Gun smoke brought to you by L and M filters. This is it. L and M is best. Stands out from
all the rest. 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 U.S. Marshal and the smell of gun smoke.
Gun smoke starring William Conrad, the French scribe's 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 chancy job and it makes a man watchful and a little lonely.
Morning, Matt. Well, hello, Kitty. What are you doing out so early? You're not very observant.
Look at me. Oh, that's a riding skirt. I've been clear out to Sand Springs and back.
For breakfast, too. Alone? I like to ride alone. And Matt, I jumped to her to Antelope.
There must have been a hundred of them. I was too bad you didn't have a gun. Shoot one
of them never. Well, I've seen you eat Antelope often enough, Kitty. That's different. Well,
you couldn't have packed one back anyway. Makes a horse pretty wild sometimes. Wouldn't
the horse I was riding, I think he was sound asleep the whole way. Matt, why don't you
come riding with me some morning? Me? Go riding for pleasure? Why not? You know, Kitty, I
took this marshal job to keep out of the saddle. You know, there was a time I was beginning
to think I'd forgot how to walk. You're plain lazy, that's what. All right, I'll go with
you sometime. But I won't promise to leave all those Antelope steaks running around loose
out there. I'll scream. You won't get anywhere near them. Yeah, I'll bet you would, too.
Mr. Dillon. Morning, Miss Kitty. Hello, Chester. Say, you've been out horseback riding, Miss
Kitty. Chester, someday you're going to make a woman very happy. I am? Matt didn't even
notice my riding skirt. He didn't? Well, you came up here in a big rush, Chester. What's
it all about? Oh, it's Earl Heaney, Mr. Dillon, the fellow that banks the ferro table over
at the Long Branch. Yeah, I know him. Something happened to him, Chester? It sure did. Sam
Noonan went out back when he came to work this morning and he found Heaney laying there,
somebody's busted his head open. Is he dead? Not yet, but he don't look good, according
to Sam. Well, is Doc there? No, sir. Doc went out to the Tootsbury Ranch. He left a note
on his door saying he won't be back till afternoon. Sam come to the office and told me about it.
You'd better go see him, Matt. Yeah. There he is. End of the alley, Mr. Dillon. Well, at
least Sam put a blanket over him. Good thing you come, Marshal. Is he still alive, Sam?
He's alive, but he ain't good. He comes to every once in a while, then he passes out
again. Yeah. He say anything about what happened? Well, I didn't try to make him talk, Marshal.
You any idea what happened, Sam? Oh, no, no. Last I saw of him was early this morning,
about four o'clock. I left him count the money at his power table alone. He's coming to Mr.
Dillon. He just moved. Heaney? Heaney, can you hear me? It's Marshal Dillon. Marshal?
Yeah. Who did it, Heaney? Who was it? Slugged me with this six gun. Kept hitting me. Who?
Tall fella. He come in when I was alone. Took my gun. All the money. What did he look
like, Heaney? Besides being tall. Real tall. Red hair. Look at there. He's passed out again.
He keeps doing that, Marshal. Tall man with red hair. I don't know who that'd be. Jim
Bostic's got red hair. Who? Bostic. I think I know him. Yeah, sure you do, Mr. Dillon.
He's always sitting around gambling over at the Alla Paganza. Day and night he's there.
You stay here with Sam, Jester. All right, sir. I'm afraid there's not much you can do
for Heaney except watch him die. I'm going after Jim Bostic.
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I filled it inside. There they are, gentlemen. King High Street. My pot. Well, hello, Marshall.
Take a hand. No, thanks. I want to talk to you, Bostic. Now? Yeah. What about? Come
over to the bar and I'll tell you. Sounds important. It is. Okay. Deal me out this hand, gentlemen.
Okay, Bostic. All right, gentlemen. That's the deal. Hope this don't break my luck, Marshall.
