Gunsmoke (1955) s04e12 Episode Script

starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
What's the matter, Chester? Huh? You haven't said a word in the past ten miles.
Cheer up; we'll be in Dodge for supper tonight.
Cheer up.
Well, uh, was that cheery enough for you? Forget I mentioned it, will you? Yeah.
Mr.
Dillon, maybe we can just go over to that farmhouse and get us a drink of nice, cold water.
Well, not a bad idea.
Give it a try.
Hello.
Is something wrong, mister? Didn't you hear 'em? Hear what? - Well, the Indians.
Just a minute ago, they was hollerin' right out there.
Indians? Why, Mr.
Dillon, I never Oh, he-he must have heard me, - Mr.
Dillon.
Uh - You? Well, yeah, I was I was just, uh, yellin' a little bit just for the fun of it.
That true? Yeah, that's true, mister.
We wouldn't lie to you.
I'm the marshal over in Dodge City.
This is my friend, Chester Goode.
Oh.
My name's Harry Pope.
Howdy do.
Won't you visit a while? Well, I guess the horses could use a little rest, couldn't they? Well, I know I sure could.
Well, how long you been living out here, Mr.
Pope? Oh, couple of months.
My wife died back east, and I didn't want to stay back there, so well, I-I come out here and now I got this place.
I see.
I sure am scared of them Indians, though, Marshal.
Oh, but, uh, there ain't no Indians, though, Pope.
We told you that.
It's Oh, not today, maybe, but they come scratching around nights.
And they whoop and they holler, too.
Now, what makes you think it was Indians - that you heard? - Oh, I can tell.
Marshal Marshal, do you suppose maybe the-the Army could come out here and-and run 'em off? If they was to catch me outside the cabin, I'd be done for.
Well, Mr.
Pope, let me tell you something.
If what you'd been hearing was really Indians, you'd have been done for a long time ago.
Now, you've heard a lot of talk about Indians, and your imagination's done the rest.
You see, they just don't act the way you described them.
Oh, I'm sorry, Marshal; them was Indians, all right.
Well, then why don't you shoot 'em? - I don't have a gun.
You don't? Oh, I ain't had a gun since I was in the Army.
Well, you better get one, then.
A man needs a gun out in this country.
Besides, if you shoot at 'em next time you hear 'em, why, I think you'll understand what I been trying to tell you.
But if I was to kill one of 'em, they might get the whole tribe after me.
No, I don't think so, Mr.
Pope.
I know, you you think I'm crazy, don't you? But but I ain't, I I know what I hear.
You say so, I-I'll get me a gun, tomorrow.
And if I have to, I'll well, I'll use it.
All right, you do that.
Good luck to you.
Bye.
- So long.
- So long.
Hee Hee Hee Marshal! Marshal Dillon.
- Well.
- I been yelling at you all the way across the street.
Hello, Curry.
I'd like to talk to you for a minute.
What about? You know Earl Brant? No.
- How do.
- Marshal.
Earl's an old friend of mine from Texas.
He come out a couple of months ago to ride for me.
I see.
Well, what can I do for you? You know that new fella, Harry Pope? Yeah, I met him a couple days ago.
Well, you're gonna meet him again.
What are you getting at? He killed Joe Carter last night.
What? Marshal, Joe Carter was a good friend of mine.
He worked for me for a long time.
I didn't like having to bury him this morning.
What happened? Pope shot him, in cold blood, out near that old cabin of his.
That blasted Easterner.
I'm looking forward to see him hung.
Now, just hold on a minute.
Harry Pope didn't seem like the kind of man that'd shoot anybody in the back, - or any other way.
- Well, he did it.
How do you know? Were you there? No, but Earl was.
He brought Joe's body back to the ranch.
Tell me what happened.
Pope murdered Joe Carter.
I want the details how did he murder him? Tell him, Earl.
Well, ain't nothin' to tell.
We were riding by his cabin last night, he comes sneaking out and shot Joe, that's all.
And that's enough.
Now, are you gonna arrest him? I'll ride out there tomorrow.
Tomorrow? He might run.
He won't run.
He wouldn't know how.
Well, I guess maybe that's right.
But you take him, Marshal.
'Cause if you don't, I swear I will.
Come on, Earl.
Well, is everything all right? Yeah, it seems to be pretty quiet.
