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 US Marshal and the smell of Gunsmoke.
Gunsmoke 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. Mr. Dillon?
Yeah, what Chester? Just look at them doggone prairie dogs skittering all around everywhere,
scurrying down all them holes. What about them? Well, I just wondered, did you ever give them
much thought? Oh, I can't say that I have. Well, they ain't good for nothing. It's not one cussed
thing. You're right about that. But all they do is increase their self and pop up the prairie
at them holes. You figuring on doing something about it, Chester? Well, yes, Mr. Dillon, I thought I might
just maybe write a letter to the government about it. Oh, well, you go right ahead and do that.
You think it doing good? Sure it would, Chester. The government would turn it over to the nearest
Marshal's office and I could turn it over to you right away. You could spend your time rounding up
prairie dogs. Well, I'm right on to it. I ain't such a hand to write letters after all. Look at you, Mr. Dillon.
A buggy pulled up to the side of the road there. Yeah. Now let's see if anything's wrong, huh?
In the world would a lady be doing way out here all by herself? Let's see. Need any help, ma'am?
It's that rear wheel. It just seemed to get away. Well, we'll have a look. In Wichita, they said this was a down buggy.
You come all the way from Wichita alone, without no man? Well, I hope to meet him in Dodge City.
Well, but it just ain't safe for a woman to go driving all over Kingdom Come without no man.
Chester. Yeah, I know, but it's just plain foolish. Chester, let's have a look at the wheel, huh?
Yes, sir. Yeah, let's see here. Look at there. The pin that holds the wheel on the axle is gone.
I wonder that wheel ain't rolling away across the prairie till yet. Yeah. There's not much we can do about it out here.
No, sure. That needs some first rate blacksmithing.
Well, ma'am, looks like you're stuck here. Can you ride a horse?
Well, I've ridden a horse certainly, but never on a saddle like that.
Well, don't worry about it. We'll lift you up and you can sit sideways. We'll walk the horse in. It's not too far to Dodge.
I'm not sure. I'm not accustomed to traveling with gentlemen. I don't know.
I'm the marshal out of Dodge City, ma'am.
Marshal, I suppose it's all right then. My name is Sarah Howell.
Oh, Mrs. Howell. Chester Proudfoot.
I do, ma'am.
It's Miss Howell Marshall. I'm not married yet. As a matter of fact, you might be able to help me about that.
How's that?
I'm coming to Dodge City to find my fiancee, Marshal, and maybe you can help me find him. Maybe you even know him.
Well, what's his name, Miss Howell?
His name is Guy Porter. He's a tall man and very handsome. Do you know him, Marshal?
No, ma'am. I'm afraid I don't. Are you sure he came this way?
He told me he was heading west. I have reason to believe he may be in Dodge City.
Oh, a lot of people come and go in Dodge, ma'am.
You'll help me find him. I know you will.
A man can lose himself out here if he wants to, you know.
Oh, Guy isn't trying to hide from me, Marshal. He said he was coming back, and I know he meant it.
No, I'm afraid something's happened to him. I'm afraid there's trouble.
Well, if there's trouble, ma'am, I'd stand a better chance of locating him for you.
Now, come on. Let's get going.
Hello there, Chester. When did you get back?
Just a little bit ago, Miss Kitty. And I don't mind telling you, if I don't never take that ride to Park City again, I won't do no belly-aching about it.
That is the one longest, driest, most no-count piece of company.
Did Matt come back with you?
Oh, yes, he did, Miss Kitty. He'll be in direct contact. He's seeing to a lady down to Mossmollys.
Oh. Where'd he find the lady? Park City?
Well, I don't know that in exactly the way it was. It was more like that he found her along the way. Curious thing.
Come on over to the bar, Chester. I'll buy you a beer to wash some of that dust down.
Well, that is mighty friendly of you, Miss Kitty.
This lady you brought in.
Oh, do you want to hear about her?
Chester will have a beer, Sam.
Sure, Kitty. Sure do thank you, Miss Kitty.
Go on about the lady, Chester.
Here you are, Chester.
Oh, thank you, Sam.
Chester, the lady?
Oh, yes. Well, she comes from Wichita, Miss Kitty, and she wants Mr. Dooner to round up a man who's supposed to be out this way.
Oh, that would be something worse.
Does Matt know who he is?
No, he don't, but he wouldn't have no trouble recognizing him if he seen him. Tall and toe-headed.
Fired him all the way from Wichita, she did. I guess women folks can do that better than anybody.
Do what, Chester?
Recollect what a fellow looks like.
They can take just one look at a man's face, and they've got it stored away in their minds forevermore. How his teeth were set, the way his hair growed out.
A man don't hardly have a chance.
Oh, I wouldn't worry about it.
What do you mean?
An awful lot of you get away.
Oh, well, hey, there's a stage going down the street, ain't it?
Oh, it sounded like it to me.
Yeah, well, then I better get down for the mail. Thank you for the beer, Miss Kitty.
All right, Chester. See you later.
I'll be back.
Ma'am, I'll be upstairs for a while.
