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.
There's no man west of the Rio Grande big enough to take it from me.
Luke Slaughter of Tombstone.
Civil War cavalry man turned Arizona cattleman.
Across the territory from Yuma to Fort Defiance,
from Flagstaff to the Wachukas,
and below the border through Chihuahua and Sonora,
his name was respected or feared depending on which side of the law you were on.
Man of vision, man of legend, Luke Slaughter of Tombstone.
Lots of people back east think us westerners are rough, uncouth, and ill mannered.
Although it might not appear so to a stranger, we do live by a fairly rigid set of manners.
For instance, we don't care what a man was, but what he is.
All of us have come out to this new country from somewhere else,
and why we came is our own business.
Of course, sometimes a stranger may drift into town,
who reminds us of things we just as soon forget.
Like the time Wichita and I were sitting out front of the Cosmopolitan Hotel
waiting for the dinner gong to ring.
Sure is going to be good to tie on a store bought feed bag, Luke.
Yeah, I'm getting a little hungry myself.
Well, I wasn't thinking of quantity so much as quality.
I don't trust that pig-tailed bean wrangler you got down to ranch.
I swear there was cat meat in that son of a gun stew he made for supper last night.
I doubt it, Wichita. The Chinese are supposed to be excellent cooks.
Well, somebody should get that message through to Lum Chung.
Maybe you ought to bring him up here for a feed sometime
so he can learn what a lard-fried steak ought to taste like.
Yeah, and mashed turnips, too, without lumps.
When are they going to ring that darn dinner bell?
I'm starving myself just thinking about it.
Good morning, Luke. Howdy, Wichita.
Well, Mr. Wallace, what brings you down from the mine in the middle of the day?
I'm eating the stage, expecting a business associate in from the East.
Here you struck water up at the little giant, Mr. Wallace.
That's right.
What's going on up there on the hill?
First the sulfurette strikes water, and then contention, and now you.
It seems that there's an underground lake at the 500-foot level.
Yeah, we can sure use some more water out in this desert,
but it's never going to bring in as much as silver.
Well, I don't imagine Mr. Wallace is going to let a little water interfere
with his silver production, Wichita.
Not for a single minute.
We're going to install the biggest pumps west of the Mississippi.
Matter of fact, that's why the man I'm going to meet
is coming all the way out here from St. Louis.
He bringing the pumps with him on the stage?
Oh, no, Wichita.
But after I've convinced him that we can lick the water, and I will,
he's going to put up the money for the pumps.
He know that yet?
No, but he knows a good thing when he sees it.
And believe me, boys, tombstone's a good thing.
A dollar invested in tombstone today will be worth $10 in a year
and $100 by the end of the century.
Well, I think I'll hold on to my dollar.
I ain't calculating on being around come 1900.
Well, here's the stage and right on time, too.
That ought to impress Mr. Albert W. Norton on how we do things out here.
Did you say Albert W. Norton?
Yes, he's the man I'm meeting.
Very important in banking circles back in St. Louis.
No.
No, it couldn't be.
What couldn't be, Lou?
Nothing, Wichita.
Just taking it out loud.
See you're keeping right on schedule, Ed.
Oh, hi, Mr. Wallace.
Yeah, I could have saved the horses a minute and been a bit late.
Only I got a passenger in there.
I'm hankering to get rid of Pronto.
All right, mister, get down.
Get the ends of the line.
And you are out of a job, my good man,
if I have to buy this stage line to be sure you're discharged.
God dry up.
Welcome to Tombstone, Mr. Norton.
Oh, hello there, Wallace.
Had a pleasant trip?
I can't say I have, since I transferred from the steam cars
to this devil's conveyance driven by a madman.
Now look here, mister.
Why, old Ed, here is one of the best six-horse drivers in the territory.
Then I can see that there is room for great improvement out here.
Well, that may be so,
but I'm sure after you've been with us for a few days,
you will find that there are a lot of things in our favor.
Come on, Wichita, let's go.
Well, let's go where?
They ain't rung the dinner bell yet.
We can eat back at the ranch.
But, Luke, the large fried steaks at the Cosmopolitan
are the best in Arizona.
Then you eat mine, too.
I'm getting out of town before I commit murder.
Murder? Who you figured on murdering?
Him. Mr. Albert W. Norton.
More coffee, Wichita?
Thank you, no.
I understand they got a new show at the birdcage.
High kickers, they tell me.
You feel like riding into town tonight?
I don't think so, Wichita.
I like it fine right here on the ranch.
You must. You ain't been in town for more than a week.
That's right.
Ever since the day that Eastern dude pulled in.
Right again.
Luke, I am a patient man.
Are you?
Well, patient is the next,
but my patience is a-running out.
And just what are you getting impatient about?
Luke, Luke, it ain't fair.
You ain't never told me why you got it in
for that Albert W. Norton friend of Mr. Wallace.
