 Around 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. 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 chance, a job that makes a man watchful, but a little lonely. All right, Sam, stand still. No, it ain't nothing worth your trouble, Miss Kitty. Well, it will be if it gets any worse. Lean over. I'll thank you to have a sure hand with that needle. Don't worry, Sam, I'm not much of a seamstress, but I ought to be able to catch up a rip and a pair of britches without doing much damage. There. I ought to hold it. Thank you, Miss Kitty. You're welcome, Sam. I just hated to see you start the day with a hole in your britches, where that trail or a dew in town is going to be hard enough. Yes, ma'am. Well, what in the world is that? Hey, let's get him to go there. He's in for that swinging door. There's maybe a deep place up in there. I've got to hide someplace, Miss Kitty. I ain't hurting nobody. Now, look here. I'll handle this, Sam. All right, you two. Settle down. Well, Ratty Raffy's got a friend. You two go along. She's hiding behind a gal. Play your drum for her, Raffy. I said get along. Big, strong men, aren't you? Picking on the likes of Raffy. Now, you get out of here and don't come back. Well, what do you think about it? It's all right now, Raffy. I wasn't doing nothing wrong, Miss Kitty. No, of course you weren't. Come on over and sit down, huh? You know, it's a drum, Miss Kitty. They give me misery on kind of the drum. Yeah, I know, Raffy. You're nothing wrong about wearing the drum? No, of course there isn't. You give it to me, that captain for Antietam. He told me to wear it proud. I've always done that, Miss Kitty. I know you have, Raffy. You don't hardly play the drum calls no more. You don't see much need. Well, no. With a war over and all. But I always wear it like the captain said. I wear it proud. And folks give me misery. Well, I've got no right to do it. You can always come in here when they do, Raffy. You don't have to be afraid. You're a true good lady, Miss Kitty. Oh, I don't know about that. Yes, ma'am, you are. You're a true good lady. Raffy, are you hungry? Well, I ain't weak with it, Miss Kitty, but it's a fact I ain't ate yet. Well, we'd better fix that. I ain't taking no more handouts. But if you're hungry, Raffy. I can work, Miss Kitty, if folks had just let me. If they'd just stop plaguing me and let me work, I could make out fine. All right then, Raffy. Sam? Yes, Miss Kitty? Come here a minute, will you? Sure thing. Take Raffy out to the wood shed, will you, Sam? Set him to chopping that wood out there. He wants to work. Oh, sure. Come along, boy. I'm obliged to you, ma'am. Oh, Miss Kitty. What is it, Raffy? Will you watch after the drum for me? I wouldn't want nothing to happen to it after the captain thrusted it to me like he did. Sure, Raffy. Sure. I'll watch after it. Enough to break your heart. As soon as it chopped the wood, it came back in and I gave him his money and he hung that drum around his neck again and left. Poor boy. You want some more gravy, Kitty? Thanks, ma'am. Doc? No, not for me. It's better with this fruit not to cover it up while you're eating it. You know where Raffy went, Kitty? No, no, I don't. He just appears now and again and he's always in trouble. Somebody's always plaguing him, as he says. No, it's a shame. What's the answer to it, Doc? What makes Raffy... well, what makes him the way he is? That's hard to say, Kitty. Maybe there's just too much war. He must have been very young during the fighting. His mind hasn't grown any older. Why would he hang on to the drum then, Doc? It reminds him of a bad time. He can't tell about these things for sure, man. Maybe because the drum was the last thing he was ever proud of. No, Miss Kitty. Marshall. No, Doc. I couldn't help overhearing your conversation. I was sitting right over there. You got good news. Hey, you know, I think it's important to know what this fellow Raffy might do. The town has a right to know. Well, he can't tell for sure. He might go along just as he is for the rest of his life. Wearing that drum around his neck and being crucified for it. And then again, he might decide to turn on somebody someday. Well, you couldn't blame him. Well, then, Marshall, I say you ought to take steps. How do you figure that, Dobby? Well, either way, he isn't doing the town any good. He might turn mean and cause trouble. Even if he doesn't, he gets in the way of the town's normal citizens wandering around that way wearing that drum night and day. Oh, come on now, Dobby. I can't arrest the boy for that. Well, Doc just said he might cause trouble. It'd be better to act now. You listen to me, Dobby. If he causes trouble, it'll be because he's been driven to it by normal citizens. I'd spend some time talking to him about it. Dylan? Right here, Chester. Somebody's been after Chester. What's the trouble? Mr. Julian, you better come right away. It's that rapid blight. I told you, Marshall. What's he done, Chester? He ain't done nothing. But some of the boys has got him creed down there at the leverage table. You better come with us, Doc. Are you one of those people who are always on the go? Like you, our CBS newsmen are on the move all the time, too. Always in the direction of the biggest news developments of the day. Their own busy schedules give them a practical understanding of the value listeners put upon their