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.
Music
Gun Smoke, starring William Conrad, the story of the violin 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.
Music
Rack, hey Rack.
What are you doing back here?
You see somebody coming?
What's out there in them rocks, Rack? I figured it would take me a spell in the shade back here.
Get on back and watch the road.
I'm always watching.
Listen, Augie, we gotta keep ahead of the law and make it to the border, don't we?
Sure, Rack, but-
We gotta get us a horse that can move instead of that lame one, don't we?
I know that.
You go on out there and keep looking. If somebody comes long riding single, you come fetch me. But till then you stay put. Now get.
Seems likely you ought to do some of the watching.
Seems likely somebody has to do your thinking for you. Go on now.
Rack, you got some more arguing to do?
Down the road, a rider coming slow.
You get down behind them rocks the way we planned it. I'll cover you from up here.
And don't you start nothing till I say, you hear? You keep still.
All right, you.
Hurry up now.
Drop your gun. You're covered.
Say it smart, mister. Drop the gun.
That's better. Now, get off the horse and start walking nice and easy like. Right back down the road.
I'll wait a minute.
I got him. I got him.
Augie, you dang fool.
Come on down and look at him, Rack.
I told you not to make no move.
I had to shoot him, Rack.
You didn't do a very good job. He ain't dead.
He's out, but ain't dead.
Let me finish him off, Rack. Just one shot. I want that badge.
What are you talking about? What badge?
Turn him over, Rack. He's a law man.
A U.S. Marshal. I always wanted me a badge like that.
A Marshal. You shot a Marshal.
The first man you ever take a shot at, and it's a U.S. Marshal.
It ain't that funny, Rack. Now, let me finish him off.
Wait a minute. What makes you such a killer all at once?
I told you. It's a badge. A man wearing a badge like that.
Folks thinks he amounts to something. I want to wear me one.
Now, go on, Rack. Stand back and let me finish him.
Augie, put it down.
He's mine, Rack. I got a right to do the shooting.
Ain't gonna be no shooting.
You just gonna leave him lying there?
Then let me get the badge on.
Leave it be. I got me a better idea.
You ain't ought to take him away from me, Rack. He's mine.
I ain't gonna take him away from you.
I'm gonna let you keep him. I'll give you your very own U.S. Marshal.
I don't want him. I just want that old badge.
Listen to me. We got a fair piece to go with that holdup money, don't we?
You don't need to keep telling me that.
And it's likely that we'll run into some rough spots, ain't it?
Sure, but we got us through so far.
We've been lucky. But if we got us our own U.S. Marshal,
ain't nobody gonna stop us all the way.
They ain't? No, they ain't.
To hurt us, they gotta hurt him. And they ain't gonna do that.
He ain't gonna let them. Maybe.
What about the horse, Rack? This way we still need another horse.
We can always get another horse, but it ain't likely we'd get another chance at a Marshal.
We'll drag him up that broke down shack, see if we can fix him up.
You know where the badge?
Augie, I'll make you a bargain.
How's that?
We get across the border, and he's all yours.
You can finish him off, and you can wear the badge.
Come on, now, take your seat.
...
Thank you, Sam. Here's your beer, Doc.
Oh, thank you, Chester.
Yes, that's a mighty big of you to buy this way.
Well, I tell you, Doc, the way I figure it, a man has to do the buying once in a while.
If there's a chance, he'll be thought of as a cheapskate.
Oh, you've noticed that, have you?
Huh, Sam? I say, you...
Well, hello, Miss Kitty.
Oh, Chester, Doc.
Kitty, how are you?
I don't see you in here very often in the morning, Doc.
Well, Kitty, Chester's buying.
I figure I better accept his offer before he changes his mind.
Oh, now I'd have stood good for it any time, Doc.
Oh, yeah, sure you would, Chester.
You heard anything from that?
Oh, no, Miss Kitty, I ain't.
He was supposed to be back yesterday, wasn't he?
Well, that's what I thought.
