Gunsmoke (1955) s02e11 Episode Script

ANNOUNCER: Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Morning, Doc.
Where you going? Nowhere.
Nowhere? Well, what are you doing out here on the street for then? Well, I'm looking around here for dead bodies.
I thought I might be able to pick an autopsy fee.
Oh, Doc.
Well, you asked the question.
Well, I was raised to be sociable.
Well, don't waste it on me this morning.
Huh? Hey, there's Arie O'Dell.
Arie? Oh, yeah.
That's Arie.
That's that little filly you've been trying to deal for.
Yeah.
What? Oh, Doc.
Shame on you.
You oughtn't to talk about Arie like that.
About A- Che- I'm talking about that little mare right there.
Doc, I thought that you Oh, spare me, young fool, blind in love.
Oh.
Oh, no, no, Doc.
No, I ain't in love.
You're not? Well, you better not be.
Not with her.
'Cause her father is a blacksmith, and he'd break you in two.
Yeah.
I- I've seen you standing here, Arie.
You waved to me.
Yeah.
The, uh- Uh, well, me and Doc was walking up the street- I don't know where he went he- I know.
Uh, when are you gonna go fishing with me, Arie? Well, um I'm afraid to go, Chester.
Afraid? Indians.
Indians? Oh Well, haven't you heard? About the Pawnees out raiding? Oh, well, Arie, they're way out on the prairie somewhere.
They wouldn't hurt us none.
I'd hate to be captured by the Pawnee.
Oh, Arie, you got nothin' to worry about.
Why, I'd fight them Pawnees for you.
I'd- I'd- I'd kill every one of 'em.
Would you, Chester? Oh, I tell you, Arie, it'd be a sight to behold.
I'd fight them Pawnees while I was a-dying.
Dying? Arie, I wouldn't let no Pawnees get you.
Why, I'd- I'd just sooner let the moon shine in my mouth.
Well, uh- Well Can we go then? Mm.
Maybe.
I'd have to ask my pa.
Your pa? Oh, well, yeah.
I mean- Well, of course, we'd ask your Pa, naturally.
I wouldn't go without asking your pa.
You're a real gentleman, Chester.
Yeah.
I guess I- Oh, am I? Well, yeah.
Of course I am.
Well, let's go find him.
Well, we can't.
Why? He's not there.
He, um- He went fishing.
Oh.
Oh, Arie.
I was- But you can walk me home if you like.
I can? Well All right.
Let's go.
Sam.
Hi, Doc.
Hey.
What is this here? Looks like you're moving.
I am moving.
Where? I don't know, and I don't care.
Back East, most likely.
Wait a minute.
Why? You've been out on the plains lately, Doc.
And you ask me that? Are you giving up, Sam? Why shouldn't I? Pawnees wiped out another family on Smoky Hill River two days ago.
That's not 10 miles from my place, and nothing's done about it.
Why shouldn't I get out? Well, I just never thought they'd ever run you off.
I can't fight 'em alone, Doc.
I don't want my family to end up like that.
Well, now why don't you just wait and think this over.
These raids will be stopped.
By who? The Army? And where's your law hereabouts? Your Matt Dillon, for instance.
a-hidin' in town.
They don't dare show up where they're needed.
No, Doc.
I had a nice little place and I hate to leave.
But I'm not stretching my luck.
Sam.
Doggone, I hate to see you go.
We need settlers like you.
Not dead ones.
No.
Not dead ones.
Well, hello there, Matt and Kitty.
How are you, Doc? Oh, I don't know.
Fine, I guess.
Sit down, Doc.
I sure will.
I'm tired, hungry Mm.
What is that you're eating there? It looks like stew.
That's what they call it.
Well, I'll have some of that, I guess.
Bring me some of that, Tom.
Then I think I'll go to bed.
At noon? Yep.
Been up the whole night.
Been out at the Brants' place.
Did Ms.
Brant have her baby? Yep.
That's number five, isn't it? Yeah.
It's five.
It's about time they gave you one of those, isn't it? No, sir, not me.
I got trouble enough all by myself.
What? Is it something particular, or just, uh, in general? Well, I'd say it's kind of particular.
