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 the U.S. Marshal and the smell of gun smoke.
Gun smoke 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.
Hey fellas, look he's here.
Peep peep, pokey peep, he wears boxers on his feet. Peep peep, pokey peep, he wears boxers on his feet.
Here now, get me some stuff back.
My dear, now you leave that poor old man be.
Well I ain't doing nothing, Chester.
Well it ain't right you tormentin' old Pete like that.
All the fellas do at Chester don't mean nothing, old Pete don't care.
How do you know he don't care?
Well, he don't say nothing.
Yet don't make no difference if he says nothing or not. It just ain't right teasing the body for no reason at all.
He's awful funny looking, Chester.
Well now ain't that a shame. You live as long as old Pete, you might be funnier looking yet.
What do you mean?
You can never tell what might happen to you, Ted. You might just grow another ear or another nose or something like that.
Aw.
No sir, you can't tell at all how you might turn out. I'd be mighty careful before I poked any fun, mighty careful.
Well, I guess maybe.
Here, pull this one, let's see if it's strong enough.
All right. Hey that's a fishing pole ain't it?
That's a fishing pole. Of course it's a fishing pole.
Ted, if you spent more time down at the river instead of tagging along after old Pete, you wouldn't ask fool questions like that.
Pull this thing now, let me see.
Yeah, yeah I guess that'll do all right.
You going fishing now, Chester?
Well say, now that sounds like a good idea.
Got a special place to go?
Boy, boy I got me a place where them catfish is so big you can hear them meowing before you even reach the river.
I'd like to see that, Chester.
Well it's a sight to see, Ted, a sight to see.
Music
Ah, that's real nice.
Sure, that's just what you need, Matt. Another gun.
What do you mean, Doc?
Well your office is full of them now.
Well now this is a new model, Doc. I wanted the Marshal to look at it over for me before I ordered any number of them.
It's a center fire repeater.
Center fire, yeah whatever that means.
Well if it works right it means something mighty good, Doc, as far as rifles are concerned, I'll tell you that.
Well they say it works all right, Marshal, and they're making it in three sizes, a 15-shot rifle, a 12-shot carbine, and a half-size six-shot.
It's a new kind of gun, Doc.
If folks put as much time in on inventing things to cure people with as they do inventing things to kill them with, it would be a...
Ah, hello, Pete. I'll be right with you, Pete.
All right, now go ahead, Jones, you wait on him, huh?
I try to take care of him right away when he comes in. He don't come in very often.
All right, Jones, go ahead, take your time.
All right, now Pete, what can I do for you this month?
Oh, want some of them candles over there?
Now how many you want, Pete?
Six?
Oh, just two.
You sure that'll last you the month?
All right, all right, just two it is.
Now what else?
Beans!
All righty.
Now I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll start pouring them out. You let me know when to stop, huh?
Just raise your hand, Pete, when I pour it out enough.
All right, that's fine.
Now, what else you need?
Uh, lamp wicks?
Lamp chimney?
Oh, oh, coal oil, well sure.
Uh, Jones, we're gonna go. I want to catch Jim Buck before he takes the stage out.
I'll be back to see the gun later, huh?
What, sure Marshall, any old time?
So long, Janet.
All right now, Pete, what else?
Pete's a strange old coot, isn't he?
How long's he been around here anyway?
Who, Pete? Oh, heavens, Matt, I don't know.
I doubt if anybody does.
He's been coming in the town once a month.
Ever since I've been here and probably long before that.
Why doesn't he talk, Doc? You know what ails him?
No, I don't, Matt.
He's never asked for any help. He's never been anywhere near my office.
I wonder he's a patient with all the tormenting that he takes.
Oh, he's always been gentle with the youngsters.
Sometimes he can get riled, grownups though.
And talk me getting riled. Chester said he was gonna bring a package up from the depot for me. Where is he anyway?
Chester is taking a day off.
A day off? What's Chester need with a day off?
He told me he wanted to take a friend fishing.
Fishing? Oh, well, I better get out the depot and get it myself. I'll see you later, Matt.
I don't hear no catfish meowing, Chester. We're right on the bank, too.
Well, see, it's just this wrong, clung day. They don't tell them to do it when the sun's so high.
