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 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.
Oh Matt, anybody here this morning?
The girls grow tall in Kansas.
That's a poor way to start the day, Doc.
And what's a poor way to start the day, then?
Getting up in the morning.
Well, I'm not going to talk to you.
Where's Chester?
I'd rather talk to him.
No, he's due back anytime now.
He's due back?
He took a prisoner over to Wichita a couple of days ago.
Oh, Doc, God, if I'd have known that, I'd have gone with him.
Oh, what for?
Oh, just to get out of Dodge for a while.
Well, you've been out of Dodge for the last two days.
Oh yes, delivering a baby in a mud dugout isn't exactly what I was thinking about, man.
I know what you were thinking about.
Oh, good morning, Doc.
You're back, Chester.
Well, how was Wichita, Chester?
A big town, Doc, real big.
But it wasn't there long.
The Santa Fe going east got there at noon, the next one coming back here left at two
o'clock.
Oh, you could have stayed another day, you know.
Heavens yes!
Why didn't you?
Oh, how often does a man get a chance to have a little fun?
Well, I would have, but the sheriff there had some news he wanted me to tell Mr. Doane.
Oh, some news?
Yeah, it's about the Carp brothers.
The sheriff said he heard they was headed this way.
I didn't even know the Carp brothers were in Kansas.
I thought they worked in the Dakota Territory.
Hmm, bank robbers, aren't they, man?
I saw a herd dog, but nobody's caught them at it yet.
Well, we'll catch them once they come to Dodge.
Yeah, maybe.
They could be here right now.
How come the sheriff didn't send me a telegram, Chester?
It'd been a little faster.
Why, no.
Why do you know I didn't think to ask him?
I'm going to go down to the bank.
I'll be back directly.
Good morning, Kitty.
Hello, Matt.
You're up early this morning.
I went to bed early last night.
Why are you headed?
Delmonico's.
I heard they got some fresh eggs in.
Good boy.
But I'll go with you if you like.
I'd like a fine, Matt.
Well, I got to see Mr. Bodkin at the bank here first.
Why don't you go on ahead and I'll join you, huh?
Well, how long will you be?
Oh, just a couple of minutes.
Oh, well, then I'll wait in the bank for you.
Okay.
But if you're longer than a couple of minutes, you can find me at the restaurant.
I'm feeling pretty healthy this morning.
You ought to go to bed early every night.
If I did, I couldn't afford breakfast.
The place is deserted.
You must be the only people up in Dodge, except for the cashier.
Maybe you ought to wait till after breakfast, Matt.
No, Kitty, I'm afraid this business has waited too long.
Well, Marshal Dillon, come in, come in.
Good morning, Mr. Bodkin.
You come to deposit money, Marshal, or to borrow some?
Oh, neither, I came to protect it.
What?
Mr. Bodkin, do you ever hear of the Carp brothers?
No, Marshal, I don't believe I have.
Well, they've never been around Dodge.
All I know is that they're brothers and the older one's name is Joe.
Why are you telling me this, Marshal?
I've heard they're headed for Dodge and I've also heard that they're bank robbers.
Bank robbers?
Yeah.
Well, what are you planning to do?
Well, I can't hire deputies until after a crime's been committed, Mr. Bodkin,
but if you'd like to, it might be a good idea to let a half a dozen of them
whoop around here for a while.
Certainly, certainly, Marshal, I don't mind a little expense.
What's that?
Now, where's my gun?
Don't shoot or we kill the woman.
We're not shooting.
You've killed the cashier.
Hank, get around there and start filling that stack.
Okay, all right, ladies, you're walking.
Either one of you try something, she dies.
He's coming this way, Marshal, shoot him.
Don't be a fool, killings on the way, and besides, he's got a gun in her back.
They're robbing my bank.
Will you shut up?
Yeah.
Well, I'll be.
I caught the Marshal himself, or I will have as soon as I get his gun.
I don't move.
I'm not moving.
This is the first time I ever disarmed a lawman.
Feels good.
Joe Carp?
How'd you know my name?
I heard you were headed this way, Carp, but I didn't hear it in time.
You sure didn't, Marshal.
That's your brother you came in with?
What difference does it make?
Look, take your money, Carp, take it, and I'll ride out with you.
Nobody will bother you.
No, Matt.
Shut up, kitty.
Ooh, I see.
Nobody will shoot at you if I'm alone.
