 Around Dodge City and in the territory on west there's just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers And that's where the US Marshal and the smell of guns 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 the United States Marshal the first man they look for and the last they want to meet It's a chance a job that it makes a man watchful and a little lonely You're a move dog. Yes. Yes, I see this. Only I don't like my choices. You got me kind of cornered getting on now that smart man like you ought to be able to think as well. Well, let me see now. No, there's nothing I can do except this and pray your eyesight's going back on you. Not today it hasn't Doc. There you can't paddle any eyeglasses here today. How many games you won now? Five straight. And remember we were playing $2,000 a game. In trade that one. Some bet. I'd have to die to collect it. And the same thing if I had a one kitty. $5,000 worth of your whiskey and wiped by every doctor in the west. You don't want to play another game by any chance. Not by any chance. Thank heavens. Why did you go make a few calls back? I love to show there's no one needs me. The town and the county are just busting with good help. Yeah, look at this saloon. One paying customer at the bar and he's drinking beer. Well, I'd say that Matt and Chester picked themselves a good time to be out of town. Yeah, they got a pretty soft all right. Of course they get shot at now and then at least they get out of dodge once in a while. Yeah, let me see. Where is it a poor blow this time? Near there anyway. Didn't say how long they'd be gone. No. And I bet I know why. Oh, why? There's some of the best fishing in the world not far from poor blow. Wouldn't surprise me the least bit if they're settled back next to a stream that's just jumping with a mountain trout. How's your leg feel? Was you hit bad, Mr. Dillon? I never heard of being hit good, Chester. The pant leg's bloody and some. Yeah, I know. What got into them Indians anyway? We was just riding through. Well, if it hadn't been us, they'd have gone after a rabbit or a coyote. Maybe these rocks. They were shooting for the noise of it, I guess. They had to be used, didn't they? Renegade used most likely. Well, they got tired of us or they think they killed us, one or the other. Can you bear weight on that leg? I don't know. Now let's try. Let me step my arm behind you here. Yeah. Pull yourself up. Hold on to me, Mr. Dillon. Can you make it? Yeah, I can make it to my horse, I think. There you go. You better rest something before I try to mount. No, let's get it over with, Chester. You'll have to swing your hurt leg over. Oh, you'll have to guide it. If I kick your teeth out in the process, you'll take it as nothing personal, huh? Yes, sir. All right. Here we go. You all right, Mr. Dillon? Yeah. I could strap you in your saddle. Oh, there's no need. All right, let's go. You're all who peeked looking, Mr. Dillon. It's about played out, ain't you? There's water ahead to the left of those trees there. Well, you can't go on just water. Oh, that'll help. The water of the horses, too. Ain't Mr. Daylight left? At night he would find a settler and get you bedded down for the night. Oh, it's a youth country, Chester. They've rotted out most of the settlers in through those trees now. That is good grasp of the stream. Don't you move yet, Mr. Dillon? I'll help you. Now, you stand to steady me. My leg won't bear any weight. Yes, sir. There you go. Now, just fall free again. All right, now, you just, you just bet you out there. How's that, Mr. Dillon? Oh, it's fine, Chester. It's just fine. I'll get you some water. I declare you look a fright. All right. I just need to catch my breath. Let's rest a little bit. I sure do wish I could make you comfortable in a bed with some warm food now. No, I know. I know. You just mind the horses, huh? Yes, sir. Chester? Chester? Oh, you wait, Mr. Dillon? Yeah. Yeah. I shouldn't have gone to sleep, I guess. Well, you didn't have no choice. Once you swallowed that cool water, you would just plumb through... What is that? Who is that, horses? Oh, no, Mr. Dillon. I hobbled them before I set out. They ain't making a sound. Wait a minute. It's horses, all right. They're coming this way. All right, sir. I don't hear a thing. You're a fire with fever, Mr. Dillon. You just might be imagining it. No, you keep listening. You'll hear them. Yes, sir. What I was going to say was, while you was resting, I set out and took a look around. There's a cabin not more than a couple hundred yards away. They're coming from the north. Say, bye, Jing. I think you're all right, Mr. Dillon. Look. Look through the trees there. Indians. Could be them same renegades. Yeah, maybe. I'm sure we better make for that cabin. Now, we're better off here. The trees will hide us, unless they already know we're here. You just lie flat, Chester. They start through the tree's fire. You able to handle a gun? I'm ready for them. They're making right for us. Sure as seen. Yeah. They're right at the trees. Take it easy. I sure ain't keen on them seeing us first. Right and right along the tree line. Going on south. I can't make them out any more. You see them? They're on past the thicket, but I can't see them. I swear that was close. That's still close. Sounds like they stopped. I