Gunsmoke (1955) s04e29 Episode Script

Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Oh! It's me, Mr.
Dillon.
Chester, can't you come through the door without slamming it? Well, yeah, I did.
You know, you'd better be careful who you're drawing down on.
Yeah.
I'm looking for the marshal.
What can I do for you? Well, it ain't for me I come about, Marshal.
Yeah? Uh, an Indian woman up on Walnut Creek Uh, I suppose it ain't no business of mine, but but doggone it, I don't like to see no woman mistreated, white or an Indian.
What are you talking about? Well, I crossed Walnut Creek yesterday on my way down here, and I come across a buffalo hunters' camp.
They got an Indian woman caught there, Marshal, and they're treating her mean.
Well, they're just making a slave out of her, that's what they're doing.
Oh? Yeah, well, they must have captured her somehow.
And they got her feet all hobbled up like an animal, and they make her fetch the firewood and water and like that.
And they've been beating her.
I can tell that.
Who are these men? Do you know? Oh, I didn't talk to 'em much.
They're a mighty mean-looking crew of men.
But somebody's got to get that woman out of there.
They'd have killed me if I'd tried it alone.
- What's the hunter's name? - Jack Band runs the camp.
Up on Walnut Creek, huh? Yeah, about 5 miles west of Jane's Crossing.
Yeah, well, that's about a 40-mile ride each way.
I'm like you are.
I can't stand to see a woman mistreated, whether it's an Indian or white.
Let's get the horses, Chester.
I sure feel better about it, Marshal.
What's the matter with you? Can't you do nothin' right? She sure is dumb.
Can't even talk.
Couldn't understand her if she did.
Hey, Band.
What are you doing here? Why ain't you out there skinning the rest of them buffalos? - I thought I'd better tell you.
- Tell me what? - Strangers is coming.
- What? Yeah, I see'd them, and I rode on ahead.
- Well, I guess you better get your rifle.
- Yeah.
Your name Jack Band? What if it is? How many other men you got with you here? Is three enough, Marshal? - That woman a Cheyenne? - Yeah.
You leave her be.
You sure make yourself right at home, don't you, Marshal? Where did you find her? Out on the prairie.
She tried to get away.
I shot her horse clean out from under her.
That's a good way to start trouble with the Cheyenne, isn't it? Over a squaw? You may not know it, but she's not a squaw.
What? She's a white woman.
You're crazy.
Chester, go cut the hobbles off her, will you? Yes, sir.
Now just a minute.
You can't come riding in here and claim a woman is white and just turn her loose.
You think she's white, huh? Well, there's two of 'em her and that little girl.
And if that ain't an Indian kid, I ain't never seen one.
Is she a Cheyenne, ma'am? Yes.
Say, she speaks English! You been holding out on us? Band! I'm taking 'em back both of them.
Oh, no, you ain't.
She was captured by the Cheyenne years ago.
Now it doesn't matter how she broke loose.
She's free.
Not by a darn sight.
Chester, take 'em both back to the horses, will you? Yes, sir.
We'll take you back into Dodge, ma'am.
Marshal, you're interfering in something that you ain't gonna be able to handle.
Band, you're about the lowest form of white man I ever saw.
She was probably better off living with the Indians.
Marshal! You ain't going nowhere.
All right, drop the guns.
We weren't gonna do nothing, Marshal.
You got some burying to do.
Yes, sir.
Who's down there? Oh! Oh, it's you, Marshal Dillon.
I was just fixing to go to bed.
Goodness, it's it's quite late, I guess.
Well, Marshal, what can I do for you, huh? Well, I have a couple of people over here who'd like a room, Mr.
Dobie.
I hope you're not full up.
Oh, of course I'm not.
I can always use customers.
l Mrs.
Philips, this is Mr.
Dobie.
Mrs.
Philips? That's right.
You sure you're a white woman? She's a white woman.
What about the little girl? The little girl is Cheyenne, but she's staying with Mrs.
Philips.
Oh, no.
Not here, she ain't.
Mr.
Dobie, Mrs.