You're more likely to hear them carrying on around suppertime.
You sure talk funny.
Well, I ain't talking funny at nobody the way you were doing to old Pete this morning.
I won't do it no more.
That's a good thing. Might not come out so good next time.
How's that?
Well, because old Pete might just turn around and snap you right in two. That's how's that.
Ah, you don't do it.
Mind your line. It's hitting with that snag now, see, and watch it. That's better.
No, he ain't done nothing yet, but he's getting older and tireder and what with not even getting any sleep at all.
He no sleep?
They say he don't sleep a wink. He just sits there with that little old sack of his guarding that treasure.
Here, do you want some more bread and cheese?
Ugh, cheese smells kind of funny.
Well, it is pretty stout, but that just signifies it's good. Eat all you want's good for you.
Uh, what kind of treasure does old Pete have?
Oh, he's got a little old dab of treasure buried out there.
They say he told to clean up the Mississippi off in a pirate ship.
You ever seen it, Chester?
Well, no, I ain't never seen it exactly, but he uses gold money when he comes to town. He sure has to get it from somewhere.
Pirate gold. That's what it is, a piece of eight.
Piece of what?
I'd sure like to see some pieces of eight.
Well, now I ain't so sure that it's pirate gold.
I'd like you to take me a run out there and see.
Now, that ain't likely to be a very good idea.
Sat still, Ted, if you fell in that river, the catfish would have to help you. Where are you going?
I gotta get back, Chester. I got something to do.
Well, now, don't you get lost getting home.
They sure don't grow up like they used to.
It's just hard to tell what the world's coming to.
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Hello, Matt. You couldn't hold out, huh?
You win, Kitty. It's too hot to sit in that office waiting for something to happen.
Well, sit down.
Yeah, thanks.
Sam, bring us some beer, will you please?
Sure, Kitty.
Oh, it is hot.
I'm surprised at you, Matt. It's usually Chester who complains about the heat.
Well, he'd be complaining if he just isn't here.
Well, you know, I feel kind of sorry for Chester running your errands in all this heat.
Kitty, Chester is not running my errands. He's fishing.
Here's the beer.
Oh, thanks.
Yeah, I can just see him now sitting out there with his feet in the water someplace fishing.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, too.
Oh, why?
Well, he usually comes in with a string of smelly catfish and presents them to me,
and I never know how to refuse them. I don't know how to get rid of them either.
Hello, Pete.
Poor old fellow. This is his regular visit to the bar.
He could run a calendar the way he comes in here every month.
Oh, he never say anything, Kitty?
Never. Just puts his money down in the bar, has three drinks, no more, no less, and walks on out.
He keeps himself pretty much, doesn't he?
I wish everybody had stepped up to that bar and be as quiet.
Uh-oh.
Those two are just coming in.
Bring the bottle.
Bring it up here.
Hey, little lady, come on up here and have a drink with it. Come on, have a drink.
No, thanks, boys. Not right now.
You come up here, and I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll pay for all the glasses I've bought.
Oh, looks like I better go up there and settle it.
Looks like we're both going to go.
Now that's better.
Oh, so you come with her, Mr. All right? I'll buy it for you, too.
No, thank you.
Move right in here. Come on, give him room.
It ain't me, Marty. It's that big galoot.
Well, move him down. Go on, old man, move along.
Don't bother, Pete, boys. We got room.
Go on, old man, move.
Now, boys.
Ain't you here good? Answer me, can't you hear good?
Now, look here.
My body ought to get a civil answer.
All right, that's enough pushing.
He thinks he's too good to talk to me. I'll fix him.
Here, I'll help you.
What? That old fool, he knocked me down.
I'll fix him.
He's a little tougher than he looks, isn't he?
I'll fix him good.
Whatever he did to you, you had it coming.
I'm going to get him.
No. What you're going to do is get out of here and sober up.
Maybe I will for now, Marshal. Maybe I will for now.
But that uppity old man ain't going to get away with this.
And there ain't nothing you can do about it.
I wouldn't count on that.
All right, Mr. Dillon, all right.
If you don't want these fish, I'll just take them right on over and give them to Miss Kitty.
I don't think I'd do that if I were you, Chester.
Why not?
