 town, 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 the violence that moved West with young America. The story of a man who moved with it. Matt Dillon, United States Marshal. Oh, nothing, nothing. I was trying to write and listen to you at the same time. That's all. It can't be done. Oh, what's the matter, Lee? He was walking. I thought he'd been shot. I never saw you drunk before, Lee. Well, would you like a little coffee or something? I want to sleep in jail here. You keep my gun. Are there any blankets out there, Chester? Well, there's one, Mr. Dillon. No, that's enough. Okay, Lee. Just follow Chester. Oh, sober enough to know I'm too drunk to kill. You understand? I'm salt. Is he in town, too? Let him stay there. Keep him out of here. Have you seen Mr. Dargon like that before, Mr. Dillon? No. I wonder what he was fighting with Salter about. Maybe Salter started it. Maybe he's drunk, too. Well, if he is knowing him, he'll be after someone else to fight with now. I think I'll go take a look, Chester. All right. Oh, Chester, if Lee wakes up, just give him another drink, huh? Yes, sir. One isn't so bad, Matt, sometimes. No, thanks. I don't see Jim Salter anywhere. I wouldn't complain about that. Well, then he was here, huh? Sitting right where you are, and he'll be back any minute. How drunk is he, Kitty? He isn't very drunk. It might be an improvement. It'd break his heart to hear you talk like that. If he has one. Here he comes now. Let's ask him. He looks sober enough. You move in fast, Marjom. Sit down, Salter. Sit down. It seems as how it's my table, I will. I, uh... ran into Lee Dorgan. He was pretty mad about something. Not so? Yeah, but it's all right, as long as you're not looking for trouble. Me, Marjom? I never look for trouble. Neither does Lee. Now, you know those sevens, Marjom. They're always getting insulted about something. You've been forming on Lee's ranch for over a year now, Salter. This is the first time he's wanted to kill you? Is that what he said? That's what I heard him say. Oh, well, Marjom Lee's had a little bad luck with his cattle, that's all. When he's had a drink or two, he needs someone to blame it on. You know how it is with these green horn? No. How is it? Word for me, he wouldn't have as many causes as he's got. I don't know. Well, as long as it doesn't end in gun play. Oh, me and Lee get along fine when he's sober. Yeah. You will have to leave, Matt. I'm afraid so, Kitty. Then I'm going to bed. Wait a minute, you can't do that. What says I can't, Mr? Good night, Matt. Good night, Kitty. Well, I'll be. Mr. Dargan, I want it myself. Here's your gun, Lee. Good night. Here's your gun, Lee. Still feel like killing Jim Solder? I'll kill any man that cheats me. That's how I was brought up and that's how I am. So? I guess it's just instinct that tells me I'm being robbed by Marshall. I got no proof at all. None whatsoever. What is it, Lee? Don't your cattle tell me up, right? Look, I came out here from Alabama 18 months ago. I bought a ranch. I'm trying to raise beef. I've learned a little, but I can see it takes years to be a cattle man. Meantime, I'm green and I'm an easy mark. But I'm not so dumb, I can't count. Marshall, I branded over 300 calves last spring and fall and more than half of them are missing right now. Stolen? I don't know, Marshall. I've asked every rancher and every buyer around here to be on the lookout for my brand that hasn't turned up once. What's all there has anything to do with it? Instinct, I told you. I just don't trust him. Nothing more, but it's enough. Then why don't you fire him? Well, pride, I suppose. I want to beat him in his own game whatever it is. Well, good luck at it, Lee. Well, I need more than luck, Marshall. I need a little help. I just don't know enough about this business. Are you asking me to help you? I am. But how? Come out to the ranch, take a look around. Maybe you'll see something I can't see. Well, I don't know. Well, I'll brand in again tomorrow, Marshall. Come out then. You've got to help me. I'll be ruined if this goes on anymore. All right, Lee, I'll come. But will you promise me one thing? What's that? If Salter does prove to be guilty, you won't try to kill him. No, I can't promise it. I respect the law, Marshall, but I've got my own code, too. Thanks, just a minute. Now, wait a minute, Lee. You're stubborn, but I don't think you deserve being ruined. All right, I'll come. Thank you, Marshall. Thank you. The reason I got drunk last night was because I just felt so almighty, helpless, mad and helpless. Yeah. I know the feeling. See you tomorrow. And what can I do for you this morning? Well, I'm interested in some brands that you got registered here. Oh, you don't mean to tell me that you're going into the cattle business, Marshall? No, not likely. I just want to see what new brands have been registered in the past, oh, 12 or 13 