Gunsmoke (1955) s01e18 Episode Script
Yorky
ANNOUNCER: Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Out here on the frontier, few people care how a man dies or for what reason.
But I do.
My name's Dillon, U.
S.
marshal.
With headquarters over there in Dodge City.
No man's life is worthless.
And yet, the killing goes on.
And the number of graves here on Boot Hill increases.
All kinds lie here.
Good and bad together.
While the frontier grows west.
Shut up, Rogue.
Little dog ain't no account.
Makes all his bark when it's too late.
Wait.
He might be playin' possum.
I'd have swore you hit him, Pa.
Looks like I hit him all right.
Blood.
Lots of it.
Arapaho? No.
Arapahos would've sent This looks like some kid who's trying to count a coup.
Well, don't an Injun have to take a scalp to count a coup? Stealin' a horse is about as good, especially for a young one.
But this one'll never wear the eagle's feather.
He'll be bled white by sunup.
I reckon this is where the marshal stays.
Yeah, reckon it is.
You reckon I could see him? Mm-hm.
I reckon you could.
Got a visitor, Mr.
Dillon.
Mr.
Dillon? You can just go right on in.
Thank you.
Oh, boy.
Looks like I got spring fever in the middle of October.
Come on in and sit down.
I'm sorry to disturb you, marshal.
What's the trouble? My name's Seldon.
Got a farm on the south fork of the Solomon.
Now, you're not very near home, are you, Mr.
Seldon? I figured you could help me.
Sit down.
How can I help you? Three days ago, I seen this paint horse standing by the spring.
No saddle.
Indian pony.
Just a rope around its jaw.
You know? Go on.
Well, there was boy tied to the end of that rope.
Been shot in the leg.
Fainted.
Lost too much blood.
I brought him in and doctored to him best I could.
He come around after a while.
Well, how old was the boy? About 14.
But he was awful wild.
Minute I turned my back, he tried to kill me with his knife.
I just can't keep him, marshal.
Why don't you turn him over to a reservation somewhere? They'd never take him.
Why not? He ain't really an Indian.
He's a white boy.
What? When I washed the wound, you could see it was just dirt made him dark.
'Sides, he speaks English pretty good.
Well, I don't know what I can do, Mr.
Seldon.
I'm hired to keep the peace, not ride herd on orphans.
Marshal, he said he was gonna cut off my ears and feed 'em to the dog if I didn't turn him loose.
Maybe you'd better turn him loose.
Maybe.
Just don't seem fittin'.
If I let him go, he'll die.
You see, he's getting the blood poison in that leg now.
Why, I ain't sure he'll live, even if he does get treated.
Well, the doc won't be back for ten days yet.
That's why I'm here.
It's up to you, marshal.
All right.
Go, Mr.
Seldon.
Martha, this here's Marshal Dillon.
Pleased to meet you, ma'am.
Evening, marshal.
Well, where's the boy? I locked him in that shack.
He ain't got out, has he? He's got awful quiet.
White man too late for torture.
Leg finish, I finish.
I'd like to take a look at that leg, son.
Doesn't look like you did much for him, Seldon.
Well, washed it and put the bandage on afore I come around.
Wouldn't let me touch it after that.
Tried to bite me.
Well, he won't bite you now.
Come on, son.
Well, it wasn't in too deep.
Torture finish.
Not yet, son.
I gotta open it up now and let the poison out.
I guess it seems like torture, but it's gonna help you.
Torture no help.
I finish now.
You know, it'd make things a lot easier on both of us if you'd stop tryin' so hard to die.
Who shot ya? Who shot ya?! Don't know.
What were you doing? After horses.
Where? Torture finish.
All the poison's comin' out.
You'll feel better in a minute.
Feel better now.
You fix leg? Fix it? He saved your life.
Should heal up in about a week or so, if you take it easy.
You have strong medicine.
Sharp knife's the best medicine there is for a bullet wound like yours.
Why you save Indian? Arapahos don't care if prisoner die.
Well, you're not a prisoner, son.
And I'm not an Arapaho.
What's your name? Yorky.
