Gunsmoke (1955) s03e30 Episode Script

starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Good morning.
Oh, howdy there, Doc.
Hello, Doc.
Why don't you sit down? No.
Are you going somewhere? No, I'm just kind of walking around.
Just walking around, huh? Boy, I'd sure hate to be sitting out in front of his office, waiting for him with a bad case of ague or a load of buckshot or something, wouldn't you? Oh, I tell you, I sure would.
You know, he might get tired walking around like that and just go to sleep somewheres.
Oh, yeah, you're a fine pair to be criticizing anybody for anything, sitting here in the sun like a couple of fat hop toads.
You haven't done an honest day's work, either one of you, in a week.
Oh, Doc, you'd better sit down.
You're running out of fuel.
I wouldn't sit down there alongside either one of you if I was on my last legs.
Man's known by the company he keeps.
Known by what? By the company he keeps.
Well, I-I-I don't see how being alone's gonna help you none.
You couldn't get no worse company.
Ah Smart! Hey, grandpa.
What'd you?! You talking to me?! Yeah.
Where's the doc's office in this town? Doc's office is right down there, but the doctor's right here! You start playing games with me, and I'm gonna rope around you and leave you hanging someplace.
Kind of mouthy, ain't you? What is it you want? I'm Dr.
Adams.
Well, Doc, I got a job for you.
You don't look very sick.
It ain't me.
It's a man out in camp.
What camp? We're holding trail out a couple miles upriver.
We got 3,000 heads of San Saba longhorn and it's been a plumb miserable drive up from Texas, and I ain't about to answer any fool questions of yours.
Now let's get going.
Now just a minute.
Just a minute.
What's wrong with this man of yours? You'll see when you get there.
Well, I'm not going till I know.
How else will I know what to take with me? Now, look, Doc, it wasn't my idea to ride in town and get you.
Kin Talley the trail boss made me come.
Now you ready to go?! I'm not going anyplace with you until you tell me what's wrong with him.
Doc I'll ride over there with you.
Now wait a minute.
Oh, you're the marshal in this town, huh? Yep.
We don't need no marshal out there, you hear? I'll get your buggy for you, Doc.
Meet you over at the office.
Come on, Chester.
Beat it.
Whoa! I brought the doc, Talley.
That there's the one.
Who are the other two? Oh, that, that's the lawman from Dodge.
I didn't send for you, Marshal.
That your sick man over there? Well, you can get in your buggy and drive on back to Dodge.
We don't need the doc no more.
Well, I'll just have a look at him.
Forget him, Doc.
He's all right.
Take a look at him, Doc.
You kind of make yourself at home, don't you? Sometimes.
Don't nobody ever cut you down? It's been done.
Mighty cool, ain't you? How is he, Doc? He's dead.
Hmm? Shot.
Well, what happened? I don't figure it's none of your business, but since you're so nosey, I'll tell you.
He shot hisself.
Not hardly.
Shot in the back.
Shot in the back? Yeah.
All right, you gonna tell me who did it? I ain't gonna tell you nothing.
Talley, maybe you had kind of a rough drive and maybe you're jumpy, but a man's been murdered and I want to know who did it.
It's no use, Marshal.
I got 18 Texas cowboys here with me, and there ain't a one of them who's gonna tell you who killed Bud Collin.
You're in Kansas now, mister.
We got laws here.
Well, no Texan is gonna get hung in Kansas while I'm around.
And there ain't a thing you can do about it.
You're wrong about that.
What are you gonna do? I imagine your boys have been hankering to ride into town and buck the tiger, haven't you? Of course, they have.
For the whole three-month ride up here, they talked of nothing else.
Mm-hmm.
So if they don't have any fun, why, they're liable to be a little bit disappointed.
In fact, one or two of them might even talk.
Marshal, how are you gonna keep cowboys out of Dodge? They'll run right over you.
I'm not gonna keep them out of Dodge, but they won't find much to do when they get there.
What do you mean? I'll close Front Street, I'll close every saloon, gambling hall and store in Dodge.
You'd do that? You bet I'll do it.
Let's get out of here.
You think it over.
All right, all right, gentlemen, then we're all in agreement, right? There ain't no question about it, Jim! Fine.
Then we stand together in this, and we're gonna have our way.
After all, without us, there wouldn't be any Dodge City, Kansas.
You sent for me? We sent for you, Marshal, all of us.
Mm-hmm.
Now, these gentlemen are Dodge's leading businessmen.
And you know why we're here as well as we do.
Yeah, because Kin Talley told you I was gonna close Front Street.
Is that right? Exactly.
He sure got to you in a hurry.
Never mind about that.
We're here to tell you that we won't stand for your closing Front Street.
We need that Texas money, and we're going to get it.
out there.
Now, is that money gonna break you gentleman? The word gets around, other Texas herds will avoid Dodge like the plague.
A man was murdered out there.
Doesn't that mean nothing to you? He was just a cowboy.
Certainly, the prosperity of Dodge is more important than a a trail hand.
Isn't that so, gentleman? That's right.
My stores mean more than some cowboy.