All right, Kitty.
Kitty.
Huh?
Can I see you a minute?
Oh, sure, Ralph. What's on your mind?
Well, that woman Chester was talking about. Did he say what her name was?
No, Ralph, he didn't. Why?
Well, I just thought I might know her. I got kinfolk in Wichita.
They was talking about a cousin coming out here.
Oh, well, I can tell you where she's staying. You could go down there and find out about her.
That'd help, all right.
Matt took her to Moss Smalley's, the boarding house in the south end of town.
Thanks, Kitty. I'll go down there right off.
What's the matter with you, ranch? You come hounding in here like the devil's on your tail.
You better start worrying about that a little bit, Joe.
What do you mean?
You talked me into saying you could stay on here with me, mighty nice, claiming nobody saw you get away with that Wichita money.
Oh, that's right, nobody did.
Well, you should look back over the other shoulder. There's a woman asking all over town after you.
What?
She's giving you a description to the marshal right down to that pretty white hair, and he's looking for you, too.
Now, you just got to get out of here, Joe.
Now, just a minute, ranch. Are you sure you know what you're talking about?
I know, all right. This woman's from Wichita. She's staying at a town boarding house, and she's asking about you.
Now, I don't want no trouble with the law.
Wait your ball, and, ranch, there ain't going to be no trouble.
But if she spots you, she ain't going to spot me.
You going to move on?
No. She is, tonight.
How do you know?
I'm going to fix it, that's how. You know where this boarding house is?
Yeah, sure.
All right. You show me after dark.
You ain't going to do nothing.
You want her to show me to the marshal?
No.
Well, then leave it to me.
Oh, I tell you too, Miss Howell.
Take off and one of my lodgers takes it in mind to help out with the chores.
No, I'd sooner not have idle hands, Mrs. Smalley.
I am grateful to you.
Would you care to come set a spell in the parlor when we finish up?
Oh, that's kind of you, but I think I'll just take a little stroll.
You're going out walking.
What, whatever for?
Guy, Mr. Porter and I, we used to stroll.
We used to take lovely strolls in the summer evenings.
Perhaps I might even run into him.
Stranger things have happened, haven't they, Mrs. Smalley?
Take it lightly.
But there's always a chance in this life, Mrs. Smalley.
Always a chance.
You watch that you're back before it's full dark.
Dodge City ain't the safest place in the world for a lady after nightfall.
Oh, I don't think you need to worry, Mrs. Smalley.
I've never been troubled that way.
I'm sure no one would bother me.
Mr. Porter used to say a man can always tell a lady.
I'm sure that's so, my dear, but in this town they just ain't particular if you're a lady or if you're not.
Rance, here. Come over here.
Did you find out who she is? Do you know where her room is?
I know who she is. All right, Joe. Her name's Howell.
Come on, then. Let's go.
Now, wait a minute. She ain't there.
Ain't there?
You listen to Bill, Rance.
It won't do you no good to try to trick me away from doing this.
Now, that ain't it. I swear it ain't.
She went out for a walk. That's what they told me.
Out for a walk? Well, why would it?
Wait a minute. What's the matter?
Quiet. It must be her walking alone.
Now, don't you do nothing, Joe. Don't you hear?
You be quiet.
Now, you won't be talking about me or nobody else.
Oh, hello, Matt. I was going to send somebody for you.
Yeah, I just heard, Doc. How is she?
Well, man, I don't know.
There must be something about this town.
I'm continually being called in to take care of somebody who ought to be dead.
But isn't. Not quite.
Does she have a chance?
Well, any doctor in his right mind would say no.
She shouldn't be alive, but she is.
I don't know. She just may stay that way.
Any idea who did it to her?
I didn't have time to ask.
Did I see her?
Oh, no. I wouldn't recommend it.
Would it hurt her?
Well, I guess it won't hurt her.
But it won't do any good. She's delirious, Matt.
She just keeps moaning and calling for somebody named Guy.
She's not able to tell you anything.
Well, I guess that's the way they wanted it.
Here, Matt.
Thanks, Kitty.
It's hard to figure why anybody would do such an awful thing.
What could that poor woman have done to anybody?
I don't know, Kitty.
It's pretty bad. Even for Dodge.
She hasn't been able to tell you anything yet, huh?
I don't suppose she will be able to, even if she gets well.
It was dark, and whoever it was jumped her from behind.
Dodge seems a strange place for a lone middle-aged woman like her to come to, doesn't it, Matt?
Especially when she said she came to find the man she was engaged to.
Do you think he could have done it?
I'm not even sure there is such a man, Kitty.
Well, Rans Mattson couldn't have been the one. He's much too young.
Rans Mattson?
Yeah, that young farmer. Lives out of town away.
Oh, yeah, I know who he is.
What's he got to do with this?
Oh, maybe nothing, but he was in there earlier asking about the woman who came from Wichita.
Thought she might be one of his kinfolk.
Well, what'd he want to know?
Her name, where she was staying.
Matt, do you think...
