 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. martial and the smell of guns smoke the united states martial the first man they look for and the last thing want to meet it's a chance a job that it makes a man watchful and a little lonely I'm kindly nippy tonight in Mr. Dylan that's getting toward the season for it Chester I always hate to see winter come on the lonesome time here you know I remember you say in last spring that you hated to see summer come on because you didn't like the heat well yeah but at least it ain't lonesome there's always something going on in summer time yeah Dustin flies mostly well come on let's go to the jail and anyhow it don't snow and freeze up everything in the summer time you got me there Chester sure can't recall ever hearing of any snow in the summer and that's another bunch of cowboys come to eat up the town and it sounds like they're feeling pretty good too that is that was Carl Willis trail boys they're doing up in the panhandle this way I heard they were going to try to make a second drive this year I'm fine virus most of the cattle agents has gone back now they probably contracted their hurt when they were here in the spring come on Chester well ain't you going to stop them shooting that way they're not doing any harm just letting off steam they'll quit pretty soon settled on spending their money and I swear I just can't understand the way a trailer driver thinks mr. John what do you mean well let's spend two months or more working a herd north then they hit down the pocket full of pay they go out and throw it away in one night and they're flat broke again to get back to Texas yeah but they sure got a night to remember Chester yeah maybe so but dog got it you'd think they'd use some sand off now what is it kitty at the end of the street Matt you better come it's red bastion's wife oh what about her one of those cowboys shot her please get through here stand back William wait stand back on dark oh oh hello man you need any help well no no how bad is she what's hard to say until I get the bleeding stopped bullet grazed the side of her head she's still unconscious her husband's over there if I guess he can tell you what happened I haven't even had time to find out I'll go talk to you holler if you want me on that all right now she's gonna be all right Marshall Doc's doing his best how'd it happen them halfway drunken cowboys they ought to be run out of town and kept out you see which one it was it's too dark anyhow I was across there by the stable when it happened yeah where was your wife Melodia was there on the seat of the bugboard she was holding the horses while I went to fetch some harness I bought just fixing to go back out the farm I see I heard them hoping and hollering and firing their guns that come running out and loading a yell fell off the seat about time I got there found out what had happened they rode on past that's a bad thing to have happened right even though it wasn't on purpose that ain't no excuse Marshall I know that I know the wall deal with whoever did the law sure better now you just take it easy read I've used gun law before and I can use it again I don't be a fool there are 20 lazy tea writers in town I never started nothing yet I couldn't finish whoever shot my wife's gonna be a lot better off if you get him before I do you can tell them that Marshall rather you tell it to him just that way saying one of my boys done it that's why I've been staying back here in the shadows how is she doesn't know yet Marshall I ain't had a chance to talk to my men yet but if one of them did it I'll find out and I'll turn him in now you can count on it I was hoping I could go maybe broke up a little when you get him but you get it just one thing what you better make it fast this thing could get out of hand you look like you could stand a drink yeah I think I could how is she dark still working on him he moved her up to his office any luck finding out who did it no it's like it's up to Carl will it he's checking with his men a lot of good that'll do those trail drivers stick together like leeches no kitty I think Carl will try to get to the bottom of it I figured it was best to let him have first chance anyway didn't anybody see it happen not as far as I can find out it was dark down there they were all bunched together right and fast firing their guns well it's a dirty shame man I always liked her what little I've known of her she seems real sweet and gentle yeah yeah I've noticed her are you want me to leave Matt no no you stay around Carl you know get it on his kitty much sort of maybe sorry you invited me Marshall when you hear what I got to say none of my boys shot at it it was firing in the air that's what they say Marshall I've rode with him man at least two drives with all of 10 or 12 with some you get to know a man on a cattle drive and you know when they're telling the truth I believe him I see Marshall that's her husband we met last spring I bought water often for a couple of weeks find out who shot my wife yet Marshall I'm working on it right why don't you make Carl will it here tell you it was him and his men riding down that street none of my boys did it bastion that's so yes that's so what makes you think so well they don't lie to me if one of them had done it he'd tell me eat that just fine my wife's laying over there in Doc's office heard bad maybe dying but it ain't nobody's fault nobody really done it because your man wouldn't tell a lie look best you know nobody feels worse than I do about your wife but you're barking up the wrong tree I say you're a liar will it only say all right both of you I was only saying what he believes if he's wrong we'll find out about it you