 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. 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 Dullin, United States Marshal, the first man they look for and the last they want to meet. It's a chance, they job, that it makes a man watchful, but a little lonely. You know, Mr. Dullin, a man can get mighty hungry when he don't eat. Well, 30 more miles and we'll be in Dodge just so that you can eat to your heart's content. Yes, sir. But then that wind comes up again and freezes to death. Well, that didn't freeze us to death last time. Well, that was just because we were lucky enough to find that thought, Buster Shack. I couldn't have stood another two days of wind and cold like that. It aged me something awful. It aged you. That freeze isn't supposed to keep you the way you are, is it? I'm too wore out to joke. Well, I'll admit that was about the worst blizzard I ever saw. That is behind us now. We can forget about it. Forget about it. Still starving in there. Look you under, Mr. Dullin. Yeah. Looks like a hunter's camp. Kind of stoga wagon, couple of horses picketed by them trees. Don't see much sign of life, though. No. But with them horses there, there's got to be somebody around. There's been 20 below for three nights now. They could have frozen to death. A bill's over there. Maybe they got caught on the prairie when the blizzard hit. Sure it does look that way. Now how that team is still alive with nothing but that wagon for protection. Poor old things don't look none too lively. Get your hands up. He must have been hiding in the wagon. Come over here closer. Yeah, mister. Of course it's my camp. Now you two drop them guns. If we got our hands up, that's enough, isn't it? 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 hitch up that team and you're going to take me into Dodge. You ain't running off like Jed Lorner. Who's Jed Lorner? He's my skinner. Why'd he leave you? Well, he's seen this blizzard coming. He didn't want to take any chances, so he rode off. He's probably been in Dodge all the time, warm and cozy. Oh, why didn't you go with him? Well, I twisted my leg and my foot so that I couldn't ride a horse. That's why Lorner figured driving a wagon beat too slow. You mean he left you out here to freeze? Yeah, I'll kill him when I find him. And I'll tell you too if you don't drive me into Dodge. He's a U.S. Marshal, mister. He ain't going to leave you here. Why don't you put down that rifle and tell us who you are? All right. My name's Ira Puckett, Marshal. I'm usually up north following the Republican herd, but I've come south this year. I'm getting old and I thought it'd be warmer down here. You sure made a mistake about that, didn't you? You'll get me into Dodge, won't you? Yeah, of course we will. My foot, I twisted it. I don't feel nothing in it. It must be froze. That could be. I'll kill Jed Lorner for this. Forget it, Puckett. I'm not taking you back to Dodge just so you can hang. All right, I'll forget it till I find him. Puckett, oh, he'll be all right, man, in time. Oh, then his foot wasn't so bad after all, huh? Yeah, he didn't have much foot left when I got through them. Oh. Yeah, but he'd be able to walk with a cane. But his buffalo hunting days are over. Uh-huh. Uh, does he know that? I told him. You know, Ira Puckett's a proud man, Matt. He's a little too proud. Now, what do you mean? Well, what he hated most about this Jed Lorner leaving him on the prairie wasn't the fact that he might have died, but that he was helpless. And a man like Puckett can't stand being helpless. Oh, I see. And now, crippled up, he's a better man, Matt. Well, he'll get over it. A man can get used to most anything in time. No, no, no, I got my doubts about Puckett. He won't even admit to how old he is. Yeah. What would you guess, Doc? Well, he's past 70 anyway. He's in the back room there, Matt, if you want to see him. All right. I'll come with you. Oh, Puckett. Marshall. How are you feeling? Doc tells you what he done to me. Yeah? He ruined my foot. I saved your life, Puckett. And 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 an 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. Yeah, you'll get used to town life. And you'll find men here, too. Yeah, but what kind of men? Walking around all slickered up, parting their hair in the middle, bowing to the ladies. Well, there ain't one of them could do half the things I done. Well, I was living with the matches when most of them were sniveling in their mother's efference. Yeah, I know, but you'll find something to do. I'll help you. You will? Sure. Then help me find Jed Larner. Bring him in here so that I can kill him with my bare hands. What does he look like? Oh, he's tall. Black hair. He's got a big scar. Run across one eye and halfway down his right cheek. That's good. I'll try to find him. And if I do, I'll run him out of town