Around Dodge City and in the territory on West, there's just one way to handle the killers
and the spoilers and that's where the 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.
Dog gone if Dodge ain't growed a heap since I was here.
It is very big, sir.
Front street must have seven, eight saloons.
A lot of towns I've seen don't even have that many houses.
We are going to stay here?
Now, mean I told you not to fret yourself.
Nobody's going to bother you.
Well, look there.
The Longhorn Saloon.
You know, a man might find whiskey fit to drink in a place like that.
Just drop your reins over the rack, Nina.
Your old pony ain't about to go nowhere.
I will wait right here, cop.
Here in the dust and heat?
Come on, get down off that old horse.
You've been riding so long you need to walk around some.
All right.
Anyway, it's cooler inside.
If they got a ladies parlor you can sit in there.
Well, sit on the porch.
Come on.
Sure, they got a parlor.
There's a side door over there, Nina.
You go on in and wait.
Glass of rye bartender.
Hold that drink, bartender.
Maybe you picked the wrong place to drink, mister.
That so?
Places down along the river let mixed women come in and sit.
I've heard tell.
Maybe that's where you better go.
Bartender, I ain't got my drink yet.
Mister, you don't understand what I said.
That bartender ain't going to give you no drink.
Maybe he is.
He ain't.
This place don't serve nobody that walks in with no dirty mix.
All right, hold it.
Hold it.
All right, you men, take Lawson out to a horse trot and soak his head for him.
The rest of you get down to about your business.
Come on.
You busted up what could have been a man-sized fight.
How fights like that lead to killings?
Down if they don't.
You're a cool one, mister.
You get that way in my profession.
Oh, what's that?
Army scout.
I'm on my way to Fort Wallace.
What's yours?
United States Marshal.
My name's Dillon.
I noticed they paid you a heap of attention.
I'm Cuff Peters and proud to know you.
Well, I want you to meet somebody.
This here is Nina.
She's my wife.
How do you do?
Ma'am.
Cuff, I...
Nina and me been traveling quite a spell.
Oh, where'd you ride from?
Come up from Texas.
Figured we'd stay over here in Dodge if I can find a place.
Nina's been feeling poorly.
How long do you figure on staying in Dodge, Cuff?
Can't rightly say, Marshal.
Why?
Well, you made trouble for yourself when you hit Hank Lawson.
Isn't that right?
It'll bother him, Cuff, and he'll be after you.
I know you can't make Fort Wallace, so it might be better if you and your wife rode
out to Fort Dodge and stayed there.
He's right, Cuff.
We should go on right now.
We don't want no trouble.
You've been riding enough, the way you feel.
Besides, I got things to do.
Look, Cuff, I don't want any trouble here.
I sure don't aim to cause any.
Now, how about joining me in a drink, Marshal?
I've still got a glass of rye coming.
Dodge was real quiet for the next week, except when a drunked-up cowboy tried to burn the
town down because he lost at a faro table.
I kept an eye on Hank Lawson, but the trouble I'd been expecting between him and Cuff Peters
seemed to blow over.
Chester heard somewhere that Cuff had found a room for Nina and himself at the widow Helgeson's
place out at the edge of town.
I didn't see Cuff again except once when he drove the widow's buckboard into town, loaded
it up with food and supplies, and drove back out.
Then one morning while Chester was cleaning up the office, Cuff walked in.
Morning, Marshal.
Hello, Cuff.
I never did get a chance to pay you back for that drink you bought me.
The time will come, Marshal.
Oh, Cuff, this is Chester Proudfoot.
Cuff Peters.
Well, sir, I'm not proud, Mr. Peters.
Howdy.
Mr. Dillon told me how you knocked old Hank Lawson across the bar at the Longhorn.
I sure do wish I'd seen that.
Chester isn't too fond of Hank.
Well, if I'm going to hit him again, I'll let you know.
Well, thank you.
Marshal, what I come for was to get you help.
Oh, what is it, Cuff?
Well, I don't know much about doctors and all, and they say you're a good friend of
the one in town.
Oh, I've known Doc for a long time.
What do you need?
Well, I'm not ailing, but Nina's feeling real puny.
Oh?
I think maybe someone should have a look at her.
We ain't been married but five, six months, and I don't understand much about women folk
and their ailments.
Uh, Chester, run up and get Doc, will you?
Yes, sir, Mr. Dillon.
You see, Marshal, the thing that bothers me the most is that I got to start out for Fort
Wallace right soon.
I already stayed here longer than I intended.
Well, if your wife's sick, you can't take her with you on a ride like that.
That's what I want to know from the Doc.
Is she too sick to ride?
Well, you could leave her here.
She could come on later.
I'd just pure hate to leave her behind if I didn't have to.
Oh, hello, Matt.
Where's the patient?
Uh, Doc, this is Cuff Peters, Doc Adam.
How do you do, Mr. Adams?
Mr. Peters wants you to have a look at his wife.
I'm ready.
My bag's by the door there.
