Gunsmoke (1955) s03e35 Episode Script

starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Men die for a lot of reasons.
I've even heard of worthy ones, like a man who's willing to face it for the good that might come after, but he's a different breed than most of this Boot Hill trash.
These people died for fools' reasons- a spilt drink, a wrong card, or maybe worst of all, the bull-headed stubbornness that keeps a man from listening to reason.
To die like this is a waste- for nothing is gained by the dying.
Matt Dillon, U.
S.
Marshal.
Hello, Kitty.
Hello, Matt.
This is, uh, Leach Fields.
This is Marshal Dillon.
Glad to know you, Marshal.
How do you do? Sit down, Matt.
You're new around Dodge.
Yes, I am, Marshal.
Just came in on the Santa Fe today.
Mr.
Fields is looking for a table.
I kind of figured you for a gambler.
Well, an honest one, Marshal.
You'll have nothing to worry about with me.
Bill Pence and I are going to let him have a faro table here as soon as he's ready to go to work.
Well, there's no hurry, Miss Kitty.
I sort of like to get acquainted with a new town before I open up a game.
Well, that's a good idea.
Yeah, it helps.
Well, I've got to be going, if you'll excuse me, Miss Kitty.
See you later, Mr.
Fields.
Marshal, nice to see you.
Fields.
He seems all right.
Yeah.
You don't like him? I don't know him yet.
What do you mean? I've seen too many men like that.
They're all out after an easy dollar.
Oh, you're just suspicious of everybody.
Maybe that's why I'm still alive, huh? Mm.
Mr.
Dillon? Uh, Miss Kitty.
Hello, Chester.
Guess who I just seen riding up Front Street bold as brass- Zack Morton and Neil Erwin.
Huh, well guess there's no use in putting that off any longer.
What have they done? I'll tell you later, Kitty.
Well, there's there's Zack, Mr.
Dillon.
I-I don't see Neil, though.
Well, worry about Neil later.
Keep out of the way.
Zack.
What do you want, Marshal? Looks like you're getting ready to head out of town.
I am, back to my ranch.
You're holding me up.
Where's Neil Erwin? I had to pick up a few things.
Neil's waiting for me at the edge of town.
What's the matter, Marshal, what do you want? When did you and Neil get to be partners? We ain't never been partners.
He just helps me out at the place, that's all.
I heard different.
You got something on your mind, Marshal, say it out.
You're under arrest, Zack.
Know what you're saying? Yep.
I'm a respectable man, Marshal.
I ain't done too well, but I got a good name.
I ain't going to stand for you or nobody else putting it down.
Should have thought of that before you robbed the express office.
You ain't going to mix me up in nothing like that.
It's no use.
You didn't know it, but there was a witness.
He saw you and Neil break into the express office, he saw the whole thing.
You're lying.
There ain't no witness.
If there was one, you'd have been after us before this.
He didn't speak up till last night.
$10,000 is a lot of money, Zack.
Where is it? You'll never find it.
I want your gun.
You ain't going to get it, Marshal.
Now don't do that, Zack.
You're in enough trouble already.
I can get out of it.
Right now.
Take care of him, will you? I'm going after Neil.
He's probably headed for the Texas border after hearing that gunfire.
Well, I-I'll saddle up and follow you just as soon as I can.
What happened, Mr.
Dillon, did he get away? No, I killed him, Chester.
He's in the river.
Oh.
What about the money? Did you find it? Nope.
Did you look in them saddlebags? Yeah, I looked in the saddlebags, but it wasn't there.
My guess is it's probably in the river with Neil.
Well, i-it could be buried somewhere, you know, like out at Zack's ranch.
I'll bet you that's what they done- buried it somewheres.
Yeah, I know, but if it's buried out there, we'll have a hard time finding it now.
Well, I'll bet his wife knows where it's hid.
I don't think so, Chester.
I-I can't see a woman like Ada mixed up in something like this.
Well, I don't know, Mr.
Dillon.
The smell of money does things to people, even good people.
Yeah.
Well, I hope you're wrong about Ada.
Let's get back to Dodge.
Hello, Ada.
Marshal.
You care to step in the house? No.
No, thanks, Ada, we can talk out here.
That Rogers boy bring Zack's horse back to you? Yes.
Mm-hmm.
I guess you know what happened then, huh? He told me.
I'm sorry, Ada.
Zack just didn't give me any choice.
I kind of thought maybe you'd be coming to Dodge this morning.
No.
Well, we had to go ahead and bury Zack.
Boy said you killed Neil Erwin, too.
He was killed crossing the river.
And you killed Zack right on Front Street.
I'm sorry, Ada.
I'm sorry for your sake.
Zack turned bandit, Marshal.
I lost pride in him.
I hated him fer it.
That's why I didn't go into town to bury him.
You know, Ada, there are people in Dodge that are saying that they think Zack brought the money back out here and hid it and that you know where it's buried.