It's getting so, I'm about half afraid to be out there at night all alone.
More Indians, Doc? Yeah.
Pawnees wiped out a whole family up on the Smoky Hill a couple days ago.
Thanks, Tom.
Yeah.
That's the third one this month too.
Yep.
How did you know about it, anyway? Sam Butler told me.
You know Sam.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Wellhe came into town.
Brought his wife, family, all his belongings.
He's scared to death.
He's leaving.
He's quittin'.
Well, I can't say I blame him, Doc.
Well, I don't blame him either.
I'll tell you something else.
He's out there in the street telling everybody that'll listen to him what a shameful thing it is, how the law hides out in Dodge, while whole families are being slaughtered.
Well, I just thought you'd like to know what he's saying.
Well maybe I'd better have a talk with this Mr.
Butler.
I'll, uh, see you later.
And I'm saying that any man that stays there and exposes his family to them murdering savages is plumb crazy.
You can't fight a Pawnee war party by yourself.
And the law sure ain't helping us any.
I say that we can all die and rot for all the law cares.
Hello, Sam.
Well, marshal, where you been hiding out? I understand the Pawnees made another raid up near you, huh? Well, if you call killin' and scalpin' a man, his wife and two boys a raid.
yes.
Did you actually see the family? Sure, I seen 'em.
If you had, you'd have been doing something about it, instead of loping around here in Dodge.
Well, Sam, I'm not hired to fight the Indians.
That's the Army's job.
Well, why don't you help 'em? Every lawman ought.
'Cause the Army doesn't need any help.
Tell me, uh- I want to know more about these Pawnees.
Why? There's something that sounds mighty strange about this whole thing to me, Sam.
Strange? They're killin' white men, like always.
Those men didn't have a chance.
Men? Well, the boys are goin' on 14, 15.
Old enough to handle a rifle.
But they got caught outside.
They never made the house.
Never made the house? That sounds just like the others.
What are you thinkin', marshal? I don't know, Sam.
But you know, you may be right about one thing.
What? Maybe this is a job for the law.
I think I'll ride up there and take a look at 'em.
Howdy.
What are you men doing out here? Well, I'm the marshal over in Dodge City, captain.
Matt Dillon.
Ah.
This is Chester Goode here.
Oh, yes, I've heard of you, marshal.
I'm Captain Starr.
How do you do? Tell me, captain, you, uh- You new out in the territory here? Well, as a matter of fact, I arrived at Fort Dodge only last month.
Well, you know, it might not be a bad idea to post a guard.
Yes, you, uh, did come up on us pretty easily, didn't you? Hm.
Well, there's a little better cover over by those trees too, I think.
What is it you want out here, marshal? If you don't mind, I'd like to tag along with you for a couple of days.
Why? There's something about these Pawnee raids that interests me.
A few things I've been hearing about I like to see for myself.
Glad to have you along.
You're gonna make camp here? I might as well.
Haven't found a thing so far, but I have scouts out.
I hope to pick up their trail by morning.
Good.
Looks like we're on the trail, all right.
Well, I could understand it about the man or the woman, or the- Even the boy but- A little girl.
Haven't been dead long.
Well, it looks like this morning to me, sometime.
Those Indians can't be far off.
Yeah, an Indian's got a way of disappearing fast, captain.
Scalped 'em all, everyone of 'em.
At least they didn't torture them.
Is that what they did to the other families? No.
Just like this.
Shot and scalped.
Sergeant.
Dig, uh, burials there, will you? Yes, sir.
Captain Starr.
Yeah.
You said this is your first tour of duty in the Indian territory, is that right? That's right.
Well, take a look around you here.
I have.
Every one of these families is shot out in the open away from their cabins.
That mean anything to you? Well, they must have been caught by surprise.
Those Pawnees must be pretty tricky.
By surprise and defenseless.
If they had any chance to fight back at all, well, there'd be a lot of arrows around here.
Those people were shot, marshal, with rifles.
Yeah, and the Pawnees usually don't waste ammunition.
Lookit here.
Those tracks are rubbed out, every one of 'em.
Well, I hadn't noticed that.
There's something else you didn't notice, or maybe you didn't know.
