Gunsmoke (1955) s02e31 Episode Script

ANNOUNCER: Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Howdy.
Howdy.
Oh, hello, Mr.
Dillon.
What was the matter with your gun? Well, that sure pin was worn down, Chester.
I took it over, and old Eli fixed it up.
It's as good as new now.
It seemed like you been gone long enough to test it real good.
Well, I wasn't really, but I wanted to get over and meet the stage today in case Sheriff Smith comes in from Tascosa.
Oh, I sure hope that he does.
You know, we been holding that prisoner of his for better than a week now? Well, he's done the same for me.
Oh, yeah, but this fella here, I've been getting real impatient with him.
It's just all day long.
I'm just like an old mother hen to him.
"Get my water.
" "Get my food.
" "Get this.
" "Get that.
" He just keeps on complaining.
Well, he's got nothin' better to do.
Oh, but this one is just downright unreasonable.
You know, he said that he'd been in 50 jails better than this, and now you know that ain't true.
We keep a real nice place here.
Well, Chester, we got some room for improvement.
Well, I don't- Mr.
Dillon, some jails I've been in, you just walk in there- Yeah, you were, uh, visiting friends, I suppose, uh? Visit- Yeah, yeah.
Come on.
You wanna go over and meet the stage with me? Oh, I- I sure do.
Heh.
Stay here much longer, he's liable to tell me they got suet pudding in the Abilene jail.
Well, do they? Well, that ain't the point, Mr.
Dillon.
Heh.
I Well, it looks like I'm gonna have to feed that prisoner another two weeks.
That's when the next stage from Tascosa comes in, ain't it? Mm, give or take a day or two.
Well- Uh, don't throw mine down.
It's bottle goods.
Just hand it to me.
Thank you.
What's the matter with him? He sure looked at you funny, didn't he? Yeah, I guess some people just like to know who the law is when they come to town.
Yeah.
Well, maybe he'll be on the next one, huh? Well, I hope so.
That prisoner of his is sure gettin' on my nerves.
I thought you said you used to be a cook in the Army.
Well, I was once.
Well, in the Army, you had to cook for a whole company of men, didn't you? Well, that's different, Mr.
Dillon.
I had a lot of help there.
Besides, the supplies come in a lot steadier than ours do.
Well, at least you don't have to stand reveille here.
Oh, uh, Mr.
Dillon, you mind stopping in at the Long Branch for a minute? Kind of early in the day, isn't it? Oh, well, it ain't for a drink.
It's not that.
But Sam's holding my winnings from last night, and I didn't wanna put it back in a game, you know.
Oh, I see.
So you wanna get it out now so you can put it back tonight, uh? Well, if there's nothin' ventured, there's nothin' gained.
All right.
Morning, Sam.
Morning.
I can have this delivered to you right from Kentucky once a month.
I don't do the buying in here, mister.
And besides, we're getting along fine the way things are.
But you don't have one single whiskey with this quality on your bar.
W- Oh, your money, Chester? Hello, Marshal Dillon.
How are you, Sam? Oh, I just come in to pass the time of day.
Sure.
Ah, here it is.
Well, thank you, there, Sam.
Here.
Buy yourself a beer.
I'll do that.
Excuse me, but I heard the bartender call you Marshal Dillon.
That's right.
Well, I got something to tell you, marshal.
It's important.
All right, go ahead.
You're gonna die, marshal.
Who are you, mister? Wilbur Hawkins.
I'm a whiskey drummer.
First time I ever been to Dodge though.
I worked around St.
Louis till they sent me out here.
I liked it better in St.
Louis.
There's lots of important people there.
What are you talking about? You're gonna die, marshal.
I heard 'em saying so? You heard who saying so? Well, I don't know their names.
It was dark, and they weren't there very long.
And of course, I couldn't say anything, because then they'd have known I was listening.
And I didn't know who you were, till just now, that is.
You're not making a whole lot of sense, you know.
Oh, it makes sense, all right.
You see, I rode all the way out here on the stages, and this one night, I was all wrapped up, trying to sleep, and these two men were there.
And one of the men gave the other one $300.
He said it was to kill Marshal Dillon, but he didn't say where.
So- So I didn't know until just now.
Hm.
That's all you know about it? That's all.
Well, I've done my duty now.
I'll be going.
Huh.
What do you make of that? Well, I don't know.
But if he's telling the truth, we'll find out soon enough.
Is everything all right? Yeah, it's all right so far.
How's the prisoner? Well, he's fed and sound asleep already.
And it's just barely dark out.
