Around Dodge 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 Gunsmoke.
Gunsmoke 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.
Dodge hasn't changed much I can see Mr. Dillon.
We've only been gone a week Chester.
Seems like a year to me.
Hard riding now and then won't hurt you.
It ain't the riding so much, it's the shooting that unnerves a man.
That reminds me, I think I'll stop at the store here.
Need some ammunition.
Take my horse onto the stable will you?
Alright.
I'll see you at the office.
Good.
Well, Marshal Dillon, it's certainly good to see you back.
Well, thank you Mr. Green.
Yes sir, we've missed you around here.
Well, that's fine.
I'd like a couple of boxes of.45s.
Oh, you're loading up too.
I guess you've already heard.
What?
Yes sir, I sold more ammunition the last couple of days than I usually do in a month.
I'm nearly out.
There's a glass box of.45s I've got.
I'd have saved more for you if I'd have known, Marshal.
After all, you're going to be sort of out front in this business.
Mr. Green, what are you talking about?
You haven't heard.
Heard what?
About the Indians.
Indians?
The Pawnees.
They're going to attack tomorrow.
This is the last day we've got to get ready for them.
That's why everybody's been hoping you'd be back in time.
We have to get organized, Marshal.
Where are they Mr. Green?
Who?
The Pawnees.
Oh, they're out on a prairie somewhere I guess.
Now, what are your plans, Marshal?
I don't have any plans.
All righty, when you decide what to do, let me know.
I'll do my share of the fighting, you know that.
You can count on me.
We've got women and children in Dodge.
May I ask one question, Mr. Green?
Certainly.
How do you know these Pawnees are going to attack Dodge?
And how do you know they're going to attack tomorrow?
Well, everybody knows about it, Marshal.
That's why, like I said, they've all been buying up ammunition, getting ready.
But who told them about the Indians?
I don't know, Marshal.
It's general knowledge.
Just ask anybody.
Is the whole town as jittery as you are?
I'm not jittery.
Marshal, this is a serious matter.
Those Indians could wipe out Dodge if there's enough of them.
Yeah, sure.
How many are there, Mr. Green?
I don't know how many, Marshal.
Good sized war party I meant.
Has anybody seen them?
Oh, no, no, Marshal.
Haven't seen yet.
It's tomorrow they're coming.
Well, I'll put the 45s on my bill, Mr. Green.
You let me know when you get your plans made, Marshal.
You can count on me.
I'll tell everybody you're back and we'll have a meeting.
No.
You wait till you hear from me, Mr. Green.
Hello, Doc.
Oh, hi, Matt.
I saw Chester riding up Front Street, so I come down to welcome you home.
I gave our horse the feed of grain, Mr. Dillon.
Figured they'd earned it.
How good.
Doc, I've been talking to Mr. Green down the street.
Yeah?
Is he crazy or what?
Oh, he must have told you about the Indians.
Indians?
Oh, the whole town's been talking about them, Matt.
Pawnees are on the war path, they say.
And they're going to attack Dodge.
Tomorrow, I believe it is.
Good heavens, Mr. Dillon.
Oh, now don't you start it, Chester.
When did all this talk begin, Doc?
A couple of days ago.
Oh, everybody's been pretty excited.
Especially Green and Hank Riseling at the Dodge house.
Oh, they sure have been hoping you'd get back in time to take charge of everything.
Well, what do we do, Mr. Dillon?
Nothing, Chester.
Well, everybody seems pretty sure about it, Matt.
They'll expect you to do something.
Who started all this talk, Doc?
Well, I haven't heard anybody mention that.
Some drunk probably, or some greenhorn.
The rumor spreads, and pretty soon everybody takes it for a fact, and then a panic begins.
Well, there might be Indians, Matt.
Has anybody seen them, or any sign of them?
Well, you're going to have a hard time talking people out of it.
Maybe.
But first, I've got to find out how all this nonsense started.
Chester, you go ask Mr. Hightower what he knows.
He's got good ears.
All right, Chester.
