 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, gun 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, 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. The incident occurred in a Korean prisoner of war camp. The names of the men are not available, but the action should be noted. In one group, two men were exchanging food for cigarettes. The food was pork. It didn't taste very good, and the man giving it up preferred the cigarettes. What he didn't know was that pork in his system now would help him get through the winter. The exchange was reported to the senior officer, an Army major, who took over and issued an order to the effect that there would be no more exchanges of luxuries for food. The major knew he would suffer for his action, but he felt that it was in the best interests of all concerned, and suffer he did, for he was placed in solitary confinement for issuing the order. But by his action, this Army major had exemplified Article 4 of the American Fighting Man's Code of Conduct. If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information nor take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way. Good morning, doctor. Good morning, sir. Come and have some coffee with us, man. You've got nothing to do in your office. No, but in there, people can't see me doing it. You know, you used to hide. They're on here anyway. You know, the Christmas season hasn't made you any more charitable, haven't it, doctor? I'm not a man to be good on Sunday and sin all week, if that's what you mean. Well, you're honest of nothing else. Of course I'm honest. Hey, look. Look, look down at that phone. Oh, yeah, watch it. Across the street there in that coon skin hat. Oh, you mean that? Well, for the moment. Well, I never did. That's the tallest man in the store in that rival. He's carrying as long as he is. He sure doesn't look out of place in God. He is out of place, Chester. That's a squirrel hunting southern mountain man. Well, is everybody? Well, he's coming over here. Well, at least he ain't another gunman, Mr. John. That's something to be thankful for. Howdy. Hello. Great to you be the what you call the marshal. That's the word I never heard it till a fella told me this morning. Why, it's just a peace officer. I'm again peace officer. It ain't fitting for some folks to be meddling in other folks business. Well, what do they figure it like that stranger? He goes out mountains. Better country than this. And my name is Eben Hakes. My name is Dylan Hakes. This is Chester Crawford. Let's talk at him. Peace officer, a man said you'd help me find where at Joss Monger is living. Joss Monger? He come out here about a year ago. You got old mountain gal with him? Oh, they got a place up near Rock Springs, about 10 miles from here. I'll find it. You come a long way to see your friends, haven't you, Hakes? Joss Monger ain't exactly a friend, peace officer. Well, I got to get going. It'd be inside of me and all. Well, what's being started to got to do with it? Nothing, except I won't kill no man of a Sunday. Never have, and I never will. Let's take a moment to think of the world we live in, of just how small it really is. With modern transportation, traveling to almost any place in the world is only a matter of hours. Now, let's say that you're about to be stationed for the first time in the Panama Canal Zone. Once there, you'll find the Republic of Panama more intimately associated with the United States than any other country. You'll also find that nowhere abroad will you get in closer contact with the United States. North Americans have lived in the canal zone ever since it was acquired in May 1904, and you'll find thousands of your fellow countrymen, soldiers, sailors, and civilians, living and working in the zone, much as they would at home. Why would you be stationed here? It would be to help protect one of the greatest engineering feats in history, the Panama Canal, which was finally done and completed by the United States Army engineers and opened to navigation, August the 15th, 1914, 10 years after our engineers took over the actual digging of the Big Ditch at a total cost of $380 million. Now, here is why the canal is so important. This narrow gateway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans is kept open and maintained so that our Navy and merchant ships can pass quickly from ocean to ocean. This is a tremendous saving of time and money. Ships plowing the ocean waters between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States save 8,000 miles by going through the canal instead of around the southern tip of South America where, incidentally, there's some of the world's worst weather. It's another thought to keep in mind. Whenever you leave the canal zone and enter Panama proper, you are under the laws and customs of Panama, not those of the United States. So respect these laws and customs to maintain the people's friendship. For remember, the only way to have a friend is to be one. Joss Munger's place don't look no better than it ever did, does it? Not much. And just look at that poor Ms. Munger out doing chores as usual. I want to work jobless. Sleep with some worries, probably. Morning, Ms. Munger. Hi. Hi, ma'am. Poorly. There's Joss here, ma'am. Today wasn't Saturday, he'd be here. What? Joss, he'll be in the Dodge every Saturday. He does, so I never see him. He socialized more, you'd see him. Joss got his ways, Marshal. They're lonesome, but they're his. I see. Ms. Munger, do you know a man called Eben Hakes? H. You speak that name around here. You won't be welcome, Marshal. Is there trouble between you? You called Joss being the only Munger left and even being the only Hakes