Gunsmoke (1955) s03e23 Episode Script

starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Bullets kill one just as easy as another.
And sometimes, those bullets are meant for me.
Matt Dillon, U.
S.
Marshal.
You're covered, mister.
Don't you try nothing.
Now, you don't have to shoot, son.
I'm a friend.
You a lawman? That's right.
My name is Matt Dillon.
I'm the marshal from Dodge City.
Marshal, I'm sure glad to see you.
Hi.
What's your name? Yorky- Yorky Kelly.
How do you do? Uh, you, uh you got a horse? He busted his leg in a prairie dog hole last night.
I had to shoot him.
Oh, that's too bad, eh? I'm in just about the same fix you are here.
Well, what's the matter with him? Well, he's got a big devil thorn in his foot.
I don't think he's gonna be able to walk for a week.
Next time I go to Hayes City, I'm gonna take a couple extra horses with me.
Marshal, I got trouble.
Bad trouble.
I'm glad I found you, 'cause we got to do something.
Well, now, don't you worry, Yorky.
We'll make out all right.
No, you don't understand.
It's my pa.
Oh, what about him? They rode off with him, Marshal.
We got to go after him.
Something'll happen if we don't.
Well, now, what do you mean? Who rode off with your pa? I don't know.
It was dark, and I couldn't see good.
Now, suppose you tell me all about it.
Well, last night, after Hattie thought I was asleep, I sneaked out of the house to go hunting coyotes.
And I heard some horses coming along, so I hid and watched them.
It was my pa with two men, Marshal.
I didn't dare shoot or nothing.
Not in the dark like that.
Well, they were probably friends of your pa's, weren't they? No, they wasn't.
They had his hands tied behind him, and and he wasn't even wearing a hat, either.
Oh.
I followed them till my horse went down.
I had to wait a long time before I dared shoot him.
I was afraid they'd hear the shot and know I'd been trailing them.
You don't have any idea who those men could be? Pa's got no enemies like that.
Where do you live, Yorky? Over there, about five, six miles.
Huh you got any horses over there? All that's left is my little Indian pony out in the pasture, but he ain't big enough for you.
Well, I guess you'll have to do it, then.
Do what? Ride into Dodge, about 20 miles.
But what for? Well, I want you to go to the jail and you look up a man named Chester, and you tell him I sent you.
Chester? Yeah.
You tell him to pick up about four good horses and come back out here with you.
I'll be waiting over at the ranch for you.
Okay, Marshal.
And I'll explain things to your ma.
Hattie ain't my ma.
My real ma is dead.
Oh? I don't think Hattie's any good to be on a ranch, Marshal.
Why not? I just don't think she is.
But Pa says it ain't fitting a boy should be brought up without a woman around.
That's why he married her.
Well, she's probably trying, Yorky.
It's hard for a woman sometimes, you know.
Then, I wish she'd quit trying! Well, chances are your pa knows what's right for you.
Well, he sure ain't right about Hattie.
She's no good, Marshal.
Just plum no good.
You'll see.
All right, we'll see.
Now, let's get going, shall we? I'll pick you up later, boy.
Be dark pretty soon.
Let's go someplace and make camp.
I'm wore out.
Poor man can't ride a night and a day without hollering about it.
What about him? He's gonna be walking from now on.
He won't walk far.
Sun will finish him tomorrow.
You men ain't never said what you Why are you trying to kill me? Tell him, Cutter.
Well, I guess it don't matter now.
Your wife and I are what you might call friends, Kelly.
Real good friends.
Hattie? Why do you think she married you? We had this planned a long time.
And don't forget I'm in for a third of that ranch.
I see.
With me out, the ranch will go to her, won't it? That's how the law reads.
How come you don't just put a bullet in me? 'Cause this way, nobody suspect nothing.
You just got lost and died out here.
Can happen easy to an old man like you.
You rotten dogs.
Ah, Rourke.
We don't want no marks on him.
I don't want any more of his talk.
Forget it.
