Gunsmoke (1955) s04e18 Episode Script

starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Well, why don't you close the door? Oh, well, I didn't want to wake you up.
Ain't you in bed a little early today? I'm not in bed, I'm just resting.
Oh.
Do you feel all right, do you? Oh, yeah, sure, I feel fine.
I always lie around in the middle of the day like this.
Mm, yeah, I notice you been doing quite a bit of that.
Oh, for heaven's sake.
What's the matter now? Well, it's cold, cold as a winter moon.
Well, don't drink it, then.
It's no better hot.
What's this? Jack Pargo, for robbery and murder.
"Believed headed for Kansas and Colorado.
Travels with partner, name unknown.
" Hey, he's mean looking, huh? Yeah.
Well, I can I can see if he shows up around Dodge he'll sure get his comeuppance.
Well, I'll take care of him when he gets here.
Gives me a great feeling of security.
Marshal in here? Yeah, yeah, I'm the marshal.
I say, Marshal Goode hereabout, is he? Marshal Goode? Oh, thank you.
No, neither one of you.
I say neither one of you's the marshal.
I'm his uncle; I'd know him anywhere.
Who's he talking about? Well, I don't know.
Oh, th-there's no need to get up there.
I I just come by to see my nephew, Marshal Chester Goode.
You know, that boy made out somehow, he did.
He wasn't one of my brightest relatives.
Nary a child of my own; I didn't marry.
I ain't shook a hand here yet.
- What's your name, sonny? - The name's Dillon, Matt Dillon.
- Diddle? - Dillon.
Diddle? Funny name.
You know, I knew a feller named Haregroove once.
But that was the funniest up till now.
Uh, Doc, I think maybe you better go find Chester.
Yeah, I-I think so.
- Who's that fella? - That's Doc Adams there.
Yeah, I'm glad to know you.
Is he talking? I said I was glad to know you.
- Oh.
My name's Wesley Goode.
- How do? Uncle to a marshal, it turns out.
was nowhere near the brightest.
Is that so? - No, about number nine there.
- Hm.
No, Chester just borders on being ignorant, I'd say.
- Mm-hmm.
- You know, my brother died, and I took the boy in.
You know, I don't know how Chester ever come to be a marshal.
I never thought he'd amount to nothin', no.
- What'd you say your name was? - Adams.
Hm? Dr.
Adams's my name.
- Dr.
Adams, huh? - Yeah.
Horses or people? What? I say, you doctor horses or people? Well, I-I doctor people! Too bad.
I'd never let a people doctor work on me.
Well, I think I'd better get a cup of that stuff.
Hey, I wonder where that Chester is, anyway.
Well, he's down in the post office picking up the mail.
- Hm? - I say, he's down at the post office getting the mail.
Oh, good for him! He's got spunk.
Probably out running down some of them bad men he always writes about.
He used to have an assistant named Dillon.
Whatever become of him? Dillon? That's him.
That's his assistant, Dillon, right there.
Well, you do a pretty fair job, according to Chester.
Says he can usually depend on you.
That so? Oh.
Well, howdy, Doc.
Well, Mr.
Dillon, there there wasn't too much mail.
Who's the skinny fella? Chester, you, uh, got company here.
- Uncle Wesley? - Is that really you, Chester? Well, well, of course it's me! It's good to see ya! You didn't forget me.
No, no, no, I didn't.
- l-I come to see you, in fact.
- Yeah, well.
By golly, it's just awful good to see you.
Oh, Mr.
Dillon, th-this fella Chester, you've grown an awful good deal.
Your assistant here looks better than you do.
Why is that? Yeah, well Assistant? Uh, I mean, you, uh Mr.
Dillon, he did he say anything to you? Uh Yeah, Marshal, he did.
Oh, "Marshal.
" Well Uh Oh, uh, Uncle Wesley, would you maybe Are you tir Would you like to get a How about some beer? Uh, uh, glass of beer Beer? Yeah, I could use a glass of beer before dinner.
Good, fine.
That's uh Uh My uncle, he's had a long trip.
He's thirsty, I know.
