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.
Music
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.
Music
Quiet night, Mr. Dillon.
Yeah, except for that coyote. He's mad at the moon, I guess.
Or in love, maybe.
Oh?
The way I've noticed it, any time you find a man or an animal out squalling around in the dark, it's usually love.
Yeah, but this one sounds kind of mournful, Chester.
Love is mournful sometimes.
So I've heard.
Matt?
What?
Is that you?
Oh, good evening, Mrs. Morley.
How have you been, Matt?
Well, fine, thanks.
Chester?
Ma'am?
You down here on Front Street this time of night alone?
I'm looking for Red Lawson.
Al's meeting him sometime after midnight, and they're going out on a cattle-buying trip.
I want to talk to him first. Are you satisfied?
Well, there's no place for a woman alone. Maybe you'd better go home.
There are other women down here?
Well, they belong here, Mrs. Morley. They work here.
Don't be so stuffy, Matt. Call me Ava. Everybody else does.
Your husband might take exception to that, Mrs. Morley.
You are blaming me for what happened before, aren't you?
I'm not blaming you for anything, Mrs. Morley.
I didn't tell them to get into a gunfight over me. It wasn't my fault.
I didn't say it was.
Chester, you'd better see that Mrs. Morley gets home all right, huh?
Yes, sir.
I can get home by myself. Good night.
Mrs. Morley?
My, she's pretty as a picture. Makes you wonder.
Yeah. Maybe you were right, Chester.
A woman like that, love might be kind of mournful.
I don't know.
I just did my rope cuff to turn around that juniper stump.
I jerked back on the seat.
Lawson.
Oh, hi, Martin.
I wonder if I could see you for a minute.
Yeah, sure. I'll be right back, boys.
Okay. We'll wait for you right over there.
What's on your mind?
I just ran into Mrs. Morley on the street outside.
You did?
Uh-huh. I suggested she go home.
She's got no business being down here this time of night.
Might be a good idea if you would tell her that.
Seems to me that's up to her husband.
You know, you're new here, Lawson.
I guess you didn't know Fred Curtis and the Santa Fe Kid.
I heard about it. A couple of fools as far as I can see.
Sure they were. After they met Mrs. Morley.
Look, Marshall, what's your stake in this?
I got no stake in this.
What Mrs. Morley does is her own business as long as it doesn't cause any trouble.
I feel kind of sorry for her, that's all.
Al treats her like a dog.
Uh-huh.
Yeah, Fred and the kid used to talk the same way.
Like I said, a couple of fools.
I'm not.
I hope not.
I'll see you around.
Yeah, sure.
Kitty, can I speak to you?
What is it, Matt?
Has Al Morley been in tonight?
No, haven't seen him, Matt.
Should he have been around?
Oh, not necessarily.
He and Lawson are riding out around midnight on a cattle-buying trip.
I thought they might be meeting here.
Well, not yet, anyway.
I'll see you around.
Yeah, sure.
Why would he know?
He's going along.
Al asked him to help out.
They're going to follow the lazy B-Wound up and try to get in ahead of the Bios in Chicago.
Ah.
He's a nice-looking kid, isn't he?
Yeah, he's a nice-looking kid.
He's a nice-looking kid.
He's a nice-looking kid, isn't he?
Yeah.
Is he...
Yeah, he's another friend of Ava's.
Oh, come on, boy.
Michael!
Michael Dillon!
Wake up!
All right, baby.
Get up!
All right, take it easy.
Who is it?
It's Jesse Wells, Michael.
Open up!
All right, just a second.
Yeah, what's the trouble, Wells?
You better get your horse.
We got a ride back out there.
Out where? What's happened?
Buffalo Flats.
We camped there to wait for the Roundup crew.
Al Morley is dead, Marshall.
What?
Knifed in the back.
Well, you know who did it?
Yeah, it was Red Lawson.
He knifed Al and stole the money we were going to use to buy cattle.
What in the world is going on, Mr. John?
