Gunsmoke (1955) s01e19 Episode Script

ANNOUNCER: Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Hyah! Ho! Hello, Kitty.
Good morning, Matt.
You're bright and early.
Expecting a friend on the stage? Oh, what I'm expecting can sometimes do more for a woman than, uh, even a friend.
Oh? New hat with Paris label from Saint Louis.
Yeah, there was a big trailer that got in yesterday.
Guess you do need something to pick up your spirits, huh? There wasn't one of those Texans that could've ever known a mother.
They all acted like they'd been raised in caves.
Wait a minute.
Come on, I want you to meet somebody.
Who is it? An old friend from Arizona.
I never knew what a lawman's badge stood for until I met him.
Carver.
Matt! Keep a-coming, mister.
I'm watching your hand.
Put that gun away.
Keep coming, I said.
You're crazy, Troy, it's Matt Dillon! Well, it sure is.
Matt.
You've changed.
You look different.
I must have changed.
You were all set to gun me.
Oh, you know better than to come up behind a man and call him like that.
Kitty, I want you to meet an old friend of mine.
This is Troy Carver.
Troy, this is Miss Russell.
A privilege, ma'am.
You almost didn't give Matt a chance to introduce us.
Why, you didn't think I was serious? Well, I didn't know what to think.
Just joking him.
I took one look at that marshal's badge and thought I'd just see how easy he scares.
Well, Matt, what do you say you and the young lady join me at the Long Branch, and I'll- Sorry, ma'am, I wouldn't want you to think I- But you're right, that's where I belong, at the Long Branch.
Hm.
Well like I was saying, I'll stand the drinks.
Well, you go ahead, gentlemen, I'm hoping there's a package waiting for me.
All right, Troy, let's go get that drink.
Yeah, Troy, I thought you were still back in Chicago with Colonel McCready's Wild West Show.
Mmm, not for me, Matt.
Shooting silver dollars out of the air for a lot of Easterners isn't my idea of a living.
Let's sit down.
Going back to being a lawman? No, I'm too old for that.
Bought me a ranch on the north plat.
Well, that's nice country.
Only reason I'm here is to pick up my horse at Moss Grimmick's livery stable.
That roan's just about my nearest of kin.
Too old to take back East with me.
I couldn't bring myself to selling.
Now we'll be out to pasture together.
Never mind about me.
What made you decide to turn marshal? You mighta had something to do with that, Troy.
Me? The way you handled yourself.
Things people said about you.
People on both sides of the law.
That's a mighty nice compliment.
Troy.
Yeah? If somebody was out to kill you, you'd let me know, wouldn't you? What makes you say that? The way you turned on me out there.
I told you, I just- I know.
But I don't believe you.
Then let it drop.
You're not the kind of man to go for your gun unless you're ready to use it.
Now, what is it? Who is it? I'm gonna have to ask you to mind your own business.
What's wrong, Matt? Tsk.
That's something I'm gonna have to find out.
Well, Mr.
Dillon, when, heh, you've been a peace officer as long as Mr.
Carver was, uh, you're liable to have a hundred hard cases looking to tack your hide to the wall, you know? So ain't it just natural for him to wind up being a little edgy and quick with his gun? Well, you only get that way when you know there's one man prodding after you, Chester.
One man who won't rest until he gets you.
Or you get him.
Hello, Moss.
Chester.
Hello, Moss.
I had a feeling I shoulda come to see you sooner, marshal.
What's bothering you? But I had no way of knowing this fella meant trouble.
What fella? Don't even know his name.
He's a tight mouth glued.
Been keeping his horse in my stable and renting sleeping rooms in the loft the last couple of nights.
Go on.
But I should have suspicioned that something was wrong.
Way he hardly left the stable.
Just kept a-cleaning his gun and hanging around Troy Carver's roan.
I didn't think nothing of that because Carver's in the East.
But I hear now that he's signed in at the Dodge House.
So I thought I'd come over- Thanks for telling me, Moss.
Thought you'd be along, marshal? When Grimmick found out Carver was in town, he couldn't hardly wait to skin out of here.
Who are you? Name's Lee Polen.
What's between you and Carver? Oh, this horse sure must have been a beauty once.
Seeing as how you're the law, I'd like you to get it all straight.
I'm listening.
I ain't no gunfighter.
Just a plain old dirt-farmer.
I never shot a man in my life.
Well But I'm planning on killing Carver.
Why? 'Cause he killed my brother.
Well, if that's so, your brother must have edged him into it.
I never knew Carver to shoot a man if he had any other choice.
Oh, Clay was just a frisky kid.
Half drunk.