He's good as dead.
Who cares what a dead man says? All right.
Let's get out of here.
What are you doing that for? Are you crazy? You want them to find him with his hands tied? All right.
That's why I'm worth a third of that ranch.
All right, we're leaving, old man.
You got any last words? Well, what about my boy? What about Yorky? Oh, he'll make out somehow.
But not with us.
We're selling the ranch.
We'll sell him, too, if they want him.
A man in a spot like you hadn't ought be worrying about a kid.
How about a drink of water, huh? Just one? I ain't had a drop in 24 hours.
Kelly, you ain't very bright, are you? We didn't bring you out here to feed and water you.
Come on, Rourke, we're wasting time.
What's your hurry? We don't aim to get back for three or four days.
Yeah, but I want to get some sleep.
You and your sleep.
Well your horse will be at the ranch, Kelly.
Like it come back alone.
You ain't got me yet.
Not quite yet, you ain't.
How do you do, ma'am? What do you want, mister? Well, I'd like to talk to you for a minute.
I, uh my name's Dillon.
I'm the marshal over in Dodge City.
A marshal.
Well, come on in, Marshal.
Well, uh maybe I better wait outside.
You can wait in the front room.
I was kind of sleeping in, Marshal.
I ain't generally so untidy.
It ain't often anybody comes visiting.
You just sit down there, Marshal.
Go go right ahead.
You just sit down, make yourself home.
I I'll be back in a minute, okay? You still haven't said what you're doing here, Marshal.
I ran into Yorky out in the prairie.
He told me about your husband.
Where is that boy anyway? Gone into Dodge to pick up a couple extra horses.
Should be back by evening.
We'll get started then.
Get started? You want to tell me what happened out here last night, Mrs.
Kelly? Why, nothing.
What did Yorky tell you? Said he was out hunting and saw your husband riding off with two men.
So? Well, there's nothing wrong with that.
That little scoundrel.
He's always running off someplace.
Do you play the zither, Marshal? Nope.
Oh.
Well, me, either, uh Mr.
Kelly plays it right good, though.
He learned out of a book.
Yorky told me that your husband had his hands tied behind his back, Mrs.
Kelly.
He's got the wildest imagination, that boy.
Mr.
Kelly just went along with those men to show them the trail to Alcater.
That's all.
That crazy Yorky, he's always stirring things up.
I'll hide him good when he gets home.
What time do you expect your husband back? Sometime tonight, I guess.
Less he stops off someplace to sleep.
Well, this is the only ranch for miles around, isn't it? Well, he can sleep on the ground, can't he? Mrs.
Kelly, who were those men that rode off with your husband? I don't know.
A couple of strangers.
They offered him some money to show them the trail.
That's all I know.
I don't interfere, Marshal.
I see.
I got some coffee on the stove.
I expect you could use some.
Good.
Thank you.
You can have this country life.
I just ain't cut out for it.
How long you been out here, Mrs.
Kelly? The name's Hattie.
It's always been Hattie.
All right.
Three months ago, I was working in a dance hall in Abilene.
Then Kelly came along, and here I am.
I see.
No, you don't see.
I'm fed up with it, Marshal.
Nothing but work and wind and dust.
And that awful kid.
You plan to stick it out? No, I didn't mean that.
I'll stick it out, sure I will.
I can stand anything, Marshal.
I've done a lot of getting-used-to kind of things in my life.
I guess you have.
A woman like me- I'll say I have.
What'd you marry Kelly for? He offered me respectability.
That can mean a lot, you know.
I suppose so.
How's Dodge these days, Marshal? Pretty lively? Yeah, Dodge is always lively.
You know, I was planning to move to Dodge before Kelly came along.
I kind of wish I had now.
One town's pretty near the same as another, Mrs.
Kelly.
Yeah.
But the men are different.
Maybe.
I'd have got along just fine in Dodge, wouldn't I, Marshal? Yeah, I guess you would.
More coffee? No, thanks.
