Gunsmoke (1955) s03e11 Episode Script

starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
When you're hired to keep the law in a bear cage like Dodge City, you expect to have to use your gun now and then whether you like it or not.
It's a thing somebody's gotta do, or no one would be safe very long.
But when it comes to destroying a man without killing him, when you have to hollow him out and leave him perfectly alive but perfectly dead at the same time, then you wish you'd never heard of the job.
Matt Dillon, U.
S.
Marshal.
Whoa.
You gonna try it again, huh? Ain't none of your business, Hank Luz.
I just like to keep an eye on my neighbors, that's all.
You'll get that eye shot out, you go too far.
Always thinking about killin', ain't ya? Don't you try nothing.
We got laws about killing in Dodge.
Get out of here.
Sure, I will.
Whoa, Mr.
Dillon, that, that cook must've had a terrible night last night.
What's the matter? Well, I've never seen more chili pepper on two poor little o'' legs in my life.
He must figured everybody in Dodge has got a hangover.
Well, looky there, Mr.
Dillon, would ya? There's ol' Jim Cobbett.
Just, why, he's dressed up fit to kill.
Got hisself a haircut and everything.
Well, Jim's getting married.
Haven't you heard? Getting married? Yeah.
Oh Well, he's got a woman from back East coming into Santa Fe today.
Now, what sort of a woman would come clear out here to Dodge to marry him? Now, Jim's a good man.
Just that he's been living on the prairie for so long, it's got him a little bit out of plumb.
Living alone can do that to a man, you know? Well, I didn't mean nothing against Jim.
It just you know, the idea of Jim and a woman Morning, Marshal, Chester.
Morning.
Hank.
What do you think of that old goat Jim Cobbett getting hisself hitched, huh? I'd say it's a mighty fine thing.
Well, he ain't no older than you are, Hank.
No older maybe, but a lot less respectable.
Leave it be, Hank.
We've heard that nonsense of yours before.
Nonsense, is it? What about that first wife of his? Disappeared from the place that he had up north.
She just plain disappeared.
And he never explained that, did he? And she was never seen again either.
You know, you're worse than an old woman with that gossip.
Jim never done nothing to you.
No? All he done was stake his homestead on the only spring south of the Smokey River that ain't dried up.
He cheated me out of that! Yeah, and he filed that claim two weeks before you did, and everybody knows it.
He sneaked into town behind my back, that's what.
Sneaked into town behind my back.
You ain't never gonna stop telling your lies, are you? Don't you start nothing.
Here's the law sitting right here.
I never done a thing to you, Hank Luz, but I'm gonna tell you something.
When Lila gets here, and you start any of your talking around her, I'll hurt you.
I'll hurt you bad.
What you trying to hide from her, Jim? Maybe that business about your first wife, huh? Here now! Get your hand off that gun.
Arrest him, Marshal.
You seen that.
Get up.
Put him in jail.
I didn't do anything.
You go on and get out of here, Hank.
You leave Jim alone today, or I'll throw you in jail.
Fine law we got around here.
Protecting criminals! Here, Jim, why don't you sit down? Sure, yeah, you-you sure took a chance there, hitting a man that's wearing a gun.
Well, I'm sorry to cause trouble, but I won't hold with his making that kind of talk around Lila when she comes.
Well, Jim, don't you worry about Hank.
Tell me, uh, when, what time's the wedding today? Oh, the train's due at noon.
We get married around 4:00.
Least that's when the preacher said he'd come down.
Come down? Well, there's some do or other at the church.
I rented me that big meeting room at the Dodge House.
Well, fine.
That meeting room sounds good, Jim.
Well, I tell you, I Well, I just brought a jug of corn in with me just in case anyone happened to come round, maybe.
Well, sounds, uh, mighty good to me, Jim.
I'll be there.
Oh, me, too.
I sure do enjoy weddings.
Oh, that'd be awful nice for Lila.
Wilbur Jonas was the only fella I was sure would come.
I I don't get to town much.
I don't know many folks real well.
Well, I I'd better go.
Well, Jim, thanks for the invitation.
Oh, you'll sure be welcome, Marshal.
Well, we'll sure be there.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Go get a drink, you men.
Well, we'll, uh, we'll be there in a minute, Jonas.
Uh, you go help yourself, Chester.
Oh, well, uh, well, maybe I will just go get a little taste of it, if you don't mind.
Now, Mrs.
Cobbett, you make Jim bring you on into town once in a while.
He never came in much when he was living alone out there.
I know.
He wrote me.
How'd you two get to know each other anyway? Uh, if you don't mind my asking.
