 A round-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 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. The story of a man who moved with it. Matt Dillon, United States Marshal. He hasn't changed much, I can see, Mr. Dillon. We've only been gone a week, Chester. It seemed like a year to me. Hard riding, I then won't hurt you. It ain't the riding so much, it's the shooting that unnerves a man. That reminds me, I think I'll stop at the store here. I need some ammunition. Take my horse under the stable, will you? I'll see you at the office. Good. Certainly good to see you back. Well, thank you, Mr. Green. Yes, sir, we've missed you around here. Well, that's fine. Not like a couple of boxes of 45s. Oh, you're loading up, too. I guess you've already heard. What? I sold more ammunition the last couple of days than I usually do in a month. I'm nearly out. There's a last box of 45s I've got. I'd have saved more for you if I'd have known, Marshal. After all, you're going to be sort of out front in this business. Mr. Green, what are you talking about? You haven't heard? Heard what? About the Indians? Indians. The Pawnees, they're going to attack tomorrow. This is the last day we've got to get ready for them. That's why everybody's been hoping you'd be back in time. We have to get organized, Marshal. Where are they, Mr. Green? Who? The Pawnees. Oh, they're out on a prairie somewhere, I guess. Now, what are your plans, Marshal? I don't have any plans. All righty. When you decide what to do, let me know. I'll do my share of the fighting. You know that. You can count on me. We've got women and children in town. May I ask one question, Mr. Green? Certainly. How do you know these Pawnees are going to attack Dodge? And how do you know they're going to attack tomorrow? Well, everybody knows about it, Marshal. That's why, like I said, I've all been buying up ammunition, getting ready. But who told them about the Indians? I don't know, Marshal. It's general knowledge. Just ask anybody. Is the whole town as jittery as you are? I'm not jittery. Marshal, this is a serious matter. Those Indians could wipe out Dodge if there's enough of them. Sure. How many are there, Mr. Green? I don't know how many, Marshal. Good-sized war party I meant. Has anybody seen them? Oh, no, no, no, Marshal hasn't seen yet. It's tomorrow they're coming. I'll put the 45s on my bill, Mr. Green. You let me know when you get your plans made, Marshal. You can count on me. I'll tell everybody you're back and we'll have a meeting. No. You wait till you're here for me, Mr. Green. Come down to welcome you home. I gave our horse the feed of grain, Mr. Dillon. I figured they'd earned it. Oh, good. Doc, I've been talking to Mr. Green down the street. Yeah? Has he gone crazy or what? Oh, he must have told you about the Indians. Indians? Oh, the whole town's been talking about them, Matt. Pornies are on the warpath, they say. And they're going to attack Dodge. Tomorrow, I believe it is. Good heavens, Mr. Dillon. Oh, now don't you start it, Chester. When did all this talk begin, Doc? A couple of days ago. Oh, everybody's been pretty excited, especially Green and Hank Riesling at the Dodge House. Oh, they sure have been hoping you'd get back in time to take charge of everything. Well, what do we do, Mr. Dillon? Nothing, Chester. Well, everybody seems pretty sure about it, Matt. They'll expect you to do something. Who started all this talk, Doc? Well, I haven't heard anybody mention that. Some drunk, probably, or some greenhorn. Rumor spreads, and pretty soon everybody takes it for a fact, and then a panic begins. Well, there might be Indians, Matt. Has anybody seen them or any sign of them? Well, you're going to have a hard time talking people out of it. It may be. At first, I got to find out how all this nonsense started. Chester, you go ask Mr. Hightower what he knows, huh? He's got good ears. All right. I'll see what I can find out in the saloons, and we'll meet back here, huh? Yes. You go away for a whole week, and you come back with nothing but a big pround. What are you on the prod about? People. Oh, that. How come you're not armed, Kitty? Armed. You're just going to let the ponies ride off with you? Aren't you going to struggle a little? Kind of exciting, isn't it, Matt? You don't seem very worried. Why should I be? Doc is full of heroes these days. Kitty, maybe I never gave you enough credit. For what? You've got brains, too. Don't be nasty. You need a drink, Bill. No, no, no. You've got to see him take a long, like when I'm crying. And who's the old man at the bar there? The long one, the long hair. He's a scythe, isn't he? You don't very often see men dressed in buckskin anymore. His name's Tewkesbury. He must be 80 years old. Been half that since he's had a bath. Man his age has seen a lot of country, Kitty. Never mind him. What are you going to do about the Indians, Matt? The only thing I can do, try to keep the good citizens of the Dodge from getting all triggered up and shooting each other for ponies tonight and tomorrow. How are you going to do that? Well, I'd like to know who started all this for one thing. I think I'll have a talk with Sam there. Bartenders generally know things. Are a pony braves as handsome as they say, Matt? You'd be surprised if they really did raid this place, wouldn't you? Maybe. Wouldn't you? Yeah, yeah, I would. Well, I'll see you later, Kitty. Sure, Matt. Sam. Hello, Marshall. Dylan, welcome home. Oh, thank you, Sam. What's your pleasure? Nothing right now. Sam, do you know who started all this Indian raid talk? I don't know who started it, Marshall, but everybody sure all worked up. Yeah, I know. I'm just trying to find out why. Mr. Green and Hank Reisling have been wanting to get organized. They'll be mighty happy your back. Marshall, I heard Sam say your name. Mine's Tukesbury. How do you do? I want to offer my services, Marshall. Your services? But what for? There ain't nothing I don't know about Indian, Marshall. I introduced Kit Carson to his work, Patsy, over in New Mexico. And if it hadn't been for me, John C. Freemont, would never got back from the Des Moines River in 42, Arapaho was that time. Inside and out, Marshall. Backwards and forwards, dead and alive and cheap, some waves, squaws and pathoses, and I know them all. Well, that's fine, Mr. Tukesbury, but I don't think we've got anything to worry about. You can't trust Indian, Marshall, anymore, and you can trust a white man. They got sharp tongues in evil ways near cruel and ungrateful and cruel. Usually shuts up at least while he's drinking it. All right, Sam, give him a beer. Well, thank you, Marshall, but I never drink beer. Oh, you don't? I will, however, take a little drink of straight whiskey to hold in my mouth and sweeten my tobacco. Well, you hurt him, Sam. You old devil. Old devil, am I? Well, you'll be grateful I'm here when the ponies come screaming out of the dawn. Do you lift hair, Marshall, or do you fight like a fight man? Well, I don't believe I ever scalped anybody. But the Indians got it all over you, then. They're them fierce, them ponies, and don't ever let them take you alive while I've seen them spread eagle and man, and whish. Here's your whiskey, old man, but let's drink it before it gets cold. This is not a bad whiskey. What there was over there. Grateful any more. Now, you let me know when you need me, Marshall. I'll show you how to fight Indians. Now, you attack them first, you see, they're crazy wild, that's what they are. Mr. Tukesbury, where did you hear about this pony raid? I hear about it, but everybody's heard about it. They've all been warned. Lock the women and children in the church, Marshall, and leave them with enough guns to shoot themselves. It worse comes to worse. There may not be enough real Indian fighters around here to hold off them bloodthirsty savages very long. Who told you about the raid, Mr. Tukesbury? It's common knowledge, Marshall. Common knowledge, or when's the meeting? Well, I don't know, but I expect that'll soon be common knowledge, too. Goodbye. So long, Sam. Here's for the whiskey. Thanks, Marshall. See you later. Mr. Hightar didn't know anything, Mr. Dillon, except there will be an attack tomorrow. What'd you find out? Well, I went to all the saloons, Chester, but all they had was the same story, some wilder than others, especially an old man called Tukesbury. He seemed as bloodthirsty as anybody. I never heard of him. Now he's a stranger here. Oh, look what's coming across the street. Hmm. I guess this is the organizing committee, huh? Yeah. Who is that pioneer they got with him? Now that's old Tukesbury, I told you, but he's a little touched on the head, I'm afraid. Well, here they are. Gentlemen. Gentlemen. All right, gentlemen. Now, Marshall... Marshall, there isn't much time left, and we've got to get Dodge organized. Now, Hank Reisling here and I, we've worked out a tentative plan, which we proposed... Uh, just a minute, Mr. Green, there's something I want to ask before you go on. Yes, Marshall? I'd, uh... I'd like to know which one of you men heard about these Indians first. Yes, I think Charlie told me. Well, I don't see it that matters. All right. All right, all right. Then let's say the rumor just got started somehow, okay? Pretty big for just a rumor, Marshall, where my wife's nearly crazy with fear, all the women are. That's why we got to do something, get things organized. People will feel better then. You know what panic is, Reisling? It's fear, all right, but a man can be afraid and still think. But when he gets panicked, he stops thinking. Like all of you right now. You're acting like cattle in the stampede. That's pretty strong talk, Marshall. Is it? Is it? Then I'll point out something else to you. You're willing to believe the parties are on the warpath and you don't even know who reported it. And on top of that, you're willing to believe they're going to attack tomorrow. Well, that's what they say, Marshall. And it's your job as a law here to do something about it. Yes. You don't help us now. The blood will be on your head. Blood? In Cornish, the bloodiest devils in the whole Indian nation are the mean or downright mean. I know them, and I'll show you