 In 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. 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, and it makes a man watchful, and a little lonely. What's in it? It's just something to taste bad, so you'll remember a doctor's been here. Hey, go ahead, go ahead, drink it. I remember you being here all right. Oh, I don't know why I keep coming by all the time, either. You know, you don't need a doctor and a job. You're going to outlive us all. He's a money doctor. I don't forget about the money. If I wanted to get rich, I'd have gotten out of this game a long time ago. But I'll be able to pay regular now that the boy is back. You mean Tad's back? Yeah. He come in the day before yesterday riding up like he just been to town for the mail. Instead of being gone four years. Well, what, he say where he'd been? No. No, Doc, he didn't. But it don't matter none now that he's home. Oh, I see. He'll do you a lot of good happen, Tad. Yeah, that's a fact, Doc. Well, I just about give it up being out here alone all the time. It didn't seem like it was worth keeping going. A man should never do that job. Sure not. But a man's wife dies and his boy lights out. Seems there weren't nothing left. And I just got punier and punier. It's going to be different now, though. I hope so. Well, I got to be getting on now. Thanks for coming, Doc. Oh, say, Tad's outside there someplace. Why don't you stop and see him? That boy sure grown up man side. Yeah, you bet you'll buy one to see him. Goodbye. Bye. It's been quite a spell since I've seen you, Lamb. I'm Doc Adams. I remember. I just been with your pa. I've seen you drive up. Yeah, well, I thought you might like to know what shape he's in. He's crumbling like everything else around here. Well, you know, you can help him. Yeah, well, you know, it's a good thing you're home, Tad. How do you figure? Well, there's not much that I can do for him. He's old and he's tired and he's just about worn through. Well, but you, you can do a lot for him. You mean you want me to nurse him? No, I don't want you to nurse him. But you can do the chores for him. You can keep the place gone. Most of all, you can talk to him. Talk to him? Yeah, that's right. That's mostly what I've been coming around here for. To give him somebody to talk to once in a while. Now look, Doc, I ain't his little boy no more. I ain't gonna hold his hand. Well, I don't remember asking you to. Maybe not. But if you think I come back here to take care of a broken down old man and a broken down farm, you got another thing coming. What did you come home for? I come home because I didn't have nowhere else to go. But I'm taking care of that right soon. Another visit with Joe and Daphne Forsythe. Ooh, ouch, ooh. What's wrong, Joe? Daphne, have you been using my razor again? Just a little. I was peeling peaches. Oh, fine. Why didn't you change the blade? It feels like you've been sharpening pencils with this thing. Now, just a minute, buddy. It was you who said we could use more economy around here. And I've been saving wherever I can. By shaving the skin off the peaches. But look at my face. Think how the Red Cross could have used all this blood. It's your own fault. You and your economy. Well, being penny conscious isn't such a bad idea. Not if you use common sense. Take savings bonds, for instance. Uh-uh. Here it comes. Go right ahead and scoff. But I got eight million Americans who agree with me. We all buy savings bonds on the payroll saving plan because we know that investing in bonds is the best way to use our money. We could use some of that money around here. Well, maybe. Or maybe we just think we can. When we buy bonds, we guarantee we'll have the money in the future when we'll certainly need it more. Stop waiting that razor. You're splattering me with soap. Oh, I don't mean to get excited, but who wouldn't? Where else can a man make an investment that's guaranteed to pay off $4 for every three and guaranteed by the credit of the whole U.S. of A? So there. Bravo! Bravo! It's all right. Now let me change the blade and get back to shaving. I think I'll stay and watch. Why? Because you're so cute when you cut yourself. Oh, fine. Have some coffee. Dark might make you feel better. I'm in a chest to make it. Yeah. That'd make me feel worse. Well, I guess I'd rather have dyspepsia than the problem Job's got. All right, pour me a little bit. Okay. Job's