Around Dodge City and in the territory on West, there is 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, the 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.
Now take good care of them. William Moss have had a hard ride.
Oh, I sure will, Marshal. I'll run down real good.
Yeah, thanks, Mother.
Come on, Mother.
It's a shame to have to ride them horses so hard in this kind of weather.
In any kind of weather, children.
Yes, sir, that's so. The state's code sure did move along, didn't it?
Yeah. Now the next time they ask us to ride guard, though, they're going to have to supply their own horses.
Well, they should do that all right.
Look at them, Mr. Dillon. Them fellas are picking on that poor old man.
Yeah, come on.
Come on now, old man. You can jump higher, then.
Jump higher.
He done it, Dave. He went higher.
Just let me go along, please.
Higher.
You got him going like a glass armor, Dave. Shoot again.
Hold on there. Put away that gun.
It's a Marshal, Dave.
Now, it ain't none of his affair. Come on, old man. When I shoot, you jump.
You put that gun down or I'll take it.
Don't you try it, Marshal.
I warned you.
Give it to me.
You made it go off, grabbing it like that.
Did you know it was look?
A bird.
A bird's been hit. You made me shoot my own brother.
Guns aren't meant for games.
Say to him, Chester.
I certainly am beholden to you, Marshal. I certainly am.
Are you hurt?
No, I'm all right.
All right. You better go on then. You better find a place to sleep it out.
Yeah, sure, Marshal.
I'm beholden to you.
How is he, Chester?
Oh, I don't think he's hurt bad, Mr. Dillon. That bullet just winged him some.
That's bad, Marshal. Nobody shoots my brother for free.
What's your name?
Jabe Leach.
That shot's gonna cost you, Marshal.
You shot him yourself.
It was an accident.
The gun went off when you grabbed for it.
You're the one done it. It's gonna cost you good.
It ain't all that bad, Jabe. Ain't nothing to get right up for.
Shut up, Bert.
Well, it wasn't meant to.
I do the talk.
That's been enough talking. You better get your brother up to Doc Adams' office.
Now, do you want a hand?
I'll get him there, Marshal. We don't need no help from you.
All right, get moving, then.
The next time I see you tormenting anybody around here, I'm gonna throw you in jail.
He was a common drunk, Marshal. He didn't deserve no better.
Look, either you get up to Doc's office or you get out of town.
We're going.
We ain't forgetting. I am to make you pay.
You know where to find me, Litch.
Just don't give me an excuse to find you.
Oh, hello, Doc.
Hello, Matt.
Matt, you got a minute?
Sure, Doc. Is this a professional call?
Well, I don't know, Matt.
It's about those Litch brothers.
Ah, then they did get you to look at that arm, huh?
Is it in bad shape?
No, it's not serious. The bullet broke a bone in the boy's wrist.
He won't be drawing his gun for a while.
Yeah. I wish he could say the same for his brother.
Well, that's what concerns me, man.
Oh, what do you mean?
Well, there was something about the way J. Bleach reacted to the whole thing.
I wouldn't worry, Doc.
He's more the type to pick on old men than to try to get even with me.
Yeah, I know, Matt.
I've known them for some time. They're dirt farmers south of town.
It's a peculiar situation.
J. is much older than Purge, you know.
Yeah, I know.
And ever since their pa died a few years ago, he's been running Purge's life.
He sure doesn't let the boy talk much, does he?
I don't believe he even lets him think.
And there's something, well, it's like something out of the Old Testament,
the way he has an eye for an eye attitude about this.
Or a wrist for a wrist.
I'm not joking about it, Matt.
There's something wrong with this man.
I'd be careful if I were you.
I'll be careful, Doc.
Oh, well.
Tell you what, come on, I'll buy you dinner.
Sam, Sam, will you please put down them glasses and listen to me?
It says right here, pay the bearer on demand.
The war is over, Chester.
That bill ain't worth nothing.
That's just it. You can see it right here.
Now look, it says here to pay six months after the war is over.
Well, it's been six months and a deal more.
I don't care. You can't pass that money in here.
Well, of course I can if you won't take it, but it says right here...
Chester, you're talking foolish.
I'm reading right straight off the bill, Sam, right off...
Oh, Miss Kitty.
Hello, Chester.
You boys have an argument?
He's trying to get me to take a confederate bill.
Chester, I'm surprised at you.
Trying to pass worthless money.
I know, Miss Kitty, but I figure if we just started using it again,
we could make it worth something.
What happened? Did you find a trunk full of it?
Well, no, it wasn't that exactly.
Well, how did you get it, Chester?
Miss Kitty, you recollect that drummer that came through here a couple days ago,
the one selling that double-strength liver cure?
I must have missed him.
Well, I bought the bills off of him.
You bought confederate money?
Well, yes. This fellow said it was a certain thing,
it would be worth something again if we could just get it back in circulation.
And that's what you were just trying to do?
Well, yes, Miss Kitty, I was.
Chester, I swear, I don't know how...
What's his name, Chester?
Chester Proudfoot, yes.
You a friend of the Marshal?
Well, sure I am.
He wants to see you.
Mr. Dillon wants to see me?
Yeah, he sent me.
He had to ride out to Crow Corners, wants you to meet him there.
Well, sure.
I'll get right on out. I guess something came up real suddenly.
Yeah.
Well, goodbye, Miss Kitty, I'll see you some other time.
Yeah, sure.
Chester.
Yes, Miss Kitty?
Don't let Matt sell you anything.
Oh, Miss Kitty.
Okay, yeah.
Yes, I think I'm gonna just...
Say, Doc, are you aware that you're a move?
Oh, yes, yes.
Don't you hurry me, Matt.