left. Then you could say there's trouble. Oh, yes. I mean, it's a feud. Both families have been twiddled down to just them, too. I see. Is that why Joss came out to Kansas? Get away from it? Not if he's always talking about going back long enough to kill Eben Hakes. Oh. What do you think, ma'am? Don't you think it's gone far enough? Either one of them could call it off if there wasn't some usually. Well, how'd this feud start, ma'am? If you had any bringing up, you wouldn't have asked. Oh, ma'am. It's a family matter. Where'd you see Eben Hakes, anyway? He was in Dodge asking about Joss. He was asking, and he'll find him. And that's bad. Joss don't even know he's around. That's why I came out here, ma'am. If Joss knew about him, I wouldn't worry. Joss better shop than Eben Hakes, any day. Look, Miss Munger, the law doesn't hold with a feudant. Whichever one kills the other, he'll hang for it. You start meddling, they'll shoot you. But I'm worried about Joss. He'd be drunk soon as it's dark. I'll find him, then. Now, goodbye. Bye. And then kill people all like that, Mr. Donner? Yeah, mighty independent. Well, well, sure. Don't seem to mean much to him, does it? Not when it comes to feudant, does it? Chastity. Look over there, with that little bluff. Well, for evermore. How'd he get here? I don't see no harm. Let's go ask him. Is that Joss Munger's place, Yonder? Uh-huh. Good. I'll get a little closer and shoot him when he comes out. You don't care whether you hang or not, do you? Hang? You're shooting to Munger? You're shooting anybody. You ever hear of murder? Peace Officer, you're getting down right contrary. Where's your horse? I don't need no horse to travel by. You mean you walked all the way from the Ozarks? Well, it's mostly downhill, Peace Officer. But I'd walk anywhere as to get me a Munger. Maybe I'll throw you in jail. Now, you are being meddlesome. I've got to get closer to that house. And don't you fret none about the old lady. I don't aim to shoot her. Mr. Dune, you're going to let Hicks wait here and shoot Joss? I'll let him go, Chester. Let's get back to the dodgy. We can find Joss and warn him. Maybe you ought to just let him shoot each other and have done with it. Don't tempt me, Chester. That's Sam if he's seen Joss. Will you, Chester? All right, sir. You been kidding? All the whole, Matt. Where you been? Pretty near midnight. Well, I've been trying to stop a feud, kiddie. A long time since I've heard of a feud around Dodds. Now, this one kind of got transplanted from the Ozarks. The Ozarks? And it's a wonder that crazy Joss Munger isn't mixed up in a... No, it's Joss. I'm looking for it. I'll bet you dollars right out back, Matt. Out back? Yeah. He's out there every Saturday night. He comes in and buys a bottle of corn from Sam and takes it out back and drinks it. Sits there all alone with his long life on one hand and his bottle in the other. Nobody knows what he's thinking. No wonder I never see him around. Yeah, but you're going here home, kid. You know what, Chester? Get it just told me, Chester. Go out and see if he's there. I'll bring him in, will you? Yes, sir. Who's Joss feuding with, Matt? A man called Eben the Hakes. He from the Ozarks, too? Yeah. He arrived today on foot. On foot? Yeah. He's all legs, kid. A real traveling man. Hey, I'd like to see him. He's got a face like a hatchet and he's built like a piece of wire. Well, I'll bet he carries a long rifle, too. He does. Here he is, Mr. John. I may leave his rifle with Sam. Hello, Joss. Say what you want, Marshal. I don't care to be cooped up inside here very long. Eben Hakes is looking for you, Joss. Of course he is. Monger and the Hakes been looking for each other nine on the 40 years, and most all got found, too. You've been drinking, Joss. Mrs. won't allow no drinking on the place, Marshal. So I've got to come to town every Saturday. Joss Monger? Got all the way, kiddo. Yeah, sure will. I got you caught like a fire up the tree, Joss. Put that rifle down, Hakes. He's going to kill me, and I ain't got my weapon. Put it down, I said. You're standing in the way, Peace Officer. And I'm going to stay here. And I'll have to shoot you first. You're not going to shoot anybody. Of course I am. That's what I come for, ain't it? Don't try it. Hold on a minute, everybody. Hey, would you? I just thought of something. I wish all you folks had stopped meddling in this. Yeah, but it's after midnight, Hakes. What? It's ever Sunday. Sunday? Yeah, that's right, Hakes. Oh, well, of all the God-blame luck. Well, quit looking so troubled, Joss. I won't shoot no man on Sunday, even to Monger. You come off of close to it, Eden. It's a dog on chain that took me so long to find you today. You traveled a long way, Eden. I know. Well, I got tired waiting for you to come back home, Joss. I was coming. I was coming this summer. I know. Your old lady told me about it today. I've seen her scratching around doing chores. That ain't much of a place you got, Joss. Oh, fella can make a crop here sometimes, Eden. But it's a hard fight with a short stick. I didn't see no hogs out there. Where are your hogs, Joss? I'm getting some, come spring. Eden, how is things back home? Well, there's been a lot of changes since you left. Eden, I got me a little jog out back. It's most empty now, but we could maybe buy another one set out there on the stoop for a spell and kind of get soured on the cob. What say you? Might as well. We can't do no shooting till Monday. We're out doing by this, Joss. I'll show you. Fell over here, fell. You'll have to give me the loan of some money, Joss. I didn't bring that with me this week. Well, if they don't beat all me, you know what I mean? Yeah. Looks