OK I'm almost there


open "c:\temp.bat" for output as #1
print #1, "ping http://www.espn.com > c:\temp.txt"
close #1

shell "c:\temp.bat"

' wait for it to get done some how.

open "c:\temp.txt" for input as #1
b()=input lof(1),1
close #1

ITS Works
But what if I want to run a command like

NSLOOKUP
'then send
set type = mx
'then
yahoo.com

???