Around Dodge City and in the territory on west, there's just one way to handle the killers
and the spoilers and that's where the 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.
Hey.
Huh?
Hello Kitty.
I didn't see you.
You'll get shot someday walking around in a daze like that.
You'll get sunstrokes sitting out here in the heat and the dust.
I don't see people in the daylight very often.
Wanted to find out if there any difference.
Sit down.
Well, are they?
Any difference?
I don't know, but I've spotted a few I think might be sober.
That's different.
For you, maybe.
You know, I was just thinking, Kitty, there's hardly a man comes to Dodge that isn't looking
for trouble of some kind.
They call it fun.
Yeah, sure, but part of their fun's beating somebody up or shooting them.
I've heard of places where the men have to check their guns when they come to town.
Now that never works.
They can always hide a gun or a knife.
You ought to go fishing, Matt.
What?
Have some fun yourself.
Quit worrying for a while.
Yeah, I'm not worried, Kitty.
You know, if it wasn't for all these men stalking each other, I'd be out of a job.
There are other jobs besides keeping the peace, Matt.
Yeah, I've tried most of them in my time.
Hey, Mr. Dillon.
Hello, Miss Kitty.
Hello, Chester.
Doc sent me to find you.
The old man up in his office.
What does he want me for?
The old man's been shot.
Shot?
Yes, sir.
He claimed somebody tried to kill him.
You mean he was ambushed?
I guess he was.
Anyway, it hit him in the neck.
All right, Chester, I'll go back with you.
He's got a friend with him, but they're both strangers around here.
Now, you see what I mean, Kitty?
Young or old, they're all looking for trouble.
Maybe it'd help if we burned this place down.
I'll sit here and think.
We'll see about it later, Matt.
Where's the doc?
Somebody come for him.
Now, what do you mean?
Somebody come for him.
That's what.
Said somebody else was sick.
You're the man that was shot, huh?
We don't need you, Marshal.
We'll handle this.
What's your name, mister?
Peavy.
John Peavy.
My partner's name's Rives.
Milligan Rives, Marshal?
You ain't never here, did I?
Where you from?
At North.
Well, sodbusters don't usually wear six guns.
What are you doing in Dodge?
We quit the land, Marshal.
We're gonna enjoy ourselves with change.
We ain't never going back.
Well, you're a little old to be making a move like that, aren't you?
I ain't hardly 60 meters, Rives.
Well, that didn't take you long to get into trouble, did it?
We ain't in trouble.
Maybe you're not Rives, but Peavy has just been shot.
I told you we'd handle this, Marshal.
Ain't nobody gonna sneak up on John Peavy and shoot him.
I don't care if she is a woman.
A woman?
What woman?
Oh, you already did talk too much, Peavy.
You might as well tell him now.
I ain't gonna tell him.
I'll fix her myself.
You'll tell me or I'll throw you in jail till you do.
I'm not gonna have any women killed around here.
Do you understand that?
Go on, tell him.
You already started.
Well, all right.
See, she come up the alley, Marshal, next to our sleeping room, and she's shot right through
the window.
Rives seen her running around the corner after.
I'm gonna fix her good.
She's been threatening you, Marshal.
I hear her do it.
Who is this woman?
What's her name?
She's one of them gals that works at the Texas Trail, Marshal.
Name a kitty.
Matt, what are you doing here?
I'm sorry to bother you.
You're kidding me.
Come in.
My room's a mess.
I wasn't expecting any callers.
Well, it's important, kitty.
Of course.
What's the trouble, Matt?
You know a man called John Peavy?
Peavy?
Yeah.
Yeah, I know him, the old fool.
Did you threaten to shoot him?
Don't tell me he's come and complained to you about that.
Well, no, not exactly.
Well, I told him I'd shoot him and I will, too, if he doesn't leave me alone, the old
goat.
He's been shot, kitty.
What?
Well, he didn't do that, but he and his partner claim a woman did it.
They say it was you.
Do you think I did it, Matt?
Well, kitty, if you got mad enough and you had a gun in your hand, I'd be one of the
first to hide, but to sneak up on somebody in cold blood, no, you didn't do it.
When did it happen?
Oh, an hour or two ago.
I've been right here, alone.
I guess I couldn't prove it.
Well, you don't have to, kitty.
Thanks, Matt.
The reason I came was to tell you about it and see, well, see if you had any ideas.
All I know about Peevee and his friend Ryne is that there are a couple of old men who have
been acting like schoolboys.
Oh.
Like they've run away and I haven't heard a last fling.
And I don't want anything to do with either one of them.
Well, I don't blame you, but Ryne claims he saw a woman down the alley after the shooting.
You, uh, any idea who it might have been?
No.
It's probably Lyon dreaming.
Yeah, maybe.
Well, if you hear anything, let me know, kitty, and if Peevee gives you any more trouble,
send for me.
I sure will.
I ain't been up this early in the morning since I can remember, Mr. Dillon.
How about last Sunday, Chester?
Last Sunday?
Yeah.
Oh.
Well, that's different.
That was still Saturday night, sort of.
Hey, look, there comes Miss Kitty.
What in the world is she doing up at this hour?
She's in a hurry, whatever she's doing.
Matt?
Hello, Chester.
Morning, Miss Kitty.
What's the trouble, Kitty?
Matt, somebody tried to shoot me.
What?
In my room, just a while ago.
I had a pillow down by my feet.
I guess they thought my head was there.
They put a bullet right through it.
What, did you see anybody?
No, it came from outside.
I didn't dare look out right away.
It's kind of the same as happened to Pee Vee, Mr. Dillon.
Yeah, maybe it was Pee Vee.
He threatened something like this.
I'm scared, Matt.
Well, you should be.
Chester.
Yes, sir?
You stay with Kitty.
Don't let her out of your sight.
One after Pee Vee and arrives.
We will return for the second act of gun smoke in just a moment.
But first, every Tuesday, Pam and Jerry North prove that solving a murder is a family affair.
And on the same evening, John Lund, as yours truly, Johnny Dollar, brings us the thrilling
details of his latest insurance fraud investigation.
Now the second act of gun smoke.
By noon, I'd searched the whole town and there was no sign of Pee Vee or his friend Rives.
They disappeared.
And until I found them, I didn't dare leave Kitty where they could get at her.
So I had Chester drive her out to a friend's place a few miles from Dodge and she was happy
to go.
Now we didn't have any luck until the next afternoon.
Cowboy happened to mention to Chester that he'd come across a couple of drunks camped
about a mile up the Arkansas.
I decided it was worth riding out and taking a look.
And it was.
It's them, all right.
Yeah, and they've seen us.
Keep your head up now.
You think they'll fight us?
You never know.
What are you doing out here, Marshall?
Looking for you.
Well, you found it.
You down to have a drink.
Well, what you got there?
Corn liquor.
Only about half a jug left though.
What that other jug?
We killed that yesterday.
Here, have a swallow.
Well, say, now that's right kind of.
Chester.
But of course I don't drink before sundown, least wise not very often.
Why'd you come out here if you don't want to drink?
How long have you men been here?
Days before yesterday.
He's neck is bothering him and I figured a couple of days in camp like this might ease
it off some.
I get feeling better.
I'm going back to teach that gal Kitty a lesson though.
I swear I am, Marshall.
Somebody tried that this morning.
What do you mean?
She got shot at, Peavy, the same way you did.
That don't make no sense.
Well, he's just thinking you done it, Peavy.
How could I do it?
I've been laying here drunk for two days.
Anyway, I wouldn't shoot no woman, Marshall.
I'd beat them up a little and so on.
Knock them around.
What kind of men you think we are?
I don't know.
Why did you leave home in the first place?
Home, man.
A man don't live forever, Marshall.
You've got to enjoy yourself while you can.
Rives.
You tell him what you told me about them graves.
Well, I was in the graveyard once a long time ago and I noticed something I never forgot.
No, sir.
Never.
Yeah.
Tell him, Rives.
Marshall, I looked around and I seen that there was as many graves shorter than me as
there was graves longer.
And that got him to thinking about dying, Marshall.
So one day we decided to enjoy ourselves and quit working so hard.
Hey, hey, hand me that jug, Rives.
Help yourself.
Hold it a minute, Peavy.
I want to tell you something.
What?
I'm going to leave you here, but if I see you around Dodge, either one of you, I'll
throw you in jail.
But Rives, we ain't done nothing.
You have it in mind to beat up Kelly.
And if you did that, I might kill you.
So stay out of town.
Come on, Chester.
We left them there passing the jug back and forth across their fire on the riverbank,
talking of death probably and of the hard, empty lives that they'd had.
But the prairie often left men a little too hungry and a little too dry.
Chester and I were talking about it when we spotted a woman up ahead.
She was walking after a saddle horse, which we figured must have thrown her and got loose.
She was an old woman and dressed for Sunday in a long black skirt and a big hat with a
fancy pin stuck through it.
I sent Chester to catch the horse while I rode up to her and dismounted.
My friend will bring your horse back, ma'am.
Are you all right?
I'm all right.
Well, how'd he get loose?
Me, me critter, he ran off.
I see.
You live around here?
No.
You've been down by the river, ain't you?
I just came from there.
Why?
See anybody?
A couple of men lined around a fire, that's all.
Drinking?
Yeah.
Yeah, they were drinking.
You know them?
I might.
Are you looking for somebody?
I might be.
Well, maybe you'd like us to ride back there with you.
I don't need nobody to ride nowhere with me, mister.
Oh, what's your name, ma'am?
What's my name?
I don't take the scallywag cowboys asking me my name.
Well, I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to offend you.
You didn't?
No, ma'am.
Of course I didn't.
What's yours?
Matt Dillon, ma'am.
Dillon?
I heard that name somewhere.