how to fight them. We'll ride out after them. Chokesbury. Well, after them first. Uh, Chokesbury, let me ask you something. I'm offering my services, Marshall, same as I did with John. Listen to me. The Ponies are attacking tomorrow. Is that right? Don, Marshall, they always attack at dawn. If they die at night, you see their spirit wanders. They got to die. Yeah, I know. I know. But there's something else about Indians I want to ask you. I know everything there is to know about Indians. Then did you ever hear of Indians telling anybody just when they were going to attack? They're just like snakes. They never tell nobody nothing. It's just a whoosh. And there you are with an arrow. I need a throat. Then how come everybody in Dodge knows when these Ponies are coming? Now answer me straight, Chokesbury. Well, uh, Marshall, it's just, uh, well, somebody must have found out. The only person who'd know would be an Indian. Now, gentlemen, have there been some Pony warriors in town lately getting drunk at the Alapraganzas and talking when they shouldn't? Well, have they? No. No, the Marshal makes sense, man. They don't sound right, somehow. No, it sure don't. Yeah, but if you stop to think about it... Chokesbury, when did you hit Dodge? A while ago, Marshal. When? I don't know when. I don't keep pocket time. But if the Indians do they know just how many men... Oh, shut up, Chokesbury. I don't want to hear any more about Indians out of you. And if you go on talking around Dodge, I'll throw you in jail and you can do your spotting there. Marshall, Marshall, he's an old man. You should not treat him like that. He started this whole thing with his wild talk and you men have made fools of yourself listening to him. Now go on home and calm down your women folk and forget it. Good night, gentlemen. Yeah, who is it? Oh, Chester. Well, come in, Chester. Hey, you're all dressed. Yeah, I slept with my clothes on. I figured there might be trouble yet. There is. That's what I come to tell you. Well, then tell me. It's a fire, Mr. Dillon, at the edge of town that old room in the house of Ari Danvers. A fire? How bad is it? The house is going, but that ain't the worst. They found some arrows nearby. It's the Pawnee. We will return for the second act of gun smoke in just a moment. But first, tonight's free and easy Saturday night country style on CBS Radio features the old Kentucky barn dance and the WWVA wheeling jamboree. It's Saturday night country style. Later tonight on most of the same CBS radio stations. Now the second act of gun smoke. The rooming house of Ari Danvers stood at the edge of town. It wasn't much more than a Jerry built shack patronized by a few drunks and an occasional cowboy who had lost his pay at the games. By the time we got there, it had burned to the ground and a small crowd had gathered. Two unidentified men had died in the fire. Probably two drunk to save themselves. It was the owner, Danvers, who had discovered the arrows. Look at them, Marshall. I found them sticking in the ground yonder. Yeah. Well, they're Pawnee, all right. And devils stood out there somewhere and fired the place of burning arrows a figure and just shot these in to let us know who did it. Well, it could be Danvers, but why would they set fire to only one house? What are you men waiting for? Those Indians could ride in on us any minute. Some of you men get out there Now hold it. Hold it. Let's don't get all excited. It's still dark and no Indians going to attack in the dark. You know that. Look, what about those arrows, Marshall? Ain't that proof enough? It's an hour to daylight, Mr. Green. Nothing's gonna happen till then. We've listened to you long enough, Marshall. We've got women to protect. Risley, you come over here and the rest of you men will run this fight ourselves. Chester. Yes, sir. I've been talking so much tonight, isn't it? Drift back in the dark where he can't see you. And if he leaves here, let me know at once. All right, sir. What do you make of it, Marshall? There's nothing to worry about, Sam. What are you doing here, Kitty? Sam promised to wake me up when the action started. So I did. Well, there's been a fire and two men died. The action's over and I'll go back to bed. Don't take it out on me, Matt. I didn't start this Indian scare. No, I'm sorry, Kitty. But this is no place for a woman. Where is a good place for a woman? I don't stark that. What are they doing over there, Marshall? Green and Rieslingers organizing the defense of Dodge, Sam. They found some arrows right here. Yeah, they did. Paw knee arrows. And they are going to attack. They're right out there in the dark somewhere. No, I don't think so, Sam. But you go look if you want. That's Green. He's calling me. Sure, sure. I'll go. I'll go with you, Sam. I want to see what's going on. What's going on? What? No worries, E. Chester. He drifted off behind that next shack. No. Well, let's follow him. Come on. Are you close enough to see if he's armed? No, sir. I couldn't tell. He's too dark. No. He's quiet now. I don't see him. I don't either do I. I'll hold up a minute. Now let's go. Something