Well, she hasn't gotten over that last batch yet.
Why, it's been a good week since I gave Miss Kitty them last fish.
She ought to be more than ready for this nice new mess.
I don't think she is.
Well, I swear, I just don't know what you used to tell a fella in all that time fishing if nobody ain't going to appreciate it.
Oh, homey gate.
Hello, Addy. Come in.
Matt, I'm afraid I need your help.
Oh, sure, Addy. Sit down and tell me about it.
All right, get her a chair. Would you, Chester?
Yes, sir.
Here you are.
Thank you, Chester.
All right, Addy, what's the trouble?
It's my boy, Ted.
Why, he's a nice young man. He couldn't be in no trouble.
Never mind, Chester. What about Ted?
Well, he isn't home.
Wasn't home all day, didn't come home to supper.
That's not like him, Matt. I'm afraid for him.
Oh, no, Addy, boys his age get to feeling pretty big sometimes.
They just forget to come home right on time.
Not Ted.
Ever since his paw died, he's taken great stock in doing the evening chores for me.
He wouldn't just run off.
Shucks, Miss Gates. He's bound to be all right.
I see him this afternoon looking just as fine.
You saw him?
Sure, we was fishing together.
Did he come back to town with you?
What? No, ma'am, he didn't. He came back before I did.
I kindly wondered about it, too, at the time.
How's that?
Well, it sure seemed like he has took with the story I was telling him about old Pete and all,
but I just started telling him the best part when Ted went on.
What part was that, Chester?
Well, part about how old Pete sets up all night guarding that buried treasure.
Buried treasure? What buried treasure?
Well, now, I don't really take much stock in it, but the boys seem to be pretty took with it.
Chester, what did you tell him?
Well, now, lots of people think so.
Pete's got some pirates gold buried up there somewhere.
Matt, that must be where the boy went.
He might have, Addy. Chester, go get the horses.
Yes, sir.
Don't worry, Addy, if he's there, we'll bring him back.
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["The Star-Spangled Banner"]
Come on, Reese, stop dropping your feet.
I ain't so anxious to get there.
I told you I was gonna get even with the old man, didn't I?
I don't see what he done so bad to get his shack burned down.
He's got it coming to him.
But he didn't do nothing so bad.
Well, he didn't sass you. He didn't even say nothing.
Shut up and watch where you're going.
I can't help it, Mort. I can't see where I'm going.
You'll rouse the old man for sure.
Just don't see why we couldn't have rid up this far.
I don't want no horses stomping around.
You're bad enough. Now shut up.
I want to burn him out without no warning.
What's that in here?
Why, it's a kid.
Let go, Mr. Reese.
You're gonna be a warrior if you be quiet.
Now, what are you doing here?
Why?
Walk soft.
I was just watching for him to come out and guard the treasure, that's all.
What's he talking about, Mort?
What are you doing here?
Come on now, let's have a truth.
That's the truth, Mr. Armand. It's pirate treasure.
Who told you that?
Well, the man from Marshall's office.
He says Poke Pete sits up all night guarding it.
You better not try to fool me, boy.
I ain't fooling. Cross my heart, I ain't.
All right, then. Where's it buried?
I don't know, boy.
You're a little clever, Tony.
Come on, Mort. Let the boy go.
That foolish old man ain't got no gold.
Boy, he don't even have a decent pair of boots.
Maybe he doesn't, maybe he don't.
But it's sure worth finding out.
Now come on, boy. You tell me where it's buried.
I don't know. He's the only one who knows where it is.
The old man's the only one. Do you hear that, Reese?
Well, he was too uppity to talk to us before.
But we'll sure get some talk out of him this time.
I thought we were just gonna sneak up and burn the place.
We'll burn it after we talk to him, Reese.
After we make him talk.
Now come on.
Please, mister. Can I go now?
What's the matter, Sonny?
Don't you want to see the treasure?
Well, I want to go home.
You ain't going home yet, Sonny.
Not just yet.
Mr. Dillon?
Yeah, Chester.
I'll feel just terrible bad if that boy gets himself into fixing something I said.
Forget it, Chester. Boys his age are likely to run off now.
I know, but me telling him that fool's story, that's what's darkened him all.
