 A round-dodged 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 Bellum, United States Marshal, the first man they look for and the last they want to meet. It's a cancery job, but it makes a man watchful, but a little lonely. Chester and I were 30 miles from Dodge when we ran into the Buffalo Hunters' camp. We'd been holed up for two days in a deserted sod hut taking cover from one of the worst blizzards in years. It was over now, and a warm dry canuck blew out of the west down off the Rockies and across the prairie in the Kansas. It was Chester who first saw the camp, a pile of buffalo hides, half-colored with snow, and the skeleton of a wagon is candlestorn and shredded with a blizzard. The camp was silent as we rode up and got down. Hey, Mary, it's so cool here in this room. They got caught out on the prairie when the blizzard hit, Chester. Yeah, they still didn't look that way. I don't know how that theme is still alive with nothing but that wagon for protection. Yeah, but they don't look none too lively. No, you can't blame them. Put your hands up. Look. Over there. Better do what the old man says, Chester. Mr. Hidey, now why is it? Come over here. Closer. It's your camp, Mr. Of course it's my camp. Now you two drop them guns. Well, we got our hands up. That's not enough. You do what I say. I ain't taking no chances. I ain't going to get left here again. What? You're going to hit that team, you're going to take me and the Dodds. You ain't running off like dead laners. Well, who's dead laner? He was my spinner. Oh, why did he leave you? Yeah, he seen that blizzard coming. He didn't want to take any chances, so he rode off. He's probably been in Dodds all the time, warm and cozy. Oh, why didn't you go with him? Man, I pierced his my leg, my foot, so they can't ride a horse, that's why. You learn to take it, drive it away, and it'd be too slow. You mean he left you here to freeze? Ah, it's killing when I find him. And I'll tell you if he don't drive me to Dodds. I hear. He's a good-ass Marshal, Mrs. He's going to leave you here. And Marshal? Now, why don't you put that rifle down and come up to where you are? All right. My name is Ira Puckett, Marshal. I'm usually up north following the Republican herd that I come south this year. I'm getting old, and I thought it'd be warming down here. You sure made a mistake about that, didn't you? You'll get me in the Dodds, won't you? Yeah, sure, of course we will. All right. It's worth a try today. Don't feel nothing in it. It must be frozen. Yeah, it could be. Well, he'll get longer for this. Now, you forgot about that, Puckett. I'm not taking you back to Dodds just so you can hang. Ah, I'll forget it till I find him sometime. Then his foot wasn't so bad after all, huh? Well, he didn't have much foot left when I got through with him. You'll be able to walk there with a cane, like these buffalo hunting days are over. Ah, does he know that? I told him. Ira Puckett, the proud moon man. A little too far. Oh, what do you mean, Doc? Well, what he hated most about this dead lion and leaving him on a parade wasn't the fact that he might have died. But that he was helpless. Now, a man like Puckett can't stand being helpless. I see. And now, crippled up, he's a bigger man than that. Well, he'd get over it, Doc. You know, man, he'd get used to most anything at the time. No, no, no, no. I got my doubts about Puckett. Hey, he's the best human I've ever seen. Yeah, all right. Well, come with me. Hello, Puckett. My chef. Oh, how you feeling? Yes. Doc, tell you what he done to me? Yeah. He ruined my first. I saved your life, Puckett. I ain't sure I'm grateful, Doc. You're going to be all right, Puckett. You'll be able to get around. Yeah, like old woman. What am I going to do for a living? I ain't one of you city people. I live off the country. I always have. I'm a man, not a dude. You'll get used to town life. And I do find men here, too. What kind of men? Walking around all flickered up, parting their hair in the middle, and bowing to the ladies. Ain't one of them could do half the things I've done. Well, I was living with comatose when most of them were snibbling in their mother's apron. I know. But you'll find something to do. I'll help you. You will, huh? Sure. And help me find Jed