Around Dodge City and in the territory on West, there is just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers, and that's with a U.S. Marshal and the smell of gun smoke.
John Luke's book, starring William Conrad, 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 chancey job, and it makes a man watchful and a little lonely.
Good morning, Matt. Hello, Doc. Yeah, you had breakfast yet? I'm waiting for Chester to get back from the depot. Somebody told him there was a telegram down there for me.
There's a telegram here. Uh-oh, you should have left it there, Matt. Oh? Telegram usually means somebody's coming to Dodge looking for you, or that you've got to go somewhere and look for them.
Either way, it spells trouble. If it wasn't for trouble, Doc, I wouldn't have a job. Well, then you ought to quit. It's a poor thing when a man has to make a living off of other people's trouble.
Uh-huh. Tell me something, Doc. How long has it been since anybody came up to you and told you how good they were to you?
Oh, I hadn't thought about that. I guess we are pretty much alike after all, man. Put my little plug in after you.
Chester? Yeah? I got it, Mr. Boyd.
Why are you looking so glum about Chester? What does it say?
Marry yourself. It's kind of private life. Huh?
U.S. Marshal Dodge City, Kansas. Coming to get married. Noon train. Saturday. Meet me. I'm Mavis McCloud.
Oh, Mavis McCloud. That's a right pretty name, Matt. She pretty, too. It's done. We're going to get married.
Oh, you're pretty foxy, Matt, keeping Mr. Quiet. Now, wait a minute, you two. If you're all through talking, I'll tell you something.
Oh, now quiet now, Chester. Don't say anything. This is important. I'm with you.
All right. Now, this may be kind of a shock to you, but I was my two closest friends. I wanted you to be the first to know.
Yeah. Don't you? Doc, yes, Chester. I'm not about to get married, and once more I never heard of any Mavis McCloud.
Well, but she still might be pretty. I don't care if she looks like Lily Langtree.
Well, Mr. Doane, ain't you even going to meet her? Yeah, I'm going to meet her, but right now let's go get some breakfast and talk about something else.
Looky there, Mr. Doane. Straight up, noon, and there comes old thing right on time.
Yeah?
I mean, it's troubling you, ain't it? No, no, Chester. I think trains should run on time.
That's true. That's what I mean. Hey, look. Looky there. This kid is going into people there, see?
Chester. Mr. Dillon, I swear I never said a word to her about this. He's probably taking some mail or packages or something.
Anyway, he never seen this. How are we going to tell Mavis McCloud when he's by his own?
Look, look, look, look. That girl. Would that be her, you think? Would that be her?
Chester, I told you I never even heard of her. How would I know what she looks like?
Well, that little girl is right for you, Mr. Doane. She's the only female lady there.
Okay, let's go ask her then.
I'd get her to be about fifteen, wouldn't you?
Yeah, about that.
I'm going to say she's pretty. She is thirty.
Excuse me, miss.
Yes?
I'm Matt Dillon.
Oh, maybe you can help me.
Oh, maybe.
I'm looking for the U.S. Marshal here. Do you know him?
Well, I'm the Marshal, ma'am.
Oh, you are? Then you got my telegram.
I did. Well, that's right. You didn't have my name on it, did you?
Of course not. How would I know your name?
Oh.
Oh, my goodness. Oh, you didn't think I was coming to marry you, did you?
Oh, how awful. Honey, how awful for you.
Oh, I'm still a little confused. Oh, this is Chester Proctor.
Oh, how do you do, Chester?
Well, I'm proud to know you, ma'am.
I see.
Oh, I'm so sorry, Marshal Dillon. I guess I should have explained more in the telegram.
Oh, that's all right. Who did you come here to marry?
Well, I don't know.
You don't know?
Not yet. I just got here. You two are the only men I've met.
Oh, good Chester.
Yes, sir.
Go over to the depot there and see if you can find Kitty, will you?
Yes, sir. I sure will.
Uh, hey, this... how old are you?
I'll be 19 in December.
Oh. So where are you from?