Let's see what I can find out in the saloons, and then we'll meet back here.
Yes, Chester.
Matt, Matt.
Hello, Kitty.
You go away for a whole week, and you come back with nothing but a big frown.
What are you on the prod about?
People.
Oh, that.
How come you're not armed, Kitty?
Armed?
You're just going to let the Pawnees ride off with you?
Aren't you going to struggle a little?
Kind of exciting, isn't it, Matt?
You don't seem very worried.
Why should I be?
Dodgers full of heroes these days.
Kitty, maybe I never gave you enough credit.
For what?
You got brains, too.
Don't be nasty.
You need a drink, beer?
No, no, no, thanks.
Who's that?
He's got a long life.
Who's the old man at the bar there?
The long one with long hair.
He's a sight, isn't he?
You don't very often see men dressed in buckskin anymore.
His name's Tewksbury.
He must be 80 years old.
He's been half that since he's had a bath.
Man his age has seen a lot of country, Kitty.
Never mind him.
What are you going to do about the Indians, Matt?
The only thing I can do, try to keep the good citizens of Dodge from getting all triggered
up and shooting each other for Pawnees tonight and tomorrow.
How are you going to do that?
I'd like to know who started all this, for one thing.
I think I'll have a talk with Sam there.
Bartenders generally know things.
Are Pawnee Braves as handsome as they say, Matt?
You'd be surprised if they really did raid this place, wouldn't you?
Maybe.
Wouldn't you?
Yeah, yeah, I would.
Well, I'll see you later, Kitty.
Sure, Matt.
Sam.
Hello, Marshall.
Dylan, welcome home.
Oh, thank you, Sam.
What's your pleasure?
Nothing right now.
Sam, do you know who started all this Indian raid talk?
I don't know.
I don't know who started it, Marshall, but everybody sure all worked up.
Yeah, I know.
I'm just trying to find out why.
Mr. Green and Hank Riesling have been wanting to get organized.
They'll be mighty happy you're back.
Marshall, I heard Sam say your name.
Mine's Tooksbury.
How do you do?
I want to offer my services, Marshall.
Your services?
What for?
There ain't nothing I don't know about Indians, Marshall.
I introduced Kit Carson to us.
We're Apache over in New Mexico.
And if it hadn't been for me, John C. Fremont, it would never have got back from the Des Moines
River in 42.
It was Arapahos that time.
Inside and out, Marshall.
Backwards and forwards, dead and alive and cheaps and waves, squaws and papoces.
I know them all.
Well, that's fine, Mr. Tooksbury, but I don't think we've got anything to worry about.
You can't trust an Indian, Marshall, anymore, and you can't trust a white man.
They've got sharp tongues and evil ways, and they're cruel and ungrateful.
Buy him a drink, Marshall.
He usually shuts up at least while he's drinking it.
All right, Sam, give him a beer.
Well, I thank you, Marshall, but I never drink beer.
Oh, you don't?
I will, however, take a little drink of straight whiskey to hold in my mouth and sweeten my
tobacco.
Well, you heard him, Sam.
You old devil.
Old devil, am I?
You'll be grateful I'm here when them ponies come screaming out of the dawn.
You live here, Marshall, or do you fight like a white man?
Well, I don't believe I ever scalped anybody.
The Indians got it all over you.
Let them pierce them ponies and don't ever let them take you alive.
I've seen them spread eagle and man and...
There's your whiskey, old man.
Better drink it before it gets cold.
It's not bad whiskey.
Put your words over.
Grateful, ain't he, Marshall?
Now, you let me know when you need me, Marshall.
I'll show you how to fight Indians.
Now, you attack them first.
You see, they're crazy wild.
That's what they are.
Mr. Chooksbury, where did you hear about this pony raid?
Hear about it?
Well, everybody's heard about it.
They've all been warned.
Lock the women and children in the church, Marshall, and leave them with enough guns
to shoot themselves, if worse comes to worse.
There may not be enough real Indian fighters around here to hold off them bloodthirsty savages
very long.
