Gunsmoke (1955) s04e10 Episode Script

starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Real pretty here.
You think this is a good place to camp? Good as any, I guess.
The man at the land office said I could probably stake out any homestead land I wanted around here, but it don't look like the best farmland a man could want.
I've seen better.
Cattle might make out, though.
Oh, yeah, but I don't know nothing about cattle.
I sure wish you'd change your mind and stay around with me for a few days here.
Well, now, I'd kind of like to do that, mister.
You're pretty green, but you seem like a good man.
Then you'll stay? No.
No, I'm afraid not.
I don't know nothing about farming.
I'm a drifter.
I don't reckon I'll ever change.
Don't know as I'd even want to.
You will, someday.
But anyway, it's been real nice knowing you.
Same here.
And I sure do appreciate your taking the time to guide me out here from Dodge.
I was proud to help.
I'd have got lost, sure.
Say, uh you know I just, uh, thought of something.
Uh Yeah? What? What do I do with him at night? I mean, to keep him from running away? Mister you shouldn't be out here alone.
Just ain't right.
I'll make out.
Well, I sure wish you luck.
If you don't have any hobbles, stake him out.
Oh.
How do you do that? Oh, shucks.
Wait a minute.
You take these hobbles.
I won't need them.
What do you do with these? You'd better put them on his front feet.
Well, thanks.
I-I want to pay you, mister.
I won't need any money where I'm going.
Good luck to you.
Well, thanks.
And good luck to you.
Ever seen that fellow before, Shelby? No.
Looks like some kind of nester to me, though.
Ah, country's getting overrun with them.
That's sure true.
Ain't a bad-lookin' horse, though.
Well, let's have a little talk with him.
Hello, mister.
Hello.
You camped here all alone? Yes, I'm alone.
Well, where's your partner? Partner? I don't have none.
You ought to have one.
Man like you needs somebody to take care of him, hmm? What's your name, fella? Blenis.
Hank Blenis.
You live around here? No.
At least not yet.
What do you mean? Well, you see, I've just been scouting around for some homestead land.
Oh, I see.
Ain't a bad-looking horse for a homesteader.
It seems like a fine horse.
Well, take a look at him, Shelby.
All right.
Scouting for land, huh? That's right.
I had a little orchard back in Ohio.
I I raised apples.
Well, I I guess apples is fine.
I sure wish I had some right now.
Hey, Gringle.
- Huh? That's a mighty sound horse, far as I can see.
- Hmm? - There's just one thing wrong with him.
What? Well, he ain't got no brand on him.
No brand? What are you doing riding a horse with no brand, mister? It washed off coming over the Arkansas.
Washed off? What are you talking about? That's right, mister.
I ain't lying.
I guess it don't matter whether you are or not.
Shelby, take your rope down.
What's he need a rope for? What are you going to do? Don't worry none about that.
We'll take care of everything.
- What are you going to do?! What are you?! - It's all right! Now, get him up here, Gringle! Mr.
Dillon, maybe there's some water over there.
Well, I doubt it.
Not unless somebody's dug a well.
Well, I tell ya, I'm gonna start carrying me two canteens.
Let's rest the horses, anyway.
Well, all right, but I think I'll just check to make sure there ain't no water there.
Chester, what do you want, all the comforts of home? I don't know.
Mr.
Dillon?! Huh? Mr.
Dillon! What? Looky here.
Lynched.
I don't recognize him.
Do you? No.
There ain't no horse around.
Leastwise, I ain't seen one.
Well, Chester, he was probably riding a stolen horse.
Whoever he stole it from caught up with him and took it back.
It's a terrible price to pay for a horse.
Well, I don't know how I'm gonna find whoever did this, but I'd sure like to.
Well, let's get him in the ground now.
What's bothering you, Matt, the lynching? Yeah, I guess so.
I don't know how men can do things like that.
Yeah.
It's easy for some men, Kitty.
Who was he? We found a letter on him.
His name's Hank Blenis.
Doesn't seem to be wanted by the law anywhere, but he must be a horse thief.
Must've been, or else they wouldn't have lynched him.
Why don't you just find out who's had a horse stolen lately? It's not likely they'd be talking about it now.
No, I guess not.
Miss Kitty! I'll be back in just a minute.
All right.
Marshal Dillon? Yes.
I'm Charlie Drain, Marshal.
Run cattle up north on the Republican River.
Happened to be in Dodge on business, and I heard about that lynching yesterday.
Oh, sit down.
You know something about the lynching, do you? I know I don't like it.
My own pa was lynched, Marshal.
Mob strung him up by mistake.
I was just a boy, but I saw them do it.
Laid on my mind ever since.
It's a big thing with me, Marshal.
I can't endure seeing lynchers get off free.
Well, I don't like it myself, Drain, but Then you do something about it, or by heaven, I will.
Then maybe you'd better tell me what you got on your mind.
Fellow named Gil Mather lives alone on a small ranch over in Dove Creek.
I stopped by there on my way down.
He'd had a horse or two stolen lately.
Talked of hanging whoever stole them.
So? You go out and bring him in, while there's still time.