Well, I'll tell you, it sure wears a man down waiting for somebody to shoot him in the back.
Yeah.
Well, it's been going on for almost a week now.
What do you think's gonna happen? I don't know, Chester.
I got no idea.
Well, would like for me to fix you a cup of coffee or something? Yeah, it'd go mighty good.
It's kind of cold.
It'll be just a minute.
Say, did you feed the horses yet? Huh? Oh, no, I didn't.
That prisoner's been keeping me so busy I plum forgot.
I'll get 'em in a minute.
No, you go on and warm up the coffee.
I'll feed 'em.
Well- Well, he ain't been run long enough to get hungry.
Mr.
Dillon.
Mr.
Dillon! Get down, Chester.
Get down on the floor.
Are you shot? No, no, I'm not shot.
What is it? Get down, get down.
Somebody's out there trying to ambush me.
Oh.
Stay down.
I was trying to play possum.
I wanted to get him in here close where I'd get a better look at him.
Well, I guess I scared him away, Mr.
Dillon, runnin' out like that.
It's all right, it doesn't matter.
I was sure that you was shot when I heard that shooting.
Well, it's all right, Chester.
He probably thinks I'm dead.
Maybe I'll just go on playing possum.
What do you mean? Come on, let's get over to Doc's.
What'd you say that whiskey drummer's name is? Wilbur Hawkins, Doc.
But you've never heard of him.
It's his first trip to Dodge.
Well, I just don't understand why the fool didn't try to follow those men, find out who they are.
Well, he was probably scared half to death.
Anyway, he acts like somebody hit him in the head with a bolt of lightning.
I mean, you know, even when he's standing still, he gives you the feeling that he's- He's walking sideways, kind of like a crab, you know what I mean? No, and I'd think twice before I'd ask you to explain it too.
What do you got in mind now, Matt? What are you gonna do? Not a thing, Doc.
Nothing? Nothing.
I'm gonna let Chester do the work for a while.
I'm just gonna sit up in your office and wait.
Wait for what? Chester, I want you go down and spread the word around that I'm dead.
Dead? Yeah.
And when you do, I figure it is whoever wants me that way is gonna make his play.
He's gonna go ahead and do whatever it is he had planned out.
And we're gonna have a little surprise for him.
That's a wonderful idea, Mr.
Dillon.
I wonder why I didn't think of that.
By golly, it might work.
I'm kind of anxious to meet this man.
Him and his gunman.
Now, Chester, I want you to go down and start spreading it around to everybody you see.
Just tell 'em exactly what happened.
Mm, all right, all right.
Only, there's just one thing, Mr.
Dillon.
Ain't the boys likely to run wild, uh, once they find out you ain't around to hold a lid on things? Well, that's just a chance we'll have to take.
Well, all right, I'll- I'll start tellin' 'em.
You know, Matt, he's right about one thing.
A lot of men in this town just waiting for an excuse like this.
Yeah.
Well, if things get too bad, Doc, I'll just have to come back to life.
He's spreadin' the word already.
Well, what are you gonna do to keep me entertained while I'm staying here with you? Entertained? Well, I'll be doggoned, I never thought of that.
I- I suppose I gotta feed you too, huh? Well, you'd be a mighty poor host if you didn't.
How long you gonna be here? Might be quite a spell.
Yeah.
Well, you wanna play a little checkers, or do you wanna start fixing me some supper? Supper? Well, you're the first dead man I ever saw with an appetite.
I'll play you some checkers.
I'll go get the board now, and I'll beat you.
But I'm not gonna make you any promises about cooking for you and cleaning up and Fixing supper.
Oh, it was terrible, terrible.
A man like Mr.
Dillon to get killed like that in cold blood without even a chance to fight back.
Well, he killed a lot of men.
A cinch he had to lose sometime.
But it wasn't no fair fight.
He didn't even have a chance to get his gun out of his holster.
You see it happen? Well, n-no, I-I-I didn't.
By the time that I got out there, Mr.
Dillon was already down.
Now, how you know it wasn't a fair fight? Well, I know.
I-I- I know how fast Mr.
Dillon was with a gun.
He- It couldn't have been no fair fight.
What is it, Miss Kitty? I know you pretty well, don't I, Chester? Yes, ma'am.
Well, the rest of them may believe you, but I don't.
Matt isn't dead.
Well, I- I was only doing what he told me to.
You- You ain't gonna let on, are you? No, of course not.
Only, just don't overdo it.
Oh, no, no, I- I thought I was doing pretty good.
You are.
But sometimes you do too good.
Now, why don't you get out of here and start this story someplace else.
