 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 the 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, 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. You don't have to walk me all the way, Doc. Oh, it's a pleasure, Kitty. I don't often get to be seen with a beautiful woman. Oh, Doc. Yeah, that's true. And what's more, you know it. Oh, there you go. And I was just beginning to enjoy myself. Uh-uh, there's Matt. He just came out of his office. Let's go say hello to him. You're sitting down. We better hurry before he comes. He's asleep. Wish I had a job like his. Say, where's Chester these days, anyway? Yeah, he's still visiting a friend out at Port Dodge, some old army pal from the war. Is he ever coming back? Of course he'll be back. Truth is, he gets tired of the cooking out there, doesn't he? There's Matt. You've got company. Hello, Matt. Oh, hello, Kitty. Doc, why don't you sit down? Oh, thank you. Just for a minute. I've got to get to work pretty soon. Have you been shopping? Yeah, but I didn't buy anything. What about all those clothes and stuff you told me you ordered? Well, that's different. Oh, you did? Well, sure. No, no, no. Don't explain it to me now. It's too hot today. Yes. Who's this? I don't know. He's a stranger to me. Well, he's from Texas. That's for sure. Look at that rain. Yes, Marshal. You're wearing a star, maybe you're him. I said I'm a stranger. You're Matt Dillon? That's right. Oh. Well, I'm Phil Jacks, Marshal. With a herd of 3,000 San Sabercattans, about five days' drive from here. Name of the trail boss is Dolph Quince. Dolph Quince? Well, he was in here last year. Give him my regards, would you? Well, he says for you to ride back with me, Marshal. What? That's all he said, me to bring you back. Can't you tell me what it's all about? It's about Kansas, Marshal. Kansas? We don't like it. Oh, you're running into trouble, huh? About to quit driving cattle and turn into an army, Marshal. Yeah. You go get yourself a drink, Jacks. Meet me here in about a half hour, and I'll go with you. Drop your saddle anyway, Marshal. I'll turn your horse in with a remute. Yeah. All right. Thanks, Jacks. And the Dolph Quince will be over there by the fire somewhere. Okay. How are you, Marshal? Good to see you again. Hey, it's fresh meat in camp. Ask the cook for a plate. Oh, thanks. I will. I'll go with you. I need some more coffee. You like Buffaloville? One of the boys wrote me a shot of cap this morning. Sure, I like it fine. I guess it was Buffalo that scared our horses last night. Full of muter broke loose. Hey, cook, give this man a plate of meat. Yeah, sure thing, dog. Yeah, it looks mighty good, doesn't it? Give me some coffee, will you? Yeah. Thank you. An ester woman came to the bedground for a day like this morning to ask if we had any little calves that had been dropped during the night. She probably picks up calves from all the herds that pass this way. We'd have to get rid of them anyway. So I'll let her have them, even if she was a Kansan. Oh. You know, if it had been a Kansas man asked for calves, I don't think I could have talked these boys into allowing it. How's that so? It sure is, Martin. Tell me, Dolph, have you seen any Kansas J-Hawkers on the way up? How'd you know? That's a pretty good guess. Two nights ago, some of them J-Hawkers managed to sneak up on Snot over there when he was out on guard. They stripped him and clogged him and stampeded the cattle. They had our hands full for the next few hours, so he might have caught up with them. Any trouble since? Not yet. You know, Dolph, the ordinary Kansan hates J-Hawkers as much as you do. There's nothing but shifty, murderous criminals. They got started on the Missouri border during the war, and they got the taste of blood in their mouths, and, you know, it's like I got no place to go. We can show them a place. They're bandits, that's all. If you got bandits in Texas, but that doesn't make every Texan one, does it? It's kind of hard to make men see it that way, Martian. Well, I know it is. I just hope they understand it before a regular war breaks out. Another visit with Joe and Daphne Forsythe. And the moon is beating. Oh, let Daphne hold it. Oh, hi, Joe. Guess what, honey? I'm trying out for the operetta. As what? A singer. You could have fooled me. I was just practicing one of the songs. Well, I don't think you quite fit the role. Why not? Well, if this version of the student prince is like the version I know, that particular number is sung by a tenor. Oh. Not that you don't come close, but I think you better stick to being a housewife. But I want to be a singer. Daphne, honey, a singer you'll never be. I could take lessons. Yeah, but lessons cost money. Money better invested for us in savings bonds. You and your old savings bonds. I can't help it, honey. I just can't get over the way those savings bonds pay off. Four dollars for every three. That's what I call an investment. What good do they do me now? A lot. The money we put in those bonds every pay they helps keep America strong and protects you and me. No bonds, maybe no operetta. Ever think of that? I still want to be