I went to.
Well, why not?
Because it isn't polite for a gentleman to ask a lady so many personal questions.
All right. Well, why did you send me that telegram?
Because I thought I'd be safe with a Marshal helping me.
Helping you do what?
Get married. Oh, don't look like that. I'm not crazy.
They need women out here, don't they?
Well, don't they?
Yeah, they need them.
And I'll make a good wife to you. But of course, it'll have to be the right man, Marshal.
I won't marry just anybody anymore. And you can stop shaking your head like that.
John, I found her.
Hello, Mac.
Kitty, this is Mavis McLeod.
Hello, Mavis. Welcome to God.
Oh, thank you, Kitty.
Kitty.
I know Mac's. You have to tell me all about her.
Don't mind the Marshal, Mavis. Sometimes he's a little slow to understand these things.
He certainly is. He's been looking at me as though I were a bug at some time.
Kitty, you take care of her, will you? I'll go try to figure something out.
Yeah, she'll be okay.
And Kitty, don't...
Don't worry. I won't take it as long, but...
Okay. You let me know if you need anything, Mavis, besides the husband I need.
The next few weeks I thought and worried about Mavis a lot, but I should have known I was wasting my time.
She met a young fellow called Barney Wales, and three days later they got married.
Kitty called it love at first sight, but anyway, I knew Barney, and he was a sober, hardworking cowboy who'd started a little spread of his own not far from Dodge.
It was a good match, but it looked like they were going to make out fine. At least I thought so.
Until one day when I was sitting in my office trying to keep cool.
I'm looking for Marshal Dillon.
At the end of that night there...
Come on in, mister.
My name's Louis Salick, Marshal.
What can I do for you, Mr. Salick?
I've come a long way.
Huh?
All the way from St. Louis.
I'm looking for Mavis McCloud.
Oh. Well, what do you want with her?
That's my business.
Well, that may be.
Where is she?
What makes you think I'd know?
She sent you a telegram from St. Louis. I knew she was headed out here somewhere, so I checked.
Mavis isn't the kind to arrive in a place unknown.
I see.
You going to tell me where she is?
Not that I know why you want to see her.
And I'll find her myself. She's around here somewhere.
She's married, Salick.
What?
She's married.
Now why don't you go on back to St. Louis and forget about it, huh?
Who'd you marry?
What difference does it make? You're not going to bother her.
We'll see about that.
In the meantime, I hold you responsible.
Okay, so you hold me responsible. Why don't we settle that right now?
I'll find her first, Marshal.
And after I've killed her husband, I'll come looking for you.
Well, now there's about the bloodthirstyest man I ever did see.
I declare he's going to kill everybody.
He might try it, Chesed.
I think I'd better write out and talk to Barney Wales.
I'm sure not today you ain't.
What?
Well, Barney and Mavis is in town today.
I seen them over at the Dodge House this morning.
They're staying the night there.
I'll go find them there before Lou Staley does.
Ah, hello, Barney.
It's Marshal Dillon. Come on in.
Hey, Mavis, it's the Marshal.
Hello, Marshal.
How are you, Mavis?
Oh, I'm fine. I mean, we're fine. Aren't we, Barney?
We sure are. You've got to ride out and have dinner with us some Sunday, Marshal.
Mavis here is the best dog gone cook to you ever saw.
It'd be strange if a girl from St. Louis couldn't cook.
Why'd you say that, Marshal?
Mavis thinks she's St. Louis, at least why she never told me she was.
It doesn't matter where I'm from.
Does it, Barney?
Of course not.
But how did the Marshal know?
There's only one way. Lou told him.
Lou?
Yes, Lou Staley.
Well, who's he, Marshal?
I don't know, Barney, but he says he's going to kill you.
What?
For marrying Mavis.
I see. He loves you, too, is that it?
No, no, not exactly.
Well, what then?
I made up the name, McCloud Barney. My real name's Staley.
There's only one thing I want to know, Mavis.
Yes?
You love him?
I hate him.