That's right. I never have.
Well?
And most likely, I never will.
Aw, now, Luke.
Wichita, I guess there isn't a single one of us out here
that doesn't carry around memories that hurt,
things we'd like to forget.
Maybe that's why people like you and me have drifted west.
Well, in my case, I know I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for...
I don't want to hear about it, Wichita.
Well, I don't mind telling you.
I got no secrets from you.
Yes, you have. And you keep them.
All right, if that's the way you feel.
But...
Oh, appears we got visitors.
Nope, nope. Just young buck rainier.
Why don't you give him the evening off?
I did.
He was going into town to spark Hallie Mae Wallace.
Well, his spark must have fizzled out.
It ain't even dark yet, and he's back home.
Evening, Buck.
Evening, Luke.
Ain't you back a mite early, son?
Looks like.
Things pretty dull up in town?
Yeah, for me, anyway.
What's the matter, Buck?
You want to tell us?
Yes, I do.
I've got to talk to somebody.
Well, then you just sit right down here in the stoop and spell it.
Well, I guess it ain't any news to you that I...
Well, I've been sweet on Hallie Mae Wallace for a long time.
Well, you haven't exactly been keeping it a secret, Buck.
I guess not, but...
Well, it's more than just being sweet on her, Luke.
I...
Well, I'm in love with her.
You sure, son?
Sure, I'm sure.
Well, you better be.
A woman can be as treacherous as a sidewinder.
And the younger and prettier she is, the more sidewinder she can be.
All right, Wichita.
You know, if everybody felt like you do about women, where would the world be?
Better off.
Don't pay any attention to the old misogynist, Buck.
What's that?
Woman hater.
That's me.
How about Hallie Mae, Buck? Does she love you?
Yes, Luke, she does.
Well, then you haven't got anything to worry about.
Oh, yes, I have.
She's not allowed to see me anymore.
What?
That's right, Luke. I called at her house like I do every Wednesday.
And her father answered the door, and he told me that
Hallie Mae was busy tonight, and she'd be busy every other night.
And that if I was smart, I wouldn't come back anymore.
Why, is that dirty old...
Did he give any explanation?
No, no, I just slammed the door in my face.
But I found out the explanation.
It's right here in tonight's epithet.
Look.
John Wallace, proprietor of the Little Giant Mine,
has announced the engagement of his daughter, Hallie Mae,
to Albert W. Norton of St. Louis.
So Norton's done it again.
Done what, Luke?
Only this time he isn't going to get away with it.
What are you talking about?
Settle up my horse, would you tell him?
Where are you going?
I'm going to have a little talk with our friend, Mr. Wallace.
It's sure good of you to do this for me, Luke.
I'm doing it for myself, Buck.
I don't understand.
You don't have to.
You want me to ride in with you, Luke?
No, Wichita, I'm going alone.
Only here.
Keep my guns for me.
You're going into town without your shooting irons?
That's right.
I'm still afraid I might be tempted to keep a promise to myself.
What promise?
To kill Albert W. Norton.
THE END
Evening, Mr. Wallace.
Why, Luke Slaughter, what brings you into town at this hour?
Maybe it is a little late, but I want to talk to you.
You mind if I come in?
No, of course not. I do come in, please.
Sit down.
Thanks.
Well, Luke, what's on your mind?
I read in tonight's epitaph that your daughter is going to marry this Norton fellow.
That's right. A week from Saturday in St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
Looks like you don't believe in long engagements.
Not when it's love at first sight.
Is it?
Of course.
Isn't this a rather late hour for congratulations?
I didn't come here to congratulate you.
I came to try to talk you out of it.
Aren't you sticking your nose into something that is absolutely none of your business?
Maybe and maybe not.
Oh, by the way, where is your future son-in-law?
He might be interested in what I've got to say.
I have no idea.
He went downtown this evening.
Oh, that's right.
I heard there was a new troop of high-kickers at the birdcage.
I wouldn't know.
And I don't keep tabs on the comings and goings of Mr. Norton.
Maybe you should before you give him your daughter.
Just what do you know about this Norton?
Enough. He's a highly successful St. Louis financier.
And his price for bailing out your mind is a girl young enough to be his daughter.
Slaughter. I don't have to sit here in my own house and listen to such dirty insinuations.
You don't, but you will.
Now, hold on. I apologize, Mr. Wallace.
You're right.
This is none of my business from your point of view.
But from my point of view, it is.
Because I happen to know Ellie May is in love with a young fellow named Buck Rainier.
That wrangler that works for you?
That's right.
I threw him off my premises tonight.
I know. That's why I'm here.
Buck is very much in love with your daughter, Mr. Wallace.
Well, you'll have to get over it.
I certainly would never permit Ellie May to marry a forty dollar a month cowhand.
Mr. Wallace, I've never been married.
