Gunsmoke (1955) s02e12 Episode Script

ANNOUNCER: Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
That's Dane Shaw.
Is he hurt bad, Mr.
Dillon? Well, he's bad enough.
Anybody see this happen? You, Jed? Not a thing, marshal.
Heard the shots is all.
Can't figure out who'd do it.
Everybody in Dodge likes Dane Shaw.
Marshal, they got me in the back.
Dane, who did this to you? I don't know, but I'm bleeding so much.
Yeah, I know, but don't you worry.
You're gonna be all right.
We'll get you up to Doc's office.
Jed, you and Barker give me a hand here.
Now, lift him easy.
Oh, I never realized how heavy a man is till you try to hoist him.
Almost as big as you, marshal.
It could be worse.
You could be lifting dead weight.
Now, go on, easy.
Now I- Now I know how a jackrabbit feels when you wing him.
Yeah, you're not gonna feel very much like a jackrabbit for a couple of days, I'll tell you that, but I've- I've patched up worse.
Well, I'll be doggone.
You know that bullet went clean though? It's lodged right here under the skin, in front.
Here, come on.
Let's turn him over.
Certainly.
By golly, there it is.
You know, there's- There's only one wound, and I'd have sworn I heard two shots.
There's just one bullet.
That's all I can find.
Never you mind, Doc.
I'll- I'll pay you same as if there were two.
You're doggone right you'll pay me.
I won't let you die till you do.
Now, you go right ahead there and talk to old Matt, and kinda keep your mind off what I'm doing.
This may hurt a little bit.
Now, Dane, is there anybody you can think of who might've done this to you? Somebody you may have forgotten about.
No, sir.
Nobody.
Well, did you see anybody at all? Or did you hear anything? Try to think, Dane.
He said something about stone.
Stone? A man's name, you mean? Could be.
Anyway- Anyway, that's what I heard.
Stone.
By golly, there it is.
Well, I never heard of any Stone around here.
Here, Matt.
Hold that compress right there a minute, will you? Dane, does that name Stone mean anything to you? Not a thing.
I- I can't figure any part of it.
Well, I think he's just about had it, Matthew.
You better not talk to him any more.
He needs a little rest now.
All right.
Don't you worry, Dane.
You're gonna be all right.
Doc here does some mighty fine needlework.
I got the scars to prove it.
Doc.
He is gonna be all right, isn't he? Oh, yes.
Yes.
Well, he was hit pretty hard, Matt, but, eh Good, clean wound.
He should be all right in a few days.
Come on, Chester.
Such a nice, peaceable fella, It's a- It's a downright shame, that's what.
Marshal! I found Dane's hat down by the alley there.
Are you sure this is his? He's been wearing it for over a year.
Say, marshal, you think I could go see him now? No, Doc says he needs to rest.
Yeah, sure.
You know, I just can't think of anybody in Dodge who feels meanness for Dane.
I know.
Yet he's laying up there, shot.
Chester.
Yeah.
It was a mistake.
A mistake? Shootin' a man? What do you mean? This, for one thing.
His hat? Look at that.
It's the same shape and color as mine.
Yeah.
And Dane and I were sure built enough alike.
Somebody could have made a mistake, especially in the dark.
Well, I don't understand what you're trying to get at.
I knew a man named Stone once.
Down in Matagorda County.
He had a way with other people's cattle.
He's dead now.
Well, if he's dead it couldn't have been him.
No, but he had a friend.
A friend named Danch.
They were both cow thieves.
Danch found Stone hanging from an oak tree one day, and he figured I did it.
Oh.
It was probably some cattlemen that caught Stone using a straight iron and practiced a little quick justice.
But Danch never believed it, and he swore he'd kill me.
Here.
Where you going? Well, it's all over town by now that Dane's been shot.
If it was Danch, he'll know he's got the wrong man.
I'm gonna make a round to the saloons.
Well, Mr.
Dillon, I'll- I'll check the hotel for you.
What does this Danch look like, in case I run into him 'fore you do? Well, he's tall and thin, Chester.
He's got a big scar that runs down one cheek.
Well, you think it's wise to go lookin' for him? Well, it's better than him looking for me, isn't it? Seeing as the way he goes about it.
Your bill's 3.
75, including today.
Course that means you don't have to leave till 11 in the morning.
Still the same, Take it out of that.
Bed's all made up.
That includes breakfast tomorrow.
Seems a shame to pay for it and not get it.
Besides, there's always fun to be had in Dodge.
I've had my fun.
I'll pick up the change when I bring my saddlebags down.
Evening, Mr.
Uzzell.
Evening, Chester.
You heard about Dane Shaw gettin' shot tonight, didn't you? No.
Now, who'd wanna shoot Dane Shaw? Well, I don't know, exactly.
Mr.
Dillon figures it's a mistake, though.
He thinks somebody's out to get him and shot Dane instead.
Oh.
All we wanna know, though, is if you've seen a fella around here name of Danch.
He's a tall, thin fella.
Got a scar alongside his face.
No.
No, can't say as I have.