Okay, let him come, Marshal. I'll fight him.
No, you go out to your ranch. I'll take care of Staley.
I never run from a fight in my life, and I don't aim to start now.
Oh, please, Barney.
No use arguing. If this Staley's looking for me, he can find me.
I'll go about my business like always, but I'll sure keep one eye open.
Hello, Kitty.
Well, I was in here with Chester earlier.
Huh?
Where were you?
I took a walk after stuff. Anything to get out of the saloon for a while.
What did you want me for?
Kitty.
Yeah?
That man over there at the bar, they're a troll, dude-looking fella, you see him?
Who is he?
His name's Lou Staley. You're a hearther, aren't you?
No.
I thought maybe Mavis McLeod might have said something about it.
He never mentioned him, but I've hardly seen her since he got married.
What's it about?
Well, Staley's kind of disappointed over Mavis getting married,
that he's going to kill Barney and then me, and I don't know who all.
Oh, for heaven's sake.
They followed her out here from St. Louis.
Oh, so that's it. They're a clever.
Now, Mavis' real name is Staley.
What?
Yeah.
Well, I guess Mavis kind of fooled all of us.
I can understand Staley wanting to kill Barney.
Well, it's not my business how Mavis messes up her life or anybody else's,
but murder's wrong, Kitty, no matter what the cause, it's wrong.
That's not good.
Yeah, I see it.
I see it, I see it.
Hello, Marshall. Kitty?
You shouldn't be in here, Mavis.
I know, Kitty, but I had to come.
Where's Barney?
He's talking business with some cattle buyers over at the doggone.
He doesn't know I'm here.
This is no place for you, you know.
It's good enough for Kitty, isn't it? Why, I own the place.
I explained all that to you.
Well, I didn't come here for fun.
I ran into Chester out in the plaza and he told me I'd finally stay in here.
I've got to talk to him. It probably won't do any good, but I've got to try.
Well, he's over there at the bar.
I know, I saw him. But I didn't dare walk up to the bar and not bother with a man watching.
Okay, Mavis, I'll get him.
Now, I guess I won't have to.
I knew I'd find you sooner or later, Mavis.
I want to talk to you, Lou.
It's too late for talk.
I'll do what I do and I'm going to do it.
Lou, I want to talk to you alone.
You can go out back, Mavis. The door's right over there.
Nobody will bother you outside. Come on.
Won't do any good, Mavis. You'll know it.
I don't like this, Kitty.
Why not? Talking's better than fighting, isn't it?
Talking isn't going to stop him.
There's something wrong about him.
He can't hear or see anything but himself.
Like he's all alone in the world.
Well, any man of love acts like that, Mavis.
Maybe, but I didn't think he'd just keep coming back.
I'd tie him up and throw him on a train for back east.
Well, I wish I'd just come...
Matt, relax.
Matt.
Matt, look, it's Mavis.
Mavis. Mavis.
Did it kill her?
No, no, she's still alive.
Well, you go after Staley, Matt. I'll take care of her.
I'll get Staley, Kitty.
And I'm going to carry Mavis over to Doc's first.
You'd better come along.
How do you plan on doing this?
The worst thing I ever heard of, shooting a lady.
Doc says she's got a fair chance, Chester.
You're going to tell Bonnie about it and then go after Luce Staley, huh?
I'm going to do more than that.
You are? Why?
You, please.
Well, I hope Bonnie's still here at the dog house.
Yeah, I hope so, too.
Maybe that's him standing over there.
I know that one fella.
That'll buy her.
Now, there's Bonnie with his back to us there.
Any steer that walks up here from Texas is tougher than a mule, and you know it, Abby.
I got better beef than that, but you're going to have to pay for it.
Bonnie, don't say that, please.
Hello, Marshall.
Hello, gentlemen.
What are you doing here, Marshall?
Something wrong?
Yeah, Bonnie, there's something wrong.
What is it?
Tell me.
Where's Mavis?
Now, wait a minute, Bonnie.
Look, do you trust me?
What sure do, Marshall?