Where's your folks? Arapahos say killed in raid.
Do you remember 'em? No.
He speaks pretty good English when he wants to.
Yes, he does.
Standing Bear make me talk every day.
He say it good for Indian speak white man tongue.
If you learn talk of snake, you know where he strike.
Yeah, but you're a white man, Yorky.
Arapaho.
I go back to tribe when I make big coup.
If I come back with scalp and horses, I become warrior.
You're not gonna take any scalps, and you're not gonna steal any horses.
You're gonna go to sleep.
You mean, he don't remember nothin' 'bout his kinfolk? Nothin', Chester.
Aw, poor kid.
Yeah, ridin' double all that way didn't help him either.
Chester, put him in bed, will you? I'll find him something to eat.
All right, sir.
Come on.
Let's go.
Over here.
Don't worry, son.
We'll take care of you.
Hey, Injun.
Supper's ready.
Leg move pretty good after three days.
Stay up now.
No, you're gonna stay in bed two more days.
Oh, I think he can probably get up now, Chester, if he takes it easy.
Well, if you say so, Mr.
Dillon, but my ma always said the best thing for healing was a pure heart and a lot of sleep.
All right.
But if he starts movin' around too much, put him back to bed.
All right, sir.
Mr.
Dillon save my life.
He sure did.
If he hadn't taken that bullet out, you'd had to cut your leg off up by your windpipe.
So now I count a coup for him before I go back to tribe.
Well, I figured as to how living a couple of months in town, among civilized humans, and you'd forget all about them Arapaho.
Maybe so.
Marshal want horses? No.
He don't want no horses.
If you wanna help him, don't go stealin' no horses.
Get a job and behave yourself.
That's how you count a coup for him.
No, Yorky, you gotta forget about them Indian tricks and act civilized.
Yorky.
This is yours.
You might as well wear it.
How's your job at the stable? Good.
Like work with horses.
Like work here too.
I kinda figured that when that leg of yours healed up, you'd be headin' back for the Arapahos.
Not now.
Glad to hear it, Yorky.
Hey, Injun.
You'd better stop foolin' around that sire, up and get over to the stable.
If you're late, ol' Moss will skin you alive.
Pretty animal, ain't he, boy? You gonna sell him, Mr.
Brant? Not this one, boy.
But I'm bringing in Army's contracted for most of 'em.
But I got one for the marshal to see.
You tell him, boy.
"You tell him, boy.
" Morning, marshal.
Hello, Abe.
How are ya? It's always a pleasure, marshal.
How's the best bronc-buster in Kansas? Fine, except I'm a little dry.
We just brought in some stock.
All right, go ahead.
But if you take more than one drink afore I get there, I'll be on you like a big dog after a small bone.
Sit down, Abe.
Pull up a chair.
That boy.
When he gets liquored up, he ain't no good with horses.
You sellin' this bunch to the Army, Abe? Sold 'em all but one.
Eight hundred and 40 dollars worth.
Sixty dollars apiece.
Area sergeant's taking 'em out to Fort Dodge this afternoon.
But I'm keepin' a buckskin that I never seen the like of.
I figured you'd like first crack at him.
Well, I would, Abe.
Thanks for thinking of me.
Marshal, a month ago some Injun kid tried to steal my horses, and I shot him.
Think I killed him.
I figured it was just some kid trying to steal some horse to count a coup.
I wanted to find out if other folks around here been havin' Injun trouble.
There's no reports, Abe.
Well, now.
That makes a man consider things mighty carefully.
I'll go get Tom.
Care to have a drink? No, no, thanks, Abe.
I'll see you down at the corral.
Wanna take a look at that buckskin.
I'll be there.
All right, Abe.
Yorky.
What'd you wanna steal his horses for, son? I follow horses' track from reservation.
Horses stolen while I was guard.
He kill other boy on guard.
That red horse he ride belong to Standing Bear.
Come on down to the corral, Yorky.
I want you to see a buckskin.
You sure? Sure.
Sixteen horses stole.
Fifteen here.
Big man ride one.
Buckskin belong to me.