both just settled on it's like I'll have to Marshall he's wearing a gun and I'll be glad to take it off no tomorrow I'll be wearing one myself and long as you're gonna cover up for the man that's guilty I reckon it'll have to be you I come looking for Ed you're talking like a fool maybe so Marshall but the way I see it the laws had his chance and it ain't done much how is she done it's a close call but she's gonna squeak through she's resting easy now it's good that's real good you can take her home if you want to read I'll stop by tomorrow she'll more likely sleep for twelve fourteen hours well there's been a lot worse read and don't change nothing far as I'm concerned I'll be in town tomorrow will it I hope you are too we'll see your men first thing in the morning all of them over to jail it's all you can go back to kind of Marshall all in the next one Chester well that's all I miss you don't know I felt a text there was a last one and we don't know any more than we did when we started talking to him well him did do it he sure is a good liar yeah look together like pups from the same litter all fired in the air they couldn't possibly hit her and they ever story just a life without a witness about all I can do is slap a fine on them for disturbing the peace and what they do with that well that won't satisfy red bastion mr. don't afraid of won't of course now he's had chance to sleep on it he might have simmered down some wish I could believe that Chester you always treated his wife like a dog I can't figure him getting surrounded up about this I guess it's a matter of pride with it mass red bastion down the street and Carl will it stand on the porch of the dodge house he's been there all morning he says he didn't ask for the fight but he won't run from it all right come on thanks getting read it just hold up a few days we might still get to the bottom of this he'd be happy his wife don't get well I've never seen that man happy in his whole life and there's red in the street in front of dodge house yeah wait a minute you're acting like a fool come on too bad I was just gonna talk to it that's why you pulled that old trick on him what do you mean slapping your thigh with your left hand the way you did he thought you were drawing and he had his gun half out before he saw his mistake that's when you drew and killed him it was self-defense the fact remains he draw it on the fact remains as a killer's trick yeah doc I've got to get out the bastion place right away what's the matter doc it's your wife bastion one of the neighbors kids just wrote in from the farm what about her what's wrong well she's been bitten by a rattlesnake like she was last night and now being bit by rattler can't figure out how that snake got in the house ain't nothing like that happened before well cool well there's coming on the snakes are starting to crawl in the warm places to hibernate red it's sure the granddaddy one putting her six foot long the big one look at these rattles I cut off it 14 oh nine years I've been married to that woman won't go easy losing well now they still hope Mr. Bastion it's night that fella will it trying to kill her like he done and now this there's no reason to think Carl will it fired that shot there's plenty of reason he wouldn't have stood up to no gunfight just to cover for somebody else I say fired that shot himself I know Carl a long time that he wasn't the kind sure you know the Marshall real good friends of two of you I seen that right off that's why I figured I couldn't count on no help from the law I think you've said about enough for all I asked for was for you to do your job Marshall I sure don't see what how is she doc well before I got to she was off a week to start with what kind of a doctor are you anyhow the best I know how to be I'm sorry sure you're sorry that makes it fine I get easy right looks like you got a business bastion huh there's a wagon pulling in the yard well that's the same same what he's a peddler tin wearing stuff he come through here this morning heading west the devil's he doing back I'm sure bet you didn't expect to see me again what do you want my horse went lame on the other way I ain't got no horses to sell well that's too bad well say did you get rid of that big snake what snake that's it when he hadn't I come through this morning that he caught it out in the barn who was fixing the killer told it Marshall don't move you know there are four of us against you red which is the only one we're in a gun Marshall they have this will be just like sitting ducks so you're the one who shot at your wife now wait a minute then you turn that snake on her this morning before you came in the time all right so it's true I wasn't gonna let her go away with him with who Carl will it they got real friendly when he was here on that drive last spring yesterday she told me she was gonna leave with him when he come back I ain't left no man take a woman off me so you murdered her sure ain't gonna leave with him now all right drop the gun right not hardly that was just an old Indian trick you know well what do you mean Chester with an old Indian trick well dot you just stick a snake's rattled on the point of your knife and snap the hand with your thumbnail see yeah well maybe an old trick Chester but goodbye Norman McDonald stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon U.S. Marshall the story was specially written for Gunsmoke by Les Crutchfield with editorial supervision by John Messon featured in the cast were Vic Perron Harry Bartell and James Musser Harley there is Chester Howard McNeer is Doc and Georgia Ellis is kidding this is George Waltz inviting you to join us again next week for another story on Gunsmoke