Richard Wade heads off to a Forest Reserve to find some lawbreakers.
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The Mutual Audio Network
Richard Wade US Marshal S03E02: Manhunt in the Colorado Woods(080124)
(upbeat music) This episode is brought to you by Experian. Are you paying for subscriptions you don't use, but can't find the time or energy to cancel them? Experian could cancel unwanted subscriptions for you, saving you an average of $270 per year, and plenty of time. Download the Experian app. Results will vary, not all subscriptions are eligible. Savings are not guaranteed. Paid membership with connected payment account required. (upbeat music) Are you ready for some high adventure? Coming up next on the Mutual Audio Network. The following audio drama is rated PG for parental guidance recommended. (upbeat music) 1910 and the new west is donning, bringing a future of telephone, scars and new ways of doing. There still rides a man of the old west, allowing out to serve justice to those who need to tell, and to those who deserve a sharp soil. That lot on this Richard Wade, U.S. Marshall, this time it's Manhunt in the Colorado Woods, written for radio by Barry M. Hutt, Jr. (upbeat music) - Thank you for your purchase, sir, and the donation. Have a nice day. - Good morning, Emily. - Hello, Marshall, Deputy. - What are you collecting for? - Sales have declined since the flood. The owner has decided to sell. - I'm sorry to hear that. - I'm trying to get together enough money to buy the store so I can keep it going. - That's very commendable. - Thank you, Deputy. - It certainly is. Lions needs this store. It would be a shame to lose it. - I'm doing all I can. What brings you in? - Supplies. - Oh, for another case? - Yes. - Those criminals don't stand a chance with you on the job. - I appreciate that, but this is a tough one. - Oh, how so? - That's one of the largest man hunts in Colorado's history. - It sounds serious. - It is. Abandoned thieves is wreaking havoc all over the state. - I hope they don't come here. - We'll do our best to find them before they do. Here's a list of what we need. - Our inventory is low. I'll get you what I can. - Thank you. Take care of yourself out there. This town needs you back in one piece. We'll do our best. - Please do. That's everything we have, $7.52, please. - Here he goes. Here's a donation as well. - I appreciate it, Marshall. You too, Deputy. - I wish it could be more. - It means a lot coming from you. Travel safely. - Thank you. Come on, Jim. Let's finish packing so we can head out. - Yes, sir. (indistinct chatter) - All set? - I will be. As soon as I go through today's mail. Hey, I got a letter from my sister. - Well, that's good. Could you put it in your satchel and read it later? We need to be on our way. - Okay. - Well, let's go. - Is there something we can check in with when we get there? - Ranger George Cooley. He's leading a hunt in the White River Plateau Reserve. - Good. - Ms. Hobart certainly was affectionate today. - What do you mean? - You didn't notice how she was flirting with you? - Aw, she was just being nice. - I'm not so sure about that. - I am. You must have misunderstood. Let's pick up the pace. I want to get there by mid-afternoon so we can do some searching before nightfall. - Yes, sir. - Are you Ranger Cooley? - I am. - I'm Marshall Richard Wade. - Nice to meet you. You make good time. The roads were well marked. It made it easier. - This is my deputy, Jim Clayton. - Howdy. - How's the search going? - Slower than I'd like. - Do you have any idea where the thieves are? - Only that they're somewhere in the forest. - I see. Where would you like us to start? - Most of the sheriffs and marshals are canvassing the southeast. Why don't you take the northeast? - All right. - We cover as much terrain as we can each day, then meet up at a central location each night. Tonight, we're gathering at the lodge in a rapid home basin at seven. - We'll see you there. Come on, Deputy. - Marshall, I think the horses are getting tired. - They've had a long day. - Let's let them rest and search on foot for a while. - Oh, oh, oh. - This place reminds me of the Blue Mountains in Oregon. - Did you visit there? - I lived there for a few years. - Really? - Did you hear that? - Yeah, ground shaking. - That's causing it. - I'm not sure. - Let's stop. - Let's keep searching. - I hope we find him soon. - So do I. The state will be a lot safer then. Whoa. (grunting) Get off! Get off! (grunting) - Marshall, thank you for scaring it off. - Certainly, you're scratched up bad. I'll get some bandages. I found him, hold still. - Thank you, Jim. - Maybe we should call it a day. - No. No, I can manage. - That mountain lion might still be around. - Your gun scared it good. - Are you sure about this? - Yes, we