Around dark city and in the territory on west there's just one way to handle the killers
and the spoilers and that's with a US Marshal and the smell of gun smoke
Gun Smoke starring William Conrad the story of the violence that moved west
with young America the story of a man who moved with it Matt Dillon United States Marshal
Mr. Dillon?
Yeah, Chester.
You want to see the prettiest sight north of the Pecos?
Huh?
Sight?
Come over here to the window and look what's coming down the street.
Not if it's anything besides trouble that'll surprise me.
She must have come in on the sound of fear from the east.
Wow.
Say, I think she's coming here.
Yeah, it looks that way.
Why, I should have shaved this morning.
Or even yesterday morning.
Now, what could a lady like that be doing in Dodge City?
Say, maybe she's going to work in one of the saloons, Mr. Dillon.
I hope not, Chester.
Good morning, ma'am.
How do you do?
I'm looking for the United States Marshal.
Well, I'm the...
My name's Dillon, Matt Dillon.
I'm Catherine Blair, Mr. Dillon.
It's a pleasure, Miss Blair.
May I introduce my deputy? This is Chester Probfoot.
How do you do?
I just got in on the train from Boston, Mr. Dillon.
Oh?
The stationmaster said that you might be able to help me.
Well, I'd be glad to.
I'm looking for my brother, Martin Blair.
Why, say, Mr. Dillon...
Chester, will you punch up that fire?
It seems a little chilly in here.
Really?
Yeah, sure.
Right away, Mr. Dillon.
Do you happen to know my brother, Mr. Dillon?
Yes, yes, I know him.
Oh, good.
Then you can tell me where to find him.
Well, I'm not too sure that I can.
You see, he moves around a lot.
Yes, I know.
He left home and came out west two years ago.
Every time he's written us, it's been from a different address.
He's always been that way.
Restless, I guess you might call him.
Yes, yes, I guess you might.
Mother's always thinking he might get into trouble out here by himself.
But I tell her not to worry.
He's young yet.
He'll grow out of it.
I see.
Meanwhile, though, you'll need some place to stay, I imagine.
Well, yes, I suppose there's a hotel...
I think the Woodamarkham may have an extra room.
You'd be better off there than at the hotel.
Your baggage at the station?
Yes.
Chester, will you go to the station with Miss Blair
and then take her over to Woodamarkham's and get her settled in a room?
Sure thing, Mr. Dillon.
This is awfully nice of you.
Not at all.
And, Chester, will you explain the situation to Miss Markham?
I mean that we don't know where Miss Blair's brother is at the moment, Chester.
Yes, sir.
I'll explain it to her, Mr. Dillon.
After you, ma'am.
Oh, thank you.
You're very kind, Mr. Dillon.
Goodbye.
Jack, wake up, Jack.
I'm not asleep, Markham.
What do you want?
A jail cell usually softens a man up.
Not this one, Dillon.
Not now or 20 years from now.
Yeah, yeah, I know.
You want something or are you just making conversation?
Your sister's in town, Martin.
Kathy?
Kathy's here in Dodge?
She just left the office. She's looking for you.
What did you tell her?
Nothing. Yet.
Seems like a fine girl.
You gotta get her out of here, Dillon.
Don't let her find out.
Get her on a train and get her out of here.
Huh? Why?
Maybe I'm no good, but there's no reason why Kathy should pay for it.
That's got nothing to do with me.
Then you won't help.
You won't keep her from finding out?
I don't know if I can, Martin.
But I'll think about it.
Oh, evening, Mr. Dillon.
Hello, Chester.
Anything come up?
No, sir. It's been the quietest night in weeks.
Yeah, no trail herds in town. I guess that's the reason.
Is Miss Blair all right, I suppose?
Yeah, yeah, she's all right, Chester.
Have you told her about her brother, Mr. Dillon?
Well, I told her that he's out of town.
We're trying to get word to him.
The truth's bound to get to her somehow, sooner or later.
Yeah, I know. I know.
Only reason it hasn't already is because everybody in town knows him as Boston Jack.
Yes, but his real name will come out at the trial next week, though.
Well, I've been trying to get her to leave before then, go back home.
But she won't leave until she sees him.
Mm-hmm.
It's sure going to go hard with her when she finds out her brother's guilty of cattle, Rustman.
And murder and horse stealing.
And this time we got a witness.
Yes, sir.
I don't rightly see how you can keep her from finding out, Mr. Dillon.
Well...
Come on, Chester, let's have a talk with Martin.
Nice night, Mr. Dillon.
