Gunsmoke (1955) s04e13 Episode Script

starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Well, hello, Shell.
Hi, Matt.
- Chester.
Hi.
- Hi, Shell.
Whatcha doing way out here? Oh, we're coming in from Walnut Creek.
Yeah.
Come on, I'll build you some coffee here.
Oh, no, thanks, Shell, we can't.
We're, uh, trying to get back to Dodge tonight.
Oh, okay.
Well, what are you doing so far from home? Out on a wolf hunt, Matt you know, them ornery critters been taking down too many of my calves here lately.
Well, it seems like one thing or another's always keeping you out of Dodge, Shell.
You know, we haven't had a drink together for a long time.
Yeah.
I miss that.
Well, I'll be riding in there again one of these fine moonlit nights.
Well, good.
We hope to see you in there.
- Shell.
- So long, Shell.
So long.
I'll see you in town, Matt.
Say, now, those are wolves that have been taking your calves, - aren't they? - Well, four-legged or two-legged, Matt, I'll shoot whatever I find.
Well, if they're those two-legged variety, you better come to me about it.
Yeah, sure.
Bring 'em with me, too, wrapped in canvas.
Shell, you're as stubborn as a Missouri mule.
Ah, you ain't worried none about me, are you? Well, you make it kind of hard not to sometimes.
Get on into Dodge where you belong.
All right.
We'll see you.
Yeah.
Matt.
- How are you? - Hello, Doc.
Let's go get something to eat, huh? Something to eat? It's the middle of the morning.
What's that got to do with it? Well, I'm not hungry myself.
Well, neither am I don't want to get hungry, either.
I see.
You buying? Well, sure.
All right, I'm hungry; let's go.
- Marshal? - Well, hello, Rufe.
Uh, I came to get Doc Adams.
Well, Doc, this is Shell Tucker's boy.
- Hi.
- Oh, we ain't never met before.
- No.
- So, how's your ma these days? Well, it's Ma I came to get you for, Doc.
- Yeah? - She swallowed a nail, and it's hurting her bad.
Swallowed a nail? How in thunder'd she do that? Well, she was fixing the chicken house and she had some nails in her mouth, and she just up and swallowed one.
When'd this happen? Couple of days ago.
Coup Well, has she got pain? She's got a pain in her stomach, a terrible pain in her stomach, and she's burning up, Doc.
I'll hitch up and get right out there.
- Hey, wait a minute, Doc.
- Huh? Rufe, is your dad back yet? Well, not now he's been out on a wolf shoot the last couple of days.
Yeah, I know.
We saw him.
Ma said to get you anyway; she don't want to die.
You know, there'll be a lot of trouble if he finds you out there.
I know he hates doctors something fierce, but Ma's awful sick, Doc.
I better ride out there with you, Doc.
Yeah, maybe you better.
We'll bring your buggy around.
Come on, Rufe.
How is she, Mr.
Dillon? I don't know, Chester Doc's still working on her.
Is Rufe helping him? Yeah, he's in there.
Yeah.
Well, Shell ain't showed up, anyway.
What's the matter with Shell, anyway, Mr.
Dillon, hating doctors the way that he does? Well, I don't know, Chester.
Probably, uh, no doctors around when he was a boy or something, and what's good enough for his father is good enough for him.
Yeah.
Some fool notion like that.
He's a good man otherwise, though.
Just like with his horses he treats his horses just like they was human; did you ever notice that? Yeah.
Shell's all right; he's got a good side to him.
How is she, Doc? She's dead.
Dead? Yeah.
She was so far gone, I l-I've never seen a worse infection.
I operated, but If I could've just got here sooner.
Well, Doc, you did everything you could.
Yeah.
Sometimes it's not enough.
What about Rufe? Does he know? Yeah, he's in there.
I told him.
How'd he take it? Oh, he didn't say anything at all.
Marshal? Yeah, Rufe? You got to help me, Marshal.
Sure.
What is it? Pa I don't know what to tell him when he gets back.
Well, Rufe, you'll just have to tell him the truth.
Tell him that Doc came out and tried to save your mother, but it was too late.
You know Pa, Marshal he won't stand for it.
