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 a US Marshal and the smell of gun smoke.
Gun Smoke starring William Conrad, the story of the violence that moved west with young
America, the story of a man who moved with it, Matt Dillon, United States Marshal.
Where are they Chester?
Bissell's in the barbershop Mr. Dillon.
There's three of his boys waiting outside and a couple more in with him.
Alright.
You think we might better take care of them separate than all together Mr. Dillon?
Can't take care of them at all Chester unless they do something.
How does so not wait for it to happen?
Have they seen you?
No sir, I don't think so.
I've been mostly around the corner here out of sight.
That's good.
Alright, keep me covered with you.
Now here, you ain't going in there alone.
Yeah.
Now you can't do that.
They take one look at your badge and they'll draw.
I don't think there'll be any shooting Chester.
Yes sir.
I started across the street to Stapley's Barbershop and I saw three gunmen lounging outside.
They didn't directly look at me but they knew I was coming over because their hands slipped
down and hung an easy distance from their guns.
One of them I recognized as Buffalo Mason, a cowboy who found more money working for
Frank Bissell as a gunman than driving cattle up from Texas.
The other two I'd never seen but I knew the kind.
By the time I'd crossed the street they'd moved.
I said on either side of the door.
You want something, Marshal?
I hear your friend Frank Bissell's inside.
He might be.
Seems to me I told you you wanted to show your nose around here again, Mason.
You remember?
Not rightly, Marshal.
Did you say that?
Yeah, yeah I said that.
Get away from the door.
I got a word or two to say to Bissell.
Well how's about you tell me the word, Marshal?
I'll pass it along.
Frank is kind of busy right now.
If I wanted to tell you I wouldn't be needing to tell him, would I?
That's so, Marshal.
How come you'd take all this talk, Buffalo?
Why don't you just kick him out in the street?
What's your name?
Hey, man.
Yep.
All right you two.
Take your pal over to the water barrel there and cool him off.
Move.
Howdy, Marshal Dillon.
Be with you in just a few minutes.
Have a chair.
Thanks, Mr. Stapling.
Yes, sir.
I tell you, friend, Stiles is a changin'.
I seen in the New York magazine a center parton that knocked your eye out.
Mr. Mines sent the picture out to me.
Now you sure you wouldn't like me to try it?
Just cut it like I told you.
Yes, sir.
You're the customer.
Tom.
Yes, Frank?
Tell Mr. Dillon to step around here where I can see him.
You hear what Frank says, mister?
I heard him.
Take it easy, Barbara.
You're pulling my hair in the back.
Oh, I'm sorry, sir.
You know what I can see in the mirror, Mr. Dillon?
A lot of things, I guess.
I can see outside the door.
I saw a friend of mine out there a minute ago.
And I saw a fella whippin' on the head with his six gun.
That's funny, I saw the same thing.
My friends don't like being buffaloed.
They should have done something about it.
They should.
Maybe they will.
Maybe.
Now I got something to say, Bissell.
Bissell?
Frank Bissell?
Keep on cutting, Barbara.
I ain't cut no killer's hair.
No, sir.
If I'd known who you was, I never...
You heard him.
Finish.
It's all right, Mr. Stapler, you go ahead.
Yes, sir.
I know your reputation, Bissell, but right now I got no cause to arrest you, so far as
I know you're clean in this territory.
Yeah?
But you're not staying here.
As soon as you're through in that chair, you and your pals are getting out of Dodge.
We just got here, Mr. Dillon.
We thought we'd put over for a spell.
We got mighty fine entertainment here.
It doesn't start till after nightfall.
You're going to be gone by then.
Funny thing, Mr. Dillon, I've heard a lot of talk about you.
Buffalo Mason says he had a run-in with you a few months back.
I thought you were a different man to what I see.
So?
So, you're not much.
Kind of windy, but not much.
Tom, give the Marshal a five-dollar piece and show him the door.
That's where you're at duty, Mr. Dillon.
Are you all through with him, Mr. Stapley?
Yes, sir.
I'm all through.
Okay.
Now, get up out of that chair, Bissell.
I knew what they meant about Frank Bissell when I saw him smile as he got out of his
chair.