counted six of them. Yeah, six. That cabin. Where is it? I'm afraid that's where they are. It's that direction. No more than a couple hundred yards away. That's some better. That's a welcome sound for a fact. You're talking about a deserted cabin, Chester? Well, I didn't see no signs of life. Like they've been that way for years. There's no look of it. Well, you'll have to drag me, Chester. I can't mount again. I'll get you there, Mr. Dunn. Don't you fret yourself. Ain't more than about ten steps. You can make it, Mr. Dillon. I don't know, Chester. Come on, now. You just lean heavy on me. You make out fine. You come no closer. Ma'am, you can just put that shotgun away right now. I'm not a judge. It's about to shoot. What is him? He's shocked and weak. Ma'am, I've got to put him down inside. I've never laid eyes on you before. No, ma'am. We're clean from Dodge City. Chester, Chester. Mr. Dillon. You all right, Mr. Dillon? Mr. Dillon? He did. No, ma'am, not yet. Would you just try to help set that shotgun aside and help a body? How are you on food? We got precious little, I'll tell you that. RANKETS, CHEERS. You got anything? What I got is a mighty sick friend here, ma'am, and I'm lifting him up right now and taking him in that cabin. How much money have you got? I don't know. A little? Hand it over. Once we're inside. I tell you, boy, I'd soon shoot the both of you as jaw with you. I want your money and your guns. Oh, for there. Now, then. Yes, money, too. Oh, my goodness. Here, I'm bringing him inside now. Well, all right. But for this little bit of money, he ain't gonna be there long. What a weak one are you? Well, I'm parrying my weight in logs. Put him by the stove and quit whimpering. Soft bellies, there's a lot of you. How is he? As Kim. He's only making out, he's sleeping. Mr. Dillon? You can't fool her, Chester, don't try. You sure did give me a fright. I wasn't sure you was gonna make it. I'm all right. Did she get the bullet out? Yeah. And half of my leg, I think. Now, I've seen new cubs with tougher hides. You told me you knew what you was about. Now, you mind your tongue. I'm no mind to hear you, beller. Now, cause to go at her, Chester. She did all right. Oh, she took everything we had, Mr. Dillon. Our guns, bullets, money, I never seen her like. You'd best cry at him. I buried four husbands, 20 children. A couple of strangers don't faze me. You better get some sleep, Chester. She says you watched over me all night. Well, now, if you need me, Mr. Dillon. No, I'm fine. You go on now. You go to sleep, huh? Yes, sir. Four husbands, ma'am. Four. Now, I'd lived them. But they was men. Regular men. I can believe that. We didn't trifle with marshals. Army folk, no days. Mr. Sitton and me lived as peaceable as could be with Indian folk. We come here peaceable. Me and Mr. Sitton. When was that? There it is. Well, the things were different then. No different than with Mr. Griffith, Mr. Albright. Even later on, with Mr. Netherson. There were lessons to learn in the West in them days. Eat the porridge. Oh, much obliged, ma'am. Nettie. How's that? Nettie, I say. Nettie, Sitton. I go by that. I can't abide being called ma'am. Oh. I lean toward Nettie. Uh, Nettie? Nettie. You live alone in the middle of Ute Country. How do you manage? Well, I come by your guns and such little money you had. Sometimes it's food, sometimes loads. I'll take what I can get. No matter to me if it's settlers or scouts or U.S. marshals. Or Utes? Oh, don't find Nettie. Lesson there, lost. A half dead. Open your eyes to see what they part with. You always greet them with a shotgun? Need be. Before we came here yesterday, a band of Ute Braves stopped here. I've got good heirs. Strong bows, rifles. Even a couple of buffalo guns off a mountain man broke his leg down in Canyon. They got a camp near here. The Ute. You got something more to give me? Chester says you cleaned us out. Then you're getting full measure. Hey, no, here. What's that? Here, now. You can't have my... I ain't had a pretty first spell, lots of facts. How about that ring myself in St. Louis? A man's not safe sleeping here. It'll fit just fine once I wrap some twine around it. The body's fingers thin with age. I declare next thing I know you'll be picking my bones. Mind your tongue. Give him his ring back, Nettie. Not likely, no. Don't say you can't hit an old woman when she's so mean and conferring. For one thing, her shotgun. It's as soon as you say it. It has a ruckus with you. You take his ring. You give us something, Nettie. Oh, I do it, my pretty. I clean-forgot the bright feeling they give you. Our guns for the ring, Nettie. That's fair. I come by your horses down by the creek this morning. They're grazing on my grass and swillin' my water. They're prettiest to pay for that. Mr. Dillon, I better go see them horses. You stay where they're sick and hailing. I'll see to the horses. You're sayin' he can't leave the cabin? Not alive, he can't. Well, you dog-gone mean old woman. You know what, I do that. Now, I've got tending to do outside. No need peering around for your guns whilst I'm gone. You won't find them. Mr. Dillon, we have got to get out of here. Now, we need horses to do it. Come on. Now, steady me. Well, you ain't dead stand yet. Yes, stand steady. Well, there. Now, we'll have to crawl once