Who told you about the raid, Mr. Chooksbury?
Common knowledge, Marshall.
Common knowledge.
When's the meeting?
Well, I don't know, but I expect that'll soon be common knowledge, too.
Goodbye.
So long, Sam.
Here's for the whiskey.
Thanks, Marshall.
See you later.
Mr. Hightower didn't know anything, Mr. Dillon, except there will be an attack tomorrow.
What'd you find out?
Well, I went to all the saloons, Chester, but all they had was the same story.
Some wilder than others, especially an old man called Chooksbury.
He seems bloodthirstier than anybody.
I never heard of him.
No, he's a stranger here.
Well, look what's coming across the street.
I guess this is the organizing committee, huh?
Yeah.
Who is that pioneer they got with him?
Now, that's old Chooksbury, I told you, but he's a little touched in the head, I'm afraid.
Well, here they are.
Gentlemen, all right, gentlemen.
Now, Marshall, Marshall, there isn't much time left and we've got to get Dodge organized.
Now, Hank Riseling here and I, we've worked out a tentative plan which we proposed...
Just a minute, Mr. Green.
There's something I want to ask before you go on.
Oh, yes, Marshall.
I'd like to know which one of you men heard about these Indians first.
I think Charles...
Charles, me?
Well, I don't see it that matters.
All right, all right, all right.
Then let's say the rumor just got started somehow, okay?
Pretty big for just a rumor, Marshall.
Well, my wife's nearly crazy with fear, all the women are.
That's why we got to do something, get things organized.
People feel better then.
You know what panic is, Riseling?
It's fear, all right, but a man can be afraid and still think.
But when he gets panicked, he stops thinking, like all of you right now.
You're acting like cattle in a stampede.
That's pretty strong talk, Marshall.
Is it?
Then I'll point out something else to you.
You're willing to believe the Pawnees are on the warpath and you don't even know who reported
it.
And on top of that, you're willing to believe they're going to attack tomorrow.
Well, that's what they say, Marshall.
And it's your job as the law here to do something about it.
Yes.
If you don't help us now, the blood will be on your head.
Blood?
The Pawnees are the bloodiest devils in the whole Indian nation.
They're mean, they're downright mean.
I know them.
I'll show you how to fight them.
We'll ride out after them.
Chokesbury.
What?
After them first.
Chokesbury, let me ask you something.
I'm offering my services, Marshall, same as I did with John.
Listen to me.
The Pawnees are attacking tomorrow.
Is that right?
At dawn, Marshall, they always attack at dawn.
If they die at night, you see, their spirit wanders.
They got to die.
Yeah, I know.
But there's something else about Indians I want to ask you.
I know everything there is to know about Indians.
Then did you ever hear of Indians telling anybody just when they were going to attack?
They're just like snakes.
They never tell nobody nothing.
It's just a whoosh.
There you are with an arrow right in your throat.
And how come everybody in Dodge knows when these Pawnees are coming?
Now answer me straight, Chokesbury.
Well, Marshall, it's just, well, somebody must have found out.
The only person who would know would be an Indian.
Now, gentlemen, have there been some Pawnee warriors in town lately getting drunk at the
Alapraganza and talking when they shouldn't?
Well, have there?
No.
No, the Marshall makes sense, man.
It sure don't sound right somehow.
No, it sure don't.
If you stop to think about it.
When did you hit Dodge?
A while ago, Marshall.
When?
I don't know when.
I don't keep track of time.
But the Indians do though.
They know just how many millions.
Oh, shut up, Chokesbury.
I don't want to hear any more about Indians out of you.
And if you go on talking around Dodge, I'll throw you in jail and you can do your spotting
there.
Marshall, Marshall, he's an old man.
You should not treat him like that.
I've got an idea.
He's the one who started this whole thing with his wild talk.
And you men have made fools of yourself listening to him.
Now go on home and calm down your women folk and forget it.
Good night, gentlemen.
Oh, it's Chester.
Well, come in, Chester.
Hey, you're all dressed.