Look of things, you run a clean town here, boy.
- It's good to look at.
- Well Like we say back home Hey.
There's something really worth looking at.
Hey, there, Chester.
Well, Miss Kitty.
O-Oh, uh, uh, Miss Kitty, this here is my Uncle Wesley.
Uncle Wesley, this is Miss Kitty Russell.
How do you do? I, uh, I come to visit my nephew, I did.
Well, I think that's just wonderful.
How long are you gonna stay? Am I proud of that boy! He's hardly dry behind the ears, and yet already he's running this town.
As young as he is, he's a United States Oh! W-Wait, uh I We're gonna have to hurry if we're not gonna be late.
Excuse us, Miss Kitty.
Uh, uh When you start moving, boy, you do it in a hurry.
Yeah.
Mighty fine vittles you bought me, Chester.
Well, I I'm glad that you like 'em, Uncle Wesley.
Long time since we sit down to a meal together, ain't it, boy? Oh, yeah, it's, uh Yeah, I kind of miss them days.
You was just awful good to me, even as worthless as I was.
I admit, I never thought you'd amount to nothin'.
No, sir, I didn't, but boy, I'm proud of you.
United States Marshal that's really something.
Wanna see you in action once or twice, and have to be on my way I just want to see you handle a couple of bad men first.
Well, there ain't no bad men around.
- Ain't no bad men, huh? - No.
- You run 'em all out, did ya? - Yeah.
Uh, no, uh How do you know they won't be back? - Tell me that.
Well Well, I don't know.
I just, uh, uh Uncle Wesley, you know, I think that we ought to just go right over to the Dodge House and get you fixed up with a room.
- Room? What do you mean? - Yeah.
Well, a-a place where you can sleep, now, 'cause you just got to have a room.
Uh, we'll go over there together, Uncle Wesley.
- I'll go.
I'll go.
- I'll go right with you.
Uh, well good! I'm proud to be seen with you anyplace.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah, I-I'll get that.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
- That, uh that - Yeah.
Well what are you gonna do about it? Do about what? About Chester.
Well, what can I do, Doc? What, you mean you're gonna you're gonna let him get by with it? Well, that's Chester's worry; it's not doing me any harm.
Well, you better let me buy, now, Matt.
You're an assistant marshal I don't think you can afford it.
All right, you just talked yourself into it.
- Kitty, hi.
- Hi, Kitty.
- Hi, Doc, Matt.
What's the matter with you? You look strange.
Oh, well, uh, you tell her, you tell her, Matt.
No, you tell her you're the one that's looking strange.
Well, uh well, here, let's have a drink first.
Uh, Sam, about three whiskeys over here.
No, no, you can skip me I'm not feeling good, anyway.
Oh.
Well, then just two.
And bring 'em over to the table.
Uh, let's sit down here.
Come on.
Well, now will somebody tell me what's the matter? I just doubt if any of us'll ever see Chester again.
What happened? Well I bet you he's out just trying to dig a hole for himself someplace.
Will somebody please tell me what happened? Well, I-I'm sorry.
You see Chester's Uncle Wesley came to town.
Oh, I know that; I met him.
- I think he's nice.
- You met him, huh? - Mm-hmm.
- Well, you see, uh, Chester's uncle thinks that Chester is the United States Marshal here.
What? Thanks, Sam.
That's the truth, ain't it? Yeah, I'm afraid so.
You know, Chester's been writing letters to his uncle, and I guess he kind of let his imagination run away with him.
Well, now I can understand why he was so fidgety today.
Oh, he's nervous.
- Where are they? - I don't know, he took him out to buy dinner and drinks a while ago.
Well, they didn't come in here.
Oh, well, I wouldn't expect him to.
He's probably trying to hide him out somewhere.
Now, listen, don't you be too hard on him.
Well, I'm not gonna be hard on him.
Listen, if Chester wants his uncle to think he's the marshal around here, it's all right with me, I'll tell you.
You know, it would be real nice if we could think of something that would make Chester look like a real big hero while his uncle's here.