moved right over there. Look, he's lighting a fire. There he goes. You put out the fire chester, I'll catch him. All right, Tukesbury, I've got you. Don't shoot me now. All right, get your hands in the air. I think I ain't armed. What do you call this, Bowie knife? All right, put your hands down. You've been pretty talkative till tonight, Tukesbury. You want to tell me what this is all about? You go eat dirt. Where did you get those pony arrows you planted but Danvers place? Them ponies, they got sharp tongues. They were ways near cruel and ungrateful. Tukesbury, what do you really know about the ponies? I know them. I know them. You men go kill them. You write them down. Why, Tukesbury? Why do you want them killed? They're savage devils. They treat people. What do you say that? What do they do to you? Let's go drink some whiskey. Tukesbury, two men died in that fire. You said at our at Danvers. Do you realize that? White men let them die. You can't trust them. I don't think you understand. You killed two men tonight, Tukesbury. Been a long time since I had any whiskey. Years. Are you drunk now? No. No. I'm tired. I'm awful tired. Tired and lonely. I want to lay down. Make camp. Come along, old man. I'll show you a bed. When the citizens of Dodge found out about Tukesbury, they were at first ashamed of their panic. And then because of their shame, they wanted to lynch him. But they didn't. And pretty soon they forgot about him. A week passed and the old man never said a word. I didn't know who he was or where he came from. And then one day, an Indian woman rode into town and found her way to the jail. She was past 40 but still handsome. And she carried herself with the instinctive pride of her people. The Pawnees. Is this the jail? Yes, it is. You are the Marshal? That's right. What can I do for you? Word has been brought that you have an old man here. Tukesbury? Yes. I have come for him. What? I am his daughter, Marshal. Oh, I see. What, will you sit down? Thank you. So Tukesbury married a Pawnee, huh? Many years ago. My mother is dead. Now, your father taught you English? Yes. But I have lived among white people. Not for long. I like my people better. All right. Of course. I think my father does too. He has lived with us many years. Tell me. What was he doing in Dodge? He is old. So old he is like a child. He ran away one night in anger. Why? Our tribe is peaceful, Marshal. We have given up war. But sometimes the young men find it difficult not to fight. My father made some whiskey. He was giving it to the young men, telling them they should kill white people. He got caught on it. Yes. The chief's health council. They made very strong talk. My father grew angry. He say he will destroy them. Marshal, he is old. Thoughts are no longer clear in his head. As I understand. He has lived long. Seen many things. He does not like being old. He cannot understand why life is peaceful with us. He sure stirred up a lot of trouble here. A hunter told us the story. My father will be more closely watched now. Because he has served the tribe well in the past. Chiefs will send you horses. Horses? To let him come back. Oh, oh, he is fine. He is fine. Yes. I forgot the word. Well, it's not as simple as that. You see, two men died in that fire your father set. I'm afraid you have to stand trial. Trial? Oh, your council. Yes. It'll be in a few days now. But I've got to warn you that you must not go well with him. Two men die. I understand, Marshal. I wait. Look, would you be willing to come to the trial to talk for your father? Squaw? We allow women to talk at our trials. Then I will be there. Good. Now I think your father would like to see you. Come. I don't think you knew what it was all about or even cared. After seeing his daughter he started talking again but in paw knee never said a word in English or even acknowledged it when he was spoken to. His daughter took the stand and shortly after impressed by her courage and honest dignity the judge released Tukesbury to her custody. And I watched him ride off into the prairie both mounted on her pony. The old man chattering like a bird happy to be going home. No longer lonely. Gun smoke under the direction of Norman McDonald stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal. Tonight's story was specially written for Gun Smoke by John Meston with music composed and conducted by Rex Corey. Featured in the cast were John Dana and Lawrence Dobkin with James Nusser, Vic Perron and Lillian Bayef. Parley Bear is Chester, Howard McNeer is Doc and Georgia Ellis is Kitty. Gun smoke has been selected by the Armed Forces Radio Service to be heard by our troops overseas. Join us again next week as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal fights to bring law and order out of the wild violence of the west with gun smoke. Go with CBS radio CBS goes wherever you go go, go, go Go with CBS radio That's where you'll find your very favorite shows Everyone knows you'll get the best on CBS Go, go, go, go, radio George Walsh speaking America now listens to 110 million radio sets and listens most to the CBS radio network.