Larner. Bring him in here so that I can kill him with my bare hands. What does he look like, Puckett? You know, he's tall, black hair. Got a big scar on the cross when I'm halfway down the right seat. Good. I'll try to find him. And if I do, I'll run him out of town before you get to him. Yeah. I can't do it without you, Ted. Not when you want to murder a man. I told you I didn't bring in so the chicken hangs. And I see a week that kept the sharp eye out for Jed Larner. But you must have headed for some of the part of the country. Anyway, you never showed up in the dark. That time passed. And I, Puckett, was able to get around a little bit. First with a helper clutching and finally with a team. But it was obvious that his hunting days were over. And not alone, the thing that came in. And then one night his pride really got a blow. I was at the long branch having a beer with kiddie that happened. Well, it was a great way to stop a new year, man. Well, what do you mean, kiddie? Well, last year I was hoping maybe I'd be in San Francisco by now. San Francisco? Yeah. You never told me. Well, we get done about it. Well, nothing, I guess. But, uh, why San Francisco? Oblivious, no ducks, no cowboys. Yeah, but they got fog. And all those sailors and miners aren't any more gentle than these cowboys, you know? Oh, I know. Imagine going to dinner in a trade, not a payable car. Dancing on a hot whistle. You know, I think you're spoiled, kiddie. Well, how could I get spoiled? We're in the dark city. You know, I always... Oh, what's a man on that? That's the man at the bar there. He just turned around. Hmm? What's a man? One of the guys on his cheek. Excuse me, kiddie, I'll be back. Yeah. Oh! Even, Michael? Even. Before you said it, me, Michael. Your name's Dad Lana. What a pretty. How long have you been in town? About an hour. Michael, something wrong? You remember the big blizzard we had? Well, who? Who don't? We all do, I guess. Especially Ira Puckett. What? He doesn't die, Lana. Well, that's fine. I went back looking for him. I wondered where he'd got to. Yeah, sure you did. Well, it's true. Puckett's here in Dodge, Lana. He? And if he finds you, he'll kill you. But he isn't gonna find you because you're leaving right now. And don't you ever screw up around here again. Well, well, no, just wait, Michael. I can't arrest you and I can't put you in jail, but I'll tell you what I can do. What? Suppose I just let everybody here know that you're the man who ran off and left Ira Puckett to die. You know, they tear you apart, Lana. Don't say nothing, Michael. I'll set you on fire. Don't tell him. I'll leave, Michael. I'll leave right now. What? You got rid of him in there, right? Well, I just saved him from being shot and I had a bucket for him hanging for us today. Oh, that was shot long ago. Uh-huh. He was the one that ought to hang. Ah, he didn't mean to kill the old man today. What's the difference? Well, legally, it is common, I guess. I mean, it's not a big deal. Why? Because I think so? Why don't we talk about San Francisco some more? I changed my mind. I think I'll go to New York. What's the dealin'? I've got a bucket now. Yeah. You look awful mad. You can live on. You can always find a gun, can you? You done it. You done it. You done it. You done it. You done it. You done it. You done it. You done it. You done it. You done it. You done it. You done it, myself. It was you, wasn't it? Ah, you saw that one. Yes, I saw him. I saw him jump on his horse. He rode out of town before I could stop him. And I had to stand there and watch. I didn't even have a rock to throw at him. Why'd you do it, myself? I'd cut it wide, but I don't understand you from hanging. I'd rather hang the way this way. I wasn't born to become a helpless old man. At least it could have done. You let me fight my own battles like I always did on the plane. You took my manhood away from me, Marshall. You're living in a town now. I run among people. Why don't you try to get used to it? All right. All right, I will. I'll start living like you town people. And you're going to get a job? Am I going to? I sure am. It's going to pay me a lot of money, too. What do you mean? You'll find out, Marshall. When it's too late. Come on, but aint it a nice morning, Mr. Jones? Yeah, thanks