Of course. Why shouldn't I?
Well, there's no reason, but I just want you to think about it when you wake up.
All right, shut up.
Don't let it appear it's something you don't know anything about.
Chester.
Yes, sir?
Go get a rope and tie him up.
But fix it so he can walk when he comes to take you to jail.
Well, I don't know what...
Do it.
Okay, sir.
I warned the cattle buyers there not to say a word to anybody about Bonnie,
and then I went out looking for loose saving.
I tried every saloon and gambling house and Dodge, and I finally gave up and went over to jail.
We got Chester.
It was past midnight when we entered the Dodge house once more.
I had a talk with a clerk and went up to Barnegan and Mavis' room.
You reckon Ferry's run off, Mr. Jones?
No, he won't run until he does what he came here to do.
Okay, inside, Chester.
You stand over there, Chester, so you'll be behind the door when it opens.
Maybe he's sure going to be surprised if he does come here, ain't he?
Unless that clerk downstairs bungles it.
Well, all he's got to do is say,
"'Barnie come in a while ago and went upstairs.'
Now, that sounds easy, Chester, but he might get scared and say anything.
Well, what, that he's scared of a man who goes around shooting women?
The clerk doesn't know about that, Chester.
Besides, Ferry may be crazy, but he's armed and he's dangerous.
Yes, I guess you're right.
Hey, Barnegan, we get a while when he comes to and found himself all tied up.
I had a terrible time with him.
Quiet, Chester.
I got to get him.
All right, Barnegan, you coward. Where are you?
I'll be right there, stay late.
That's Doc Roberts at the top of the stairs, Barnegan.
He says Mavis is going to be okay, huh?
She's doing fine.
Now, here we are.
Wait a minute, Marshal.
Yeah?
About last night, I'd have found Lou Staley somehow,
and I'd have killed him any way I could, Marshal.
It might have been murder, Barnegan.
Yeah. I guess this is the first time I ever thanked a man for knocking me out.
Let's go on in now.
Hello, Matt. Barnegan?
Where's Mavis, Doc?
Well, she's in the back room there.
Well, except for a little fever. She'll come along fine, Barnegan, just fine.
Of course, you'll have to stay quiet for a few days, and you can't be moving around.
Can I see her now, Doc?
Sure, you go ahead.
Matt, Mavis told me about the shooting.
You know what happened?
What, Doc?
She tried to take Staley's gun away from him, that's what.
They were fighting over it, and it went off.
He didn't try to kill her at all.
You know, what's funny about Staley?
What?
Most men would have tried to kill a wife that ran off and married somebody else.
A wife?
Yeah.
Is that so?
Oh, you don't mean...
And Mavis seems like such a nice girl.
Well, you never know, Doc.
You want to see Dylan?
Yeah.
Mavis would like to see you.
Okay.
Hello, Marshall.
Mavis.
There's something I want to tell you, Marshall.
Okay.
Barney already knows. I told him yesterday after you left.
Go on.
Well, about Lou.
I know what you think.
But I've known him all my life, Marshall.
And Lou was crazy. There was something wrong with him.
I guess I was ashamed of it, or I'd have told everybody sooner.
Especially Barney.
You're not responsible for his being crazy.
No, no, wait.
You always did say he'd kill any man I married.
That's why I ran away.
Mavis, you were asking an awful lot of a husband crazy or not.
Marshall, Lou Staley wasn't my husband.
He was my brother.
What?
You know, Mavis, you've been nothing but trouble to me ever since I got that telegram.
And I don't ever want to see you again.
Unless it's across your dining room tables some Sunday.
Gunsmoke, produced and directed in Hollywood by Norman McDonald, first William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal. A story with Fred Nielsen for Gunsmoke by John Metson.
The featured in the cast were Harry Bartel, Barbara Heiler, and Sam Edwards. Marley Bear is Shepard, Howard McNeer is Doc, and Georgia Ellis is Kitty.
This is George Walsh inviting you to join us again next week when CBS Radio presents another story on Gunsmoke.