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May 11, 2025 17 mins
Host: Andrew Rhynes
Show: Western Stories
Phone: (707) 98 OTRDW (6-8739)

Narrator:
 • Marvin Miller

Exit music from: Roundup on the Prairie by Aaron Kenny https://bit.ly/3kTj0kK

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Welcome to the old time radio Westerns. I'm your host,
Angel Ryans, and I'm excited to bring you another episode
absolutely free. This is one of over eighty episodes released
monthly for your enjoyment. Now let's get into this episode.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Time Now for armchair Adventures. I've been expecting you, and
you're right on time.

Speaker 3 (00:58):
I have a story for you, the story of a
man who had to fight grizzled. Old Dad Hartman, owner
of the Circle A Ranch, studied the bruises on Jack
Bennett's face. Well, Jack, my forman looks a lot worse
than you do, but maybe the fight was his fault.
Jack bristled. He had it comedy here, mister Hartman, nobody
calls me a runt. Dad heaved a regretful sigh. Well, Jack,

(01:22):
you're a good cow hand and I hate to let
you go. But the boys was right when they nicknamed
you Jack the Giant Killer. Yes, it's time for armchair adventures,
tales of crime, mystery, romance and comedy. Now Here is
your storyteller Marvin Miller with tonight's armchair Adventure, Jack the

(01:43):
Giant Killer. Jack Bennett's face showed no regret at the
news that he was fired. If anything, his bristling air
of antagonism seemed to lessen, and the bunched muscles under
the skin of his jaw to relax. There was regret
in Dad Hartman's voice. You see that chip if you
carry on your shoulders becoming pretty well known in these parts.

(02:04):
Mister Hartman, whoever said I ever picked a fight as
a liar? Well, maybe you didn't actually pick the fights, Jack,
But when a man's spoiling for trouble, he doesn't have
much luck avoiding it. As I say, people in this
neck of the wood know your reputation for fighting, especially
with men bigger than yourself. So ever big guy you
meet is going to have a chip on his shoulder

(02:24):
for you too. Why if he has, he's going to
get it knocked off. I'm as good a man as
any I ever met. I do more work than any
of them. I know about that too. I guess that's
part of your nature, always to prove your little better
than the other fellow. That makes you a valuable cow hand.
You wouldn't have any trouble at all holding a job
if he just didn't fight so much. Why do you

(02:45):
do it? Son, I'll pat you. Why Dad. When I
was a kid, I was littler than any of the others,
just like now I'm smaller than most men, and the
others was always picking on me because I couldn't fight back.
I made up my mind that someday I wouldn't have
to take it anymore. And now I don't, not from anybody,

(03:07):
all right, Jack, just forget I said anything except it.
Maybe if you go away, far away, you won't have
so much trouble keeping the peace. I ain't running away, Dad,
I'm gonna stick right around here till all of them
realize they can't get by with anything with me. And
if I keep the peace, it'll be because I'm not

(03:27):
the one who's steered. In the months that followed, Little
Jack Bennett Jack the Giant Killer, worked for many outfits,
a month here, a couple of months there. Once he
managed to hold a job for four months at the
bar H Ranch before beating a big dumbfellow named Larson
nearly to death. So when Jack applied for work at
the Lazy X, the foreman was reluctant to hire him.

(03:49):
But the lazy X was shorthanded and round up time
was coming up, and the little Man's reputation for hard
work finally weighed the scales in his favor. Here is
at all previous outfits. He sent the silent antagonism of
the men, but here it was more pronounced than ever before.
When he'd entered the bunk house, where the boys were
laughing and talking, they'd suddenly fall silent. It was evident

(04:10):
they'd changed the conversation Naturally. This resentment on the part
of the others had its effect on the little Man's temper.
And there was one rioter at the Lazy ex called
Hank Withers, who irritated Jack more than any of the others.
A big, strapping fellow who, for all his size, sat
his saddle with easy grace and walked with the tread
of a panther. He was young, too, and darkly handsome,