Philips has been a prisoner of the Cheyenne Indians for ten years.
She escaped, and the little girl came with her.
Now they're tired and they want to rest.
- Never mind, Marshal.
It doesn't matter.
- It matters plenty.
Well, not that kid.
I ain't taking in no Indians.
Now she's a child, and you ought to be ashamed.
- Well, I ain't ashamed! - That's enough, Dobie.
I ain't running a hotel for no Indians, or by golly, for even them that looks like Indians.
- Chester? - Yes, sir? - Would you go get Kitty? - Yes, sir.
All right, Mr.
Dobie.
If you won't give them a room, we'll find somebody that will.
Come on, ma'am.
I knew there'd be trouble, Marshal.
I just knew it.
Well, we'll find someplace for you.
Now don't worry.
Why don't we sit down here and wait? It won't work, Marshal.
I just know it.
Well, we'll find a way to make it work.
So much has happened.
It's been such a long time.
Well, but you've escaped now.
You're out of it.
No, sir.
I didn't escape.
What? I could never have escaped.
I was allowed to leave.
I never heard of the Indians doing that before.
It was the chief Black Horn.
But why? Well, I'm afraid you won't understand it, Marshal.
But Well, after a few years after I'd adapted myself to the tribe and to its ways, they treated me very kindly.
But I, uh Well, I wanted to get back to see my own people.
So he, uh, he just let you come back, huh? Yes.
I know it sounds strange, but he's a strong man, Marshal a very strong man.
Well, uh, what about little Fawn here? Well, after her mother died, I always sort of took care of Fawn.
So he let her come along with you.
Yes.
Well, what about your husband now? Do you think he was killed when you were captured? Oh, no.
No, I was traveling west to join him in Denver.
Well, maybe he's still in Denver then.
No.
No, if anything he'd be in Boston.
l I'm afraid he didn't like the West.
Well, I'll certainly do all I can to try and find him for you, ma'am.
- Hello, Matt.
- Kitty.
Kitty, this is Mrs.
Philips, and this is Fawn here.
Well, I'm happy to know both of you.
Why, thank you.
Chester told me all about what happened.
I'll find a place for you to stay.
That's very kind of you.
Well, I've never been captured by Indians, but I sure know what it's like to be a stranger in town.
I'll fix you something to eat at my place first.
Come on, honey.
Thank you, Marshal and Chester.
Oh, that's all right, ma'am.
It's just right down the street.
Oh, would you mind waiting for just a few minutes? Not at all.
Marshal Dillon? Yes? I told you a lie a minute ago.
Oh? Yes, and I want you to know the truth.
It's, uh It's about Fawn.
She's only half Cheyenne.
Half Cheyenne? Marshal, you don't understand.
See, Fawn is my daughter.
- Hi.
- Oh, hello, Doc.
What's on your mind today? Well, nothing.
I just came by to tell you I examined Mrs.
Philips and that little girl.
Oh, good.
Taken you about a week to get around to that.
Well, I didn't figure there was anything urgent about it.
I, gosh, found them the healthiest pair I ever saw in my life.
By thunder, if I was younger, I'd go live with the Indians myself.
I don't think you'd like that, Doc.
Too much work.
I could make you a little bet.
What's that? That little girl is not pure Cheyenne.
She isn't? You know it as well as I do.
Kind of makes a problem for Mrs.
Philips, doesn't it? Marshal Dillon? Yeah.
- I'm Jep Hunter.
- What can I do for you? Well, Marshal, I was on my way to California, but I heard about this woman you brought back to Dodge this Mrs.
Philips.
What about her? I want to talk to her, Marshal.
Talk to her? What for? Well, I'll tell her that.
If you just take me over and introduce me to her proper well, you can stay around and listen if you like.
All right.
Come on.
- Doc, I'll see you later.
- Yeah.
Hey, Matt, do you happen to have any snake bite medicine left down there? Yeah, why? Did you get bit? No, no.
But I might.
- Help yourself.
- Thanks.
Oh, Marshal Dillon.
Hello, Mrs.
