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 the 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 chancy job, and it makes a man watchful and a little lonely.
Hey, waiter. Waiter.
Now what do you want?
Coffee. A part of it, if you don't mind.
Coffee? No, Mr. Green.
Yeah, Joe. Now look here, cowboy.
Sandy King's the name, Mr. Green.
Don't you, Mr. Green, me.
Okay. Hank, what's on your mind?
Feeding you is on my mind. You've been eating here a whole week on credit and you ain't paid a cent.
Of course not.
What do you mean, of course not?
When a man eats on credit, he ain't supposed to pay, is he?
Now you look here.
I'm broke, Hank.
I'm broker than you are. Look at this place. I ain't got enough customers to pay for the water.
The food's bad, Hank. That's the whole trouble.
You've been eating it a whole week, you buzzard.
Now it ain't that bad.
Sandy, you've got more nerve than any man I ever met.
But nerve ain't money and I can't afford to feed you no more. So that's that.
Well, now, Hank, maybe I have been kind of taking advantage of you.
You've got a real easy way of putting things.
I'll make up for it.
How?
We'll out there and fire that drunken cook you got. I'll take over for a week. How's that?
You take over what? Cooking?
Yeah.
Well, how do I know you're any better than he is?
Well, I'm not drunk. That'll be some improvement, won't it?
I don't know. But you're right. He is a drunk.
Yeah, I'll do it. But you better be good.
Only one way to find out.
My, oh my, that's good. That is good.
Oh, Chester, good food is no excuse for hog manning.
Any way a man can get it down is fair, the way I see it.
But you're not the one who has to see it. We are.
Oh, Doc, let him eat his teeth.
The first good food we've had in Delmonico's in years.
Oh, hello, Miss Kitty. Chester.
Hello, Hank.
How are you getting on here?
Fine, Hank.
I've been here three times a day for a week, and it's getting better and better.
The cook of yours was a real fine, Hank.
He's a good boy, Sandy, is he? I'm going to put him on pay after today, and I'm going to pay him well, too.
Why, you should.
Well, when the trail herd's starting to arrive, you're going to get rich with him out in the kitchen, Hank.
They say the word's gone clean to Texas already.
Things have sure changed around here.
Yeah, I hear you put a leg iron on him at night and chain him to the bed.
I think I'll start doing that.
Well, you ready to leave, Chester?
I don't know whether I can move or not.
Maybe you'd better try, Chester. Hank's got other customers waiting.
Oh, that's all right, Miss Kitty.
We have to go anyway.
Yeah, but we'll be back this evening.
Well, come early. Avoid the ride.
I'll be here at sundown.
Good, good.
So long, Hank.
Bye now. Bye.
Hey, waiter.
Oh, no.
Waiter, come on over here.
Hey, Joe.
Yes, sir.
You'd better go over and see what that man wants.
I was fixing to clean this table off, Mr. Green.
You ought to take care of him first.
Yes, sir.
I'll get somebody else to clean the table.
Well, it's about time.
What's the trouble?
I told you I wanted these yags turned over.
So you take them back, and you just be quick about it.
I ain't gonna set it all day.
You know, I look at things that we've got to eat, and you order eggs.
Never mind what I order.
Just take them away and bring them back done right, you hear?
All right, all right.
And don't take them all day.
You can't bring coke, folks.
I don't have enough work to do.
Yes, sir, the man wants his eggs turned over.
I ain't got time.
You'd better. He's pretty mean about it.
I don't care how mean he is.
What do you order eggs for anyway?
We ain't serving breakfast.
He's half drunk.
Maybe he thinks it's breakfast.
All right.
Here.
There, they're turned over.
Take them back to him.
Oh, now, Sandy, now, you're just making him mad.
He wanted them cooked more.
I turned them over like he asked, didn't I?
No, but, uh...
He won't know the difference.
Well, maybe not, but what if he does?
Then tell him to go eat someplace else.
Okay, Sandy, but I don't think that you can fool him,
even if he is half drunk.