boy, huh? Remember him? He wasn't worth much as a kid. Well, he's grown up the same way. I tell you, Matt, that boy's as worthless as he comes. He's too bad his four years away didn't do him any good. He's just bigger and meaner, that's all. Well, Justin... What's the matter with you two? Doc just had some of your coffee. That always makes a man pretty sober. Oh, now, Mr. Donut ain't that bad. That was a fresh egg I used in it this time. Matter of fact, it wasn't as bad as usual, Justin. Well, now, Doc, I'm glad... Doc's just been telling me about seeing old Job this morning. Say, don't he have a boy named Tad? That's right. It's about all he has got. Well, it's a shame. Huh? What do you mean? I've been watching him down the long branches even. You mean he's there now? He wasn't when I left. And I must say, Mr. Donut, he don't look to me like he's gonna be much comfort to his paw. Is he causing trouble? Well, not trouble, exactly. He's just bellying up to the bar, swillin' down drinks and actin' like he wants everybody to know how big and growed up he is. Well, he'd be in trouble if anybody treated him that way. That's just what I think, Doc. And some of the boys are ronin' him up pretty good, too. I think maybe I'll go down there. Want me to come with you, Mr. Donut? No, if you want to, Chester. I just want to reacquaint myself with Tad. It'll be no pleasure. I'm sorta curious to see just how big a man he really is. All right, boy. There's room for both of us at the bar. Just don't crowd me. Ain't you Job Harley's boy? Yeah. Here, your paw's been feelin' poorly lately. Gettin' any better? I ain't noticein'. Real sick, ain't he? He's done. The place is done. Well, hey, good thing you come home. You can look after him a little bit. At any of your business? Just sorta figured. You can keep your figure into yourself. Oh, I... Every little living bummin' town thinks I come home to nurse the old man. Easy, boy. I quit being a boy when I left here, Mr. I've been doin' man-sized things for four years. Why don't you shut up? You're shovin' me. Straighten yourself up out of my drink. Gone I get. I'll show you. Die for that, mister, right now. All right, hold it. He's a mean, ornery, no good, and I got tired of listenin' to him talk, that's all. I got a right to have my gun. You're Ted Harley, aren't you? How do you know? Listen, Marshall... You got some special trouble with Tanner here? He's been crowdin' me, just like everybody else in this town. About what? About the old man. About how I should be lookin' after him. What's wrong with that? I'm here to do, that's what's wrong with it. And it ain't nobody's business what I do. Not as long as your mind's your own, it isn't. You got no call to tell me what to do, Marshall. I'm not tellin' ya what to do, I'm tellin' ya what not to do. You gonna give me back my gun now? All right, give it to him, Justin. Well, I don't... All right. Someday this town's gonna find out about me. Find out good. He's stirred up ever since he came in this afternoon. Let's have us a beer, Mr. Don. I'll be proud to buy it. You won't? You know, he's gonna be more trouble from that boy than this. But, Justin, he could be just a loud, bragging kid. Thatness could be full grown, I don't know. Well, he's done nothin' for four whole years, but just wait for the day his boy would come home. He was better off waitin'. I wonder when Job will find out this boy's no count. Well, Job's old and sick, but he's not blind, Justin. Yeah, but he don't deserve a disappointment like this. No, he doesn't. Job's a good man. I remember Ms. Harley tellin' me one time, she had five babies and Tad was the only one that lived. There must be the exception to the rule. How's that, Mr. Don? Doesn't sound much like the survival of the fittest. Sweat just whittlin'. Well, something burnin' down like this, Mr. Don, makes it hard for a body to remember the cold and shiverin' misery of the wintertime, don't it? You suffer pretty bad in the winter, don't you, Justin? Well, I guess I don't exactly suffer. But wouldn't you think there'd be some way of takin' some of this heat and packin' it away so you could spread it around in the wintertime? You work on that, Justin. We sure don't need it a whole day. In fact, say, you know, then maybe they could save up some of the cold of the wintertime and use it on days like this. I'm gonna spell you a riddle, Chester. They