Is that what you think, Marshal? Well, it could be at the bottom of the river with Neil Erwin.
Marshal I don't know where the money is.
All right, Ada.
I won't bother you any longer.
You, uh, you going to be all right all alone out here? Yes.
What did she say, Mr.
Dillon? She says she doesn't know anything about the money.
Oh Of course, Zack could have buried it out here somewhere without telling her anything about it.
Well, I just don't see how a man could keep that much money a secret from his wife.
Even if she did know, she sure ain't gonna tell you nothing about it.
She's just a-fooling you, Mr.
Dillon, I'll bet you.
Well let's ride for Longtree and build us a fire; I'm kind of hungry.
Here, you want this one? No, I ate the last one, Mr.
Dillon, that's yours.
Well, lookit there.
Ain't that Leach Fields? Yeah.
What's he doing way out here anyway? He must be lost or something.
You know, Mr.
Dillon, he's a real gentleman, he is.
We don't get many like him in Dodge.
Eh, I could stand the loss.
Oh, now Well, hello, Chester, Marshal Dillon.
Howdy, Mr.
Fields.
Yeah, I thought I saw somebody over here.
Like something to eat? No, no, thanks.
Ah, it's good to get out here away from Dodge.
Yeah, well, it is if you don't have to stay out here too long.
Mm-hmm.
Well, perhaps.
At least it keeps you away from killing people, doesn't it? Well, I'm not saying it's wrong, Marshal.
It certainly was right to kill Zack Morton.
Was it? Of course it was.
As a matter of fact, I am on my way to console his widow with that very same thought.
That so? You don't understand.
We're old friends.
Although I haven't seen Ada in some years.
Where was it you knew her? Back in St.
Joe.
Oh, y-you from St.
Joe, too? That's right.
Well, I'll buy you a drink when we get back to Dodge.
You, too, Chester.
Oh, thank you.
See you later.
Well, now, you see there, Mr.
Dillon? I told you that he's a gentleman.
Let's get back to Dodge, huh? You don't think he's a nice fella, do you? Nope, I don't.
Hello, Doc.
Yep, you're at it again.
What's bothering you? Oh, nothing, I was just just thinking how natural you're beginning to look sitting here on Front Street every day, same chair, fiddling around, trying to make people think you're busy.
Boy, you're sure starting early this morning.
What? That same old growl.
What's the matter? Is business bad or something? What do you want me to do- go out here and shoot somebody's toe off so you can amputate their leg and make a big fee? Heavens, no, I wouldn't want to do anything like that.
Matter of fact, I recommend you keep that gun in your holster at all times.
With that thing in your hands and your eyes closed the way they are most the time anymore, you're the most dangerous man I ever saw.
Dangerous? Let me tell you something.
You kill more people by accident than I do on purpose.
Well, what do you mean by that? Yeah, you take their temperature, they're as good as gone.
Well, I Well, now, looky there.
Well, Marshal.
Doctor.
Well, how do you do? Hello, Ada.
Ada.
Well, we've got some good news.
That so? Haven't we, Ada? Now, let me tell him, let me tell him, I want to tell him.
We're going to get married, Marshal.
Married? That's right.
Tomorrow, right here in Dodge.
I brought Ada in today so she could buy some clothes and things.
I see.
I know what you're thinking, Marshal.
You're thinking it's awful fast, what with Zack gone only a couple of weeks and all, but it ain't so fast considering we known each other back in St.
Joe and all.
Well, I don't think the marshal believed me when I told him that, Ada.
What makes you say that? Oh, I was only joking.
Well, you better run along now and do your shopping.
I'll meet you in about an hour, all right? Yes.
Yes, dear.
Well, Ada, I, uh I hope you'll be very happy.
Yes, I do, too, Ada.
I-I do.
Thank you.
Thank you both.
He's a He's a good man, Marshal.
He's a good God-fearing man.
Well, that's, uh, quite a compliment, Fields.
Yes, it certainly is.
Coming from somebody like that.
Yeah, she's-she's one of the finest women we've ever had around Dodge.
Well, she's endured a lot of evil in her day.
I I want to help her to forget.
This, uh, evil you talk about, Fields- you know, it's never brought her a thing.
No, of course not.
I mean, like, uh, any money.
Money? Oh, you mean from Zack.
Well, that's tainted money, Marshal.
I-I wouldn't touch it, and I wouldn't allow her to.
Oh, Mr.
Fields, uh, uh, what-what is your business? Well, I'm a gambler, Doc.
But an honest one.
I never made a crooked dollar in my life, and I never will.
As a matter of fact, I don't really like gambling, but a man has to earn a living somehow.
Yes, yes.
Won't you gentlemen join me in a drink? Well, uh, no, thanks.
Later maybe.
Little busy right now, Fields, but, uh, we'll see you next time you come to town.
All right, fine.
Well, Marshal, Doctor.
You think Ada knows what she's doing? Nope.
But he sure thinks he does.
