Gunsmoke (1955) s02e37 Episode Script

ANNOUNCER: Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Whoa.
Kick me down, I'll rip the hide off him.
Heh, heh, heh.
Whoa, boy.
I don't care if you are the marshal's horse.
Yeah, he does seem some jumpy today.
He ain't by half as jumpy as I am.
God, I swear, I must have taken on a gallon of spirits last night.
That'll make shoein' somewhat of a- A task, won't it, Mr.
Odell.
Chester, Me and whiskey's had a personal understanding more years than you've seen grass grow.
Hey, you vicious- I'll teach you! Stop that! You hit that horse again, you'll regret it.
Will I, now? I mean what I say, mister.
Mr.
Odell, maybe you better ease off.
You might get yourself shot.
Well, maybe I wouldn't mind.
He'd hang for shooting an unarmed man, wouldn't he? I'll take the gun off.
You You'll take the gun off? That's right.
Well, now.
Wait a minute, fella.
There's no cause for fightin'.
I'll say you're a man of heart, though.
You'll leave that horse alone? I've got to tack another shoe on him, but I'll do it gentle.
I didn't aim to hurt him none, anyway.
I just lost my temper, that's all.
Feelin' a might rocky today.
I've got a horse outside needs a shoe, but I won't have him mistreated.
Well, 'course you won't.
I'll be like a lamb with him, like his own mother.
Mr.
Odell gets a little ornery once in a while.
Flares up, but he don't mean no harm by it.
I take it you're a citizen here too.
Well, uh, I never thought of it like that, but Maybe you can help me.
Which bank would you say is used to handling the most cash? Bank? I want the biggest.
Oh, well, uh, there's only one.
A fellow named Botkin runs it.
Thanks! My horse is just outside, you saw him.
I'll be back for him.
Oh.
One other thing.
The marshal here, I know his name's Dillon.
He's got something of a reputation.
Does he live up to it, would you say? We Yeah.
I'd- I'd say.
Just curious, seeing as how we're bound to meet up.
Oh, well y- Uh Thanks for the information.
Uh, hey, uh- I'm just tellin' you what I seen and heard, Mr.
Dillon.
Yeah.
He's the cold-eyedest man I ever seen.
Is that right? Fancy him asking about the biggest bank in town, and then- And then saying straight out he was bound to be facing up to you.
Yes, sir.
Whatever you say.
Everything all right here, Mr.
Botkin? All right? Everything's fine.
Just fine, marshal.
Uh, Mr.
Egan here has just deposited $50,000 into our bank.
Deposited? And a wise choice, if I may say so myself.
So you're Marshal Dillon.
I wanna have a talk with you.
I wanted to interest you in some investment possibilities in Dodge.
Make you a hat full of money overnight.
Yeah, money isn't everything.
Shall we go? Well, uh Uh, all right.
Hello, young man.
I've been in Chicago handling some cattle auctions for a man named Swift.
That's how I managed to hold away that 50,000.
Now I want to try something new.
Well, that sounds good so far.
Dodge is a pretty lively little town.
Lot of business opportunities here.
Oh, no, no.
You don't understand.
I'm not after that at all.
I've got plenty of money.
Well, wish I could say the same, Mr.
Egan.
Well, uh, I don't want this to sound like an insult, marshal, but if you need money, name your price.
I don't follow you.
It's very simple.
I want your job.
What? I want to be marshal here.
Well, you better spell that out, Egan.
I'm serious.
I've been to Washington, and the war department has endorsed my application.
Yeah? But they tell me there's no opening.
So I've come to Dodge.
I figure if I could get you to quit somehow, maybe they'd put me on here.
I'm beginning to believe you are serious.
I am.
I want to try it.
I want some excitement for a change.
Well, that's fine and all, Mr.
Egan, but uh I'm afraid I'm not for sale.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have said that.
I apologize.
It's all right.
Well What would you advise me to do? I advise you to go on back to Chicago.
You'd be a whole lot safer.
Oh, you think I'm not qualified to be a lawman.
Well, you're wearing a gun.
Does a man's strength rest only in his gun? Sometimes it does.
I'm accustomed to authority, marshal.