Philips.
Mrs.
Philips, this is Jep Hunter here.
Proud to meet you, ma'am.
- Won't you come in? - Thank you.
Thank you.
Oh, please sit down.
Mr.
Hunter here wanted to talk to you, Mrs.
Philips.
Well, ma'am, I heard your story.
Well, that is, l I heard some of it, and, well, I I just thought maybe that you might be able to tell me something.
Yes? It's about my wife.
Your wife? Yes, ma'am.
The Arapahos captured her about oh, it's been about seven years now.
Well, I heard there were some Cheyennes and Arapahos that were pretty friendly, and I thought maybe you might have heard something about her.
Her name was Ruth.
Of course, I guess they wouldn't have called her that.
The Arapahos had a white woman once a blonde.
I believe she was captured on the Solomon River.
I never met her though, Mr.
Hunter.
Ma'am, my wife was a blonde.
That's just the place it happened.
Mr.
Hunter, by the time I'd heard of her, she'd already died.
I'm sorry.
Well, Ruth never was very strong.
I guess I shouldn't have brought her out to this country.
No, no.
It wasn't your fault.
Things just happen sometimes, that's all.
Maybe it's better she died.
Well, that could be.
Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am.
I mean Well, I mean, I hope it wasn't too hard for you.
It just wasn't always easy.
No, ma'am.
Well, thank you for what you've told me.
Well, that's a right pretty little girl you have there.
What's your name? We call her Fawn.
Fawn? That's a right pretty name, too.
Say, she sure takes after you, ma'am.
'Course, she has a little different coloring, but she has your mouth.
I can sure tell whose daughter she is.
Marshal, you I didn't say a thing, Mrs.
Philips.
Well, I hope I didn't say anything to cause you trouble, ma'am.
I heard there was a little girl.
I just naturally assumed that she was yours.
It's just that some people have already made it hard enough.
Yes, ma'am.
I heard.
Well, it's just that people don't know.
They haven't got any idea what it must have been like.
No.
No, they haven't.
I think you were lucky to be able to bring her along with you.
Fawn's a chief's daughter, Mr.
Hunter.
It was he who allowed us to leave.
Well, there are good Indians and bad, just like us.
Thank you for understanding.
Well, I'll be going now, ma'am.
- Thank you for talking to me.
- Yes.
- Goodbye, Mrs.
Philips.
- Goodbye, Marshal.
Well, hi, Chester.
- Oh, howdy, Doc.
How are you? - Fine.
How are you? Good, good.
You going for a walk, are you? No, I wasn't planning on it.
Yeah, well, I gotta get back to the office.
I'll see you later, Doc.
- Going back to the office, huh? - Yeah.
What for? Well, I've just got to get back to the office, is what I gotta do.
- Afraid it might explode, are you? - What? What you've got in the sack there.
Oh! No, no.
It Well, it Well, if you're gonna be so nosy about it, Doc, it's Well, for Nightcap.
A nightcap.
Yeah, it's a nightcap.
Didn't you never see no nightcap before? Well, certainly.
I wear one myself.
But good heavens, you're a little young for that.
Well, what's age got to do with it? My head's been cold ever since I was just a little boy, And I'm tired of sleeping with my head under the covers.
Anything wrong with that, huh? No, I'm just proud of you for finally figuring it out.
Yeah.
Oh.
Well, now lookie there.
Hello, Doc.
Hi, Chester.
- Ma'am.
- Howdy do, ma'am? Well, they gone fishing again.
Yeah, second time this week, too.
Oh, he just being nice to her, Doc, 'cause of his dead wife.
You know, they kind of went through the same thing.
Her husband's getting in from Boston this week.
Did you know that? Oh, yeah.
Yeah, I did hear something like that.
Wonder what he's gonna think of it.
Well, I don't know.
I'm Roger Philips.
I've come for Mrs.
Philips.
Well, how do you do? - Well.
- When did you get into Dodge? - I arrived last night, Marshal.
- Last night? Well, it's a long journey from Boston, and I was rather tired.