services. They know you rely on them for accuracy at all times. They have a first-hand appreciation of the importance of clarity and brevity as well. That all of these standards are kept in mind by our highly skilled, highly experienced newsmen is demonstrated over and over again in the frequent news broadcasts you hear on CBS Radio. The busier your own day, the more you'll appreciate the efforts of our CBS news staff. These men offer you a direct link with history day by day. But more than that, they do their job with full regard for your busy schedule. They keep you fully informed with no waste of time, no waste of words. For accuracy, brevity, and clarity in news reports, for news at frequent intervals and at convenient times, keep tuned to CBS Radio every day. Another little pull. Swing the drum out there for me. If you want it, Raffy, you'll have to draw out on that branch. This is my drum. You give me my drum. All the way up there. Well, it's too far. Oh, you can do it, sure. Yeah, you look just like a monkey up there, don't you? You are. You don't even have to be up no tree to look like a monkey. Swing the drum out more, Slute. Down the end of that limb there. Where's getting kind of thin down there, Bull? I said swing that drum. All right, Bull, all right. Go ahead, kid, let's see you get your full drum. Crawl out there. Go ahead, crawl. Please, mister. Oh, come on now. If you want it, go get it. It's too far. If you don't crawl out and get it, Raffy, I'm going to shoot it full of holes like this. No! If you don't shoot it, I'll get it. Go on, now. Let me pull in the drum, Bull. He's going to fall short. Leave it to me. Uh-oh. Bull, he's hurt himself. Oh, he's too simple to be hurt bad. Come on, Slute. Let's get it. All right, just a minute. I got to look at the boy, Doc. Sure, man. All right, you men, you're in an awful hurry to get away all of a sudden. Oh, I'm Marshall. There ain't no reason to hang around. The show's over, is that it? I don't know what you're talking about, Marshall. This boy just fell out in the tree. You know what I'm talking about, all right, and so do the rest of you men. Well, I'm Marshall. I've got your real-life two-legged coyotes. Now, listen to me. If I catch you, any one of you, devil and this boy again, falling out of a tree won't seem easy to you. Now, go on and get out of here. Well, we was going anyway. Just remember, you leave this boy alone. How is he, Doc? Well, can't tell yet, man. He's unconscious. I'll have to get him to the office. All right. A couple of you men give us a hand here to get him to Doc's. Ooh, cloth. That'll make you feel better. Yeah, it hurts pretty bad. It hurts. Well, I expect it does. You took quite a blow, but it's going to be all right, Ravi. There's nothing to worry about. Has he come to, Doc? Yes, man. He's conscious. You going to be all right? I think so, man. There's no signs of a fracture or concussion. No, that's good. Now, Ravi, you feeling better? My drum. You got my drum? Yeah, I got it. It's down in my office. Well, nothing happened to it. I think it's safe enough. I sure do think you must. It's all right. It's all right. You come get it when you're feeling better, huh? Yes, sir. I got to do that. You know, it seems like folks don't like me to wear it. Why don't they, Marshall? Maybe it's because they just don't know any better. I ain't never hurt nobody. They got no call to hurt me. That's right. And folks who hurt me, they ought to learn different, Marshall. Yeah. That's what I came to tell you. I'm going to see that they do. I can see it real clear, Marshall. Real clear. Them folks need to learn it real good. If that hurt me, they got to be taught different. Well, Mr. Don, well, Mr. Don. What? Well, see, if you don't want to know what's in it, the manager ought to open up a mail when he gets it. Might even be government business. Mr. Don, what are you muttering about? Well, I just can't understand, Mr. Don. After I went and pissed it to you and all, why you don't open it up? All right, all right, Chester. I'll open it up. Expecting something special? No, sure. Tell you the truth, I could see there wasn't nothing there worth bothering about. You put on a pretty good show of bothering. Well, it just seems to me that a man should ought to open up his mail, whether it's worth anything or not. Oh, you were too bullheaded, stubborn to listen. What's on your mind, Dobby? I told you last week right there in the restaurant, I told you you ought to do something about it. Oh, come on, Dobby, what are you sputtering about? That boy, that raffid light. I told you he caused trouble. Well, what's happened? It's worse than I even expected, and you could have prevented it. Dobby, quit babbling and tell me what's happened. He's killed him. Who's been killed? Bull rams, he's been killed. And Raffi did it. Where are they? They're taking him to hang him, and it should never happen. Dobby, where are they? They're taking him up west of town. All right, come on, Chester, bring the rifles. I'm still in that clump of trees. Yeah. I've got him up on a horse. They don't look like they've got the roof on them yet. Oh, they're lucky. We was just trying to help the law, Marshal. I said, let him go. Sure, you can have him if you want to waste jail space on a murderer. I've got to have a lot more than you say so on that slope. Why, it's plain as plain. Everybody knows