Not while we're in Dodge, maybe, but we'd be followed.
All right, then take me with you as far as you like.
No, no, Marshal, we'd be followed anyway.
I got a better idea.
We're taking her, kitty.
Don't do it, Carp.
Of course I'll do it.
First sign I see we're being chased, whoever it is is going to find kitty laying right in the trail, fresh killed.
And if you don't think I'll do it, I'll tell you something.
First person I ever killed was a woman, so don't let nobody follow us.
Nobody else will follow you, I promise you that.
I hate to lose such a pretty girl.
Matt, it's all right.
Sure, kitty.
Come on, Joe, let's get it.
You go in that office and sit down, Marshal.
Hank's got the money ready and we're leaving.
So long, kitty.
So long.
Hey, Marshal, if I do shoot kitty, I promise you one thing.
What?
I'll do it with your gun.
Mr. Dillon?
Yeah, what, Chester?
You reckon they'll give her any breakfast?
I don't know, Chester.
People don't need much food, Chester.
They can go for days without any dogs.
I know that dog, but...
Oh, Miss Kitty just ain't used to it.
It's water, people need.
And they'll have water.
They will if they just any with them.
Might be dry out on the prairie this time of year.
Oh, it's not that dry.
Any fool can find water sooner or later.
Sure, he can.
If he pours a buffalo herd long enough, a week maybe.
There's other ways, just like what?
Do you ever hear of a divining rod?
Oh, what's outlaws doing with divining?
I wasn't talking about outlaws.
Well, what were you talking about?
Chester, Chester.
Yes, sir?
I guess we've waited long enough.
They must have covered three or four miles by now, huh?
Yes, sir.
Everything ready?
Everything I could think of, Mr. Dillon.
Let's get going, then.
Good luck, man.
Oh, thanks, Doug.
Keep an eye on things, huh?
Maybe a long time before we get back.
From the bank window, I watched the Carp brothers ride north on a Dodge.
So Chester and I started in the same direction.
On the other side of the Arkansas, we picked up their trail and followed it easily all morning.
But we were careful to stay far behind them and out of sight,
so we probably could have run them down in a few hours.
That was the hardest part of it, forcing ourselves to hold back and go slow.
Mr. Dillon, you think Carp would really do it?
Do what, Chester?
I don't know.
Do you?
Yeah.
Oh, my God.
Chester.
Yeah?
Look up ahead there, on the ground.
Mr. Dillon.
I see who it is.
It's a man, Mr. Dillon.
Must be some cowboy.
He's been shot.
Bring your water bag.
Yes, sir.
He's still breathing.
Let me have that.
You want a drink?
Are you thirsty?
Drink some water.
Here.
Who are you?
I'm Marshall Dillon from Dodge.
Tell me what happened.
Marshall?
And I was right.
Right?
Two men and that girl.
I put my head up, my foot.
Is that better?
They hurt me bad.
Yeah.
My name is Blaine.
What happened?
Them two men, Marshall, they're after the midship.
How after them?
I see them in the road up and then I ask them who they was.
They didn't like that.
No.
I knew something was wrong.
That girl and all.
But I ain't no gunman.
They shot me right out of my saddle.
Both of them at once.
Well, get up, Blaine.
That's when they helped you.
It didn't matter.
No.
That girl shouldn't be with them.
Could you hear them?
Did they say anything?
Something about a cabin.
A cabin.
Look, Blaine, my partner here, Chester, he will stay with you.
Sure I will.
I'll take care of you, Blaine.
Thanks.
Won't do no good.
You better go help catch them.
I'll handle them.
Take whatever you want off my saddle, Chester, and get a fire going here.
Yes, sir.
You're going to be fine, Blaine.
So long.
I rode ahead, tracking slowly for a couple of hours, and then Chester caught up.
He looked at me for a moment, and then without saying a word, we continued on the trail across the prairie.
We traveled in silence until dark, and then we saw a cabin.
I couldn't chance going up to it, so we unsettled and turned our horses loose and crept into a little draw about 100 yards away and got down and waited.
And we waited all night.
Dawn came and the sun hot as ever.
Anything ever come out of that cabin this early?
Sooner or later, Chester.
Look, they got a fire going now.
Smoke coming out of the chimney.
Breakfast, I am so hungry.
I know, the man could get along without food, Chester, like Doc said.