I've commanded men.
Oh, yes, yes.
The army.
I see what you're getting at.
I was a major for General McClellan.
Got my first bullet on the Chickahominy in '62.
Hmm.
Well, Mr.
Egan.
I'm still advising you to go on back to Chicago.
No, marshal.
You're a pretty stubborn man, aren't you? I know what I want.
I need your help to get it.
You can give it or not.
All right, Mr.
Egan.
You want that job of mine so bad, maybe I'll give you a chance at it.
Whoa, Mr.
Dillon, what are you saying? Not much pay, and no thanks.
Maybe I've been a live target for every drunken bum and glory hunter in Kansas long enough.
You mean it? I might, on one condition.
What's that? You follow me around for a week, see how you like it.
You still want the job? I'll want it, all right.
This'll be the first real livi'' I've done in years.
All right.
Let's get started.
I'm ready! What do we do first? You ready? Uh, wha- Well, yeah, I guess.
Follow me.
You better sit down, Egan.
You're wearing yourself out.
Pretty hot day.
You oughta get yourself a rope, Mr.
Egan.
You know, it'll sure help to pass the time of day.
Shouldn't you be making your rounds? Or something? Well, now, Egan, there's no use looking for trouble.
It catches up with you anyway.
Well, I'll tell you.
You oughta find yourself a rope.
Yippee! Yahoo! Hyah! Hyah! Hyah! Hi-ho! Ha! Hold it.
Can't say I ain't puttin' you on fair notice, marshal.
I'm bucking town again.
And so I noticed.
How's your wife there, Mr.
Pibbs? Some half alligator and a touch of earthquake.
And I'm gonna get my throat clean to the gills.
They're gonna be eye-gougin' and nose-bitin' tonight.
All right, before you get started, you better take that horse over to Moss Grimmick's Last time I had to go out and find him for you.
I'm warning you, marshal! I'm gonna have my fun tonight, and no lank, drawn out, milk-livered lawman's gonna keep me from it.
Yee-hoo! Giddy up! Yee-hoo! Yea-hoo! And you just sit there and let a man like that insult the dignity of your office? Egan, he's been doing that for years.
What? Even before my time.
Why don't you teach him a lesson? Throw him in jail.
'Cause he's just a poor, old sodbuster lettin' off steam.
That's his way of reminding himself he's a man.
Yes, but- Mr.
Egan, he-he has a hard time makin' a living off that 10 yard patch of meaty potatoes out on the prairie.
Yeah, he's gonna go out, find himself a corner somewhere, and forget his troubles for a couple of days in a bottle of Missouri Mule.
You know, every time he comes to Dodge, he gets so drunk he just can't climb back up on that old mare of his.
If he does, he usually falls off on his way home, and lays out there on the prairie all night somewhere, like a dead man.
Find himself in jail if I were marshal.
Yeah, I guess he would.
Yeah, well Uh.
You wanna try that, Mr.
Egan? Here.
Here, I'll be back in a minute.
Well, cheer up, major.
Maybe things'll pick up after dark.
Ahh.
Well, how do you like makin' the rounds, Mr.
Egan? Seems to me all we've been doi'' is making social calls.
Well, I guess that's about it.
Gotta let folks know the marshal's earning his keep.
Mmm.
What's the name of this next place? Long Branch.
Oh, get him! You hear me, Kitty? I'll kill him! Oh, get him! You hear me, Kitty? I'll kill him! I heard you, Clarise, and so did everybody north of the Arkansas River.
That big whiskey-guzzlin', no-good nothin'! I hope I die just so he'll hang for what he doNE! What's she talkin' about? Oh, Jeff Willoughby.
You know, he runs that line camp up the river with his brother.
He ducked out the back way.
Just like him to curl up his tail and run! I tell you- I know, I know, Clarise.
You'll kill him.
Now, why don't you just tell the marshal what happened.
What difference does it make? He was a nasty drunk and he pulled a gun.
I wanna see him rot in jail for it, you hear? Don't worry, miss.
He'll get what's coming to him.
Who's he? Uh, his name's Egan.
He's a student of law.
All right, better get her up.
Come on, Stella.
Help me get her up.
Oh Oh.