he had it in for bull. Never mind, Slope, if he needs to be tried, you'll be tried by a judge, not by you. And that drum's there. I said, never mind. Chester, untie Raffi's hands and take that gag out of his mouth. Yes, sir. Then lead his horse over here. That's my horse he's on, Marshal. You ain't going to take it. He's riding it back to town, Slope, and I wouldn't argue about it if I were you. Oh, nobody will plague you here. Yeah. Oh, nobody, Marshal? Well, I hope you're right about that, Raffi. I don't recollect too good about last night. My head was hurting real bad. I just don't recollect too good. Well, don't worry about it. We'll find out. You know, I know I was out there trying to cool my head in the night. All right, Raffi, I'll see you later. Well, Marshal? Yeah? What's that? My drum, Marshal. Have you got my drum? Chester found it. We'll take care of it for you. I thank you for that. Oh, I am here, Marshal. You might as well take care of these, too. Huh? What do you got there? My drumsticks, Marshal. I was keeping right here in my shirt. I only got one set, you know. Are they both there? Sure, they're both here. You take care of them for me, Marshal? Yeah, yeah, I'll do that. Out of tune because of irregularity? Kellogg's All-Bran helps put you back in tune. Kellogg's All-Bran is the natural way, the good food way to end constipation caused by lack of bulk in your diet. There's only one All-Bran, Kellogg's All-Bran. It's whole-brand content, gentles-away constipation, supplies your system with the bulk-forming food you need. Kellogg's All-Bran is the only whole-brand cereal to bring you the combination of proved effectiveness, appetizing taste and Christmas. It never gets mushy and milk. So get back in tune and stay in tune. It's easy with the one and only Kellogg's All-Bran, A-L-L-B-R-A-N. Safe, reliable, pleasant. Millions enjoy it every day. They know they can count on Kellogg's All-Bran to relieve irregularity. I'll be right with you, Marshall. I know, hurry. Thank you, Mr. Jonas. I should have that new bowl of calico any day now. Oh, that's fine. I'll stop in again soon. Goodbye, Mr. Jonas. Goodbye, Ms. Purton. Now there, Marshall, something I can do for you? I sure hope so. Tell me, Jonas, do you sell drums here? Well, I had a couple of few years ago. But they ain't stocked them recent, Marshall. To tell you the truth, I don't get much call for drums in Dodge City. I suppose not. I guess you don't get a call for drumsticks either, huh? Well, that beats all. What do you mean? You think we're getting ready for a parade or something. How's that? You're the second seller in two days. Come in here to ask for master drumsticks. Oh. Well, who was the other one? Well, I don't quite know his name, Marshall. He's a big, thin fella. You steam around town with bullrams, eh? Yeah. But you didn't have any drumsticks, is that right? Oh, I found a pair, Marshall. But I didn't really need it. Oh, what do you mean? Well, this fella only wanted one. I made him buy the two, though. What incarnation was a fella with just one drumstick, Marshall? I'll see you later, Jonas. So the Marshall got there too fast for you, did he, slow? No sense to it. No sense to it at all. Well, now, lynching ain't a very nice thing to do. Ain't gonna make no difference to that boy. No difference at all. I don't know why you can't tell. Well, they're gonna hang him one way or another. Sure is sure. Slow. I want to talk to you. I ain't hard to find, Marshall. I want that other drumstick. Drumstick? You're talking crazy, Marshall. I want the drumstick you didn't believe by Bull's body. Now, listen, here, that raffy. He's the one with the drumstick. That's right, slow. And he's still got two of them. Now, listen, Marshall. I've been listening. I've been listening to Jonas. Jonas? Yeah, he sells drumsticks. Well, it wasn't me. It was some other fella. No, it wasn't slow. It was you trying to buy just one drumstick so you could kill Bull and blame raffy. You can't prove it. I don't have to prove it. Because you're going to tell me a lot of things. Aren't you? Isn't that right, slow? I think so, Marshall. Isn't that right, slow? Yeah. All right, come on. I don't think raffy will mind giving up his soul to you. But to be wearing it again. Yeah. Now, things ought to be better for you around here now. I don't think folks are going to bother you anymore. I'm glad to hear that. I'm pretty sure we can fix you up with some odd jobs. Jonas and Dobie already got some chores you can do. Thank you, Marshall. But I think it's time for me to be moving on. I can't say I blame you. After the way they treated you in Dutch. But things will be better now. Maybe they will, Marshall. But it's time I'm moved on anyway. I don't know why. I don't know why either, Marshall. But I don't rightly belong nowhere. I keep looking for a place. I ain't never found it yet. I just gotta keep moving on. Well, that's up to you. Funny ain't it, Marshall, for a drummer boy like me to be always out of step. A lot of folks more out of step than you are, Ravi. I see them all the time. Use and directed in Hollywood by Norman McDonald stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshall. The story was specially written for Gunsmoke by Marion Clarke with editorial supervision by John Meston. Harley Bear is Chester Howard McNeer 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.