A hero? Say, you could get somebody to, um, to pretend a holdup, and let Chester play the marshal and bring 'em all in and Now, now, just wait a minute, now, Kitty.
That's, uh that's carrying things a little too far.
Well, there must be something we can do to make Chester look good.
Well, now, here, certainly Here, I've got it.
Now, listen.
You're sick.
- Huh? - Yes.
And then I'll tell everybody in town that you've got a rare blood disease, you see? And I'll have to keep you in bed - for a few days, huh? - In the first place, what good would it do for me to pretend I'm sick? Well, for heaven's sakes, then Chester won't depend on you.
He won't come running to you.
He'll just jump in there and do it all - himself.
- Oh, come on, Matt, you just got to do it.
Oh, no, I don't.
Now, that staging a robbery, somebody could get hurt.
- Aw.
- Now, I don't mind going along with a joke I mean, I'll take my badge off or something for a few days but that's as far as I go.
- Well, where are you going? - Well, I'm leaving.
I'm going back to the office.
I don't feel good, and you're not helping matters any.
Go ahead, go on back to the office, then.
Ruin an old man's last days, if you want to.
You better get some rest; you look like you need it.
Yeah, well, I aim to.
You owe me a drink.
I don't owe you anything.
Oh, yes, I do, too, don't I.
All right, anytime.
What do you think? - Oh, Matt? - Mm-hmm.
Oh, he'll come around; he always does, you know that.
What are we gonna do? Well, let me see, we got to figure - Moss Grimmick.
- Hm? We'll stage the whole holdup at the livery stable, hah? You think Moss'll agree? I'll go see right now.
I'll ask him.
Right fancy place you got here, Chester.
Well, 'tain't mine, it's Oh, my goodness.
That, uh I can't sleep on nothin' that soft.
I This must be a room for ladies, Chester.
Oh, no, no, no.
The rooms is all alike, Uncle Uh, uh, Uncle Wesley, would-would you mind if you put the rifle down? Makes people nervous when Would you give me the rifle? There.
Something going on? You gonna shoot somebody? Where they at? Oh, no, no, I ain't gonna shoot nobody.
- You ain't wearing a gun.
- Huh? Uh, oh.
- Chester, where's your gun? - Oh.
well, uh, uh, thing-things is-is quiet Where's your badge at? - Well, uh - Look, what kind of a marshal are you? Folks ain't gonna have no respect for you.
Well, like I said, Uncle Wesley, uh, there ain't no bad men around, and, uh, of course, there ain't no need for that kind of stuff.
Can't you tell me some stories about some of them bad men you fought and such like as that? Well, I-I don't think I could do that.
You can't? You're too modest, huh? What's the matter, you sick? No, I'm just plumb wore out.
From what, boy? You ain't done nothin' all day.
Hey, come on, get up, let's have a little action.
Uncle Wesley, why don't you just go over by the window there and kindly keep a lookout.
Yeah.
Let you know if something turns up, huh? Yeah.
That's smart.
You save your strength; I'll keep watch.
- Where are you going? - Well, to keep an eye on the street.
Well, no, wait, Uncle Wesley.
I-I-I meant from the window, Uncle Wesley.
Oh, I-I can't hear nothing from there.
- I'll set on the porch.
- Well, no, no, y-you see, you get talking to people down there You-you save your strength and don't you worry.
I'll holler out first thing I see going wrong.
Uh Oh, what am I gonna do? Anybody here? Is anybody in here? Huh? Oh.
There you are, Dillon.
Took to your bed kind of early, ain't you? Ain't but 6:00.
I'm sick, Mr.
Goode; I feel terrible.
That's too bad.
You know, Chester ain't feeling up to snuff, neither.
He's been lollin' around my bed all day.
Yeah.
Well, he's probably hiding.
Well, it-it's a good thing you boys have got such a dead town on your hands.
Boy, people would be up a creek with both the marshal and his assistant in bed.
Hooch over there.
Hm? I said, hooch over there.
Your eyes.
Can tell exactly and everything about how a man feels by lookin' into his eyes.
Look at me, Dillon.
Well, I can't do anything but look at you.
Yep.
That's it.