already do that. They do? Yeah, sure. Sure, nothing to do, don't they? Shall I just come by? He's awful, ain't you? See ya. Oh, it's trouble. Well, he didn't tell me, Marshal. You said to ask you to come out there right away. I hope that boy here didn't been actin' up, none. Oh, to the store, would ya, Chester? Yes, sir, I will, Mr. Dillon. Yeah, Daphne. Look at this story about savings bonds in the paper. Yeah, what about it? Do you think that's the best way to tell people about savings bonds? Why not? Look, see, it says here that savings bonds are a guaranteed investment. Right now, they pay off at the rate of four bucks at maturity for every three bucks invested. You're not convinced? Why not? What more do you need to know? Well, right now, more than eight million Americans are buying savings bonds regularly through the payroll savings plan. So? So what? That's what I say, so what? Now, look, Daphne, if millions of Americans are convinced that saving bonds are their best investment, not only financially, but for the future of their country, what the heck is bothering you? Well, I think they could sell a lot more with salesmanship. You know, slogans and jingles. Listen, if you're spending... Oh, boy. Or maybe savings bonds pay good like an investment should. Daphne. You get a lot to like in the savings bond. Interest, earnings, guaranteed. Wow. Well, did I say you? Yeah, but I forgot what it was you were selling. Saving bonds. I'll take a hundred. Oh, Joe. What's on your mind? Seeing them in Marshall. The weeks ago? He'd gone off. That's a little out of my line, Joe. Well, the man wants his boy to carry on all the good things he's got. None of the bad. But that's what a man wants for his son to be good, to be better than he was. Some boys never grow up to be the men their fathers were, Joe. It ain't easy raising them. A man don't want to mother his boy to death, nor ride herd on him too much neither. You're gonna tell me something, Joe. What's a man to do? When he finds his son has just picked up all the bad ways. And none of the good. What's a man to do then, Marshall? Let go of him, Joe. But a man's son, Marshall. He's carrying his name. He can't let him carry it to perdition. He can't hurt your name, Joe, only his own. That ain't true, Marshall. I ain't been much. People I come from weren't much, neither. But we always kept the name clean, Marshall. What's that done, Joe? Where is he? A man don't expect his son to strike it rich, maybe. But he expects him to keep the name clean. Joe, Joe, will you tell me? Well, tell you what, Marshall. Why did you call me out here? You just didn't want to talk about your boy, did you? I always like to talk to you. Have you always been a good friend? I am your friend, Joe, but you better start talking straighter. I'm heading back to town. You're going to find out, Marshall. Mr. Dillon! What's Chester doing out here? What's the matter? Mr. Dillon, they just been a hold up bank. What? Any shooting? Yes, sir, there was. How many were there? Just one. He did away? No, sir, Mr. Harley, he didn't. Of course not, Mr. Dillon. But who was it? Well, he's dead, ain't he? Tad's dead. Tad? Was it Tad, Chester? Yes, sir, it was. I'm sorry, Joe. He had to be. You don't seem surprised. No, Marshall. I've been seeing it coming. Ever since the boy came home, he was bad clear through, Marshall. He's robbed before and killed too. He told you that? He carried pieces out of newspapers around with him. Pieces there had been written about him. Well, he was proud of it, Marshall. Said it made him feel big. Well, some up and feel that way for a while. I couldn't talk him out of it. I couldn't hold him. But I could see it was stopped. You knew about today? I knew. Why didn't you tell me about it? I figured you'd take his gun, maybe lock him up for a while. He had to be stopped for good, Marshall. I might have done that if I'd been in dodge, Joe. I know that, Marshall. But we would have gone hard with you to have to kill my boy. You're my friend, Marshall. That's why I seemed to what you'd be here. And then I said word to the bank that Tad was coming. He made a hard choice, Joe. It's like I told you, Marshall. Man has to keep his name clean. Our's William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshall. 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. The United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.