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In the rundog city and in the territory on west, there's just one way to handle the killers
and the spoilers, and that's with a U.S. Marshal and the smell of Gun Smoke.
Gun Smoke, starring William Conrad.
The story of the violence that moved west with young America.
And the story of a man who moved with it.
I'm that man, Matt Dillon, United States Marshal.
The first man they look for and the last they want to meet.
It's a chancey job and it makes a man watchful and a little lonely.
It's a good thing we packed in all that stove wood, Mr. Dillon.
We're going to need plenty of it for a morning.
Yeah, it'll be a real cold night, it looks like.
That snow keeps on there, so it's going to be two foot deep on the level and four in the
draw.
If you don't take your boots off that stove, you're going to have two feet on the bare
ground, Chester.
What are you talking about?
Well your soles are starting to smoke, now take them off.
My golly, I thought I smelt something burning in here.
Stove's red hot.
Well, at least my feet's warm for the first time in two days.
Maybe I'll rub my boots with tala.
The leather ought to soak it up real good, being too hot that way.
Evening, Matt.
Oh, hello kitty, come on in.
Hello kitty.
Oh, it's cold out tonight.
Well, come over here and stand by the stove and burn with the Chester.
Oh, no.
I can't stay, Matt.
I've got to head back to the long branch.
Ah, big crowd tonight.
Yeah, but quiet one.
Men get sentimental around Christmas time.
Oh, I'm that way myself, Miss Kitty.
So am I, Chester.
I was thinking earlier this evening what it was like when I was a little girl.
We used to always sit.
Well, that was a long time ago.
Well, why don't you stay a while, Kitty, and let Sam run the place tonight, huh?
Well, boys sort of need me, Matt.
Talk with them and laugh with them.
You know, they're thinking of somebody else at the time.
Well, yeah, I know, but...
Well, I don't mind, really.
Kind of nice to be needed by somebody.
What I was thinking though, Matt, later around midnight, maybe the three of us could get
together.
Make some hot rum, maybe?
That's a good idea, Kitty.
Yeah, doggone, maybe I can get old Mr. Jonas to rustle up some chestnuts.
Then I'll be counting on it.
All right.
I'll come here if that's all right.
I'd kind of like to get away from the long branch.
Okay.
Oh, well, how are you, Mr. Beacon?
Good evening.
Well, I'd better get on back.
I'll see you later.
All right, Kitty.
Come on in, Jethro.
You look like you could stand some warming up.
Marshal Dutton, got some trouble out in my place.
Oh, what kind of trouble?
I've been invaded, attacked at all my own property, shot at.
Look here, at that there hat.
Ah, that bullet come much closer, you'd have been shot, not shot at.
Who was it, Jethro?
A couple coming through in a wagon.
They took over my barn and won't let me put a foot inside.
Now, what do you mean a couple?
A man or wife?
How do I know whether they're a man or wife or not?
Well, maybe they just wanted shelter from the storm.
Marshal, I don't care what they want.
They took possession of my barn without so much as to buy your leave.
I want them to throw it out tonight.
Can't we leave it till morning, Jethro?
No, sir.
We'll let Ross ain't spending the night on my property.
Will Ross?
Yeah.
Is your daughter with him?
Harmony?
Marshal, I ain't got no daughter.
Oh, you did have until two years ago when she married Ross and you threw them both off
the place.
For the last time, I ain't got no daughter.
You had one for 19 years, Beaker.
You know me for a man of my word, Marshal.
Now I'm telling you this, if you don't ride back out there with me right now and get them
two off my property, I'm going to burn that barn down with them inside it.
Chester.
Yes, sir?
You better saddle a couple of horses.
No.
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I don't see any wagons, Jethro.
They're holding it inside the barn. Blast them.
They're burning the coal-oil stove in the tech room and they got a fire going in the blacksmith forge.
Well, it's a cold night.
Yes, and charcoal and oil cost money.
Come on out there, Ross. You got the law with me now.
Jethro, if I'm going to handle this, I'll handle it my own way. Now you stay right here.
Come on, Chester.
Yes, sir.
Now don't you go easy on them. I want them to treat it like any other criminal.
You make mighty good targets against this snowman, don't you?
Yeah, I guess we do it that. The wind dies down may not turn into a blizzard after all.
But I just don't like the idea of walking right into a gun.
Who is it? Who's out there?
It's Matt Dillon. Told you a fire will.
Stay back.
Good morning, you marshal.
Just want to talk to you, Will.
Now come on, open the door. It's cold out here.
Is old Jethro with you?
No, just me and Chester.
You can come in alone, Matt. We'll leave your gun out there with Chester.
All right, open it up.
Here, Chester, hang on to this.
Mr. Dillon, I just don't like this.
We got no choice.
All right, hurry up, Matt.
Welcome home, Will.
You took a big chance walking up here like that.
I doubt that.
You wouldn't have shot anybody in cold blood before.
I don't think a man changes that much in two years.
Not unless he's pushed hard enough.
Maybe.
I'll take that gun, Will.
You said you just wanted to talk.
I do, but not over a gun sight.
Now hand it over.
No, not over a gun sight.