Oh, yeah, I was just about to.
What time's it getting to be, Doc? Hm? I was just wonderin' what time it was.
It's almost midnight.
You're not thinking of going to bed on me, are you? No, no, I'm just gonna stay up till something happens.
Chester ought to be letting me know.
Well, the town's pretty quiet.
I don't think anything's gonna happen at all.
Yeah? Well, they didn't take a shot at me just for the fun of it, you know.
Oh, well, probably some fool just trying to get a reputation or something.
Well, if that was the case, then what was the payment for it? Three hundred dollars.
Well, don't ask me questions.
I'm trying to concentrate.
I'll go in.
Probably somebody with an ear ache.
Well, I'm coming, I'm coming.
Well, it's Kitty.
Wh-? What are you doing here at this time of night? Well, I might tell you if you ask me in.
Oh, well, yes.
Come in, come in, come in, come in.
Where's corpse? Where's the-? Where's the what? The what? The body.
You know, I expected to see it all laid out.
Body? There's- Oh, you- You mean Matt.
Who else is dead? Well, I just thought that you knew that- You don't look very dead to me.
Yeah, well, you don't look very surprised either.
Well, all that talk didn't fool me.
It just doesn't make sense Chester runnin' all over town tellin' everybody you've been killed.
And why not? I almost was.
I know Chester too well.
If you were dead, he wouldn't be acting like this.
Heh.
Well, who can tell what Chester's thinking? Where is he, anyway? Well, I don't know.
I haven't seen him for a couple of hours.
What a story.
Heh.
I gotta admit though.
He's got everybody pretty well convinced.
What happened? Well, they tried to ambush me out in back of my office.
Ambush, huh? Well, there's a man at the bar at the Long Branch, and that's not the story he's telling.
What? Who is it? I don't know.
I never saw him before.
But he sure is bragging about outdrawing you.
You mean to say he's actually admitted that he killed me? I just thought you'd like to know.
That's it, Matt.
That's what you're waiting for.
Yeah.
Is there anybody with him? No, he was all alone, as far as I know.
Too bad.
I was kind of hoping he'd have his employer with him.
You can find out who his employer is.
I'd beat it out of that son of a- Yeah, yeah.
Look, uh, Kitty, you better come on along with me to help me identify him, and then you can get out of the way in case he wants to start a fight.
Now, Matt, Matt, wait.
There's just one thing.
Anybody's who's fool enough and coward enough to take a shot at you in the dark is not gonna face up to you.
Well, that may be true, Doc, but I can't count on it.
That's him, Matt, the loud one at the end of the bar.
Okay.
You better stay out of the way.
Let's see how he's gonna behave.
Be careful.
Marshal Dillon.
We heard you were dead? Who are you, mister? Uh, uh, T-Tom Roberts.
I thought you was dead.
So I hear.
You been bragging to everybody how you shot me, huh? Oh.
Oh, tha- That was just talk, marshal.
I- I-I didn't mean nothing by it.
I was just talking.
Kind of dangerous talk, don't you think? Yeah.
Everybody said you was dead.
I've been waiting for you to come out of your hole.
Mister, I don't like being ambushed.
Marshal, now- No, okay, m- I never saw you before.
I didn't try to ambush you.
Somebody hire you? No, I-I ain't got a job.
Turn around.
Oh, look, marshal, I'm not- Turn around.
Look, marshal, you got the wrong man.
I-I didn't try to kill you.
The jail's right up the street, mister.
You lead the way.
Honest, marshal, no, I didn't try to kill you.
Get going.
Well, you can't arrest a man just for talking.
This way.
Mr.
Dillon? Mr.
Dillon! Mr.
Dillon, what in the world are you doing out here? Who's this fella? His name's Roberts, Chester.
He's been braggin' he's the one that shot me.
Oh, I-I was just- Just having a little fun.
Do I look like a gunman? It doesn't take much of a gunman to ambush a man, mister.
But I didn't do it, marshal.
Look, I- I heard 'em talking about it inside, and I- Well, I don't know why, I just said I- Said I did it.
Yeah.
Well, uh, Mr.
Dillon, uh, I was just on my way up to Doc's now to tell you something.
Yeah.
Well, t-there's this fella over at the Lady Gay, and, well, I just don't understand it at all.
He- Well, what are you trying to say? Well, he said that- That he shot you too.
What? Yeah, that's right? He said that he just up and outdrew ya.
'Course, he is a little drunk.
He Yeah, so was he until I scared him sober.
Oh, s- Sure, I was just drunk, marshal.