But if I do, I'll let you know first off.
Well, you do that, Mr.
Uzzell.
Thank you.
Changed my mind about leaving.
Long as I'm paid up, I might as well have that breakfast.
Well, now, I'm real glad.
Always makes me feel bad when a man don't get what's coming to him.
Hello, Kitty.
Can I get you a drink, Matt? No.
No, thanks.
I heard about Dane Shaw.
He's gonna be all right, isn't he? I don't know.
You expecting more trouble? Maybe.
Sure I can't get you a drink? No.
No, thanks.
Say, Kitty, you ever heard of a man named Danch? Danch.
No, I haven't.
What's he look like? Well, he's tall and thin.
Got a scar, runs down one side of his face.
Oh, yeah.
There was a fella in here last night that looked like that.
Came in real late and had a drink and left.
Well, have you seen him since then? Not since last night.
Do you want me to ask some of the other girls? Mr.
Dillon! Miss Kitty.
Uh, you know that rooming house out the edge of the town, the Prairie Dog Hole? Yeah.
Well, I went every place else lookin' for him, then I tried there, just a last chance, you know? And sure enough, he was there.
Well, let's go.
Well, wait, he- He ain't there now, though.
He- They told me that he rode in last night and then he left before dawn.
So I guess it wasn't him after all.
Well, I'm going out and looki'' around town just the same.
Night, marshal.
Good night, marshal.
So long, boys.
Hey there, old-timer.
You just about had your fill, haven't you? More than enough, marshal.
More than enough.
All right.
All right, then.
Let's get you moving.
All right, listen a minute, you go on home.
Straight home.
Yeah, straight home.
L-l-let me go, marshal.
You're choking me.
Aah! Let me go.
I'll tell you, mister.
Let go of the gun.
Get your hands up in the air.
What are you jumping me for? All right, get walking.
Sure, I will.
And walk careful.
First, I wanna know what this is all about.
That's what you're gonna tell me, mister.
Get moving.
Sit down.
Now, I wanna know what this is all about.
Who are you, mister? Bill Lee.
And why did you follow me into that alley with a gun in your hand? I wasn't following you.
It was dark.
I didn't wanna take any chances.
Why'd you shoot Dane Shaw? Oh, it's about that fella who got shot, huh? I asked you a question.
I never even heard of him! Why'd I wanna shoot a fellow I never even heard of? You can't drag me in here and accuse me of shooting someone I never even heard of! Did Danch hire you to kill me? What is this? You're cleaning house and I'm the goat, is that it? You're just looking for somebody to hang something on.
Well, let me tell you, I never heard of no Danch.
Lock him up, Chester.
Yeah, lock me up.
I'm gonna walk outta here just the way I walked in.
There'll come a day when you'll be the one answering questions.
You want me to rot in your jail, that's one thing, but pushing me around is another.
Get in there.
You ain't heard the last of this, marshal, but I know my rights.
Mister, you got one right left, and that's to hang.
And I'm gonna see that happens real soon.
Well, there's nothing on his mind that interferes with his eatin'.
He dug in that breakfast like it was the last hog in Kansas.
Killin' a man doesn't bother scum like that, Chester.
I've seen all kinds of men in this world, but the rottenest there is is a man who kills for pay.
Well, I don't know, Mr.
Dillon, he- He argued awful hard for a guilty man.
Chester, I can smell a man like that a mile off.
Well, maybe old Dane's feelin' better today.
I'll take his hat over to him.
Well, you're just gonna hold Lee then, huh? Yep.
I'm hoping that Danch'll hear we got him locked up.
Come back to do his own killing.
Well, hello, Doc.
I was just on my way over to your office.
I was gonna give Dane his hat.
Come on.
Well, wait a minute, Matt.
There's, ah, no need of that now.
He, ah- He died ten minutes ago.
There's no way of knowing how a man's heart's gonna react.
I'm sorry to hear that.
Yeah, I know.
Dane would be alive if it wasn't for me.
Nobody wanted to kill him.
What do you mean? It was me they were after.
It's not a very nice feeling.
To know that an innocent man has died in your place.
Yeah.
Well, I- I gotta go over and tell Dane's wife he's dead.
Doc.
Yeah? You tell her this for me: you tell her I'll get whoever was responsible for Dane's death.
I promise her that.
I'll tell her.
Get Lee, Chester.
What for? Dane's dead.
Oh.
All right, let's go.
Where's Danch? You're wasting your time.
Same questions, same answers.
I never heard of no Danch.
Where'd he make this deal with you? I don't know nothing about no deal.
I'm an innocent man.
When I get outta here, I'm gonna see that the government hears about this.
And while you're at it, you tell 'em what it feels like to kill a man for pay.
You ought to know.
You get paid for it regular.
All right, now you get outta here.
Here.
Take that with you.
Pick it up by the barrel.
Go ahead.
But you better be fast.
Huh? You got me figured wrong.
I don't think so.
You said I get paid for killing.
Well, mister, you're right.
But killing you is gonna be part self-defense and part pleasure.
Killin' me? What are you driving at? Get out that door.
