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, the 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.
Well, your horse is ready, Mr. Dillon. He's tied out in front.
Okay, Chester.
And the papers for Dickworth?
Uh-huh.
I still don't see why you got a ride between them out there, just for him to sign them. Can't he do it next time he comes to town?
These are land rights papers, Chester. Government stuff. Jake's not doing me any favor by the time I'm done.
When will I fix it back?
Then tomorrow evening, probably, unless Jake isn't at home. When I get there, it might take longer.
I see.
By the way, there's something you can do while I'm gone, if you will.
Yes, sir. What's that?
That door out back has been off the hinges two winters now.
Oh.
It should be awful nice to have it fixed, wouldn't it?
Well, it's awful hot for that kind of weather.
Yeah, too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter, huh?
I'll fix it, Mr. Dillon.
Good, Chester. And you might clean up out back a little, too. Those cells look like we've been boarding cattle out there, not men.
Yes, sir.
Well, I'll see you in a couple of days.
Bye, Mr. Dillon. Have a nice trip.
Oh, sometime I think I might need to just go to San Francisco and get me a job being a rich millionaire gold bear.
Live at a nice big hotel. Not never wash up, nothing never.
Never do nothing, call it. Have a drive around in a fancy rig and have people say, good morning, Mr. Bob.
Hello, Doc.
I saw Matt riding out a minute ago.
Yeah, he's weep.
Where's he headed for?
He's went out into the country. He won't be back for a day or so.
Well, he left you here alone, huh?
Well, now it kind of looks that way, don't it?
Must be an important mission. Well, he probably wants to travel alone, fast and light. That ain't it at all.
He would have took me, but he wants me to stay here and kind of keep an eye on things.
Oh, you mean he wants to know how many killings took place and how many times the bank was held up, huh, things like that?
Doc, I ain't quite as useless as you seem to think.
I know, I know.
I got more to do than ride around all over the country in an old buggy handing out sugar pills to defenseless old ladies
or just walking up and down the plaza looking for somebody to gossip with.
I don't need some old sawbones to tell me what good I am or not.
The cook at Delmonico's told me they've got antelope stew today.
I don't care what the-
Antelope stew?
I was kind of looking for someone to eat with.
Oh, really?
Are you hungry, Banshee?
Come on, Doc, if we don't hurry, it'll be all gone.
["The Star-Spangled Banner"]
Oh, sure you don't want some more stew.
Well, no, thank you, Doc, I just couldn't.
You can't fly on one wing, you know.
Well, maybe you're right.
Not just a little bit more, please.
All right, sure, sure.
There you go.
Thank you.
Doc, you know that fella just come in?
No.
Well, he ain't sure what I'm looking at, so I'm...
He's coming over here.
I'm Bryce Harp, Judge.
What?
I said my name is Bryce Harp.
You remember me.
Well, no, I'm sorry, don't I?
You've got a convenient memory, Judge.
Judge?
What's this judge business?
He ain't no judge, mister.
A lot more luck that he'd be on the other side of the bench.
A lot more luck, I run into him.
Now, wait a minute, mister, I'm a doctor, not a judge.
What?
A doctor, I said.
Oh, he's a doctor, sure enough, mister.
And if there's something wrong with your horse, he can...
Oh, shut up, sir.
So that's it, you're hiding out.
Now, wait a minute, Doc, what in the world are you talking about?
Judge Kennebro, big man in Wyoming, horse doctor in Kansas.
What happened, Judge?
Did they tell you I was getting out?
I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about, my friend.
I'm talking about seven years in state prison.
Seven long years you sentenced me to, Judge.
Seven years to think about what I'd do when I got out.
I tell you I'm not a judge, you fool.
You're asking him a bill, tell you.
I'm just, I'm Doc Adams.
Judge, I don't care what you call yourself or what you claim to be.
I've been waiting seven years to meet up with you again.
And it ain't likely you nor anybody else can talk me out of killing me.
Killing you?
That's all I've been waiting for, Judge.
And I don't much care how I can't either.
Now, look here, you, you can't go out threatening people like that.
Don't tell me what I can do.
I've had seven years of people telling me what I can do.
Oh, you're crazy, you're a drunk.
Well, I'll see you later, Judge.
I'll be down town.
Well, I've been called a lot of things in my life, but never a judge.
He said he was going to kill you, Doc.
Oh, that must have slipped me for someone else, a judge for someone or other.
He'll find out the truth soon enough.
Oh, yeah, but he thinks you're just covering up with his doctor business.
No, I think there's too much to worry about, Judge.
This Bryce Harper's just another pilgrim gone off balance with a hard life out here.
He was mighty pale for a prairie man, Doc.
Hey, prison power?
Oh, no, Doc, I don't think you should take this so lightly.
Maybe it's serious, or you think.
No, Judge, I know a thing or two about people.
Harper's just a little off balance.
Probably won't remember a thing about this by nightfall.
Yeah, maybe, but I ain't so sure.
Oh, no, look, he wasn't wearing a gun, was he?
Well, no, come to think of it, he wasn't.
Oh, yeah, you see, the man comes busting in here saying he's going to kill me,
he's making threats, and he doesn't even harm.
Now, just stop threatening.
I'm not interested, Doc.
And okay, Doc, in case you know.
But I don't mind telling you, life sure will be easier when he leaves town.
Or Mr. Dunn gets back.
Why, rather.
I don't know.
Well, good evening, Judge.
Oh, Miss Kitty, are you drinking tonight?
Oh, my little guest.
Ain't got nothing much else to do.
I guess I'll have beer, Sam.
Yeah, sure, come on right up, Judge.
I hear Matt wrote out that Drake was close.
Doc's been here, huh?
Yeah, he stopped in on his way home.
And here you are, Judge.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
Did Doc tell you about being mistook for a judge?
Yeah, having his life threatened.
That man must be crazy.
Hey, Doc says he's harmless.
He don't even carry a gun.
Well, it's a good thing.
Fancy Doc as a judge.
I sure would hate to come up before him if he was.
If he got through chewing on you, there wouldn't be enough left this time to jail.
Oh, no, he's not that bad, Sam.
You don't know him like I do.
Give me a beer, Barkeep.
That's him. That's my carp right there.
Well, he doesn't look like any tiger to me.
Maybe not, but he's still kind of hard to figure out.
Hey, you need that whole bar to drink that miserable glass of beer?
You need the whole saloon to show off in?
Huh? What's that?
You heard me, mister.
Oh, believe it.
You just ain't got enough blood in you to stand there and talk like that.
You're wearing a gun, and I'm going to use it to split your head in two.
Pull it right there.
You think that makes any of us have a gun?
Just take it easy, mister.
Get out of here.
Fast.
Sure.
Sure, huh? I'm going.
I'm going for it.
Well, I was sure wrong.
That man's quite a tiger after all.
Why, the way he run Bob Forrest out of here.
Well, I guess he ain't as harmless as Doc thought.
That man is a real man.
He's scared to help me, just saying Matt'll be back.
Well, tonight he said.
And from the looks of things, that may be too late.
It sure might.
Miss Kitty, you said Doc was on his way home when he come back here?
Why? What are you going to do?
I'd better find him and tell him about all this.
Maybe you'd better do more than that.
Like what?
I don't know, but if he's really after Doc, it's no joke.
I know.
Miss Kitty, do you suppose you could keep Hart here for a while?
Just keep an eye on him like that?
Well, I should give him a drink or two in the house.
Yeah, you can do that.
And I'll see you later. I'm going over to Doc's.
You got a plan?
Well, not yet, but I'll think of something.
Well, what?
Doc!
Doc!
Well, for heaven's sake, Chester, what are you doing here at this time of night?
Come on in.
I'm glad you came.
I was looking over some unpaid bills.
Your name is pretty pop.
Never mind that. Never mind it.
You owed me way back.
Doc, you ain't gonna live long enough to like it if you don't listen to me.
What are you talking about?
It's Bryce Harp, Doc. I just seen him in action.