Well, I'm sure glad that meal's over.
They got a new cook here.
Didn't I tell you? You didn't have to.
Well, it isn't as bad as all that.
Isn't it? Where did you learn to be a chef, out poisoning wolves? Well, you know, a good cook's hard to find these days.
I'm sure of it.
Long hours, bad pay.
Well, if he doesn't like his job, why doesn't he go back to oiling leather or whatever it was he was doing? All right, tell you what I'll do.
Next time, I'll cook the dinner myself.
I'll get a Dutch oven, and we'll go down by the river, and I'll build you the doggonedest stew you ever ate.
Will you really? Mm-hmm.
That is, if you don't mind eating on the ground.
Oh, I'd love it.
Well, how are you? Howdy, Doc.
Sit down, Doc, but don't eat.
Why? What's the trouble? Well, they got a new cook in here while you were gone, Doc.
Oh.
Where you been? Well I've been out in the country about 20 miles, just sitting there, waiting for a baby to make up its mind.
And did it? Oh, yes, it did finally.
They always do.
You know, Matt, I passed by Ada Morton's on the way in.
Well, it's been Ada Fields for the last month, you know, Doc.
Oh, well, yeah, I know that.
He sure gave up gambling in a hurry.
How they getting along out there? Well, I don't know.
I didn't see Ada at all, but I saw him.
And you know, uh you know how he usually is? He's polite and well-mannered and everything.
Well, he wasn't this time at all.
He, uh acted like he didn't want to see me.
He I could have used a cup of coffee, too, along about then, but he wouldn't even invite me in the house.
He was probably busy.
Oh, no.
No, he wasn't busy, Kitty.
He was just sitting there on the porch doing nothing.
You know, I don't like it.
Just don't like it at all.
I got a feeling that there just might be something wrong out there, Matt.
Oh, like what? Well, I don't know like what, but I Well, don't you think that's kind of strange behavior for a fellow like Fields? Yeah.
Guess maybe I better get out there and take a look, huh? Sooner, the better.
Well, I guess that'd be right about now, huh? I think you ought to.
All right.
Kitty, if you'll excuse me? Sure.
I'll see you later, Doc.
Yeah, Matt.
Well, Marshal.
Chester.
Howdy there, Mr.
Fields.
Hello, Fields.
What brings you two out here? Well, we just going by.
Thought we'd stop to say hello.
Well, I'm glad you did.
Sorry you missed Ada, though.
Oh, she ain't here, huh? Yeah, wouldn't you know the day you'd come by she wouldn't be here? She's gonna be mighty disappointed.
Where'd she go? I don't know.
She got on her horse and said she was gonna visit some neighbors.
Well, she didn't say who, huh? If she wants to go visiting, I don't ask her where.
Mm-hmm.
I'd, um I'd ask you in, but, uh, one thing she did say before she left was, uh, if anybody rolled by, why, don't let 'em see the house.
She, um she didn't take time to clean up, and, well, you know how women are about those sort of things.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Well, we're just, uh, going on by.
We got to get back to Dodge anyway.
You tell her we said hello.
I'll certainly do that.
All right.
We'll see you later.
All right.
Bye.
Find a place to tie the horses? Yeah.
Have you seen anything? No.
He went in the house a while ago, and he hasn't come back out yet.
Well, I still think that you're wrong about him, Mr.
Dillon.
Huh.
Nothing would please me more, Chester.
Well, how long we gonna have to stay out here then? Oh, you can go back and go to sleep if you want to.
I'll do the watching.
Well, no, no.
I don't like to sleep in the sun.
I wake up, I-I feel like I ate a bunch of wet pancakes.
Well, find yourself some shade then.
Oh, I might do that.
Wait a minute.
Want to follow him? I want to take a look in that house first.
Come on.
Get her feet, Chester.
Ada, are you hurt? No.
Starved.
Starved? Nothing to eat for days and days.
My goodness.
Chester, go look in the kitchen and see if you can find her something to eat, will you? All right.
Something light.
Yes, sir.
Now, Ada, you just sit back and take it easy.
You're gonna be all right.
Ada? Hmm? We saw Leach heading for that grove of trees.
Where was he going? He-He wanted the money, Marshal.
He starved me.
He-He beat me so's I'd tell him where it was.
I just couldn't stand it any longer.
Now, Ada, you just take it easy.
You're gonna be all right.
There's There's a shack over in the grove there.
I told him to look for the money in the stovepipe there.
Mr.
Dillon, come here! All right, now you just take it easy.
I'll be right back.
Mr.
Dillon? It's Fields.
He's back.
What are we gonna do? Well, I'd like to take him alive if I can.
Well, that oughtn't to be too hard.
Don't look to me like he's even wearing a gun.
Chester, I'd be real surprised if a man like that wasn't wearing a gun.
You better get in the kitchen.
I'll get behind the door here.
Yes, sir.
Ada? Hold it.
Oh, