Gunsmoke (1955) s04e11 Episode Script

starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
That sure took you long enough.
Yeah.
Hotel's crowded.
Had to talk them out of a room.
Well, you got one, didn't you? Yeah, sure, I did.
Well, let's get this stuff upstairs.
I'm plumb wore out with all this traveling around.
Wait a minute.
You're forgetting what we're here for, ain't you? - Oh.
Oh, yeah.
- Yeah? Hey, you, kid, come here a minute.
Yeah, mister, what do you want? Want to earn yourself a dollar? Well, sure.
What do I have to do? There's a marshal in this town, ain't there? Sure, Marshal Dillon.
Will you go find him for me? Tell him I want to see him.
Room number ten.
Tell him it's important.
I want to see him right away.
Okay, I'll hurry.
You just do that.
Thanks, mister.
Come on, Duggan.
Well, this sure ain't much of a room you got us here, Ben.
Ain't much of a town, if you ask me.
A little more dust out there, you wouldn't be able to see Dodge at all.
Well, that would be an improvement.
Well, don't forget, Duggan, that dust is raised by our future clients.
Well, if we can ever get things arranged, maybe they'll be our future clients.
It'll be all right.
It always has, hasn't it? You sure got a short memory.
We didn't do so good up in Deadwood, now, did we? At least we didn't get shot.
It'll be better this time.
Well, I sure hope so.
Now, you let me handle this.
Now, why do you have to handle every Shh.
You wanted to see me? Yeah, Marshal, come on in.
Come on in.
I'm Ben Corder, Marshal.
This here's my partner, Harry Duggan.
Proud to know you, Marshal.
- How do you do? - Yeah.
Well, sit down, Marshal.
Make yourself at home.
No, thank you.
Won't you have a drink? No, thanks.
The boy said it was urgent.
Yeah, well, I I figured we'd better have our little talk in private.
You see, Marshal, um, Harry and I are partners business partners and, um, whenever we come to a new town like Dodge, we, uh, like to get in touch with whoever runs it, and that way we figure that there there won't be no misunderstanding later on.
What is your business? Well, we're gamblers.
Well, Dodge is an open town.
What do you want of me? Well, you see, Marshal, we make money gambling.
And, uh once in a while, you know how it is, a player will lose a little money, make a fuss about it.
Sometimes he might even go to the law about it.
Mm-hmm.
And when he does, he's usually been cheated.
Before he gets to the law, there's usually been another killing.
We make a lot of money gambling, Marshal.
We just want you to know in advance you're going to get your share of it.
That's all.
I see.
Now, let me tell you something, both of you I don't know where you worked your game before, but it's not going to work here.
I don't like gamblers.
I never did.
To me, they're nothing but trouble.
If you're going to run a game here, you run it straight or you're out, both of you.
Well, now, Marshal, that ain't very friendly.
Trying to bribe me was one mistake.
You make another, and you're through.
Oh.
You're one of them hard-nosed lawmen, huh? You're liable to find out, mister.
Well, you sure handled that just great, now, didn't you? Just great.
Ah, don't be a fool, Duggan.
He's no better than anybody else.
I got an idea we can persuade him easy enough.
Yeah, how's that? You'll see.
Chester? Yeah.
Hey, I'm coming.
Oh, hi, Mr.
Dillon.
Well, how's the prisoner tonight? Oh, he-he's fine, just fine.
He's just sleeping off his drunk.
Oh, good.
I guess you can turn him loose in the morning.
Uh, yeah, well, good, good.
Is everything quieted down now, is it? - Finally.
- Yeah? Well, I-I just, uh, just wondering about it.
Mm-hmm.
Wondering about what? Uh, well, Mr.
Dillon, uh, do we have anything to do, uh, special tomorrow? No, I don't think so.
Why? Well, I-I just, uh uh, thought that, uh, maybe we can take the day off.
You know, go fishing.
Of course, it-it don't really matter none.
Well, I'd like to, Chester, but I think I better stick around.
Oh.
You expecting trouble? Maybe.
But you go ahead.
- Take the day off if you want to.
- Oh, no.
Oh.
Heck, wouldn't be no fun alone.
Well, why don't you take Doc with you? He could sure use a day off.
Doc? Well, I uh well, yeah, I-I-I could do that.
Well, it's getting kind of late.
I think I'll head out of here and get to bed.
I'll see you in the morning, Chester.
Well, the-the Can you get the light, Chester? Do you see anybody? No.
Sounded like a rifle shot, though.
Probably one of those alleys across the street.
You know, he just darn near killed you.
Yeah.