I think I'll go out and look around.
Ain't nothin' but an old ranch.
I'll see you later.
I'll be right here, Marshal.
Ya! Go on, get in there! Get in there, boy! Get in there, boy! Get the gate there, Yorky.
Hey, you're back.
Yeah, howdy there, Mr.
Dillon.
Yorky made it in pretty good time.
Oh, yeah, that Yorky- he's quite a boy.
He is.
I told ya I'd ride hard, Marshal.
When are we going after my pa? Well, Yorky, it's going to be dark in about an hour.
We'll have to wait till morning.
Well, I guess it'd be sort of hard to try to find tracks in the night anyway.
There is Hattie.
Well, you ought to be real proud of yourself this time.
Mrs.
Kelly, this is Chester Goode here.
How do you do, ma'am? We're riding out after pa in the morning.
Ain't that so, Marshal? You're lucky I can whip you good.
Now hold on a minute, Hattie.
That boy hasn't done any harm.
And if Kelly doesn't get back here before morning, why, we're gonna have to ride out after him anyway.
I told you he only rode with those men to show 'em the trail to Alcater.
With his hands tied? You're lying, Yorky, and you know it.
Now you shut up! I won't shut up! You ain't my ma, and you can't make me! Just a minute, Yorky.
We're gonna find your pa, I promise you.
Okay, but you find him.
I figured y'all would be here, so I fixed some supper.
I'm going around back and wash up.
Well, come on inside and let's eat.
Ah, well, I never, Mr.
Dillon, I- You, you think Yorky's lyi'' about his pa and all? What do you think? Well, I, I'm not right sure.
What about you? I don't know, Chester.
Mister! Water.
Water, Mister.
All right, now, just take it easy.
Water.
How long since you've had water? Oh, since I can remember.
Have a little of this now.
That's enough.
That's enough.
You Kelly? Yep.
How'd you get in here? Did you fall in? Yep.
You the Marshal? Matt Dillon.
They wanted me to die out here.
Who? Them two.
Cutter and Rourke.
Friends of Hattie's.
They had it all planned.
Good trick.
Dirty dogs.
Well, it wasn't too good.
Didn't work.
How come you found me? Oh, I ran into Yorky.
He said he saw 'em riding off with you.
Your wife had a different story.
Oh, Hattie'll tell 'em about you.
They'll all get away.
No, they won't.
Yorky'll be here in a minute.
Everything's gonna be all right.
Yorky.
Here's your pa.
My pa? Pa! Yorky.
Pa! Son.
Pa.
Good boy.
How is he, Mr.
Dillon? Well, he's in pretty bad shape, but I think he'll make it all right.
His foot's hurt.
Well, you think he can ride? Not today.
You better keep him here and feed him something.
We'll try it tomorrow.
Well, what are you gonna do? I'm gonna take these two fresh horses and do some ridin'.
Come on, give me a hand.
Well.
Now, take it easy, Cutter.
She's awake.
There's a light in the back there.
What does she need a lamp for? She's your woman, why don't you ask her? Yeah, she's my woman.
And you remember it.
I've seen you lookin' sideways at her the other night.
Well, she's a pretty girl.
You know, I've been thinkin'.
She gets her third, you get your third, then I get my third.
That's right.
And whoever gets Hattie is gonna get two thirds.
You try that, Rourke, and I'll kill you.
Oh, I was only joshin'.
You really gonna marry her, Cutter? I told her I was, didn't I? I wasn't asking what you told her.
Hello, Web, Rourke.
What you all locked up for? Old man Kelly ain't gonna come sneaking home.
Come on inside.
We haven't got much time.
Hurry.
Well, what's the matter? Come on now.
What's wrong? Yorky saw you riding off with the old man.
What difference does that make? We can fix him.
Sure, but who can fix Marshal Dillon? What are you talking about? Yorky ran into him out on the prairie.
And now him and some other man by the name of Chester something or other are out tracking you.
Why didn't you take care of that boy like you're supposed to? Well, he sneaked out.