It was the smile of a man who says one thing with his lips and another with his eyes.
He reached down to his holster and then around to his pocket, pulled out a bill and passed
it to the barber.
He'd made his move like he wanted to get me the draw.
And when I didn't bite, he pulled his hat off the peg and came over to me.
The two boys with him went past us and waited by the door.
It's like I say, Mr. Dillon, my boys and I are here for some resting and playing.
Now, if you want a private little war, you can start gunning for us any time you want.
But you'll have to start it.
You've got until sundown to leave town, Bissell.
Marshal, you didn't hear what I said at all.
Sundown.
If you're still around after that, you'll all go to jail.
We don't want any trouble.
We want to take it nice and easy.
You take it easy, too, huh?
I'll be seeing you.
That was him, wasn't it, Marshal?
That was Frank Bissell.
The Frank Bissell.
Oh, Mr. Dillon, if you shot him in here, I could have put up a sign.
Yes, sir.
I sure could.
Frank Bissell.
Shot and killed here by Marshal.
I'm sorry I couldn't oblige you, Mr. Stapling.
Good day.
Mr. Dillon?
Yeah, Chester.
They're getting out, huh?
I didn't think it'd be as easy as that.
It isn't.
Yes, sir, but look, they're riding right on out.
I gave them until sundown.
Oh.
Oh, that's about two hours.
Hey, you know, Mr. Dillon, in two hours them boys can do an awful lot of trouble.
They try and there's going to be trouble.
Yes.
You want me to follow her and see where they go?
No.
No, we'll wait back at the office.
On the way back, I stopped at the saloons and told the boys to send out word that Bissell
and his gang came in after sundown.
I told them I'd be waiting in the office.
When I got to the Texas trail, Kitty was leaning against the bar, singing.
A half a dozen cowboys were standing around drinking, but listening quietly.
It was a kind of a sad song.
Home, home on the great, great, where the deer and the antelope play.
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Hi, Matt.
Chester.
Evening, Miss Kitty.
Kitty?
Well, never heard that song before.
Well, I haven't either.
A fellow who was in a while back brought it by.
He wrote out the words for me.
It's nice, isn't it?
Yeah, yeah, it's fine.
Say Kitty, there might be a little trouble tonight.
Oh?
Yeah, Frank Bissell and his boys are in town.
I heard it's all over town.
I know.
Let me know if they come in, will you?
Sure, Matt.
Okay.
I'll see you soon.
So long.
So long.
So long.
So long.
So long.
So long.
Heard the discouraging word.
He's a mighty tuneful, Mr. Dillon.
You feel like stopping by Delmonico's for supper, Chester?
Well, Mr. Dillon, I'm kind of low this week.
You see, I sent East for one of them new suits Mr. Hightower was telling about.
You know, the ones that got the vest and all?
The thing cut away here and then fine and tight up here?
I'm sure you'll look fine in it, Chester.
Come on, let's get supper.
I got money.
It was about sundown when we got through supper.
I'd gone in Delmonico's mostly with the idea that Bissell would head there himself.
That way I could get the thing over before it got really started.
But he didn't oblige.
Not until Chester and I were getting up from the table.
My gracious, Mr. Dillon.
I feel swole up like the overfed puppy dog.
You look like one.
Mr. Dillon, look.
It's coming in.
Yeah, I see him.
All right, let's go.
Man, I'm hungry.
I could eat me want it.
Well, hello Mr. Dillon.
Say, how's the food in here?
It's sundown, Mr. Bissell.
Yeah, it's late for me to be eating.
The boys too, we're hungry.
Come outside.
Mr. Dillon, we just came in for a nice quiet meal.
You don't want trouble with all these people in here, Mr. Bissell.
Now you do as I say, outside.
Come on, huh?
Can we start trouble, Marshal?
Buffalo, where are your manners?
There's women folk in here that might get heard if shooting started.
Frank, you heard?
You heard what I said.
Besides, Mr. Dillon isn't going to do anything.
He's just got to make noise like he does.
Those people will think he's doing his job.
Well, Mr. Dillon, I sure would like to stay and talk, but...
All right.
All right, go ahead and eat, Bissell.