What? In action?
He didn't kill nobody, but he's got a gun and he's awful professional with it.
He ran Bob Forrest out of that saloon like he was a schoolboy in a pumpkin pack.
He ran that bullion?
He sure did, and Doc, I think he needs to come here and kill you and ain't no two ways about it.
Oh, Chester, I told you the man's off balance.
That's the whole trouble, Doc.
If he was an ordinary man, just a plain gunman, it wouldn't be so bad, but he ain't.
And right along, he's got a grudge against you and...
Well, I can't just sit by and let him come murder you.
Wait, wait just a minute. Now, you really think he means business?
I know he does, Doc. I know it sure as I'm breathing.
Well, well, well, well.
All right, I'll start carrying the gun.
Doc, how long since you fired that old rack of a gun?
Well, I'm not too sure I ever fired it.
Then you just be playing foolish to start toting it now. It'll probably blow up anyway.
But for heaven's sake, what do you want me to do?
Look, Doc, will you go in on any worse tonight?
Well, I don't generally stay cooped up in here for very long.
Well, you stay in tonight. Don't you budge out of here.
Oh, now, let's get out of here.
Well, Doc, and it might maybe get worse.
I'll be back in a little bit.
Can you keep that door locked tight and don't you open it to nobody, nobody at all. You hear?
Hey, do you mind what I say now?
You lock this door, Doc. I'll be back after a bit.
Oh, that chest in. Whatever it is, he hasn't mind. I might as well go along.
Locked it in.
Now, I'll tell you one thing. Now that he's got the bit in his teeth, he's really running.
Doc? Doc? Doc, it's Jester.
What in the world are you doing down there?
Throw down your fire rope. Hurry.
Oh, wait a minute.
Now what?
I'm coming up.
You'll break the pool then.
Shh, don't worry.
Here I come.
Keep coming.
You make it. Easy.
Kind of. Watch it. Watch it.
Ah! There.
Oh, I know why the next day, how we are pleased. Tell me, what, you're climbing in my back window for the middle of the night?
I had to come the back way, Doc.
Nice harps down the street out in front, huh?
I'm on the way here and I seen him.
That's why I come in the back way so he wouldn't see me.
What's Harp doing down the street?
Waiting for his tent to kill you.
You know I've been thinking, if he was really out to kill me, he would have tried before now.
Yeah, but he didn't know you were leaving town until just a few minutes ago.
Leaving town? It's got to be now or never the way he sees it.
What are you talking about?
When I left here, I went back to Orklo and Lone Branch and I kind of spread the word around that you were taking the early stage to St. Louis.
St. Louis? What Harp thinks you're up here packing?
Oh, that's fine. Yeah, that's just fine.
If Harp really is serious about killing me, you've set me up like a bird in a turkey's shoe, kid.
Yeah, I guess I have.
What would you want to tell him, a fool thing like that?
Because I figure if he's going to try to kill you, it's better to know when and where he's going to try it.
It's a lot better than just sitting around waiting for him to shoot you in the back.
What are you sitting on with those curtains, folks?
So he'll know for sure you're up here and moving around.
I'm just trying to make sure I get my head blown off, huh?
No, he can try to shoot you from down there and defeat you. It'd be too easy to miss.
That's a fine theory.
Is your front door still locked?
Yeah, yes it is.
You must give me the key.
Oh, darn it.
Why did you unlock it?
How in the world is Harp going to get in here if the door is locked?
If he comes in that door, we're just as good as dead.
We're right in the line of fire.
Of course we are, Doc, but so is he.
You better get yourself a comfortable seat.
We may have us a long way.
Hey, now wait. What are you doing? Why did you blow off that lamp?
So with the lamp out, you may think you've went to bed.
Then you may not have such a long way.
I hope you know what you're doing, Chester.
So do I, Doc. So do I.
Well, I do.
I guess all we can do now is just wait.
Yeah.
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Music
Well, for heaven's sake.
Hello, Kitty.
Hey, where's you?
Thought you weren't coming back till tomorrow.