But I'll tell you one thing they were a mighty poor shot if they were trying to kill me.
Well, what do you mean? Well, standing in the light the way I was, they'd have to have been blind - to miss me.
- Yeah.
Could be they were just trying to scare me.
Show me how they treat the law where they come from.
Well, who in the world would have done a thing like that? Those two gamblers I told you about Corder and Duggan.
There's no way of being sure, though.
Well, are you going to try and find them? They're probably gone by now.
But I'm going to circle around there and take a look anyway.
I'm going out the back way.
Well I'll see you later.
Hello, Kitty.
Hello, Matt.
Sit down.
You want a drink? No.
No, thanks.
Not now.
Chester was here earlier.
He had a drink.
Oh, well, yeah, Chester's got the habit.
Oh? I mean, when he can afford it.
He told me about you getting shot at last night.
Yeah.
Well, at least I didn't get hit.
You might have.
Especially a man with a rifle.
Yeah.
I tell you, Kitty, I sure don't like to get shot at from ambush.
I'd a whole lot rather do my fighting out in the open.
Well, I can't blame you for that.
As long as you got to fight at all.
Well, I didn't say I liked fighting, you know.
Oh, I know, Matt, I know.
What do you want me to do, be a bartender? I'll give you a job.
Well, uh, maybe I'll take you up on it.
It's always open.
Who's this? Oh, uh, they're, uh, gamblers, among other things.
Hello.
How do? Right pretty girl.
Something I can do for you? You know, Marshal, you sure do make it hard to be friends.
I do, huh? Yes, sir, by golly.
All I wanted to say was I heard you got shot at last night.
So? I'm sorry it happened, that's all.
Mm-hmm.
No, sir.
I sure don't envy a man who has to be a marshal.
Mighty dangerous spot to be in.
Besides, the pay isn't too good, is it? What do you think I ought to do, now, quit? No, no, no, no.
That ain't necessary.
No, if you was smart, you'd be able to live right here, make plenty of money and run a lot less chances of getting killed, too.
I wasn't sure it was you, mister, but I am now.
What are you talking about? There's a stage leaving Dodge in an hour.
You and your partner here are going to be on it.
Oh, no, you don't.
No, we got our new game all set up for the Lady Gay tonight.
Give me your gun, Corder.
Now, wait a minute, Marshal.
You can't do this.
Hey, just a minute now, Marshal.
I ain't done nothing.
Well, I'll give you something to do, then.
What's that? Pick your partner up here.
The both of you are leaving town on the next stage.
Now, just a minute, Marshal.
You're overstepping your authority.
Get going.
All right.
Come on.
We're going.
We're going.
But I ain't sure we won't be back.
And that's how we left Sedalia, and they said to us, "Don't ever come back anymore.
" Go ahead, Toque, drink up, huh? One's my limit.
Hmm? Oh.
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Here he is.
This is him.
We come back, Marshal.
Only this time, we brought a man with us to look after our interests.
You won't buffalo him so easy.
Hello, Toque.
You really the marshal here? Didn't they tell you? Oh, no, no, they didn't mention any names.
What are you talking about, huh? What is this? Toque and I are old friends.
We've been through quite a lot together, haven't we, Toque? Yeah, yeah.
Too much.
You remember? Yeah, I remember.
How long you been a marshal? Quite a while.
I never figured lawmen for much.
A lot of people don't, Toque.
Like your friends here.
I'd like to talk to Mr.
Morlan alone.
You men move down the bar.
Oh, no, you don't.
Move.
So, this is your profession now, huh, Toque? Gunman.
I gamble a little.
How'd you get started at it, Toque? Well, you see, I don't like people very much anymore.
Not after what happened in Silver City.
And especially, I don't like marshals.
We were hardly more than kids then.
Yeah, but that didn't keep that mob from beating us half to death.
They thought we were horse thieves.
They were wrong.
We told them that.
Yeah.
I haven't seen you since then, Matt.
I've changed.
I guess you have.
You're carrying a pretty big grudge against the law.
There was a lawman with them that night at Silver City.
You didn't hear about that lawman.
I don't want to hear about it.
I don't want to hear anything more about any of it.
So just don't talk about it.
It's too bad you're a marshal.
You plan to go through with it then, huh? Yeah, I never walk out on a fight.
And, uh, supposing I won't fight you? Well, that's all right.
I get paid anyway.
But you have to leave Dodge.
You think I'd do that? No.
Toque, we used to be friends.
I'll give you 24 hours to think about it.
Well, you see, that gives you 24 hours.
'Cause it doesn't matter to me.