Yeah, it's fine.
Great night for taking a walk.
Don't you think so, Martin?
Anything's better than rotting in that cell.
Well, where did you expect to end up?
All you got is old man Hawk's word against mine.
He's lying.
The jury will believe him.
If he could see me so plain, how come he couldn't tell you who was with me?
It was dark.
He saw your face in the gun flesh when you shot his foreman in the back.
That's a lie.
As far as that's concerned, I know who was with you, but I haven't got a case against him.
Red Pulley.
Wasn't it?
I wouldn't know.
I wasn't there.
Mm-hmm.
Well, suppose we leave it to the jury.
Here's the way to Martin's place, Mr. Dillon.
Yeah.
All right, Martin, let's get it straight now.
You're here because you want to keep your sister from knowing the truth about you.
Now, we're going in there and talk to her.
Then you're going back to jail.
You know the story I'm planning to tell her.
I know.
I just want to make one thing clear. You are going back to jail.
Chester will stay on the front porch and cover you through the window, and I'll be inside with you.
Also wearing a gun.
Don't try anything foolish.
I wouldn't want to kill you in front of your sister, but if it comes to it, I'll do it.
You understand?
Sure.
I understand.
All right, let's go.
I'll be there at the first window, Mr. Dillon.
The parlor's on the left.
All right, Chester.
Heads up, Chester.
Yes, sir.
Good evening, Mrs. Blair.
Why, Mr. Dillon?
I have brought you a visitor.
A visi...
Martin.
Hi, Kathy.
Oh, Martin. Oh, Martin.
Here, now. Take it easy.
Oh, it's been so long.
Oh, Martin, why didn't you write?
Well, you know how it is, sis.
Uh, say, maybe we could all go inside, huh?
Oh, of course.
Come on in. Come in.
Oh, I couldn't imagine who was knocking.
Mrs. Markham has gone to bed and...
Oh, here. Sit down. Both of you.
Thank you, Miss Blair.
Oh, Mr. Dillon.
Where on earth did you find him?
Well, I, uh...
I guess I'd better confess to you, Miss Blair.
I, uh... I knew all along where he was.
What?
The only trouble was I... I just couldn't produce him.
Oh, I'm afraid I don't understand you.
Uh, well, you see, Martin's been doing some work for me.
Uh, sort of secret work, you might say.
We're trying to dig up evidence on a gang of cattle rustlers around.
Oh, just wait till Mother hears about that.
Oh, and she was so worried about you.
Yeah, it's, uh, quite a job.
Uh, it's, uh, pretty hard for your brother to get away from the gang
without stirring up suspicion.
In fact, he, uh, he's only got about an hour this evening.
Oh?
But you will manage more time in the next day or so.
I'm afraid not, Sis.
I may not be able to get away again for a month.
A month?
In fact, I've been thinking it over,
and I think the best thing you can do is to take a train back home right away.
But I just got here, Martin.
It's no place for you, Kathy.
Uh, he's right, Miss Blair.
Dodge City's no town for a girl alone.
But I came all this way to see Martin and...
It's like I told you, though, Sis.
It may be a month before I can manage to get away again.
Uh, tell you what.
After this, uh, job's finished,
maybe I can get back east for a week or so.
Oh, Martin, if you only could.
We'd all be so happy.
I can't guarantee it, but I'll sure try.
I'll admit I'm a little nervous here.
Why, the very first thing Mrs. Markham showed me was a revolver
she keeps hanging out there in the hall.
In case of intruders, she said. Good heavens.
Well, this is the frontier, Miss Blair.
The law is still pretty much with a man who shoots first.
Except sometimes.
Yeah.
That sounds awful.
Martin, you will be careful, won't you?
I'm always careful.
I suppose I had better take your advice
and arrange to leave in the next day or two.
But meanwhile, we have an hour at least.
Tell me about yourself, Martin.
Tell me everything you've been doing.
Hey, it's cold in here, Mr. Dillon.
Yeah, you better get a fire started, Chester.
I'll take Martin back and lock him up.
I could use a little heat back in that cell.
You've got plenty of blankets.
Well, come on, let's go.
Now, you walk ahead of me.
Dillon, suppose the jury brings in a conviction.
What's the sentence going to be?
That's not up to me.
I'm just asking for information.
It means hanging, right?
Probably.
All right, stand right there while I open the cell.
I don't want much to hang, Marshal.
Nobody does.
All right, Martin, get in.
Slow and easy, Dillon.
Put your hands up slow.
Good.
