Around Dodge City and in the territory on west, there's just one way to handle the killers
of the spoilers and that's with a US Marshal and the smell of Gunsmoke.
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 Dillon, United States Marshal.
The first man they look for and the last they want to meet.
It's a chance a job and it makes a man watchful and a little lonely.
We're going to stop drinking at the Long Branch, Mr. Dillon.
I thought it would be dark, but I don't see no place.
It feels warm right here after that wind outside.
I think I'll go to the stove, Mr. Dillon.
Might be some kind hearted stranger will buy me a beer.
Just another gives up hope.
Don't you believe in kind hearted stranger?
No, not since I was nine years old.
What took you so long?
I was kind of slow growing up.
Would you like a beer?
As you'll let a kind hearted stranger buy it.
I wouldn't exactly call you a stranger, Kitty.
You have to admit I'm kind hearted, though.
A couple of beers, Sam.
All right.
You think a real bad storm's coming up, man?
Yeah, it's that time of year.
I remember the blizzard last year around Christmas time.
Yeah, it was that rough one, all right.
Nah, things will be rough this time of year even if the weather won't, Dad.
What do you mean?
Holiday season.
Families getting together and all, just ordinary, decent, good times.
The people still live that way?
Not many out here.
I sure don't.
Ah, not Kitty.
Oh, I know.
It's that time of year.
I get to thinking too much, remembering too much.
That's not good, Kitty.
It's a hard time.
It's a hard country.
Go soft and it'll kill you.
I remember nice you come in here after you had to kill a man.
Nice to see Joe sun up, not talking, alone mostly, and dying a dozen deaths inside.
Here's sentimental little Chester.
Oh, there you are, Marshal.
Shut the dog down door, Mr. Jones.
You're letting all the coal out.
I didn't laugh, Marshal.
What?
Right in the old store.
How did that happen, Mr. Jones?
Well, the fellow come in right after closing time, man, man, over his face and stuck a
gun in my stomach and took everything in the cash drawer.
Sixty-eight dollars.
That sure took you a long time to get around telling me about it.
Well, he tied me up, left me there in the back room.
I just not got loose.
You've got to go after him, Marshal.
Kind of a tall order, isn't it?
Trailing a five-hour head start.
That don't matter now because I know who he is.
I thought you said he wore a mask.
He did.
Well, I could tell by his voice and his walk and everything about him.
It was Clint Doty.
Clint Doty?
Yeah, he's a home-catcher up the river.
I know him, I know him.
But I can't believe that Clint's the kind to do a thing like that.
With him, all right.
I'm a hundred percent certain.
All right.
I'll ride out in the morning and bring him in.
In the morning?
If it was him, he'll be there.
But Marshal, you...
Wilbur, I'm not going to ride 12 miles up that river bottom at midnight
with a blizzard coming up for 68 dollars.
Now, we'll leave in the morning.
Let's sign up.
Well, he's probably heard it fried up, Mr. Jones.
Yeah, he'd think so.
You suppose he's going to hold up the house and try to shoot it out?
Doty's not that type, Chester.
Nobody never thought he was the type to hold up Mr. Jones, neither.
Well, morning, Marshal.
Yes, sir.
Oh, Doty.
How are you, Doty?
Morning.
And Santa, I got some coffee on the stove.
Well, we might warm our hands a little bit.
I'll get you some coffee.
I'll get you some coffee.
I'll get you some coffee on the stove.
We might warm our hands a little bit.
Come on, Chester.
Yes, sir.
I reckon Madora can rustle up some eggs inside me to gain air.
Thanks, Doty, but we had breakfast before we left Dodge.
And you can get warm at least.
What are you trying to do, Marshal?
Blow up a storm?
It looks that way.
It's been snowing since the daybreak out here in the river bottoms.
It's been snowing, and it's going to start drifting.
It probably will.
Well, I'll heat this coffee up later.
What brings you out this way, Marshal?