Oh, where was I?
Oh, yeah, one steak.
Beans.
Some potatoes.
Nice.
Hey, cook.
What do you want?
That was awful smart, what you've done.
I told you, I didn't mean to make you mad.
Nobody fools me like that.
Now, you wanted your eggs turned over, didn't you?
I'll show you what I think of your eggs.
Oof!
Heh-heh-heh.
What?
You?
Oh!
Sandy, now look what you've done.
That'll teach him to shove his eggs in my face.
Ah, but you could have killed him with that skillet.
Oh, throw some water on him and get him out of here.
Now, wait a minute.
What?
Sandy.
He's dead.
What?
You killed him.
Yeah.
Oh.
Look, uh, don't tell nobody about this.
Are you crazy?
I mean, for a while.
Uh, give me a half hour.
I've got a horse over at the stable.
They'll never catch me.
But what's Sandy?
It's not say goodbye to Hank Green for me.
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I swear I just can't believe it, Mr. Dune.
Sandy killing a man like that.
He lost his temper, I guess.
Whole Hank Green's sure gonna miss him.
So's everybody else in Dodge for that matter.
Including you, huh?
Oh, my goodness, yes.
Well, he's the best cook Delmonco's ever had.
Maybe it was just an accident like that waiter said.
Even so, Chester, he killed a man.
He's got a sand trial for it.
Mr. Dune, that sun's getting mighty low.
Can you still see the tracks?
Yeah, they lead toward that hill over there.
Let's move.
What if we don't find him before dark?
He'll have to sleep on the prairie
and pick up his trail in the morning.
Hold up, Chester.
Boy, that's the longest, strongest out bunch of cattle
I've saw in quite a span.
There's gonna be much help to us.
If it was a river we could swim across.
There's nothing to do but wait.
Mr. Dune, here comes one of the men.
Maybe he saw Sandy.
Hello.
Howdy.
Headed for Dodge?
Yeah.
Hey, you're a lawman.
Dylan, U.S. Marshal.
My name's Purdy.
I'm trail boss of this outfit.
What are you doing out here, Marshal?
Looking for a man, but your herd cut right across his trail.
Maybe he's seen us coming, done it on purpose.
At least smart enough.
Well, I always like to see men get away.
Nothing personal, Marshal.
I understand.
How's the cattle market in Dodge, Marshal?
Holding up, holding up fine.
Good.
Ain't no trail to ride for the fun of it.
Well, I better get on up ahead
and tell them to start milling the herd.
It'll be dark before long.
I don't like to push cattle after dark.
I appreciate you not trying to cut through them, Marshal.
We can wait.
Say, I hear there's a good cook in Dodge for a change.
A fellow come down the trail yesterday, told us about it.
There was.
Well, ain't he still there?
He's the man we're after.
Oh, well, the men were kind of looking forward to a good meal, Marshal.
He killed a man, Purdy.
I'm sorry to hear that.
I'll tell the men, but they ain't gonna like it, Marshal.
Tell them I don't like it either.
Well, so long.
You think Sandy King's the only good cook in Kansas?
You know a better one?
Well, I don't guess I do.
Mr. Stum, you think we lost his trail?
If we ever get across there, we might pick it up.
We'll have to make camp and wait for daylight.
Now, boy, we'll get some feed and rest and be on our way.
You come right there.
What?
What do you want here?
What's the matter, Stumson?
I ain't gonna harm you.
How could you?
I got a shotgun, ain't I?
Now, don't be scared, Miss.
I ain't gonna hurt you.
Miss, close enough.
All right.
How come you put your horse in our barn?
I had to get him out of the sun, didn't I?
You don't mind if I rest a minute before moving on?
Well, I guess it's all right.
You don't need that shotgun.
Must be getting kind of heavy.
Well, I didn't know who you were.
My name's Sandy.
What's yours?
Effie.
Gus Jayhawnd's my father.
I guess you heard of him.