Bad eyes.
Got a good voice but bad eyes.
You know, them eyes remind me of my brother.
Chester's other uncle, Hector.
Last time he looked slack-eyed like that, he died next day.
You say somethin'? No, no, no Forget it.
- Thought you talked.
- No.
Hector was Chester's fightin' uncle.
Wasn't like me.
Guess that's where Chester gets all his get-up-and-go.
Yeah.
Well, how are you, Mr.
Goode? - Oh, it's you, Adams.
- How are you? Got a sick deputy there.
Better get a horse doctor, get him straightened out.
Oh, in bed, huh? What are you doing in bed? I'm in bed 'cause I'm sick, Doc.
Did you ever hear anything like that? Well, say, sick, huh? Well, that-that's just fine.
Yeah, that's what I thought you'd say.
- But, Doc, uh - Hah? Do me a favor, will you? - Yeah.
- Get him out of here.
Take him to supper, anything, but j-just get him out of here.
Oh, well, sure, sure.
Say, you know something? Your eyes look a little beady, all right.
If I didn't know better, I'd I'd say you really had a fever.
- Yes, sir, we got a sick boy there, Adams.
- Yeah.
- Go on - Yeah, well, I'll tell Mr.
Goode, uh, I'll take you to supper, huh? Supper? Too early for supper.
I'll, um take a glass of Dutch water with you, though.
Don't let on to Chester, will you? Oh, no, of course not.
Now, Matt, you stay right in bed, and and I'll tell Kitty you're right with us.
Good, just go.
Yes, sir, that-that boy is sicker than a pig.
Stay in bed, you'll be fine.
Okay, now I'm with you? Oh, no.
Darn fools.
Hi, Kitty.
Oh, you look terrible.
Ah, I feel terrible.
Have you seen Doc? Has he been in here? Well, he was a little while ago.
Why? Well, I've been looking all over town for him.
He's-he's with Chester's uncle.
- I got to find him.
- Why? Well, I have to put a stop to this fool idea that you and he had.
Well, what do you mean "fool idea"? Doc said it was on and that you were in bed playing sick.
Playing sick? I was in bed because I was sick.
And I still am, as a matter of fact.
What about this thing, is it still on? Well, certainly it's still on.
It's all set.
Moss Grimmick's gonna come running into the Dodge House, yelling and screaming about a holdup at the livery stable, and Doc's gonna make sure that Chester hears about it and that you're sick.
Now, what's wrong with that? What's wrong with that? Now, suppose somebody comes along and doesn't know it's a joke.
You know, somebody could be killed.
Oh, Matt, nobody's gonna get hurt.
And you know Chester he'll really fall for it.
Oh, yeah, I know Chester.
That's what I'm worried about.
Now, I'm going down to Moss Grimmick's, and I'm gonna put an end to this once and for all.
Oh, you've got no sense of humor.
Ain't much of a town, is it? Well, you got an awful empty belly to be complainin' about any town.
You're right.
I'm sure tired of being broke.
You know, you ought to get yourself a job.
You're fooling.
No, I ain't.
You seen that bank we come by.
Yeah.
Oh.
Oh, I get it.
Sure.
We'll go get ourselves a job there.
Nah, the bank's closed.
Besides, I want to get out of Dodge quick as I can.
They got a rough marshal here.
Then what are we gonna do? We'll inquire over at the hotel.
They always have some cash laying around.
Good enough.
You still abed? Oh.
Uncle Wesley.
Ain't you never gonna get up? Well, yeah, yeah, I'm gonna get up.
Well, it's about time.
We're eating with that Adams fella.
With, uh, who? Adams that people doctor.
Hey, he-he's a real nice fella.
He bought me a couple of nips Never mind.
We we had a little talk.
Wha Wh-What? What-what did you talk about? Talk? I ain't talkin' about nothing.
Oh, hey, I-I seen your assistant, though.
Took to his bed sick boy, bad eyes.
Who? Mr.
Dillon is sick? Yeah.
Looks real peaked laying there.
Well, if you're gonna eat with that Adams fella and me, you better come on.