It's been running good the last couple hours. All night game? Oh, it started just after
midnight. Well, then you've been sitting with those men ever since midnight. Just about,
huh? What do you want to see me for? You know Earl Haney, Bostic. I ain't proud of knowing
him. How? I got no use for him. It's nothing in particular, Marshall, but I never did like
him. I see. What are you asking me about him for? He was robbed and slugged this morning.
He was? Well, you don't think I had anything to do with it, do you? He said it was a tall
man with red hair. And you're the only red haired man I could think of. Oh, he's lying.
He's trying to put it on me because we're enemies. You think he'd do that? Of course
he would. Haney'd do anything to get me in trouble. He's dying, Bostic. That'd be going
pretty far, wouldn't it? Not for Haney, you wouldn't. You know, there's something I don't
understand. What? You're making a big argument about Haney lying to get you in trouble when
there are four men sitting over there to alibi for you. I wasn't in the game the whole time,
Marshall. I left for about an hour. What time? It was about four o'clock, I guess. It was.
Oh. That's when Haney got it. That's when he got it. You're going to be disappointed,
Marshall. What? I still got an alibi. You better have. Who is it? Doc Adams. Doc?
Sure. I got a stomach cramp real bad, so I left the game, went over to Doc's and woke
him up. He fixed me some stuff on the glass and then we sat and talked. He said he had
to get up early anyways. I'll say one thing, Bostic. You don't think straight, but you
think fast. Mr. Dillon? Yeah, what is it, Chester? It's Haney. He'd come to again and started
asking for you. Says he's got something to tell you. You'd better hurry. He's awful serious
about it. I'll go, Chester. But first, I'm going to take your gun, Bostic. What for?
Give it to me. Here, Chester, you hold it. Yes, sir? You're under arrest, Bostic. Under
arrest? Take him to jail, Chester. No, no, look here, Marshall. All you got to do is
ask Doc. He'll tell you. Doc's not here. He won't be back till afternoon. I can't wait
that long. I'm starting out for cold water in an hour. I want to be there tomorrow. You're
not going anywhere till Doc gets back. Probably not then. All right, lock him up, Chester.
Yes, sir. When I got back to the alley where Haney was lying, I found Sam had pulled the
blanket up over his face. He'd come to for the last time. And whatever it was he wanted
to tell me, I'd never know. Sam and I carried him inside. Then Sam sent for a wagon to take
him out to Boot Hill. We had to wait for over an hour. And when it finally showed up, we
loaded Haney onto it and they drove off. I stood in the street and watched him for a
minute or two. Then I walked over to the jail. Hey, who's out there? Come back here. I'll
be right back. Mr. Dillon, come out here. For the sake of life, I didn't think you was
ever coming. He had a gun hit out, Mr. Dillon, and he got the drop on me. Just as I was locking
him up, he made me get in the cell here and then he closed the door on me and left. I've
got a key. I should have held his gun on him the whole time. I had it stuck in my belt,
though. Who would have thought he was carrying another gun here? All right, Chester, come
on out. I've been yelling myself for it. You'd think somebody would have heard me, wouldn't
you? He's got over an hour's start on us. Well, he's headed southeast, Mr. Dillon, toward
Coldwater. How do you know? That's where he said he was going. Yeah, I know. I heard
it. Yes, sir, but he told me again when he left. He said he knew you was going to be
off mad at him, but he'd planned to be in Coldwater tomorrow. Besides, it wouldn't make
any difference once you talk to Doc. Well, he kind of decides things for himself, doesn't
he? Well, he is a pretty independent fellow, Mr. Dillon, but Doc will be back in a couple
hours, so there's nothing to worry about. Nothing to worry about? Well, I mean, as soon
as Doc tells you Bostic was with him this morning, then he'll be clear, won't he? Bostic
tried to use Doc for an alibi just to stall for time, Chester. But he didn't know Doc
was out of town. You talk like you think he's innocent. Well, didn't he tell you he
was only trying to get him in trouble? And he was dead when I got there. Oh. Well, me
and Bostic was talking about it on the way over here, and we figured that's what he was
going to say. I reminded him when he ran off, but he just wouldn't wait for you to come
back. He said he'd had all he could stand to dodge, and he wanted to get out of here
right now. Like I said, he's kindly independent. He didn't run because he's independent, Chester.