Now keep them that way.
Where'd you get the gun?
In the hall of Mrs. Markham's.
I slipped it under my coat when I was kissing Kathy goodbye.
I'll take your gun now, Dillon.
Thanks.
Feels good to be holding a pair of guns again.
You won't be holding them long.
Maybe.
One thing, though.
If you take me again, you'll have to take me dead.
Any way you want it.
In the cell, Dillon.
Come on, move.
Tell Chester goodbye for me, will you?
I think I'll just go on out the back way.
What about your sister?
I guess she wouldn't want to see me hang either when you come right down to it.
So long, Dillon.
We will return for the second act of gun smoke in just a moment.
But first, if you've ever had delusions of grandeur or a particularly soul-satisfying daydream,
you'll understand the predicament of my little margin.
I'll be waiting for you.
You'll understand the predicament of my little Margie tomorrow night on CBS Radio.
Convinced that she's a princess, my little Margie, played by Gail Storm,
gives her father, he's Charles Farrell, a royal pain in the neck.
It's another comedy episode of CBS Radio's new Sunday night laugh program,
my little Margie, tomorrow night on most of these same stations.
Now for the second act of gun smoke.
Dog gone up, Mr. Dillon. I know one of these keys is supposed to fit.
Chester, all I've got to say is that it better fit.
Yes, sir.
Well, that's not it.
It would be a fine how to do if we had to call in a blacksmith to get you out of your own jail.
Chester.
It'd be sort of like the time...
Never mind, Chester. Just get the door open.
Yes, sir.
Oh, I know how you feel, all right, Mr. Dillon.
Well, I declare.
There you are, Mr. Dillon.
Come on.
I'll get the other gun out of the office safe.
Fine. Thanks again for trying to help people.
A man gets careless and then he winds up in a jam like this.
Hey, Lucina.
All right, 27.
Left, 69.
All right.
You sure gonna be hard to explain why you took Martin out of jail, Mr. Dillon.
Yeah, I know.
If he gets cleaned away, we're gonna look pretty foolish.
He's not gonna get away, Chester.
Yes, sir.
Pretend to one Martin will try to team up with his sidekick Polly before he heads out of town.
Let's try the saloons first and see if we can pick up his trail.
Yes, Mr. Dillon.
Martin said we'd never bring him in alive.
So don't take any chances.
Well, sir, no sign of him in here, Mr. Dillon, not unless he's in the back room.
Let's walk over toward the bar.
That's bad business, Chester.
Martin's already shot one man in the back.
We'll never catch him in the open if he's got anything to say about it.
Yes, sir, I've been thinking about that.
Kind of makes a man's spine crawl.
Hiya, boys.
Heavenly day out.
You had to so you were caught robbing a bank, Chester.
I've always suspected Chester of having a shady past.
Have a drink, man?
No, no, we haven't got time.
We can't stay.
We're looking for a fellow.
By the way, who went bail for Boston Jack?
What do you mean?
Well, he was in here about 10 minutes ago.
He was in there.
Yeah, he talked to Red Polly and the two of them left together.
I thought he must be...
You know where they went, Kitty?
Well, no, Matt, I haven't got any idea, but they sure left here in a hurry.
He broke out of jail.
There's 40 ways from Sunday that they could have ridden, Mr. Dillon.
Yeah, I know, but if they're not in Dodge, there's only one way they'd hit.
The Circle B?
Yeah, Martin those hawks is the only witness I've got against him.
Come on, Chester.
The ranch looks quiet.
Yeah.
Well, we've been making time. Maybe we ought to road them.
If they're even headed this way.
Well, they better be.
Hold it. Who's there?
Somebody standing there at the side of the house.
Yeah, I see.
It's the Marshal, Matt Dillon.
Is that you, Ezra?
That's right. Come on up, Matt.
What brings you way out here this time of night, Matt?
Well, I'm sort of counting on an old acquaintance of yours showing up here sometime tonight.
What are you talking about?
Boston Jack.
Out of jail? Matt, how'd that happen?
Well, I doubt it would serve any good purpose to go into that right now.
He hasn't been here, I take it.
No. Matt, he's a mad dog. Got to be shot a long time ago.
I'd kill him on sight.
Well, I came out here to make sure he doesn't kill you.
Chester, put our horses in the barn. Get them out of sight.
All right, Mr. Dillon.
And you may as well stay there, Chester, and cover the yard.
Yes, sir.
Well, what about us, Matt? What are we going to do?
Go inside the house and put the lights out and wait.