You, Doty?
Me?
What do you mean?
We're here to arrest you, take you back in.
What for?
Armed robbery.
Armed robbery?
You mean that holdup at the general store?
That news seems to travel fast, doesn't it?
How'd you know about it?
Well, I...
What's all this about armed robbery?
Oh, you know my wife again.
Yeah, sure.
How are you, Madora?
Good morning, ma'am.
Did I hear you accusing Clint of robbery, Marshal?
That's more a matter of Wilbert Jones accusing him, man.
When did this happen, Marshal?
Yesterday evening around seven o'clock.
Clint hasn't been away from this place for two days.
Yeah, I know, Madora.
Your wife's word might not stand for much under those circumstances, Madora.
Are you calling me a liar?
No, Madora, stop that.
There's people who saw me in town yesterday evening.
Wilbert Jones claims he's one of them.
Well, the way I heard it, the fellow that held him up was wearing a mask.
He says he recognized your voice.
Wilbert Jones couldn't recognize my eyes.
I suppose he had a mouth full of them.
Well, I guess that would be something for the judge to decide, man.
Then you're going to take me into jail?
But you can prove you were somewhere else at seven o'clock last night.
That might be kind of hard to do, Marshal.
Yeah, then we better get started. We've got a hard ride ahead of us.
Oh, no, wait a minute. I can't go off and leave Madora like this with a storm coming on.
Maybe one of the neighbors could come over and stay with her.
There's none closer than five miles, Marshal, and they all got plenty of trouble to their own this time of year.
I ain't even got enough firewood.
Split it up to last her more than a day and a half.
I was aiming to get some laid in today.
I'm sure she's made out before.
Well, maybe so, but not in her condition.
Claire!
Condition? What are you talking about?
Well, she's going to have a baby, Marshal.
Oh, for the love of...
It's mighty hard on a woman having her man took off to jail and not even wood in the house to keep warm.
Now, look, Doty.
You know, it wouldn't take no time at all if the three of us were to pitch in together.
All right, Doty, let's get at it.
Oh, God, the Betsy!
What's the matter, Chester?
Well, this puss of axe needs sharpening again, Mr. Dillon. It ain't too good as steel.
The Marshal's got the best of it.
You couldn't prove it by me.
Oh, listen, sure don't hold its edge, nun.
Why, here, Chester, let me touch it up with a stove.
Oh, my gracious, that edge is mighty easy.
You ask me, you've already chopped my wood the last two this winter and a half, but I stopped at that, Doty.
That stove eats it up pretty fast.
Chester's right, Doty, we've chopped enough.
Well, she's got you some of it to cook with, too, you know.
It's enough here to last till she can make other arrangements.
Now, let's pack it into the shed and head back for town before that snow gets any worse.
Well, whatever you say, Marshal.
Mr.
You must be feeling like taking on some vinyls. I got the nice hot stew ready.
Did you say vinyls?
Now, we've got to get started, Madara. It's getting late.
Oh, it won't do no harm to eat first. It'll make the trail shorter, Marshal.
Well...
My! Just look at all that firewood! I'm right obliged to you, men.
You're welcome, Madara.
I reckon I'll need every stick of it, too, with this wind driving the snow in through the north wall of the cabin.
God dang it, I clean forgot.
Forgot what?
The chinkin'.
The chinkin'?
No, the chinkin'. The chinkins all fell out of the north wall of the house.
Oh, I was aiming to fix it today. I got a lot of bark slabs cut laying up back to the barn.
Look, Doty...
Oh, it's mighty hard on a woman in Madara's condition with the snow and the sleet blowing in on her.
Doty...
What?
Would it be all right if we eat first?
Well, I reckon that about does the job down at this man.
Yeah, I'm just about through here, too.
You know, that ain't a bad piece of work if I do say so myself.
Oh, sir, a carpenter couldn't have done one bit better.
There, I thought I'd keep the wind out.