I don't know, Kitty, but I'm sure going to find out.
I sure wasn't anxious to be out on this road again so soon, Mr. Jones.
Seems like we ain't hardly been off it.
Yeah.
We could have stopped off at the Mattson place yesterday just as easy on our way back from Park City.
And it might have saved them trouble if we had trusted.
Come on, let's turn in here.
Yeah.
There's Rans stand out in front there.
Yeah.
Mattson, I want to talk to you.
He's running, Mr. Gillen.
Matt, where are you?
Don't shoot again, don't shoot.
Next time I'll be aiming for you.
Get his gun, Chester.
Yeah, sir.
Now look, come on, Shall I?
I don't want no more trouble.
Chester, keep an eye on him. I'm going up to the house.
Yes, sir.
There's another one inside!
All right, come on out of there.
Come on.
There are two of us here.
Don't shoot anymore.
I'm hit.
Then come on out.
All right, Chester, let's try to patch him up.
I want him to last long enough to answer a few questions.
All right, Matt, come in.
I'll be as gentle about it as you can.
She hardly has any strength left.
Okay, Doc.
Miss Howell?
It's Matt Dillon, Miss Howell.
I'd like to talk to you for a minute.
Oh, Marshal, nice of you to come to see me.
About the man you were looking for.
Guy?
You found Guy?
Well, we might have, Miss Howell.
Guy, I knew I'd find him.
Now, you said that he was a tall man.
Tall, Marshal, straight as a young tree.
And yellow-headed.
He has light-colored hair, all right.
And it shines in the sun.
Well, we found a man that looks something like that.
When can I see him?
Where is he, Marshal?
Well, now, just a minute, Miss Howell.
You might not be so glad to see him as you think.
Oh, Marshal Dillon, you mustn't talk that way.
I've never had a thought for any other man.
No, I didn't mean that, but, uh,
for this man, he may have changed some since you last saw him.
Oh, not Guy.
He couldn't have.
Besides, it was just a little while ago.
I have to tell you, Miss Howell,
this man is wanted for robbery in Wichita.
And he...he may even be the man who beat you up.
Oh, Marshal Dillon.
I'm sorry, but that's the way it looks.
Guy Porter never did a dishonest thing in his life.
Where is he, Marshal? Let me see him.
Well, I didn't know the way it turned out of you
to want to see him after all.
Please, Marshal, bring him to me.
All right, ma'am.
She wants to see him, Doc.
All right, ma'am.
Chester.
Bring him in.
Yes, sir.
Come on, man, mind your steps, huh?
Take your hat off in a lady's bedroom.
Here he is, Miss Howell.
Guy?
Come...come closer.
Well, go on, step up there.
Tall...and slim.
Slim...but you're old.
Old.
No, no, you're not Guy.
You sure about that, ma'am?
Of course I'm sure, Marshal.
My guy's young. Young.
He's only a couple years older than I am, Marshal.
Young? Mr. Dillon?
You'd better take him out of your chest.
All right, Doc.
Matt?
Yeah, Doc, I'm...I'm ready to leave.
Just a minute, Marshal, if you please.
Yes, ma'am?
I don't seem to have made myself clear to you about Mr. Porter, Marshal.
Perhaps in the interest of preventing another unfortunate error...
You don't have to talk anymore.
I prefer to get things straight, Doctor.
Guy Porter is a young man, Marshal.
We grew up together.
That's all right, Miss Howe.
No, no, it certainly is not all right.
You clearly don't understand.
Bringing in that middle-aged man in those rough clothes...
White Guy would never let his uniform look so tacky.
His uniform?
Of course, Marshal Dillon.
As long as the war continues, he'll be in uniform.
But, Matt...
Even though his regiment was ordered into the Western wilderness,
he'd never let himself look like that.
But he'd better leave, ma'am. I'll give her some...
Yeah, Doc, you...you do that.
They ordered him west.
And I waited and waited.
And finally I came to find him.
It was all right for me to come, wasn't it, Marshal?
It was all right, ma'am.
You won't make a mistake and bring me the wrong man again,
will you, Marshal?
Just Guy?
No, ma'am, I won't bring you the wrong man again.
By jing, I tell you for sure, Mr. Dillon,
glad they sent a deputy to take that outlaw back to Wichita on stage.
I sure wasn't hankering to ride that road again so soon.
Yeah.
He was an awful mean one, beating up a lady like that.
Is Miss Howell going to be all right, Mr. Dillon?
I guess she'll get over the beating, Chester.
But Doc doesn't think her mind will ever be any better.
How could she go on like that all these years,
thinking that fellow was coming back to her?
I don't know.
Memory can do funny things.
Yeah, but Doc says she was carrying around a telegraph
the War Department sent her years ago,
telling her this Guy Porter had been killed.
Yeah, I know.
But she didn't want to believe it.
No, she didn't.
And I guess she never will.
Music
Gunsmoke, produced and directed 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 Meston.
Featured in the cast were Vic Perrin, Clark Gordon, and Ann Morrison.
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
for another story on Gunsmoke.