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.
Good evening, Mr. Sybert.
Oh, hello.
Hello, Henry.
Have a drink?
No, thank you, sir.
What do you come into a saloon for if you ain't gonna drink?
No offense, Mr. Sybert.
I just don't feel like a drink.
Well, a man's free to do what he feels like, Henry.
Up to a point, he is, sir.
You're all alike, you Southerners.
We keep our word, to men and to women.
Now, is that what you're here for, to see I don't run off?
No man's gonna shame my sister, sir.
Oh, what are you talking about?
I'm going to marry her in two days.
Yes, sir.
You are.
Now, look, Henry, we postponed the wedding last month because I had to go to Abilene on business.
I run a big ranch.
It takes a lot of hard work and time and the ranch comes first.
Can you get that through your head?
I understand.
I just hope for your sake you don't have to go anywhere this time.
Polly wasn't proud having to call off the wedding last month.
Well, suppose you leave that to me and Polly and keep your puppy nose out of this.
I don't care for that remark, Mr. Sybert.
Oh, no?
Well, then let's see what a young Confederate gentleman does about something he don't care for.
Go ahead.
You're wearing a gun.
You can't bluff me, sir.
All right, hold it, you two.
Oh, this little whip will snap off of my back, Marshal, before I shoot you.
That's enough, Sybert.
I don't want any fighting here.
Especially between prospective brothers-in-law.
You two ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
Now, Henry, you go on.
Get out of here, huh?
Go drink someplace else tonight.
I'm not drinking, Marshal.
You're still ahead.
Get out anyway, huh?
All right, sir.
But don't you forget what I said, Mr. Sybert.
Oh, those hot-headed Virginians.
I don't know if I ought to marry into a family like that enough.
Well, marrying's your problem, Sybert.
Just don't kill any of them, that's all.
Have a drink, Marshal.
I got one at the table over there, thanks.
Well, later, maybe.
You sure stopped that just in time, Max.
Yeah.
That kid wouldn't have had a chance against Nat, Sybert.
No, but he's a tried it anyway.
They're going to make a real happy family.
They'll get along.
Sybert's in Polly, isn't he, huh?
They will if Henry and his father give him a chance.
It's too bad Mrs. Toyman isn't still alive.
Should handle it better.
They're nervous about the wedding, that's all, Kitty.
And about Sybert's money.
They need it bad.
They used to be rich, Kitty.
Back in Virginia.
Sure, before the war.
What about now?
Why do you think they're so happy to be able to marry Polly off to a big rancher like Sybert?
You know it as well as I do, Max.
Yeah, except for Polly.
I think she's real fond of Sybert.
Sure, and he's fond of her too.
After all, she's a woman, isn't she?
Yeah, I know.
But maybe you'll settle down now and quit running around so much.
I hope so, for her sake.
When's the wedding, Max?
Day after tomorrow?
Yeah, that's what they say.
You're going, aren't you?
Yeah, I suppose I'll go.
I love weddings.
Oh, great heavens, Kitty.
I nearly forgot.
What?
I saw Polly on the street the other day, and she asked me to tell you that you'd be welcome
at the wedding if you want to come.
She did?
I've only met her at the store in Iran.
Seems she likes you.
Anyway, that's what she said.
Well, gee, Max, you think I should?
You were invited by the bride.
I don't know why not.
Well, maybe I better think it over.
She's got enough trouble as it is.
But anyway, I feel kind of good, her asking me.
They're just people, Kitty, like anybody else.
Oh, if there's anything I hate, it's a liar, Max.
What's the trouble now, Doc?
These eggs.
The cook swore they were fresh, and I know darn well they'd been put down in water glass.
Why don't you raise some chickens, Doc?
I would, but it'd just create a whole new class of thieves, chicken thieves.
You're in for a bad day, Doc.
You've started feeling this way.
I'd sooner trust crazy Buelo over there than most people I know around here.
Crazy Buelo?
Oh, oh yeah.
I haven't seen her in a long time.
That's the funny thing about her, Matt.
She's still sort of pretty.
You look in her eyes, she is.
You know, Doc, I can't help feeling sorry for her.
I know, but there's nothing anyone can do to help her.
No, I guess not.
She came to see me a couple of weeks ago, had the egg you.
No.
And she paid my fee, too.
And if crazy Buelo can pay up, you'd think the more prosperous citizens around here could, too.
Oh, I sometimes wonder about these people, Matt.
Maybe you charge too much, Doc.
If I charged nothing, they'd still cheat me somehow.
Good morning, Mr. Dillon. Chester. How are you?
Hi, Doc. Chester.
Hey, looky here at the reading.