We won't be introduced proper unless you tell me yours.
My name's Sabina Peavy.
Ms. Peavy?
I've been married 35 years, Dillon.
Here he is, Mr. Dillon.
He seems gentle enough.
I'll hold him while you get back on, ma'am.
I can manage.
Hey, look what you got tied to her saddle, Mr. Dillon.
One of them old calvary pistol.
Yeah, grab it and put it in your belt, Chester.
What?
You heard me.
Yes, sir.
You put that back, you thief.
What are you, anyway?
I suppose you'll steal my horse neck.
I'm a U.S. Marshal, Ms. Peavy.
Everything's gonna be all right.
A Marshal, eh?
I want you to come back to Dodge with me.
Chester will bring your husband in.
Is she Peavy's wife?
You can't stop me, Marshal.
Chester, go back to that camp and shoot a hole in their jug.
When they're sober enough, bring them to town.
And don't say anything about Ms. Peavy.
Yes, sir, I'll do it.
You're gonna be all right with me, ma'am.
Well, you stole my gun and you're stronger than me.
Guess I'll have to go.
Ah, shall I make another pot of coffee for us, ma'am?
No.
No thanks, Dylan.
They ought to be here pretty soon.
It's nearly evening.
You'll tell that girl, Kitty, how sorry I am.
I tried to shoot her, won't you?
I'm sure Kitty will understand.
Imagine me being blind jealous after 35 years.
You told me you were up to kill your husband.
If that's true, why would you be jealous?
You can be jealous even if you hate a man, Dylan.
You hate Peavy?
I didn't know how much I hated him till the day that old fool Rides come by.
The two of them rode off together.
He come into the house and took the money and left, just like that.
After 35 years.
How, how'd you know they'd come here?
They was always talking about Dodge.
They was always talking about laying on the bank of the Arkandis and drinking corn liquor,
too.
I knowed where they was.
So mighty dressed up for a woman riding up to shoot a man.
Well, it seemed fitting somehow.
Only good clothes I ever owned, Dylan.
Wore them when I left home, St. Louis.
Well, I'm glad I ran into you, Miss Peavy, before it was too late.
I'll talk to him.
I told you I would.
But I ain't never going back to him.
He's had his fun.
Maybe he'll settle down now.
Not with me he won't.
Dylan, I bore that man 13 children.
Thirteen?
Eleven of them died.
And you beat me.
Every time we lost one.
Every time, Dylan.
Oh, I see.
Well, where are the other two?
He ran them off.
Don't know where they are.
Oh, here comes your husband.
Looks like Chester's got him pretty sober.
I don't want to talk to him in here in front of everybody.
You could go out back there and one of their cells, if you don't mind.
What difference it make?
My hat on straight, Dylan?
Yeah.
Yes, ma'am.
You look fine, ma'am.
I'll wait out back.
All right.
In here.
Here they are, Mr. Dylan.
Sober as deacon.
What's this all about, Marshal?
What do you want us for?
We ain't bothered nobody.
Peavy, you go out back through that door.
There's somebody wants to see you.
Who?
Get moving.
No, you stay here, Rives.
Go on, Peavy.
Well, all right.
Who's out there, Marshal?
His wife.
What will I do with their guns, Mr. Dylan?
Throw them in a drawer, Chester.
Oh, okay, sir.
Hey, what's that?
It's Beaver.
Come on.
Look at Peavy.
She knocked him out.
I think I killed him, Dylan.
You killed him?
He sure looks dead.
You stabbed him?
I had been.
He beat me for the last time.
Said he was going to kill me.
I put a knife in his heart.
When you roll the devil out, I'll get you.
No, you won't, Rives.
Miss Peavy, you come with me.
Chester, lock up Rives in another cell.
You can't lock me up.
You ain't even armed, Rives.
I'm an innocent man.
All right, Peavy.
Come into the office, ma'am.
He was going to kill me, Dylan.
I know he was.
Well, I shouldn't have let him be alone with you.
You didn't know.
What are you going to do with me now?
You mentioned St. Louis, Miss Peavy.
You have any people there?
My sister.
She's all left.
How'd you like to see her?
You ain't holding me?
There was self-defense.
Then I can go.
I'll hold Rives here until you're out of town.
Oh, but I can't get to St. Louis.
Took all our money when he ran off.
It's all spent.
I know it.
Miss Peavy, would you think I'm a scallywag cowboy if I offered to stake you to St. Louis?
Thanks, Dylan.
Why did I tell my sister about you?
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 John Meston with music composed
and conducted by Rex Corey.
Featured in the cast were John Danaer, Ralph Moody, and Helen Quaid.
Harley Bear is Chester and Georgia Ellis is Kitty.
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.
Bill Silver, star of the Broadway and film versions of Top Banana, visits Mike Wallace
on stage struck tomorrow over most of these same stations.
George Waltz speaking.
Stay tuned for Gangbusters, which follows in a few minutes over most of these same stations.
This is the CBS Radio Network.