You better saddle up, Chester.
We got a ride.
What's the trouble?
The usual.
Nothing new but the names.
And Red Lawson's turned out to be a fool in spite of himself.
Over this way, Marshall.
Camp's right there by the plum thicket.
Right.
It'll be daylight in another 20 minutes.
Yeah.
Oh, boy.
Oh, yeah.
He's lying there by the bushes.
Yeah, I see him.
Whose knife is it, Jesse?
Al's.
We were all asleep.
We built a fire and made some coffee and then turned in to wait for daylight.
The lazy bee bunch had planned to work their stock up this way.
I see.
Here, Chester, wrap a knife in something and hang on to it.
Yes, sir.
Go on, Jesse.
What happened to the men-o?
Well, like I said, Marshall, we were all asleep.
I guess it was the sound of the horses' hooves that woke me up.
It was Red Lawson.
He was pulling out.
Yeah.
I ran over to Al and shook him to wake him up and tell him, but then I saw the knife.
He was dead.
Why were you sleeping, Jesse?
Well, right about here, I guess.
Red was across the fire there and Al, where he's lying now.
Uh-huh.
What about the money?
How did you know it was gone?
Oh, I thought of it right off.
I figured that's why Red had done it.
You see, Al was carrying about $10,000 in a leather sack and he'd stuck it under his blanket
before we'd gone to sleep.
I looked for it and it was gone.
You figure Red killed him for the money, then?
Well, sure.
I doubt if he meant to, though.
No, I think Red was trying to ease the sack out from under the blanket and Al woke up and caught him.
Yeah, it's possible.
Be light and start tracking him in a few minutes, Mr. Dillon.
Yeah.
Which way did Lawson head out, Jesse?
East.
He seemed to be following the wagon tracks.
He's got quite a start on us.
Yeah, too much of a start.
Well, we'll ride back into Dodge and take the train from there to Abilene and then work back from the east.
That's a good idea.
Lawson probably won't be expecting anybody ahead of him.
I can't understand it.
I just can't understand how anybody could do a thing like this.
The Somac Creek water tank's right around the bend up ahead.
How long do we stop there?
Oh, about five minutes.
Just long enough to take on water.
Might as well relax, Marshal.
It's a long way to get to Abilene.
Right.
We're even 24 miles from Dodge City.
Feels more like 100.
These seats are harder than an iron saddle.
Hey, this here fella you boys are looking for, I guess he's a real mean one, huh?
Yeah, I mean it.
Yeah, just like I always say, this prairie country ain't never going to be a law-abiding place to live in.
Every time I pull out of Kansas City on the run west, I'm expecting every minute to be shocked, hung, or scowled.
Chester.
What's the matter, Mr. Dillon?
I got the weather here.
Around the bend there by the water tank, see?
Ah, looks like we don't have to go to Abilene.
Oh, yeah.
Some fella waiting to catch the train, I reckon.
Yeah.
Hey, is he the one?
That's him.
His horse is tied there by the tank.
He must have decided not to quit the way of traveling.
Looks that way.
All right, Chester, he won't be expecting us.
Let's get out in the vestibule and then drop off and take him as soon as the train stops, huh?
Yes, sir.
But, Marshal, whatever you do, don't let him on this train.
Just keep the passengers away from the windows.
In a way, it's bad, Mr. Dillon.
Miss Morley would have really enjoyed that $10,000.
You're guessing, Chester.
Holly hasn't seen us yet.
All right, let's go.
Lawson, get your hands up.
You're under arrest.
I said get your hands up.
Lawson!
Come on, Chester.
That's cutting it off a thing, Mr. Dillon.
Give a man a couple of chances before you haul down on him.
We're still on our feet. He's not...
Yeah, sure. He's pushing the odds, though.
I guess. Pick up his gun there, will you?
Yes, sir.
Lawson.
He's still alive.
Yeah.
Can you hear me, Lawson?
Sure. Sure, I can hear you.
You've got the sacraments.
Yeah, I see it.