He ran because he's guilty, the way any murderer would. While we're standing here joing about
it, he's out there covering miles. Oh, but a couple of hours won't make so much difference,
Mr. Dillon. We can go after him if Doc says he was lying. We'll get started now. But if
he didn't do it and we waste time chasing him, the real murderer will get away. I want
Bostic, and I don't want any more talk about it. No man's going to break out of this jail
and write off like he owned the country. I'm going to get my horse and go after him before
I get so mad I can't see the track. You can stay here and tuck your head off if you want.
The horse is okay, Chester. Oh, mine got tangled up in his tire. Oh, the darn fool. That's
what all the stomping around was about. Oh, my. I sure do wish we could have a fire to
sit around the night. Now we can't risk it, Chester. From the sign on Bostic's trail,
I think we almost caught up with him before it got dark. And unless he's riding all night,
he might be camped within a mile of us. Oh, well, I didn't mean it seriously, Mr. Dillon,
about having a fire. Honest, I didn't. I was only talking. I wouldn't... Take it easy,
Chester. It's not you I got mad at today. It's Bostic. Yes, sir. Hey, you still got
to think I was wrong not waiting to talk to Doc, don't you? Yes, sir. I do. Well, I guess
that's why they have generals in the Army. Somebody's got to make the decisions. Sure.
I was sure wrong about one thing, though. I wish I'd have laud us enough time to tie
on a couple of blankets. It's going to be a cold night. Especially without a fire. Well,
at least we got a sack of jerky. Jerky will keep a man warm just chewing on it. A plate
of hot pinto beans will keep him a lot warmer. All mixed up with chili peppers, like they
do down on the Bravo. Oh, my goodness, I'd give most anything I know for a pot of that
right now. You know, anybody who likes food the way you do ought to be a cook, Chester.
I was a cook once. Oh, is that so? Where? In the Army. Back in 65, the Spring Richmond
fell. But I quit. You quit? Oh, I don't mean I quit the Army. I quit cooking. Oh, why?
Supplies ran out. We had to take the foraging for our grub. It's a funny thing. You join
the Army to be a soldier and you wind up being a chicken thief. I can think of a lot of men
that wouldn't bother. Well, to tell you the truth, Mr. Dillon, stealing food come kind
of easy to me. I didn't have no conscience at all about it. What's that? It's not one
of our horses. It's too far off. That's closer. He's coming this way. That's when I was answering
your question. Listen. Now, that horse is hobbled, Chester. Come on. There, I see him.
Right out there. Yeah, he's seen us too. He's standing still. I wonder how far he's come
like that. Easy now. Don't scare him. Steady, boy. He couldn't have come very far with those
hobbles. Not more than about a mile, I guess. How do you figure that? It's been dark an
hour and a half. Whoever was riding him unsaddled about then. Let's time up, Chester, and we'll
go back the way he came. You're thinking it's Bostic's horse. I'm sure hoping it is.
I'd hate to surprise an innocent man into a shooting, aren't they?
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We unhobbled the horse and tied him up, then started off across the prairie on foot. A
horse makes less noise than a horse. We couldn't do any tracking in the dark, so we had to
go by guess and hope we were lucky. But we weren't. And after wandering over the prairie
half the night, we gave it up and found our way back to camp. There was only one other
thing to do. And a couple of hours before dawn, we led the horse back some distance
the way he'd come, hobbled him again, and hid ourselves in the high buffalo grass. And
then we waited. A long time. What if that horse starts back for our camp, Mr. Dillon?
Ah, then we're in trouble, Chester. Anyway, this beat's stumbling around in the dark.
I like to broke my neck a couple of times last night. And I was hoping we'd be lucky.