Oh, now you can't never tell what he might run into up there in Larned.
I can imagine.
I remember one time we was up there. We like to never got away.
Oh, you had a hard time transacting your business.
Oh, no, it wasn't that exactly.
It's just that folks in that saloon were so sociable.
Oh, I guess that's what he's saying.
Well, I hope Matt isn't having such a good time socializing that he forgets his way home.
Oh, now you don't have to worry none about Mr. Dillon.
["The Star-Spangled Banner"]
Buy him over here, Alky.
Set him down on this crate under the window.
I don't know if he can walk.
I can walk, all right.
Well, now, Marshal, that's just fine.
I'm glad to see you come out of it so good.
Come on over here.
What for?
Well, you got a bullet in your shoulder, ain't you?
Well, you ought to know.
Now, I didn't do that to you, Marshal. I'll get dead. Ain't that right, Alky?
Sure is.
By rights, you ought to be my prisoner, too.
Bring him over here.
Sit down there.
Turn your shoulder toward the window.
Get a look at this.
Hmm.
Hand me a knife, Alky.
Here.
Huh? You're going to cut on me with that thing?
You want that bullet out, don't you, Marshal?
You're going to use that dirty blade. You might as well leave it in.
Well, now, I sure do beg your pardon, Marshal.
I sure wouldn't want to dirty you up, man.
Here, I'll wipe it off real nice.
Tell me how much of a piece of your shirt, Alky.
Dog on his rack.
That was better off before.
How's that, Marshal?
Get on with it.
All right, then. I've waited a long time to work on the likes of you.
I want to be sure things are just right.
Yeah, I'll bet.
Hold still now.
A little rough, Marshal.
Well, I'm sure sore to hear.
Hey.
You want me to hold him, rack?
You don't have to hold me.
Why, shucks, no, Alky. Marshal's a brave man.
Get him, Marshal.
Get him, Argy.
Fast down.
Just as beginning to enjoy.
Hold him up here, and we'll get it out now.
Here.
You want to keep the bullet, Argy?
I don't want no old bullet.
I don't want to hear no more talk about that badge.
Come on now. Help me lay him down over here another wall.
You think he's going to mend?
Give him a day or two and see.
He ain't no good to us, let him ride.
Rack, huh?
Just while he's lying there, can't I wear it?
I told you to shove up.
Now don't you start hitting me again, Rack.
Don't start my head to hurting again.
You'll be hurting from now on if you don't keep your mouth shut.
Give me another piece of your shirt, I want a bandage that shoulder.
Sociable, up to date, debonair.
What's this, a new word game?
No, I'm just mentioning the qualities that people admire in other people.
Oh, I see, if you're sociable, up to date, and what was another word, debonair?
Yes, debonair, but listen to it this way.
Be sociable, look smart, keep up to date with pepsi.
Drink light, refreshing pepsi.
Stay young and fair and debonair.
Be sociable, have a pepsi.
Notice how many of your friends are serving Pestacola these days.
It's the up to date refreshment.
Be sociable, have a pepsi.
Rack, is that you?
I ain't Rack.
Oh, that's soggy.
I'm awful dry.
Racking here.
Is there anything wrong with you getting me some water?
Here.
Oh, thanks.
You doing a mend?
What's that to you?
Rack says we need you to ride with us.
I'd mend better if he'd been easier with that knife.
Rack likes to cut.
Where'd he go?
He went to get another horse.
I shouldn't have saved him.
Don't worry, Augie, I'm not exactly able to go after him.
Rack don't like me to talk.
You always do what he says.
This time you ought to be glad I done what he said, Marshal.
How's that?
I was all for finishing you off.
I was the one that shot you.
I should have had the badge.
The badge?
Oh, my badge?
Rack didn't have no right to take it.
He figured it'd help him get close enough to get a horse.
But I was the one sure to worry.
Well, what would you do with it?
Well, just wear it around some.
Feel like somebody.
Folks think you're important when you wear a badge.
I'm smart.