Yeah, I slept with my clothes on.
I figured I might be troubled yet.
There is.
That's what I come to tell you.
Well, then tell me.
It's a fire, Mr. Dillon, at the edge of town, that old woman house of Ari Danvers.
A fire?
How bad is it?
The house is going, but that ain't the worst.
They found some arrows nearby.
What?
It's the Pawnees.
We will return for the second act of Gunsmoke in just a moment.
But first, tonight's free and easy Saturday Night Country Style on CBS Radio features
the old Kentucky barn dance and the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree.
It's Saturday Night Country Style later tonight on most of these same CBS radio stations.
Now the second act of Gunsmoke.
The rooming house of Ira Danvers stood at the edge of town.
It wasn't much more than a jerry-built shack patronized by a few drunks and an occasional
cowboy who had lost his pay at the games.
By the time we got there, it had burned to the ground.
The small crowd had gathered.
Two unidentified men had died in the fire.
Probably too drunk to save themselves.
It was the owner, Danvers, who had discovered the arrows.
Look at them, Marshal.
I have found them sticking in the ground yonder.
Yeah.
Well, they're Pawnee, all right.
And Devils stood out there somewhere and fired the place of burning arrows, I figure, and
just shot these in to let us know who did it.
Well, that could be Danvers, but why would they set fire to only one house?
What are you men waiting for?
Those Indians could ride in on us any minute.
Some of you men get out there and stand guard.
We got some horses here.
Now hold it.
Hold it, you two.
Let's don't get all excited.
It's still dark and no Indian's going to attack in the dark.
You know that.
Look, what about those arrows, Marshal?
Ain't that proof enough?
It's an ordeal daylight, Mr. Green.
Nothing's going to happen till then.
We've listened to you long enough, Marshal.
We've got women to protect.
Risling, you come over here and the rest of you men will run this fight ourselves.
Chester.
Yes, sir?
It's the old Tooksbury over there at the edge of the crowd.
Yes, sir.
He ain't talking so much tonight, is he?
Drift back in the dark where he can't see you.
And if he leaves here, let me know at once, huh?
All right, sir.
What do you make of it, Marshal?
There's nothing to worry about, Sam.
What are you doing here, Kitty?
Sam promised to wake me up when the action started.
So he did.
Well, there's been a fire and two men died.
The action's over.
Now go back to bed.
Don't take it out on me, Matt.
I didn't start this Indian scare.
No, I'm sorry, Kitty, but this is no place for a woman.
Where is a good place for a woman?
Oh, now don't start that.
What are they doing over there, Marshal?
Green and Rysling are organizing a defense of Dodge, Sam.
They found some arrows right here.
Yeah, they did.
Paw-knee arrows.
Then they are going to attack.
They're right out there in the dark somewhere.
No, I don't think so, Sam.
But you go look if you want.
Sam, that man over here will need you, too.
That's Green.
He's calling me.
Well, then you better go.
Sure, sure.
I'll go.
I'll go with you, Sam.
I want to see what's going on.
Mr. Dillon?
What?
Oh, where is he, Chester?
He drifted off behind that next shack.
Well, let's follow him.
Come on.
Are you close enough to see if he's armed?
No, sir.
I couldn't tell.
It's too dark.
No.
But quiet now.
I don't see him.
And how do either do I?
Now hold up a minute.
Maybe we can hear him.
Now, now let's go.
Something moved right over there.
Yeah, I saw it.
Look, he's lighting the fire.
Yeah, there he goes.
You put out the fire, Chester.
I'll catch him.
Yes, sir.
All right, Tewksbury, I've got you.
Don't shoot me now.
All right, get your hands in the air.
I ain't armed.
What do you call this bowie knife?
All right, put your hands down.
Well, you've been pretty talkative till tonight, Tewksbury.
You want to tell me what this is all about?
You go eat dirt.
Where did you get those pony arrows you planted at Danvers Place?
Them ponies, they got sharp tongues, evil ways, they're cruel and ungrateful.