If we'd found him asleep, we could have taken him without a fight. And doggone him. He probably
slept the whole night all cozied up in a blanket, too.
Quiet, Chester.
Why, that's him. He's whistling for his horse.
Well, he's wasting his breath. That horse isn't gonna move.
How are we gonna take him?
You stay on your belly. I'll stand up first. Quiet now.
Dang, Nanamo, how'd you get so far from camp? Tie up next time. Hold still now.
I'll get these hobbles off here.
Stay down now, Chester.
All right, throw him up, Basseke.
Here, up.
What you come chasing clear out here for, Marshal?
I'll take your gun, Basseke.
Okay, Chester.
Chester here, too? Is that why you come after me? I didn't do him no harm, Marshal.
Oh, Basseke.
I didn't hurt you one bit, did I, Chester?
I don't understand this, Marshal. Of course, maybe I shouldn't have run off when I'd been
arrested and all, but I don't like being cooped up. Besides, I want to get out of dodge. I'm
tired of it.
Basseke, I don't know whether you're half smart or plain crazy, but we'll find out when
we get back to dodge.
The doc will be down in a minute, Mr. Jones. He's finishing up an autopsy.
An autopsy on who?
I don't know.
You don't, huh? Did you tell him about Basseke?
Yes, sir.
Well, what did he say?
Mr. Jones, my brother, Doc, told you himself.
What's the matter with you, Chester? You're not even looking at me.
Hello, Matt.
Hello, Doc.
Well, I've got a feeling Chester left it to me to tell you.
To tell me what?
Ken Skolls got killed, Matt.
Well, who's he?
He's the pharaoh banker that was hired to take Earl Haney's place.
He got killed and robbed the same way Haney did, Matt. Same time, everything.
Any idea who did it?
He didn't live as long as they tell me Haney did, but Sam got a few words out of him. He
said the bandit came up behind him, so he never saw his face. But before he hit him,
he started bragging about how he hadn't planned to push his luck again. But with you out of
town, it was easy. He said he was riding off right away and never coming back.
I guess there's no use asking you about Basseke, is there?
He was with me, Matt, like he said.
All right, go get him, Chester.
Now, Matt, that's our care, Doc.
Hello, Doc. How are you?
I'm fine, Basseke. I'm fine.
Well, Marshall, did he tell you?
Yeah, yeah, he told me.
There's your gun, Basseke.
Thanks.
You ain't sore at me, are you, Marshall?
A man's been killed because I lost my temper yesterday, Basseke. If I'd been thinking instead
and stayed here, it wouldn't have happened.
That's bad. That's real bad.
Yeah.
Marshall, you ever get to Coldwater? I'd like to buy you a drink.
You wouldn't?
Anybody can make a mistake. But it's a rare man that don't try to weasel out of it when
he does.
Well, I'll be going now.
So long, Marshall.
And now our star, William Conrad.
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Gunsmoke, produced and directed by Norman McDonald, stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon,
and U.S. Marshall. Our story was specially written for Gunsmoke by John Mustin, with
music composed and conducted by Rex Corey. Sound patterns by Tom Hanley and Ray Kemper.
Featured in the cast were John Dana, Luke Krugman, and James Musser. Harley Bear is
Chester, Howard McMear is Doc, and Georgia Ellis is Kitty.
Put a smile in your smoking. Just give them a try. Light up a Chester Field. They satisfy.
Put a smile in your smoking. By Chester Field. So smooth. So satisfying. Chester Field. You'll
also enjoy Chester Field's great radio shows. Harry Como sings all the top tunes on CBS
Radio every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Jack Webb stars in Dragnet on Tuesday nights.
Check your local listings. Remember, listen again next week for another
transcribed story of the Western Frontier when Marshall, Matt Dillon, Chester Proudfoot,
Doc, and Kitty, together with all the other hard-living citizens of Dodge, will be with
you once more. It's America growing west in the 1870s. It's drama. It's Gunsmoke. Brought
to you by L&M Filters.