Maybe you ought to know before you come with me, my wife's Mexican.
Well?
The only reason I mention it, some folks here seem to take exception.
Oh, for heaven's sake, standing here talking is going to help Mrs. Peters any if she's
sick, you know.
You ready to go, young fellow?
I'm ready, Doc.
Marshal, I want to thank you.
Sure, Cuff.
Goodbye.
See you later, Matt.
He's a nice little fella, ain't he, man?
Yeah, he seems to be, Chester.
What's he do for a living?
He's an Army scout, he says, on his way out to Fort Wallace.
I always had in mind that scouts was more tricky.
Chuck, he's no more sly than me.
Don't let Cuff fool you, Chester.
He's small, but he can take care of himself.
Well, one thing, he don't seem to let nothing upset him, none.
Well, he's worried about his wife, Chester.
Plenty.
Well, I'm sure he'll be fine.
Chester, you're going to get a belly ache.
I can't help it, Mr. Dillon.
Ever since I was a little boy, I just get a craving for wheat cakes at supper.
Four servings?
Well, I... it does make up to quite a pile, don't it?
But then that molasses kind of keeps him wetted down.
Oh, hello, Matt.
Chester.
Sit down, Doc.
Oh, thank you.
Yeah, you going to eat?
No, Matt, no.
I eat out at Widow Helgeson's with Cuff and his wife.
How is she, Doc?
She's resting, isn't she?
You know, she's a pretty little thing, Matt.
Chester's nice and sweet.
Yeah, she is.
What was wrong with her, Doc?
Nothing that won't be right in about six more months.
Well, that don't make sense, Doc.
She's going to have a baby, Chester.
She is?
Well, it only took a minute to see that.
I guess Cuff meant it when he said he didn't know much about women.
Well, I should think a baby would be easy enough to tell about.
Chester.
Oh, yes.
Cuff sent a message to you, Matt.
He's going on out to Fort Wallace.
He says after he reports into the Colonel and gets a place ready out there, he'll come
back for Mrs. Peters.
That's a ten-day ride there, in fact, Doc.
Well, I know, man.
I don't know why.
I don't like Mrs. Peters stand alone here in Dutch.
Well, there's nothing to be worried about.
She's in good hands here.
Yeah, but the Widow Helgeson's an old lady, Doc.
She wouldn't be much help to Nina.
Well, what kind of help would she be needing, Mr. Nillon?
More than an old lady could give him.
If Hank Lawson finds out that she's alone here.
We will return for the second act of gun smoke in just a moment.
But first, this coming Tuesday night, you have one date with Pam and Jerry North and
another date with John Lund as yours truly, Johnny Dollar.
If mystery is your dish, then listen in as Mr. and Mrs. North and Johnny Dollar dish
it out.
Remember, the night is Tuesday, the network is CBS Radio, and the shows are Mr. and Mrs.
North and yours truly, Johnny Dollar.
They're here on most of these same stations this coming Tuesday.
Now the second act of gun smoke.
That's about everything, Mrs. Peters.
Hey, thank you.
Give your hand out to the buck boy.
Oh, he's not that much.
I can carry it.
Well, I'll get the door for you then, ma'am.
Thank you, Mr. Perry.
Good day.
Good day, ma'am.
Well, if it ain't Mrs. Peters come to town to do a week shopping.
I beg your pardon?
Excuse me, ma'am, I ain't being very polite.
This here's Kane Twigg.
I'm Hank Lawson.
What do you want?
Now, surely you remember me, ma'am.
You ought to.
I was a fellow your husband hit in the mouth his first day in town.
I remember you.
Now let me pass.
Well, now ain't I being a miserable cuss letting you carry all them heavy sacks.
See, I help you some.
Please.
Just put them in the wagon for you.
Oh.
That was mighty careless of me to slip plumb out of my hand.
I hope there was nothing in there to blame.
Leave me alone, please.
Well, now, Mrs. Peters, I don't know why you're upset.
You know I wouldn't do nothing to harm a fine lady like you.
Besides, your husband might try to give me another lesson in manners and that scares
me real bad.
I just want to show you how much I learned.
Now you go on and get into that buckboard.
What?
Please, possible I don't like all this going to wear out.
All we're going to do is just start you for home, Mrs. Peters.
Untie them lines, Twig, and face that thing down the street.
Sure.
Now, like I say, ma'am, I don't want you to fret.
Stand aside, Twig.
All right, ma'am, hang on.
Yeah.
Let's help her.
Ha, ha, ha.
Oh, come on.
How is she, Doc?
She's all right, Matt.
She's fine.
Hello, baby.
There wasn't anything I could do.
Those miserable filthy beasts!
Take it easy.
Take it easy!
What are you talking about, Matt? Those men should be horsemen.
No, no, no, I can't.
Matt did all he could. He even roughed them up a little on the way to jail.
Oh.
And then yesterday morning, the judge fined them and turned them loose.
Find them. Probably all of fifty dollars.
