Gunsmoke (1955) s04e19 Episode Script

starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Out here on the frontier, violence is met with violence.
It's simple, direct and quick.
A man gets in your way or calls you out or tries to stomp on you, you kill him, then and there.
It's the only kind of action that brings any respect.
Of course, it may be that this is because we're not very civilized out here yet.
But anyway, I've only met one man, outside of the plain cowards, who acted differently.
And in my job, you don't forget a man like him.
Matt Dillon, U.
S.
Marshal.
Got some coffee ready, Kell.
Good.
I need it.
What's the matter with you? How long you been around cattle, Voyles? Well all my life.
Yeah.
Working for other people.
Not now, I ain't.
You will be if we don't do something.
What are you talking about, Kell? We're just getting a good start here, ain't we? We got a hundred head of cattle.
We're gonna have a thousand, except for one thing.
What? - Sheep.
Sheep? I told you last week I seen signs.
Today I found 'em.
Where? Right over beyond Kiowa Spring.
There must be 20, Well, that ain't many.
Kiowa Spring's a long way.
Voyles, you don't understand.
We can't let one sheep man get settled any place at all.
Now, drain that coffee, and let's ride over there and see who's running 'em.
Okay.
I guess I got no more use for sheep than you have.
Well, what do you need that for? You can't tell who we might run into.
- From a sheep man? - I know what I'm doing.
Now, you take a pocketful of these, too.
- Bring your rifle, Voyles.
- What for? He's all alone.
'Course he's alone who else could stand being around them stinkin' sheep? Don't look to me like he's wearing a gun.
It don't matter.
Bring your rifle.
Hello.
How are you? What's your name, mister? Seek.
Gideon Seek.
Can I help you? Them your sheep? - Yes.
Ain't you got nobody helping you? No.
I'm always alone.
I, uh noticed you don't wear a gun, Seek.
I don't even own a gun.
You don't? Well, I don't believe in killing.
You don't, huh? Well, we do.
Most men do.
This is cow country, Seek.
You know what that means? Oh, it's my sheep.
That's right, it's your sheep.
And look at 'em.
We're gonna set an example of you, Seek.
Other folks in this valley might get the same idea if we don't, and pretty soon this whole country'd be overrun with them woollys.
Well, I've only got a few.
There's only 24 of them.
Well, that's 24 too many.
We're gonna kill 'em, Seek.
We're gonna shoot every last one of 'em.
No! And you go running to the law, and we'll come back and kill you, too.
You can't kill them! You gonna stop us? Well, he's scared to death, Kell.
Why don't we just run him out of the country? We're gonna shoot those sheep.
Please, please don't kill those animals.
You mustn't do it.
You'll have enough meat left if you eat sheep meat.
Okay, start down there, Voyles.
I'll go up here.
Please, you mustn't kill them! And you sic that dog on us, and we'll kill him, too.
You ready, Voyles? Then let's get to work.
Chester? Matt? Oh.
Matt.
Hello, Doc.
Well, what are you doing back there, - visiting with your prisoners? - Well, there's not a lot of prisoners this morning, Doc.
Well, then you're not doing your job.
I can name at least a dozen people in this town that ought to be in that jail.
What for, not paying you your bills? Jail isn't half big enough to hold a tenth of them.
Where in the world is Chester? Shouldn't he be back from the post office? Well, yeah, he should be, but he isn't.
Let's go outside and see what's happened to him, shall we? Yeah.
Well, maybe he stopped off to eat somewhere, Doc.
Oh, my gosh, that's liable to take him the rest of the day.
Was he gonna bring my mail, too, was he? - Said he was, yeah.
- Well, I'd have been better off to go get it myself, I guess.
Well, what are you so anxious about? You expecting some money or something? Yeah, I could use a little money.
And speaking of money, there's somebody that ain't got any, either.
Oh, Gideon Seek, you mean? Yeah.
Owes me $20.
Well, maybe I ought to throw him in jail, huh? Oh, no, not him he's one of the few honest men left in Kansas.
You know, I think you're right, Doc.
You betcha.
- Good morning, Doc.
- How are you? - Marshal.
- Hello, Gideon.
I was on my way to the store, and I seen you here.
Doc, I got bad news for you.
Oh, what's that? I can't pay you that money for a while yet.
Well, that's that's all right.
I'm afraid it'll be a long time now, Doc, a long time.
Well, don't-don't worry about it I can wait.
What's the matter, Gideon, did you have - some hard luck? - I lost my sheep, Marshal.
- Oh, that's too bad.
- Yeah, all of 'em.
Gonna get some more, though, soon as I can.
I'll pay you, Doc, you know I'll pay you.
Oh, sure.
Don't worry about it, don't worry at all.
Gideon? I don't understand how could you lose all your sheep? Nothing you can help with, Marshal.
Nothing anybody can help with.
I'll be And I'll be doggoned.
He's a strange man, ain't he, Matt? Yeah.
Too bad about his sheep.
Wonder how he lost 'em.
