Gunsmoke (1955) s01e28 Episode Script

ANNOUNCER: Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
There are a number of men here on Boot Hill who merely got in the way, who went down needlessly, and died for no reason worth remembering, with no cause for pride.
But there are also some few who had to be killed.
Whom I blasted out of life with about the same feeling it takes to smash a- A vinegarroon under the heel of your boot.
It never bothered me, killing a man whose very existence was an offense to the company of decent people.
Like some of those over there in Dodge.
And besides, it's what they pay me for.
Matt Dillon, U.
S.
marshal.
What are you buildin' up the fire this time of the night for? More light.
See better.
See what? Nothin'.
Just want more light, that's all.
Oh, mister, you're mighty suspicious, and you ain't taken your eyes off me all day.
Man'd be a fool to trust just any stranger he meets on the trail, wouldn't he? Oh, sure.
You've been watchin' me too.
Well, now, I was at first, but I trust you now.
Go ahead, crawl back in your blanket.
Now, that's better.
Try and get some sleep.
You going to sleep? Well, I'd kinda like to watch the stars for a while first.
Ain't no stars by me.
Sure there are.
Right over your shoulder.
Anyhow, when I lie on my back I get a terrible ache.
It gives me the ache too.
Heh.
We sure have a lot in common, you and me.
We'll show Dodge a real celebration, we get there.
When'll that be? Oh, tomorrow ought to do it.
You know you ain't told me your name yet? You ain't told me yours either.
Heh.
Doggone, if you ain't the most suspicious man I ever met.
I'm still alive.
Yeah, well, if you don't quit worryin' you're gonna grow old before your time.
My pa taught me to worry.
Who's your pa? He's dead.
Well, he probably died worryin'.
No.
He died of the milk sickness.
He was a good man though.
Mister, there ain't any good men.
He was.
He said he always believed in washin' your feet, saving your sweet potatoes and payin' your honest debts.
You know your pa was crazy? And I'm gonna go crazy too if I don't get the bugs outta this blanket.
Well, shake 'em out.
Yeah, I'm goin' to.
Well, maybe I can get me some sleep.
Still in his blankets.
Well, at least the poor fella died in his sleep.
No, Chester.
His hand's on his gun.
Somebody must've jumped him awful fast.
Indians you suppose? Nah, he's still got his hair.
Must've been somebody he trusted.
Look, somebody was sleepin' over here.
That must've been who he trusted.
Yeah.
Couldn't have been a very brave man.
No, sure couldn't.
Shootin' a man in his blankets.
And there's no other tracks around here, either.
Just the ones the teamsters made, and- And these.
Wore big spurs.
That's about all I can see.
Yeah.
California rowels, looks like.
Not very much to go on, is it? Not much.
Well, let's- Let's get him covered.
Your future for a silver coin.
Your future for a silver coin? Yours.
Yours.
Yours.
Come closer.
Your future for a silver coin.
Your, oh- Sirs, a moment.
Perhaps the most important moment of your lives.
Come closer.
The fate of all things living and dead is written in the stars.
All that is known is told in the cards and the crystal.
All the tomorrows are known to the eyes which can see them.
Well, I think I better wait for 'em to happen.
I'll rest easier that way.
Chester? Chester! Hm? Hello, marshal.
Hello, Sam.
Couple of beers? Yes, sir.
Oh, Mr.
Dillon, it's worth a long ride like that if only to work up a good thirst.
I've seen you work up a good thirst just sittin' around, Chester.
Yeah, well, uh- Yeah, I'm lucky, I guess.
Beer.
Uh, never mind that beer.
Give him some whiskey.
I don't want whiskey.
What's the matter, ain't you man enough to drink it? I drink it when I want to.
Well, want some now.
Can't a man come in here and have what he wants? I ain't botherin' you none.
A cowboy, eh? I thought it took a man to be a cowboy.
Are you tryin' to start trouble, mister? What's so funny about that? You tellin' me not to laugh? No, I ain't tellin' you nothin'.
I think you're a coward.
You got a gun in your belt.
Go ahead, use it.
That's enough.
You leave him alone.
What are you mixin' in this for? Well, I don't like gunfighti'' around here, mister.
Oh, you don't like it, eh? That's right.
What's your name? They call me Crego.
All right, Crego, you move away from the bar.
Go on, move.
I'll see you later, cowboy.
Thanks, marshal.
I ain't no gunman.
He'd have killed me for sure.
Yeah, he probably would've.
My name's Jesse Hill, marshal.
I'm proud to know you.
Well, Jesse, let me tell you somethin': You keep that gun on your belt, and you stay away from that Crego.
Yes, sir.
I ain't no troublemaker.
Ah, but sometimes it's hard to stay away from trouble.
