 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, 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. What's got in him, Mr. Dillon? Who, Chester? Well, the President, President Graham. Oh, what's he done now? Well, letting him tell us they got a patent on out there, Bob Wilder, that stuff's gonna be the root nation of this country. So what's the President got to do with it? He can't stop it. He can't? Well, then what's it good of him being President? Just read your paper, Chester. British foreigners are just fighting again. The Rousseau's is what the better. Now what? Everybody start the roof, is that it? Now I'm there in the long grandstand, Dillon. Yeah, come on. Now, what's this all about, Ambrose? I thought you and Cully were friends. I did, too, Marshal, but none no more. Now, what started it? I was only joking, but Cully can't even take a joke. Next time I won't use my fist, Ambrose. If I can wear a gun, you wait. Not in dodge, you won't. The next time I catch you two fighting, neither one of you I'll show you the inside of the jail. Do you want to shake hands? What for? I had a belly full of his crazy temper. I'm goodin' through. Now, what about that, Cully? Well, what about it, Marshal? I'll have a bar in that. I'll buy you a drink for keepin' my place from being smashed. Okay, Kitty, that sounds like fair payment. You, too, Chester. Oh, thank you, Miss Kitty. I don't know what's got into that Cully tape lately. He was always polite as could be when he used to come into town with his mother. Well, his mother's dead three or four years now. Look, now he's at the bar ordering a drink. Think maybe I'll have a talk with him, Kitty. Maybe I can find out what's wrong. Yeah, sure, man. There you are, Sam. I'll pay for his drink. No, thanks. What's that? Ah, for almost breakin' your arm, you said. Go on, drink it. Sure. Thanks. You know, when a man's old enough to drink hard liquor, he's old enough to get in trouble, Cully. Now, what was it about? You know, it's a person. Well, it always is. Until it's a public fight. And it's my business. Yeah, he... he said something about my old man. What about me? Well, what? He called us Squawman. Squawman? Oh, why? Because it's true. It's the worst of it. About my old man, it's true, anyways. Oh, since when? Three months. When he went to Texas for stock, he stopped the agency in Darlington. Brought her back. And I wrapped the whole woman. Now, that ain't right, Marshall. It just ain't right. Now, wait a minute, Cully. The good many men have married Indian women, and sometimes they're real good marriages. She's good. Any man who marries one of them deserves to be called Squawman. Look, Cully, your ma's been dead some years now. Now, you're old enough to know how it is with a man. Mm-hmm. Him moanin' over her. Him holding up to be her father. And she's more my age than his. Well, that's not unusual with Indians. The women expect it. Well, the worst is they ain't really married. Only Indian style. And for a good God-fearing man, that ain't nothing at all. Now, wait a minute, son, they are married. Maybe not legally, but if they both accept it. And if they don't, what could she do about it? Cully, I know your father, and Hardiman Tate isn't that kind of a man. Do you want me to talk to him? Mm-hmm. I wouldn't even know good. Well, he wouldn't send her back now, but he might marry her legally. You'd be better to help. Thanks for the drink, Mush. Holidays come and go, and we don't always give much mind. But there is one that most everybody takes time for. Of course, it brings out a little human goodness and friendliness for a spell, person to person. That's why the post office made up this special 1966 stamp I got in my album here, honoring the spirit of Christmas. Oh, I like this one. Yeah, sir. This stamps from a fine painting of that first Christmas way back that's in the National Art Gallery in Washington, D.C. It's the fifth one in a series marking the holiday season, and it comes out rightly enough in the town of Christmas, Michigan. Well, of course, we all enjoy the family gatherings, the gift-given, and the fun that goes with it, but the real thing is that the idea kind of spreads around all over. Yeah? There's a Muslim festival, same time of year, called Edalphet. The Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah, and the Buddhists have the festival of lights, and lots of Hindus make Christmas a time of good will. Well, I guess it's not what you call it, but what you do about it that counts. Woo! At least you picked a nice day to ride this far, getting on spring. Looks like good grass this year. Yeah, we've had some rain. Nice barn we got