I've never had any children.
But if I ever do have a son, I'd like him to be the kind of boy Buck is.
And to back up that statement, when he marries your daughter,
I'll make him a wedding present of a couple of sections of land
and enough cattle to set him up in business.
Very touching, Slaughter.
But Norton's holding the high hand in this game.
He usually does.
But this time I don't think he'll win.
I'd like to see what's going to stop him.
You will, Wallace, when the hand is played.
Are you threatening me?
Not at all.
But I'm asking you once more to give your daughter a chance to be happy.
That's exactly what I am doing.
And that's why she's going to marry Albert Norton.
That's your final word?
I'm sure of it.
All right, Wallace, I tried.
I hope I haven't kept you up too late.
But you might try to sleep on this.
If Ellie May were my daughter,
I'd rather see her entertaining the boys at the Occidental Saloon
than married to Albert W. Norton.
Mr. Slaughter. Mr. Slaughter.
Ellie May.
I overheard you talking to Papa.
Mr. Slaughter, what am I going to do?
Ellie May, are you really in love with Buck?
Oh, yes.
I'll die if I have to marry that awful old Mr. Norton.
But you want to marry Buck.
Oh, yes, so very, very much.
What am I going to do, Mr. Slaughter?
You just go ahead and do what your father tells you.
Smile and be pleasant.
And act like you were the first blushing bride in the history of the world.
But I can't do that.
Yes, you can.
Because, Ellie May, I promise you,
you will never be Mrs. Albert W. Norton.
In a moment, Luke Slaughter of Tombstone returns.
Tonight, CBS Radio invites you to our Mitch Miller Show.
As guest of honor at Mitch's table,
you're part of the excitement of show business itself.
You meet the most impressive and accomplished people in show business.
You learn how they got to the top.
And more than that, you make friends with the biggest stars of the moment.
Each Sunday night, as CBS Radio's Mitch Miller Show comes your way
on most of these same stations.
And now, Act 2 of William N. Robson's production of
Luke Slaughter of Tombstone.
To hear the Tombstone epitaph tell it,
the wedding of Ellie May Wallace and Albert W. Norton
was going to be the biggest thing since Queen Victoria
took Prince Albert to husband.
Every edition carried another tantalizing tidbit.
The bridal gown was coming by fast express from San Francisco.
The bride's father had bought up all the French champagne in town
for the reception.
The nuptials were to be solemnized by the Bishop of Arizona himself.
And listen to this in tonight's paper.
The happy pair will spend their honeymoon in the East
where they will be transported by private railway car
provided by Mr. Wallace.
It doesn't say anything anywhere about what the groom's providing, does it?
No, but he must have something to offer.
Sure he does.
A line of palaver like a lightning rod salesman.
Just the same, it looks like the three of us are the only people in Tombstone
who won't be at the wedding.
Don't be too sure about that, Wichita.
I don't want to go.
I don't want to see it happen to Ellie May.
You don't have to go, Buck.
But I think maybe Wichita and I will make an appearance.
How? We ain't got any invites.
And after the way you talked to Wallace the other night,
I don't think we're going to get any.
Who said we needed any?
This is a free country, and St. Paul's Church is a house of worship
open to any sinner with a contrite heart.
We're going to the wedding, Wichita,
but I'm not sure we'll be able to stay for the reception.
I had my own preparations to make,
but they didn't involve bishops and champagne and such frills.
They were relatively simple,
and they were all completed by Saturday morning.
Got the horses all saddled and waiting, Luke.
Good, Wichita.
I oughtn't to stay here and let you do it all, Luke.
Let me come along.
You just do as I tell you, Buck.
You'll have plenty to do later.
Yeah, but what if it don't work?
Then you're where you ought to be
and where I want you to be, in the clear.
Let's go, Wichita.
See you in a couple of hours, Buck, if we pull it off.
Good luck, Luke.
Eh, well, Luke,
it don't seem right going to a wedding in work clothes.
Why not, Wichita?
We only got work to do.
If there be any among you
who knows why this marriage should not be performed...
This is our cue, Wichita.
...and now, or forever, hold his peace.
Then I guess this is the moment for me to speak, Bishop.
What's going on, Wichita?
I know plenty of reasons why this wedding shouldn't be held.
Slaughter, this is a private ceremony.
Slaughter?
Not any longer, Wallace.
I'm making it public, and Mr. Norton knows why.
Oh, Mr. Slaughter, you kept your promise.
I don't know what you're talking about.
You sure about that, Norton?
You sure you don't remember a young lawyer
named Lucian Slaughter back in Peoria, Illinois,
just after the war?
You're not...
Yes, I am.
A little heavier, maybe, and a little less hair.
And the name Lucian was just a little bit flossy
for the cattle country.
So it somehow got whittled down to Luke.