Tewksbury, what do you really know about the ponies?
Oh, I know them.
I know them.
You men go kill them.
You write them down.
Why, Tewksbury?
Why do you want them killed?
They're savage devils.
They treat people mean.
Why do you say that?
What did they do to you?
Let's go drink some whiskey.
Tewksbury, two men died in that fire you set at our Danvers.
Do you realize that?
White men, let them die.
You can't trust them.
I don't think you understand.
You killed two men tonight, Tewksbury.
It's been a long time since I've had any whiskey.
Years.
Are you drunk now?
No.
I'm tired.
I'm awful tired.
Tired and lonely.
I want to lay down.
Make camp.
Yeah.
Come along, old man.
I'll show you a bed.
When the citizens of Dodge found out about Tewksbury, they were at first ashamed of their
panic, and then because of their shame, they wanted to lynch him.
But they didn't.
And pretty soon they forgot about him.
A week passed, and the old man never said a word.
I didn't know who he was or where he came from.
And then one day, an Indian woman rode into town and found her way to the jail.
She was past 40, but still handsome, and she carried herself with the instinctive pride
of her people, the Pawnees.
Is this the jail?
Yes, it is.
You are the Marshal?
That's right.
What can I do for you?
Word has been brought that you have an old man here.
Tewksbury?
Yes.
I have come for him.
What?
I am his daughter, Marshal.
Oh.
Oh, I see.
Well, will you sit down?
Thank you.
So Tewksbury married a Pawnee, huh?
Many years ago.
My mother is dead.
Your father taught you English?
Yes.
But I have lived among white people.
Not for long.
I like my people better.
Of course.
I think my father does, too.
He has lived with us many years.
Tell me, what was he doing in Dodge?
He is old.
So old he is like a child.
He ran away one night in anger.
Why?
Our tribe is peaceful, Marshal.
We have given up war.
But sometimes the young men find it difficult not to fight.
My father made some whiskey.
He was giving it to the young men, telling them they should kill white people.
And he got caught in it?
Yes.
The chief held council.
They made very strong talk.
My father grew angry.
He say he will destroy them.
Marshal, he is old.
Thoughts are no longer clear in his head.
Yes, I understand.
He has lived long.
Seen many things.
He does not like being old.
He cannot understand why life is peaceful with us.
Well, he sure stirred up a lot of trouble here.
A hunter told us the story.
My father will be more closely watched now.
As he has served the tribe well in the past, chiefs will send you horses.
Horses?
To let him come back.
Oh, oh, he is fine.
He is fine, yes.
I forgot the word.
Well, it is not as simple as that.
You see, two men died in that fire your father set.
I am afraid he will have to stand trial.
Trial?
Oh, your counsel.
Yes, it will be in a few days now.
I have got to warn you that it might not go well with him.
Two men die.
I understand, Marshal.
I wait.
Look, would you be willing to come to the trial to talk for your father?
A squaw?
We allow women to talk at our trials.
Then I will be there.
Good, good.
Now, I think your father would like to see you.
Come.
The trial lasted one day.
I do not think Chukesberry knew what it was all about or even cared.
After seeing his daughter, he started talking again, but in Pawnee.
Never said a word in English or even acknowledged it when he was spoken to.
His daughter took the stand and shortly after, impressed by her courage and honest dignity,
the judge released Chukesberry to her custody.
Outside, I said goodbye and I watched them ride off into the prairie, both mounted on
her pony.
The old man, chattering like a bird, happy to be going home.
No longer lonely.
Gunsmoke under the direction of Norman MacDonald stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S.
Marshal.
The night story was specially written for Gunsmoke by John Messon with music composed
and conducted by Rex Corey.
Featured in the cast were John Dana and Lawrence Dobkin with James Nusser, Vic Perrin, and
Lillian Byiff.
Charlie Bear as Chester, Howard McNear as Doc, and Georgia Ellis as Kitty.
Gunsmoke has been selected by the Armed Forces Radio Service to be heard by our troops overseas.
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.
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goin to contest.