Especially around a man like that.
Yes, sir.
I guess I'll have to do my drinkin' across the street.
So long, marshal.
So long.
That Crego, he's an awful mean man to be pickin' on a young fellow like Jesse.
Well, I've seen Crego's kind before.
He only picks on men he knows don't stand a chance against him.
That's the same kind of coward who'd shoot a man in his blankets.
Mr.
Dillon, he's wearin' California spurs too.
Yeah, I noticed that.
Now, how often you been on Front Street when a trail-herd hit Dodge? Oh, I'd say every time.
Well, how many of 'em were wearin' California rowels? Oh, I'd say Well, four out of ten, come to think of it.
That's right.
Well, still, it could've been him though.
He must just come to town.
I never seen him here before.
Yeah, but even if it is him I- I got no proof.
Well, it seems a shame to let a fella like that run loose.
Well, he'll make a mistake, Chester.
His kind always does.
Well, ain't you the pretty one? Go back to your hogs, mister.
And salty too.
You know, I like that.
Well, I never thought I'd see this day.
Hello, Kitty.
Evenin', Miss Kitty.
How'd you talk him into a new coat, Mr.
Jonas? Well, I, uh had to pass a lot of trouble in doin' it, Miss Kitty.
Yeah, I know.
He's needed one ever since I've known him.
Well, some men just don't like new things.
How's he look to you? Fine.
He looks almost fit for courtin' for a change.
We'll just take a little bit off of them sleeves.
Leave it out back, marshal.
All right.
Oh, I- I got your material, Miss Kitty.
It's, uh- It's all wrapped for you.
Would there be anything else? Would you, uh, be interested in one of them new parasols just came in from St.
Louis? I don't think so, Mr.
Jonas.
How much do I owe you? Well, let me see.
It, uh- Well, it come to $6.
40.
I'll pay it.
What? I said I'd pay.
You'll do nothing of the kind.
Put it on my bill, Mr.
Jonas.
Yeah.
I like to buy things for pretty girls.
Providin' they let me carry the package home for 'em.
Now get outta here and leave me alone, or I'll hit you again.
You're a little bit too salty.
Maybe what you need is a- Crego! All right, Crego.
Finish what you were sayin'.
Marshal, this ain't none of your business.
I wanna hear what you had to say.
Well, she slapped me and you saw it.
Yeah, I saw it.
You know, you're pretty good at pickin' fights with women and boys, Crego.
But I wonder how good you really are.
Matt.
You keep outta this.
Now wait a minute, marshal.
I think you're a coward, Crego, and I'm gonna prove it.
Please, marshal, not in here.
Never mind.
That cowboy wouldn't draw on you, Crego, but I will.
You ready? No.
Well? I ain't gonna draw against you.
What's the matter, Crego? I drew first.
Would've been self-defense.
All right, get outta here.
Mr.
Jonas, when'll that new coat of mine be ready? Oh, couple of days, marshal.
Matt, that's the first time I ever saw you try to make a man draw.
Well, I figured he wouldn't, Kitty.
Crego doesn't take any chances.
Still, a man like that can kill a lot of people unless he's stopped.
Well So you like my new coat, huh? Yeah, I think it's fine.
Good.
Maybe I'll put it on for you someday.
Who was he, Doc? Well, his name was, uh L-Y-D-A Lydacker.
Suppose that's another case of self-defense, huh? Well, that's what the witnesses say.
Crego egged him into drawing first.
Crego.
He's a brutal man, Matt.
He- You know what he did here? He shot that man in the gun arm first, then he put a bullet through each one of his knees, and finally shot him in the belly.
That's a terrible thing to do.
That's a painful way to kill a man.
It's evil.
He was just a poor potato-grubber.
Didn't have a chance.
Man, Crego's a murderer, Matt.
Plain and simple.
And you gotta lock him up.
Ah, what good would that do, Doc? I got nothin' to hold him on.
Mm, run him outta town.
He's crazy.
He's kill-crazy.
I don't wanna run him out.
You don't want-? Well, now, why in heaven's name not? 'Cause he'd only go on killing somebody somewhere else.
Well, he wouldn't do it here.
I know, but wherever he did it, it'd be my fault that he got away.
Got away? You just got through tellin' me that you didn't have a thing to hold him on.
Well, I don't.
Well, one of these days he's gonna make a mistake, and I wanna be around when he does.
Well, I wish you a lot of luck.
A man like that's got no right at all to be alive.
Just a minute now.
Who's gonna bury that fella? Well, I don't know.
Hasn't he got any friends? I don't know.
Couple of fellas brought him up here, and one of 'em seemed like a pretty good friend.
Well, what's his name? I'll go find him.
Well, I don't know- Wait a minute.
Yes, I do too.