I don't know which is worse, that drunken old fool this morning, or a man who feels free to shoot a woman.
Well, you can't ride herd on everybody in town, Egan.
Chester, you better get Doc.
Yes, sir.
Matt, be sure and tell him to bring something to quiet her down.
Nobody's gonna quiet me down! No, not until that pothole rider gets locked up tight! You hear? We going after this Willoughby? Yeah, yeah, that's a good idea.
Well? We'll do it first thing in the morning.
Morning? He'll be gone for good by then.
Oh, I don't think so, Egan.
Come on, let's finish making the rounds.
Good morning, Wilson.
Wouldn't hurt ya to knock, marshal.
This ain't a corral.
Sure.
Where's your brother? Jeff? Yeah, Jeff.
Came all the way out here to see him, huh? That's right.
It's a long ride, marshal.
I didn't mind.
Where is he? Well, I'll tell ya.
That boy gets up mighty early in the morning.
He could be most anywhere by now.
What did you say you're wantin' Jeff for, marshal? You're not fool enough to interfere in this, Wilson.
Maybe.
Maybe I am.
It's all right, Wilson.
I thought you'd be coming out, marshal.
Sorry about that business in town last night.
Clarise hurt bad? No, but I gotta take you in anyway, Jeff.
Sure.
But I can't make it today, marshal.
Oh? I gave my word to my boss I'd finish branding some calves.
Well, uh, what are we gonna do about that, Jeff? I'll be coming in sometime tomorrow.
All right.
I'll be waiting.
Come on, Wilson.
We got a long day.
You weren't afraid to take him in, were you? He'll be in tomorrow.
I don't understand you.
You saw his brother, didn't you? I'd a had to kill him to take Jeff in.
Then you were afraid.
Now, these men are cowboys, Egan.
Not gunmen.
With any luck at all, I coulda killed both of 'em.
If I'd a had to.
They were resisting the law, weren't they? Yeah, today.
It's a pretty poor reason to kill two men, isn't it? Then you're gonna let 'em go? No, you heard him.
He'll be in tomorrow.
What makes you so sure? I know him.
And he knows me.
Well, it's past noon, marshal.
Your man hasn't shown up yet.
No.
Well? Egan, I believe a man who thinks of a job he owes his boss even when he's in bad trouble is a man that can be trusted.
Mr.
Dillon! Yeah? Well, I don't know for sure, but I think there's some trouble down at Moss Grimmick's stable.
I don't know for sure.
What's the trouble, Moss? Back there in the last stall.
I left him right where he done it.
I didn't touch a thing.
What are you talking about, Moss? Pibbs, the old sodbuster, he went and shot himself.
Shot himself? Well, he's got a hole in his head and his six guns laying right by his side.
I heard it happen.
Was he alone in there? Yeah, he came in here drunk, waving his gun around crazy as always.
I reckon his gun must've gone off when he wasn't looking.
Kinda caught up with him, you might say.
Well, he's been drunk for 20 years, I guess he finally decided to break the habit.
All right, boys.
Move along, will ya? Well, you wanted some excitement, Mr.
Egan.
Of course, I guess you ain't found what you had in mind.
Well, there's one thing about what happened to that poor, old fella.
What's that? Least he didn't die in jail.
That's one way of lookin' at it.
Yes, and you know, there's something else too, Egan.
Maybe it helped him some in the past.
Paradin' through town, shootin' his gun off.
Cussin' me out that way.
You still think you want the job? Maybe I wouldn't handle things the same way, but that doesn't mean you're always right.
The deal still holds.
Matt! Hello, Kitty.
I just thought you'd like to know that Jeff Willaby came into town to give himself up.
Oh? But you won't be arrestin' him.
Why not? He and Clarise are real cozy again, and she swears that shooting was an accident.
I see.
Well, she's right, Matt.
She was just jealous of Jeff, and she thought she could scare him with the gun, and, well, it went off when he tried to take it from her.
Hmm.
Now, that doesn't leave me much of a case, does it? Oh, you're not through yet.
Why not? Jeff wants to buy you a drink.
Come on, they're waiting.
Excuse me, gentlemen.
