The Hunting of Bob Lee

Originally Aired: October 29, 1951 Suspense #445, "The Hunting of Bob Lee," brings listeners a dramatization of one of Texas's most notorious feuds. Bob Lee, a prosperous rancher returning home after the Civil War, finds himself targeted by his less fortunate neighbors who resent his success. When Lee rides into the village of Pilot Grove wearing a distinctive plumed hat, townsman Hugh Evans and his allies confront him, mocking his fancy dress as an insult to their poverty. The confrontation turns violent, and Evans dies in the scuffle. Though Lee insists it was a fair fight and accidental death, the men of Pilot Grove—including Bowerin, Sam Bear, and others—vow revenge. What begins as a street brawl escalates into a deadly manhunt. Lee returns to his ranch, preparing for the worst with his brother Henry and wife Cloy by his side. When two apparent Union soldiers arrive to arrest him for murder, Lee surrenders peacefully, trusting in military justice. Too late, he discovers they are imposters who deliver him directly to his enemies in Choctaw Bottom, where he finds himself tied to a tree, surrounded by the very men who want him dead.