Well, if you hadn't told him, somebody else would.
Well, I sure do hope he ain't got hurt none, though.
A night in the open isn't gonna hurt him, Chester.
I know, but that's mighty rough country, and I just ain't too sure what old Pete would do to...
Look, come on, Mr. Dillon.
What?
There's a fire out there.
Yeah, must be Pete's shack. Come on.
Look around, see if anyone's around here.
There, Mr. Dillon, just outside the door.
It's Pete.
Yeah. Must have got himself out of the door somehow.
Is he dead?
No, not quite. He's been beaten and he's burned, and he's still breathing.
There's somebody over there, Chester.
I'll go see.
Oh, my, my.
Gracious name. Mr. Dillon?
Yeah, Chester.
It's Ted. I found Ted.
He's been hurt, too.
Looks like he's coming out of it.
I ain't gonna see nothing.
Just take it easy, Ted. You're all right now.
Don't hit me, Mr.
Nobody's gonna hit you, Ted. It's Marshall Dillon.
Marshall? Don't let him get me, Marshall.
Don't let him beat me like they did old Pete.
Nobody's gonna beat you, Ted. You're all right now.
I kept asking him and beating him and asking him and beating him.
Asking him what, Ted?
What a traitor was.
Oh, my gracious name.
He wouldn't tell me nothing, no matter what they did.
Yeah.
I bet they'll never find the treasure, Marshall.
That's right, Ted. They'll never find it.
All right, come on, Chester. Let's get them both to Doc.
Come on, Mort. Drink up and let's get out of here.
Oh, quit your fussing, Reese.
Hey, no hurry.
I thought we was just coming through Dodge to get supplies.
Well, we got them, didn't we?
It just ain't smart to stand around drinking. I don't like it.
I'd sooner be headed for Texas.
We'll head there, now just don't push me.
I want to put some distance between me and that shack.
There ain't no shack no more. Ain't nobody know we was there.
The kid does.
I took care of the kid. Now, quit fussing at me.
You two, you're under arrest.
Marshall, there must be some mistake.
There's no mistake. Get the guns, Chester.
Yes, sir.
You ain't getting my gun. You got no right to...
You got some idea of resistant arrest, mister.
I ain't gonna let you take me...
That'll be just fine with me.
I'd like the excuse to beat you from here to the jail cell,
the way you beat old Pete.
I don't know what you're talking about, Marshall.
You don't know about a burning shack,
or beating the old man, or the boy?
Why, no, Marshall, you must be looking for somebody else.
The boy says we're looking for you.
Marshall, you didn't kill him.
Not the boy, not quite.
But Pete died in Doc's office just a few minutes ago.
Now, come on, let's go.
You ain't taking me...
We got his gun!
You got him, Mr. Dillon.
Yeah, bring the other one along.
Now, wait a minute, wait a minute.
Now, that wasn't my idea.
You did your share.
It wasn't my fault. I didn't mean no harm.
It was old man's fault.
How do you figure that?
If he hadn't been so uppity about talking,
we wouldn't have beat him so bad.
We wouldn't have killed him.
Well, sure not. We wouldn't have killed him.
All he had to do was tell us where the treasure was hidden.
It was his fault.
He couldn't tell you there was no treasure.
Well, then why didn't he say so, the old fool?
I'll tell you why he didn't say so. He couldn't talk.
He had no tongue. It had been cut out.
No... no tongue?
Yeah.
Doc discovered it when he examined him.
Must have been the Indians who did it years ago.
Well, then it's still his fault. He could have let on.
Oh, Pete was too proud to let on for sympathy from the likes of you.
He didn't ask for sympathy from anybody.
But you can't blame me...
Shut up!
Come on, Chester. Let's get him out of here.
Music
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Music
Gunsmoke, produced and directed in Hollywood by Norman McDonald, stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
The story was specially written for Gunsmoke by Marion Clark, with editorial supervision by John Mester.
Featured in the cast were Richard Beals, Barney Phillips, Gene Bates, Vic Perrin, and Bart Robinson.
Harley-Bare is Chester, Howard McNeer is Doc, and Georgia Ellis is Skidding.
This is George Walsh inviting you to join us again next week when CBS Radio presents another story on Gunsmoke.