Now, wait a minute.
I'll see him dead, Marshal.
I've told you how I feel about lynching.
Drain, you'd better take it easy.
Leave the law up to me.
Not for long, I won't.
As long as I'm alive, you will.
And don't you forget it.
Hello, Willy! Oh, hello, Mr.
Mather.
I didn't hear you right off.
Ah, you finish your chores, come on in the house.
We'll see if we can find us something to eat.
I'm done here now.
I just got some stuff to put away in the barn.
- Well, then get on with it, Billy.
- Yes, sir.
Oh, Mr.
Mather, do you have anything for me to do this afternoon? Ma wanted me to get home and get some sod cut.
You finish in the barn and you go on.
I've got nothing I'll need you for this afternoon.
Thanks.
Think Mather will put up a fight, Mr.
Dillon? I'm not even gonna arrest him, Chester.
I don't have enough evidence.
But what if he admits it, though? Well, not many men admit to a crime.
Well, no, I guess not.
Well, hello, Marshal! Hello, Mather.
What brings you out here? I understand you've lost some horses.
I didn't lose them, Marshal, they was stolen.
Three of them.
You got any idea who stole them? If I knew, there'd be a man hanging from a limb somewheres.
Well, that's what I came out here about, Mather.
There was.
What? About ten miles from here.
A man by the name of Hank Blenis.
Who hung him? There's a lot of people think maybe you did.
No.
No, it wasn't me.
Horse thieves got to be hung, though.
Well, this happened last Thursday, Mather.
Would you mind telling me where you were then? Are you questioning my word? You gonna tell me? I don't like it, a man questions my word.
Well, this is no time to get proud and stubborn, Mather.
You got any evidence, you come and arrest me, Marshal.
Meantime, I got things to do.
Sure is contrary, ain't he? Yeah.
Could be hiding something.
Well, can't arrest him for that.
Might as well get back to town.
Doc! Huh? What? Oh, it's you, huh? Oh, I say, you weren't asleep, were you? No.
No, I was just kind of resting my eyes here a little bit.
Just I was up all night.
Mm-hmm.
What were you doing? Well, I was doctoring.
Doctoring what? Well, it's none of your business, but I was doctoring old man Clyde.
Oh, oh.
I thought maybe you had an old sick cow someplace.
You know, you ought to tie a string around your neck with a sign on it explaining all that.
Otherwise, folks might get the wrong idea.
Well, folks can mind their own business.
And that goes for you, too! I'm here if anybody wants me, anyway.
You, uh, you don't mind if I join you, do you? No, no.
Good.
Thanks.
Oh! Oh, excuse me.
You know, a man'd have to be awful sick before he'd trust a doctor that looks like he's sleeping off a drunk.
Yeah, from what I hear, you haven't exactly been distinguishing yourself in your trade lately.
People going around lynching folks, and no interference at all from the law.
I guess I should have left you sleeping.
I wasn't asleep.
Marshal Dillon! I want to talk to you.
What about? I'm tired of waiting, Marshal.
Something's gotta be done.
Drain, why don't you go back to your ranch and let me handle this? Because you ain't doing nothing about it.
A man's been lynched, and you just sit there not caring a thing about it.
But I care.
I won't stand for it, Marshal.
If Gil Mather didn't do it, you find out who did.
And you'd better be darn quick about it.
Now, Drain, I'm gonna give you a piece of advice.
Like what? You go take a walk around town, and you talk to people, and you ask 'em what I'm like when somebody crowds me too far.
And you go back out to that ranch of yours and you think about it, real hard.
I'm telling you the truth, men.
Unless them lynchers are caught and punished, you'll have more of it.
None of you will be safe.
You calling us horse thieves, mister? Many an innocent man's been lynched, my friend.
My own pa was.
I'll never forget it.
The law here's got to learn that if they won't do something about this, we will.
Them lynchers has got to be punished.
Now, who's with me? Well, what's the matter with you men? Afraid of Marshal Dillon? Is that it? Well, forget about him.
If he won't do his duty, we will.
Now, what about it, men? I know.
You want to drink.
Bartender, drinks are on me.
Maybe it was Gil Mather.
Maybe it wasn't.
But if we all work together, we'll soon find out who did it.
Well, what do you say, men? Thanks, mister, but I'm too busy.
No, thanks.
All I'm asking you men is this whoever done it is bound to make a mistake.
Maybe he talked to much, maybe he bragged about getting a horse back.
So you just keep your eyes and ears open.
Come to me first thing you find out.
Well, you can do that much, can't you? Another round, bartender.
Drain.
Yeah? What is it? Well, we want to talk to you.
Well, sit down, gentlemen, sit down.
My name's Gringle.
This is my partner, Shelby.
Well? We know something about the lynching.
- Gringle, I don't want - Shut up! I'll do the talking.
Never mind.
Tell me, what do you know? We know who done it.
You do? Who? Who did it? Well, we come by there just after it happened.
We seen him riding away, but it was too late to cut him down.
But you recognized him? Plain as day.
Well, tell me, man.
Who was it? You want him real bad, don't ya? I've got to have him.