I'll be waiting for you outside.
Sure, you do that, Mr. Dillon.
You wait for me outside.
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Now the second act of gun smoke.
I knew there'd be a lot of talk in Dodge.
Some would say that I should have drawn on Frank Bissell and his gang right then in Del
Monaco's.
Hell, I had my own opinion about that.
Chester and I waited outside for Bissell to get through and come out.
By that time, the word was out and it sounded like every cowboy, bullwhacker, and buffalo
hunter in Dodge was hanging around waiting to see the fun.
It was dark then and the moon was rising.
A lot of them boys has come up from the other side of the tracks, Mr. Dillon.
I know.
You got any tobacco on you, Chester?
Yes, sir, right here.
You want, I should tell them to get on back.
Here you are, sir.
Thanks.
Now I tell you, Chester, most of those men have come to a show.
They want to see some shooting, blood, and killing.
Well, seeing how long that's what they came for, I don't figure they want to be any part
of that show.
Yes, sir.
What are you aiming to do when Bissell comes out?
Arrest him.
Find Bissell a hundred dollars and the other's 25 a piece, and lock him up for the night.
Yes, sir.
The crowd got bigger and it got quieter too.
Standing on both sides of the street with a respectable distance between themselves and
the entrance to Delmonico's, where Chester and I waited.
It was going on 830 when the door opened and Frank Bissell stepped out, his boys following
after him.
You still waiting, Mr. Dillon?
I thought you'd be somewhere rolling drunk by now.
You're under arrest, Bissell, and all of you.
What have we done?
We're real peaceful, you can see that.
Come on, Frank, let's get down to the Opera House.
Hand over your guns.
Mr. Dillon, I had never done that yet.
I don't expect I'm going to do it now for you.
We're calling your bluff, Dillon.
Six of us.
Go ahead and start it.
Go ahead.
I don't want any killing, Bissell.
Now you come in quietly.
No, Mr. Dillon.
I'd made up my mind even before he answered because I knew he wouldn't back down.
The crowd was watching.
And in that same second through the window of the restaurant, I saw the figures of two
women and a child making for the door.
They were right in line with any shooting I might do.
Bissell and the others were directly in front of them.
And now they had their guns drawn.
And mine was still in its holster.
Oh, now, I've heard you're pretty fast, Marshal.
We talk, Frank.
Lots of talk, that's all.
Sure, sure, sure.
Now, you be a good fellow and go about your business.
We're going down to the opera house.
Don't come looking around because next time we might have to be real painful with you.
Hey, look at that!
You'd better get out of town, Marshal Dillon.
You're through!
Come on, Chester.
Yes, sir, Mr. Dillon.
I'd made two mistakes.
Just going to Delmonico's and figuring I could bluff him out of town without any shooting,
and then not getting Bissell away from the restaurant door before calling him.
And it wasn't good.
A lot of drifters and dodge were going to take advantage of the situation before the
night was out.
Law officers don't live long when they make mistakes.
Chester and I headed for the Texas Trail.
You're going to let them get away with that, Mr. Dillon?
For a while.
My gracious, Mr. Dillon, they spit right in your eye, every one of them.
You ain't going to take it, are you?
I made a mistake, Chester.
Now I've got to make it right.
Yes, sir, I know, but this will be all over town.
Mr. Dillon, will you tell me why you didn't draw and get it done?
I had my reasons, Chester.
Where the deer and the antelope play Where seldom is heard
A discouraging word And the skies are not cloudy
All day
Matt, I heard you were waiting for Bissell over at Delmonico's.
I was worried.
Everything's fine, Kitty.
No, it ain't fine, Miss Kitty.
That Frank Bissell drawed on Mr. Dillon and...
And what, Chester?
You said you had your reasons, Mr. Dillon.
Join us for a beer, Kitty?
Sure, Matt.
You didn't get them out of town?
No, not yet.
Oh.
They liked the song.
Did you hear?
She sat on the Texas trail.
Chester, nervous and looking to the door every minute or so.
And as a cowboy drifted in, and then another, and a couple more, I could tell the news of
what had happened outside Delmonico's had spread.
That's the trouble with a reputation.