What does matter to you, Toque? Money? Well, it adds to the pleasure.
The pleasure? Yeah.
You're not Matt Dillon.
You're a U.
S.
marshal.
I'm wasting my time talking to you.
You've gone bad.
Maybe, but I'm a pretty good gun hand.
Are you? Mm-hmm.
Now, you can let them run their game here or you can quit.
Hello, Chester.
Oh, Mr.
Dillon, I thought you was asleep there, maybe.
No.
Just been lying here thinking.
Well, I didn't mean to disturb you.
Oh, that's all right.
But I was just over at the Lady Gay there.
Uh, you know that Corder and Duggan? Yeah.
Well, looks like they're going to start their game tonight.
Hmm? After 6:00, I take it.
Well, that was the time that the 24 hours is up, ain't it? Yeah.
If Toque Morlan holds to what he said.
Mr.
Dillon, ain't there no way in the world that you can stop him? I've been trying to think of a way, Chester.
Well, if there's anything I can't stand, it's a paid gunman.
I just I got no use for somebody that can be bought for money.
It's like selling their soul.
You know, the funny thing is, there was a time when Toque Morlan couldn't be bought.
He's really changed.
- Well, he - Did you say he's over there at the Lady Gay with them? No, no.
Uh, just Corder and Duggan is over there.
Somebody told me that Toque was over at the Long Branch.
You know, I'm going to try something.
What? Something to keep a couple of one-time friends from killing each other.
Not that I got much use for Toque Morlan anymore, but I just hope I'm not the one that has to kill him.
See you later.
Here we are.
What are you doing this for, Kitty? Why'd you ask me to come over and sit down here? Well, I just wanted you to have a drink with me is all.
You want another? No, thanks.
That's my limit.
Especially today.
Oh, yeah, sure.
You haven't answered my question, Kitty.
Well, all right.
Matt told me about you and him being taken by that mob in Silver City years ago.
He told me the whole story.
Did he? There was a lawman a sheriff that tried to help that mob that night, wasn't there? Now, wait a minute, Toque.
You just listen to me.
You were wrong.
The sheriff wasn't trying to help them.
He was trying to stop them.
Matt found out later the next day after you'd gone, but the mob killed that sheriff.
Hmm.
Matt tell you to tell me this? No.
But I do know he tried to tell you himself yesterday and you wouldn't listen.
You think he's lying, don't you? I've never known Matt Dillon to lie and neither have you.
Thanks for the drink, Kitty.
I'd like to talk to you, Toque.
Seems like I've had quite a bit of talk today.
I'll be at the, uh, bar, Matt.
All right, Kitty.
How much they paying you to get rid of me? $500.
All right, suppose I pay you the $500? What for? To shoot them? You know better than that.
Yeah, I guess I do.
Well? Look, Matt, I can be bought on to a job, but I can't be bought off.
Make me look like a coward.
No more than it would me for offering it to you.
Mm-hmm.
You got about three hours.
Yeah.
Hey, Toque.
We was wondering where you were.
It's just about time, ain't it? It's durn near 6:00.
Yeah, we're anxious to get that game started.
Got everything all set up in here.
I'd hate to see all the suckers in this town walking around with our money still in their pockets.
You can keep your money.
What money? The money you were going to give me.
What are you talking about? I'm quitting.
Now, you can't quit.
You must be scared.
You calling me a coward? Why don't you fight him? Yeah you're scared of him.
Not bad at all.
- Watch where you're going! - Here, now.
Hey, what's the matter with you? All right, move along.
- Come on, Pete.
- Wait a minute.
Go ahead, mister, draw.
Pete was armed.
He wasn't wearing a gun! Marshal! Marshal! Marshal! Marshal.
Marshal, he killed Pete.
Didn't even have a gun on him.
He just shot him down for no reason.
You kill this man, Toque? I thought he was going for a gun.
You kind of thought wrong, didn't you? Well, I didn't know.
I Look, Matt, I've never shot an unarmed man.
You're going to have to stand trial for this, Toque.
You mean, you're going to put me in jail? I got no choice.
I'm not going to jail.
You know that.
Don't do it, Toque.
I'm not going to jail, Matt.
You're going to jail whether you like it or not.
It's the law.
No, I ain't.
Not never.
Give me your gun, Toque.
No, Matt.
You hurt me bad, Matt.
You know the funny thing? I was coming to tell you that I wasn't going to fight you.
That I quit.
I changed my mind.
Changed it too late, didn't you, Toque? Yeah, but I Here it is.
You know something? I don't care.
Not no more.
Get out of Dodge.