They called him, uh Jesse.
Jesse somethin'.
Not Jesse Hill? Yes, that is it.
I'll tell you somethin' he was mad.
Seemed like an awful nice young fella.
Awful quiet.
But mad.
Now, this could lead to trouble, Doc.
You see, Jesse backed off from Crego once.
I'm afraid he might go lookin' for him now.
Well, then you better go find him fast.
'Cause he didn't look to me like he'd have a chance against a man like Crego.
He wouldn't.
Well, he's not in there.
Not at the Texas Pail either.
I looked all up and down Bridge Street.
He ain't over there.
Maybe he left town, Mr.
Dillon.
Well, I hope so.
We haven't looked every place yet, Chester.
Somebody said he had a room over at the Dodge House.
Pretty fancy for a line-rider.
Yeah, but you know how them fellas are: They come town, spend six months pay on a three-day spree.
They always do.
Ah, we checked the Dodge House.
Beats me how them fellas will come to town and just throw away every cent they own.
Yeah, they can't spend it out on the prairie.
Well, I know, but you'd think they'd save a little.
When was the last time you were in the bank? Well, I keep my money in my sock, Mr.
Dillon.
Safer.
Crego, you murdered him.
Go ahead, draw! C'mon.
Help! All right, Crego.
Put the gun away.
Sure, marshal.
This fella, he tried to shoot me.
Now, you saw him.
He's dead, Mr.
Dillon.
Crego.
That was easy for you, wasn't it? He shouldn't have tried it, marshal.
I told him not to.
You're lying.
I heard what you told him.
Well, what difference does it make? He drew first, then I shot him in self-defense.
Yeah.
You know that man you killed this afternoon was Jesse Hill's friend? Oh, he was tellin' me about that.
Uh-huh, but you didn't know about it before.
You didn't talk him into drawing just to work Jesse up to a fight.
Marshal, they was a couple of bums.
And what about that man out on the prairie? Was he a bum too? What man? That one that was lying wrapped in his blankets when you shot him.
Marshal, I don't know what you're talkin' about.
Crego.
How long have you been killin' people? Well, I killed my first man- I was 18.
Fella, he tried to knife me so I shot him.
Let me tell you somethin' else, marshal.
I ain't wanted by the law nowhere.
Nowhere at all.
You ever go up against a man who could handle a gun? What do you mean? You will someday.
Will I, marshal? Ain't there nothin' you can do about him, Mr.
Dillon? Well, there's one thing, Chester: Somethin' I never done before.
Somethin' I never thought I'd have to do.
But if it works, then I save some lives.
He's still there.
Braggin' how he's already killed two men since he's been in Dodge.
Well, he'll go on killin' unless he's stopped.
Yeah, just like one of them hound dogs who gets that taste of blood in their mouth and just goes crazy, ain't he? That's just exactly what he is, Chester.
Are you gonna take him, Mr.
Dillon? If I could hold him on it.
Well, what are you gonna do? You'll see.
Anything you want me to do, Mr.
Dillon? Yeah, there is one thing, Chester.
What? You stand just inside the door and you keep your eyes on Crego.
Is that all? Well, that's all I can tell you for now.
I don't know how this thing's gonna turn out, myself.
You just keep your eyes on him.
This wrangler walked into the bar, pounded on the table like that- Crego.
What do you want now, marshal? I've been thinki'' about you, Crego.
I decided you're not fit to live.
Marshal, you got nothin' on me.
I killed those two men in self-defense.
Sure.
There ain't no court in the world that'd convict me.
I'm an innocent man.
I'm not talkin' about hangin' you.
Well, what are you talking about? Crego, I'm goin' out in the street, and I'm gonna wait for you.
What for? I'm gonna kill you.
I ain't gonna fight you, marshal.
Yes, you are.
Marshal, why can't we be friends? You know we can run everything here, just you and me? In the street, Crego.
Marshal, you're a lawman.
I'm doin' this one on my own.
Marshal, I'll leave town.
I'll leave Dodge right now.
Your killin' days are over, Crego.
This time you're gonna die.
I ain't gonna fight you.
Takin' off my gun right now.
Now, marshal, you can't shoot an unarmed man.
That's not gonna save you, Crego.
You put that gun back on, and you come out in the street.
I'm gonna give you just one minute, and then I'm comin' back in after you.
And armed or unarmed, I'm gonna kill you.
Mr.
Dillon! You had to do it, Mr.
Dillon.
There's no other way.
He would've shot you right in the back.
Yeah, I figured he would, Chester.
Thanks a lot for lettin' me know.
Is that what you wanted me to do? That was it.
Well- Well, what if I hadn't? Well, then he would've killed another man.
Oh, Ifeel kinda sick.
You did fine, Chester.
Just fine.