 In Dodge City and in the territory on West, there's just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers, and that's with the U.S. Marshal and the smell of gun smoke. The story of a man from 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. Sunshine and fine breeze starting up, and breakfast waiting right down the street. We're in the town five minutes ago, and the first man I run in. Where in Matthew's? In law, man. Well, who never thought it? Seems we both sold our guns in different ways. I wouldn't know about that. I'm still a drifter, Matthew, same as always. That's all I've heard. Just a saddle bum here today, going tomorrow. But it's what happens between today and tomorrow, isn't it, Carl? Nobody ever knows ahead of time. Well, they pretty well do when you hit town, the way I've been hearing it. You know how easy stories get started? Gun for a higher $1,000 a job results guaranteed. That's how the stories go, Carl. When a fella ain't got a regular job, folks make up things about him. You're a hired killer, Carl, and we both know it. Ain't you kind of a hired killer yourself, Matthew? Who are you here for, Carl? Who are you figuring to kill? Well, now, if I was the kind of man them stories say, you don't think I'd answer that, do you? You're here for a killin'. Nothing else would bring you to dodge. You were a lawman for real, Matthew, or just a bronco in this town for your own benefit. I'm a lawman. Years back, when we used to cut brush for strays down on the pickets, we'd lay there at night in our bedrooms, look at the stars and talk. But we never figured it'd turn out like this someday, Carl. Why don't you get out of town while you still can? No, I figured look around a few days, see what kind of place you got here. See you, Matthew. Nice to meet you, Chester. So long. Well, then, is the coldest pair of eyes I've ever seen in man's head, you know? He got married the year after we worked together, Chester, and some fence cutters burned his place one night, killed his wife. He run them down, shot them all, four of them. And then he couldn't seem to stop after that. Who do you reckon he's after? I don't know. Well, it gives you the creeps, not knowing when or who. Oh, forget it, Chester. Come on, let's get some breakfast, huh? You go on ahead, Mr. Dillman, for some reason, I guess I just ain't hungry. And since he was, why? What's he been doing? That's just it, nothing. He's not been doing one of those things. Well, then. Not everybody in town knows who he is and what he's here for. But they don't know who the mark's on. Well, it's got them so spooked they're ready to jump out of the skins whenever the door closes. Well, I can't do much about it dark until he tips his hands somewhere. He hasn't committed any crime and dodging. He's not wanted anywhere else. And why isn't he wanted? And he always managed to go to his victims into making the first move, so it's self-defense. You get any idea who he's after? No. Well, there's two dozen or more men around town who think they're the one. One of them may be right, Doc. He didn't stop in front of Wilbur Jonas's store window this morning, instead looking in there for a while. As soon as he left, Wilbur locked up and went home. And he's been sitting home, then, this pallor ever since with a shotgun across his knees. I doubt he's after Wilbur. But you don't know. One of you men to Marshall? Oh, yeah, I am. He's gonna kill me. Oh? Well, what's your name? Tex Bartow. This man calls himself Carl Killian. He's been hired to follow me here and do me in. Well, half the town thinks that's the same thing, Tex. Yeah, but I know. I seen him in Pueblo two weeks ago, and now he turns up here. Pueblo, huh? I got in some trouble there, Marshall. Not with the law. I was cleared. But I killed a man in a fight, and his friends swore they'd get me one way or another. How does Killian figure it out? He was there. He's seen the fight. I didn't know who he was then, but I remember his face all right. And they hired him. I know they have. He ain't here just by accident. He might be right, man. If Killian wasn't Pueblo just before he came here, that must be where he was hired. Maybe. You've got to lock him up, Marshall. I can't do that, Tex. I've got no charge. But if you don't want to kill me, run away wouldn't even help. He'd just follow me. I'll keep clear of him, Tex. Don't let him push you into drawing against him. Where are you staying? To our church house. All right, then go on over there and stay there. Then keep off the street, huh? All right. In the meantime, I'll try to figure something out. OK, Marshall. So long. If he's not the one, Matt, there's another possibility you maybe haven't even thought of. Me, you mean? Yeah, I thought of it, Doc. Would he take a job like that? Would you be in friends once? You think he'd really do that? Yeah, he'd do it. Matt, if you don't run that man out of town, I might as well close up here and take a vacation. He's practically living here at the long branch. Oh, why not? You serve the best beer in town, Kitty. He's about the only one I serve it to. The minute he comes in, the rest of the boys start edging toward the door. You can't blame him. It's pretty hard to relax with the executioner standing at your elbow. You'd never know. You're looking at him. Good evening, Miss Kitty. Matthew? Hello, Carl. Well, how's the law business coming along, Matthew? The town's been pretty quiet the last few days. I noticed that. Don't seem to be hardly any people around at all. Well, at least not close to where you are. Folks had no to see you that way. I don't mean no harm to them. Were you in Pueblo just before you came here, girl? I