before you get to him. I can't even trust you, can I? Not when you want to murder a man, Aaron. I told you I didn't bring you in so you could be hung. Stick a wood, of course. You're gonna wreck it, banging it on the stove that way. Well, it's too big. It don't fit. Well, why don't you forget about it? It's too hot in here anyway. Yes, sir. You know, Mr. John, I was thinking... Yeah, of what? Well, with a whole new year starting, it might be we could maybe get a new stove. You know, like one of them I showed you in the Granger catalog last week. We'll just think how fine it'd be to have a stove that don't smoke. Have you ever shook that grate down? Maybe this one wouldn't. Shake the grate. Well, Mr. John, I carried the ashes out just this morning. Hello, Mr. Puckett. I want to talk to you, Marshall. Sure, Ira. Come on in. Sit down. Shitting down ain't gonna help nothing. That ain't rest is gonna toughen this foot up. I can talk standing anyways. All right, stand. Now, where's Jed Launder? Ira, aren't you ever gonna forget about him? Not likely. As well. He ain't been saw since we brought you in here six weeks ago. Well, if you're any kind of a man, you go find him for me. Would you like me to cut his throat for you too? Don't you make fun of me? Now, calm down, Ira. Nobody's making fun of you. If I was 20 years younger, I'd give him a real tussle. I expect you would. I did well enough. I'll do it yet. Well, we're only trying to help you, Puckett. Well, I don't need any help. Not unless you're gonna help me find Jed Launder. I'm not gonna do that. Well, shouldn't have expected it from a no-dang-law man. I'll find him myself. You wait and see. Ah, gracious. Well, you sure did get upset, didn't you? He's got a lot of pride, Chester. And it's gonna get him into trouble yet. This is a great way to start the new year, ma'am. Oh. Oh, what do you mean, kitty? Well, all last year, I was hoping maybe I'd be in San Francisco by now. San Francisco? Yeah. I think you never told me. What would you have done about it? Well, uh, nothing, I guess. But, uh, why San Francisco? No blizzards. No dust. No cowboys. Ah, but they got fogged. And all those sailors and miners aren't any gentler than these cowboys. Yeah, I know. But imagine going to dinner in the carriage. You know, at the tablecloth. Dancing on a hardwood floor. You're spoiled, kitty. Now how could I get spoiled here in Dodge City? Oh. Well, I'll tell you what, you save your money. You'll get to California someday. Yeah, sure. I walk. Well, a lot of people have gone that way. Who do you think I am? Is that your wife? Yeah. Now, there was a woman. Yeah? You know, I always had... What's the matter, ma'am? That man at the bar just turned around. Which man? One with a scar down his cheek. I'll be back, kitty. Evening, Marshal. Good evening. Well, before you're staring at me, Marshal. Your name, Jed Lerner? What if it is? How long you been in town, Lerner? About an hour. Something wrong, Marshal? You, uh... You remember the big blizzard we had? Six or seven weeks back. Who don't? And we all do. Especially... He didn't die, Lerner. Well, that's fine. I went back looking for him. I wondered where he got to. Oh, yeah. Yeah, sure you did. Well, it's true. Buckets here in Dodge, Lerner. 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 show up anywhere around here again. Now wait, Marshal. I can't arrest you. 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. Oh, no, no. They tear you apart, Lerner. No, don't say nothing, Marshal. They'd set you on fire. Don't tell them. Uh... I leave, Marshal. I leave right now. You got rid of him in a hurry. I leave him from being shot and Ira Puckett from hanging for it. Oh, that was Jed Lerner. Uh-huh. He's the one that ought to hang. Uh, he didn't mean to kill the old man, kiddie. Well, what's the difference? Well, legally there's something. Enough to give Ira his foot back? That's hard to argue with, aren't you? Why? Because I think straight. Um, why don't we talk about San Francisco, huh? No, I've changed my mind. I think I'll go to New York. I don't get it. Marshal, I gotta talk to you. Yeah. He looks awful mad. Good thing he isn't armed. You can always find a gun. You done it, Marshal. It was you, wasn't it? You saw Jed Lerner, huh? Yes. He jumped on his horse and rode out of town before I could stop him. And I had to stand there and walk. I didn't even have a rock to throw at him. Why'd you do it, Marshal? What'd you run him off for? To save you from hanging? Well, I'd rather hang and live this way. I wasn't born to become a helpless old man. The least you could've done was let me fight my own battle like all Jed on the plains. You took my manhood away from me, Marshal. Oh, Ira, you're living in town now among people. Why don't you get used to it? All right. All right, I will. I'll start living like you town people. Are