need to do all we can. Let's search down on that way. - All right. (birds chirping) - Nice launch. - They add some good provisions. - I'll say. - Are you feeling, Marshall? - Oh, I ate quite a bit from the attack. But all men, it's good you were prepared, thanks to my deputy. - We need to help each other. - We certainly do. - Men, gather round. - The thieves aren't the only thing in these parts that are dangerous. What happened to Marshall Wade today could happen to anyone. I want you paired up with supplies on hand at all times. Get some sleep. We move out at six in the morning. Take it easy, Marshall. - I'll try my best. - Oh no. - What? - I can't find the letter from my sister. - Did it fall out of your satchel? - It must've. - I'm sorry about that. - Thanks. I was looking forward to reading. - I hope we don't see any more big cats. - Me too. They're vicious. - Not if you know how to handle them. - Who are you? - Ellerson. - I'm Marshall over in Lenato. - The cat my deputy and I saw was on a rampage. - Well, if you show them who's boss, they respect you. - I'm not so sure about that. - You shouldn't be out here if you can't handle it. - We do just fine. - If his injuries are any sign of your skill, you won't last a week. - All of you, turn in. We got a busy day tomorrow. - Yeah, yeah. Good night. - That Marshall we met last night was something. - I'm glad I'm not his partner. - He's so sure of himself. He probably doesn't need a partner. - Right. Did you hear that? - Yeah, sounds like it's a few miles away. - The ground's shaking like it did the first time we heard. - It might be blasting. - Do you think the thieves could be involved? - It's possible. We're too far away to tell. - Okay. - Hey, what's that? - Where? - In the leaves. - Let's see. It looks like the end is some beef jerky. - What's it doing out here? - I don't know. Maybe we're closer to finding something that we think. Let's keep looking. (birds chirping) - My deputy and I heard it several times when we were searching today. - That's so? - Yeah. - I didn't hear a thing where I was. - My partner and I did. It's been going on for a couple of weeks. - How do you know? - I'm from these parts. - What are they doing? - Clearing land for new buildings. - They have to blast for that? - Nah, it's the fastest way. - They're using too much of whatever it is, if you ask me. The ground shook where we were. - Course it did. Nitro's strong. - Nitro? - They know how to handle it. - How do you know? - I've done my share. - Blasting's hard work. - And almost as dangerous as hauling it is. - What they did this afternoon wasn't right. - Thank you know so much. You tried doing it. - We're here to search. - That mean you a coward? - Course not. - Prove it. - I don't have to prove anything. - Anyone that says that is a coward. - You don't scare me. (laughing) - You decide you ain't afraid to meet the challenge. - Let me know. - I'm glad he's gone. - Yeah. Let's turn in. We got a lot of terrain to cover tomorrow. - All right. Marshall. - I searched down by the stream. There's no sign of life there. - No one near the cliff either. - Do you think that's more blasting? - It might be. It's coming from that direction. Let's check it out. - Careful, the trees ahead are kind of low. - They sure are. - Whoa, that is some clearing. - Goes on for at least a mile. - Let's look around. - This must be one of the areas they're developing. - It certainly could be. - Look, they're in the dirt, fresh blood. - Do you think it's human? - It might be. I don't see any dead animals around. Look over there on the other side of the clearing. - Is that a wagon? - Yeah, and it's full of nitro. I can't make out who's driving. It's hard to tell. - It could be the thieves. - Well, let's go after them. - They're too far away to catch. - What do you want to do? - Well, it's almost dark. Let's head back. - All right. - Howdy, Bates. Mind if I join you? - Glad to have the company. - Ranger Cooley, you're back. - Yeah. What can I do for you? - My deputy and I found a clearing today in the middle of nowhere. - That's so. - A wagon filled with nitro was leaving when we arrived. - We think it may be the thieves. - Did you see where it was headed? - They were too far away to tell. - Thank you for letting me know. I'll give it some thought as I plan our course. - Certainly. We're glad to help. Come on, Jim. Let's turn in. Uh, I can't wait to get my bed roll set. - What do you know? What if my sister was in my satchel after all? - Where'd you find it? - Stuck inside one of my shirts. - What is it? - My niece isn't doing well. I'm sorry to hear that. Has she seen a doctor? - My sister didn't say. It's been a long time since I've been home. I barely know my niece. - You will, in time. - I hope so. - Did you notice who was missing