Not always.
How's that?
Oh, never mind.
Uh, Augie, how come you let Rack get away with taking it away from you?
Now, Rack does the thinking around here.
Uh-huh.
He, uh, beats you up pretty good, too, doesn't he?
I ain't said nothing about that.
Now, those marks on your face, they didn't just grow there, did they?
I wanted the badge.
Uh-huh.
Well, you can't get it if you're scared, Augie.
It ain't all that, Marshall.
Rack says I ain't smart enough to wear it.
You were smart enough to shoot me, take me prisoner.
Yeah.
Yeah, I was, wasn't I?
Sure you were.
I think you're smart, Augie.
I think you're a lot smarter than Rack gives you credit for.
And we never gonna stop to eat, Rack.
My belly's hurting empty.
You gotta taste a prayer to grass and think, Wade.
You go right ahead and stop.
Ain't even seen a rabbit for miles.
Seems like we ought to have some grub left.
Seems like you ate your way through it as much as anybody.
Quit your belly aching.
Marshall ain't belly aching, how are you, Marshall?
Oh, everything's fine, just fine.
You ain't in no position to talk smart.
You won't be either if you don't find some food pretty soon.
Two days is a long time to ride hungry.
You ain't lying, Rack.
You shut your mouth, I'll knock both your eyes into one socket.
I know where you can pick up some food.
Dodge City Jail?
Now, do you want me to tell you or not, Mr....
I want him to tell you.
Shut up, Algy.
Go ahead.
All right, there's a dirt farm just over the next rise.
They'll have something.
I suppose you want to ride up there and get it for us.
Yeah, I could do that.
Yeah, I'll bet you could.
They're good friends of yours, I suppose.
Be glad to help you out with it.
Food, guns, anything you need.
Is that about it, Marshall?
They're new folks.
I don't know them, they don't know me.
But you figure they'd be glad to help the Marshall out.
I might.
Well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do.
I'm going to do you a big favor, Marshall.
I'm going to find out for you what them folks think of the law.
Yeah, I figured you might.
What you going to do, Rack?
How you going to do that?
I'm just going in there myself.
Wearing the Marshall's badge, of course.
Now listen here, Rack, it's my turn.
I'll ride up there just as polite as you please
and ask for a little grub.
If they're good law-fearing folks,
they'll see this badge and they'll give it to me.
I'll come back and tell you all about it, Marshall.
Thanks.
Now, it ain't right you should wear it this time, too, Rack.
Let me wear it. Let me ride in there.
I'll get the food for you, Rack. I'll bring it back just...
Okay, get down off that horse.
Come here.
Now, why don't you leave him alone?
He ain't got enough sense even to be let alone, Rack.
Now, Rack...
I ain't going to listen to much more mulling about that badge, I'll get you here.
I've got sense.
Well, get some while you're still alive.
Now, listen to me.
You take the Marshall back there off the road
and watch him till I get back.
Don't hit me no more, then.
You watch him close, I'll get you. I'll hit you permanently.
Go on now.
Leave this horse back in, Rack.
All right, Rack.
Come on.
You bathe yourself, I may bring you back some of that drug.
That doesn't seem like you convinced me yet, doggie.
What do you mean?
That you're smart enough to do your own thinking.
You know, reason in the world I couldn't have rode off after that pooh?
Sure isn't.
Well, the war of that badge is just as straight, too.
Wait a minute.
His horse is coming down the road.
Yeah, I see him.
Get down off your horse.
Rack didn't talk none about nobody coming.
That's all right, Arga. You can handle him.
Sure I can.
Look, why don't you lay low here like Rack said, and I'll edge out and see who they are.
Yeah, yeah, that's a good idea.
You just let me do the moving. There's no use you bothering.
You go right out there and then...
What happened?
You just hold on there.
What's the matter, Arga?
Come back here.
Well, I told you I was just going to look out.
I got a gun on you, Marshal. You come back.
Now get down.
You be quiet.
You almost got away with it, Marshal.