Well, I'm afraid there's not much he can do about it now.
It's all over.
Not for him, it ain't.
What do you mean? Pa told us, Marshal, that we were never to go near a doctor.
Now, Ma and I didn't cross him not when he was around anyway.
Now, don't blame yourself.
You did the right thing, Rufe.
I'm afraid of him, Marshal.
Will you will you please stay and talk to him? You and him was always best of friends.
All right, I'll stay.
Well, Matt, I guess I'll let you take care of Shell.
I've got to get on over to Caldwell's tonight they're expecting a new baby.
All right, Doc.
You know, Mr.
Dillon, it's funny how a doctor can lose one life and then bring another one into the world the very same day, ain't it? Yeah.
Well, I'll tell you, Chester, I'll stay out here with Rufe.
You, uh, better get back in at Dodge, in case somebody's looking for me.
- All right.
- All right.
Well, now, Rufe, don't you worry.
I'll talk to your pa when he gets back.
He won't hurt you.
I ain't so sure about that.
Well, I think that ought to just about do it, Rufe.
Want her buried good, Marshal.
How about a cross? Would you want to put up a cross, Rufe? Guess I'll let Pa decide that.
He'll kill me sure, Marshal, he'll kill me sure.
He won't hurt you at all, Rufe.
You just stand easy, now.
Whatcha doing out here, Matt? What's this? It's your wife, Shell.
Rufe and I just got through burying her.
My wife died? We didn't know when you'd get back, so well, we figured we'd better go ahead.
Well, wh-what'd she die of, Matt? Well, she was holding some nails in her mouth, and she swallowed one of 'em.
Rufe, take these horses up to the barn and dry 'em out.
Okay, Pa.
Rub 'em down good, now.
I will, Pa.
Don't let 'em get near no water yet.
I won't.
I'm sorry, Shell.
How'd you happen to come out here, Matt? Came out with Doc.
With who? Doc Adams.
He tried to save her life.
He cut on her, didn't he? Well, he tried to get that nail out, if that's what you're talking about.
Cutting on her that's what killed her.
Shell, your wife was dying.
Doc did everything he could to save her life.
I've got no use for doctors.
They're all croakers that's what my old man used to call 'em.
- Croakers.
- Well, did you ever stop to think that maybe your old man was wrong? My ma died because of a doctor cutting on her.
My pa and me sat there after he left, and we watched her die.
How'd Doc Adams get here, anyway? Who asked him to come?! Your wife wanted him.
After all the times that I've warned her to keep away from doctors.
Well, maybe she didn't want to die.
Maybe she wanted a chance to live.
Yeah, sure.
And he come out here and he killed her.
That poor, defenseless woman.
Killed her with his butchery.
He's nothing but a murderer.
There isn't a man on the frontier that doesn't respect Doc Adams.
He's one of the most valuable men out here.
Not to me, he ain't.
By heaven, Doc Adams'll pay for this.
Wait and see if he don't.
It's an eye for an eye, Matt, just like it says in the Book.
Shell.
You lay a hand on Doc Adams you're gonna answer to me, personally.
I thought you was my friend.
I am.
But I'm Doc's friend, too.
Hey, that's not bad coffee.
Well, it's something.
Wouldn't you think for a town that deals in cattle trade, you'd be able to get a decent steak? Well, I told you to try the prairie chicken.
At least it didn't walk all the way from Texas.
Well, the steak I had got carried it was too old to walk.
Well, you wouldn't take my advice.
I've never had prairie chicken.
What's it taste like? Oh, a little chicken and a lot of prairie.
If I didn't know you better, I'd say you been drinking.
Yeah, and if I know you, you'll order steak next time, anyway.
Probably.
I don't give up easy, you know.
Yeah, I know.
Remember it.
Sure.
You sure don't know much about women.
No, but, uh I'm learning.
Yeah, but at the pace you've set, I'll be in my grave before you ever get out of the first grade.
Come on, let's get out of here.
I'm losing this battle.
Matt.
Kitty, hi.
- How are you, Doc? - Hello, Doc.
Matt, I was on my way back from the Caldwells' just now, - and somebody took a shot at me! - Oh, no! Well, they did, sure enough.