I ran into Jake Worth at the Benson place.
Saved me a day's ride. You weren't close for the night?
Oh, yeah. But we can always find a drink for a good customer.
That'd help cut the dust, all right.
Beer with you.
Eh, a little coffee, I think. We got some.
Bring it over the table, will you, Sam?
Sure, Miss Kitty.
You look tired. Bad day?
Eh, not unusual.
Think about how rich you're getting.
No, sir. Eh, here you are.
More soup.
Yeah, thanks, Sam.
It's hot.
It's hot. Did you stop by the office?
No, I just rode in. Why?
And you didn't see Chester?
No. Why? Is something wrong?
Well, Chester's got in his mind that some fellow's gonna try to kill Doc.
Kill Doc?
Yeah.
Well, what fellow?
I don't know him. He just rode into town.
Have you seen him?
Yeah, he was in here earlier this evening before the fellow's got...
I'll say one thing. He's handy with the gun.
Oh, the store half the cowboys and dodge.
Well, yeah.
You know Chester, Kitty. He gets a feeling of responsibility if I'm away.
He sees something suspicious in every shadow.
Well, that may be, but as I get the story, this man thinks Doc is some judge up in Wyoming who put him in prison and is gonna kill him.
Well, where's Chester now?
I haven't seen him in a couple of hours.
Kitty, this man that's after Doc, do you know his name?
Harp, Chester said it was. Bryce Harp.
Bryce Harp?
Kitty, I'll see you later.
Is Harp still down there, Chester?
Yep. Just standing there.
Well, how long is he gonna...
Doc?
What?
He's coming.
He's turning to the stairs.
Just step tight now and don't make a sound.
Chester, you should...
I'll be here in a minute.
I hope you're okay.
I hope you're okay.
I hope you're okay.
Hi Harp, you want your hand?
Chester, you all right?
Yeah, I think so. Get that lamp lit.
Looks like you got Nick.
No, it ain't nothing. You'd better get your hands off.
Why is he... he's still alive. Just barely.
Help me get him up there on the table, will you, Chester?
How's he doing, Doc?
How can you make it?
He took a bullet to the shoulder, but it went on through.
It's just a matter of cleaning the wound.
What about this other bullet?
Here. It's still there, and it's got to come out.
What do you think?
Well, I don't know, Chester.
Too soon, you know, just had a bad off year.
You know, it don't give you a very good feeling to shoot him, do you?
He was a bad man.
He may be all right, as Gang Green didn't say.
Hey, what happened?
Oh, so this fellow came up here to take a shot at me, Matt.
Chester put a couple of bullets in him.
I heard the shooting from the other end of town.
It sounded like somebody was fighting a battle at Chickamauga Creek all over again.
Oh, Chester got nicked in the barn.
You all right, Chester?
Yes, sir.
I can tell you one thing, Matt. I'm mighty glad you got back.
I swear I've aged a year since yesterday.
From the looks of things, you two got along pretty well without me.
It's a terrible thing, man, a man getting shot up like that.
I wouldn't feel too sorry for Bryce Harp, Doc.
Do you know him?
If Chester hadn't stopped him, Harp might have killed you.
Who is he, Mr. Young?
I've never seen him before, but I know his reputation, and I've seen his picture.
He killed three men in a gunfight in Wyoming.
He got off with ten years and broke out after seven of them.
Killed two guards.
Well, if there's nothing more I can do here, I think I'll go on home.
Yeah, you do that.
I'll go on too, Doc.
Yeah, I've got work to do. You two go on, get out of here.
Yeah, see you tomorrow, Doc.
Oh, Chester?
Yeah?
Yeah, Doc?
I want to... I'd like to point out a...
No, thanks.
Sure.
Right, Doc.
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke, produced and directed in Hollywood by Norman McDonald, stars William Conrad as Mac Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
The story was specially written for Gunsmoke by John Messon and adapted by Mr. McDonough.
Featured in the cast were Harry Bartel and James Nutter.
Harley Bair is Chester, Howard McNear 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.