["The Sixth Shooter"] ["The Sixth Shooter"] ["The Sixth Shooter"] In just a moment you will hear James Stewart as the Sixth Shooter, just one of the many fine programs brought to you Sundays on NBC. Later this evening listen to the NBC Star Playhouse with two of your favorite stars. Hear a stroke of fate and the story of what might have happened if fate had reversed historical facts. And be sure to keep tuned for the dramatic story of The Last Man Out. It's a wonderful lineup of great programs, all of them heard only on NBC. James Stewart as the Sixth Shooter. ["The Sixth Shooter"] The man in the saddle is angular and long-legged. His skin is sundyed brown. The gun in his holster is gray steel and rainbow mother of pearl, its handle unmarked. People call them both the Sixth Shooter. The NBC Radio Network presents James Stewart as the Sixth Shooter, a transcribed series of radio dramas based on the life of Britt Ponson, the Texas plainsman who wandered through the western territories, leaving behind the trail of still remembered legends. ["The Sixth Shooter"] How's that, Alf? Short enough for you? I asked you if it was short enough for you. Well, give me the mirror so I can take a look. Well? Don't look to me like you cut it at all. Oh, now Alf. Still there, ain't it? Hanging down the back of my neck. Well, I figured you'd want to be in style. A fellow was in just the other day, come from Kansas City. Said that's the way all Easterners are having a haircut. Well, I ain't no Easterner, and I don't aim to be spending a quarter every week for shaving a haircut. So start slicing it off. Okay, okay. I need to get the head up. Sorry, Breezy, I reckon I ain't feeling up to snuff today. Can't say I'll blame you. I heard about the town meeting last night. Yeah. You, uh, told them yet? I don't see why everybody's in such a rush all of a sudden. They waited 40 years, a couple more hours ain't gonna make no difference. You're gonna do it today then, huh? Yeah, I'm gonna do it today. Hmm, poor old Gabe. Wonder how he'll take it. I'm sure glad it ain't me that has to break the news. Man, stop talking about it, Breezy, and finish my hair. Well, Gabe's a sensible man. He's not got a whole dig in ya, Alf. Seeing as how the whole town's agree. The whole town don't know him like I do. That was year when he first come to Yellowcrest. I don't know if it wasn't for Gabe Starbuck, there wouldn't be any of that. Howdy, mister. Paul. You're next. It'll be a couple of minutes. Died City papers there if you'd like to read it while you're waiting. Thank you. All right. Britt! Now you sit still. Britt puns it! Huh? Don't you remember me, Britt? Why, I... Alf? Alf Crandall? Alf? Alf Crandall. Oh, oh sure, I remember you. Well, what happened to your beard? Breezy here shaved it off three years ago. Oh, he did? Yeah, a couple of the boys paid him to do it while I was asleep in the chair. Is that so? I ain't never forgiven you for that, Breezy. You could have grown it back, Alf. Well, it wouldn't have been the same. It took me 25 years to get that stand of whiskers. Besides, once Maddy seen me without him, folks do say I look younger. Well, you look so young I hardly recognize you. Well, what about you, Britt? How's the world been treating you? Oh, first rate, first rate. Just hit town. Yeah, yeah. I've been out on the Square Moon Ranch last month or so. I ran into a flock of sheep yesterday and they gave me such a brotherly look, I decided it's high time I get a haircut. Be right pleased to take care of you, Mr. Ponson. There, that ought to be short enough, Alf. Well, feels like you got some of it off anyhow. Just let me give you a little brush. All right, there you go. Oh, thanks. Sit right down, Mr. Ponson. Well, what'll it be? Shaving a haircut? A haircut'll do it. You might as well have a shave, too. As long as you're here, I got the kettle on, the towels will be real hot. Why, you won't even feel a razor. No, no, I don't think I... No matter how good a man is at shaving himself, it's not the same as having a barber do it. Now, you take having a horse shod. You don't do that yourself, unless it's an emergency. You go to expert. Well, sir, it seems to me a man's face ought to be as important as his horse. It seems to me that when a fellow wants to get a... All right, Brady, you can give me a shave, too. Yes, sir, Mr. Ponson, yes, sir. I'll just trim some of this hair off while the water's warming up. You gonna be around town for spell, Britt? Ah, just overnight, Alf. I'm due back to square moon tomorrow. Well, I'd sure like to stay and chew the fat, but I'm due over to Gabe's Starbucks office. Oh, say, how is he? Hmm? Gabe. Gee, I haven't seen higher in the tale of him in, must be, over four years. Oh, that's right. You and him used to be real good friends, didn't you, Britt? Oh, we sure did. It was Gabe's Starbucks gave me my first pony. Well, as a matter of fact, he's aging, Britt. He's aging fast. Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. He's not down sick, is he? No, no. No, Gabe wouldn't let himself get down no matter how he felt. Oh, what's he up to nowadays? Same as ever. What, you mean he's still sheriff? Yeah, he's still sheriff. At least he is today. Oh? Truth is, we had a meeting just last night. And the town's got to have a new sheriff. And that's what I'm going over to talk to Gabe about now. You don't want it too short, do you, Mr. Ponson? A fellow's in from Kansas City the other day, says back there folks ain't cutting their hair so short anymore. Well, you better try and be pretty close, Breezy. I may not be in a barbershop again for quite some time. Whatever you say. It appears to me people around here don't want to be in style. Nobody wants to get rid of old Gabe, Britt. But the town's changed. We got near 700 people living here now. That many? Yeah, there's a new bank, too. Maybe a stock. Yes, it did, yes. Not doing very good, though. Folks are afraid their money won't be safe. Oh, we haven't had any robberies, not for quite a spell. As long as Gabe's sheriff, well, there's not much he could do to stop an outlaw if one did happen to come our way. You know, old Gabe being so old and all. Mm-hmm, yeah. Ah, God, that Britt. We all realize that we owe him an awful lot. He cleaned up Yellowcrest. Made it possible for decent people to live here. Of course, that was 40 years ago. Things are a lot different now. We, uh, we got to have us a new sheriff, that's all. Mm-hmm. Does Gabe know you're planning on replacing him? No, I don't know. We ain't told him yet, but can't put it off much longer. I see. It's gonna hurt him pretty bad, isn't it? Well, how would you feel if it was your place? You give your life to a town, your whole life, and they say we're sorry, but we gotta put you out to pasture. You're too old. Mm-hmm. Well, maybe, maybe if he was to have a deputy. We talked about that. Town ain't rich enough to afford two salaries. Mm-hmm. Well, Gabe's got a good, sensible head on his shoulders. That's what I said, Mr. Ponset. That's just what I said. He probably won't like the idea of losing his job, not at first, but he'll see that you don't have much choice in the thing. Now, you just lean back. That's better. And be sure and tell me if this towel's too hot. Ooh. Little warm? Mm. Guess I can stand it. Real glad you don't think we're being too hard on Gabe, Brit. Say, it gives me an idea. Well, seeing as how you understand the predicament we're in, about Gabe, I mean, maybe you wouldn't mind sort of preparing him? No. No, I... No, wait, wait, just a minute, Alf. I... Oh, now, your old friend, you said so yourself. It'll be different having the news come from you. No, it's not my concern. Here's another towel, Mr. Ponset. Now, just lean back. You're gonna be seeing him in your way, Brit. Ooh. Now, all you have to do is kind of lead the conversation around to him retiring, you know, lay the foundation, and then later on, when everything's... Ooh. I won't do it, Alf. I won't do it. Now, you're just wasting your breath. You're just... How in thunder am I gonna get this lather on, Mr. Ponset, if you keep moving around like that? I'm only asking you to talk to Gabe because... Well, I'm happy to say the wrong thing. You know, me, Brit, always... I put my foot in my mouth. And I'm still... Now, Alf, I tell you, you're not gonna put... Your own fault, Mr. Ponset. Now, I told you to keep quiet. He's right. Just sort of take it easy, Brit, while I sort of explain what I had in mind. Then if you still aren't willing... Well, between the shaven and the hot towels and Alf harping at me, well, not that I agreed to tell Gabe that Tom was getting a new sheriff. I didn't agree to that, mind you. But all I said was that I'd sort of feel him out and see how the land was lying. Anyway, about 20 minutes later, I was in the kitchen. Anyway, about 20 minutes later, I was coming along the boardwalk heading for Gabe's office. Huh. Well, it sure sounded like shooting to me. When I looked around, nobody seemed to be paying any attention. Listen to that. The fellows arguing politics over the post office steps. They didn't even stop to take a breath. And the ladies in Johnson's mercantile, they went right on majoring yardage like they hadn't even heard it. Well, I was pretty sure where it was coming from now. I was right behind the sheriff's office. I opened the front door. No sign of Gabe. No sign of anybody for that matter. Oh, then I saw him right through the back window. And I saw why folks hadn't been very upset about the gunfire. Gabe was having himself a little target practice out there, aiming at a tin can sitting on a pile of lumber. It had just been four years since I'd seen him last, but, oh, he looked good ten years older. Smaller, too. He kind of shrunk and bent over with thin yellow-gray hair and long bony arms that didn't seem to have much meat on them. I'm sure he wasn't having much luck hitting that tin can, either. Hello, Gabe. Hmm? Who? Who? No, it's Brett, Brett Pawson. Oh, yeah. How we doing, God? Well, it's sure good to see you. For a second there, I didn't recognize you. Your son got my eyes. I blotted me the son. Sure. How are you, Gabe? Well, never better. Never felt better in my life. Glad to hear. Well, I was just doing a little shooting. Yeah, yeah, I saw you. Oh, not that I need any practice, you understand, Britt. But I was worried about one of my guns. I think it throws a little to the left. I see. Yeah, yeah, that's why I missed my last shot. I guess you saw me miss it. Well, a man can't hit anything if his gun's not working. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, let's go inside where we can sit down and have a talk. Fine, fine. Yeah. Well, you're looking good, Britt. Feel good. Ah, well, a little older maybe. But I guess that happens to all of us, doesn't it? Oh, I don't know. Man's only as old as he feels. Uh-huh. Oh, yeah. Just take that chair, Britt, over there. Oh, thanks. Yeah. I'll sit by the window here, where I can keep an eye out on the street. Yeah, I was kind of surprised to hear that you're still a sheriff, Gabe. Don't see why I turned a surprise, yeah? Well, you know, oh, you must be getting along, Gabe. Oh, I'm 64, Britt, 64 this spring. And now, uh, and now, uh, Gabe? Well, might be 65. Family never kept no records. But I ain't no older than that. No. Don't look no older. No, no. Do I? Oh, no, no, no. You, uh, you still living alone? Of course I am still living alone. You think I need a keeper or something? Oh, no, I was just wondering if you ever got a whole lot of ranch you used to talk about. That's all. You remember? Ranch? Yeah, don't you remember that? When I was a kid, you always said someday you were going to have a ranch. After you'd retired from being sheriff, of course. Oh, I still aim to do it. When the time comes, of course, there ain't no sense in thinking about it now. Oh. No, no, Yellow Crest is growing, Britt, growing fast. That's when the town needs law and order the most. When it's busting its britches, and seeing as how I'm the only experienced lawman in these parts, well, it's my duty to stay on the job. I owe it to the folks here. Why, if I was even to think about retiring, well, they just wouldn't know what to do. They'd be plumbing operatives. Well, I ain't got no choice, Britt. You know how it is. Sure. Sure, Gabe. Yeah, I know. theme of the movie The Legend of the Six Shooters. The winter brings extra hazards to the motorist and the pedestrian. Longer hours of darkness, poor visibility caused by snow, rain and fog and slippery streets call for extra caution. The National Safety Council urges that for safety, every motorist should always adjust speed to road and weather conditions. Keep the windshield clear. Never slam on your brakes if the road is wet or slippery. Pump them slowly to slow down or stop. Use tire chains on snow and ice. And keep a safe distance between your car and the one ahead. Guard against that one accident that might take your life or ruin it. [♪music playing on violin and violin playing in background as it plays a theme of The Legend of the Six Shooters. Now, Act Two of The Six Shooters, starring James Stewart as Britt Ponset. [♪music playing on violin and violin playing in background as it plays a theme of The Legend of the Six Shooters. We had a long talk, Gabe and me, sitting there in the office watching the wagons creak along outside the window. I guess we covered everything, folks we'd known, old times. The only thing we didn't discuss was Gabe's retirement from sheriff. Anyhow, after I left them, I had supper and took a little stroll. Oh, it must have been about nine o'clock when I got settled down for the night in my room in the park hotel. That bed was real comfortable, not softer than those bunks out of Square Moon Ranch. Maybe that's why I had so much trouble dropping off to sleep. Yeah? Yeah, what is it? Alf Crandall, you asleep, Britt? Oh, no, no, come on in, Alf. Oh, come on in. I'll just get this lamp turned on. Here, there we are. I didn't mean to wake you. Ned Parker told me you only turned in a few minutes ago. Yeah, I'll pull up a chair. Thanks. You know, I was looking for you this evening after supper. Well, I went for a walk. Oh? You were right, Alf. Yellowcrest sure has changed. That's a fine new church going up there by the creek. Yeah, well, what I wanted to find out was whether you talked to Gabe or not. Lots of new buildings over south, too. Mighty fancy houses. Some of them look like they're going to be two stories high over there. Right. Yeah? How'd he take it? Why, how did he take what? Oh, you mean Gabe? Who else would I mean? Well? Well, I didn't tell him, Alf. Huh? I told you I couldn't do it. I, well, I just couldn't do it. I don't blame you, Britt. I shouldn't have asked you in the first place. It was my job. I did kind of hit around once or twice, but I could see what it did to him. Just the idea of not being sheriff anymore. It's all he's got, Alf. He doesn't have a family and kids to worry about. Gabe's the sheriff of Yellowcrest, and if he ever stops being the sheriff, he won't be anything. I know, Britt. I know, but what can we? What, what's that? The alarm bell. Must be a fire, I reckon. There's