So you good citizens of Dodge are gonna put a few dollars above the value of a human life, is that it? Now, Marshal, don't you go preaching to us.
All the men you've killed.
All right, all right, that's not important now.
Now, let me tell you something.
I was hired to keep the peace in this town, and I'm gonna keep it any way that I see fit.
Is that clear? We'll complain about you, Marshal.
We'll all write letters to Washington and have you fired.
We'll get your job! All right, you write your letters, but in the meantime, I'm closing Front Street.
You take the Emporium, I'll try this one.
All right.
Get your lights off in there.
Well, nobody ain't give you no trouble so far.
No.
But if they ever have an election for mayor in this town, don't waste your vote on me.
Oh, they'll forget about it soon enough, Mr.
Dillon.
Yeah, maybe.
I guess I'll go over to the Long Branch and tell Kitty and Bill Pence we're just about through.
All right.
All right.
I'll meet you back to the office.
All right, Tyler, close the hand.
We've been waiting for you, Matt.
Sorry to have to close you up, Kitty.
Rest of the street closed? Yeah.
Any of those Texans ridden in? No, not yet.
There's liable to be trouble when they do.
We'll be waiting for them.
Good luck.
Good night, Kitty.
Good night, Matt.
All right, Red, get the lights out.
'Evening, Marshal.
'Evening.
Well, I see you went and done it.
Yep.
The trail boss of yours didn't give me much choice.
The boys here ain't blaming him, Marshal.
I see you got about the best lit-up place in town.
We come in for a little fun, maybe this is where we ought to have it.
Not tonight, Choate.
Why not? There's six of us.
You take your boys back out to camp.
This town is closed and it's gonna stay closed.
Kin Talley didn't think you'd do it.
I reckon we ought to ride out and let him know about it.
Come on, boys.
We'll be back later.
You'll never find another pair Get on in there.
'Morning, Marshal.
This here's Sam Peeples.
Well? Did a lot of thinking last night when the boys come back.
Decided you were right about the law and all, so I brought Sam in.
You trying to tell me this is the man that killed that trailhand of yours? Yeah, he sure did.
There were five cowboys who witnessed it.
We'll all be glad to testify.
Did you kill him? Yes, sir.
Where'd you get all those marks on your face? He fell off a horse.
Did you? Yes, sir.
I came loose off'n a bronc last evening.
Lock him up.
All right, in in there.
Well, uh, everything all right now, Marshal? I'll let you answer that one.
No hard feelings on my part.
Now the street'll be open, huh? Yeah, the street will be open.
Well, that's fine.
See you later, Marshal.
Wait a minute, Chester.
I want to talk to him.
Well, how do you feel, Peeples? I'm all right, Marshal.
Uh-huh.
I think you'd better sit down.
Now Tell me something.
You a Texan? No, sir, Marshal, I ain't.
Then how come you were riding for that San Saba outfit? Well, sir I happened to run into them back at the Cimarron, and they hired me on just for grub.
I was getting awful hungry.
Uh-huh.
Tell me, that, uh that horse, did he tramp on your face? Well yeah, sort of.
Now, that's one horse I'd like to see.
Why? Well, it's the first time I ever saw a horse's hoof shaped like a man's fist.
Not much you can do about it, is there? No, sir, they're all gonna swear I murdered him.
You know who did it? I was out hunting firewood when it happened.
And none of them fellas ever talked much to me anyway.
Well, you're in a pretty tough spot.
I sure am.
I'll do what I can for you.
Well, thanks, Marshal, but there ain't much nobody can do, what with all them fellas testifying agin me.
Well, we'll see.
Oh, Marshal, I hate to be a bother to you, but I'm awful hungry.
They wouldn't let me eat much.
Well, Mr.
Dillon, I could get him something.
All right, Chester.
Oh, and you'd better get Doc, too.
I think he ought to take a look at him.
Well, all right.
Pal, don't you worry.
You'll, uh you'll be feeling better soon.
Yeah, sure.
Better get some rest, huh? Good evening, Matt.
Kitty.
Want a drink? No, I don't think so.
Not tonight.
There hasn't been any trouble so far.
Yeah, but it's early.
Yeah, I guess you're right.
You know, Matt, I've worked in a lot of places, but I think Dodge is the worst.
Now, what makes you say that? Oh, I don't know.
Maybe it's the sun and the prairie and the hard life that beat people down too much.
It just seems like every man that rides in here is out to get back at it all somehow, and even if he has to kill somebody to do it.
Oh, it's not as bad as all that, Kitty.
You know it is.
Good evening, Marshal.
Talley.
How about introducing me to the lady? No need for introductions around here.
My name is Kitty.
Kitty, huh? My name's Kin Talley.
How about having a drink with me? I'm busy.
Aw, come on, you ain't Talley! You heard the lady.
You're sure something, ain't you? Suppose you go back and join your friends, huh? Sure.
Is he drunk or crazy? I don't know, Kitty.
I bet he gets into trouble before the night's out.
Well, if he does, there's plenty of room for him in jail.
You sound like you already got a grudge against him.