No? If Nat Cybertz marries that Trimon girl, there'll be a killing.
I'm warning the law to stop it before it's too late.
There's no signature. Where'd you get this, Chester?
It was under the office drawer when I opened up this morning.
What do you make of it?
Let me see it, Matt.
Here, Doc.
Oh, oh, it's printed.
Thought I might recommend the writing.
Well, that's why you printed it, I guess.
Well, oh, I see.
I wouldn't want to be on Nat Cybertz's boots.
Young Henry is going to shoot him if he doesn't marry Polly.
And here somebody is going to shoot him if he does.
Well, all in all, it'll make for a lively tomorrow.
Chester, I think we better talk to Cybertz about this.
Yes, sir. He's staying at the Dodge house till after when.
Yeah, I know.
Well, so long, Doc, and be sure and have a pleasant day.
Oh, sure, Matt. So long.
Well, Marshall, Chester.
Oh, Mr. Cybertz.
I'd like to talk to you, Cybertz.
Why, sure, Marshall. Come in, come in.
Thank you.
Chester found this note at the jail this morning, Cybertz.
What in the... who wrote this?
I thought maybe you could tell me.
No, I've got no idea, Marshall.
Oh, can you think of anybody who doesn't want you to get married, Cybertz?
It was there last night, Marshall. Sure don't look like it.
I know, but I was thinking of somebody else, some enemy of yours who maybe wants to cause trouble.
Uh-uh, no. I've got enemies, sure. What man hasn't, but they don't have nothing to do with me and Polly.
Or do they care if I get married?
Well, say, maybe it's just a joke somebody's playing on you.
Mighty poor joke under the circumstances.
Yeah, I suppose it would be.
Old man told me to stay away from women a long time ago. I should have listened to him.
It's a little late now, isn't it, Cybertz?
Yeah.
Uh, if you've got any ideas, let me know, huh?
Anyway, we'll be at the wedding. We'll do what we can.
And I'll be wearing a gun, too, Marshall. You can count on that.
Nat Cybertz was a little wild, maybe, and he had a reputation with the women.
But at the same time, he'd worked hard and everybody felt that once he settled on, he'd probably be as steady as the next man.
In any case, I didn't like the idea of a groom having to wear a six-gun at his wedding.
And even less the fact that a shooting might take place in the church.
So I went out to see the Troymans.
Polly came to the door and ushered me into the front room where her father and Henry were sitting.
Can we fit you something, Marshall? A glass of bourbon?
Uh, no, thank you, Mr. Troyman.
It wouldn't be very good bourbon, I'm afraid.
Crisis up, money's down.
Things haven't been easy lately. Not for this family, anyway.
Please, Polly.
Uh, Polly, I hate to bother you this way, but, well, it's important.
Nothing's happened to Matt.
If he's run off, I'll...
Quiet, quiet, Henry. Now, let the Marshall speak.
No, he's all right, Polly. I just want to know if you can think of anybody who'd try to put a stop to the wedding tomorrow.
Try to stop it?
That's right, Henry.
But, Marshall, I don't understand...
Well, somebody's threatened to, Polly. I don't know who it could be, and neither does Nat Cybertz. I talked to him about it, too.
This is about a stranger.
It sure is.
Is this true, Marshall?
How'd it look that way, Polly?
But who'd not want us to get married?
Uh, Polly, when you took up with Nat Cybertz, was there anyone else who might have been jealous about it? Uncommonly jealous. I mean, enough to start trouble tomorrow?
No, Marshall, there wasn't.
Say, what about Red Withers?
Oh, Red Withers and I broke off two months before that, Henry. Besides, he's gone to Los Animos.
And there wasn't anyone else?
No.
Not unless you were sneaking out at night, right?
Father, another word like that out of you and I?
Leave it to Dad. Marshall, have you thought that maybe Nat Cybertz himself might have started this?
He didn't.
How do you know he didn't? He ran out once before.
Henry, we...
He's not that kind of a man, Henry. That's why. Now, let's not get all upset about this.
Uh, Polly, I promise you that Chester and I'll be there tomorrow and we'll see that nothing goes wrong.
Thank you, Marshall.
I'll be there, too. Don't forget that.
Sure, Henry. But don't come wearing a gun.
Why not?
Because I'll take it off you if you do. You're too ready to use it.
Is there anything I can do, Marshall?
Well, I'll let you know if there is, Mr. Troyman.
I'm sorry I had to trouble you with this, Polly.
I understand, Marshall. And I thank you kindly.
I'll see you to the door.
Thanks.
We will return for the second act of gun smoke in just a moment.
But first, with the arrival of warm weather, people tend to forget their troubles and other people's troubles, too.
