Gun smoke.
Around Dog 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 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 chance a job and it makes a man watchful and a little lonely.
Mr. Dillon, you want another cup of coffee?
No, I don't think so.
Well, I'll just pour another little swaller for me anyway.
Mr. Dillon, come here and look out this window.
What?
For gracious sakes, come here, come here, come here.
What are you talking about?
Oh my goodness, look at that, come here.
Mr. Dillon, what's the matter with you?
She's coming here, Mr. Dillon.
Who's coming here?
I don't know, but she is the prettiest girl I ever seen in all my life.
Why she just can't be real.
She is the one prettiest girl I ever...
Good morning, gentlemen.
Good morning, ma'am.
Why don't you come in?
Thank you, sir.
Would one of you gentlemen be the United States Marshal here?
Yes, ma'am, I am, Matt Dillon.
Is there anything I can do for you?
Well, my name is Colleen Taney, Marshal Dillon, and I've got the most terrible, awful trouble
you ever heard of.
Oh?
Well, would you like to sit down and tell me about it?
Well, that's mighty kind of you, Marshal.
Here, take this chair, Miss Colleen.
Let me dust it off a little, ma'am, for you.
I'm right obliged to you, Mr....
Chester Proud, Chester, Wesley Proud, how do you do, ma'am?
I'm proud to make your acquaintance, Mr. Chester.
You are, honey.
Thank you.
Ma, I just love people.
They're always so nice to you, except that...
You, uh, mentioned some kind of trouble?
I'm an orphan, Marshal Dillon, all alone in this world.
Oh?
I was brought up by a dear old aunt, mostly in the South, but then she took me to San
Francisco, and last month she... she passed away.
Oh, that's too bad, Miss Tony.
Colleen, just about everybody calls me Colleen.
It's kind of Irish, I reckon, though I'm more Southern than most anything else.
You are?
Uh-huh.
I came from San Francisco on the stagecoach, and I had just enough money to get me to my
kinfolks down South, if I got any kinfolks anymore, and I could just kill whoever done
it, Marshal Dillon.
Whoever did what, ma'am?
I took all my money.
I put my pocketbook on that baggage truck, just four minutes, over the depot it was.
People are always so nice to you, you just don't think...
Somebody robbed you, is that it?
Every living cent I had in this world.
Why, I'm a pauper, Marshal Dillon, I'm destitute.
Oh, well, can I fetch you a dipper of water or something, Miss Colleen?
I'm all alone without nobody to turn to, no, even a roof over my head or anything to eat
or anything.
Well, now it's not as bad as all that, ma'am.
It's not?
Really?
Well, I think we can fix you up with a room over at the Dodge house for a few days.
You're car.
Well, by that time something may turn up.
Maybe we can get your money back.
Really?
Would you like a dipper of water, Miss Colleen?
I knew the minute I walked in that door you'd help me.
Miss Colleen, would you like a dipper of water?
No, thank you, Mr. Tifter.
I just knew if I told you, my troubles, Marshal Dillon, you'd just make everything all right again.
You don't have to worry about a thing.
I'll arrange with Mr. Dobie over at the Dodge house.
Good morning, all.
Oh, yes, what a mighty fine morning.
Oh, well, I didn't know you had company, ma'am.
This is Dr. Adams, Miss Colleen Tawney.
Well, I'm pleased to meet you, ma'am.
Are you a real doctor, a physician?
Oh, yes, indeed, young lady.
My goodness.
Welcome to Dodge City.
And if you want me for anything, my office is just upstairs.
A doctor, yes.
You know, medical examination, diagnosis, treatment, service, medicine, drugs, anything you need.
And I won't charge you a cent.
A person has to look after his health, you know.
Chester, would you take Miss Tawney over to the Dodge house?
I'd be glad to, Mr. Dillon.
This way, ma'am.
Oh, you're all just so nice.
I think people are just wonderful.
I'll be in touch with you, ma'am.
I sure do hope so.
Bye.
Goodbye.
Well, Doc, there goes trouble.
Trouble? A girl who looks like that?
Why, Matt, she's like a dream in spring.
She's as wide-eyed and helpless as a newborn baby.
No, Doc, that's exactly what I mean.
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Well, good afternoon Matthew.
How are you Miles?
Something I can do for you, is there?
Oh no, I was just passing by and I saw Chester back there.
Looks like he's stocking up for a trip or something.
I haven't seen any of his money yet.
Well you're not likely to, Chester isn't exactly the biggest spender of the world.
Oh, I've often suspected that Matthew.
Hello Chester.
Hello there Mr. Gillen. What in the world are you doing here?
I just came in to satisfy my curiosity.
Curiosity? About what?