That's all, just wait.
It's been 30 minutes, Matt. I think you're on a cold trail.
I hope not.
You've had enough time to get here.
Maybe not enough courage, though.
They figure the odds are two to one in their favor.
Shouldn't take much courage.
People who've never killed anybody don't understand.
The killer's worst enemy is his own nerve.
I take your word for it, Matt.
I guess you've sat and waited like this plenty of times.
Yeah, too many.
Does it ever bother you, Matt?
Do you ever get to wondering?
Wait a minute.
Well, there they are, Ezra.
Where, Matt?
Over there by the corral, you see?
They're walking the horses into the yard, slow and quiet.
Yeah, yeah, I see them.
What are you going to do, Matt?
Go out and call them.
Oh, they'll fire from the dark without no warning.
Yeah, I know.
They're getting off their horses.
Got to walk up here, I guess.
All right, Ezra, stay in the house and keep out of this.
Chester and I can handle them.
May I, Matt?
Good luck.
Thanks.
Martin, Poley, you're under arrest.
What?
Kill him.
Careful, Matt.
Heads up, Chester, I dropped Poley.
Martin's running into the corral.
Yes, sir, I see him, Mr. Dodd.
You're trapped, Martin.
Now climb out of that corral.
I told you how it would be, Dillon.
Come on in and get me.
Sure, Martin, I'm coming.
Mr. Dillon, he's fired the hay rig.
We ought to...
Look, he's trying to ride the horse now.
Matt, Matt, are you all right?
Yeah, yeah, I'm all right.
Is he...
He didn't shoot you, Matt?
No.
He fell off right in front of the stampede.
They went right over him.
Well, here we are, Mr. Dillon.
Yeah.
Wait here for me, Chester.
I'll go in and tell her.
All right, sir.
I hope she believes me.
Don't worry, Mr. Dillon, she will.
I'll be out in a couple of minutes.
Evening, Miss Blair.
Why, Mr. Dillon, this is a surprise.
Do you mind if I step in?
Of course I don't mind.
Thank you.
A friend of Martin's is welcome in...
Mr. Dillon, there's something wrong.
I'm afraid so, Miss Blair.
I've got bad news for you.
It's Martin.
Something's happened to Martin.
Yes, ma'am.
He's hurt.
It's worse than hurt, ma'am.
No.
Oh, no.
Martin was killed in a fight.
Martin dead.
If it's any consolation, Miss Blair,
he died hard with all the odds against him.
Martin never asked for favor.
He fought a good fight.
That's something to remember.
Martin has always been fine and clean.
He was just restless.
People didn't understand.
No, I suppose they didn't, Miss Blair.
But he died on his feet, fighting.
I guess that's the way Martin wanted it.
Yes, I think so, ma'am.
I suppose Miss Markham's here.
I wouldn't want to leave you alone.
Yes, she's here.
I'll be all right, Mr. Dillon.
Well, I'll come by and see you in the morning.
If there's anything at all I can do...
You've been very kind, Mr. Dillon.
I'm grateful to you.
I'm sorry about this, Miss Blair.
Marshal, I'll be leaving tomorrow.
Yes.
Goodbye.
Goodbye, Miss Blair.
Is she all right, Mr. Dillon?
I think so, Chester.
Did she believe what you told her?
What I told her was true.
Well, there's no harm in letting her think the best of it.
Martin paid his debt.
No reason his sister should suffer.
That's right, Mr. Dillon.
Chester, if I remember correctly,
Kitty offered us a drink earlier this evening.
That's right.
Well, let's go.
Gunsmoke, under the direction of Norman MacDonald,
stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
Tonight's story was specially written for Gunsmoke by Les Crutchfield,
with music composed and conducted by Rex Corey.
Featured in the cast were Gene Bates, Sam Edwards, and Ralph Moody.
Parley Bear is Chester, and Georgia Ellis is Kitty.
Gunsmoke has heard by our troops overseas
through the worldwide facilities of the Armed Forces Radio Service.
Join us again next week as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal,
fights to bring law and order out of the wild violence of the West in...
Gunsmoke.
Eve Arden plays the wisecracking English teacher,
Connie Brooks of Madison High, Sunday nights on CBS Radio.
And when our Miss Brooks calls the role on comedy,
there's laughter enough for all takers.
Sunday nights on most of these same stations,
join Eve Arden as our Miss Brooks for high class classroom comedy.
This is Roy Rowan speaking.
America now listens to 105 million radio sets,
and listens most to the CBS Radio Network.
Music