(04:32):
keen intelligence showed in his deep brown eyes. Jack felt
an immediate dislike for Hank at first sight. He hated
the young man's careless indifference, his sureness of himself. But
most of all, he hated the look in Hank's eyes
that went right through him, as if he weren't there.
What Jack didn't know was that Hank was only too
aware of the little fighting Cock's presence, and that when

(04:53):
Hank completely ignored him it was to side step trouble.
But the other hands in the outfit could see what
was happening. They knew that if Jack Bennett was to
ever taste the bitterness of defeat, Hank Withers would have
to administer the medicine. All Throughout the hot, dusty days
of the round up, they laid plans to set the
two men at each other. They dropped casual bits of

(05:13):
conversation intended to increase the tension between Jack and Hank,
which would rapidly nearing the breaking point as far as
Jack was concerned. Bill Neely squatted beside Jank at the
campfire one night and started a conversation. You know, Jack,
the boys have had their eyes on you and Hank.
We'd heard you as pretty much of a worker, But

(05:35):
the way it looks to us, you ain't keeping up
with Big Hank. Oh yeah, I can wrestle more strays
than an hour in that big galue canon a month.
You want to see some ride and just you keep
your eyes on me tomorrow. The next day, Jack was
a frenzy of action, driving his sorrel maritill or hide
foamed with sweat, and her nostrils sucked in great gulps

(05:57):
of the hot, dusty air. Bill Neely watched his every movement,
then went out of his way to report to Hank.
Of course, staying out of my business, Hank. But it's
a common knowledge around the outfit that that Ron Bennett
has bragged he's a better man than you. Now. I
don't want to start no trouble between you two, but
I just thought you ought to know how he feels. Well,

(06:19):
if Bennett thinks he's a better man than me, it's
all right for him to think. So I'm pretty disappointed
in the way you're taking his Hank. We'd sort of
hope that you'd be the one to take him down
a few pegs. Of course, if you're scared of him,
well I'm not get that straight. If he does something
so I have to whoop them, then I reckon I will.

(06:43):
The next day, Bill Neely reported this conversation to Jack,
twisting it just enough to make it sound like a threat.
Then he returned to Hank with Jack's reply. He didn't
take long to get the two of them worked up
to a pitch where anything could happen, and shortly it did.
On the night the outfit return to their quarters from
the round up tire out, and with tempers frayed from
the grueling days of toil, the incident occurred which set

(07:04):
the match to the powder. Bill Neely had left his
dog behind. Now upon their reunion, the dog was frisking
all over the bunk house. It happened to dash across
the open doorway just as Jack Bennett stepped in. Jack
tripped on the dog, almost went down, and then, in
a flash of anger, his foot shot out. Bill stepped
up to defend his pup, and the enraged little man
lashed out with a vicious right and left, which sent

(07:26):
Bill sprawling. Hank got out of his bunk and advanced
toward the giant killer. Listen, Bennett, why don't you pick
on somebody you can't lick? If you mean yourself, come
outside and say that again. Uh huh, I guess maybe
I will come on outside. In the moonlight, they squared off.

(07:49):
The big man waited for the rush he knew would come.
The small man waited for the other's guard to drop momentarily,
and then flew forward, arms swinging around and around. They struggled,
Jack holding on, fighting him close where his shorter arms
could find their mark. Hank pushing the little man away
and landing smashing blows. He heaved for breath. Still they
fought on until one great swing by the big man

(08:09):
caught jack Flesh on the chin. His body straightened up
and stiffened, and he fell flat on his back in
the dust. A cheer broke from the doors and windows
of the bunk house, where the men had watched the battle.
Hank turned toward them, Well, had done your dirty work
for you. Now I hope you're satisfied. He bent and
picked up the little man, carried him to the water trough.

(08:31):
With his big, red checkered handkerchief, he washed away the
blood and dust. He carried his victim into the bunk
house and laid him gently in his bed. Then he
turned to the circle of men. I want all of
you to forget this happened, because if I hear of
any of you shooting off his mouth, you have to
answer to me how gone get to bed? All of you.

