Gunsmoke (1955) s03e31 Episode Script

starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
They tell me that, back East, there's a lot of book writers and newspaper people who picture a frontier lawman as somebody pret' near perfection: he always guns his man down, never makes a mistake, he's at the top of the heap on every play.
Well, that may be- back East- but I never met a man like that out here.
And knowing this job the way I do, I don't think I ever will.
Matt Dillon- U.
S.
Marshal.
Uh, Mr.
Dillon? Mr.
Dillon, would you hold this, just a minute, up here? Uh, Mr.
Dillon? Hmm? Will you, will you just, just put your hand up there and just hold it as steady as you can now.
Oh Oh, that's gonna be real nice there.
Something the matter with your neck? No, no, I'm just trying to see the picture there.
That's, that's gonna look real nice, real nice.
Huh What is it, anyway? It's just a beautiful thing, that's what it is.
Uh-huh Well, that's sure got a lot of color to it, all right.
Yeah, well, that's them Indians for you.
Just as colorful as can be.
I'd still like to know what it is.
Huh? I'd still like to know what it is.
Well, William Henry Harrison whuppin' them Indians at Tippecanoe is what it is.
Oh, well, first time I ever knew he did it by himself.
What? I say it's the first time I ever knew he did it by himself.
Well, I didn't mean that he did it all by hisself.
He had help.
Of course he did.
There was plenty of people there to help him.
Uh, uh, I'm not driving you away, am I? Oh, no.
'Cause you can sit here and work.
You're not discommodin' me in the least bit.
Oh, no, that's all right; go ahead.
Yeah, well Marshal Dillon? Marshal Dillon.
Oh ma'am.
Chester Chester! Yeah? Oh.
Oh, I beg your pardon.
I Well, I guess that that'll hold it there for the time being, anyway.
Yeah, fine.
Is there something I can do for you, ma'am? So you're Marshal Dillon.
Well, yes, that's right.
Uh, wouldn't you like to sit down, Miss, uh? Amy.
My name is Amy Slater.
I don't care to sit with you, Marshal.
Well, you look kinda tired, ma'am.
The prairie done that.
The prairie and some other things.
Where you from? Lately, the last year, I've been living in Wichita, till I heard where you was, and I took the Santa Fe Railroad train and I come to Dodge.
Well, what can I do for you? Well, I I got reason enough to see ya.
I been waiting a long time.
I been living for it.
Now I'm I'm near through living.
Well, I wouldn't say that.
Oh, I come here to die, Marshal.
Well, if you're sick, maybe I can get Doc Adams to help you.
I ain't sick.
Then what's all this talk about dying? I only got money to last me two more days.
Well, if it's money you need, maybe I can help you out till you find work.
You're gonna help me, Marshal, but not that way.
You recollect Dakota Territory, do ya? Sure.
Dakota Territory, that was my original home.
You think on that.
Did I know you down there, Amy? You think on it! Now you said I was gonna help you- how? You're going to kill me, Marshal.
What?! I said you're going to kill me.
Now wait a minute, Amy- what are you talking about? I've been waiting, Marshal a long time.
We sure hear some peculiar things, Mr.
Dillon, but what she said, that beats all.
Yeah.
Now, what did she mean that you should think on the Dakota Territory? I don't know, Chester; I was up there, but I swear I never saw her until she walked in here.
You know, it's kinda unsettlin' her being so sure that you're gonna kill her.
Poor old soul, she must be crazy.
Yeah.
Or else she really means it.
Hyah! Well, I got my strength back, Mr.
Dillon.
Maybe I ought to go over to the office and tidy up that mess.
All right.
I think I'll look around town a little, Chester.
For Amy? Yeah, maybe I can talk her into going back to Wichita if I buy her a ticket.
Well, good luck.
All right.
Oh, say, I'll be back to the office in about a half hour.
Amy, put that gun down.
The next shot will be right through your heart, Marshal! That's not gonna help you any.
I mean it! Amy, I'm not gonna draw on you.
You're afraid to fight! I want that gun, Amy.
All right, take it.
You won't fight.
You're a coward! Now, Amy, what's this all about? You wouldn't fight.
You weren't trying to kill me.
How did you know I wasn't? If you'd wanted me dead, you could've done it yesterday in the office.
You were just shooting close here.
What were you doing, trying to make me draw on you? I was trying to finish you.
Uh-huh.
And if I'd killed a woman, that'd be the end of me as a lawman, is that it? That'd be the end of you as any kind of man.
You must hate me pretty bad to be willing to die for it.
I'm willing.
Why, Amy? What have I ever done to you? I hate you more for not remembering Dakota Territory.
You called yourself a lawman there, too.
I was.
You killed all I had, Marshal.
All I had in the world.
Mr.
Dillon, you-you just gonna let her walk away like that? Ain't you gonna arrest her? Oh, arresting her wouldn't do any good, Chester.
She was shootin' at ya.
Claims I killed everything she had up in Dakota Territory.
Slater I tell ya, I never even knew anybody by the name of Slater.