tonight? - No. - It's been nice and quiet, hasn't it? - Ellerson. - That's right. - I wonder what happened to him. - I don't know. At least we had some peace. - That's good. Let's get some sleep. Good night. - I can't believe the ranger sent us out here to search. It's nowhere near the clearing we found. - I'm sure he knows what he's doing. He studied the map. - Let's take a closer look at this area here. - Okay. (birds chirping) - Look at this spistle. It's half chewed. - Could it be the mountain lion? - They don't eat vegetation. It was probably deer. - What do we have here? - Would you look at that? - Gold sure is beautiful. - I'll say. What's a coin like this doing out here? - I'm not sure, but it proves Ranger Cooley knows what he's doing. - Well, that's true. - We're not far from camp. If one of the thieves dropped this, it could mean he's among us. - It's possible, but what would the advantage be? - I'm not sure. There might be some. Especially if this coin is valuable. How do we find out? - We need to learn more. Tell we do. Let's keep this to ourselves. - All right. (tense music) Coming in kind of late, aren't you, Marshall? It's well past eight. - Sorry. We lost track of time. - There are some biscuits and gravy left. - Thank you. We'll have something as soon as we un-saddle our horses. (tense music) - Marshall, look at the steps of that building there. - What is that? - I'm not sure. - Let's see. (tense music) It's a dead mountain lion. It looks like the one that attacked you. Got a bullet wound. I won't have to worry about that no more. Did you do this? Are you afraid of animals? I respect them. So do I, till they overstep their bounds. Is this what you were doing last night? - I had a none of your business weight. We're supposed to be working together. - Who says I ain't? - I bandage on your arm, come from work, hard work. You hear of that course. I doubt it. - We've been working all day. - You look like you just come out of a barbershop. - You look like you just came out of a horse stall. Must be tough standing around even beef jerky all day. - Easy, Jim. - You like weights, don't worry me none. Ain't tough enough for real work, that for sure. - Where were you last night? - Try not to get attacked by another mountain lion, will ya? - That man. - It's been a long day. Let's tend to the horses and get some dinner. - All right. - Good biscuits this morning. - Yeah. Some variety would be nice though. - Excuse me, sir, may I use your phone? - Sure, Marshall, thank you. We'll head out as soon as I make my call at Jim. - Okay. - Hello, central? First National Bank and Lions, please. No one has answered it. - It's after nine. Someone should be there by now. - I'll try Emily over at the general store. She might be able to get in touch with him. - Hey, close attention. You'll see that she likes you. - You're mistaken, Jim. - Listen. - All right. (phone ringing) Operator, give me the general store and Lions. - General Store, Emily Hobart speaking. - Hello, Emily. It's Richard Wade. - Marshall, how are you? - We're managing. - Good. Everyone here misses you. - We'll be back as soon as our work is done. How's it going with the store? - I've received several more donations. If it continues, I should be able to buy the store. - I'm glad to hear it. - Thank you. - I called the bank, but no one answered. - Stacy told me they've been having trouble with their phone. - Could you have her call me from the store? It's important. - Certainly. I'll go over there and get her right now. - Thank you. Goodbye. She's getting Stacy at the bank. - Good. How'd she treat you? - She showed me the same concern she shows everyone. - Baby, I was mistaken. - That's all right. Once Stacy calls, we'll head out and search. - Yes, sir. - Marshall, it's been almost an hour. - Let's give it five more minutes. If she doesn't call by then, we'll go. - Okay. (phone ringing) - What did I tell you? Hello? It is. Put her through, please. Stacy. - Morning, Marshall. - How may I help you? - I found a coin and was hoping you could appraise it. - I'll try my best. - Thank you. It's gold, has a solid weight, at least a quarter of a pound. - When was it minted? - I don't see a date on it. - That's all right. I can't be certain without seeing it, but from your description, it sounds like it might be privately minted. - Really? - It's probably solid gold and very valuable. - A few hundred dollars? - Much more than that. - A thousand? - A couple, at least. - Thank you. You've been very helpful. - My pleasure. Anything else I can do? - That's all. - Okay. Have a good day now. - You too. - Your conversation sounded promising. - It was. She said the coin is very valuable. - It's smart of the thieves to carry money in a compact form like that. - It certainly is. And we know they were in the