(08:52):
One of the men could not keep silent, but Hack
he had it coming to him. Somebody had to do it.
Maybe so that don't change the facts that he's the
gamest little guy that ever lived. The men lowered their eyes,
kind of ashamed, and then one by one they shuffled
off to bed. Hank lay awake in his bunk, his

(09:15):
body ached with weariness, and yet sleep wouldn't come. Some
time later he heard sounds of regaining consciousness coming from
the giant Killer's bunk, and then, shortly after stifled sobbing,
big heartrending sobs of a man who's lost all desire
for living. Then the crying ceased, and he could hear
the little man collecting his belongings. Soon the door creaked open,

(09:36):
and then all was still big. Hank lay silently another moment, thinking,
Then he too got up, wrapped his kit in his blanket,
and stole out of the corral. Jack was tightening the
saddle girth of his sorrow mare and didn't look up
when he heard Hank approach him. Where are you going? Jack?
Why don't you leave me alone? Ain't you done enough?

(09:58):
I just thought maybe if I couldn't persuade you to stay,
i'd go with you. See, I got my bindo. Why
would you want to go any place with me? Oh?
I reckon? Maybe we got something in common leastwise. I
know those guys in error against you, and I'm against them,
so that must mean you and me are in the
same boat. Why should you be again them they look

(10:19):
up to you. No, no, they don't look up to me.
I'm just a big stiff they can use. That's the
way it's been all my life. If I was mean
as well as being big, then they would be afraid
of me and leave me alone. As it is, they
just use me. You mean you you didn't really want
to fight me tonight, that they forced you into it.

(10:39):
The only time I've ever fought is when I was
forced into it. People who are afraid to fight for themselves. Yeah,
I guess you could say I was forced into fighting too,
though you might not think it. For my reputation. I
found out that big guys are just as easy to
let as little ones because they're just as afraid of
getting hurt. It ain't a man in size that licksimmits

(11:01):
his fear. You didn't lick me tonight, you just knocked
me out. It's having to face those guys in the
morning with them knowing that I can be whooped. That's
what licked me. I gotta start all over again. Getting
back my reputation. Oh gosh, I've always wished I was
big like you, so i'd never have to fight. Hum,
it sounds funny you saying that I've always wished I

(11:24):
was a little like you, so I would never have
to fight. The two men stood for a moment, staring
at each other, trying to figure out what they had
just said. Finally, the little one reached the decision. Well,
looks like both of us are gonna have to keep
on scrapping, whether we want to or not. But there's
no use of us fighting each other. Maybe I I

(11:46):
will accept your offer to ride along with me, Okay,
but before we start, there's something around here that needs
attendant to. Yes, sir, there are people around here who
wanted fighting tonight. It wasn't me, and it wasn't you.
You mean you mean the people who wanted to see
fight and should get to really seal a little of it. Eh.

(12:07):
The big man grinned and nodded. The little man smiled
and grabbed the other's arm. Together they marched back into
the bunk house. Shortly thereafter, from the big long ship
came cries and thrones and crashing. Men fled from footed
stores clad in their underwear and night shirts and were
swallowed up by the desert night. You've been listening to

(12:30):
another armchair adventure. Social Security provides the serviceman with new
insurance protection with benefits paid to insured men and women
at age sixty five upon retirement or at age fifty
if total and permanent disability strikes. Social Security also represents

(12:55):
family survivor benefits for a serviceman's widow and minor children.
The false story of how Social Security works is available
in a number of different pamphlets. These pamphlets are available
now in service libraries and reading rooms. They take only
a few minutes to read, and the information you get
will help you plan for the future. First of all,
you should know what social Security can mean to your

(13:17):
family in the event of your death, and it's important
to learn how many years of service you need to
qualify for this second retirement check. Servicemen can collect Social
Security at age sixty five, but women are eligible at
age sixty two. Have you investigated your Social Security benefits?

(13:45):
Marvin Miller's Armchair Adventures has come to you through the
worldwide facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio and
Television Service.

Speaker 1 (15:48):
This has been a presentation of OTR Westerns dot com
and we hope you enjoyed. Please take some time to
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(16:10):
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can call and leave us a voicemail seven oh seven

(16:31):
nine eight six eight seven thirty nine. This episode is
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more information, go to OTR Westerns dot com slash copyright.
Have a great day and thanks for listening. Set Settata
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