Now hand it over.
No, now stay back, Matt.
No!
Like I said, Will, a man doesn't change that much.
No, I guess not.
I wouldn't even have shot old Jethro.
I figured that.
We didn't aim to stop here, Marshal.
We was trying to make dodge and the storm come down on us.
A man takes shoulder where he can.
I wouldn't even ask him for a drink of water.
Now that's the way he treated us when we got married.
But we didn't have no choice.
Or as Harmony will.
She's in the tack room. It's warmer there.
I made up a bed for her with some straw and some blankets.
A bed?
You better go talk to her, Marshal.
She'll be right glad to see you after all this time.
All right.
Chester!
Yes, sir?
Come on in. I'll be right back.
All right, sir.
How you been making out, Will?
I'm fine.
Harmony?
Who is it?
Matt Dillon.
Oh, Matt.
What's going on here, young lady?
Oh, everything, Matt.
We're in trouble.
In real trouble.
Well, what's wrong?
You sick?
I reckon you might call it that.
It'll be any time now, I think.
I...
Oh.
Look, now.
Look, don't you worry, Harmony.
I'm going to get some help out here right away.
Everything's going to be all right now.
I'll be right back.
Get out of my barn, off my property, Ross.
And take that woman of yours with you.
Jaffer, I told you to stay outside.
I'll remind you, these are my own premises, Marshal.
We'll worry about that later.
Chester, go get Doc out here fast.
Well, what'll I tell him?
Is Miss Harmony took down sick?
Not exactly, no.
What?
Just get ridin', Chester.
Yes, sir.
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Oh, Matt.
Oh, Matt, I'm scared.
Now you just take it easy, Harmony.
Will and Chester are gonna be back any minute now.
They have Doc with them.
Why does he have to hurry?
Don't worry, it won't be much longer.
Oh, they've got to hurry.
Oh, they've just got to.
Oh.
It's gonna be alright, Harmony.
I couldn't, Chester have gone alone.
But why did you have to send Will with him?
Well, if he'd stayed here, Harmony, your father and him would have been at each other's throats.
Where, where is Pop?
He's out there keeping the forge burning, heating up some water.
He's looking sicker by the minute.
Why did it have to happen?
Here, Matt.
Oh, oh.
Harmony, take it easy.
I've only had something to hold on to.
Maybe if you'd give me a hand.
Here, here, take my hand.
Here, here.
There you go, there you go.
There you go.
You know, babies first look at the world ought to be all love and joy, not like this.
Now with Pop hating us like he does.
Oh, not Harmony.
He does, he does. He hates us.
Will and me both.
Not as much as he puts on.
Oh, Matt.
You're right, I think.
What do you mean?
Oh, it's not going to be much longer.
Just take it easy.
If Doc doesn't get here, you'll, you'll stay with me.
You'll help me, won't you, Matt?
Well, sure I will, Harmony.
I'll do what I can.
He'll get here though.
Doc always makes him.
I know.
I hope so, Matt, but I'm afraid he...
Oh, say look, Chloe.
Now what's all this fuss about?
Oh, Doc, thank goodness.
It's a fine time of night to drag a man out in the snow.
Here, put my bag around.
I can't see why you didn't plan this thing at a decent hour, young lady.
Doc, I'm scared.
Oh, scared? Fiddlesticks not a thing to worry about.
Women were having youngins long before you and me was even born.
Barry, please.
Oh, well, now then you just settle back in and you quit worrying.
I'll tell you when it's time to hurry.
Doc, do you mind if I...
Well, now, Matt, well you're as wide as a sheet.
Well, Doc, I...
Oh, you thought you were going to have to take over by yourself, huh?
You go on out there and you tell that old buzzard out there to heat up some more water.
He hasn't got half enough.
All right, Doc.
And then stay out from underfoot.
Me and Harmony's got some work to do.
Go on, now, get.
Oh, howdy, young fella.
Welcome to the world.
My gracious, it is cold, Mr. Dillon.
Top snowing, though. Clear as a bell.
There we are, Mr. Beaker.
Better put some more wood on that board, you guys.
It's burning down pretty low.
And so is my woodpile.
It's a full waste trying to heat a barn in midwinter.
I'll cut enough to make it up before we leave.
Eh.
One thing's sure, Jethro, we ain't going out beholding to you.
You always was a fine one to talk.
Mostly, I can back it up.
You didn't with Harmony.
We don't need your old man's farm, you said.
We'll have us one twice as big, you said.
We run in a bad luck.
Yeah, sure you did.
And you come crawling back with your tail between your legs.
Not to you we didn't.
We got caught here tonight by accident.
Bad luck accident, that's all you was born for.
Guess what I told Harmony when she'd defied me enough and married you.
Is that so?
Now you listen to me, Jethro.
All right, that's enough.
Settle down, both of you.
Well, I didn't give you back your gun just to have you start another argument.
I'm sorry, Marshal, I...
I'm just kind of on edge, you reckon?
Well, it ain't no wonder when a man's got a new little boy less than an hour old.
Yeah, the rich get richer and the poor have youngins.
Jethro, shut up.