Man like Carver could have taken him in without shooting him down.
Nothing I can say to change your mind? Not a thing.
That's too bad.
When I got back to Nogales and found out what had happened, Carver was gone East.
I've been waiting two years now.
Just missed him in Wichita.
I see.
You know, I could stop you.
Yeah.
But you know something else too.
Yeah, you'll just catch up with him somewhere else.
So if you don't wanna see your friend bushwhacked, you'll just let it happen right here.
You're pretty sure of yourself.
Tsk, oh, willing to give him an even chance.
That's more than he give Clay.
What makes you think you can tangle with a man like Carver and go on living? He can drive a nail in a post at 30 paces.
It ain't nothing for you to worry about.
Now, look, marshal, I don't want nobody else hurt when him and me meet, so would you just tell Carver I'm here and then clear Front Street for tomorrow morning at 10? Well, what do you say? Move your things out of this stable.
Go over and get yourself a room with the Lady Gay.
I'll be over there to see you later.
You do that, marshal.
Sure didn't take your friend long to get to the poker table.
Yeah, I know, I was over at the Dodge House looking for him.
Tsk, what is it, Matt? I just found out what's troubling him.
There's a man out to kill him.
And he's just plain scared.
And knowing Troy like I do, that just doesn't make sense.
You heard me.
Get up.
You've been spoiling for trouble all along.
What's the matter with you? I don't like your talk, mister.
You're wearing a gun.
But I ain't using it.
Now use it.
You ain't egging me into anything.
Troy.
Keep out of this.
I never knew you to force a man to draw before.
That's what he's trying to do, marshal.
This is my town, Troy.
I stop trouble here no matter who starts it.
Now, what's this all about? I'll tell ya.
He made out like I was cheating.
I had my cards here right in front of me on the table.
He told me to shove 'em over there in front of him, and I wouldn't do it.
A man has got a right to ask to see the house cards.
Well, they were showing here fair enough for everybody else.
I don't deal crooked.
You know that, marshal.
What do you got to say? Nothing.
Had enough of this game anyway.
I'm leaving.
He ain't drunk, he's crazy.
What's eating him, marshal? Oh, nothing much.
He just has trouble seeing across the table, that's all.
Who is it? It's Matt.
What do you want? Why are the shades drawn? I like sitting in the dark.
You're trying to get used to the idea, Troy? What do you mean by that? This morning, out there in the street, I wasn't 20 feet away from you.
You couldn't even recognize me.
I should have suspected then what was wrong.
I'm not getting into all that again.
And that dealer's cards.
They weren't three feet away.
You couldn't read 'em.
I've got a right to ask to see a man's cards.
You're going blind, Troy.
You're crazy.
Now, get out of here.
You'll be a dead man when you go up against Lee Polen.
That's right.
He's in town, you were expecting that, weren't you? Yeah.
Got word in Wichita he was looking for me.
I started running.
Matt, I never ran before.
There's nothing shameful about a man's eyes going bad.
Even if I could go on running, that's not the way I wanna finish out my life.
Troy.
I was in the right about that.
Clay Polen wouldn't let me take him in.
He went for his gun.
I-it was him or me.
Well, don't you think I know that? I've got to face Lee Polen, Matt.
You can't.
He thinks I'm as good as I ever was.
Don't you see that will be worrying him every second in the showdown.
That ranch of yours.
You've come a long, hard way to get it.
You've earned it.
If I didn't handle this myself, it wouldn't mean a thing.
That's why you've got to let things be, Matt.
I was curious all along as to what made you think you could buck a man like Carver.
And now you know? Yeah.
Now I know.
When I was Wichita I did some inquiring.
I found out about that doctor he saw.
Go on.
Took some convincing to make him open up.
But he did.
Carver's half blind.
And that's what you call giving him a fair chance? Well, let's just say it evens up the odds.
He's the great gunfighter, not me.
You're stuck, ain't ya? Even if you tell him what I know, he won't back down.
His pride won't let him.
So you got no way to save him.
I'll be back.
I ain't going nowhere.
What you say, Carver's liable to throw me right out of there if I start interfering in this.
You can be pretty persuasive when you want to, Doc.
Looks like I'm gonna have to want to.
I've got to find out just how bad his eyes are.
What kind of a chance he's got.
Well, if they're having it out tomorrow morning, you're not gonna have much time to do anything.
No matter what I find out.
I'll wait right here for you.
He give you any trouble? No, no.
What happened? Well, I wouldn't say all the fight's gone out of Mr.
Carver, most of it sure has.
But what's the story? Well, pretty sad.
Takes him at least three or four seconds to focus on anything, even up-close.
