at glory. And if he had our wager, he would have muffed it. In a way, I feel sorry for the old boy. Sitting a sweaty horse on these endless prairies while the great words exploded across the country. Vicksburg, Chancellorsville, Antietam, Appomattox. The policeman on the corner while history rolled across Georgia to the sea. 5 hours on the way. Now less than 3 hours till dawn and we're at the north fork of the Platte. And a full 25 minutes for watering call. Some of the men lie sleeping where they've dismounted. Others huddled together in the moon shadow of the high bank, quietly talking.

[Sam Edwards]

Then she just left me standing there like a bound boy at a huskin.

[Narrator]

Hey.

[Ted de Coursea]

What'd you do then?

[Sam Edwards]

Nothing to do, except join the Army.

[Narrator]

That little girl in Richmond time I was with Grant when we took Richmond. She wasn't at all like that. Not at all.

[Ted de Coursea]

Any you boys ever ate a lobster?

[Sam Edwards]

No, not me. I never even seen one when I.

[Narrator]

Was in the breastworks in front of Vicksburg. I had a catfish. Didn't like it.

[Ted de Coursea]

I could sure put away a lobster right now. Fresh out of the lobster pot and into the cooking pot.

[Narrator]

Live.

[Elliot Reed]

Sure.

[Ted de Coursea]

That's the only way to cook a lobster. Sure wished I was back in Wiscasset. I get you back in the state of Maine and you'll be pining away for buffalo steak.

[Sam Edwards]

No True word was never spoken. Some people just ain't never satisfied.

[Narrator]

I ain't never satisfied for a fact, Tell you that. That's how you get some place in the world, know that. Never be satisfied.

[Ted de Coursea]

Sure got you a long way, didn't it?

[Narrator]

Got me a stripe. Yeah.

[Sam Edwards]

Well, looks like he can plan on getting even further. Cyber. Captain's getting fidgety again.

[Ted de Coursea]

Oh, well.

[Narrator]

Another day, another dollar.

[Bill Johnstone]

All right, man falling.

[Narrator]

Here we go.

[Bill Johnstone]

Prepare the mount. Pass the word.

[Sam Edwards]

Prepare them out. Pass a word.

[Bill Johnstone]

Mount.

[Sam Edwards]

Mount.

[Bill Johnstone]

Rod, step. Four.

[Ted de Coursea]

Rod, step forward.

[Bill Johnstone]

He's heading north.

[Ted de Coursea]

How's that, Sergeant?

[Bill Johnstone]

North. Captain's heading north.

[Ted de Coursea]

You're right, Sergeant. Red Mesa should be to our left. Instead, it's dead ahead. That doesn't make any sense. My father would have done things differently. In the cold, dying moonlight, I could imagine him, young Major Cohill, riding out of St. Joe to convoy the wagon trains bound west on the Oregon Trail. What a figure he must have been on the old frontier when the Missouri river itself was the jumping off place. Killer Cohill, his men had called him. But the wide roaming Arapaho had another name for him. Blue devil with eyes in the back of his head. By this time, Father would have cut those Apaches into coyote meat as they lay sleeping around their smoldering campfire.

[Bill Johnstone]

Mr. Carl. Mr. Carl. Sir?

[Ted de Coursea]

Yes, Sergeant?

[Bill Johnstone]

Were you dozing, sir?

[Ted de Coursea]

No, no, of course not. I was just thinking.

[Bill Johnstone]

Captain Brittles wants you, sir. The head of the column.

[Ted de Coursea]

Thank you, Sergeant. Sergeant Utterback said you wanted me, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

Yes, Mr. Cohill, I do. This is Officers Call. Listen carefully. I have Sergeant Sutro ahead of me with a point. You will relieve him with eight men and push forward fast.

[Ted de Coursea]

Yes, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

You recall the ford across Red Mesa Wash?

[Ted de Coursea]

Yes, sir. We crossed it yesterday.