to me like they're going to call their feud off. No, not them, Chester. Midnight tomorrow they'll be stalking each other all over again. Why are you going to stop them? Well, I'll let them enjoy themselves tonight, but tomorrow I'm going to throw them both in jail. They're going to stay there till they learn something more than feud. Get the picture. And we do mean motion pictures. This is your chance to attend school within your assigned area. How? By enrolling in a USAPI telecourse. If you are taking a USAPI correspondence course, you may also be able to attend a classroom on film, which will give you additional instruction on the same subject. Although primarily prepared for showing in areas which are serviced by armed forces television, these telecourses can also be shown in any other area which has a standard 16-millimeter projector. The filmed courses each come in a series of from 12 to 20 half-hour films and are conducted by well-qualified high school and college teachers. At the present time, the number of courses is limited. So if you are interested in studying by this method, see your education officer for information and details. Then enroll with your SAPI and let a telecourse be your guide. I wasn't sure that jail would teach Jof and even a thing that I still couldn't let them run loose and shoot each other down. So the next morning, Chester and I went looking for him. We found where they built a small fire out back at the Long Branch. We found a number of empty bottles, but that was all. We searched the tundle noon with no luck and then I decided to ride off to the longer place and see if by any chance Jof had returned. There's nobody in sight when we got there, so we dismounted and walked up to the door. Oh, there's smoke coming out the chimney, Mr. June. Yeah, it doesn't mean Jof's here. Oh, no, sir. Afternoon was... Go away, myself. Now, wait a minute, Mrs. Munger. You don't want to get shot, you do what I say. Friendly, ain't you? Yeah. But she didn't have no gun. Must be Jof is in there. Probably. Well, if it is, why would he want to shoot you? There's one reason I can think of. You mean he's went and killed even Hakes? I don't know, Chester, but I'm sure gonna find out. They ain't gonna open it, none. Yeah, there's a window around at the side. Ain't very clean, Linda. It'll do. Now, let me take a look. I'll be... What? What is it, Mr. June? Yeah, have a look for yourself. All right. Well, they're eating dinner. Oh, three of them. Yeah. Come on. The rifles. He busted in. He busted right past the woman. I never heard a man coming in another man's house that way. He had any upring, and he wasn't us. He's just the kind of people they got in Kansas, Jof. He's first I seen of it. Never mind about that, Jof. Why did your wife threaten to shoot me? What's going on here, anyway? You hadn't come to put him in jail. You wouldn't get shot, Marshal. Oh, how did you know I was gonna put him in jail? He even says you told him he was. That's right I did, if he killed anybody. I ain't killed nobody. He was off. We stopped it. Huh? You stopped it? Sure. Last night, we got to talking a little about old times and everything. You know what we found out? What? You tell him, even. Well, Peace Officer, this here feud started a long time ago. What happened was my grandpa stole Jof's grandpa's girl and married up with her. So Jof's grandpa declared he feud right then and there. But you ain't told him what we found out yet, even. Oh. Oh, well, we hadn't thought of it before, Peace Officer. Well, last night, we was thinking that if my grandpa hadn't done that, then Jof here would have been me. Why? Don't you see? Otherwise, my grandma would have married up with Jof's grandpa and I'd have been Jof. So anyway, you look at it, we're kind of related like. Anyway, you look at it last night. You mean I seen all them empty bottles? No, it doesn't matter, Chester. As long as the feud is off. It ain't only off. He was gonna stay on here with us. We're going to work this place together. I'm going to give him a share in it. Come Christmas. Come Christmas. Why? Can't fire off. January 6th. Just when did Christmas get to be January 6th? You knew anything. You know that. That's why I'm getting to know less and less, man. You folks don't understand. Back in the Ozarks, we do our Christmas celebrating 12 days from when you do. Oh, you're talking about 12 nights. We call it Christmas, too. If you only knew, Marshall, it works just fine for us. Well, there's no reason why I shouldn't, man. It's a real good old custom. Say now, maybe you and Chester would come out and celebrate with us? Well, they don't mind crap and sour pickles and cornbread and coffee, they'll come. Well, now a woman, ain't there going to be no chitlin? If you had mass, I was keeping them for a surprise. Mrs. Monger, chitlins are no chitlins. I'd be proud to come. Me, too. Well, we'll leave you to your dinner now. And we'll see you all at 12 at night, eh? All together. Well, sure it comes out well, man. For Houston, directed by Norman McDonald, stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, US Marshall. The story was specially written for Gunsmoke by John Mastin. Featured in the cast were John Daener, Virginia Gregg, and Vic Parran. Harley Bear is Chester, Howard McNeer is Doc, and Georgia Ellis is Kitty. Join us again next week for another story of the Western Frontier. When Matt Dillon, Chester Proudfoot, Doc, and Kitty, together with all the other hard-living citizens of Dodge will be with you once more. It's America growing west in the 1870. It's Gunsmoke. Gunsmoke has come to you through the worldwide facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.