Marshal, I'll remind you that all of you are trespassers on my property.
I thought we'd settle that. I'm here because you called the law in, remember?
Man, you sure ain't done nothing.
Force of circumstances, Jethro.
Now, they'll leave as soon as your daughter's able to.
You can count on that.
I ain't got no daughter, Marshal.
Well, anyway, while they're here, you're gonna keep the peace.
There ain't no law against talking.
There is if a talk leads to violence.
Just remember that Harmony and Will don't like putting up with you any better than you like putting up with them.
Real high and mighty, ain't they?
And without a roof over their heads.
Well, a lot of folks might figure that makes you look worse than them.
Now, what kind of talk is that, Marshal?
Well, with a ranch this size, a big house on it, and a man your age trying to work it all by himself while his own kin roam the countryside.
Some folks might figure a man like that's got a lot of meanness in him.
I told her what to expect if she married this feller.
A man might tell somebody most anything when he's mad, Jethro.
But it's plain stubbornness that makes him stick to it afterward.
They come sneaking into my barn like bandits, Marshal.
Didn't even knock on my door.
Now you're saying I ought to go crawling to them.
I didn't tell you what you ought to do.
When it comes to that, though, and I ain't doing it, don't worry, Jethro.
We don't want no part of your ranch.
And it ain't be an offer to you.
I worked mighty hard to make this place look like what it is.
A little peace and quiet out here wouldn't do the patient any harm, you know.
How is she, Doc? Is she gonna be all right?
She's fine. And so is the young man.
She'll live to have a dozen more, and he'll grow up and probably come to a bad end.
Like being a Marshal or a country doctor.
Oh, now, young lady, I'll be back in the morning.
You get yourself some sleep.
All right, Doc.
But would you tell my Pa that...
If you've got any telling to do, you do it yourself.
Pa?
Well, answer her, you old coot she's talking to.
Yes, what is it?
Pa?
Would you come in here and say howdy to your grandson?
Grandson?
Did the... did she say my grandson?
Of course he's your grandson.
Well, I hadn't thought of that.
My grandson.
Now, wait a minute, I don't know, Jethro.
You just got through claiming you didn't even have a daughter.
Confounded, Marshal, you're trying to put words in my mouth.
Of course you got a daughter.
And a grandson.
And as fine a boy as you could ask for.
Well, Will.
What?
Will, I'd be much obliged to you if we could shake hands and kind of forget about things.
Will?
I can't see no reason not to, Jethro.
Good, good.
Now, come on, Will.
Let's look him over.
Back, Dolly.
Grandson.
Oh, look at him, the crazy old fool.
Youngins born every day, it's nothing to get all worked up about.
Who are you fooling, Doc?
Eh?
Nobody.
Well, what are we going to do? Head back to town?
Might as well, Doc.
You know, they'll probably have some ups and downs yet, but...
I guess the four of them will be able to work it out now.
They'll spoil that kid rotten.
Well, it'll have to be a fine night after the snow quits, doesn't it?
Yeah.
Look at those dark-gone stars.
Say, Doc, why don't you come by the office when we get in town?
Kitty will be there, and we thought we'd have a little something to drink
and sit around a while and talk.
Oh, that sounds fine.
Yeah, well, hold on, it's pretty near four o'clock in the morning, Mr. Jones.
That's right, Chester.
Well, Miss Kitty won't still be waking up.
You want to bet.
In a moment, our star, William Conrad.
Just one person can make the mistake that causes an accident.
Pedestrian, passenger, or driver.
Any one of us can go into the kind of solo mistake that spells trouble on the road.
It can happen even though we know better.
Most drivers know how their cars operate and what the traffic rules are.
We know that speed kills and that alcohol and gas make a bad mixture.
When an impulse sometimes takes over, we show off, act defiant, or let off steam.
We take the gamble that figures in the majority of accidents today.
Don't be sorry later. Be sure now.
Drive with courtesy and care.
Use posted signs and signals.
They were placed there for you to know the road ahead.
Keep in mind that just one person can cause an accident
when a dangerous impulse takes over behind the wheel.
It's what psychiatrists call emotional immaturity.
Whatever your age, on the road, grow up and live.
Remember, careless driving is kid stuff.
And now, William Conrad.
You know, the front-chair cowhand was pretty proud,
and he'd fight anyone who had bad to say of his horse, his hat, or his saddle.
And next week, it's because of an old spotted hound dog that two men nearly died.
And that was the West.
Gunsmoke, produced and directed by Norman MacDonald,
stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
The story was specially written for Gunsmoke by Les Crutchfield,
with editorial supervision by John Meston.
The music was composed and conducted by Rex Corey.
Sound patterns by Tom Hanley and Bill James.
Featured in the cast were Ralph Moody, Vic Perrin, and Virginia Gregg.
Harley Bear is Chester, Howard McNear is Doc, and Georgia Ellis is Kitty.
Join us again next week for another story of the Western frontier,
when Matt Dillon, Chester Proudfoot, Doc, and Kitty,
together with all the other hard-living citizens of Dodge, will be with you once more.
It's America growing west in the 1870s.
It's Gunsmoke.
Music