might have been. Why? Is that where you took on the job? I reckon you believe all them stories, all right? Just like everybody else. Miss Kitty? Yeah, Rusty? Oh, good evening, Marshal. Miss Kitty. Hello, Rusty. Good evening, Miss Fennel. Excuse me for buttoning Miss Kitty, but Melbourne Beck, you wanted to think it had the rest of the night off. Seeing there's not much business anyhow. Sure, it's on the go ahead. You see, Mr. Killian, you're ruining my business. I'll try to make up for it, so I'm right now. Miss Fennel, do me the honor of having a drink with me. Well, sure, I'd love to. Good. See you later, Matthew, Miss Kitty. I'll give him credit on one thing, Matt. The girls all like him. I think it's fine. Well, he was fine once. Makes you jumpy, though. Way moves around, not saying much, but always watching. Well, it started some of the citizens thinking, all right. Well, everybody's guilty of something, Matt. I even catch myself wondering if I'm the one he's after. Yeah, that's not likely, Kitty. But even you are not sure. No. You see? You know, I almost wish it had hurry up and happened, so it would know, so it would have it over with. Well, I guess a lot of people feel that way, but there's nothing they can do. Hey. What is it, Matt? Jack's barter, that kid who came to see me this afternoon. He's got a gun. All right. Shoot, kill him in the back. I didn't have much choice the way he come at me. Oh, you're on the clear. It was self-defense. I saw it myself. Just another job done according to order. Who are you talking about? He was the one you were after, wasn't he? I never saw that boy before in my life. Never heard of him. Don't even know his name. Matthew, if I really was after anybody, I still am. Go in the bed. Can't have no fun tall in this town along with that dog gone old killin' around. He has kind of slowed down the night life, hasn't he? He just ain't nobody out in no place hardly. And then there is. It's the busy lookin' over their shoulder and jumpin' sideways, but a man can't get to feel needy no matter how hard he puts his mind to it. And it just seems a shame to waste all that hair after I figured you'd end up as the king of the long branch. Yeah, that's another thing. You know that little girl with the long branch? I've been kindly sweet-talking lately. Oh, Rusty Fennel? Yeah, well, now she can't see me for dust. She just keeps hangin' around him all the time. That's not smart to get serious over a dancehall girl anyway, Chester. Well, now, Rusty ain't just a common dancehall girl, Mr. Gunn. She comes from a real good family. Oh, is that so? Yes, sir. Her poppin' mom is dead, but she's got a rich uncle that's a very important man. His health ain't too good neither the last couple years. So that's why you're so interested in her. I thought it was true love, Chester. Yeah, well, now, Mr. Gunn, I ain't one to ask me thinking about money, but it sure don't hurt nothin' to know that the only heirs is just her and her cousin in Pueblo. Pueblo? That's where her uncle and her cousin lives. What's the matter, Mr. Gunn? Chester, I think I'll drop over to the long branch and have a talk with Rusty. Well, she ain't there now. She left with that bald, darn killin'. Oh, so she's come home. Better if I talk to her alone. Marshall? I don't want to take long. Pretty important. When a girl lives alone, she gets careless about throwin' things around. That looks fine to me. What is it, Marshall? Is anything wrong? No, not exactly, or at least not yet. I hear that you've been seein' quite a bit of a carol killin' the last couple of days. Yes, I guess maybe I have. I see. Well, I think he's nice. I think people are wrong about him. Rusty, how did you happen to meet him? Did he make a point of trying to get acquainted with you? Well, he came into the long branch a few times, and he talked to all the girls. Well, he seemed to like me the best. Can't we talk about somethin' else, Marshall? I killin' the reason I came here, Rusty. Well, then come on over by the window. It's a hot in here. You're the street from here. That's one reason I took the room. He's behind that screen in the corner. That's quite a street. Always somethin' goin' on down there, any hour of the day or night. Yeah, I guess that's right. He didn't want to see you. Now, there's the night stage pullin' in from Walnut Creek, Pueblo, and Denver. Rusty, your life's not worth 10 cents, mine either. What? I say it looks like they're carrying a short load tonight. If I know him, he's got a gun on us right now. You're the one he's here to kill. I don't believe you. Just take it easy. I'm gonna jump his move. It's the only thing I can do, and I'll just stand still. Why did they want to kill me? Your cousin hired a Pueblo two weeks ago. I checked my telegraph one hour ago. With you dead too, your cousin would get the holistic. Yeah, I'm all right, just had to go through with it, though. Matter of honor. Now, you call it honor if you want to. Only job ever failed on was the last one. The only one that ever... I thought he was so nice. He was just waitin' for a chance to kill me. Four days to do it, Rusty, and he hadn't tried. You know, sometimes a man can win by failin'. Maybe he got just what he wanted. William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshall. The story was specially written for Gunsmoke by Les Crutchfield with editorial supervision by John Mesta. Featured in the cast were Vic Perron, Dick Prana, and Virginia Christine. Farley Bear is Chester, Howard McNair is Doc, and Georgia Ellis is Kitty. This is George Walsh inviting you to join us again next week for another story on Gunsmoke over the CBS Radio Network.