Mr.
Dillon, she tried to kill you.
No, no, she didn't, Chester.
She tried to get me to kill her, but it didn't work.
Feel kinda sorry for her.
Look at them sardines packed into the bar there, Mr.
Dillon.
I sure wished I owned this place.
Cheap whiskey at fancy prices is always good business, Chester.
Well, they ain't gonna get any of my money.
What'd you come over here for then? Play a little Faro.
Oh, well, yeah, that makes sense.
Yeah, well, I ain't spending a nickel at that bar on cheap whiskey, that's for sure.
Good evening, Matt.
Hello, Kitty.
Want a drink? Yeah.
Red, bring us a couple whiskies, will ya? Well, you look busy tonight.
Oh, I'll get busier.
It's early yet.
Just wait, some of those boys really get a skin-full.
Well, I hope they play gentle, you know? I've already been shot at once today.
Yeah, I heard about that.
Some old woman with a, with a rifle.
Yeah, Amy Slater.
Never heard of her.
Well, she doesn't live around here.
And besides, I don't think that's her real name anyway.
Well, what she after you for? I don't know, but she sure feels strong about it.
She must.
Well, her plan didn't work, so maybe that's the last I'll hear of her.
I don't think you give women enough credit, Matt.
She'll think of something else.
I hope not.
Throw her in jail.
Well, that'd look fine, wouldn't it? For me to throw an old woman in jail.
You got a right to.
Besides, maybe if she's locked up for a while, she'll change her mind I doubt it.
Take more than that to make her change her mind.
Maybe you're right.
You know, women don't do things in halves.
When they love, they love.
When they hate, they hate.
Then it's all or nothing.
You make 'em sound kinda desperate.
Maybe that's it.
Kitty, all I know about women is that some of 'em are pretty and some of 'em aren't.
You're lying.
But I'm not gonna argue with you.
Matt Marshal.
Get out of the way, Kitty.
You bet I will.
Stand up, Marshal.
Amy, what are you up to now? Stand out a ways.
Throw the gun down, Amy.
I want to show you that I can handle it.
Throw it down.
This gun is all that's left of Jim.
I'm not throwing it down till I'm through with it.
Jim? Jim who? You killed so many, you don't remember Jim? Well, you're gonna remember him.
His gun's the last memory you're gonna have! Amy Amy? You shot me.
I told you you'd kill me.
What she talkin' about, Mr.
Dillon? You didn't even shoot.
Is she dead, Matt? No, she's not dead.
I think she's just fainted.
Look at there, Mr.
Dillon, look at that.
That's what happened.
Mm It's old and rusty.
Just blew up in her hand.
She was sure shooting at you that time.
Yeah.
I better get up to Doc's office.
Clear a way here for me, will ya? All right, let's just move back here- clear a way.
There ain't nothing for you to see.
Mr.
Dillon, she sure was desperate enough.
Yeah.
She's just not having any luck at all.
Well, you- ain't you got a home? How is she, Doc? Eh, she's about the same.
She's asleep.
By golly, I'm certainly not gonna founder on that little dab of coffee you left me.
Thank you.
Well I had to do something all night.
Matt let me ask you something.
You think she think she was really after you this time? Yeah, she was, Doc.
How's she feelin'? Well, not very good.
She's got an awful bad hand.
She, uh, got a fever, too, but that's not what worries me at all.
What do you mean? Well, she's scared half to death.
What she's really suffering from is hysteria.
And there's just nothing I can do about that.
It's something she's got to do for herself.
Well, but, uh, people don't usually die from hysteria, do they? Well, no.
Tell you I think she'd be all right if she could get this business with you settled, whatever it is.
Yeah.
I been thinking, Doc- you know she called him Jim.
Jim- now, I and I've been racking my brain, and I can't think of anybody in Dakota Territory by the name of Jim.
You're supposed to have killed him.
Well, I I didn't always get their names, Doc.
Well, Matt, it may take a little time, but Amy can pull through all right.
Can? What do you mean? Well, she can if she wants to bad enough.
Well what are you gonna do with her? What do you mean, Matt? Well, you can't keep her here.
Well, no, I can't turn her out in the street, either- she's got no money.
You said so yourself.
How about Ma Smalley? Well, who'd pay for that? Well, maybe she could work around Ma Smalley's place.
No, no, no.
No, she can't do any work for two, maybe three or four weeks.
No, no, that's no good.
Well, all right, I I'll pay for it myself.
Well, it seems to me you're being awful good to a woman that just tried to kill you.
Somebody's got to help her.
Well, now, maybe Amy just wouldn't like you helping her a bit.
Well, all right.
I tell you what, just don't mention me.
You you tell her you're doing it.
Is that what you want? Yeah.
Why don't you go on over to Ma Smalley's right now? I'll just stay clear out of it.
All right, I will, I'll I'll go over right now.
By golly, there's one thing I sure think you ought to keep in mind.
What's that? That just because she didn't make it this time, there's no sign she won't try to kill you again.
like his home in Kansas But all of his money wasn't Oh, hello there, Mr.