Oh, supper with Doc at a time like this? Well, he's waiting downstairs.
Well, uh well, you go ahead.
Uh, I'll be down just as soon as I wash up, and - You gonna wash up, huh? - Yeah.
That's a good idea.
I-I'll tell Adams.
Yeah.
Yeah.
All right, just do as I say and nobody will get hurt.
Your cash box open it and scoop it out.
We got no money.
You expect to live long talking like that? Come on, boy, they're here.
- Huh? - They're here.
They're here, I tell you.
Mount up.
Time's come to fight.
Well, what are you talking about? Bad men they're holding up the hotel.
They're gonna rob money and kill people.
You got to stop 'em.
Take that.
Well, don't just stand there.
Action.
A bloodbath's coming on.
The whole town's depending on you.
I'll take this.
We'll stand 'em off together, side by side, you and me.
Come on.
That safe open it, fast.
Yes, sir.
W-Well, open it, Howard.
Oh, yes, sir.
I'm going down below.
There's a stairway leading down the back.
We just got two bullets between us.
Now, for goodness sakes, don't waste yours.
Get the rest of it.
But that's all there is.
I'll give you a third eye, and maybe you can see better.
No, no.
No.
Look.
See? It's empty.
And that's where we keep all the money.
It's all there, I swear it.
Drop that gun.
Drop it! Look out.
Look out, I'll kill you.
Get him, Chester! That's it, Chester! That's right.
That's it! That's it! That's it, boy! You're doing fine! Yes! Matt! Matt, here, come here.
You know what Chester did? He got by thunder, he got 'em both.
- Look here.
- That's my boy, the marshal.
H-He got that other bandit, too, and he got this, too.
Here, Chester, it's all right.
- Not a bad day's work, huh? - Leave him alone, now.
They was robbing the place, Mr.
Dillon.
Yeah, I know.
Matt? Matt? Huh? By golly, he killed him.
He's dead.
- What? - Yes, sir.
Well, I told you something like this would happen, Doc.
Well oh, no, do you know who that man is? That's-that's that Pargo, that Jack Pargo from the wanted posters.
What? Well, sure, look Iook at him.
See? Chester! Chester, hurry! There's a holdup over at the livery stable! - Moss, Moss, forget it.
- What? It's all over.
Go on back.
Yeah, but-but Doc told me It doesn't matter what Doc told you.
Get back there and call off that holdup right away.
- Go on.
- But, Doc Yes, uh, we Go on back.
Forget it.
- Go on, get going, quick.
- Well, well, well, all right.
I don't know why I got mixed up in this anyway.
- Notice something here, Dillon? - Hm? Chester was right on the spot.
That's why he took to hanging around my hotel room.
He-He's got an instinct for things like that.
Put him right on the spot for the robbery.
Now, there's a reason for everything, I always say.
Yeah.
Well, there's a reason, all right.
- What'd you say? - Uh, Mr.
Dillon, I-I think that I could explain something to you here.
Uh Chester, look, you don't have to explain a thing.
Just-just do me a favor if you can, clean up this mess here and do something with the body.
I'm awful sick I'm-I'm going back to bed.
Oh, no, no, no, you don't, Dillon.
You can't count on me for that kind of thing.
I'm I'm leaving on the morning stage now that I've seen Chester in action.
Well, all right, Mr.
Goode, it was very nice to know you and good luck to you.
Uh, Mr.
Dillon? Mr.
Dillon, I got to explain something to you.
No, Chester, you don't have to explain a thing.
No, no, sir, I do, I do.
I-I-I just never been so humiliated in my whole life.
I've just been a-laying, a-thinking about it all day, and well, I never wrote but two letters to Uncle Wesley, and well, maybe I did stretch a thing here or there and But good gravy, Mr.
Dillon, he put 'em together, and he made me out all wrong.
But I'm gonna set him straight, Mr.
Dillon.
I'm gonna tell him the truth, I'm gonna tell him the truth right now.
Chester you do, and you're fired.
Now, you go on back in there and help your uncle.
You know, he's, uh, he's pretty proud of you.
Matter of fact, so am I.