you going to get a job? You bet I'm going to. I sure am. It's going to pay me a lot of money, too. What do you mean? You will find out, Marshal, when it's too late. Good morning, ain't it, Mr. Dillon? Yeah, thanks for that wind we had last night. Well, it kept me away. Uh-huh. All night? No, sir, I wouldn't say that. Not all night. Hey, look over there with the bank. You bet it'll lie in the pocket. First time he's had his team in wagon out. Where do you suppose he's going? Right now he's going into the bank. What's he carrying that shotgun for? He can't go hunting in the bank, can he? Yes, he can, Chester. Hmm? Come on. He means the old pocket's going to hold up that bank, Mr. Dillon. He said last night he's going to start living like town people. Get a job, make a lot of money. Well, this could be his idea of how to do it. He sure couldn't have no other. He can carry that shotgun in there. You going in after? Yeah. Wait, Mr. Dillon, he's got a shotgun. I know. Look, Chester, take his team in wagon off somewhere. Lead them around back of the bank, out of sight. Maybe we can handle this without a shooting. Okay, sir. Chester, he's coming out. Yes, sir, I'm long gone, Mr. Dillon. Shoot with one hand, Marshall. Follow me, neither. Wait, wait a minute. Where's my wagon? Where's my team? You're in a bad fix. Somebody stole them. I can't get away without any team. No, you can't. So you might as well give up. You've done it. You're behind this, Marshall. Are you going to shoot me? No, I shouldn't. Because you're in enough trouble already. And shooting me won't help a bit. You're trapped, pocket. There's nothing you can do about it. So why don't you use your head? All right. There's your money. Now you bring my outfit back. I ain't going to jail, Marshall. Like I said, pocket shooting me isn't going to help you. And I'm not going to do a thing about your outfit. You think you've outsmarted me, don't you? Why don't you give it up, pocket? You're licked. Yeah, you just think I'm... No, I just can't shoot you, Marshall. Here, take the gun. Good. And... I'm just a helpless old fool. Can't even rob a bank, copper. I'm not sure you really wanted to, pocket. All right. All you wanted was to prove something about that manhood you think has been taken away from you. But you sure picked a foolish way to do it. Yeah. I reckon I did. I thought he wouldn't never give up. He didn't have much choice, children. I went in the back door and told the people in the bank to keep out the way. You want me to take him over to jail now? Oh, no, no, no, I can't stand jail. Please, Marshall. Lock him up, Chester. I'll return this money and have a talk with Mr. Botkin. I'll be over later. I just couldn't stand the look on his face after I put him in the cell. You know, Ira, seems to me everybody treats you pretty well. Yeah, everybody but Jed Larner. That's true. But Chester and I bring you in. Doc saves your life. I keep you from hanging. And if I hadn't outsmarted you at the bank, you'd probably be lying dead somewhere now. It seems to me that everybody's gone to a lot of trouble for an old man full of a lot of foolish pride. How what do you think? Yeah, I've been thinking, Marshall, sitting here thinking, you know what? You're right. But I'm afraid it's too late now. No, it's not. What? I explained everything to Mr. Botkin 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. Botkin agreed. You got a job here and you quit being so dog-gone, aren't you? Otherwise, you're going to go to jail. Oh, but what can I do with this cripple foot? Oh, seeing you're so handy with a shotgun, I think Jim Buck might hire you to write messenger on the stage. You think so? Oh, he told me he would. You went and saw him? And it doesn't take any walking iron. How about it? Fine. I never had a job like that. A couple of stage-all red gloves. Yeah. And look at their old pockets up there on the box. Crowd is a band rooster. Oh, I have them, Marshall. You've got business with me? No, Jim, just came down to see you off. You about ready to pull out? Yeah, just soon to check the harness and that lead horse. Hello there, Marshall. Oh, fuck it. First time I ever rode shotgun in the whole life. I sure hope we get held up. I hope you don't, for the outlaw is sick. That's the pretty first shotgun you got there, Puget. Don't go shooting just anybody now. Yeah, I know what I'm doing. Well, we're off, Marshall. Good trip, Jim. Thank you. You know something? Ah, what's that? This ain't a bad way to start the new year. Gotta make a change once in a while. There's William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshall. The story was specially written for Gunsmoke by John Method. Farley Bear is Chester, Howard McNeer is Doc, and Georgia Hawkins is Kitty. This is George Walsh inviting you to join us again next week when CBS Radio presents another story on Gunsmoke.