Mark Fawcett running down the street there. He'll know. Oh, God, this window. It's stuck tighter. Mark! Mark, up here, Mark! What are they ringing the bell for? Somebody rob the bank! The bank? We're meeting over at Sheriff's Lovin'. Well, I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later, Britt. Yeah. Hand me my pants, will you? The bell was still ringing when Alf and I rode up to Gabe's office. Everybody in town was heard of by now. There were ten or twelve men standing around the streets, others coming up from all directions. Gabe was standing right by his horse, right in the middle of things, taking charge. There wasn't much doubt about it. He was still sheriff of the yellow dress. I don't know what's out back. Britt! You boys know Britt Ponson, don't you? No, what happened, Gabe? Well, it was just an accident. I seen him. An accident, pure and simple. He was riding out of the alley from behind the bank, giving the horses a squir. Couldn't get a look at their faces, but the way they was riding, that made me suspicious. So I thought maybe I ought to see if everything was all right at the bank. Went around to check. Back door was broke open, wide open. Peepers scattered around inside. Jim Waterby's over there now, trying to find out how much they took. They tried to follow him, the outlaws. Well, they was gone before I knew there was outlaws. Before I knew for certain, that is. But I seen which way they headed. East. Oh, that don't make sense, Gabe. They'd have to cross the salt flats if they went east. Sure they were. That's the way they went, right toward the flats. You must have been a-seeing things. Man to be a fool to strike out that way. Two hundred miles without a water hole. I bet you turned off, went up in them hills. Well, I'm the one who seen them ain't I? Yeah, sure. Twenty-five hundred dollars, Gabe. That's what they stole. Oh, they sold him. A sack of gold and a sack of currency. Twenty-five hundred is as close as I can figure it. Yeah, boys. Let's see if we can pick up the trail. Easy, Mr. Easy. They'll determine to chase him out onto them flats. Yeah, we want to catch him, don't we? If we do, we got to use our heads, Gabe. Man's smart enough to rob that bank. He ain't gonna take a chance on dying out there in that salt. They'd go for the hills. Mark is right, Gabe. You tell me I can't believe my own eyes. Well, it was pretty dark. Maybe you got confused. Maybe it looked like they was heading east. We're only wasting time arguing with him. Let's go. I'm the sheriff of Yellowcrest. I'm running this posse, ain't I? Gabe, we're riding toward the ridge. All right. Come on, Rusty. Come on. Gabe. Hey, Gabe. You can't stop him, Britt. When he gets his mind set, nobody can stop him. I guess this just proves we was right about Gabe. He ain't up to the job of being sheriff no more. Yeah, sure. Okay, boys, I'll lead the way. Come on. You've got enough man left, mate. Search yourself. Yeah. I watched him one time. I watched him wind along toward the rise of the Purple Hills west of town. After a couple of minutes, the night swallowed him up, and the hoofbeats trickled off in his silence. All right, Scar, come on. I turned Scar east. It wasn't like Gabe to be stubborn about something as important as a bank robbery. Oh, I'll grant you it didn't seem very sensible for a couple of bandits to take off across the salt flats. And Gabe's eyesight wasn't what it had been once, of course, but I just couldn't believe he'd be dead wrong. Scar threw up his head when the smell of salt hit his nose. He sure didn't like the idea of walking out into it. Easy, boy, easy now. Easy now. We're not going very far. Come on. Come on now. Nothing but white as far as you can see. Stretch out taut like a cavalry blanket. White salt picking up the moonlight and bouncing along ahead of us. The funny thing, though, there was only one set of hoof prints out there on the flats. Well, about ten minutes later I spotted Gabe. Oh boy, oh boy. He wasn't riding very fast, so I slowed up. I figured it was just as well Gabe didn't see me. I didn't want him to think that I'd tagged along because I was worried about him, you know. And then the darnedest thing happened. He swung his horse around and started backtracking. Here boy, here boy. Come on. I e-scar over behind a couple of gray boulders so we'd be out of sight, and Gabe came right toward us. At first I thought he knew where we were. Then he turned his horse again and walked him out in the salt. For a couple of minutes I couldn't figure out what he was up to. It seemed me like he was just wandering around, no purpose at all. And then the next thing that happened, who was even stranger yet, Gabe jerked his gun out of his horse and he began firing. He wasn't aiming at anything. As far as I could see he was just shooting up into the sky. He left off two or three more shots and wheeled around, galloped past me on his way back to town. And I saw him reach in his saddlebags and bring out a couple of cloth sacks and hook them over his saddle horn. They were the kind of sacks banks