You build it or you get it built for you.
It's like a trap.
You gotta stay a step ahead of it.
If you don't, there's always the question, even with the people you think you know real
well.
Like Chester and Kitty.
And I knew they were wondering why I'd backed down.
About a half hour go by, which I calculated was enough time for Dodge to make a hero out
of Bissell.
Then it was time to go.
Where are we going, Mr. Dillon?
The Opera House.
The Opera House.
That's where they've gone, ain't it?
That's right.
Well, good.
I want you to stay out of this, Chester.
Oh, now, Mr. Dillon.
You heard what I said.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Dillon?
Yeah.
Nothing.
Now, remember what I said, Chester.
Keep out of it until you're told.
All right, Mr. Dillon, I will.
It was between shows at the Opera House, most all the customers were in the saloon next
door.
Bissell was at the bar and his pals around him, and a dozen or more newfound friends
standing him drinks.
Yeah, the news had got around all right.
When the gunman was a hero, he'd made the law back down.
Hey, Mr. Dillon, have another drink.
Hey, let's have another drink.
Look who's here, boys.
Hey, Frank, look here.
Marshal Dillon, didn't I get through telling you a wild...
Are you drunk, Bissell?
I never get drunk, Mr. Dillon.
Well, I'm glad to hear it.
All right, you other men, get away from the bar, quick.
You six, stay where you are.
I'm telling you, anybody who wants to stay with Bissell in this gang is going to get
hurt.
Now, you move.
Hey, sure is tough, Frank.
Okay, Mr. Bissell, draw.
Oh, now, Mr. Dillon, you don't want me to do that.
Hey, leave me, leave me do it, Frank.
I need to practice.
No, no, wait a minute, no, I think he means it.
Sure, Mr. Dillon, I guess I have been riding you pretty hard.
Sure, any time you...
Well, when are you going to draw, mister?
I'm going to tell you something.
I could have hit you in the belly as easy as making a hole in the wall, but I don't like
killing.
Now, you're under arrest, all of you.
Chester.
Yes, sir.
Keep him with your arms up.
Yes, sir.
Now, you, take off your guns, Bissell.
I said take off your guns and do it now.
All right, put them on the bar.
Now, I'm putting my gun on the table here.
If I'm not on my feet to get it when you and I are finished, it's yours.
And I'm through as marshal here.
Yeah, stop.
Come on, get him, get him.
Get him, get him, stop.
Mason, you pick him up.
You, you help him.
We're all gone out of the jail.
Carry him with you.
So I made a show for the town.
A lot of big words to go with it and they swallowed it.
And Bissell and his gang lost everything, including their conceit.
We put them in jail overnight and the next morning each man was fined $25, Bissell a hundred.
And they rode out of Dodge.
I'd be a liar if I didn't admit I did a little more than my job when I threw my gun away
and worked Bissell over with my fists.
He was a hard man.
And I might have lost.
But I kept it and I had my reputation to think about.
Gunsmoke under the direction of Norman McDonald stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
Tonight's story was specially written for Gunsmoke by Anthony Ellis with music composed
and conducted by Rex Corey.
Featured in the cast were John Danaer, Lornece Dobkin, Barney Phillips, Jack Crouchon, and
Howard McNear.
Parley Bear is Chester and Georgia Ellis is Kitty.
Gunsmoke is heard by our troops overseas through the facilities of the Armed Forces Radio Service.
Join us again next week as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal, fights to bring law and order out
of the wild violence of the West in Gunsmoke.
Tomorrow night Mrs. Lou Gehrig, wife of Baseball's immortal, joins Lionel Barrymore on the Hall
of Fame Playhouse.
As a tribute to the great national pastime, your Hall of Fame Playhouse dramatizes the
story of Henry Chadwick, the father of baseball.
Learn about the origin of baseball, hear of a man's vision that blossomed forth as America's
most popular sport.
Tomorrow night on most of these same stations when CBS Radio presents Lionel Barrymore's
Hall of Fame Playhouse.
George Walsh speaking.
And remember, every Sunday evening, the Theater of Stars invites you to the best in drama
with your favorite stars on the CBS Radio Network.