Coyotes got 'em, huh? Well, I don't think coyotes could get all of 'em, Doc.
No, not likely, is it? Maybe I'll just ride out there tomorrow and take a look.
Maybe you better.
Hello, Marshal.
Chester.
Hello, Gideon.
Hi, Gideon.
Won't you come inside? No, thank you.
We have to be getting back to Dodge.
What have you been digging here? Well, that's a that's a grave, Chester.
Grave? My sheep are buried there.
What happened? They got killed.
How? Couple of men, they shot 'em.
You mean they killed all your sheep? Gideon, who were they? You know me better, Marshal.
I can't tell you.
Now, Gideon, I know that you're a peaceable man, and I know that you don't believe in carrying firearms and all that, but something like this, this is a matter for the law.
I don't believe in killing, Marshal.
I didn't say anything about killing.
Well, they killed your sheep, didn't they? I don't believe in killing for any reason even for food.
And I don't believe in trying to resist evil.
What do you mean by that? Well a man strikes me, I don't strike back.
Don't you believe in defending what's yours? The men who killed my sheep will be punished.
Their own conscience'll punish 'em.
Well, you have a right to think whatever you want to.
But if you don't tell me who those men are, Gideon, you're making a big mistake.
Sorry, Marshall, I can't help you.
And just remember this they're not through with you, you know.
If you get more sheep, they'll be back, and next time, they might not stop with just killing the sheep.
I'm not afraid.
Besides, I'll win in the end, Marshal.
Gideon, you're a mighty stubborn man.
No more than you are, Marshal.
All right.
Come on, Chester.
Hi, Kitty.
- Oh, Matt.
Well, did you find something to spend your money on? Oh, you make it sound like I'm a cowboy in town with six months' pay.
Hm.
You don't look like one.
I was looking at those gloves.
What's the matter? Well, that's Gideon Seek.
I haven't seen him for two weeks.
Well, he's still alive.
Yeah, but I wouldn't guarantee for how long.
You know, he, uh, he might have something that not fighting back and all.
He kind of interests me.
Hm.
Kind of interests me, too.
I think I'll go in and say hello to him.
All right.
I got to get on to work.
Well, I'll see you later, Kitty.
Sure, Matt.
I know it's asking a lot of you to trust me, Mr.
Jonas, things going the way they are.
Well, there ain't many men I would trust, Gideon, - but you're one of them.
- Thank you, Jonas.
- How are you, Marshal? - Howdy.
Hey, you hear what happened? - 'Tain't important.
- 'Tain't important? His house burned down, that's all.
- Oh? - His wagon along with it.
But I'm going to rebuild.
Mr.
Jonas is going to put me on the books for enough material to get started.
Well, that's mighty nice of him.
Well, I'm glad to do it, a hard-workin', honest fella like Gideon.
Must've been quite a fire.
- Yes, 'twas.
- Burned your wagon and all, huh? Hey, I got an old wagon out back you could use.
I wouldn't charge you any rent for it, Gideon.
Well, that's mighty kind of you, Mr.
Jonas.
Now, it ain't a real good one, but it'll get you around some.
I'll go see how much lumber I got on hand now.
Well, Gideon.
Well, what, Marshal? Came back and burned you out, huh? All right, they did.
They must've heard you were planning to get more sheep.
Maybe.
Seems like they want you out pretty bad.
But I'm stayin'.
Can't you understand they'll kill you next? No use arguing, Marshal.
Well, it beats me.
I don't know what to do about a man like you.
Don't do anything.
They can't win.
Seems to me they're doing all right so far.
Gideon, I can't beat it out of you, but I sure hate to stand by and watch a man like you let himself be destroyed.
Guess we'll never understand each other, Marshal.
I guess not.
Where'd Gideon Seek get hisself another wagon? Somebody must've give it to him.
He sure ain't been getting rich lately.
I'm getting tired of fooling with that man, Voyles.
- Oh, he'll give up soon.
- Too hardheaded.
He needs softening up, and there's only one way to do that.
- What do you mean? - Come on, and I'll show you what I mean.
Where'd you get the wagon, Seek? Friend loaned it to me.
Friend? I never heard of no sheep man with friends.
Gideon, why don't you quit? Clear out, go someplace else.
There'd be others like you.
You bet there would.
Then take to farming; don't raise no more sheep.
I make a better living selling wool.
Stubbornest man I ever seen.
We kill his sheep, burn his shack and do everything but hang him.
What's it take to teach you a lesson, Seek? You have nothing to teach me, Kell.
Now you're getting sassy, and I've had about enough of you.
What you gonna do? You ain't gonna hang him? I'm gonna bump him over the country a little bit.
Drag him? - You got a better way to soften up that hard head of his? But look at him, he's just sitting there helpless.
What's the matter with you, Voyles? I don't like it, I tell you you've gone too far, Kell.
You aim to stop me? All right, then, we're partners, ain't we? Don't drag him.
- He won't learn no other way.
- No! Mr.
Dillon, it's Gideon Seek.