months. Certainly, Marshall. There you are. Oh, thank you. You can start anywhere you like in it. Well, maybe you remember, Mr. Peters. Has Jim Salter got a brand registered? Salter? Yeah, Jim Salter. The fellow who works for Lee Doggan? That's right. And last summer, July, I believe. Look there. July? Yeah, July, July, July. Yeah, yeah. Salter James Salter, July 14th. Bar S. That's it, Bar S. Yes, indeed. How's he doing? Fine, Mr. Peters, fine. Thanks for the help. Anytime, Marshall, anytime at all. That's what I'm paid for. Goodbye. Goodbye, Marshall. We weren't working most of the cattle buyers in town, spent their time drinking toddy And there I learned that a number of Bar S. calves had been sold in the fall and some more up in the spring. They remembered because it wasn't often a man sold only calves and also because the brands were newly burned on. But they said the brands were clean and there was no question of any previous marking having been altered. I figured Salter was a whole lot smarter than the ordinary wrestler. And the next day I found out just how smart. They sure got their brand and fire set far enough apart, Mr. Dillon. Yeah, they have. That's all right, Marshall. Yeah, but you didn't brand that one. You just have to cut him out and rope him again. Iron's cold anyway. Oh, you got another iron there in the fire? We'll get them branded, Marshall. What are you doing out there anyway? Oh, we needed to change the scenery so we thought we'd pay Lee a visit. Where is he? Working to fire down Yonder. You sure do keep your fire separated. Anything else you fellas object to? Well, no, I wasn't objecting. I was just making an entirely impersonal observation. That's all. Well, go do your observing on Lee. You came to see him. Salter, I'd starve from the death right or work around you. You sure would, Chester. See you later, Marshall. Yeah. Okay, I'll bring another one out. He's smart, that's Salter. He's just mean and doubtful. At least that too, Chester. You got something figured out? I got it all figured out. What? Stealing cattle, all right. I know just how he's doing it. But the problem now is how to handle Lee Dargan. Wouldn't want to see Lee hung for murder. Maybe something, Lee. Does Salter always work alone with those same two cowboys? We'll see you at the house, Lee. I give up trying to figure it out about Salter. You just have to explain it. Well, I told you he sold fresh branded calves under the bar S market he's got registered. Yes, sir. Those were Lee's calves. Do you ever hear of using a cold brand, Chester? A cold brand? Yeah. You can either put it on through a wet blanket or you can just keep the iron hot enough to burn hair and press it down lightly so it won't scorch the hide. Yeah. Looks like a fine brand for a few months. That isn't until the calf sheds. Well, I'll be down gone. And then the calf's as unmarked as the day it got dropped. You can brand it at leisure with any mark that appeals to you, like a bar S, for example. So that's what Salter's been doing. He was about to put a cold iron on that calf a while ago when we rode up. Sure, sure. He works at a distance from Dorgan because the other cowboys had noticed right away what he's up to. Poor Lee, he's sure right about being green Well, he's going to learn now, Mr. Dillon. No. No, Chester. I can't tell him. Well, why not? Lee meant it when he said he'd kill Salter if he had any proof. If he did that, he'd be worse off than he is now. Well, then why don't you just arrest that man? A judge had let him off. I'm afraid cold brand can be laid to carelessness. Of course, we could wait a couple of months and catch him doing his bar S, Brandon. That's risky, too, though. Well, what are you going to do, Mr. Dillon? I don't know, Chester. But I'll have to figure something out by morning. Turn to the second act of gun smoke in just a moment. But first, there's a lifeline that stretches from here to Korea. A lifeline that you help sustain for our fighting men when you give blood to the Red Cross blood donor program. Call the Red Cross for an appointment to give blood the first thing Monday morning. And now, the second act of gun smoke. I understand it, Marshall. It just doesn't make any sense to me because I asked for help, so all right, I'll do as you say. Then call Salter over here and tell him. Okay, Marshall. Salter! Salter! We're already late this morning. I'm going to make a change in our Brandon setup, Salter. What? Excited it'll be faster. From now on, we all work from one fire instead of two. What for? You and Adams and Smith will work alongside the rest of us. That's all. Whose idea is this anyway? Those are my orders. Oh? You still talk like a confederate colonel, don't you? That'll do, Salter. Sure. This for you, Marshall. I never did like you anyway. It must have been pretty hard on Salter that day, having to put a permanent brand on Lee Dorgon's calves with a