up there, ain't it? Mm-hmm. I'll see much so. Mr. Dillon, I just remember Miss Tate, what was she like? Alchester, she came from a long line of purits and ministers, and she never let you forget it. Man, sort of a deliverance for Mr. Tate then, wasn't it? You might say so, yeah. Like a mighty big jump, though, to a rap-ho-squaw. That does, doesn't it? Look, there's Cully out in front, he's toting a gun, just like he said he would. Uh-huh. Come on, we'll ride up anyway. Inside with her. You go on and talk to him if you want. I got chores to do. Well, Mr. Dillon, that boy ain't got a bit of toleration in him at all, huh? He's got a lot of his mother in him, though. Well, Marshal Alchester, this surprise. How are you? Good to see you, Hardee. Come on in and sit. I'm going to have a quick meal and I'll tell her to add a little to the pot. No, thanks, Hardee. We can't stay. We just want to talk to you for a minute, that's all. Has Cully got himself in trouble? Oh, no, no, no, nothing like that. He's got so wild and unruly lately, I don't know what to expect. I can't figure what's eating on him. That's what I want to talk to you about, Hardee. I, uh, guess the boy's like his mother in some ways. Oh, Cully's pious, that's sure. Just like Abigail. Church like I ought, I guess, and it makes the boy mad. Is that what you mean, Marshal? I'm afraid it's more than that, Hardee. I think he's, uh, upset about, uh, your wife. I know that, Marshal, but that's between us as a family. It ain't none of your business. Well, I don't want to butt in. I didn't have that in mind. I just got a suggestion that might be of help to you, that's all. What? Bring her into town. Let the Reverend Tucker marry you. Already married? In the Arapaho way, yeah. Yes, in the Arapaho way. Yeah, but Hardee, that's not legal, not for whites. What's that got to do with it? Look, Hardee, you bought her from her father. Now that's against the law. You're living with her without benefit of marriage. That's against the law. Illegally, I could, and I should send her back to Darlington right now. Oh, Marshal, you wouldn't. Oh, now please understand, Hardee. I'm trying to help you. The girl is willing. Marrying her will solve a lot of problems. Now, if she isn't, I'm going to have to send her back anyway. You can't send her back, Marshal. Well, why not? Come inside, both of you, please. All right. Now to see her. She's awful pretty, Mr. Young. This is my wife, now to see her. Little dear woman. This is Marshal Dillon, just a proud foot. I knew, ma'am. Yes. Glad. She don't know much English, and I don't speak the rap of her very good, but we're both of us learning, little by little. You come eat? Well, no thanks, Miss Tate. We got to get on back to Dodge. I cook, good. Yes, ma'am, I bet you do. Miss Tate, I'd like to ask you a question. Do you like it here? Do you want to stay here with him? I like here. I stay. My husband. All right, now to see you. You go back to the kitchen. Your friends. Come more? Well, sure. Sure, we'll be back. Goodbye, Miss Tate. Yes. You see what I mean? Yeah. She's everything a man could want. I'm pretty happy, Hardish. I never knew the meaning of that word before. Oh, I don't mean no disrespect to Cully's mother, but... Oh, no, I understand. You won't send her back? Hardy, it'd still be better if you came to town and let their Reverend marry you. All right, Marshal. If you'll arrange it, we'll come in Saturday. Well, good, good. Tell you what, we might even have a party after the wedding. Man, I wish he'd like that, I bet. Thank you, Marshal. Oh, sure. Goodbye, Hardy. We'll see you Saturday. No, it wasn't that a surprise. For a little thing like that and him so happy and all. Well, he wasn't nothing like I'd thought to hear Cully talk wasn't, if you don't know. No, no, it wasn't, Chester. You want to know something? That's kind of what bothers me. And yet they're each one of a kind. Take, for example, Louisa, Kentucky. Voting's the big thing and the big sandy and more voters are rushing to the water each summer. But the heritage of Louisa is more than just war. Some of the Civil War came right through here and Louisa's proud of the late Chief Justice Fred Vincent who was born there, who lived there, and who's buried there. And with Louisa, the county seat of Lawrence County, they're proud too of the new courthouse and the old one a few years back. People stay busy in Louisa. Construction's booming in High Bottom. The Rotary Steel Meeting Tuesdays in the basement of the First Methodist Church. And when nothing else is doing, you can usually find one of the gang watching an oil change at Funny Miller's Garage next door to