Guess there won't be much going on tonight.
No.
I think I'll go to bed, then, Mr.
Dillon.
I got to get up early if we're gonna ride out to Harry Pope's.
Yeah, well, we'll be leaving right after daybreak.
- Yeah, well, good night.
- Good night.
Uh, uh, M-Mr.
Dillon? - Hmm? - Mr.
Dillon, I I just seen Harry Pope.
- You did? - Yeah.
Where was he? Well, he went into the stage office there.
Are you sure? Well, yeah, I'm pretty sure.
You think maybe he's trying to run off after all? Well, let's go find out.
Hello, Pope.
Marshal.
Chester.
Hi, Mr.
Pope.
Well, you, uh, you going somewhere? Huh? Oh, no, no, I'm not going anywhere.
I just come in to see whether Jim Buck had fetched some seed from Hay City like he promised, but, uh, it ain't here yet.
- I see.
- That's all.
I'll come in again sometime next week.
Well, what are you gonna do, go back to the ranch, then, tonight? Oh, no, no, no, it's too late; I wouldn't dare.
They was back again, Marshal.
- Who was back? - Them Indians, but I got me a rifle, like you said, and I I shot at 'em, and they rode off.
Well, Pope, these, uh, these Indians, how many of 'em were there? Well, I couldn't tell.
- But you shot at 'em? - Yeah.
Did you hit any of 'em? It was too dark; I-I don't know.
And they were, uh, whooping and hollering the way they were before? You should've heard 'em.
Well, Pope, I I hate to have to tell you this, but those weren't Indians.
They were two men that ride for Ned Curry.
And one of 'em, Joe Carter, you killed.
What? The other one was Earl Brant.
Why, I can't believe it.
How'd you know? Well, Ned Curry was in to see me today.
Maybe he was lying.
Curry's got his faults, but lying isn't one of 'em.
I just don't know what to say, Marshal.
Well, has there been any trouble between you and these men? No, sir.
I hardly know 'em.
They they rode by a couple of times, that's all.
I wouldn't have shot at 'em if I known who it was.
But wait.
It-it couldn't have been them.
No, they-they were shooting at me first.
They were? Yeah.
Just don't make sense.
You gonna arrest me, Marshal? No, no, I'm not, Pope if you'll promise me something.
Yeah? Don't try to leave your place, and don't try to leave Dodge.
Oh, I won't.
I'll-I'll ride out to my cabin in the morning, and I'll be there, anytime you want me.
All right.
Good night.
Good night.
Night, Mr.
Pope.
Well, he sure is a lonely kind of a little feller, ain't he? Don't even seem like he belongs out here.
Yeah.
Mr.
Dillon, he's coming down the boardwalk.
Who? Uh, Ned Curry.
- Chester.
- Howdy.
- Morning, Marshal.
- Hello, Ned.
Well, when will I get to see that dirty little Yankee hung? Had a little talk with Pope.
- Had a talk with him? - Yeah.
He said he thought he was shooting at Indians.
Well, that miserable dog.
You weren't there; you don't really know what happened.
Now, look, Marshal, Earl Brant's a good friend of mine.
I don't know as I take to you calling him a liar.
Now, why do you suppose Pope shot at him? How do I know? He's crazy, I guess.
That all? That's enough, ain't it? He killed Joe Carter what difference does it make? It makes the difference between murder and something else.
All right.
Bring Pope out here.
Let's talk to him.
And I'll beat the truth out of him if he lies.
He's not in there, Curry.
What? I didn't arrest him.
Why not?! 'Cause when I talked to him, he said he thought it was Indians he was shooting at.
And not only that, but they shot at him first.
Now, who could it have been besides Carter and Brant? I'm beginning to think you're the one that's crazy.
You mean you're not gonna arrest him at all? Not till I find out more about this.
Marshal, no man's gonna kill a friend of mine, then say he was shooting at Indians! And if the law won't see justice done, then I will! Use your head, Curry.
All I know is Joe Carter's dead and Harry Pope shot him.
And that's all I need to know! I mean what I say, Marshal.
Well, Mr.
Dillon, you know, he's just mad enough - to go after Pope hisself.
- Yeah.
Well, there's only one thing I can think of that might work.
Let's ride out to Pope's and give it a try.
Marshal.
Chester.
- Howdy.
- Howdy, Pope.