Lawson, there's no doctor on the train.
Now, we're going to try to stop the bleeding and do the best we can for you.
There'll be a train back toward Dodge City in about a half hour.
We'll wait for it.
I guess... I guess I don't have much choice, do I?
No, I guess you don't.
You made your choice last night.
Was she worth it?
Yes, that's... that's a bad one, Matt.
I'd say the bullet's lying right in against his heart.
I'd try to just wing him, Doc.
But you can't always call him, you know.
No, I guess not.
Well, I'm afraid that's about all I can do for him, Matt.
That's not enough. Is that it?
He won't live an hour.
Yeah, I wish he were conscious.
I want to talk to him.
Well, the stimulant might take effect.
It might not.
Well, this kind of occasion, you never know.
What is it you're after, Matt?
Ms. Morley.
Accessory before the fact?
I should cut them in.
Wait a minute.
Lawson?
Lawson, can you talk? Can you hear me?
Sure.
Was Ms. Morley in on it?
Nobody was in on it.
Did she know you were going to do it?
She...
She had nothing to do with it.
Was she going to meet you somewhere later?
She had nothing to do with it. It was...
It was my idea to know it. Nobody else.
Lawson.
You're dying. Do you know that?
Yeah. I know. I can feel it.
She wasn't in on it.
All right. That's the way you want it.
At least Al won't treat her like a dog anymore.
What do you mean?
I mean a dead man can't bother anybody.
Al?
You ought to know you killed him.
No. No.
What?
He...he was asleep.
I took the money and rode away.
I didn't touch him.
I swear I didn't kill him.
I only stole the money and I didn't kill him.
I guess I was wrong, Maddy.
Bullock was closer to his heart than I thought.
Yeah.
I was wrong about something myself, Doug.
I thought this was the end of it.
Now it's wide open again. Wide open.
I don't see why you got me here.
Just ask me the same thing all over again, Marshall.
I told you how it happened.
Yeah, I know.
You caught Red Lawson with the money on him.
What more proof do you need?
That only proves he took the money, Jesse.
It doesn't prove he killed Al.
Now what do you mean by that, Marshall?
You killed Al yourself, didn't you, Jesse?
You're out of your mind.
You woke up and you saw Red steal the money and take off.
And it gave you ideas.
You slipped over and you knifed Al in his sleep.
You knew Lawson would get the blame for it.
Sure, because he did it.
He said he didn't.
Of course he'd say that.
Did you expect him to tell the truth?
He was dying, Jesse. He knew he was dying.
I think he did tell the truth.
I see.
His word against mine, the word of a thief.
I didn't say I could prove it, Jesse.
You did it, though.
We both know that.
And sooner or later I'll get you for it.
Quiet night, Mr. Jones.
It was a quiet night last night.
And two men who were alive last night are gone tonight.
Makes you stop and wonder.
Well, at least one thing hasn't changed.
That Kyle's still there.
Yeah, I guess there'll always be Kyle's around, Mr. Jones.
What are you going to do about Jesse Wells?
I don't know, Chester.
He's guilty.
You could see it written all over him.
But it'd be no use bringing him in.
I haven't got one piece of evidence.
Matt!
Good evening, Miss Morley.
Miss Morley?
Who are you looking for tonight?
Can't be Red Lawson.
He's dead.
So is my husband.
Yes.
My deepest sympathy.
Don't bother. You know better.
Sorry about Red, though. He was nice.
You're the one who did it, aren't you?
Yeah, I killed him for you. I couldn't do anything else.
I don't know why you say for me. It wasn't my fault.
Yeah, sure. I know.
Oh, you know. You don't know anything, Matt.
You don't know how it feels to sit in a house alone with your husband dead.
No one in town coming near you like you were poisoned or something.
Sure, I don't feel sorry for Al, but I would have once.
He's the one who changed me. Made me feel different.
I know. It wasn't your fault.
And you. You didn't even come to tell me that he was dead.
Why not? It's part of your job, isn't it?