I thought he was in bed.
I couldn't help it.
Now we really got our heads in a noose.
Suppose the old man's dead when they find him?! Well, if he's dead, he can't talk, can he? Yeah, but that kid, that kid, they'll figure it out easy.
Can't you never do nothing right? Well, are you blaming me? Who would I blame?! I didn't put that marshal on our trail! Now come on, you two! What difference it matter who done it? We just got to get out of here fast, and that's all.
I'll be ready in just a minute.
As soon as I get a ridin' skirt on.
Wait! You ain't goin' nowhere.
What? You heard me.
We can't be draggin' a woman along.
We got some hard ridin' ahead.
You'd wear out in no time.
Now you're making sense, Cutter.
Can't have her holding us back.
Why, you mean that you're gonna? You think I'm gonna hung 'cause of a woman? So you gonna leave me here.
You gonna let me face those people, are ya? Well, you know I'll go to jail, don't you? Ah, they won't do nothin' to ya.
Just tell 'em you got misled or something.
They always go easy on women.
So you're gonna run out on me? Hattie, you're better off here.
They'll let you go.
Then you can get on back to Abilene.
I'll come by as soon as they forget all about this Come on, Cutter.
They'll be here any minute.
Why you dirty rotten coward! That's about enough, Hattie.
I hate you.
Get out.
Get out.
Go on! Both of you, get out! I wouldn't have either one of you.
Either one of us? Why, you didn't think I cared, did ya? I'd had one of you shot the other before I was through.
Mystery pies don't cut three ways! I ought to break your neck.
I'll fix you.
Come on, Rourke.
Let's go.
Forget it, Hattie.
Maybe I'll get to Abilene sometime.
She's no good.
I might have known she's no good.
She's smart, that's all.
Throw up your hands.
You're covered.
Hello, Marshal.
You go for that gun, I'm gonna kill ya.
Yeah? While you're killing him, what do you think I'll be doing? I'm warning you.
Don't try it.
Hanging's bad, Marshal.
I ain't gonna hang.
We found Kelly in time.
He's still alive.
I don't believe ya.
You ain't even seen him.
I'm telling you the truth.
Lawmen don't tell the truth.
Not to fellows like us, do they, Cutter? I never heard of it.
Then we ain't got nothing to lose.
Don't try it.
Why not, Marshal? Better give me the gun, Mrs.
Kelly.
I wasn't gonna shoot you.
No? Cutter, I was gonna kill him.
And Rourke, too, if I could.
They were friends of yours, weren't they? Friends.
You were in on this with them.
Will I go to jail, Marshal? I don't know.
That depends on Kelly.
Where is he? He'll be back in a day or so.
He's a nice old man.
He wouldn't hurt nobody.
I'm sorry I did it.
I wish I'd never left Abilene.
It was that Web Cutter who talked me into it.
That so? Don't you believe me? Doesn't matter what I believe.
Would you really put me in jail, Marshal? If Kelly preferred charges against you, yeah.
But he ain't here.
And he won't be here for some time, you said so yourself.
You better go back in the house, Mrs.
Kelly.
I got work to do.
Wonder where Yorky got to, Mr.
Dillon.
I ain't seen him in a couple hours.
Yeah, Kelly sent him out hunting.
Sent him? What for? I guess he's figured he's seen enough of all this.
Oh, well, yeah, I can understand that.
Ain't they never gonna come out? Kelly's got a lot to decide, Chester.
How long's it take to tell her that she's gonna go to jail? Kelly, we'll get our horses and ride along with you.
That won't be necessary, Marshal.
I've made up my mind.
She tried to kill me, or she had a hand in it.
If she was a man, I'd shoot her.
But she's a woman.
Good or bad, she's a woman.
So I'm sending her back to Abilene, back to what she was when I found her.
All right, Kelly, I hope you know what you're doing.
I do.
Thanks, Marshal.
Well, she lost out anyway, Chester.
She lost out all the way around.