I'll take him for you, Mr.
Dillon.
Well, you can tie him up anywhere there.
- Oh, thank you.
- I was just about to go to work, Marshal, but I'd be proud to make you a cup of coffee.
No, no, thanks, Pope.
Pope, I hate to have to tell you this, but I think you'd be better if you left here.
What? Well, it's no fault of your own, but you've made enemies here now, and well, I think you'd be a whole lot better off somewhere else.
Oh, I'm sorry, Marshal, I I won't leave.
Let 'em come.
I'll fight it out with 'em.
Just mean more bloodshed.
But it's like you said, Marshal, it it ain't my fault.
And well, a man's got a duty to defend himself.
Well, I know, but think about it.
You wouldn't have a minute's peace around here.
You'd be jumping at shadows night and day.
I won't leave, Marshal.
All right.
I'm sorry about all this, Pope.
Well, is he gonna leave, Mr.
Dillon? Nope.
He ain't? Well, he's got more gumption than I thought.
Yeah.
For all the good it'll do him.
Pope? Come on out, Pope.
You ain't got a chance.
So it was you all the time.
Why'd you shoot me? Why's you and Carter trying to scare me? It was a joke.
It ain't no joke no more.
You're gonna die for killing Joe Carter.
Get on your horse and ride.
Don't shoot! Don't shoot again! Then don't come back anymore.
Pope? Mr.
Dillon, I don't see a soul.
Do you think them shots come from here? They must have.
Well, look here.
Marshal Dillon.
Mr.
Dillon? Marshal, I was shot.
All right, now, take it easy.
- Here.
No, no, no, no! Let me down, let me down.
All right, easy, now.
Here.
Easy.
Water.
In the well.
I know where it is, Mr.
Dillon; I'll get it.
In-in the back.
I was just out in the yard doing the wash.
Did you see who did it? Yeah.
It was that fella it was that fella Brant.
Brant, huh? But I-I put a bullet in him, and I made him ride I-I'm burning up.
Here you are.
- Mm, mm, mm.
- What? No, I can't drink.
Come on, Chester, let's get him in the house.
I still don't know why they did it.
Why'd they want to hurt me? Come on.
All right, now, slow.
Hey, Marshal? Yeah? My horse and them hogs, don't don't leave 'em starve, huh? Don't worry, Pope, we'll take care of 'em for you.
Thanks.
I can hardly see.
Oh, my goodness.
You know, he was a brave man, Chester.
Yeah.
Yeah, he was brave.
He put a bullet in Earl Brant, drove him off.
Hyah! Hyah! Hyah! Chester, come here.
What's the matter, Mr.
Dillon? Come on, take a look.
Huh? That's Ned Curry and his men, ain't it? Yeah.
Well, should I get my rifle? No.
No, just stand easy, Chester.
Where's that murdering Harry Pope? You ain't gonna protect him no more, Marshal.
Seems like there's a lot of men looking for Pope today.
And we're gonna get him, too.
Come out of there, Pope! I got three men with me! The marshal ain't gonna do you no good at all! You're wasting your breath.
Keep your rifles on 'em.
I suppose that little sneak didn't tell you.
Tell me what? He shot Earl Brant.
Yeah, he told me.
You don't seem to care.
It's a good thing we found Earl before he died.
He's dead? But he was able to talk a little first.
What'd he say? He said Harry Pope shot him.
And now I'm gonna shoot Harry Pope.
He's murdered two good friends of mine, and he's gonna die for it.
You stand in my way, you're gonna die, too.
All right.
Go get him.
Pope! Mr.
Dillon, why didn't you tell him? He'll find out.
Well, he'll find out, all right.
Why didn't you tell me he was dead? It was your friend Brant that killed him.
He didn't tell me that.
Maybe he wasn't very proud of it.
Why shouldn't he shoot him? He had it coming, didn't he? Brant was a coward, a cheap, rotten coward.
I won't stand for talk like that! - No? - No.
I'll stand up for the good name of a friend of mine whether he's dead or alive! A friend, huh? - You're a fool, Curry.
- What? You go on back in there and take another look at him.
And take a good look this time.
I don't understand.
Go take a look.
Brant did that? In the back? Yeah.
Then Brant was lying to me.
And about Carter, too.
About Carter, too.
All Harry Pope did was try and defend himself.