Well, you don't think I'd say a thing like that if I was sober-? Y-you lettin' me go? Yeah, I'm lettin' you go.
Go on back and get yourself another drink.
Th- Thanks, marshal.
Look, I'm sorry I said w- Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know.
Go on.
Yeah.
Well, what about the other fella over at the Lady Gay? Hell, I don't even want to see him, Chester.
He'll shut up as soon as he learns I'm still alive.
I don't know why I didn't figure this out sooner.
I might've known there'd be at least a couple of drunks around want the reputation of having killed me.
Well, we're right back where we started now.
Yeah.
Well, maybe that whiskey drummer was lying too.
Yeah, but you're forgetting that somebody took a shot me, Chester.
And whoever it was will be waiting around for a chance to try it again.
Hey! Hey, Mr.
Dillon! I been looking all over for you.
You know, you'd be a lot safer not yelling at me from behind like that, you know.
Yeah, well, coming from the telegraph office, it's a little hard to get in front of you.
Who's it from? Sheriff Smith in Tascosa.
What's he got to say? Well, I didn't get a chance to read it too good, but he is coming for his prisoner the day after tomorrow and that's none too soon for me.
Hm.
Well, there's one thing you missed here.
What's that? The date it was sent.
It must have been delayed somewhere along the line.
He's coming in on today's stage.
It's almost noon, he should be here any minute.
Let's go see if he really made it this time.
Well, look who's getting off? Well, I'll be.
That whiskey drummer.
I wondered what happened to him.
There's Sheriff Smith now.
Well, sheriff, I-I I just want to say- Hey, Matt.
Heh, well It's been a long time.
How are you, Tom? Fine.
Glad you finally made it.
You remember Chester.
Be careful with it.
Well, hello, Chester.
Good seein' you, Mr.
Smith.
Thank you.
Well, I'm glad that ride's over.
Next time, I'll come horseback.
Well, the stage is a little easier when you're taking a prisoner back, Tom.
Well, I guess you're right at that.
Hey, I hope you still got him.
I'd hate to travel all this way for nothing.
Yeah, we got him.
You can have him anytime that you want.
He's the eatingist man that I ever seen.
Well, what's that little whiskey drummer doing? Ain't he even gonna say hello? Hey, you know that little fella? Yeah, yeah, we know him, Tom.
Why? Well, I got acquainted with him on stage.
He told me he was staying down at the Dodge House.
Strangest man I ever met.
What do you mean, Tom? Well, he told me, and of course, this could be true, he said he heard a couple of men in a bar talking about me.
'Course, he didn't know who they meant until I introduced myself to him on stage.
Then he recognized my name.
What's the matter, Matt.
Go ahead, Tom.
What did he hear? Well, it seems this one fellow was gonna give the other fellow $300 to kill me.
Ain't that the darndest thing? Yeah.
Yeah, that sure is.
Oh, I know there's a lot of men around that'd like to kill me, but, uh, I don't think they'd be standing around in saloons talking about it.
No, I think this Hawkins made the whole thing up.
No, no, Tom, he didn't make it up.
Not quite.
You know something about this? You mean, somebody is out to shoot me? Yep.
Who? Wilbur Hawkins.
Come on, I'll tell you about it on the way to the Dodge House.
Chester, you stay here in case he gets past us.
He ain't gonna get past us.
There it is, Tom.
Number 3.
I can't figure why Hawkins would want to kill you and me.
Tom, he's tricky, so be careful.
Who is it? Tom Smith and Matt Dillon.
What are you doing here? We want to talk to you, Hawkins.
Open up the door.
All right, get He's not dead yet, Matt.
Hawkins.
I- I'm gonna die.
Hawkins, why did you wanna kill Sheriff Smith and me? Lots of people do.
I heard 'em saying it.
Nobody said nothing.
You made all that up.
You took a shot at me last week, didn't you? Didn't you? I'm dying.
I can't kill anybody now.
Why, Hawkins? Why'd you wanna do that? I killed lots of men.
Important men.
I told 'em about it first, and then I killed them.
But why? I don't know.
I had to.
I- Ugh.
Just had to do it.
He's dead.
What the devil was he talking about? I don't know, Tom.
I guess it doesn't much matter now.
I don't understand it.
I never saw him before yesterday on that stage.
Well, he was a murderer.
The kind that murders for no reason at all.
Guess we'll never know why he did what he did.
Call him crazy if you like.
He sure was crazy.
You think he's done a lot of killings, Matt? Probably.
That's the most dangerous kind of man there is.
The kind that'll kill for no reason at all.
Just an innocent looking little whiskey drummer.