a singer. Well, when those bonds start bringing in the green, if you still want to sing, they'll pay for the lessons and more. Good. Gee, if those bonds mature as fast as you say, I better start practicing now just so that I'll be ready. Overhead the moon is being... Daphne. Daphne, did anyone ever tell you you have a bad voice? Everyone. Hello, doll. Marshall. Jax. Join me if you don't mind. Sit down, Jax. Been sitting here drinking coffee complaining to Marshall about our welcome in Kansas. Yeah. I heard a trail driver's buying off him, J Hawkers. Two, three dollars ahead. Now, let's see. Three thousand cattle. It cost us... I'm paying nobody nothing. Well, they ain't asked us yet, but I'll kill the first one I see anyway. Marshall, one reason I wanted you to come down here was to ride with us a few days. Get to know the boys, little. You're in a bad temper, and when they hit Dodge, they're gonna be looking for Kansas scouts. All right, I'll ride with you. I figured you would. See, Marshall, the way we look at it, the good citizens of Dodge are out to fleece us anyway. And on top of that, they hire gunfighters to shoot us as soon as we kick up our heels a little. Now, all in all, it makes for a bad feeling. There's some misunderstanding on both sides, I guess. Yeah, you and I know that. They don't, Dolph. I'm here for God's sake. What? Strangers just rode up the remute over there and asked for a job. I told them to eat first. Where is it? I'll go get it. So, Dolph, I'd like to stand the guard tonight. I have no need for that. Now, if I'm riding with you, I'll do my share of the work. All right. You go out with a second watch. Ryan, go give you a night horde. Thanks. Here he is, Dolph. Quince, trail boss. Mr. Quince. Quince will do. Well, my name's Studer. Kyle Studer. You lost? I don't know what you mean. Well, you know we're only four days' drive out of Dodge? I was wondering, could you use a hand? Four days? That'd help. You must be awful hungry. I thought maybe you'd be driving past Dodge. I'm not. But we'll feed you from here to Dodge if you work. I won't pay you anything, though. I haven't got the money. I don't need a hand anyway. Fair enough. Hey, by the way, where are you from? Colorado. Then you ain't a cancel. No. Good. Maybe the boys won't tear you apart. You'll be on a third watch tonight, Studer. All right. He's the sort of man who spends his whole miserable life just looking for Salt Pork and Sundown. Yeah. If that's all he's looking for. What do you mean? Just an old habit of mine, Doc. I wouldn't be alive if I trusted everybody on first sight. You don't trust this fellow? Oh, he's probably all right. Still, I'd keep him in camp unless it's daylight. I wouldn't put him on night guard. All right. Marshall, I always thought I led a hard life. Till now, I think you beat me. I just got shot at more than you, and so... Maybe that's it. Hey, you better stretch out somewhere. You'll be out singing to those cow broods in two hours. Yes. Well, I'll see you later, Doc. Breakfast at four. You'll find it don't take long to stay all night at this ranch. I didn't have much chance that night to get to know the boys on guard. Two of us rode around the herd in opposite directions, singing or humming a little to let the cattle know where we were. And after two hours, we were relieved by the third watch. But at breakfast the next morning, the men treated me a little less like a gunfighter hired to shoot them when they got to dodge. After the cattle had grazed for a few miles, we got them on the trail, and I started to forget that I was a lawman myself. Jackson and I were riding the swing of the herd when Dolph Quinn sloped up behind us. Hey, how's it feel to be on a trail, Marshall? It doesn't hurt if I can sleep all winter like you do. Where would you spend your money? I already offered to trade jobs with him, Dolph. Hey, look, you two crossed the simmer on yesterday. What's it like? The water's gone down. You won't have any trouble. I was also thinking about the sand. Well, it was sound where we were, Dolph. Yeah, then we'll cross right there. You go up ahead and ride point, Jackson. Lead us to it. All right. Take that new fellow stutter with you. I don't need him. I want him up front where I can see him. Oh, okay. First crossing I tried last year, I had a quick sand bottom and bog a saddle blanket. Oh, lose many cattle? 