You, you going on a buffalo hunt or something?
No sir, I was just thinking of buying a few groceries if I can find anything here that's fit to eat.
Fit to eat?
Oh well now Mr. McTagg, I didn't mean nothing by that.
I beg to tell you that you're in the establishment of Miles McTagg, a name that stands for principal integrity, morality, and discipline.
You're a yellow seed and I didn't mean for you to get started.
I'm a man who believes in honest toil for an honest profit and no shilly shelling around.
A man who gives honest value on every item in the store and whoever started that rumor about weevils in my flower barrel is an outright liar.
Sure Mr. McTagg, sure.
Anybody can get weevils in hot weather.
Of course they can.
Well now, are you really planning to buy anything Chester?
Well sure I am.
What?
Well whatever somebody could use if they're not set up to cook, if they're just living in one room.
Well a few pounds of beans and some cracklings ought to do it.
Sure, for a new skinner I need something better than that.
What's the matter with all this stuff you already got picked out Chester?
Well now sir that's kind of what I had in mind.
Beans and cracklings ain't fit for a lady.
A lady?
Oh so that's it. Now I know what you're up to.
Oh ho ho, Colleen Taney is it.
Well I haven't seen that gal yet but she certainly must be something. She's got everybody turning handsprings.
Yeah she sure has.
Well now she's just a kid. Somebody's got to look after her, that's all.
Somebody's already looking after her. I sent over a load of food a couple of hours ago.
You did?
Aye. Bolriga bought it.
Bolriga? He's old enough to be her father.
He didn't act very fatherly. All dressed up as though he was going to a preaching.
Well now I hear it. He's quite the devil with the women Chester.
You're going to have to get up and hump some if you're going to run rivals with him.
Never mind Chester. Look before you pay for this stuff I think I'll go over and have a little talk with Miss Taney.
Oh my goodness. Oh I'm just sure you must be mistaken Marshal Dillon.
Why he seems to be about the nicest man a girl would ever want to meet.
Look Miss Taney, you're young and I've known Bolriga for a long time.
He's a rough, tough, hard living old devil and he's just no kind of a man a young girl ought to associate with, that's all.
Oh my dear aunt always said, rest her soul, that innocence is its own defense.
Yeah but your aunt never met Bolriga.
Now Marshal Dillon, Mr. Riga is just being kind and helpful, just like you are.
Yeah sure.
Everybody's been so nice and thoughtful. Mr. Chester's already been by three times today.
Doc was here too.
That old goat here too.
He took my temperature and my pulse and said I was just fine as far as he could tell.
Yeah well look.
And Mr. Riga just insisted on helping me. He said he had a little old empty house up the street.
Oh yeah that would be the old sackler place.
Well he said I could just live in it for nothing as long as I pleased.
And of course I told him I wouldn't think of such a thing.
Well good.
And then he said he'd give me the house.
Give it to you?
Uh huh.
That's exactly what I'd done.
Don't you know how to knock, Riga?
Not when the door's open, Marshal.
Well I went and done it little lady. Got to draw it up all proper and legal over at the bank.
There's the deed.
Ah Mr. Riga.
The house is yours. Lock, stock and barrel. No strings on it.
You can move in right now if you're reminded to.
Isn't it wonderful, Marshal Dillon?
Yeah, yeah it's great.
I'm just going to sit right down and read this little old paper right through.
Uh Riga, would you come out of the hall for a minute? I'd like to talk to you.
I know what you're going to say, Marshal.
That girl's just a kid, Riga.
I'm aiming to marry that little lady if she'll have me.
Your what?
Oh I know, Marshal.
I've been kind of cussed all my life, but you're seeing a changed man is standing here.
I'd better be, Riga.
Or I'll change you myself and don't you forget it.
Another visit with Joe and Daphne Forsyth.
Joe, honey?
Uh huh.
Joe darling, put down the paper. I've got something important to ask you.
Okay.
Joe.
All right, all right, what?
How many savings bonds do we have?
What kind of a question is that?
A good one. How many?
I'm not sure, I'd have to count. And I'm reading the paper.
Now what do you want to know for?
Have we got enough to make things comfortable for us?
Very comfortable. That's why I'm buying a payroll savings plan.
A bond a month will give us quite an estate for the future.
Enough for a college education?
Eventually. But who's going to college?
Our children, silly.
We don't have any yet.
Oh?
What do you mean, oh?
Better buy some more bonds, honey.
Daphne, you mean?
We've got a new investment.
How about that?
Matt, you men are all alike, every last one of you.
I had something you just learned recently, Kitty.
No, but I sure have been reminded of it the last three days,
watching them all flutter around that little Colleen Taney.