[Elliot Reed]

Exactly. There's a knoll on the east side of the wash. A knoll that is crossed by the trail from the top of the mesa.

[Ted de Coursea]

I remember, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

Beyond that knoll, before dawn. Build a bivouac. Fire as soon as you arrive.

[Ted de Coursea]

Do what, sir?

[Elliot Reed]

Build a fire. I want to know when you get there.

[Ted de Coursea]

But I can send a scout back to tell you when I arrive.

[Elliot Reed]

I want everyone else for miles around to know it, too. Build a bivouac. Fire. Squad, fire. No larger.

[Ted de Coursea]

Yes, sir.

[Elliot Reed]

Should you happen to be attacked, you're to hold that gnoll fighting on foot. And remember, the dawn light works for you. But it can fool you in this country. So don't shoot till the last possible moment.

[Ted de Coursea]

I don't understand.

[Elliot Reed]

You don't have to. You have your orders.

[Ted de Coursea]

Yes, Sir.

[Elliot Reed]

Move out. Mr. Cohill, you're the bait on my hook. Wriggle.

[Narrator]

In just a moment we will return to the second act of Escape but bursts.

[Instacart]

The holidays are all about sharing with family meals, couches, stories, Grandma's secret pecan pie recipe. And now you can also share a cart with Instacart's family carts. Everyone can add what they want to one group cart from wherever they are. So you don't have to go from room to room to find out who wants cranberry sauce or who should get mini marshmallows for the yams or collecting votes for sugar cookies versus shortbread. Just share a cart and then share the meals and the moments. Download the Instacart app and get delivery in as fast as 30 minutes. Plus enjoy free delivery on your first three orders, service fees and terms apply.

[Advertiser]

Why get all your holiday decorations delivered through Instacart? Because maybe you only bought two wreaths, but you have 12 windows. Or maybe your toddler got very eager with the Advent calendar. Or maybe the inflatable snowman didn't make it through the snowstorm. Or maybe the twinkle lights aren't twinkling. Whatever the reason, this season Instacart's here for hosts and their whole holiday haul. Get decorations from the Home Depot, CVS and more through Instacart and enjoy free delivery on your first three orders, service fees and terms apply.

[Narrator]

Look what's cooking on CBS tomorrow night. George Burns will for the first time unveil his sugar throat voice when the Andrews Sisters come to call on him and Gracie Bing Crosby will Go west, young man, go west for William Boyd, alias Hop Along. Cassidy will be Bing's special guest and Bing will become Sag along to team up with Hopalong for a hilarious Western sketch. You'll also hear the antics of top comedian Groucho Marx and another doctor Christian drama tomorrow night. So make Wednesday nights a Stay tuned to CBS night for these great shows are heard on most of these same CBS stations. And now back to Escape.

[Ted de Coursea]

You knew Red Mesa was there only because the star stopped where it stood. The moon was a honey colored ladle, spilling blackness over the edge of the plains. Then the jagged teeth of the Rockies broke it into ragged potsherds and it was gone. It was dark, black, dark, cold dark. The squad fire sputtered and took and pushed the knight back a little. This was different. This was command. This was the final moment of the soldier's heritage. To stand ready to fire and be fired upon, to kill and be killed and it wasn't at all like you expected. It just plum scared you. Hey. Don't stand still, Mittendorf. Keep moving a little all the time. And slap those mounts. Keep them moving too.

[Elliot Reed]

Yes.

[Narrator]

Hey, Lieutenant. Sir?

[Ted de Coursea]

Yes, armor?

[Narrator]

How come that captain sent us up here to sashay around the top of this little hill?

[Ted de Coursea]

He said we're the bait on his hook.

[Narrator]

Huh?

[Ted de Coursea]

The decoy. If there's an Indian war party, where to draw them out? Better put on some bacon to fry, Lusk. Make it look natural.

[Narrator]

Meaning we uns may end up like Mr. Gresham in his patrol?