Mr. Slaughter, if you have something to say,
please say it quickly.
You have interrupted one of the Church's most sacred sacraments.
I'm sorry about that, Bishop.
Folks, I know this man, Norton.
He's been married before.
What?
You didn't tell me that, Norton.
What of it? My wife has been dead for years.
So I heard.
And what did she die of?
Consumption, I think it was.
You think?
Didn't she die of humiliation and a broken heart
after you deserted her?
That's not true. I did not desert her.
My business took me to St. Louis...
And you thought a small-town girl like her
would be a drawback, so you never sent for her?
I don't see what all this has to do with anything.
A good grifter will make your daughter's life
as unhappy as he did his first wife's.
Mr. Wallace, are you going to permit this boy to interfere?
I certainly am not.
You've had your say, Slaughter. Now get out.
All right, I'm going. In a minute.
Look out! He's throwing a gun!
Cover that side of the Church, Wichita.
I am, Luke.
Mr. Slaughter,
you have desecrated the House of the Lord.
I'll settle with the Lord later. Come on, Ellie May.
Yes, Mr. Slaughter.
Slaughter, this is kidnapping!
Is it? Or is it an act of mercy?
Keep him covered till I get to the horses, Wichita.
I got him.
Come on, out this way, Ellie May.
Where's he going with that girl?
Now, folks,
I don't hanker to desecrate the House of the Lord
further with gunfire,
but I will if you folks don't quiet down and stay put.
Well, Luke, there's Buck waiting for us
out in front of the Grange House.
Yep, and there's the Padre from Disby with him,
just in case you want to make use of his services, Ellie May.
Oh, I do, Mr. Slaughter, I do.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, oh.
Ellie May, sweetheart.
Buck!
Hurry up, Buck. Get your bride down from this horse.
Howdy, Padre.
Good afternoon, Luke.
Think you can tie the knot for these two in five minutes?
I'll do my best.
You better.
Yes, I figure that's about all the lead we've got on that wedding party.
And I pronounce you man and wife.
Oh, Ellie.
Oh, my husband.
My very own husband.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Now, that can wait until later.
You got the rest of your life for smoochin'.
You better get out of here now before your pappy gets here.
You got your horses out and back like I told you about?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Luke.
Then you two hit the trail. I'll stall off the angry citizens.
Oh, Mr. Slaughter, how can I ever thank you?
Don't bother. Ride.
And you, Wichita.
Well, you might name the first one after me.
Now, git, git.
Come on, darlin'.
See you later, Luke.
Well, Wichita, let's welcome our visitors.
All right, Slaughter, what have you done with my daughter?
She isn't here, Mr. Wallace.
Of course she's here. We followed your trail.
Well, she was here, but she just left on her honeymoon.
What? Why you?
Yeah, I'm afraid you're too late, Wallace.
Ellie May has been Mrs. Buck Rainier for at least five minutes.
I'll have the marriage annulled.
I don't see how you can do that, Wallace.
The girl's overage, and the ceremony was legal in every respect.
Wasn't it, Padre?
Indeed it was, Luke.
I'd ask you to come with me.
I'll be waiting.
I'd ask you and the losing bridegroom in for refreshments.
Oh, by the way, I don't see Mr. Norton in your party.
What happened to him?
He fell off his horse.
I'm not surprised.
Well, as I was saying, I'd ask you in.
Only I'm sure you have much more adequate refreshments
you'll be wanting to consume
at what was to have been the wedding reception.
So if you'll excuse us,
Wichita and I are going to have a bite to eat.
We've had a very busy day.
I'm sure you'll be able to get some fresh food.
I'll be waiting.
Indeed. We've had a very busy day.
But you still haven't told me.
Told you what?
Well, how you happen to know so much about that Norton fella?
Well, Wichita, I suppose I might as well tell you,
you'll never stop nittering me.
You see, back in Illinois,
15 years ago,
there was this young lawyer
who was the first man out in the world.
This young girl,
they were very much in love and they wanted to get married.
Uh-huh.
But the young girl's father had other ideas,
ambitious ideas.
And he made the girl
marry a fast-talking young fella
named Albert W. Norton.
Whoa.
And the young lawyer left town
swearing he'd kill Norton if he ever saw him again.
Only, you know, Wichita,
I like it better this way.
Killing's too good for a rat like him.
Yeah.
Yeah, I guess you're right.
But there's only one thing
about the whole shebang that I don't like.
What's that?
They left in such a hurry,
I didn't get to kiss the bride.
Luke Slaughter of Tombstone
starring Sam Buffington
was written and directed by William N. Robeson.
Supporting Mr. Buffington
were Norma Jean Nilsen,
Junius Matthews, Norm Alden,
Barney Phillips, Ben Wright,
and Charles Seale.
Editorial supervision by Tom Henley
with music composed by
and directed by
This is the CBS Radio Network.
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