Economy Chevrolet. But if your hometown is Louisa, you already know this. We only wanted to remind you, get still there. You look like the captain, swallow the canary. Well, Doc, how to see. I've been at the long branch in this kid. He's got everything ready for the party. The preacher's wife even baked the cake. There are more important elements, Chester. You can't have a wedding without a bride and groom, Chester. Well, my gracious, no. It's half to three o'clock now. There's no sign of them yet. You think there's something wrong, Mr. Dillon? I don't know. Doc and I were just talking about. Marshall? You haven't seen them? No, I haven't. Marshall, I'm getting worried. They wouldn't just not show up. Well, they could have changed their minds. About a wedding? I doubt it. I hope nothing's happened. Well, if they were coming, they'd have been here by now. I think maybe Chester and I better write out to the take place and see if there's anything wrong. I think it was, Cully. Well, he's all blood. What's happened here? How'd you get those scratches on your face? She done it after I found them. She tried to kill me, Marshall. What? Just like she killed Paul. What did this happen? This morning. Just before they was to leave for town. Why didn't you come and tell me about it? I was scared, Marshall. She's out there somewhere and she wants to kill me. I was waiting for Doc. Where's your gun? She's got it. That's what she killed him with. How'd she get it? I must have stole it from my room, I guess. Well, I know I heard the shot. I run out and she had the gun and I wrestled it away from her. That's when she scratched my face. He was laying there. Dead. Where? Out back in the wood lot. All right, let's go out there. No. No, Marshall. I don't want to go out there again. I don't want to see him. You better come any way. Come on. What's she want with a fire like that? I don't know. Looks like she's praying. That's song, Chester. It's an Arapaho song of mourning. Oh, but I don't seem... Up above, Chester, in the tree there. She's giving him a regular Indian burial. You stay right with us, Cullen. Here's the gun, Chester. Yes, ma'am. I know it. She don't even seem to notice us. Miss Tate. Miss Tate. Dead. Dead. Dead. My husband. Do you know him? Look. Yeah, I see. You got something for a bandage, Chester. What is it? What's the meaning? You! You got me! Miss Tate. Miss Tate, here. Give me that knife. Give it to me. Chester. Yes, ma'am. Miss Tate, you just say. Dead. My husband. Yes, ma'am. Ask you about those scratches on your face, Cullen. Weren't they made before and not after your father died? What? Now, when she scratched you, she was probably screaming, wasn't she? No. And your father heard me came running to find out what you were trying to do and you shot him. All right, maybe it was self-defense. No. No. Well, a young girl like that with an old man. That ain't natural. She hated him. No, she didn't hate him. She loved him. She could never have loved you. That ain't true. Yes, it is. Because on a wrap, a whole woman doesn't mourn a husband she doesn't love. And if she didn't love him, she wouldn't have cut off two of her fingers. As soon as we get her bandaged up, we'll take you into dodge. Only meant to show him that she was no good. That she wouldn't have wronged me for so long, ma'am. Would you believe that, Mr. Donk? No, Chester. I think maybe he does. With your permission, I'd like to quote an excerpt from a speech by that old political character Elijah Cuddlestone. And I say, state and declare that is that pork barrel appropriations are not going to be our salvation. We must. I say, we have to get up on our hind legs. I mean, you stand up and fight for our own improvements. The pork barrel is for loafers. I mean, the greedy and the weak. That is. That term, pork barrel. You know what it means? Well, pork is fat. And fat for hundreds of years has met plenty. Abundance. You shall eat the fat of the land. About a hundred years ago in the halls of Congress, fat meaning lucrative or rewarding became pork. And about 50 years ago, when congressmen sought larger appropriations for such things as bridges, harbor or river improvements, public buildings and so forth to impress their constituents, they were accused of seeking pork barrel appropriations. This is presented by Norman McDonald, stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshall, featured in the cast were Parley Baer as Chester, Howard McNeer as Doc, and Georgia Ellis as Kitty, George Walsh speaking. Join us again next week for another specially transcribed story on Gunsmoke. This is the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.