we're outside anyway. I can manage to the door. Like it's not she just crouched out there waiting for us. Well, it's worth a chance. We might not get another one. All right, get on your belly. Move small through the brush toward the stream. Can you see her? No, I can't. The stream, how far is it? A good hundred yards, maybe more. Well, I don't see the horses. No, I don't either. Oh, flatten, Chester. It's a ute. Well, she's talking to them Indians. We're going to have to go back, Chester. To the cabin? Without guns, her horses were no good out here. Come on. What do you reckon? She's done with her guns, Mr. Dillon. Her? She might have eaten them. I'm steadier for the walk. I'd give a lot for some of her strength right now. You reckon I could find them guns alone? I ain't got yourself killed, daughter. That's no good, Chester. We're going to have to wait. He's just about as foolish as it can be. Ain't you crawling around in the brush out there? What's the idea? Fresh air. Got no guns, no food. There's utes all around. You don't think too good of your eyes, do you? Where are the horses, Nothick? Your car is coming back soon. Now, you heard him. What about them horses? They bring good price in these parts. That could give me a passer of things trading horses. You're real friendly with a ute, huh? They treat me good. Of course, they know Mr. Sitton and me come peaceable to their country. Not to run them off what rightly is their land. You ever seen them at their killing? Women, babies, no matter to them. Ever ask yourself who started it all? Well, I seen it happen. The whites and their guns moving in. It wasn't pretty work they did. Women and children, too. That's a fact. They let you live here. There's got to be a reason. They come here like you. Full of shot, alien white man's doing. Mr. Sitton and me, we took him in, tended him. He was a young chief then, but white bear never forgot. Not in all these years. White bear's the oldest chief among the ute now. Don't forget, Nettie Sitton. He's near to relation I got. You're from another age, Nettie. You and white bear. Maybe you got someone. A wife? No. No wife. The mother then? I got her memory. And a pair of earrings she always wore. That's all. Not on you. I'd have come on them. Back in Dodge City. Oh, that's a pity. That's a pity. You think you can get the guns without waking her? Well, I can't make out good no light, but I can find an old woman in the dark. Not long till sunup is maybe her last chance. Take it easy. Now, that's just close enough. I don't mind shooting one bit. Stealing upon an old woman. What kind of men are you? You're a dog on wits. That's what you are seeing in the dark here and you ain't no kind of woman at all. Maybe not now, boy, but I was once a more woman than you could imagine. All right, shut up, both of you. Somebody's coming. They come earlier than I said. It's them same Indians, Mr. Dillon. Yeah. May you stand still, a pair of you. Mr. Dillon, I swear I had my rival. I'd blow us up before I let them take us. Maybe I'd help you, Chester. She's out there right now trading for us. You know that. Get ready. Somebody's coming. That could have been for the last me a good long time. It was a gift from my friend, White Bear. For us? Oh, now then, you worth a sight more than that. It's done there right now. You're sparing us, Nanny. Why? Sparing you. You didn't tell them about us? They didn't ask. How come you're acting human so suddenly like after near scaring us to death? I ain't gonna miss this boy. That's the truth of it. He's one ball and big mouth. We'll be glad to get out of your way and trade for guns, our horses, and a cut of your new beef. I've been thinking about them here, Bobs. And I've been thinking about our guns. Under my bed. These two horses saddled at the spring. Now, them here, Bobs. They're in a strongbox in Dodge City. You mean to ride back with us? I wouldn't be seen in daylight with you. Yeah. Well, I might get back this way someday. If I do, I'll bring them to you. For these old ears? Here, boy. Take your ring. Pretty thing for me, not anymore. I'll take it. I declare I don't understand you at all. You just beat the dots, that's what you do. Hmm. If you was a regular man, you'd find yourself a woman. Pretties don't belong on a man's hand. There ain't no strongbox. Us women folk gives us that bright feeling. Having a pretty. The story was specially written for Gunsmoke by Kathleen Height with editorial supervision by John Meston. Featured in the cast was Virginia Gray. Parley Bear is Chester, Howard McNeer is Doc, and Georgia Ellis is Kitty. And now here's a special word from our star. This is William Conrad. I've taken off the Marshall's badge to remind you that the crusade for freedom is counting on our continued support to keep Radio Free Europe on the air. I might just mention over 90% of the refugees escaping Iron Curtain countries report that they were Radio Free Europe listeners. That means we're getting the truth through the jamming and past the propaganda barrage. Let's keep the truth alive. Keep faith with more than 76 million people who can rely on us for it. Send what you can now to the crusade for freedom. Care of your post office. This is George Walsh inviting you to join us again next week when CBS Radio presents another story on Gunsmoke.