area. Maybe they still are. - That's what we need to find out. - Well, how? - I'm not sure yet. Come on. Let's saddle up and get out there. - This trail sure is overgrown. - Hard to make out. - Is someone there? - Is it a mountain light? - I don't know. - Hello. - Lawson, is that you? - How do you fellas? How's the search going? - Nothing yet. - Same here. I haven't found a thing in days except for a small piece of beef jerky laying on a rock. - Beef jerky? - Yeah. - I told Cooley about it. He didn't know what to make of it. - All we can do is keep searching. - Yeah. Good luck. - See you at night and camp. That was interesting. It was just a few days ago that we found that beef jerky. - And two nights later, Ellison was eating some. - Right. But many people eat that stuff. - Yeah, we need to keep searching. Come on, let's go. (birds chirping) - Horan and Marsha. - Did you find the post office? - Yes, I mailed that letter to my sister. Told her to let my niece know that I'm thinking of her. - She'll appreciate that. - I hope she feels better soon. - So do I. - Gather round, men. Today we'll be covering this area on the map. We'll meet and bail, which is over here. Tonight at six. If you see something, come and find me. I'll be in this section here. Any questions? Good, move out. - Marsha, look at Ellison over there. He sure is in a hurry to get started. - So he is. Let's mount up and see where he goes. - Marsha, we've been trailing Ellison for almost an hour. There's no way he can know where he's going through all these trees. That may be what we have to keep at it. He's picking up the pace. Come on. - He's out of view. - Faster. - Where'd he go? - I don't know. We lost him. - What do we do? - Path up ahead looks well traveled. Let's try it. - Okay. It's so steep. - Do you want to turn back? - Let's go a little further. - All right. - Big river. - Beautiful waterfall. - Yeah, it looks like there's an opening on the side of it. - Oh, yeah. Let's take a closer look. It's amazing to be on the other side of the waterfall. - It sure is. - It's kind of damp. - Do you hear that? - What is it? - People, I think. Let's hide behind that rock. - I can't believe you're in here to find it. - I looked everywhere. - It's coming out of your shell. - That ain't fair. You were the one that wanted to bring it out here. - You're the one that lost it. - What? - Someone's coming. - Cool hits you. - Any luck? - Nah. - Since we haven't been able to get to the border yet, I'd say we do one more job to make up for what we lost. - That sounds risky. - You bring in a lot. - What are you talking about? - The hillside bank. - That ain't far from here. - It's in a busy town. - So, Frank and Stangard outside. - Well, you and John cover me. - Whoa, wait a minute. I only agreed to get you safely into Arizona territory. Nothing more. That lost coin is gonna affect your share of the profits too. - I don't care. I want this over with as soon as possible so I can move on. - Is somebody there? - Come out here. - The game's over you three. - Hands behind your back, Marshall. You too, Deputy. - Cooley, how could you? - Shut up and do what he says. - All right. - John, tie them up. - Sure. - Hey, what? After them. - Pastor Jim, the horses are just through the bushes. - I'm doing the best I can, sir. Where are they? - Cooley or the others must've taken 'em. Let's go. They aren't far behind us. - See something through the trees up ahead. - It's a buck board. - Why is it out here in the open? - We don't have time to find out. Hop in. - Hey, you crud. Outta my wagon. - Elder said. - Yeah, we found your cohorts. - What are you talking about? - The other thieves. Drive, Jim. - Yes, sir. - Hold it and half wet. - You ain't taking my wagon nowhere. - Oh, yeah? - Grab his gun, Jim. - Got it, Marshall. - We're taking you, prisoner. We'll get your friends soon. - I ain't one of 'em. - Why you been sneaking off from camp? - To earn extra cash. - What do you mean? - I've been hauling nitro for the developers. - Oh, yeah? - No, see for yourself. That's a lot of nitro, it sure is. - Get your hides out of my way. - There they are. - We'll never make it out alive. Unless we work together, you gotta play and drive. My deputy and I'll take care of the rest. - All right, move over. - They're coming up fast. - Toss out a case of nitro. - Are you crazy? - It's worth a fortune. - What do you value more? - The nitro? - Or your life? - Oh, all right. - Toss 'em. - You heard 'em, Jim. - Yes, sir. - Ugh. - That slowed 'em down. - Sure did. - Ellerson, pull into that clearing up head and stop. - They'll kill us. - Are you scared? - Of course not, but-- - Then pull in and leave the rest to me. - Oh, all right. - Both of you helped me set these cases of nitro up in a circle around the perimeter. - Why? - No time for questions. Just do it. - Faster, I want a complete circle. - I see them coming over the horizon, sir. - Work faster. - This is tough. Too weak to handle it, Ellerson. - You better hope you know what you're doing. - That's good, Jim. Both of you, getting the buckboarding go. - I'm not leaving you to face them alone, Marshall. - All right, well, then take cover in the woods so they don't see ya. - Oh, come on, Deputy. - Let's do it. (birds chirping) - Cooley, how could you do it? You're the law. - I was tired of scraping by. - That doesn't mean you team up with the very men you agreed to apprehend. - Well, I wanted to capture them. 