[Ted de Coursea]

There's always that possibility.

[Narrator]

Ain't a prospect that pleases, sir.

[Ted de Coursea]

That's what a soldier lives for, Sarver.

[Narrator]

To die, it is, I mean. Yes, sir.

[Ted de Coursea]

It was a good performance to any watching Sioux or Apache. Here was a small white soldier war party like the two yesterday's party they had left lying scalpless in the buffalo grass 30 miles up the valley. Fire lighted, bacon cooking, horses unsaddled and warriors sleeping from a long night march soft for the killing. Only the warriors weren't sleeping. Beyond the yellow carpet of firelight, they lay fanned out behind their saddles, waiting, sorting the night sounds with straining ears, pushing at the soft wall of darkness with widened eyes.

[Sam Edwards]

Sure wish those dad burned coyotes didn't sound so much like human beings.

[Ted de Coursea]

Well, you can be sure of one thing. No Indians running around in the middle of the night yelling like a coyote.

[Sam Edwards]

Yeah, but it sure makes me nervous.

[Ted de Coursea]

Sound like hooty owls back home in Maine.

[Sam Edwards]

What's that behind you?

[Narrator]

Don't get in a fret, boys.

[Ted de Coursea]

It's only me, General Grant's chief of staff.

[Sam Edwards]

You know, you're lucky I didn't put a bullet through you.

[Narrator]

Nah, nah, you wouldn't do that. Lieutenant said not to fire till commanded.

[Ted de Coursea]

Any of you fellows ever ate engine pudding?

What?

[Elliot Reed]

No.

[Narrator]

I ate sweet potato pudding when I was with Sherman in Atlanta, but I didn't like it much.

[Sam Edwards]

Was you with Napoleon at Waterloo?

[Narrator]

Nope. But I've been talking to Lieutenant.

[Ted de Coursea]

Naturally. What's a word from headquarters? He's made of cornmeal and molasses.

What?

Engine pudding.

[Narrator]

Oh. Seen any savages yet?

[Ted de Coursea]

No, and don't expect to yet.

[Narrator]

Why?

[Ted de Coursea]

There ain't an Indian in the west of the Missouri that'll come out and fight at night if he can help it.

[Sam Edwards]

That's right. They're afraid to take a chance of being killed at night. They believe if a warrior's killed at night, he'll be blind when he gets to the happy Hunting grounds.

[Narrator]

Well, then what are we worrying about?

[Ted de Coursea]

Who's worrying?

[Narrator]

Not me.

[Sam Edwards]

Oh, then you can start worrying. Dawn's coming. Can make out the mesa planer.

[Ted de Coursea]

Sure would like some Injun pudding for breakfast.

Slowly, the light came.

First.

You could see the outline of the mesa. Then down below, the silver of the water in the wash. Then the shapes of the men. And out across the plain, the feathers of mist in the draws. If it was to come, it would come now. Hold your firemen.

[Narrator]

Arrows. They're shooting arrows.

[Sam Edwards]

What'd you expect? They're Indians.

[Ted de Coursea]

Hey, what would you hit?

One of the horses.

[Narrator]

Here they come.

[Ted de Coursea]

They are Apaches.

[Sam Edwards]

I got one other heathen.

[Narrator]

I got two. Look at them lying yonder.

[Ted de Coursea]

Yeah. One of them's still wriggling.

[Narrator]

I'll fix that.

[Ted de Coursea]

Hold your fire.

[Narrator]

Well, I was just.

[Ted de Coursea]

Held me back. That was only the beginning.

[Narrator]

Yes, sir.

[Ted de Coursea]

You all right, Coffin?

My leg, sir.

Bone shattered. Hurt much?

A little, sir. Those arrows. You're wicked.

[Sam Edwards]

Go right through a man if they don't hit bone.

[Narrator]

Do tell.

[Ted de Coursea]

No action in the new army, huh, Sovereign?

[Narrator]

Well, it ain't exactly like Gettysburg.