Checkers is a game of thought.
Might cause you a lot of damage if I work this out.
Just so you'll work it out before midnight, huh, Doc?
You know, Chester seems to be taking his time, too.
He's usually dead to the world this time of night.
Let me see now.
There.
Wow.
What?
Yeah, that fast enough for you, Matt?
It's a little too fast.
Yeah, but...
Oh, so what were you saying about Chester?
I just said he's not in yet.
He went down to the Long Branch for a beer early this afternoon.
I haven't seen him since.
Oh, he must have found some willing listeners to his story.
Yeah.
Well, he'll have some new ones when he gets back.
You're gonna be sure of that.
What's that?
I know it was something not back.
Maybe it's Chester.
I'll go see.
Okay.
Is that you, Chester?
Who's there?
All right, speak up, mister.
Oh, shoot, Mr. Chester!
Chester!
Where are you?
Over here, Mr. John.
Over here.
Are you hurt, Chester?
I guess.
Maybe I am.
Am I?
Doc!
Hey, Doc!
You want me, Matt?
Yeah, give me a hand, will you?
I just shot Chester.
You just shot?
Why, that's awful, Matt.
Why didn't you tell me it was you, Chester?
Why didn't you speak up?
Well, he was holding my hand over my face.
Ellie Shaw.
Don't talk to him now, Matt.
Help me get him inside.
Who did it, Chester?
Who was it?
Gabe.
Gabe Leach?
All right, I'll get it.
Matt, Matt, wait a minute!
What?
I need you here.
We have to get Chester inside where there's light.
Oh.
Oh, yeah.
Sure, Doc, sure.
It's going off half-cocked, I guess.
I don't blame you.
Mr. Don, I sure am sorry to make you all this trouble.
Don't you worry, Chester.
Doc will pick you up.
Oh, I ain't worrying, Mr. Don.
I know you will take care of me.
Yeah.
You're not the only one I'll take care of.
All right, Doc, let's get him inside.
Hey!
What you doing?
Easy.
Here I am, Matt.
I came as soon as I could.
Sorry to get you up so early, Kitty.
It doesn't matter.
How's Chester?
He'll be all right, but he needs somebody to watch him.
Well, I'm glad to do it, Matt.
You know that.
Yeah, thanks, Kitty.
However, did this thing happen?
Well, that crazy Jabe was trying to get even with me.
With you?
Yeah, from making him shoot his brother that time I grabbed his gun.
So he fixed it so you'd shoot Chester?
Yeah.
Kidnapped him, brought him around his back, fired a shot at me over Chester's shoulder,
and then he rode off.
Like a fool, I fired back and I hit Chester just like he'd figured I would.
Don't blame yourself, Matt.
It's not your fault.
And I won't forget that I fired the gun.
And Jabe Bleach won't forget it either.
You're going out to the Bleach place?
Yeah, right now.
Matt.
Yeah, Kitty?
Nothing.
I'm scared, but I can't ask you not to go.
I guess I'd be doing the same thing.
Yeah, Kitty, I think you would.
Hey, Bleach.
Jabe Bleach.
My name's Bleach.
I ought to see your brother.
Tell him Matt Dillon wants to see him.
He ain't in here.
Come here.
Marshall, I told you.
I said come here.
I ain't even got a gun, Marshall.
I've still gotten in my busted wrist.
I want to know where your brother is.
All right, speak up, Perder.
I'll break your other wrist.
Is he hiding out?
Jabe don't hide from nobody, Marshall.
He ain't afraid of nothing that lives.
Then where is he?
He's out to the barn.
You better be telling the truth.
He ain't going to run, Marshall.
He don't need to run.
Bleach.
Jabe Bleach.
I want to see you.
Oh, Marshall.
Well, now, I sure am surprised you're right all the way out here.
You know why I'm here.
Now, you wouldn't come all this way just to talk about somebody getting shot to accidental life, would you?
I'm not going to do much talking.
You wouldn't shoot an unarmed man now, would you, Marshall?
I'm leaving my gun on my saddle.
You stay right there.
I ain't never run yet.
You know you ain't got no case, Marshall.
It'll do.
Guns ain't for games.
Them's your own words.
When they go off, they can hurt anybody.
I know how you feel, Marshall.
You don't know how any decent man feels, Bleach.
What I did was an accident, and you know it.
What you did was some different.
You let go of me, Marshall.
Sure.
Marshall, you licked him.
You whipped Jabe.
Yeah, I licked him.
I ain't never seen nobody whip Jabe before.
That was about time.
You been standing there with that carbine all this time?
Yeah, Marshall.
And I'm a real good shot left-handed.
Don't you get any ideas?
Oh, no, Marshall. I could have shot you any time.
Shoot him.
Shoot him, Birdie.
I ain't going to, Jabe.
Now, you do what I say.
Nope. I don't reckon I will.
What are you talking about?
I ain't never seen you lick Jabe.
I didn't ever think you could be licked.
I can still whip you.
Not anymore you can't.
And you know something else?
I ain't going to stay here anymore, Jabe.
I don't have to now.
You ain't going nowhere. You can't go nowhere.
Yes, he can, Leach.
I'm going to see to it that he can.
Can I ride in with you, Marshall?
Yeah. Yeah, sure, Bird.
Marshall.
Yeah?
I guess it ain't right to go around hounding folks
hurting them when they can't fight back, is it?
Well, that's something to learn, Bird.
You'll have a chance to learn a lot more.
All right, come on.
Music
Gunsmoke, produced and directed by Norman MacDonald,
stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
The story was specially written for Gunsmoke by Marion Clark
with editorial supervision by John Meskin.
Join us again next week for another story on Gunsmoke.
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