good hot iron, but he had no choice when he did it. Bopno and Chester and I said goodbye and rode back to Dodge. I figured that would be the end of Lee's trouble. But two nights later, while Doc and I were taking our ease at the Alephraganza, I found out I was wrong. It's like that ignorant cowboy with his sweet girlfriend in St. Louis, mad. All right, Doc. What did the letter say? Well, she mentioned that she'd found a nice room with running water. Yeah. And so this uncivilized son of the prairie wrote her back to get rid of that Indian at once, or our engagement is off! He thought that... You understand that. Now, don't you, mad? I'll let the next drinks on you, Doc. I'm sure, mad, sure! And would you get it? That's the bartender for a couple of good cigarettes with you. That was a f... I thought you left Lee Dorgon out at his ranch. Just came in the door. Must be looking for you. He's coming this way. Yeah. What's that under his arm? Looks like a blanket. Hello, Lee. Sit down. Marshall, Doc. How are you all through, Brandon? Now, where through? How'd it go? Yeah. Take a look at this blanket, Marshall. Huh? That's all marked up, isn't it? That sure is. And it's burned with my brand all over. Where'd you find this, Lee? One of my men was riding by the place where Salter and his had his Brandon fire, Marshall. His horse kicked it up. They'd half buried it there. That's all yours, is that it? That's it. And he explained all about cold Brandon to me at the same time. I see. Where's Salter now, Lee? And he got wind. I was on to him and left, Marshall. I think he's in dodge with those two who worked with him, Adams and Smith. And, uh, you're looking for him? And I'm looking for him. But I'm telling you so that you can look, too. There's no evidence even for the law, I figure. Along with the witnesses that had convicted him. But, uh, I'll find him, Lee. Better hurry, Marshall. I might find him first. Lee, you'll stand trial if you kill him. I'm not worried about that. Come on, Marshall. Why didn't you take his gun, Matt? So he couldn't get in any trouble. You just find another one, Doc. I'm a German man. Yes, I can see that. I'll, uh, take that drink another time, Doc. I got work to do. Oh, do me a favor. Would you drop this blanket off at the office for me? Oh, you'll put your life in good luck. Yeah, thanks. Yeah, what is it, Chester? There's something wrong, sir. I just saw Salter and two men walk up behind Lee Dargon over there and grab his gun. What? Where are they? They were headed toward Kelly Stable. Anyway. Uh, Lee's on to him, Chester. He knows the whole story now. And they know he knows it. Well, then somebody is going to get killed, sure. Yeah, it looks that way. Stay behind me, Chester. That's the only door to the stable. They'll have to come out there, sir. Hey, I know. But we're going in after them. Easy now. The entrance to Kelly Stable was open. But there was no light showing. And we stopped just inside. Waiting for our eyes to get used to the darkness. They could hear voices in the back where the men were settling up. And then suddenly we both saw it at the same time. The first doll Mr. Dillon. Look. It's Mr. Dargon. They hung him. They just did it. He can't be dead yet. Here, take my knife and cut him down. You can climb up on the feed box. I'll cover you from here. Now hurry. Stay in here, Chester. Don't move. Mr. Dargon's breathing. When they come up, we'll jump them. I'll take Adams. I'll wait here. He's breathing easier. Keep him quiet. Hold him down if he tries to get up. Salter will be along in a minute. What are you two doing? Let me blast you. Who's in there? On your gun, Salter. Who's that? It's Matt Dillon. I'll do as I say. The gun's off of Adams and Smith. We don't have to worry about Salter. All right, sir. Lee. Lee. Good to breathe again, Marshal. It was about to go on. Well, you're all right. We got him. Salter's dead. You won't have any trouble now. No, no. But it's not easy the way you people educate a man out here. Well, if it was easy, Lee. Anyone could manage. Well, thanks, Marshal. Yeah. Gun Smoke, under the direction of Norman McDonnell, 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 McIntyre as Lee, Harry Bartell as Salter, and John Dana as Peters. Lee Baer as Chester, Georgia Ellis as Kitty, and Howard McNair as Doc. 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 in Gun Smoke. To a killing interest, Mr. and Mrs. North is coming Tuesday night on CBS Radio. Don't miss Kiss of Death when Pam and Jerry North are going to action against the murderer. Also Tuesday night on most of these same CBS radio stations, John Lund as yours truly Johnny Dollar brings us his latest adventure in probing fraudulent insurance claims. Mr. and Mrs. North and yours truly Johnny Dollar, they're both thrilling Tuesday nighters at the stars address. This is Roy Rowan speaking, and this is the CBS Radio Network.