[Ted de Coursea]

Here they come again. Hold fire.

Lights. Better this time.

Makes no difference. Hold your fire.

They're the ones who did, Mr. Grace, you mean.

Look, that one's wearing Corporal Simmons.

And here's one with the U.S. cavalry.

Satan.

[Sam Edwards]

U.S. captain Cradles.

[Ted de Coursea]

That's what I want to know.

[Narrator]

Most likely having breakfast at the fort. Decoy. Where's that part of fire.

[Sam Edwards]

That took care? Almost half of them.

[Ted de Coursea]

Yeah. They'll be back.

[Narrator]

No.

[Sam Edwards]

No, they won't. That's Captain Brittles now.

[Ted de Coursea]

Yeah, attacking from the flank. Hey, Sir, Captain Brittle's got him on a run.

[Narrator]

Say, can you pull this tarnation error out of me?

[Ted de Coursea]

Down below the knoll, the remains of the Apaches were streaking for the open plains with Captain Brittle's men overtaking them, cutting them down with thirsty sabers and pistoling the ponies as they ran. And then it was quiet, and not an Indian or his pony was left alive. Coffin sat propped up against a saddle, lighting his pipe, his shattered leg stretched naked and useless before him. And Sarver lay where he had fallen, eyes closed, face blue, his hands around the shaft sunk deep in his left side below the ribbon, the feathered tip waving idly with each shallow breath.

Can't we do something for him, sir?

What? Look how deep that arrow is. Right under the heart. Can't cut it out. Can't pull it through.

Poor Saber. He finally saw action.

[Sam Edwards]

Yeah. I can hear him now telling St. Peter, about the time he beat the Apaches on the coal hill.

[Ted de Coursea]

It's not very funny.

[Sam Edwards]

No, I guess you're right. Coffin, how's your leg? Pain in you much?

[Ted de Coursea]

Can't feel anything. Lieutenant?

Yes, Coffin?

You think they'll send me back home to get this fixed? You think maybe I'll get to see the State of Maine right soon?

I hope so. Coffin.

Land a Goshen? No, you won't get further than a base hospital or Council Bluffs. They'll wire you together, slap a plaster on you and send you right back to fight Indians.

It was a strange feeling. A mixture of pride and guilt watching a man die whom I had commanded into action looking at the shattered leg of another. And a feeling of helplessness, too. For the moment, we could only sit there and wait. Our horses were dead or stampeded by the action. We were alone on our little hilltop in the hot red glare of the rising sun. And then the company rode back in triumph. And I was reporting to Captain Brittles. And it seemed like months instead of hours since I had last looked at his tired, gray face.

[Elliot Reed]

Mr. Cohen, you did that? Well, you may do in time, Captain.

[Ted de Coursea]

You knew they were Apaches yesterday at sundown. And you knew they were camped on top of the mesa, didn't you, sir?

[Elliot Reed]

Mr. Cohill, accuracy in observation is a military virtue. Had you pushed forward to that slope yesterday afternoon, you would have found Mr. Gresham not sleeping Buffalo. And had your eyes been sharp, you would have found this between the slope and last night's bivouac.

[Ted de Coursea]

An Apache headband.

[Elliot Reed]

That's right, and bloodstained. And had you been a plainsman and suspected Apaches you would have looked at once for smoke at sundown from the highest ground. In this case, Red Mesa.

[Ted de Coursea]

You had me fooled, sir. I even thought.

[Elliot Reed]

The facts for the record are these. My patrol, temporarily bivouacked at dawn today came under a sudden enemy attack. Fortunately, it was able to hold until I arrived with the main body.

[Ted de Coursea]

I understand perfectly, sir. I'm familiar with departmental orders which allow defensive actions only and expressly forbid attack.

[Elliot Reed]

And yet they are in direct violation of cavalry tactics. The cavalry is extremely weak on the defensive and can only defend well by attacking. I believe that is also taught at West Point.