Can't say I haven't.
Is he around someplace?
He rode an oar today.
We got a water hole up by Shale Bluff.
Oh.
And your ma?
I never knew my ma.
Effie, you got any cold water up the house?
Yes, we do.
Could I have some?
If it's not too much bother, I'm terrible thirsty.
I guess it would be all right.
I need no bother to it.
Come on.
You know something, Effie?
What?
I don't really need that drink of water.
You don't?
I was passing by through the trees there,
and I seen you come out of the house.
I wanted to say hello, that's all.
I wanted to meet you, Effie.
What for?
Because you're the prettiest gal I ever seen.
You must know lots of gals.
No, no, I'm a lonely man, Effie.
Mighty lonely man.
A drifter, Effie.
I guess I never found no reason to settle down.
But that's bad for a person.
I mean, everybody should have somebody, don't you think?
That ain't always easy to find, Effie.
No, nor you ain't.
I've heard of it happening, though.
Just like that, when you least expect it.
Right out of a clear blue sky.
Tell me about it.
All right.
All right, I'll tell you about it, Effie.
Come out in the house, Sandy.
All right, mister.
Pa, Pa, don't shoot him.
I heard you cooing him here.
Look, Mr. Strahan, it's not what you think.
I wondered whose horse that was in the barn.
How long you known this boy, Effie?
We just met, Pa.
I'd shoot you right here, boy.
But I don't want to mess up the place.
Now get outside.
Pa, please, listen to me.
You don't want to watch your stay in the house, Effie.
Pa, you can't shoot a man for one kid.
That's all right, Effie.
You can't stop him.
Nobody can stop me.
Outside.
Pa, please.
Please listen to me, Pa.
He didn't do anything.
Please, Pa, honest.
Now you move right over there, mister.
That's far enough.
Pa, Pa, please.
Hold up!
What's going on here?
Well, you won't shoot him now, Pa.
You know this man?
You're Marshall Dillon, ain't you?
That's right, and I put that gun away.
Okay.
But that don't mean I ain't gonna kill him.
He don't know me, Marshall.
He don't know nothing about me.
You mean he's wanted by the law?
A murder.
Oh, no.
He's a murderer to boot.
Yeah, you sure can pick him, can't you?
Well, Sandy, looks like we got here just in time, doesn't it?
Just saved me for a hangin'.
The court'll decide that.
Where's your horse?
In the barn.
Go get it, Chester.
Yes, sir.
Well, he sure made himself right to home.
There's golf for you, ain't it?
Let's go, Sandy.
Mr. Dillon?
What, Chester?
Come here.
Look out down here.
They're formin' a mob.
Looks like those trail hands we run across on the prairie party, doesn't it?
Word sure does get around fast, don't it?
When it comes to trouble, it does.
He ain't back in town five minutes, and there they are.
And all over Sandy, just cause he's a good cook.
It also gives them a chance to show up to the law if they can.
They're always wantin' to do that, ain't they?
If they could force me to turn Sandy loose, they'd have a free hand in this town.
But they haven't got it yet.
Where you gonna lose that child, Dan?
You stay inside.
All right.
Quiet.
Listen to me.
Quiet!
Andy King is in jail because he killed a man.
And he'll stay there until he gets a trial.
Men want him out, Marshal.
Now, Bertie, I'm afraid I can't oblige him.
Are all these your men?
Some of them.
I reckon most of mine are here, Marshal.
I didn't expect to find a man like you taking part in a mob.
They tell me some drunk rolled a plate of eggs in that cook's face, Marshal.
That's no reason to kill a man.
Well, the cook did hit him, but they say he didn't mean to kill him.
He'll get a trial and a fair one.
I can't help you, Marshal.
The men want him out.
Hey, Marshal!
Marshal, you've got yourself ten minutes.
Now, if Andy King ain't out here in ten minutes, we're gonna start shootin'.
That's so do I.
Now, ten minutes, man. That's all he's got.
Looks bad, don't it, Mr. Dillon?