Dillon.
Is it quiet enough out for you today? Well, it seems quiet so far.
Of course, it can't get too quiet to suit me.
Yeah.
You know, ever since that ruckus with that Amy Slater, we ain't had a lick of trouble.
Don't worry, it won't last.
Yeah, Doc tells me that she's up and about now, even helping Ma Smalley with the housework and all.
Yeah, last couple of weeks in bed did her good, huh? Yeah.
Mr.
Dillon you remember that Jeremy cracker that used to be around Dodge? Be pretty hard to forget him.
Yeah.
You remember the time that he run that big, old rusty nail in his foot? And then, he went over to the-the Texas Trail Saloon and bought hisself two pints of that real raw whiskey.
And he took it outside, and he filled his shoe with one pint, and he filled hisself with the other one, and then he slopped around Dodge until it cured him.
That Jeremy, he sure had his own ideas about how to do things.
He sure did.
Do-Do you remember the time that he was walk Marshal, Chester.
Don't worry, I I haven't got a gun.
Well, we're not worried about that, Amy.
Come on and sit down.
Thank you.
Well, uh how you feelin'? Pretty good.
I'm gonna feel better when I tell you what I come for.
Oh? I been wrong, Marshal- giving way to my hate for you the way I have been, it it's hurt me more than it has you.
And Doc's been talking to me.
He took it on himself to tell me that you've been paying for my keep at Ma Smalley's.
After all I've tried to do to you.
Oh, that's all right, Amy.
When you killed Jim Band, you took all I had.
Jim Band.
So that's who it was.
You killed him.
You don't deny it.
No, I don't deny it, Amy.
He tried to kill me.
I had no choice.
But what was Jim Band to you? He was my brother.
I see.
Amy, did you know what Jim Band was? I know what they called him, but he was no outlaw to me.
He He give me everything- home, comforts.
He was so good to me.
I'm sorry, Amy.
I just did what had to be done.
In your way, you've been good to me, too, and I've come to pay you back.
Well you don't owe me anything, Amy.
But I've got to, for my own sake.
Uh, I don't mean money- I got no money.
Jim had a partner.
Emmett Gold was his name.
Yes, I remember him.
I never seen him after the shooting.
Not until today.
What? Half hour ago, I saw him walk into the Long Branch Saloon.
Somehow, he's found out that you're in Dodge, and he's come here to kill you.
After all these years? I didn't forget, did I? No.
Seems kind of funny, me warning you about him.
I'm doing it for my own sake.
I know I'm doing what's right.
Well makes you and me even, doesn't it? Makes us even, Amy.
And I'm real glad.
All right.
Mr.
Dillon, you you gonna go after this Emmett Gold? Might as well get it over with.
Emmett Gold.
Well, hello, Dillon.
You remember me, huh? Well, sure I do.
I hear you're a marshal now.
Yep.
It's been a long time.
Yeah.
We was never friendly, Dillon.
Nope.
Then what do you want? What are you doing here in Dodge? I'm just riding through.
I'm heading for Colorado soon as I finish this drink.
That all? What do you think I'm doing here? Looking for me.
Looking for you? What for? I killed Jim Band, didn't I? It was a fair fight.
It was.
You got shot, too, didn't you? Yeah, but I didn't get killed.
Wait a minute.
You think I'm after you for killing Jim Band.
Well, if that don't beat all.
You remember where that fight happened? Yeah, it was out on the prairie somewhere.
And Jim's bullet knocked you out.
Mm-hmm.
And when you came to, you found me gone and a fresh grave nearby with Jim's name carved on a hunk of wood.
You figured I buried him.
Didn't you? You didn't kill him, Dillon.
Huh? And I didn't bury him.
Because he wasn't dead.
What are you trying to say? Jim and me dug that grave and put his marker on it so you'd leave off chasing him.
Then he changed his name and went to Virginia City.
That's where he got killed.
Had a brawl with the law about two years ago.
They found out who he was after.
You got connections, Marshal.
You check, see if I ain't right.
So long, Marshal.
You sent him away, didn't you, Marshal? You sent him packing right out of town.
Well, Amy, he's headed for Colorado.
I guess you caught him by surprise, walking into that saloon and facing up to him.
Well, it surprised him all right.
Well, sir, I I feel better.
I was in your debt, Marshal.
Well warning you about Emmett Gold the way I did, you might say I saved your life.
Amy I'll always be grateful to you.
Don't mention it, Marshal.
Mr.
Dillon, that that Emmett Gold what he told you in there, was that the truth? Well, he'd have no reason to lie.
Well, then don't you think you ought to straighten Amy out about it? Amy's doing fine, Chester.
Well, what's she going to think now? I'm not going to tell her.
You ain't? Why, no.
Amy did a big thing for herself, Chester, telling me about Gold that way.
But, Mr.
Dillon, Gold didn't come here to kill you.
Her warning you about him was just plumb useless.
No, it wasn't.
Not unless we tell her.
I am not about to spoil what Amy did for anything.