[Ted de Coursea]

Captain, I'm terribly sorry for Mr. Cohill.

[Elliot Reed]

Never apologize. It is a mark of weakness. There's a captain out here who tried at once to escape an inquiry board. He escaped it, but he will die a captain in spite of his apology. The officer who saw to it could have worked with him and made a soldier of him if his humanity had been large enough. Mr. Cohill, I'm going to make a soldier out of you. You may present my respects to General Cohill when next you write your father. Mr. Cohill, take.

[Advertiser]

Why get all your holiday decorations delivered through Instacart? Because maybe you only bought two wreaths, but you have 12 windows. Or maybe your toddler got very eager with the Advent calendar. Or maybe the inflatable snowman didn't make it through the snowstorm. Or maybe the twinkle lights aren't twinkling. Whatever the reason, this season Instacart's here for hosts and their whole holiday haul. Get decorations from the Home Depot, CVS and more through Instacart and enj. Free delivery on your first three orders, service fees and terms of Fly Escape.

[Narrator]

Is produced and directed by William N. Robeson. Tonight we have presented Command by James Warner Bella, adapted for radio by Mr. Robeson. Featured in the cast were Elliot Reed as Lieutenant Cohill, Bill Johnstone as Captain Brittles, and Ted de Coursea as Sergeant Utterback. Also heard were Sam Edwards, Tony Barrett, Burt Holland and Paul Fries. Special music was arranged and conducted by Del Castillo. Next week.

You are standing on an unfinished roadbed somewhere in Mexico. It is night and a drunken, murderous foreman is forcing you to dig till you drop the.45 in his hand means that for you there can be no escape.

Gracie Allen's campaign to make George Burns a real singing rival to Bing Crosby, his Wednesday night neighbor on cbs, is reaching its climax tomorrow night, backed by the beauty and talent of not one, but all three Andrews Sisters. George Sugar Throat Burns will definitely try out his tonsils and song. Bing or Sugar Throat. It's really no choice for CBS fans, for you can hear each Sugar Throat following Bing every Wednesday night on most of these same CBS stations. Now stay tuned for Hit the Jackpot which follows immediately over most of these same stations. This is CBS where you'll find adventure in Escape. Every Tuesday night, the Columbia Broadcasting System.

[Ted de Coursea]

It.

[Andrew Rines]

This has been a presentation of otrwesterns.com and we hope you enjoyed. Please take some time to like and rate our shows in your favorite podcast application. Follow us on Facebook by going to otrwesterns.com Facebook join in the conversation by going to otrwesterns.Com Discord and don't forget to send us an email podcasttrwesterns.com this episode is copyright under the Attribution Non Commercials. Share Like Copyright for more information go to otrwesterns.com copyright have a great day. And again, thanks for listening.

[Advertiser]

Save BIG on your Thanksgiving feast All in the Fred Meyer app buy two get three free on 12 packs of delicious Coca Cola, Pepsi or 7Up with your card. Then get a juicy frozen Grade A Jenny O Turkey for 127 a pound limit one with your card and a digital coupon. Shop these deals at your local Oregon Fred Meyer Today or click the screen now to to download the Fred Meyer app to Save Big Today. Fred Meyer Fresh for Everyone. Prices and product availability subject to change restrictions apply. See site for details.

[Ted de Coursea]

The sun's shining, birds are singing, and.

[Instacart]

All feels right in the world until.

[Elliot Reed]

The season changes and suddenly you lose.

[Narrator]

Your motivation to get out of bed.

In fact, one in five people experience.

[Elliot Reed]

Some form of depression no matter the.

[Ted de Coursea]

Season or time of year. At the American Psychiatric association foundation, our.

[Advertiser]

Vision is to build a mentally healthy.

[Ted de Coursea]

Nation for all because we want you.

[Instacart]

To live your best life and be.

[Advertiser]

Your best you all year round.

[Narrator]

Please visit mentallyhealthynation.org to learn more.