to that Wendway hat last night. Well, it kept me awake. Huh? All night? Well, I'm not sure. I wouldn't say all night. Hey, let's go over there by the time, Mr. Jones. Ain't that a while to talk to? Yeah, it is. That's the first time he's had his team wagon on. How do you suppose he's going? Right now, he's going into the bank. What's he carrying that chop, then, for? He can't go hunting in the bank. Oh, yes, he can, just. Come on. What? Yeah, he doesn't even say, oh, fuck it, it's been a two-way bank job. Well, he said last night he's going to start living like town people. Get a job and make himself a lot of money. This could be his idea of how to do it. Man, he sure couldn't have no money until he got done in there. Here, you going in after, Mr. Jones? Yeah. But he's got a shotgun. Just a look. You take his wagon and team off somewhere, leave them out around the back of the bank, out of sight, and then we can handle it without a shoot and go on. Go on. All right, Chester. He's coming out. Come on up, I said. I'm not stopping you. You better not try it. I can shoot with one hand, Marshall. Sure. If you don't, you try to follow me. You need this. Hey, hey, wait a minute. Where's my wagon? Where's my key? You're on a bad fix, aren't you? Somebody stole them. I can't get away without my key. No, you can't. So you might as well give up. You done it. You're behind this, Marshall. You gonna shoot me? Why shouldn't I? Because you're in enough trouble already and shooting me won't help a bit. You're trapped and there isn't a thing you can do about it. Now, why don't you use your head, Arlo? All right. Here. There's the money. Now, you bring my outfit back. I ain't gonna go to jail, Marshall. Like I said, shooting me isn't gonna help you. And I'm not gonna do a thing about your outfit. You think you've outsmarted me, don't you? Give it up, Arlo. You're licked. Yeah, I... I... I think, Marshall, here. Take my gun. Thanks. You're a helpless old fool. Send me to rob a bank proper. I'm not sure that you really wanted to, Arlo. What? All you wanted was to prove something about that manhood you think has been taken away from you. And that you should have picked up foolish way to do it. Yeah, I guess I did. Well, I thought he wouldn't ever give up, Mr. Young. He didn't have much choice, I think. Only taking my notes to jail. Oh, no, no, no, no, I... I can't stand jail. Please, Marshall. Yeah, I'll lock him up, Chuck, and I'll return this money. I'll have a talk with Mr. Barton. I'll be over later. I thought I told you to lock him up, Chuck, too. Oh, I started cheating on him, but... I just couldn't stand to look on his face when I locked him in that cell. You know, Arlo, it seems to me that everybody treats you pretty well. Yeah, everybody but Jed Larner... That's true, but Chester and I brought you in. Doc saved your life. I kept you from hanging, and if I hadn't hopped smart at you at the bank, you'd probably be lying dead somewhere right now. You know, it seems to me everybody's gone to an awful lot of trouble for an old man full of a lot of foolish pride. What do you think? I've been thinking, Marshall, Steppen here thinking. You know what? You're right. It's too late now. No, it isn't. What? I explained everything to Mr. Barton at the bank, and he's willing to drop any charges against you. But on one condition. What's that? To be honest with you, it was my idea, but Mr. Barton agreed. You got a job here, and you quit being the doggone artery, huh? Otherwise, you'll go to jail. What can I do with this triple foot? Well, seeing that you're so handy with a shotgun, I think that Jim Buck might hire you to write messenger on the stage for him. You think so? Well, he told me he would. You went, you saw him? Well, it doesn't take any walking either. I never had a job like that. But a man's got to make things once in a while, don't he? And it is sure to be a good way to start the new year. Gun Smoke. produced and directed by Norman McDonnell, stars William Conrad as Matt Billan, U.S. Marshall. The story was specially listened for Gun Smoke by John Meston. Featured in the cast were Ralph Moody and Lauren Stobbkin. Farley Bayer as Tester, Howard McNeer as Doc, and Georgia Ellis as Kitty. Learn us again next week for another story on Gun Smoke.