Don't count me in on that, Kitty. I'm only helping her. She's just a kid.
Well, she's done pretty well for just a kid.
Flat broke three days ago, now she's got a house of her own,
enough food to last her a month.
Okay.
Chester runs over there three and four times a day with someone else for her to eat.
Doc stops by morning and night to check on her health.
She feels sorry for her, Kitty. She's an orphan.
She's probably drowned, apparently.
Not kidding.
Matt, I know these helpless little southern bells,
especially the big green-eyed kind.
Sam will never hire one here in the Long Branch, and I go right along with him.
But why?
Because all she has to do is bathe those long eyelashes
and the metals start killing one another over.
Kitty, I've already told you, no matter what I think, it's my job to protect her.
Protect her?
Look, Matt, do you think they put bars on a tiger's cage to protect the tiger?
Oh, Kitty.
All right, Matt. I'll shut up.
But I just hope you're all still on your feet from the smoke finally, Cliff.
Music
Well, it's getting late, Matt.
Yeah, that's right, Doc. It's getting late.
I'm glad to be running along.
Won't do you any good, though, Doc.
Bull Riggers called him on her.
He's been over there all evening.
He has?
Uh-huh.
Chester's hanging around outside in case she needs help, as he puts it.
I kind of find that she's more likely willed.
Who with that ruffian in the house?
She ought to have a cultured man, I guess.
Nice and refined.
Do you happen to know anybody like that, Doc?
Well, um, yes, yes, I do.
I've been kind of thinking, son, the last few days.
Forget it. You're old enough to be her grandfather.
In Europe, they don't look at it like that.
They're civilized.
Yeah, but this happens to be Dodge City, Doc.
Oh, well, at least a man can dream.
Yeah, I guess so.
I'm just talking, man. I just like sitting and looking at her.
You and Chester both.
That Bull Rigger, I do believe he's real serious, man.
He sure acts like it.
All right, Marshal, where is she?
What have you done with her?
What's the trouble, Rigger?
She's gone. That's the trouble.
Yeah.
Bag in baggage, and you had something to do with it.
Oh, now, wait a minute.
She is gone, Mr. Dillon.
And she's took all her belongings. I went in the house and looked.
Oh?
She must have snuck out the back way.
I was right out there in front the whole time.
Were you out in front, too?
Well, we were sitting and talking, and I was teaching her to draw a poker,
and I will... well, I reckon I must have dozed off for a minute.
Drunk, more than likely.
Never you mind, Doc. I got the stomach for a fair amount of liquor,
but she just kept filling up my glass.
So you taught her to draw a poker, huh?
How much did you lose, Rigger?
About $100, as far as I could tell, but how'd you know I lost?
That's pretty easy.
You mean you reckon she was cheating, Marshal?
Well, you were there, but I wasn't paying no attention.
I figured it was just a joke, sort of.
I kept plaguing her to marry me, and she was wearing a real pretty lacy thing.
And you paid too much for it, Rigger.
Oh, come on in, Miles. It's open house.
I could have sold you one of them house robes for half the price.
Never mind that now. You've got to do something, Marshal. You've got to find her.
She left town on the ten o'clock train.
Are you sure of that, Miles?
I walked her to the station. Fine young woman.
I'm real glad I didn't meet her any sooner.
I might have cut up as crazy as Rigger here.
Marshal, Marshal, you've got to send the wire.
Have her took off the train.
Are you willing to go into court, Rigger, and tell what happened?
Yes, I sure am, Marshal. I'd go in...
No, no, I'd be laughing the stock of the country.
All right, all right. At least she couldn't take the house with her.
No, and the mighty lucky thing for me, she couldn't.
What do you mean?
She sold it to me, signed over the deed and everything. Six hundred dollars cash.
What, Woody? It's worth a thousand dollars.
Aye, that's about what I figured it out.
Marshal, will you...
I'm sorry, Rigger, but you gave it to her. No strings.
Now, if she wanted to sell it to Miles, she had a legal right to.
If I get my hands on that girl, so help me out.
Why, I'll... You won't do anything, Rigger.
Nobody will. We've all been outsmarted.
There's nothing we can do about it, but just sit still and keep a mouth shut.
Yeah, but I...
Doc's right. You forget it, Rigger. You can afford it.
Well, at least we've learned one thing from all this. What's that?
It's like a friend of mine said to me last night.
They don't put bars on a tiger's cage to protect the tiger.
Gunsmoke, produced and directed by Norman MacDonald,
stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
Featured in the cast were Harley Bear as Chester,
Howard McNear as Doc, and Georgia Ellis as Kitty.
George Walsh speaking.
Join us again next week for another specially transcribed story on Gunsmoke.
This is the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.
Thank you for watching.