- Did you see who it was, Doc? - No, I didn't see anything.
I didn't have a gun with me, so I just got out of there.
What do you think? I didn't think he'd really do it.
Who? Wh-What? Do what? Shell Tucker.
When he got back, I told him what had happened, and, uh well, he made some threats.
I might've known that.
I'll go have a talk with that gent.
I don't think it'll do any good to go out there, Doc.
Well, I'm not gonna let anybody take shots at me! All right, now, wait a minute.
If you really want to go out there, why don't you go get some sleep, and we'll leave in the morning.
All right.
You be ready to go early, 'cause I'll be leaving first thing.
I'm glad you're going with him, Matt.
Well, I wouldn't let him go out there alone, I'll tell you that.
We'd be in a bad fix around here if anything happened to him.
Don't worry, Kitty, nothing's gonna happen to Doc.
Hello, Rufe.
- Marshal.
- Shell.
What'd he do, hurt hisself? Shell? Yeah, sure looks like it.
Is it bad? Busted his leg, that's all.
All right, hold on, now.
Shell, uh, how'd this happen? I don't know he was fine when I put him out in the corral last night.
This morning I come out, and he's got a busted leg.
Could be that he got it caught in the corral fence.
Yeah, maybe.
Rufe run over to the house and fetch my rifle.
Yes, Pa.
Well, uh you going to have to shoot him? Got a busted leg, ain't he? Is it hurt bad, Doc? Well, no, I don't think it is, Chester.
It's one of those little bones just below the fetlock.
It's cracked a little bit.
Terrible thing to lose a good horse like this.
It's just terrible.
Well, Shell, I, uh I can do the shooting, if you'd rather have me.
Nah, nah, it's my horse, Matt.
I'll do it.
Leave that animal alone, now! Get away from him! I'm not hurting your horse.
Want me to let you hang around so you can start cutting on him? Who said anything about cutting? Well, then what are you feeling around on him for? Well, I just thought I might be able to help him.
Help a broken leg? How? Well, I don't know how.
Ah! Sure you don't! Take the knife out of your hand, and you don't know nothin'! Well, I'd like to try to put a cast on him.
- You'd like to put a what? - A cast.
Just like I would on you, or any man.
I never heard of putting no cast on a horse.
Well, neither did I, but might work.
Aw, it's crazy; I don't like it.
You're gonna shoot your horse anyway, and there's no harm in trying.
Not gonna let you fool around with my horse.
I'd rather shoot him first.
All right, Shell you shoot him, and then I'm gonna take you back to Dodge.
- What for? - I'm gonna throw you in jail for trying to kill Doc Adams last night.
Well, wait a minute, Matt, what I said, I I ain't going to no jail! You wouldn't do that to me, would you, Matt? Got no choice, Shell.
That is, of course, unless, uh, Doc Adams there decided not to prefer charges against you for attempted murder.
In that case, I wouldn't be able to throw you in jail.
Well, yeah, that-that's right, Shell, I I maybe could get too busy here on your horse that I'd just forget everything else, and then I might save your horse, too.
Well? Make up your mind.
All right.
But you better make it work.
Well, I'll try.
You better try hard.
I always do.
- Chester? - Uh Here.
Here's the key to my office.
Now, I want you to go into town, and you go into my office there at that cabinet that's right at the right as you go in the door, you know? Oh, you-you mean, it's got all them bottles in it? That's right.
You open that door underneath, and you'll find a lot of muslin and cotton, and I want you to bring it all to me.
And-and go by Moss Grimmick's and bring me his glue pot.
All right.
Uh his glue pot? Yes, you've seen it there, Chester, a hundred times.
Now, just tell Moss you want the glue pot.
- All right, all right.
- He'll give it to you.
- And hurry.
- Yeah.
Oh, Rufe, I I think Doc's just about finished there.
I don't think that he's gonna need any more water.
Oh, no, this is, uh, water to drink.
I thought y'all might be thirsty.
Oh, well! Yeah, it is kind of warm.
That's mighty nice of you, Rufe.
Golly, I didn't realize how thirsty I was.
Well, don't drink all of it, Chester.
Well, if I drink it all, I'll fetch another pail.