What's that? How old would you say that boy was there? About the same age as the boys at the last place: He's old enough to be a brave in a couple of years, if he was a Pawnee.
If he was a Pawnee? The Indians usually don't kill a boy that age.
They take him back home and try to make a brave out of him.
Well, that's something else I didn't know.
Mr.
Dillon, are you trying to say that it wasn't Pawnees that did this? Is this what you're saying? That's exactly what I'm saying.
But the Pawnees are the only tribe around here right now.
A man wearing moccasins doesn't have to cover up his tracks, captain.
He's got nothing to hide.
I don't follow you, marshal.
I'm saying the Pawnees didn't do this.
It wasn't Indians at all.
It was white men.
That's what you figured all along, wasn't it, Mr.
Dillon? That's why you wanted to come out here in the first place.
Let's get the burying done.
Marshal I just can't believe that white men could have done this.
Hey, captain, did you ever hear Chivington did to the Cheyenne at Sand Creek? "Kill 'em and scalp 'em all, " he said, "big and little.
Nits make lice.
" But congress repudiated that whole affair.
Well, it happened, just the same.
And it was white men who did it.
Well, I guess you're right.
But why? Why did they do it? Horses.
See that corral over there? He must have had eight or ten good head in there.
So did the others.
They probably stole the horses and whatever else they could find in those cabins.
They're probably stacked away in some camp right now, laughing at us Indian hunters.
I'll find 'em.
It's a mighty big country, captain.
How you gonna find 'em? Pick up their trail.
All right.
What if you run across a bunch of men with some horses? How are you gonna know you got the right ones? Well, horses must be branded.
What brand? Well, they must be registered somewhere.
All right.
You got to go and find out which one.
By the time you do all that, another family might be slaughtered.
I'm just beginning to realize how new I am at this game.
All right.
What do you suggest? Well, as I remember, there's an old shack about five miles up the river here.
We'll throw up a rope corral and run in a few head of horses there.
If we'll lucky they'll find us.
Good idea.
I'll have my men deployed, ready to move in.
No, that wouldn't work, captain.
You can't hide a whole troop of cavalry.
You'll have to keep your men clear away from there.
Chester and I will be there, and we'll wait for 'em.
You realize there may be a whole gang of them? Well, captain if these are white men, that's my job anyway, not yours.
And this is one job I wouldn't mind doing.
Well, they ought to see that if they're anywheres this side of the Rocky Mountains.
They will.
I reckon they ought to be around here somewheres.
I don't think they stole enough horses to leave the country yet.
No.
And besides, they're feeling safe, Chester.
They'll be here.
You know, Mr.
Dillon, I was just thinkin'.
Well, that, uh, thinkin', that's what'll make you rich, Chester.
I don't care so much about being rich as I do about staying alive.
What's bothering you? Well, it's just- Well, there's just two of us.
I was just wondering how many there was of them? You want to go back and get the cavalry? Well, I'd feel a lot safer.
Go ahead.
Well, no, Mr.
Dillon.
You didn't answer my question yet.
I was just wondering how many we was waiting for? Well, there's no way of tellin', Chester.
Yeah, but say there's a whole passel of 'em.
How do you figure on taking 'em? I don't much care how.
Oh, well, I- I guess I don't either.
I- Can't get that little girl out of my mind.
Look Well, he's all alone.
Do you- Do you think he's just some cowboy? Maybe.
Yeah, he probably just seen the smoke, and wonderin' how many horses we got in the corral.
Yeah, or he could be one of that bunch scouting ahead for the others.
They don't take any chances, you know? Well, how we gonna find out? We'll find out soon enough.
Come on.
Put the coffee back on.
Morning.
Good morning.
Step down off your horse and, uh, have a cup of coffee with us.
I'll tie my horse.
Sure could use some coffee.
Had to make a dry camp last night.
Dry camp? Yeah.
Why didn't you ride on down the river? I'll tell you why, mister.
I was lost.
I rode till after dark and got myself lost.
Well, your horse could have sure found the water for you.
Well, maybe my horse ain't as smart as yours.
No offense.
Uh, sit down.
Have a cup of coffee.