Keep out of this, Yorky.
Pretty, ain't they, marshal? They sure are.
But that buckskin, he's the best of them all.
Let you have the buckskin for $70.
I'd call that reasonable.
Come on.
Come on.
Where's your saddle? In the stable.
Where'd you get him? All up in Cheyenne country.
Who from, Abe? Why? 'Cause I wanna know.
You're mighty curious for an old friend.
I'm not askin' as a friend.
Now, where's the bill of sale for these horses? There ain't none.
You took 'em from the Arapahos, didn't you? I fought Indians all my life.
They killed my friends.
They stole my horses, they robbed my traps.
Course I stole these horses.
Isn't another man in the territory could do it.
Isn't another man in the territory with better reason.
The Arapahos are on a federal reservation, Abe.
And it's my job to see that they get their horses back and that you get a trial.
You'd come after me? Wherever you go.
Now, I'll send Tom and Yorky back with the horses, and you'll have to stand trial.
Stand trial for what? Stealin' horses or killin' Injuns? Get down from there, Abe.
Better keep still, Mr.
Dillon.
Ride out, Pa.
Unbuckle your belt and drop it.
I'm not sending these horses back, and I'm not standin' trial.
And you're not comin' after me, marshal.
You can't kill him, Pa.
It ain't right.
He's our friend.
I ain't gonna hang for no friendship.
Now, open that gate and get me a horse.
Why, you can't! He's dead, ain't he? You gonna want me? At the inquest.
Bury him out in the open somewheres.
Will you, marshal? Eight hundred and 40 dollars, sergeant.
It's all here.
Thank you, marshal.
You have the horses? Yeah, we got the horses.
I'm gonna return 'em to Standing Bear tomorrow.
All right, marshal.
You're wrong, Mr.
Dillon.
Them horses already been returned.
Moss said Yorky pulled out with 'em at sunlight.
You think he'll come back? No, Mr.
Dillon, I don't.
Neither do I.
He's going back to his tribe as a warrior.
Made his coup and got the horses.
Well, not all of 'em.
He left the buckskin in the corral.
With your saddle on him.
Out here on the frontier, few people care how a man dies or for what reason.
But I do.
My name's Dillon, U.
S.
marshal.
With headquarters over there in Dodge City.
No man's life is worthless.
And yet, the killing goes on.
And the number of graves here on Boot Hill increases.
All kinds lie here.
Good and bad together.
While the frontier grows west.
Shut up, Rogue.
Little dog ain't no account.
Makes all his bark when it's too late.
Wait.
He might be playin' possum.
I'd have swore you hit him, Pa.
Looks like I hit him all right.
Blood.
Lots of it.
Arapaho? No.
Arapahos would've sent This looks like some kid who's trying to count a coup.
Well, don't an Injun have to take a scalp to count a coup? Stealin' a horse is about as good, especially for a young one.
But this one'll never wear the eagle's feather.
He'll be bled white by sunup.
I reckon this is where the marshal stays.
Yeah, reckon it is.
You reckon I could see him? Mm-hm.
I reckon you could.
Got a visitor, Mr.
Dillon.
Mr.
Dillon? You can just go right on in.
Thank you.
Oh, boy.
Looks like I got spring fever in the middle of October.
Come on in and sit down.
I'm sorry to disturb you, marshal.
What's the trouble? My name's Seldon.
Got a farm on the south fork of the Solomon.
Now, you're not very near home, are you, Mr.
Seldon? I figured you could help me.
Sit down.
How can I help you? Three days ago, I seen this paint horse standing by the spring.
No saddle.
Indian pony.
Just a rope around its jaw.
You know? Go on.
Well, there was boy tied to the end of that rope.
Been shot in the leg.
Fainted.
Lost too much blood.
I brought him in and doctored to him best I could.
He come around after a while.
Well, how old was the boy? About 14.
But he was awful wild.
Minute I turned my back, he tried to kill me with his knife.
I just can't keep him, marshal.
Why don't you turn him over to a reservation somewhere? They'd never take him.
Why not? He ain't really an Indian.
He's a white boy.