use for carrying money. Well there just wasn't any doubt about it now. The story of that bank robbery was something Gabe had made about a whole cloth. Oh, somebody had broken into the bank all right. Well it wasn't an outlaw though, it was Gabe. Well I waited oh maybe fifteen minutes. Then I heard the alarm bell start off again. The posse would pull up in front of Gabe's office. The bell must have brought him out of the hills. Gabe was handing the cloth sacks to Jim Waterby. He pulled up just in time to hear the tail end of what he was saying. I ain't sure I hit him you understand. This gun of mine has been thrown a bit to the left lately. But when I started shooting they dropped these here bags and went galloping off. By the time I stopped to pick up the money, I reckon that's what's in them. Well them outlaws was just gloom out of sight. Yes sir. I figured there wasn't much need to chase them no further. Like it's not they'll never make it cross the salt anyway. You did right Gabe. And it looks like it's all here every single day. Hey Rich, Rich you hear what happened? Gabe caught up with the bandits, shot it out with them and bunged back what they stole. Daddy. Ah that don't seem possible, I'm having a head start and all. Well you know Rusty when I hit him his head. Well maybe the bandits was lost, maybe they didn't know about them flats. Yeah I reckon they didn't, I reckon that's it. If they knew where the bank was they'd know about that salt. Yeah that's right. What are you getting at Mark? I don't know there's something funny about this. There's two of them you said huh? That's right. Two of them against you? Well what's so funny about that? Many a time I shot it out with more than two men. That's right out there boys, never look around. Well what do we say Mark? Hold on a minute I think maybe I can save you a trip. Yeah the fact is I was following Gabe. I followed him right out on the flats. What? Well I know you didn't see me Gabe, I was behind you but I could see you just plain as day. Now Britt you gotta let me. You mean you seen the gun fight too? Did you? Listen to me Britt listen to me. Was he telling the truth Britt? Yeah that's right was he? Well I'll tell you one thing I never saw a fight like that before in my whole life. Britt. What about the bandits Britt? Did you get a chance to recognize them? No, no, no I'm afraid I didn't. Didn't stick around eh? Once Gabe started shooting? No, no I uh. Well as a matter of fact when Gabe was through shooting well it was like they hadn't even been there. No I'll be sorry. I'll be darned. That's, that's what it was alright just like they hadn't been there at all. I don't know how Gabe had found out that the town was talking about having a new sheriff. I guess he's sort of sensitive the way folks have been acting. Of course after this, this hold up well they figured out maybe they could afford giving them a deputy. Jim Waterby that's the banker. He put up part of the money and then they didn't have much trouble raising the rest. I had a little talk with Gabe just before I left town. We didn't mention that night out on the flats neither one of us. But he did give me his word that the next time there was any trouble well he'd let his deputy do a good share of it, taking care of it. But the way things worked out though there hadn't been any more robberies in Yellowcrest. Not one single solitary robbery. They say it's because of Sheriff Gabe. Outlaws just don't want to tangle with him. They all must have heard about what happened that time a couple of them tried to hold up the Yellowcrest bank. I wonder if you really know how much good you're doing every time you buy Christmas seals. Well let me tell you something. Something I think will amaze you. It's simply this. Over six million lives have been saved in the fight against tuberculosis since the first Christmas seal was sold. In other words what you actually buy when you buy Christmas seals is priceless protection for yourself, your family and your community. So please answer your Christmas seal letter today. The Six Shooter is an NBC radio network production in association with Review Productions. It is based on a character created by Frank Burke and the transcribed story is written by him. Mr. Stewart may currently be seen in the Universal International Picture, The Glenn Miller Story. Others in the cast were Herb Vigran, John Stevenson, Lamont Johnson, Dal McKennan and old Gabe was played by Bill Johnstone. Special music for this program was by Basil Adlam and the entire production is under the direction of Jack Johnstone. All characters and incidents were fictitious and any resemblance to actual characters or incidents is purely coincidental. And now from all of us who each week bring you The Six Shooter, a special salute to NBC affiliated station WGBF Evansville, Indiana on the occasion of their 30th anniversary. Happy anniversary WGBF and best wishes to all of your listeners. This is Hal Gibney speaking. Tonight here Lily Palmer and Rex Harrison in the NBC Star Playhouse on the NBC Radio Network.