Well Marshal, it was a long time ago.
Almost 20 years ago.
Before Jim ever came out West.
Is that so? Well, Jim, you, uh, you gonna leave for the ranch first thing in the morning or? Well, no, Marshal, we'll start back for my place tonight.
I brought the wagon in on account of Lila here, and it's a slow way to travel.
But, Jim, where will we sleep? Well, I brought some blankets.
You'll be fine.
Out-out on the prairie? Why, sure.
I bet she's braver than them Indians.
Oh.
Indians? What Indians are you talking about, Jonas? Well, them Crows the Army's been chasing ever since they raided the Gillette place- oh! Oh, that was last fall, Wilbur.
That's right, and they haven't been heard from since.
What happened at the Gillette place? Well Oh, it was nothing, Mrs.
Cobbett.
Just a little trouble.
A little trouble? Look, they killed Bob, and they rode off with Mrs.
Gillette, didn't they? Say, uh, Jonas, why don't you fill up your glass? Looks like it's getting a little empty there.
You know, I was just thinking about doing that, but They won't be so hard on Mrs.
Gillette once she learns to talk Crow.
After all, she ain't the first white woman to be made squaw.
That's horrible.
Now, Lila, the liquor's working on Wilbur.
Don't-don't you pay him any mind.
Jim, is it true about that poor woman? Now, Lila, don't fret about that.
I want to know, Jim.
Well, it's true.
Jim, uh, why don't you stay in Dodge tonight and you could leave for the ranch first thing in the morning? No, Marshal.
Jim thinks it's best we leave tonight.
Well, they ain't nothing to fear, Lila, but if you'd rather stay No, no, we're going to go, Jim.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll, I'll go to the room and change into something a little more suitable.
Jim, she's all right.
It ain't gonna be easy on her, this life.
Come on, let's go have a drink to the bride, huh? Sure.
Marshal.
You think I was lying about Jim Cobbett, don't you? Well, guess what's happened now? What's happened now? His new wife has disappeared, too, that's what.
Seen it with my own eyes.
I mean, I-I seen that she ain't there.
What are you talking about? Well, I'm telling you, she's gone.
Just like his first wife.
She's plain disappeared.
And how do you know? Well, I See, I got a runty bay mare, and she's always running off.
Well, I rode past Jim's place the other day hunting her.
Jim was there all alone.
I asked him about his wife, he just walked away.
Oh, well He wouldn't say a word.
Why should he talk to you about his wife? That's not the point.
I was back next day, and she was still gone.
All right, maybe she was in the house.
No.
I looked.
And Jim didn't even bother to stop me.
He just sat there in front of the house, staring out at the prairie.
Now, Marshal, what I come to tell you is that I think you'd better get out there.
I do my own thinking, Hank.
You've told me about it, and now you can forget it.
Now, you stay away from the Cobbett place, you understand? All right, Marshal.
I done my duty, now it's up to you to do yours.
Good-bye, Hank.
I'll be waiting to hear.
So will everybody else.
Sure is quiet, Mr.
Dillon.
Think Lila's here? Well, let's find out.
Hello, Jim.
Marshal.
Chester.
How are you, Jim? Come in.
Come in.
How have you been, Jim? Hank Luz told you, did he? Where's Lila, Jim? Hank Luz said I killed her, didn't he? Now, Jim, you know I never pay attention to what Hank Luz says.
Why'd you come here, Marshal? I came here to help you, if you're in trouble.
Lila ain't here.
I'm in trouble all right.
Where is she? I I don't know, Marshal.
What's happened? Indians.
Indians? A party of Crows.
They took her.
You mean to say you were raided here, Jim? Maybe ten days ago.
War party.
About 12 braves.
Tell me what happened, Jim.
It was the end of the day just getting dark.
The two of us are having our supper.
Lila went out back to fetch a little water for the dishes.
I was sitting by the fire mending a saddle I'd torn the stirrup off of.
Then I heard Lila come running up to the house outside.
Jim! What's wrong, Lila? I saw something out there.
I think it was an Indian.
Here.
You stay right there.
Stay right there.
I don't see nothing yet.
What are we gonna do? Stand them off, Lila.
That's all.
Jim.
How many are there? Just a couple, Lila.
Don't you worry, now.
I'll get 'em.
Jim, if, if they get in here, will they carry me off like that other woman? Oh, Lila.
I don't know if I could stand it, Jim.
I don't know if I could stand it.
Lila.
Lila? Here, Lila.
Here.
Take this.
Take it.
Yes.
Yeah I will.
I will.
Now, don't you fear, Lila.
We'll stand 'em off.