Oh, that looks fine, Marshal, just fine. I'm mighty obliged to you, man.
Oh, that's all right.
Well, I know you got your duty to do. You got to take me in, and I want you to know there's no hard feelings about it.
Oh, sure, Doty.
And I appreciate the way you've been so decent.
Help me get things in shape so my daughter will be all right here alone.
Oh, there ain't many lawmen that take this trouble.
Oh, she's got enough problems without making it worse for her.
Let's put the tools away and get started. It's going to be dark before we get to Dodge.
Yes, sir, you sure are right about her having plenty of problems, Marshal, in her condition and all.
And now the cattle gone.
The cattle gone?
Oh, of course we only had about 20 head, but with me going to prison, maybe it's been enough to see her through, her and the little one.
What do you mean, the cattle gone?
I had them there in the meadow back of the corral, letting them pick clean what pasture was left.
I guess they drifted off last night.
Well, of course they drifted off. When that storm hit, they turned tail and moved along with the wind. Cattle always do that.
Well, I guess it don't matter much, though. Madora couldn't take care of them no how, not in her condition.
Well, she could if you'd hold them in the corral there next to the barn. All she'd have to do is push the hay out of the loft door.
I reckon they drifted down south there about three miles and come up against the bluffs.
Oh, they'll probably mill around and freeze to death there if the storm keeps up.
About three miles, huh?
Mm-hmm. I was aiming to go after them, but of course one man alone wouldn't have had much chance.
All right, Doty, come on. Let's go find your cattle.
Ah! Come on in there!
Hey, there!
Well, that's the meanest, crankiest ornate bunch of cattle I ever seen on my born days.
The storm's really got them spooked.
You know, that had turned out to be more of a chore than I thought, Marshal.
Yeah, it sure did, Doty.
I just don't know how I'd have managed without you fellows helping.
We're mighty grateful to you, me and Madora both.
We'll let the cattle freeze.
Well, if you wait now till I put these landings in the barn, we can leave any time you say.
Or unless, of course, you'd like some hot coffee for us.
Doty, it's dark now. You know, as well as I do, we're not going to ride back to Dodge tonight.
Well, say, in that case, maybe you wouldn't mind helping me kill and dress a couple of dozen hens.
Couple dozen hens?
Yeah, hang them up under the eaves to freeze.
Oh, my gracious!
Chicken broth might be good for a woman in Madora's place.
Look, Doty, we've already chopped your wood, fixed your house, and rounded up your cattle.
Oh, you've been mighty decent.
All right. All right, we'll help you dress your chickens.
We'll make soap for you, salt down the pork, preserve eggs, anything you say up until midnight.
Then I'm going to get some sleep.
And at sunup, we're going to ride under Dodge, and you're going to jail.
Little you know about the little white chavricks in the little green pocket row, just a-waitin' for the moment when you need them to bring your acid indigestion under control.
Chums are the little white chavricks in the little green pocket row.
Chums for the chummy, P-U-N-S, bring relief quicker than you'd ever guess.
That's for any kind of acid distress, keep them handy in the pocket row.
Keep your chummy under chums control.
You're especially wise during the holiday season to keep chums nearby for quick relief from upset caused by rich foods and the hustle and bustle of holiday activities.
Chums, ten cents, three roll pack a quarter, or get the new chum six roll pack with free metal carrier, only 49 cents.
Chester, hey Chester, come on, wake up.
What's the matter, Mr. Younger?
You told me you're the one who's supposed to be on guard.
Huh?
Well, it's actually daylight, I must have dozed off for a second.
You'll be in a couple of hours, won't you?
Please don't do the getaway.
No, he's down there, I just woke him up.
Oh, well, I thought you'd only figured he wasn't going to know where he was in that storm.
What storm?
Why, it's over.
I died out during the night.
You better get yourself collected, Chester, we're heading for dodge.
My, just look at that sun on the snow with it.
I heard I pulled them boots out of the swar-
Oh!