Yeah.
Well, I locked up our back.
Nobody can't get in there without us hearing them.
Good.
What are you doing with that shotgun?
Well, there's gonna be a shootin'.
I ain't gonna get left out of it.
This is a part of the game you don't have to sit in on, Chester.
It's all right. I ain't got nothin' else to do.
You Marshal Dillon?
I am.
I'm John Grezend, Marshal. Texas Rangers. Can I come in?
Come on in.
I just pulled into town.
What's the mob for?
Crale has tried to show up to law. What can I do for you?
Well, I got a warrant here, Marshal.
Good man was headed toward death.
Let me see it.
You know him?
He's dead, cousin.
Dead? What is it, Mr. Dillon?
This is an arrest warrant for Ed Fisher.
There's a reward, dead or alive.
Ed Fisher? Oh, I'll be doggone.
Who killed him?
The man I got locked up in jail for. It's Sandy King.
You know what that crowd's all about?
Yeah.
This prisoner seems to be a popular man, Marshal.
He's a good cook.
Chester, go tell Sandy the news and let him out as soon as I break up this mob.
Yes, sir.
And with me, Grisim.
All right, Marshal. We're in line.
Yeah, man! We're in line!
All right, men.
Listen to me.
This is Joe Grisim, Texas Ranger.
He just brought me a warrant for the arrest of Ed Fisher.
That's the man Sandy killed. He was wanted, dead or alive.
You hear that?
Well, you turn him loose, Marshal. He's got no reason to hold him back.
All right. All right.
I got no choice. I'll turn Sandy loose.
But first...
But first, you break this mob up and get out of here.
We want him now, boy.
Wait a minute.
No mob ever ruled me yet, and no mob ever will.
Now, you men clear out of here.
I'll start shooting.
All right, men.
Let's go have a drink.
You turn him loose.
Marshal!
It's just better me out of time to cook supper, y'all.
Well, Marshal, you got what you were after. You made him break up.
Yeah.
You tell me something. How did this Sandy King kill Ed Fisher, anyway?
He hit him on the head with an iron skillet.
I thought it was provoked. I think the judge would have let him off pretty easy.
You were going through a lot of trouble to bring him to trial, weren't you?
Wouldn't you have, Grissel?
Yeah. Yeah, I would.
Yeah, I kinda thought so.
And here he is, Mr. Young.
Sandy, this is Joe Grissel.
Howdy.
Just you told me all about it.
I'm a free man, huh?
Yeah, free man.
There's a $500 award, mister.
Fisher was wanted dead or alive.
Well, now, I might have broke, it's true, but...
I'm afraid that kind of money just wouldn't do me any good, Grissel.
Thanks, just the same.
Whatever you say.
Well, Marshal, I'll be moving on, I guess.
Moving on?
Yeah, I've always had a hankering to see California, Chester.
I guess this is as good a time as any.
Well, but look here.
Everybody's expecting you back at Delmonico to cook up a whole batch of fancy vittles.
What do you think this whore-out was about, anyway?
Tell him I'm sorry, Chester.
I was just cooking to pay off a debt.
I don't want to make a living at it.
Besides, I hate cooking.
Well, I'll be doggone.
So long, so long, Marshal.
Miss Dillon, ain't you gonna stop him?
The men are gonna be awful men.
He's a free man, Chester.
Funny thing is, that's how the men wanted it.
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Gunsmoke. Produced and directed in Hollywood by Norman McDonald, stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
The story was specially written for Gunsmoke by John Meston and adapted for radio by Frank Parris.
Featured in the cast were Sam Edwards, Vic Perrin, John Danaer, Gene Bates, Ben Wright, Harry Bartel, and Larry Dobkin.
Harley Bear is Chester, Howard McNear is Doc, and Georgia Ellis is Kitty.
This is George Walsh inviting you to join us again next week when CBS Radio presents another story on Gunsmoke.
CBS News goes double for you every weekday on the CBS Radio Network.