Pioneer Western Radio · solgoodmedia.com

Fort Laramie - Playing Indian

March 15, 2026·30 min·2 clips

At a burned homestead, Quince uncovers evidence that white men, not Arapahos, slaughtered the family and stole horses.

Captain Lee Quince returns to Fort Laramie after time in St. Louis, where he briefly considered leaving the army for civilian business. Sergeant Gorse meets him in town and briefs him on a wave of raids attributed to Arapaho warriors: a settler family has been massacred in the basin and horses stolen. Major Daggett orders Quince to take B Company out the following morning rather than use Quince's preferred small-scout approach. Quince argues successfully for a smaller patrol of twelve men. In town before reporting for duty, Quince and Gorse encounter two men hostile to soldiers; Quince and Gorse fight them off. Quince reports to Major Daggett at midnight and is ordered to take B Company out at dawn. Riding out, the patrol discovers a second burned homestead. Examining the scene, Quince pushes both Gorse and the inexperienced Lieutenant Seiberts to look beyond the obvious. He notes the absence of many arrows, the covered tracks, and the killing of a young boy — unusual for Arapahos, who would typically take a boy of that age to raise as a warrior. He concludes the murders were committed by white men wearing moccasins who dragged their tracks. Quince commandeers the nearby Steele ranch, borrowing it from Holly Steele, the 19-year-old daughter who is home alone while her parents visit neighbors. He explains his plan: use the ranch's horses as bait and lie in wait for the killers. Holly departs with a cavalry escort. Quince positions the rest of the patrol in a concealed ring half a mile out with orders to let riders in but kill any who try to escape after hearing gunfire. Quince and Gorse wait inside the cabin for three days in boredom and increasing tension. On the third night, horses approach. Three men ride up and call out, claiming to want to talk, luring someone to open the door. Quince waits until one man enters, then fires. Gorse handles the second man. The third, who had stayed outside with the horses, is taken by the encircling troopers. Quince reflects that stopping the killings feels better than any money he might have made in St. Louis.

As heard by us

A cavalry ride turns into a burned-cabin tragedy.

Fort Laramie opens with Captain Quince in civilian clothes, a bit of friendly ribbing from Sergeant Gorse, and a ride out to a cabin that turns grim fast.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

A cavalry patrol under Captain Lee Quince reaches a burned cabin and the aftermath.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Pioneer Western Radio