What's the matter?
Oh, Mr. Younger, I'm so lame, I don't even know if I can stand up straight.
Well, keep trying.
I swear I'm going to have to be spoon-fed for a month.
I ain't never worked so hard in all my life.
Hello, anybody home?
Somebody outside here.
Yeah.
My golly, it's dark.
It's dark.
Well, come on in, you old refrobates.
I'm counting the time to turn up my horse and buggy.
I wonder what he's doing out this way.
Seeing a patient, I guess, he must have left town a little early.
Say, did somebody ride up?
Yeah, it's dark.
You about ready to leave, Billy?
Oh, there's still a marine to take me.
Nothing's changed.
What?
Well, Matt, Chester, this is where I've been hiding.
How are you, Doc?
Yeah.
Oh, good morning, Clint.
Morning, Doc.
Got any coffee?
I have so many two shakes, Doc.
Medora?
Yes, Clint?
Will you come out and fix some coffee?
Yes, sir, Matt.
What are you doing out here this time of morning, Doc?
Oh, the Murdoch baby was acting up, touched the crooks, so I spent the night there.
Thought I'd just drop over and say hello to the boaters, as long as I was this close.
You could have done that in town.
I'm taking him in.
You're taking him in?
Before what?
Robbin Jonas, General's store, night before last.
Robbin the J...
Now where did you get that idea?
Jonas claims he recognized him.
Wilbur Jonas hasn't got the sense the good Lord gave a gopher.
Matt, they caught the fellow who had done that.
What?
That's right.
There was some drifter riding through town.
He threw a lot of money into a poker game, and the boys got kind of suspicious.
And he finally admitted the whole thing.
So they barred the jail keys and judged bent and locked him up until he would get back.
But Clint, didn't you tell him?
Well, I...
Tell me what?
Clint, he couldn't have done it, Matt.
He was playing poker at the time with me and Moss Grimmock in the back room of the livery stable.
Doty.
No, Marshall, I didn't lie to you.
You asked me if I could prove where I was.
I didn't know Doc's work was actual proof, Clint Doty.
He done that deliberately to let us think he was guilty just to get us to do all that work for him.
And I suppose the story about your wife having a baby...
Oh, that's the gospel truth, Marshall.
It sure is, Matt.
I'll vouch for that.
Let me see now, it's about another six months.
Let me see, around the first of July.
First of July?
Yes.
I didn't say when, Marshall.
You didn't ask me.
Ain't you gonna wish as well?
The first of July.
So help me, Doty, for two cents.
We might even name him after you, Marshall, if we can't think of nothing else.
So help...
All right.
All right, Doty, how about some of that coffee, huh?
Make this one of your merriest Christmases.
Join us on CBS Radio as most of these same stations present our fourth annual Christmas Sing with Bing.
Right at her husband's side welcoming you to their holiday celebration will be Mrs. Bing Crosby, Katherine Grant.
With Bing as your host, CBS Radio will take you to Rome to hear the Vatican Choir sing.
There, too, you'll hear the sound of the bells of St. Peter's as they ring for the holiday mass.
Our Christmas Sing with Bing will take you to New York and Salt Lake City, to Canada, Australia, Holland, France, and even the Fiji Islands,
where carolers will sing the traditional Christmas songs with you.
Celebrate Christmas with the world.
Join us on CBS Radio Christmas Eve as most of these same stations present our fourth annual Christmas Sing with Bing.
Remember, this year on CBS Radio, you can spend Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. Bing Crosby.
Gunsmoke, produced and directed by Norman MacDonald, stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
The story was specially written for Gunsmoke by Les Quetchfield, with editorial supervision by John Meston.
Featured in the cast were Joseph Kearns, Virginia Gregg, and Ralph Moody.
Carly Baer as Tester, Howard McNear as Doc, and Georgia Ellis as Kitty.
This is George Walsh inviting you to join us again next week for another story on Gunsmoke.