Yeah, well, we don't feel as strong as that, Drain.
Don't matter to us one way or another.
We're just a couple of cowboys.
Real poor.
Bartender, more glasses.
Money that's what you want.
I'll pay anything within reason.
Hundred dollars? All right.
Apiece.
Apiece? I'll pay.
Now, who was it? Better than that, we'll take you there.
Take me there? I want to see that this thing is done right.
No mistakes.
Come on.
If was a bluebird and you was a train Tell you what I'll do Pop my head and whistle Build a nest for you Build a nest for you Oh, howdy, Mr.
Dillon.
Well.
Where've you been? Why, somebody looking for me? No, nobody that I know of.
Well, what'd you want to know for, then? Well, I-I come in, and you wasn't here, so I just was wondering, that's all.
I see.
Well, if you really want to know, I was out having dinner and thinking.
What was you thinking about? Well, I was thinking about that Charlie Drain.
He's been doing a lot of talking, and it may lead to trouble.
Oh, that Charlie Drain.
Talk that he does sure don't make much sense.
You know, you'd think that that Hank Blenis was his cousin, some relative or something, the way he's been carrying on.
- Yeah.
- Instead of just some poor old pilgrim.
You know, that, uh, that man that was hung, he was he didn't look much like a cowboy, did he? No, no, more like some farmer to me.
He wasn't wearing Western clothes, either.
Well what difference does that make? Just that a man like that doesn't usually steal horses.
He doesn't know enough about it.
Well, now, I hadn't thought of that.
Neither had I.
I'm going over to see Moss.
Maybe he can help me out.
Hmm.
Yeah, that must have been him, Marshal.
He said his name was Hank Blenis.
Yeah, I know.
The horse you rented him, Moss, what did he look like? Oh, a black three-year-old.
He was young, but plumb gentle.
Had three white stockings.
And another thing, that horse didn't have no brand on him, except that no-good stuff I bought.
What stuff's that? A traveling man sold it to me.
Kind of a chemical powder.
You wet it, and then you kind of paint your brand on with it.
Supposed to take the hair off.
It ain't no good.
I put it on another animal, and it washed right off.
Hmm.
Well, then whoever stole this horse could, uh, put his own brand on it.
Yeah, I'm a fool, Marshal, thinking you can brand a horse that way.
Well, we all make mistakes.
But I saved Gil Mather from getting took, though.
How? He came in the other day, looking for the same kind of powder.
He did? Now, what day was that? Thursday.
He always comes in on Thursday.
He comes in, stays all day.
Well, that was the day of the lynching.
You don't think Gil Mather did it, do you? I don't know.
Here comes Chester.
- Mr.
Dillon? - Yeah? That Charlie Drain's headed for trouble, for sure.
What do you mean? Well, I just run into a fella that rode into town.
He said he'd seen Drain and a couple of strangers headed out towards Gil Mather's place.
Well, we'd better get out there.
Thanks, Moss.
I don't see anybody around.
Maybe they're in the barn.
There's their horses.
What are you doing around here, Marshal? Where's Gil Mather? He's not around.
Take a look in the barn, Chester.
- Yes, sir.
- I said he's not around.
Go ahead.
What's your name? What difference does it make? I said what's your name? All right, it's Bob Gringle.
Yours? Ed Shelby.
Why? It's his job.
His job is to punish criminals, but he ain't been doing very good at it.
You're slow, Marshal.
Much too slow.
I hope you're wrong about that, Drain.
Mr.
Dillon! Mr.
Dillon! What? He's in there, all right, Gil Mather.
They went and hung him.
Don't move.
Just keep your hand away from that gun.
Well, you can't blame me, Marshal.
Weren't me, nor Shelby.
It was Drain's idea.
He paid us - to come along with him.
- And why not? Because Gil Mather was in town the day of the lynching.
How do you know? I have one witness.
I can find more.
You sure of that, Marshal? I'm sure.
I don't want any part of this.
Let's go, Shelby.
Hold it.
This your horse here? The one with the three white stockings? What about it, Marshal? Pretty smart of you to lynch a man instead of killing him after you steal his horse.
Now, look What are you saying, Marshal? Drain, these are the men that lynched Hank Blenis.
They told me it was Mather.
They probably figured that getting you out here to help them lynch Mather would throw everybody off their track.
So you lynched him.
You did it.
Dirty dog! Chester? Yes, sir? Get his gun.
All, right, get up.
Get up! On your feet.
Get your hands up.
Here, Chester.
All right, now you two get over there.
Drain? Dirty lynchers! I hate them.
I'd have killed them both, if you hadn't stopped me.
Dirty lynchers! And what do you think you just did in there to Gil Mather? You're nothing but a lyncher yourself.
I made a mistake.
I made a mistake.
I can't help that.
I only wish I could have hung them, too.
They deserved it! I hate them, I tell you! I hate lynching! I! He died plumb out of his mind, Mr.
Dillon.
Just wild and plumb out of his mind.
Well, sometimes a man can hate too much, Chester.
Can twist him till he doesn't know the truth anymore.
Yeah.