I thought it wisest to wait until this morning.
Uh-huh.
Well, I think you'll find your wife is fine.
She may be a little changed, but We'll get her back to normal in no time.
Well, she seems pretty normal to me right now.
After ten years among the savages? I only hope she hasn't well, hasn't lost too much.
She was a well-bred woman, Marshal.
She still is.
You planning to stay out west? Oh, no.
We'll go straight back to Boston.
I see.
Chester, would you take him over to his wife? Yes, sir.
This way.
Thank you.
Well, there you are, huh? Yeah.
Figured I needed a breath of fresh air.
That fellow Philips, I suppose, huh? It's a shame, Mr.
Dillon a fine woman like that.
Yeah.
Maybe she can handle him.
I don't know.
Well if you ask me, I don't think he's worth the trouble.
Well, he's still her husband, Chester.
Well, that was a long time ago, Mr.
Dillon.
He ain't seen her since she was captured by them Indians.
Yeah.
Well.
Marshal, I want to talk to you.
- Hello, Mrs.
Philips.
- Hello, Marshal.
Marshal, listen to me.
I've just learned the full truth, but I understand you've known about it all along.
Please forgive me, Marshal.
I'm the one who told him that you knew.
There's nothing wrong with that, ma'am.
- Well, the whole thing is wrong.
- Oh, please, Roger.
Well, you hardly expect me to take that child to Boston, do you? Well, do you? What do you want of me, Philips? What I want is simple.
Go over there and get the girl and hold her here in jail until we leave Dodge.
Why, Roger! You can do whatever you like with her afterwards.
You must be a pretty big man back in Boston.
- Yes, I am.
- Well, nobody's ever heard of you out here.
So why don't you settle down and figure out what you're really gonna do? I just told you what I'm going to do.
You really mean that? I certainly do.
Then you go back to Boston, Roger, and I'll stay here with Fawn.
Do you know what you're saying? Yes, I do.
I'll divorce you.
All right then.
Stay.
You're no longer anything but a squaw anyway.
Who'd have a woman like you? Philips, I think you've said about enough.
Now look here - Chester? - Yes, sir? Isn't there a train going east about 2:00 this afternoon? Yes, sir.
- See that Mr.
Philips is on it, will you? - Yes, sir.
Marshal, this happens to be none of your affair.
Get out of my way.
Oh, hello, Marshal.
Hello, Mrs.
Philips.
Hello, Fawn.
Well, I thought Mr.
Hunter would be here by now.
- Jep Hunter? - Yes.
I told him about you and your husband and that he's gone now.
But why, Marshal? Well, I don't know.
I kind of figured somebody ought to tell him.
Hello, Mr.
Hunter.
Hello, ma'am.
- Hunter.
- Marshal.
I told Mrs.
Philips that you knew, Hunter.
Oh.
But what I didn't tell her was that her husband might cause trouble about Fawn here.
What? There's no doubt he has influence back east, ma'am.
and feeling the way he does, and Fawn here being half Indian and all The government He might talk somebody into putting her on a reservation? - Is that what you mean, Marshal? - That's right.
No, he couldn't, Marshal.
That isn't true.
I'm afraid he could, ma'am.
Well, what am I to do? Well, clear out.
Go somewhere where they can't find you.
They'll forget all about it in time.
I think that's a good idea, ma'am, If you don't mind my saying so.
Would you come here a minute? I want to show you something.
Down there, that's my wagon.
I'm going to California, like I told you.
Oh.
Well, I wish you luck, Mr.
Hunter.
No, ma'am.
Look, I'll tell you.
I've been waiting around Dodge just to make sure you'd be all right.
Well, I got room in that wagon for two more like you and your little girl.
You mean that? Indeed I do, ma'am.
Well, a man's gonna settle down, he needs a wife to kind of look after him.
Are you asking me to marry you? You'd make me right proud, ma'am.
Right proud.
My well Marshal, we sure thank you for everything.
Bye, Chester.
- Bye.
- Thank you, Marshal.
- Jep.
- Bye, Chester.
So long.