What? When I washed the wound, you could see it was just dirt made him dark.
'Sides, he speaks English pretty good.
Well, I don't know what I can do, Mr.
Seldon.
I'm hired to keep the peace, not ride herd on orphans.
Marshal, he said he was gonna cut off my ears and feed 'em to the dog if I didn't turn him loose.
Maybe you'd better turn him loose.
Maybe.
Just don't seem fittin'.
If I let him go, he'll die.
You see, he's getting the blood poison in that leg now.
Why, I ain't sure he'll live, even if he does get treated.
Well, the doc won't be back for ten days yet.
That's why I'm here.
It's up to you, marshal.
All right.
Go, Mr.
Seldon.
Martha, this here's Marshal Dillon.
Pleased to meet you, ma'am.
Evening, marshal.
Well, where's the boy? I locked him in that shack.
He ain't got out, has he? He's got awful quiet.
White man too late for torture.
Leg finish, I finish.
I'd like to take a look at that leg, son.
Doesn't look like you did much for him, Seldon.
Well, washed it and put the bandage on afore I come around.
Wouldn't let me touch it after that.
Tried to bite me.
Well, he won't bite you now.
Come on, son.
Well, it wasn't in too deep.
Torture finish.
Not yet, son.
I gotta open it up now and let the poison out.
I guess it seems like torture, but it's gonna help you.
Torture no help.
I finish now.
You know, it'd make things a lot easier on both of us if you'd stop tryin' so hard to die.
Who shot ya? Who shot ya?! Don't know.
What were you doing? After horses.
Where? Torture finish.
All the poison's comin' out.
You'll feel better in a minute.
Feel better now.
You fix leg? Fix it? He saved your life.
Should heal up in about a week or so, if you take it easy.
You have strong medicine.
Sharp knife's the best medicine there is for a bullet wound like yours.
Why you save Indian? Arapahos don't care if prisoner die.
Well, you're not a prisoner, son.
And I'm not an Arapaho.
What's your name? Yorky.
Where's your folks? Arapahos say killed in raid.
Do you remember 'em? No.
He speaks pretty good English when he wants to.
Yes, he does.
Standing Bear make me talk every day.
He say it good for Indian speak white man tongue.
If you learn talk of snake, you know where he strike.
Yeah, but you're a white man, Yorky.
Arapaho.
I go back to tribe when I make big coup.
If I come back with scalp and horses, I become warrior.
You're not gonna take any scalps, and you're not gonna steal any horses.
You're gonna go to sleep.
You mean, he don't remember nothin' 'bout his kinfolk? Nothin', Chester.
Aw, poor kid.
Yeah, ridin' double all that way didn't help him either.
Chester, put him in bed, will you? I'll find him something to eat.
All right, sir.
Come on.
Let's go.
Over here.
Don't worry, son.
We'll take care of you.
Hey, Injun.
Supper's ready.
Leg move pretty good after three days.
Stay up now.
No, you're gonna stay in bed two more days.
Oh, I think he can probably get up now, Chester, if he takes it easy.
Well, if you say so, Mr.
Dillon, but my ma always said the best thing for healing was a pure heart and a lot of sleep.
All right.
But if he starts movin' around too much, put him back to bed.
All right, sir.
Mr.
Dillon save my life.
He sure did.
If he hadn't taken that bullet out, you'd had to cut your leg off up by your windpipe.
So now I count a coup for him before I go back to tribe.
Well, I figured as to how living a couple of months in town, among civilized humans, and you'd forget all about them Arapaho.
Maybe so.
Marshal want horses? No.
He don't want no horses.
If you wanna help him, don't go stealin' no horses.
Get a job and behave yourself.
That's how you count a coup for him.
No, Yorky, you gotta forget about them Indian tricks and act civilized.
Yorky.
This is yours.
You might as well wear it.
How's your job at the stable? Good.
Like work with horses.
Like work here too.
I kinda figured that when that leg of yours healed up, you'd be headin' back for the Arapahos.
Not now.
Glad to hear it, Yorky.
Hey, Injun.