30 head. Couldn't even dig your tails out. You know, Dolph, I sometimes wonder if it's worth it to you driving cattle up here. Texas is bankrupt, Marshall. War broke us. All we got is these wild longhorn cattle. Yeah, I know. Well, maybe there'll be an easier way someday. We'd starve waiting for the railroad. I suppose so. Anyway, the Santa Sabra herd of yours is the first to reach Dodge this year. The price is pretty high. You ought to profit about $20 a head. I hope so. Money in your pocket, Dodge. Get off for high-class entertainment. Almost anything you'd want. Well, the boys will be... Hey, that's up ahead. Come on. Look, he's got a blanket. He's starting to stay in peace. Yeah. Is that Jack's horse running loose? Yeah, and here's Jack's lying on the ground. Just shot him, Marshall. That man with a blanket, that stutter. Go on after him, Doc. You take care of Jack's. Go the cattle there. Get him, Marshall. Get him alive. I'll get it. Ellen. Ellen. Hi there. What are you doing? I'm memorizing my wife's name. You, a memory expert? What happened? I called her Joanne. Oh. I was nearly a hospital case. Which brings us to the subject of Medicare. I knew you'd work it in somehow. Why not? Sooner or later, Medicare comes into the lives of every serviceman and his dependent. Well, you sure did it into mine a lot. Excuse me. I got to get back to my memory work. Hazel. Hazel. Hazel. You know, I've got a hunch somebody is going to need medical care real soon. To learn how Medicare helps your family get the pamphlet, Dependence, Medical Care Program. Maryland. Maryland. Maryland. As I followed stutter, a few shots passed my head, but they didn't come from him. They came from behind a small rise he was headed for. Whoever was shooting was still too far away from me for me to worry about. I wanted to take care of stutter first and slowly the distance between us closed. I pulled my rifle out of the boot and I snapped one off at him. He threw up his hands and pitched forward out of the saddle. I glanced at him as a road passed and crossed him off as one Jay Hawker less. I reached the rise, I jumped off of my horse and I ran up it on foot and near the top I got down and I crawled. I poked my head over. There was only one man in sight. The other Jay Hawkers if there had been and he had disappeared. This one was a foot and running for his horse. So I took my time and I put a shot into the candle of his saddle. Horse bolted and the man dropped behind a rock and lay there. There was only half covered so I stood up. A step at a time I started torching down the hill. Far enough, mister. Going back. You're in pistol range now. All right fella, put down and come forward. All I want is a horse and I'll get out of here. We won't bother you no more. Yes, sure won't. Just let me on the horse. Listen to me, I'm a United States Marshal. You give up and I promise you there'll be no lynching. You'll get a fair trial. No. If you don't give up, you're gonna die right where you are. Let me go. I'm warning you. I'm coming after you. You just had to try it, didn't you? You leave a bloody trail, Marshal? Yeah. I brought Snyder with me. At the weapon they gave me the other night I figured he deserved to be in on this. Guess I'm too late. Looks like the Marshal's done taking care of everybody. Be glad you don't have to kill a man, son. I don't think I'd mind, Marshal. Yeah, I know. Tell me about House Jack's. This dude has shot him in the back of the head. He was a good man. The boys have got the lead cattle turned. They'll let them mill around for an hour and then graze them out. Uh, Snyder, I left my horse over the rise there. Would you get him for me? Yeah, sure. It's like you walked right down onto this man. How I tried to take him alive like you asked. I just wanted to hang in myself. Anyway, I'm glad he's dead. Yeah, sure. Marshal will be burying Jack's out here. I'm wondering if you might know how to do it. Maybe a prayer or something? Well, I tried, huh? Let's get back in. We got back to where Jack's had fallen. The cook had driven the chuck wagon up and was busy fixing coffee for the men, even though it was far from noon. The cattle were spread out and feeding now, and one by one the men rode up sober, quiet. Just a glance at Jack's where he lay covered by a saddle blanket. The grave was soon dug, and with the end gate of the chuck wagon for a headstone, so Jack was placed on the ground and covered with prairie earth. Their hats in their hands, the Texas men had watched the service in silence. When it was done, they turned and walked away. Oh, uh, Snyder, I want you to do something funny, huh? What? I smuggled a quart of wagon yard whiskey out of dodge when I came down here. The cook's got it hidden in the chuck wagon. Well, now, Marshal... That's not much, but it'll cut the alkali in your drinking water. Why don't you get it and pass it out to the men, huh? Might have decent of you, Marshal. Always wants a drink of Marshal's whiskey. Get on over to the chuck wagon. There's times when a drink's good for a man, Marshal. I guess this is one of them. I think Jack should approve. You sure would. By the way, the boys all know how you handle M.J. Hawkers. Huh? It ain't changed their minds about Kansans much, but maybe they think a little more highly of the law around here, or the kind of gunfighter hired by the law anyway. Ah, that's good. Of course it don't mean they won't hurrah dodge a little when we get there. I expect that. Sure. Come on, we got a drink coming out of that bottle, too. Smoked. Produced and directed by Norman McDonald, stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal. The script was specially written for Gunsmoke by Les Crutchfield with editorial supervision by John Meston. The music was composed and conducted by Rex Corey. Sound patterns were by Ray Kemper and Bill James. 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.