I didn't come and tell you, Miss Morley, because I figured you'd...
Chester.
Yes, sir?
Would you mind walking on ahead? I'll meet you in the long branch in a few minutes.
Oh. All right, Mr. Jones.
He say so.
Matt, why did you send him away?
Uh...
Ava...
Are you going to be home later tonight?
I could be.
Around ten o'clock, say.
Sure, Matt.
Sure, I'll be there.
Well?
Hello, Kelly.
Hi, Mr. Jones.
Chester and I were trying to think of some way to rescue you from Ava's clutches.
Oh, one thing, though, Mr. Jones, I wasn't sure you wanted to be rescued.
Kitty, has Doc been in tonight?
Oh, I haven't seen him, Matt.
Chester, would you see if you can find him and have him meet me here?
Yes, sir.
Bye, waitin', Mr. Jones.
Kitty.
Yeah?
I wonder if you could find a rumor for me.
What kind of rumor?
A drop a hint to that new bartender of yours, Jesse Wells.
But it might be smart to slip out of here and pay a visit to Miss Morley around...
I'll say 9.45 tonight.
Well, all right, Matt.
Is there anything you can talk about?
I don't exactly know how to talk about it, Kitty.
I got a murderer on my hands.
I know who the killer is and I can't touch him.
So?
So I'm gonna try to make him touch me.
All right, Matt. I'll plant the rumor.
Are you gonna be around for a while?
Yeah, sure.
I'll be here until 10 o'clock.
Who is it?
Matt Dillon, who'd you think?
Oh, just a minute.
Now, hurry up. Let me in.
All right, Dillon. Come on in.
Wow, Jesse. I thought you were workin'.
I was.
Until a few minutes ago.
I think the marshal just wants to ask me some questions or something.
Yeah, I do, as a matter of fact.
About Jesse Wells here, for instance.
You didn't tell me he was gonna be here, Eva.
Well, I...
What do you mean she didn't tell you?
What about the saver?
So you were expecting him. You knew he was coming.
Well, but...
Of course she knew I was coming.
You and Matt Dillon.
For how long and what kind of a fool does that make me?
You were born a fool, Jesse. That's why she picked you.
It would be so wonderful, you said, if only Al didn't stand in our way.
Well, I didn't tell you to kill him. I didn't mention it once.
No, you didn't have to.
You just kept dropping hints and leading me on all the time. You and Matt Dillon.
She's too smart for you, Jesse. You should have realized that.
Sure.
But instead, I played right into your hands. Both of you.
How, Jesse?
By killing Al. Getting him out of your way.
Giving the two of you a clear field.
You're under arrest, Jesse, for murder.
Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you? Both of you would.
You could sit around and laugh about it, waiting for me to hang.
I said you're under arrest. Now hand over your gun.
No, I don't, Dillon.
You're not taking me in for something both of you wanted me to do.
Hand over your gun, Jesse.
If you want my gun, you'll have to take it away from me.
Get away from that door.
Sure, I'll get away from it.
Over and out!
Are you all right, Chester?
Yes, Chester.
You were close, but you missed me.
Well, you two didn't miss him.
I don't know which one of you fired first, but either of you would have done it.
Well, you got what you wanted, all right, Mr. Dillon.
Doc and I heard most every word.
We sure did.
Only one thing, though, Matt.
He didn't implicate the woman in it.
Yeah, I know.
Will you take charge, Doc?
Sure.
Matt?
All right, Chester, let's go.
Matt, could I see you a minute before you go?
Matt?
What's it add up to, Mr. Dillon?
Three men have been killed since the same time last night.
Yeah.
And you know, Mr. Dillon, I think maybe it's kind of all her fault.
And you can't pin a thing on her.
Well, one lucky thing, Chester.
There aren't many women like her.
Gun Smoke, produced and directed in Hollywood by Norman McDonald, stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
The story was specially written for Gun Smoke by Les Bratsfield, with editorial supervision by John Mestad.