No, thanks.
I've been sittin' all morning.
Here you are.
We ain't got no sugar, though.
You boys are traveling pretty light, ain't you? What do you mean? Here's your coffee.
Thanks.
Well, all them horses.
Got a mighty big remuda.
No wagon.
Not much grub I can see.
We're driving this herd to Cheyenne.
There's only two of us here.
We couldn't very well handle a wagon and a herd both.
Just the two of you, huh? Yeah.
Well, look, mister, I'm just drifting.
Maybe you could use another hand.
Maybe.
Where you from? Dakota Territory.
Name's Lee Stapp.
Sure like to go to Cheyenne.
Heard a lot about it.
Ain't never been there.
Why don't you ride on up there by yourself? Sure would beat chasing a herd.
Well, I'm broke, mister.
Can't have much of a party in Cheyenne broke, now, can you? Nope.
I guess maybe you can't.
Look, I'm a good hand and I work cheap.
What do you say? You're a good hand, huh? Yeah, sure.
See those horses.
Yeah.
Best I've ever seen.
Yeah, and we take good care of 'em.
Well, what's that got to do about giving me a job? Mister, I wouldn't hire you to herd sheep.
What? You say you made a dry camp last night? Then how come you tie your horse up without watering him, while you stand here slopping up coffee? Well, it's my horse, ain't it? Yeah.
How do you like that coffee? Coffee? Good, huh? Yeah.
Why, sure.
Well, have some more of it.
Mr.
Dillon, you sure he ain't just a drifter, like he said? Well, I wasn't sure before, Chester but now I know.
Well, I'll get the rope, but we ought to hang him with it.
All right, and hurry up.
The rest of 'em may be comin' in any minute.
They're comin'.
Your friends don't take much of a chance, do they? They're no friends of mine.
How many is there, Mr.
Dillon? There's six of 'em.
They'll be riding in a few minutes.
Get up.
You haven't got a chance, marshal.
Get up.
He might be right, Mr.
Dillon.
How are we gonna take care of six men? These aren't men, Chester.
They're animals.
It's them or us.
We're gonna ambush 'em.
Ambush? They'll never even know we're here.
All right, get going.
Come on.
Ambush? All right, now, get over in that corner and stay there.
And if I hear one sound out of you, I'm gonna crack your skull.
Got that? Mr.
Dillon.
You think you ought to ambush 'em without trying to take 'em back to town for trial or nothing? Chester, every man's responsible for his own actions.
If I have to answer the law, that's all right too.
Right now, I just want to see six men dead.
Wellyou just tell me what to do.
All right.
You start shootin' when I do.
Start on the outside and work in.
Yes, sir.
They must be over by the river.
Maybe Stapp's killed 'em already.
You didn't hear no shooting, did we? I don't like it, Jake.
Stapp should have been back a long time ago.
Stapp knows his business.
Sure is pretty horses, ain't they? All right.
Now, Chester.
Stop.
Stop it.
Stop it.
Don't shoot! All right, cover me.
Yes, sir.
Throw your guns down! All right, now, turn around.
Get your hands up.
All right, Stapp, get up! Get out, you don't want some of the same.
Right there.
Now you can yell all you want to.
Move.
All right, get over here, you.
Who are you? What did you ambush us for? Why, you done already killed four men.
What kind of man's gonna ambush a bunch of men like that? My kind, mister.
He's the marshal.
But it was murder.
That's what it was.
Just plain murder.
It sure was.
Even if he is a marshal, he'll hang for this.
You didn't even give us a chance.
That's right.
And I never saw men that deserved less of a chance.
What are you talking about? We ain't done nothing.
No.
I found this on your friend here.
What's that? Th- That don't mean nothing.
It's just a little plain yellow ribbon.
Yeah.
And you'll find the mate to it back at the Howard ranch on that little girl's doll.
Stapp, you fool! I didn't know I- I just wanted a little souvenir.
I told you to get rid of everything.
Stapp, I'm sorry you came in first.
I wish you had rode in with them.
But, mister, you're gonna hang.
You're all gonna hang.
And it's this little ribbon that's gonna hang you.
All right, now get some shovels.
You got a burying job.