Would anybody like some fresh spring water to drink? Now, get away and quit bothering us! Okay, Pa.
Go ahead and drink it all; I don't care.
Well, now, he's just worried about his horse, Rufe.
He'll want some later.
He don't have to be so mean about it.
There.
That's not so bad, is it, Matt? No, it looks pretty good, Doc.
That's a terrible thing to put on a horse.
Yeah, but it's no worse than a bullet in his brain.
I ain't so sure.
Well, you've still got the horse, haven't you, Shell? He might even get well you got no cause to complain.
Ain't me I'm complaining about; it's my horse.
Well, I didn't break his leg.
No, maybe you didn't.
But you killed my wife.
Now, just a minute, Shell.
- Matt, wait a minute.
- I've heard enough Now, you listen to me.
You've threatened me, and I I'm not very bothered about that, but you've called me a butcher and a murderer, and I'm not gonna stand for it.
Now, I don't like saying this to you, Shell, because I know the grief you've had and everything but it's all your fault.
If you hadn't scared your wife and boy so much they were afraid to come get me until it was too late, I could've saved your wife.
I could've saved her life, and that's the truth.
And you're gonna have to think about that as long as you live.
Is the horse gonna get well, Pa? If he don't, that Doc ain't gonna be well long.
Chester.
Oh, Shell.
Uh, wh-wha what are you doing here? - Hello, Kitty.
- Hello, Shell.
You looking for somebody? Yeah, I sure am.
Well, uh, who? Doc Adams.
You know where he is? Uh, uh, no, no, l-I What do you want him for? I just want him.
You sure you don't know where he's at? No, I ain't seen him; I got no idea, Shell.
I haven't seen him in a couple of days.
I'll find him.
He's awful mad, Chester.
Yeah.
Y-You suppose something could've happened to his horse? That was eight weeks ago.
Do you suppose that horse is well yet? Well, I ain't heard nothing about it, Miss Kitty, one way or the other.
Look, you better go look for Matt.
I'm scared.
Well, uh, I'll I'll Well, go on and make your move, Doc.
Well, I'll move, I'll move.
Well, you only got one.
Yeah, you'd like me to think that, wouldn't you? You been setting that trap over there for me.
I've seen it coming; I got one for you.
There.
Doc, you do it every time.
Eh? Hmm.
Oh, uh, Doc, i-it's a good thing that you're here.
Chester don't bother him now.
He's in big trouble.
But, Mr.
Dillon, uh, he's gonna Doc? Oh, go sit down someplace, Chester! Yeah, well, yeah, I'll-I'll sit down I'll be sitting on your grave in the morning, if that's the way you feel about it.
- What do you mean? - Well, I'm just a-trying to tell you that Shell Tucker's out there, and he's mad, too.
Where was he? Well, he was in the Long Branch, Mr.
Dillon, and-and he means business.
He's got blood in his eye.
Well No, you stay here, Doc; I'll find him.
I'm going with you.
All right.
- Wait a minute, Doc.
- Huh? Better let me handle this.
Hello, Shell.
I've been looking everywhere for you, blast you.
Well, you found me.
What are you wearing a gun for? Man'd be a fool not to carry a gun in a town like this, Matt.
He'd be a worse fool to try and use it.
Now, don't you rile me none.
I'm in a bad enough temper already.
Well, what are you mad about now, your horse? Nah, I rode that horse into town tonight.
- You rode him? - Sure I did.
I took the cast off of him myself two days ago.
'Course, I had to take it easy with him, real easy I even led him part of the way but he ain't even limpin'.
Well, what are you so mad about? Well, you'd be mad, too, if you was carrying a rotten tooth around in your jaw for all this time! A tooth? Wait a minute.
You mean to tell me that you came all the way into town looking for a doctor? Yeah, I did.
And I'm man enough to admit it, too.
All right, come on, I'll see what I can do for you.
Now, listen, Doc, you'll pull it for me, won't you, Doc? There you go, always jumping to conclusions.
I'll pull it if I have to, but I'd a lot rather save it for you if that's all right with you.
That's good enough for me.
Huh.
Well, good gravy, Mr.
Dillon, if that don't beat all.
Huh?