You'd better stop foolin' around that sire, up and get over to the stable.
If you're late, ol' Moss will skin you alive.
Pretty animal, ain't he, boy? You gonna sell him, Mr.
Brant? Not this one, boy.
But I'm bringing in Army's contracted for most of 'em.
But I got one for the marshal to see.
You tell him, boy.
"You tell him, boy.
" Morning, marshal.
Hello, Abe.
How are ya? It's always a pleasure, marshal.
How's the best bronc-buster in Kansas? Fine, except I'm a little dry.
We just brought in some stock.
All right, go ahead.
But if you take more than one drink afore I get there, I'll be on you like a big dog after a small bone.
Sit down, Abe.
Pull up a chair.
That boy.
When he gets liquored up, he ain't no good with horses.
You sellin' this bunch to the Army, Abe? Sold 'em all but one.
Eight hundred and 40 dollars worth.
Sixty dollars apiece.
Area sergeant's taking 'em out to Fort Dodge this afternoon.
But I'm keepin' a buckskin that I never seen the like of.
I figured you'd like first crack at him.
Well, I would, Abe.
Thanks for thinking of me.
Marshal, a month ago some Injun kid tried to steal my horses, and I shot him.
Think I killed him.
I figured it was just some kid trying to steal some horse to count a coup.
I wanted to find out if other folks around here been havin' Injun trouble.
There's no reports, Abe.
Well, now.
That makes a man consider things mighty carefully.
I'll go get Tom.
Care to have a drink? No, no, thanks, Abe.
I'll see you down at the corral.
Wanna take a look at that buckskin.
I'll be there.
All right, Abe.
Yorky.
What'd you wanna steal his horses for, son? I follow horses' track from reservation.
Horses stolen while I was guard.
He kill other boy on guard.
That red horse he ride belong to Standing Bear.
Come on down to the corral, Yorky.
I want you to see a buckskin.
You sure? Sure.
Sixteen horses stole.
Fifteen here.
Big man ride one.
Buckskin belong to me.
Keep out of this, Yorky.
Pretty, ain't they, marshal? They sure are.
But that buckskin, he's the best of them all.
Let you have the buckskin for $70.
I'd call that reasonable.
Come on.
Come on.
Where's your saddle? In the stable.
Where'd you get him? All up in Cheyenne country.
Who from, Abe? Why? 'Cause I wanna know.
You're mighty curious for an old friend.
I'm not askin' as a friend.
Now, where's the bill of sale for these horses? There ain't none.
You took 'em from the Arapahos, didn't you? I fought Indians all my life.
They killed my friends.
They stole my horses, they robbed my traps.
Course I stole these horses.
Isn't another man in the territory could do it.
Isn't another man in the territory with better reason.
The Arapahos are on a federal reservation, Abe.
And it's my job to see that they get their horses back and that you get a trial.
You'd come after me? Wherever you go.
Now, I'll send Tom and Yorky back with the horses, and you'll have to stand trial.
Stand trial for what? Stealin' horses or killin' Injuns? Get down from there, Abe.
Better keep still, Mr.
Dillon.
Ride out, Pa.
Unbuckle your belt and drop it.
I'm not sending these horses back, and I'm not standin' trial.
And you're not comin' after me, marshal.
You can't kill him, Pa.
It ain't right.
He's our friend.
I ain't gonna hang for no friendship.
Now, open that gate and get me a horse.
Why, you can't! He's dead, ain't he? You gonna want me? At the inquest.
Bury him out in the open somewheres.
Will you, marshal? Eight hundred and 40 dollars, sergeant.
It's all here.
Thank you, marshal.
You have the horses? Yeah, we got the horses.
I'm gonna return 'em to Standing Bear tomorrow.
All right, marshal.
You're wrong, Mr.
Dillon.
Them horses already been returned.
Moss said Yorky pulled out with 'em at sunlight.
You think he'll come back? No, Mr.
Dillon, I don't.
Neither do I.
He's going back to his tribe as a warrior.
Made his coup and got the horses.
Well, not all of 'em.
He left the buckskin in the corral.
With your saddle on him.