How do you figure a man like that? Well, uh, if he was easy to figure, he wouldn't make such a good marshal.
'Course you still got a couple of days to convince yourself that you can be just as good.
Wager.
Week's up tomorrow.
Why don't we call off this fool bargain, huh? I'm sorry I ever got into it.
I still think I can run things my own way and get just as good results.
Well, look at Doc, would you? Wonder what on Earth's eating him? Matt! Emmett! Matt, you get over there to Texas Trails just about as fast as you can get there.
What's the trouble? You know that Gere and Bozeman, those fellas? Yeah? Well, they- They- They cornered a scrawny little whiskey drummer there at the bar and ordered him to buy drinks for 'em, and he was fool enough to stand up to 'em.
and now they're just beatin' up on him something fierce.
It's a sickening thing to watch.
Wait a minute, marshal.
Let me handle this, my way.
Now, look, Egan, just because Gere and Bozeman are a couple of bullies, doesn't mean they're not dangerous.
They are.
What's the matter? You afraid I'll be able to handle 'em? Well? All right, Egan.
You gotta learn sometime.
Tell 'em you're my deputy.
I didn't think you'd lead Mr.
Egan out on a limb.
Nobody'll look for us coming in the back.
Come on.
What makes you think you can do this to a man? Is there no law where you come from? We come from Dodge, Mr.
Deputy.
Where do you come from? Are you Bozeman or Gere? I'm Bozeman.
I do the talkin'.
But we both do the fightin'.
You're out of order.
How's that? I said you're out of order.
I won't tolerate your insolence.
I'm not sure, mister, but are you saying you don't like us? That's enough.
You and Gere turn around and face the bar while I take your guns.
Well, you're the most doggone foolish man I ever saw! Do as I say! Why? 'Cause you're weari'' a badge? That's reason enough.
Now, lookie here, Mr.
Deputy, that may be reason enough for you, but to us, that badge is nothin' but a good target.
There'll be no shooting here.
I order you to face the bar.
Guess there's no talki'' to you at all.
I'll take him alone.
You wanna try that again? Oh, wait a minute, marshal.
You knew that he wouldn't kill you, Bozeman.
But you know that I will.
Is that what you want? Don't try it, Gere! All right.
Drop your gun.
Now, do what my deputy told ya.
Turn around and face the bar.
Chester.
Take these two over and lock 'em up.
I'll be at Doc's.
Maybe I can save Bozeman from hanging.
Yes, sir.
All right.
Well, I think he's gonna make it all right, now, Matt.
Good.
You feel a little guilty about this, maybe? Wouldn't you? Yes, I think I would.
'Cause I'm as stubborn as Egan, when the chips are done.
Well, comes a time when everybody thinks they're right, I guess.
Doc.
Yeah, yes, how do you feel? Pretty fair.
That's good.
I was lyin' here listenin' to you talk.
You were? By golly, I didn't even know you were conscious.
Ah, I was trying to get my head clear first.
Marshal here can tell you it's been pretty muddled lately.
I been pretty lucky.
Well, I'll tell you, if that bullet had been about an inch to the left, you'd a died right there on the spot.
I'd say you're pretty lucky.
Marshal.
You're- You mustn't feel guilty.
It wasn't your fault.
Well, I shoulda known what'd happen, Egan.
You faced 'em the same way I did.
You didn't shoot.
It's different with me.
Why? Well, it's my own profession.
Heh.
I've handled men long enough to be professional.
Well, now, in the army, Egan, when a soldier disobeyed orders, what did you do? I put him under arrest and sent him to the rear for court martial.
And you didn't shoot 'em? No, of course not.
Well, that's- That's the difference.
Why do you think it was that Bozeman obeyed what I told him to? I guess he knew you'd shoot him if he didn't.
He not only knew I'd shoot him, he knew I'd kill him.
That's part of this profession they don't teach in the army.
Takes a few years to learn.
Matt.
Think you better let him get a little rest, now.
All right, Doc.
Well, Egan.
You still think you want that job? You ever been to California, marshal? Not for some time.
They say that there's a lot of excitement out there.
Maybe it's my brand.
I'll write and tell you about it.
All right, major.
You do it.