This Plotline was written by Stewart Wright and is printed with his permission.

GUNSMOKE
The Ride Back
06/28/1952
Script by Antony Ellis

EPISODE NOTE:
A few early GUNSMOKE episodes had no titles on the scripts. The script for this episode was simply labeled GUNSMOKE #10.
This episode was assigned the title "The Ride Back" at an unknown, later date; perhaps by Norman Macdonnell.

PLOT
Matt is about three days out of Dodge City with his prisoner, Leeds Martin, when he spots three young Cheyennes nearby.
They were probably planning to ambush the Marshall and his prisoner, but decided not to when they realized surprise was no longer on their side.
Martin immediately demands a gun, the Marshall won't give it to him.
From the clothing the Cheyennes are wearing, the items they are carrying, and the smell of liquor when they slowly ride by, it is obvious that they have been on a raid.

When they make camp that evening Matt and then Martin realize that they have been followed by Indians, probably those that they had seen earlier.
The agitated Martin again demands his gun to protect himself and again Matt says no.

As the two men talk, Matt finds out that Martin has killed at least eight men including two Indians.
Martin says he's always been forced into the gunfights. Doc Adams told Matt that the two men Leeds allegedly killed in Dodge were shot in the back.

Dillon and Martin hear noises that indicate that the Indians are moving in to attack.
Matt moves off to one side, his gun ready, and throws to a rock to draw the Cheyennes' fire.
One goes for the trick and Dillon fires several rapid shots at the Indian's muzzle flash. They have no further trouble that night.

The next morning as Dillon and Martin resume their trip to Dodge, they see a dead Cheyenne, killed by Matt's shots.
Once again Martin demand his gun and again Dillon refuses.

Later they arrive at a cabin and when they enter they find the mutilated victims of the Cheyennes' attack of the previous day: a man, woman, and their young daughter.
Martin is particularly unnerved by the sight of the little girl.

The Marshal has decided to that he must kill the other two Cheyennes.
Just as Matt and Leeds finish burying the family, it starts to rain and the Indians open fire, hitting Martin's horse.
Dillon and Martin make a dash for the cabin.
Inside the cabin the frantic prisoner warns Dillon, if the Marshal turns his back on Martin, he'll never turn it again.
Later, Dillon decides that he must tie up Martin because he needs sleep and can't trust the prisoner. Martin tries to fight Matt, but is unsuccessful.

The next morning the two men restart their journey to Dodge, riding double on Matt's horse.
As they enter a canyon, the Cheyennes open fire from ambush. Matt kills one of them.
A crazed Martin begs Matt to give him his gun so he can kill remaining one. Dillon doesn't give him a gun and orders Martin to stay under cover and goes after the last one.

While closing in on his target, Matt sees Leeds going after the Indian with some rocks.
The Cheyenne and Martin kill each other. Dillon takes the dead prisoner back to Dodge.

Back in Dodge, Matt tells Chester about Martin and the fight. Chester is going through Martin's effects, when he finds a picture of a little girl.
Perhaps the picture is the only thing that explains Martin's actions.

CAST
William Conrad as Matt Dillon
Parley Baer as Chester (Chester Proudfoot)
Larry Dobkin as Martin (Leeds Martin).

Comment:
The script for The Ride Back was greatly modified for a 1957 motion picture of the same name by Antony Ellis and produced by William Conrad.
It starred William Conrad and Anthony Quinn. All references to GUNSMOKE were dropped.

It is well worth watching.