Well, at least my skiddy's going to get some meat.
Yeah.
Mr. Dillon, what in the world are we going to do?
Right now there's nothing we can do but sit here and wait and keep quiet.
You know, what will happen if they find out we're out here?
I know, but I ain't thinking about it.
You better get back down now. I'll stay up here where I can watch.
Yeah, but they can see us, Mr. Dillon.
No, I got a little bunch of buffalo grass in front of me. It's enough.
You see, it's really getting hot.
Just be sure and keep your voice low.
I will.
You know, if it wasn't for them in the cabin, it'd be awful peaceful out here, wouldn't it?
Yeah, it would.
Mr. Dillon?
What?
Rattlesnake.
He's behind you on top of the hole about five foot back ahead.
Chester, whatever you do, don't move.
He's a pretty big one. Maybe three and a half, four foot.
How far are you from him?
Far enough. Unless he uncoils, moves up.
All right, just keep very still. He may go away.
He ain't about to go away.
Did you just move?
A hand, just a little.
Well, don't do it again.
Mr. Dillon, he's stretching out. He's moving.
What? Which way?
Toward you.
Aesthetic, huh?
He stopped. He's coiling again.
Chester?
Yeah?
If that snake strikes at me, don't yell. They won't hear you at the cabin. Just start thinking about it now.
If he strikes, you close your eyes and stop breathing. Do you hear me?
Well, try, Mr. Dillon.
Well, you do it, you understand?
Yes, sir.
He's looking at me again.
You move, Chester. You must have...
I got my rifle in there.
Will you stop it? Will you get your finger off that trigger right now?
I can't sit here and just watch that rat strike.
If you shoot, Kitty, you'll die. Don't you know that?
I didn't move, Mr. Dillon. Honest, I didn't.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I got an idea.
What?
Chester, are you chewing?
What?
Chewing.
Chewing? Oh, the back?
Yeah.
Oh, sure, but I got a fairly fresh quid in my shirt pocket.
Okay, well, chance it. Get that quid into your mouth, but do it slow.
Slow and as steady as you can manage it.
Once you start moving your hand, don't stop, you understand?
All right, go ahead.
Okay.
Oh, I already got my fingers in my pocket.
There it is.
Slow and steady now.
I'm trying.
Here.
I can't move now.
All right.
Now juice it up, huh?
Get a big mouthful.
I am.
All right, Chester, I've heard you brag about how good you can spit.
Can you hit that rattler from there?
Maybe.
Okay, do it.
But I only got one shot.
I can't make it. I just can't do it.
Wait a minute, wait a minute, Chester. You got a mouthful?
Yes, sir.
All right.
Take your time now.
Move and make him look at you, and then you sputter him right in the eyes.
Okay.
Go ahead.
Hey.
Hey, snake.
Look.
I got him, Mr. Doe. I got him. He's leaving.
There he goes. He's gone, is word.
Well, they can't stay on that cabin forever, Mr. Doe.
Well, by the heat cooked up in there.
It's only about 10 o'clock, Chester.
Oh, my. I hope they get Miss Kitty some breakfast.
Chester.
Let the doors open.
Can they come now?
Get your rifle. Take it easy, though.
It's Miss Kitty's.
Yeah. Joe carps behind her, and there's his brother.
They're all outside now.
What are we going to do?
We're going to have to kill them, Chester.
You mean just shoot them down from here cold blood?
Well, how would you want to do it?
I'm ready, Mr. Doe.
All right. Then take the one on your side.
I'll take Joe.
Miss Kitty's standing a little close to him.
Yeah, I know she is.
When I say hold your breath, you do it, then you count to yourself one, two, three, and then fire.
I'm saying.
All right.
Hold your breath.
All right, come on. Let's go, Chester.
Kitty! Get back inside!
Joe carps still alive. Mr. Dilly, Gretchen, and British gun.
Come on.
They're dead. They're both dead now.
Okay, Kitty.
Are you all right, Kitty?
Good to see you, man. You too, Chester.
Hi, Sully. You all right?
Shot him down like dogs, didn't you?
Yeah, you bet we did.
Thank you, Matt.
Here, here.
She beat him, Mr. Dilly.
It's a good thing you caught her.
Yeah. I'll carry her inside, Chester.
Come on. We got some breakfast going.
And I probably didn't feed her after all.
I'm sorry.
This is the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.
Thank you.