'Til my office stopped supporting me. - That isn't great. I ran into these men soon after that. Helping them across the border is going to set me up for life. Enough talk, let's finish them off and go. - Hold on, Sutter. Wait, I'm willing to make a deal. It could turn you into a wealthy man. - I ain't giving up any more money. - Let me handle this. What's gonna be, Marshall? - No. - You're making a mistake. - You're the one that made the mistake. - Backing up isn't going to save you. - It won't save you either. - My deputy and Marshall Ellison are in the woods triangulating you, so we're surrounded by a circle of crates filled with nitro. If I go, so do you. - What? - I don't see no crates. He's bluffing. - Show 'em, Jim. - Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, look at that. - You wanna live or die? - I knew there was a reason I didn't like you. - This is your own doing. What's it gonna be? - All right. - We'll surrender. - Good. Now get off those horses. - Jim, Ellison. - Yes, sir. - Collect their guns. - All right, hand 'em over. - I'm on your side weight, but Cooley has a point. - What are you talking about? - I run nitro because the pay cut for Marshall's makes it tough to get by. - Didn't you talk to your boss about it? - Oh, he wouldn't listen. - You shouldn't have stopped there. - What do you mean? - We reached out to the federal government and got our pay cut reversed. - That's so. - Yep, we'd be glad to help ya. - Ah, I'd appreciate it. - We could've helped you too, Cooley, if you hadn't went down the wrong path. - There's still time to work something out. No one will know. - I will. Yours guilty as the rest of 'em. - Come on, Jim, let's head 'em out. - Yes, sir. You heard the Marshall move. - Marshall, Deputy, you're back. - Yes. - How did it go? - It wasn't easy, but we caught 'em. - I'm glad. - We just stopped in to say hello. - That was nice of you. - I'm surprised you haven't hired someone to stock the shelves, now that you own the place. - It didn't work out. - What do you mean? - Someone outbid me. - I'm sorry to hear that. Me too. - How do, Marshall? Deputy, I'm Angela DeMonico. - Nice to meet you, ma'am. - Ma'am. - Thank you. I just moved here from Wyoming. I aim to make this place a success again. - I hope you can. - I'll do my best. I can't afford to have employees right now. - You said I could stay on. - I rechecked the books and realized I was wrong. - What will you do? - I don't know. Even though times are tough, I plan to make some improvements like offering law enforcement a discount. Is that all right with you, Marshall? - I appreciate it. But not at the expense of Emily's job. - There's nothing I can do about that. - You come in whenever you like. I'll never get tired of seeing you. - I'm getting tired of something right now. - There's a water trough out front you can sit on if your feet need a rest. - I was talking about struggling to get by. I need a job. - You'll find one eventually. Everyone does. - I guess that's it. I'll gather my things. - I'm sure sorry, Emily. - Thank you, Marshall. - Deputy, let's head back to the office. - I'll expect you both in again soon. - When we have the time, ma'am. Have a good day now. - You too, Marshall. Bye. (upbeat music) - This was Richard Wade, U.S. Marshall, written by Barry M. Putt, Jr. starring Marie Thompson as Marshall Richard Wade, Bob Helling as Deputy Jim Clayton. Also in the cast would Gregory Sweet as Ranger Cooley. Jason D. Markiwitz as Marshall Ellerson. Kelly Viston as Emily Hobart. Jim Glenn as Phil Sutter. Roberto Castaneda as Dominic Lawson. Phillip Cola-Cotronas as Deputy Bates. Paul R. B. C. as John Hetrick. Ethan Horton as Frank Dumple. Beth Graterff as Angela DeMonico. And Deneen Falk as Stacy. I'm your announcer, Ryan Barker. Sound design and dialogue at a day in J. Charles. Produced by Joseph C. McGuire with financial support from members of the RTP Repertory Company and Soundlate, the sound effects platform. You can find this and other series at PodcastPlayhouse.org or wherever you get podcasts. This was a radio theater project presentation. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) [BLANK_AUDIO]