Kitty, be sensible.
You and your precious law. I'm sick of it.
You have to go by it, Kitty, whether it seems right or not.
I don't have to do nothing.
Kitty, don't talk like that.
For the man I've shown him in the valley.
Oh, now, Kitty.
Oh, leave me alone. Both of you.
Kitty.
Kitty.
Kitty.
Look, Kitty.
Why don't you go in and talk with her, huh?
She needs another woman.
Huh?
Go on.
Lena?
Can I come in?
Oh, it's terrible, Matt.
Yeah.
Well, what are you going to do?
There's nothing more I can do.
Officially.
No, just that's right.
Look, Duck, I want you to keep Nina in your office.
You can keep an eye on her there.
Cuff will be back in a few days.
And then... and then you'll tell him?
Yeah. Yeah, then I'll tell him.
Hello, Marshall. Chester.
Oh, Mr. Peters.
Cuff?
I just got back.
Witte Helgeson says there's been an accident. I should come see you.
Well, uh, your wife was hurt bad, Cuff.
But she's better now, though.
Where is she?
She's up in Duck's office. Chester will show you.
I know the way.
It just makes me sick, Mr. Dillon.
Yeah, he's likely been in the saddle all day, right, and they got back to her.
And he gets here and...
How was she nice?
How she ate the supper Kitty brought over.
That's more than she's done in a week.
You know, I'd kindly hate to be Hank Lawson.
Have you seen him around?
Yes, sir. Him and Twig been hanging around the Longhorn.
Hank asked me, was anybody looking for him? Then he laughed.
What'd you say then?
Nothing like you told me. I just walked on out.
Yeah, good.
What do you figure Cuff will do, Mr. Dillon?
I don't know.
Cuff's so mild and quiet and all.
But I got a feeling he'd be mighty mean if once he got right.
I want to thank you, Marshal, for all you and Chester and Doc Dunfanina.
I'm sorry, Cuff.
Now, I wonder if you'd hold my gun for me.
Well, what are you going to do?
I'm going to look for Hank Lawson and I'm going to mock him.
Mocking good.
That way somebody's going to get hurt.
That's a fact, Marshal.
Look, Cuff, I won't stand for a killing.
Now, Nina's well enough to travel. You could start for Fort Wallace.
We'd fix a bed and a wagon for you.
I'm going to start for Wallace, all right.
But not until I've seen Hank Lawson.
Well, will you hold my gun?
Till you come back for it.
Thank you.
Oh, Cuff.
Yeah?
Chester and I were just talking about going up to Longhorn for a drink. We thought maybe we might walk with you.
The company'd be fine, but it's my deal.
Sure.
I had to tell him to come back to town just a little while ago.
Now, this time when I lay eyes on him, I'm going...
Well, if it ain't little feller's self.
But I see the Marshal come along so as he wouldn't get hurt.
I'm just here to see that no shooting starts, Hank.
Yeah.
What's on your mind, Cuff?
I left my gun at the Marshal's office.
So?
After you drop yours on the floor, I'm going to make you bleed.
Figure to take me with your fist?
That's right.
All right, boys, move back. Make a little room here.
All right, Cuff.
I've loaded my gun down.
Chester, just so Hank's friends don't get too excited and maybe want to help him out, move down to the end of the bar.
Yes, sir, Mr. Dillon.
There'll be no gunplay here, Hank.
What's between you and Cuff? You'll settle yourself.
Right in here.
That's good enough for me, Marshal.
All right, little fella, come and get it.
Now I'm going to take you apart, Lawson, bit by bit.
Is that the way you feel?
I said, I said.
Punches, all that was, just a lucky punch.
Get up, Lawson.
You dirty little pig.
I'm going to slit your throat.
Drop that knife, Hank.
Never mind, Marshal.
He's going to fight with a knife.
I'll fix me one, too.
There.
Now, Lawson, if you're going to fight to cut, I'm ready.
Fight or drop it.
Now get out of here.
Because if I see you again before I leave, I'm going to finish what I started.
My gracious alive, I ain't seen anything like that since I left Waco.
Come, as soon as you got your breath, I'd like to buy you that drink I owe you.
Thank you, Marshal.
I figure I could use it.
Because my wife and me's got a long ride ahead of us.
Gunsmoke, under the direction of Norman McDonald, stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
The special music was composed and conducted by Rex Corey.
Featured in the cast were Vic Perrin and Lawrence Dobkin, with Lillian Bief and James Eagles.
Harley Bear as Chester, Howard McNear as Doc, and Georgia Ellis as Kitty.
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.
Later tonight on most of these same stations, Herb Schreiner will take your sense of humor in hand and give it a once-over wonderfully on Two for the Money,
whose your herb and his girl with are an irresistible combination for merriment.
The quiz part of Two for the Money makes the show that much more interesting to hear.
Remember, Two for the Money later tonight.
George Walsh speaking.
Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy open Fire on Your Funny Bones Sunday nights on the CBS Radio Network.
.