Three or four seconds? In a gunfight that might as well be three or four years.
Yeah, I don't think his eyesight's gonna get any worse.
I know darn well it's not gonna get any better.
I gave him all the routine tests and the only thing he could focus on right off was a match.
A what? A match.
I lit a match for him in the dark and he could see it.
See it pretty good, but I'm afraid Mr.
Carver's had his last gunfight.
Did Troy say what he was doing tonight, Doc? Huh? Answer me.
What'd you say? Oh, Troy.
Who's he? Oh, Troy Carver, yeah.
Yes, he did.
Uh, he said, uh Said he was going down to the Long Branch and have himself a nice dinner, first class.
And then he was going to the stable and see his old horse, and it seems like that would just about complete his unfinished business.
Come on.
Where? Get your bag.
What-? Bag? What do I want with my bag? First I got a little something for Chester to do, and then I'm gonna see just how good a liar you can be.
I'm not gonna lie! Come on, I'll tell you about it on the way.
Oh, thanks.
Well, it's not a question of whether I wanna do it or not.
I'd just like to know why.
Mr.
Dillon! Mr.
Carver just set out from the Dodge House.
Good.
Is there anything else that you wanna tell me? Well, just stay behind him till he gets to the stable.
After that, you know what to do.
Yes, sir.
Come on, Doc.
Yeah? Come on in.
Who's he? Doc Adams, this is Lee Polen.
Doctor? What is this? I just told Troy Carver I didn't want him in town anymore, Lee.
He's down at Moss Grimmick's stable getting his horse ready.
That ain't gonna save him.
Well, I'm not thinking of him.
I'm thinking of you.
You trying to make me laugh? What would you tell him, doc? Well, yes, uh, now, this whole business seems to hinge on Mr.
Carver's eyesight.
I've examined him, Mr.
Polen.
His vision's practically perfect.
What about that doctor in Wichita? Oh, well, Mr.
Carver could have had a little eye strain, most of us do once in a while, but a little rest always fixes it up.
What are you doing, marshal? Trying to run a bluff? Now, I wouldn't say that.
Marshal Dillon's just trying to keep you from committing suicide.
Yeah, well, I don't bluff.
And I don't scare.
Well, have it your own way.
But I'm gonna give you a choice, Polen.
If you wanna get back to that farm of yours, forget all about Carver.
He'll be gone by morning.
But if you wanna wind up on Boot Hill, you can still catch up with him down at the corral.
Come on, Doc.
He ought to be out in another minute.
You ought to be praying you scared him off.
No, Doc, he's got a bellyful of hate.
He can't wait to get it out.
He's gonna go on that way till he gets Carver, if it isn't stopped here.
You know, I'm almost sorry now I told you about Mr.
Carver being able to see that match in the dark.
Tsk, that's not very much to gamble a man's life on.
Well, it's the best odds I can get for him, Doc.
Some odds.
Before there's anything at all for him- Here you are, boy.
Hold it, mister.
Who are you? Friend of Marshal Dillon's, Chester Goode.
You know why I'm here? Yes, sir, I sure do.
Carver inside? Yes, sir, I'll get him for you.
Tell him to come out.
I'm waiting.
Yes, sir.
Mr.
Carver? Well, yeah, what is it? Lee Polen says he's waiting for you, he's out front.
Well, boy, Moss Grimmick's gonna take good care of ya.
You better stay where you are, mister.
Mr.
Carver, he's out front.
Yeah.
I know.
That's why I'm going out the back door.
I'm over here, Polen.
Keep your hand still.
Didn't mean to make you jump.
Just want to make sure we started out even.
We ain't here for talk, Carver.
I'm gonna take three steps and stop.
Then go for your gun.
What about it, Doc? Well, just a minute, I'll let you know in a minute.
Ah.
I've seen worse.
My hand.
You got off cheap.
Yeah.
How is he? Well, we'll wait and see.
Don't understand why I did it.
What? Must be cruel what people always said about him.
Why if If he could shoot a gun out of my hand, why- He could have put a hole right between my eyes.
You still think Carver killed your brother without being pushed into it? No.
No, I- I guess not.
Not after what he just done.
The doc here says I may be on my back for the whole of two days.
That doc can be an awful liar at times.
Hm? With a little help.
You might have to be on your back for three days.
Polen? Now, see, he's got a hole in his hand.
Doc, you better go over and stop the bleeding.
Yeah.
You can get up now, Mr.
Carver.
Matthew, better bring him by the office.
Yeah.
Well, nothing to keep you from that ranch now, Troy.
Shot at the only thing I could see, his gun going off.
Lucky it happened at night.
Yeah.