We go off for the pleasures of the beach, the forests, and the countryside.
By all means, let's forget the most that life has to give.
But let's keep the need of the Red Cross, the continuing need for blood, somewhere in our minds.
At least once this summer, give a pint through your local chapter.
Don't forget, disaster waits on no season.
Give blood during the summer, too.
Now the second act of gun smoke.
The next day was the wedding day, and Chester and I waited outside the church till Polly and Nat Cybert had arrived.
And we went inside and took up our positions on the far right and the left of the altar, facing the congregation.
We were wearing our guns under our coats, and nobody seemed to take much notice of us.
As soon as the ceremony began, I had a feeling that nothing would happen.
And as it neared the end, I signaled to Chester, and we slipped quietly out to the church entrance.
And there, too, had given in pledge their thoughts, as it were, and had declared the same by giving in the spirit of the old pastor.
Now that your news had come in, I could not but say...
Oh, I could see in there was a lot of real friendly faces, Mr. Jones.
Yeah. There's nobody outside here.
That's Mr. Cybert's buggy right there, isn't it?
Mm-hmm. He's driving Polly out to the ranch right after the ceremony, Chester. She didn't want a celebration of any kind.
Well, looks like there won't be any trouble after all. I sure hope not. On their wedding day and all.
That's over. They'll be coming out now.
Yes, sir.
We'll stay close to them till they drive off. It could happen right out here.
Yes, sir. I'll watch whichever way you're not watching.
How would you know which way I'm watching unless you spend your time watching me, Chester?
What?
Oh. Well, now, I didn't exactly mean to...
Oh, looky. Here they come.
Oh, my. Don't they look proud.
Oh, Marshal.
Congratulations, Cybert.
Oh, thank you, Marshal. Get over here for a minute, huh?
Sure.
Well, I guess that warning wasn't much to worry about after all.
That looks that way. You got nothing but friends here as far as I can see.
Well, that sure unsettles a man, though, a note like that.
I think you can forget about it now, Cybert.
I'll forget it when I find out who wrote it, Marshal. Look, that's what I wanted to ask you.
What?
If you learn anything about it, let me know. You promise me that?
What would you do if I did find out?
I'd kill him.
That's what I thought. Look, Cybert, you're married now, and you've got more than yourself to think about.
I'm a peace officer. I'm paid for it. It's my job.
And if I find out who wrote that note, I'll run him out of the country.
And I'll try to keep you from finding out who it was.
I'm not a boy, Marshal. I'm not sure I appreciate your trying to protect me.
What about Polly?
Polly?
Yeah.
Yeah. I think I see what you mean, Marshal.
You're just not used to being married, Cybert.
No.
Well, go on. Start getting used to it. Polly's looking for you over there.
Thank you, Marshal.
Sure.
Anything wrong, Mr. Dillon?
Not a thing, Chester. Come on, let's see him off.
Thank you, Chester.
All right, Polly. Up you go, honey.
Thank you, Polly.
Bye, father. Bye, Polly.
Bye, everybody.
Come see us up the range.
I'll have you.
Goodbye.
Goodbye.
Bye.
Let's go. Let's go.
Come on.
That boy's going to be home soon.
Oh, my goodness, Mr. Dillon.
What, Chester?
I'm just like an old woman at a wedding.
You know, they ought to have more weddings here.
Well, if you like them that much, Chester, why don't you do something about it?
Well, what could I do?
Get married.
Me? Get married?
Well, why not?
Oh, now, Mr. Dillon, you know I can't do that.
Why don't I make enough money to keep body and soul together just for me,
let alone a wife and a lot of kids and in-laws and all that? My goodness.
Well, you could start with just a wife.
Did you hear that?
Yeah. It's down the road, Cybert's took her.
Come on, grab a horse.
Anybody's horse, Chester.
Pardon me.
Come on.
Come on.
There's the buggy. Just past the bridge.
I don't see nobody else.
Ease up, Chester, so we don't scare the horses.
Yes.
All right, take a look under the bridge, Chester.
All right.
I'm sorry.
Marshall.
Marshall, they shot him.
Is he dead, Polly?
He's breathing, but I couldn't drive the horse back and hold him, too.
Oh, Marshall, why did they do it?
Who did it, Polly? How many were there?
I don't know. I didn't see anybody.
They were just driving across the bridge and they shot him.
There's nobody around, Mr. Dillon.
How is he?
Oh, please, Marshall, do something. He'll die.
Chester, get in the buggy and drive back to Doc's, quick.
Yes, sir.
All right, just give me them lines, Polly.
And tell everybody to stay in town. I don't want them messing up the tracks out here.
Now, hurry.