They're down at the corral.
They're after our horses.
That'll slow 'em down.
Jim they're, they're attacking.
They're jumping around a lot, but it's getting too dark.
I'll wait, Lila.
Let them get in the open.
Then if they rush us Go on, Jim.
What, what happened then? What'd they do to you? Rush the house? They must've got in one of them windows behind me.
All I can remember is her screaming, and me shooting.
Then I got knocked on the head.
When I come to Lila was gone.
I'm sorry, Jim.
I guess I was out a long time.
It was plumb dark when I come to.
Well, y-you know that you're lucky that they didn't kill you.
Did you try to follow them? No.
How could I? They run the horses off.
Yeah.
Well, I guess there's not much I can say, Jim.
Just sure sorry that it happened.
I'll go over and tell Major Honeyman at Fort Dodge, and he'll spread the word around through the army post.
Don't you worry, Jim.
They'll find her.
So long, Jim.
Now, lookit here.
He sure wasn't lying about there being a fight, was he? Oh, no, them's bullet holes, all right.
You know, it's a wonder that he didn't get hit.
Well, Indian's aren't very good shots, Chester.
You know, they can't afford the ammunition to practice.
Well, they ought to stick to bows and arrows.
Yeah.
Let's be thankful more of them don't.
It sure looks like they made off with his horses all right.
Yep.
Oh, looky there, Mr.
Dillon.
Them columbines.
Well, they're just growing right in a row here.
Wait a minute, Chester.
What? Wait a minute.
Well, what's the matter? I, uh I wouldn't pick any of those.
Oh.
He's over there by the corral.
Looks like he's got a new horse.
Go get him.
Will you, Chester? Well, all right.
Think maybe there's going to be trouble? I don't know, Doc.
I sure hope not.
By golly, it just doesn't seem like Jim Cobbett's the kind of a man that'd do a thing like this.
Nah, it doesn't seem that way, does it? Maybe none of us knew him real well, Doc.
Being a lawman making you a little cynical, maybe? No, but I've seen good men go wrong before, Doc, when they were pushed too far.
You're right about that.
Come on, let's go out back.
Hello, Jim.
What are you doing here, Doc? Well, Jim, the marshal thought Doc, uh, came here to perform sort of an autopsy, Jim.
"Autopsy"? He wouldn't have to do it, Jim, if you'd told me about that grave.
Marshal, I You want to tell me now? No.
All right, Jim, let's you and me go in the house, huh? Where's the grave, Matt? It's right over there, Doc.
Chester, would you get a shovel? No.
No! No! No! No I'll tell you all about it.
I'll tell you.
Good, Jim.
Not here.
Couldn't tell you here.
Inside the house.
Well, Jim? You think I killed her, don't you? Well, I'd find that pretty hard to believe, Jim.
Thank you.
Them Indians never did attack the house.
They just made a show out there to cover for the ones that run the stock-off.
They scared Lila something awful.
She went kind of crazy, she was so scared.
Then I heard a shot.
At first, I thought she was shooting at the Indians with my six-gun I'd given her.
But she wasn't.
I didn't care after that.
They could've come right in here.
I didn't care.
Well, after that, Jim? After well, did they just take the rest of the horses and leave? After they'd gone, I dug the grave and buried her.
I sat there on the ground all night.
Well, why didn't you tell me all this before, Jim? I-I was shamed by it.
Scared.
I knew what Hank Luz would say.
I knew it had looked bad.
It doesn't look bad to me, Jim.
I believe you.
I put water on the grave.
Tried to hide it.
Except for the flowers.
I couldn't not have flowers there.
So I just dug me up some wild columbine and planted them there.
Well, I'm not arresting you, Jim.
Would you mind leaving me here for a minute? I'll see you out front.
Matt, by golly, I don't know whether we ought to leave him alone in there by himself or not.
Oh, he'll be all right, Doc.
You know, what I can't understand is why he wants us to wait for him at all if you ain't taking him back to Dodge.
Where are you going, Jim? West somewhere.
Uh, Jim, you mean to say you're just going to walk off and leave your place? Leave your land? It's like the other place I had up north after my first wife rode off.
Just said "good-bye" and rode off one day.
I was shamed by it.
I never told nobody what ever happened.
I just left the place like I'm leaving this one.
But, Jim, you can't always be leaving.
You've got to say somewhere, sometime.
No, I don't, Marshal.
I won't never settle down.
No more.
Jim Cobbett ain't the luckiest man that I've ever seen.
No way of holding him here, huh? No, there's nothing to hold him here anymore, Doc.
I guess there's nothing to hold him anywhere.