I have, Kitty.
But it's not on my account.
Oh, whose? Little fellow by the name of Sam Peeples.
I've never heard of him.
You just asking for trouble! You ain't big enough to cause me no trouble.
A man like you ought to be ashamed of yourself.
Only thing I'm ashamed of is seen drinking with you.
Give me some room.
Look out! You mighty full of talk, ain't you? Well, we'll see about that.
Hold it.
What are you doing, Marshal? You men will have to settle it some other way.
I'm not gonna have any gunplay in here.
Gunplay? Gunplay? Well, we wasn't really fighting, Marshal.
Was we, Bob? Oh, no, we're just haranguing each other some.
Me and Bob always carrying on like that, ain't we, man? Don't mean a thing.
You plum determined, Marshal, to have bad ideas about us.
I swear I don't know where you get them.
Come on with me, Kitty.
Let's go outside and have a look at the moon, huh? Let me go! Come on.
Come on, I'd just love to rub the rest of this in your face.
Get out of the way, Kitty.
There was no call for that, Marshal.
Now, you men break it up and get out that door right now.
You talking to ten men, Marshal.
You figuring on whipping us all? Of course not.
So, we're gonna whip you.
We're gonna beat you half to death, ain't we, men? Hold on.
Now, I'm warning you.
You turn around, and you get out that door right now.
Oh, that gun of yours don't scare us, Marshal.
There's too many of us.
Let me tell you something.
I'm going to get bullets in at least three of you before I go down.
And mister, you're gonna be the first one.
Maybe he's right, Gil.
What's the matter with you men? He's just bluffing.
What can he do? Gil, I-I don't want no part of this.
All right.
I'll fight him myself.
I ain't half bad with a gun.
Don't do it, Choate.
You haven't got a chance.
You shoot me, my boys will take care of you.
Don't be a fool.
Words of Kansas, Marshal.
All right.
Who's next? Anybody else want to die in here? All right, then you get that man, and get him back to camp and bury him.
Now, get going! Kitty, you all right? I am all right.
Give me a beer, will you? Don't you want whiskey or something? No, beer is fine.
Matt! Well, you didn't think I was going to carry him back to jail, did you? Get in there.
You intending to lock me up in here? You're lucky I'm not planting you on Boot Hill today.
You think, just because you're the marshal, you got the right to do anything, don't you? Talley, if I was a plain citizen, I think I'd have killed you tonight.
Now, get in there.
Sam Peeples is gone.
Yeah, well, uh well, you know how he was kind of sick and old, Mr.
Dillon? Well, he got worse.
What happened? Well, I-I heard him moaning and groaning in there, and I went in.
He was all doubled over, holding his stomach.
He just looked terrible, so I hustled him up to Doc's.
Is he up there now? Yeah, and Doc asked me to come and find you.
He wants to talk to you.
Huh.
Well, I'd better get up there, I guess.
You stay here- we got a new customer.
Well, who's that? Kin Talley.
How is he, Doc? Well, he's unconscious.
Other than that, he's got me stumped.
I just don't know what to do for him.
What's his main trouble? Well, it's not anything special at all.
He's not he's not a well man.
He's not strong.
He hasn't been well for a long time.
Probably never was.
Well, that beating he got sure didn't help him much.
No, it sure didn't.
Think there's a chance he might not live? Oh, there's a good chance he won't.
Well, if he doesn't live, I'm gonna have the pleasure of hanging Mr.
Kin Talley.
Well, wait a minute.
You can't prove a thing like that.
Can't prove it? Well Well, you know as well as I do, if he dies, it was the beating that killed him.
Well, no, I can't say that.
Huh? Well, no, Matt.
With a thing like this, it Well, the beating might have no, no, no.
Well, you're sure not much help.
All right, let's go.
Well, here he is, Mr.
Dillon.
He ain't singing too loud this morning, though.
I got some loose teeth right here.
Too bad.
Did you hear about Gil Choate? Yeah.
Choate was a fool to go up against you.
You were willing to try it.
We'll, I'd been drinking.
Anyway, Choate's dead now.
It don't matter no more.
What doesn't matter? Choate's the man who killed Bud Collin, Marshal.
Oh? Yes, sir, shot him in the back.
I didn't like that much, but I still couldn't turn a Texan over to Kansas law.
You know how it is.
I'm learning.
If Choate were still alive, I'd protect him all the way.
His horse ready yet? It's outside at the hitch rail, Mr.
Dillon.
Thank you.
Talley.
One thing I'm kind of curious about.
What's that? Sam Peeples.
Oh, him.
Well I'd have never let him get hung.
No, sir, I'd have wrote you a letter from Texas, telling you that was all a lie.
Anyway, I didn't figure a couple of weeks in jail would hurt him any.
He died this morning.
Died? And mister, if I had my way, you'd be paying for it.
But Marshal, I Now, you get on that horse, and you ride back to Texas.
Did-did Peeples really die, Mr.
Dillon? Yep.
Oh, forevermore.
They just kind of throwed him away, didn't they? Let's get over to Doc's.
He's waiting for us.