We'll be there before you know it, Polly. Hold him tight now.
As soon as the buggy had gone and the dust had settled, I looked around.
Everywhere, but could see no one.
Then I walked back and followed Chester's horse tracks down off the wagon road.
His were the only marks on that side of the bridge, so I crossed over to the other side.
And there I found the footprints of what must have been either a child or a woman.
They led off in the direction of a small cabin about 300 yards away.
And I followed them down in hand at a slow trough.
When it was clear that whoever it was had gone straight to the cabin, I left his trail
and approached the door from a right angle.
Knock, knock, knock.
Fine. There's nobody here.
Hold it.
Oh, dear, Marshal.
Bueller, come on outside, Bueller, quick.
Now, who's in there? Tell me.
Nobody, Marshal.
Nobody now that I'm out here.
You're trapped.
Come out with your hands up.
What are you yelling for, Marshal?
They all got my hands up.
Get out of the way, Bueller.
Get out of the way.
Everybody that killed Crazy Bueller to get out of the way.
That's what Matt said.
Get out of the way, Crazy Bueller.
Matt?
But he won't say it no more.
I fixed him.
Bueller, what are you talking about?
He wouldn't even look at me on the street after.
Then he up and married that treumann girl.
You mean you, Charlie?
I warned you, Marshal.
I told you to stop it.
I told you it would happen.
I told you.
Why did you stop it?
Why did you stop it?
You'll, uh...
Take it easy now.
You'll believe me, Marshal.
What?
Take a look in the cabin.
By heaven, I will.
What's this all about, Bueller?
There's nobody in there.
Now my rifle.
Where is it?
Right there by the door.
That's been fired all right.
Did you really shoot Matt Cybert, Bueller?
I want the truth now.
I would, didn't I?
I hate him.
But why?
Why did you do it?
Tell me.
No.
I won't tell you.
I don't have to.
Well, it's clear enough that you did it.
All right, Bueller.
Get your things and let's go into town.
I don't need nothing, Marshal.
I got all dressed up and everything.
See? See?
Yeah.
Yeah, you look fine.
I feel better now, Marshal.
Now that it's all over.
You're dead.
I feel a lot better.
Give her anything she wants, Chester.
See that she's comfortable.
Yes, sir, I will.
It sure beats all old, don't it?
Yeah.
Well, I'm going up to Doc's.
Maybe Cybert's can talk now.
Well, you better hurry.
Paulie will be back in a minute.
All right.
Hello, man.
How is he, Doc?
I can't tell you.
Don't worry about it.
Hello, Cybert's.
Marshal.
I guess we should have stayed with you a little longer, huh?
I don't even know where it came from, Marshal.
He was under the bridge there, I guess.
Got me right in the back.
It wasn't a he, Cybert's.
It was a she.
A woman?
Crazy buller, I just locked her up.
Well, how do you know it was her, Marshal?
I trailed her to her cabin, and she admitted it.
Did she say why she did it?
She said you wouldn't look at her on the street.
Told her to get out of the way or something.
Doesn't matter much.
Unless you want to tell me.
Well, just a bit.
I got drunk one night, Marshal, and she kind of chased after me ever since.
I tried to keep out of her way.
I see.
Well, what are you going to tell Polly?
If I live.
If you live.
I don't know, Marshal.
Might even tell her the truth.
All right, man, now that's enough.
Yes, sure, Doc.
So long, Sebbitts.
Bye, Marshal.
Two days later, Doc announced that Nat Cybert would live.
And the next day, they moved him up to the Troyman house where Polly could nurse him.
I never did know if he told Polly what it was all about.
Maybe he didn't have to.
Crazy Bueller never asked about him, never mentioned his name again.
For her, it was all over and done with.
And then finally somebody remembered that she had people in St. Louis.
And once I located them, I put her on a train and sent her off.
She seemed quite happy about the trip, and more normal than I'd ever seen her.
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 John Meston, with music composed and conducted by Rex Corey.
Featured in the cast were Lawrence Dobkin, Sam Edwards, Joyce McCluskey, Joe Cranston, Elaine Williams, and Pat McGeehan.
Polly Bear is Chester, Georgia Ellis is Kitty, and Howard McNear is Doc.
Gunsmoke has been selected by the Armed Forces Radio Service to be heard by our troops overseas.
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.
Beginning next week, Gunsmoke will be heard a half hour earlier over most of these same stations.
Remember, Gunsmoke, a half hour earlier, beginning next week.
Every Sunday evening, listen for a new drama of escape at the Star's Address.
This is George Wall speaking.
Sunday night, Dick Powell is rough-to-tough Richard Diamond, private detective on the CBS Radio Network.
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