You better hurry.
He's been hurt! He's over here.
Well, has he been shot? No, I don't think so.
He looks like he's been beat or something.
He's hurt bad.
Let's get him up to Doc's.
Well by golly, I've done all I can for him, Matt.
I just can't get over it.
I I just come back from the Long Branch there, and I seen this buckboard, and I didn't even think that anybody was in it at the time.
I just Then I seen him slumped over there.
I knowed something was wrong, bad.
Can I talk to him, Doc? Oh, I don't think it's a good idea.
But I got to try and find out who those men are.
Well, all right, but don't take too long.
Yeah.
Gideon.
Uh-huh.
Gideon, this is Matt Dillon.
You got dragged, didn't you? Yes.
Do you feel like telling me who they are now? No.
I could have 'em in jail by morning.
It's me they did it to.
They'll be punished my way.
Gideon men like that don't have enough conscience to make 'em suffer.
My way, Marshal.
He sure ain't gonna tell you nothin', is he? No, he'd let 'em kill him before he'd talk.
Doc, you think he's gonna make it? Well if he lives through the night he might make it, Matt.
Yeah.
And we still won't know who did it.
Well, Mr.
Dillon, even if he lives, he ain't gonna tell you who done it, that's for sure.
Well, I'm gonna find those men one way or another.
You need us around here anymore, Doc? No, no.
There's nothing to do now but just wait.
Yeah.
Well, see you in the morning.
Hey, barkeep Hey, barkeep, bring us some liquor here.
- Hello, Matt.
- Hi, Kitty.
How's Gideon today? Well, Doc says he's gonna be all right in time.
Well, that's good.
But he still won't talk, though, huh? Yeah, that's one man I just don't understand.
Hurry on up with that bottle, barkeep.
Take it slow, mister, take it slow.
Oh, I wish he'd pass out and get it over with.
Pretty drunk, huh? He ought to be.
Sam says he's been here since early this morning.
- Who is he? - I don't know.
I've seen him around once or twice, but I don't know his name.
You want a drink? Yeah, I'll have a beer, I guess.
Okay.
Sam? Beer here.
I knew I could find you here.
You had to come here and get drunk, didn't you? You leave me alone, Kell.
What's the matter with you, Voyles? What'd you ride off for? I told you what's the matter.
- Leave me alone.
- You ain't quittin' now.
- I can't stand it no more! Shut up.
What you done yesterday was too much, Kell.
You know me, Voyles when I start something, I finish it.
Didn't you finish it yesterday? No.
I was in the Lady Gay looking for you when I heard it ain't finished at all.
Ain't you had enough of that? It cuts the smell.
You're drunk.
I don't even like being around you, Kell.
Makes me ashamed of myself.
Now, you listen to me.
I'm going over to the stable and pick up the horses, and when I come back, you better be ready to ride out of here.
What do you suppose that's all about? Excuse me a minute, Kitty.
Hello, Voyles.
You're a marshal.
Yep.
What do you want of me? I'm just curious.
Where are you from? I don't see that's none of your business, Marshal.
You a cattleman? I ain't no sheep I mean, uh Go on.
Well, look, Marshal Kind of hard to beat down a man that won't fight back, isn't it? How did you find out about it, Marshal? Just now.
Mm.
Well, Gideon Seek ain't dead Kell heard that a while ago but I'm getting out.
I can't stand it no more.
I can't.
I can't stand myself.
I'm getting out of this country.
I'm going back to Arizona.
I'm going back to riding for somebody else.
I seen what Kell done.
It was bad.
Real bad.
Mr.
Dillon, uh, are you leaving? I was just coming in to join you.
No, no, I'm looking for somebody, Chester.
- Who? - The man that dragged Gideon.
Did you find out who it was? - Yeah.
- Who? There he comes right now.
Ooh, that feller there.
Well, I think I seen him around.
I ain't sure, but I think.
He's been around, all right.
What do you want, Marshal? I just been talking to your partner in there.
- What? - He's pretty shook up with what you've been doing the past few days.
What do you mean? Pretty ashamed of himself.
Oh, you're talking about Voyles in there.
Well, he's drunk you can't pay no attention to him.
He always feels sorry for himself when he's drunk.
What'd you do, give Gideon Seek up for dead after you dragged him? You better be ready to back that up, Marshal.
I'm ready.
You can have Voyles.
He won't fight.
But you ain't takin' me.
You don't think I'd let you ride out of here, do you, mister? You're going to jail; get your hands up.
No.
I said, get your hands up.
No, I ain't.
Who was he, Mr.
Dillon? Name's Kell.
That's his partner in there, drunk, in the Long Branch.
But he's gonna sober up, and he's gonna pay Gideon Seek for his house and his sheep.
You know, Mr.
Dillon, Gideon was right after all evil kind of destroys itself, don't it? Yeah.
But sometimes not soon enough, Chester.
Well, it'd sure be a good thing - if it did, though.
- Yeah.
Except there wouldn't be any need for a U.
S.
Marshal.