You almost fooled me.
Well, I should have known better than to try.
I was smart enough then, wasn't I, Marshal?
Smart enough to keep you from tricking your way out to get help.
Yeah.
I guess Rack couldn't have done no better, could he?
No, you did the job, Arga.
I guess I'm smart enough to wear a badge, all right.
Yeah, Arga, I guess you are.
I'm just beginning to wonder if I am.
Listen to me like you was mighty glad to get off that horse, Marshal.
You ain't getting too tired now, are you?
Never mind that.
Great to see a strong man like you puny up, especially the way I've been doctoring you.
Well, if a doctoring didn't kill me, nothing's going to.
Well, I wouldn't count on that if I was you.
I've been thinking, though.
Once I get me across the border, I might take up doctoring.
Anybody you work on will hang here for sure.
Including you?
Yeah, if I get the chance.
Well, now that ain't very grateful.
Rack.
What?
I got to tell you about the horses.
What about?
I was watering them, like you said, in that bay.
What about the bay?
Well, he just wandered down a creek someplace, Rack.
Did you go get him?
No, I figured I better come tell you.
No sense to water the horse.
Don't hit me no more, Rack.
I'll go after him.
I'll go after him myself.
You wouldn't find him if he was standing on your foot.
You see how Marshall's going to wander off too now?
He got no call to beat me all the time.
No, he hasn't, Augie.
He keeps hitting me in the head, and I can't think good.
Yeah.
Nobody could think good to get their head beat all the time.
Augie.
He's been beating on me ever since Pa died.
He ain't got no call to go beating on me.
Augie, why don't you work out on him?
I ain't never thought of that, Marshall.
Nah, Rack wouldn't let me.
You wouldn't have to ask him.
You'd do better without those beatens, wouldn't you?
Sure.
You got the sense of your own, Augie.
Yeah, that's right.
You said I was smart yourself.
Sure, you're smart enough, Augie.
I'll help you.
Help me?
Now listen.
You just see that my feet are untied tonight after we bed down, huh?
And I'll help you get away.
I don't know.
And I'll see that you get the badge, Augie.
Badge?
Can I wear it right here on my shirt?
Sure, you can wear it.
You've got as much right to it as Rack has.
Yeah.
All right, Marshall.
I'll walk out on him.
I'll walk out on him wearing the badge.
Marshall, I've come to loose your feet.
Yeah, just be quiet.
Uh-huh, there.
Good.
You won't forget to get the badge.
No, I won't forget.
Just keep down.
What's going on?
What are you doing over there, Augie?
He's just getting the badge for me, Rack.
That's all.
You let him loose?
Don't you come over here beating on me, Rack.
You ain't never had a beating like the one you're going to get.
Marshall, you said you'd stop me using guns.
Why, you...
Oh.
Rack.
Marshall, you shot me.
I'm hurt, too.
Yeah, Augie, that's why I still...
You... you shot Rack?
I had to.
You beat me.
You beat me bad.
You'll beat me bad.
No, Augie, he won't beat you not anymore.
He's dead.
Am I going to die, too, Marshall?
No, no, I don't think so.
I think you'll heal up all right.
Then I can walk out, just like you said.
Oh, not quite, Augie.
I'm going to have to take you back to Dodge City with me first.
You got a bank holdout to answer for.
Oh, yeah, I forgot about that for sure.
I almost slipped my mind a couple of times, too.
But, Marshall...
Yeah?
The badge.
You promised if I'd help you, I'd get to wear the badge.
Yeah, Augie, I promised.
And you can wear it.
All the way back to Dodge.
Gun Smoke, produced and directed by Norman McDonald, stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
The story was specially written for Gun Smoke by Marion Clark, with editorial supervision by John Messon.
Featured in the cast were Vic Perrin as Augie and Harry Bartel as Rack.
Harley Bear as Chester, Howard McNear as Doc, and Georgia Ellis as Kitty.
This is George Walsh inviting you to 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 Gun Smoke.