I'll be right behind you.
I'm staying here.
Then I'll kill you right here.
Now, I'd be a fool to let you go, wouldn't I? I'll give you my gun.
No, don't touch it.
I'll make a deal with you.
I'll get outta town.
I don't make deals.
And I don't get shot in the back either, mister.
Now, do you want it here? Or do you want it out in the street? That lousy Danch.
He got me into this.
And I'm not gonna die for him.
I'll tell you anything you wanna know.
Anything.
Only don't kill me.
Where's Danch? Wagon Bed Springs.
It's on the Santa Fe Trail.
And he hired you to do this as revenge for Stone? Yeah, he told me to holler "That's for Stone" soon as I done it.
But don't tell Danch how you found out.
He'll kill me if you do.
Lock him up, Chester.
Yes, sir.
All right, let- Let's go, Lee.
Come on, let's go! You was right all the time, Mr.
Dillon.
Well, he had a yellow streak, Chester.
I was counting on that.
But Danch won't be so easy.
He's no coward.
Well, if we start now, we can make Wagon Bed Springs by nightfall.
Not we, Chester.
Me.
Now, lookit, Mr.
Dillon, don't get no notions of facing Danch alone, 'cause I wanna be there.
All right, Chester.
You go tell Jed and Barker.
They can keep school for us here while we're gone.
Right.
And Chester.
Yes, sir.
When I find Danch, you stay out of the way.
Oh, I will, Mr.
Dillon, I will.
Unless he's got a friend.
Well, Matt, glad to see you.
What'll it be, beer or whiskey? Rye whiskey.
I'll take a beer.
Just about to close up.
Not much doin' this time of year.
Muleskinners, mostly.
Heh.
And them with short wages.
Heh! Ain't nobody can stay over drinks as long as a muleskinner.
Strangers, ain't you? We're just passin' through.
Supposed to meet a friend here.
Well, you ain't gonna have much trouble if he's in Wagon Bed Springs.
Sure ain't much of a town.
Now you take Dodge, there's a town.
You fellas ever been to Dodge? Well, me neither.
Heh-heh! But I sure would like to see that town.
Say, maybe our friend went to Dodge, huh? Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Maybe he did.
Maybe you saw him passing through town here.
He's a tall man with a scar.
Big scar, clear across his face? Yeah.
Name's Danch.
Why, sure, I remember him.
He was in here quite a while.
Didn't say nothin' about Dodge, though.
Pulled out yesterday, on his way to Texas.
Texas? He tell you that? Yeah, I was standing right here when he said it.
Thanks.
Glad to help.
Gonna be in town long? Not long.
Say, uh, is there a good place to eat around here? Why, sure, right down the street.
Thanks.
Come on, Chester.
Say, uh, we'll be back as soon as we're finished eating.
All right.
Mr.
Dillon, you're sure not looking for a place to eat at a time like this, are you? That bartender said he'd never been in Dodge? He was there two months ago.
I remember his fat face.
Well, why would he lie about being in Dodge? 'Cause he knows who I am.
Danch is in town somewhere, Chester.
And that barkeep is gonna get word to him as fast as he can.
Come on.
He sure ain't in any hurry, is he? He's giving us plenty of time to get in the restaurant, Chester.
There he is.
Let him get a good head start on us, and he'll take us right to Danch.
Come on.
Check the back.
Yes, sir.
You sure it was Dillon? If it ain't, you don't owe me a cent.
You're sure.
They say everybody loves a fat man.
Well, I hate your insides.
You don't have to like me.
You just gotta pay me, that's all.
All right.
Here's half.
The rest when I get him.
When Dillon comes back to the bar, you buy a drink.
I'll pay for it.
It's gonna be his last.
There's no way that they can get out the back.
That means there's only one way in and out.
Get over there.
You fat fool, he followed you here.
I didn't see him.
I- I thought he was gonna eat.
I ought to kill you.
You're trapped, Danch.
Come out with your hands up.
You gotta let me out, Danch.
I got nothing to do with this.
All right, get out.
Get out before I kill you.
Marshal, I'm coming out! I ain't got a gun.
Don't shoot! Open it more.
I can't make it! All right, get out.
Get over there.
Keep your hands up.
I won't do nothing.
I just got paid to warn him, that's all.
Get back there.
Come on, get.
Take him around the corner, Chester.
You're in a bad spot, Danch.
You can rot in there.
Is that what you figured when you hung Stone, Dillon? That he'd rot? I was in Galveston when Stone was hung.
That's a lie.
Why'd you send Lee to gun me, Danch? No guts? Didn't make any difference to me how you got it then.
But it does now.
I'm coming out.
I'm coming with a gun.
I'm gonna hang anyway, and I just might get you.
Mr.
Dillon! It's all right, Chester.
I-I- I saw it.
He shot first.
It was self-defense, pure and simple.
What do you want me to do with him, Mr.
Dillon? Let him go, Chester.
Let him crawl back under his rock.
All right, you heard him, didn't you? Yes, I sure did.
Hey.
He paid you.
Bury him.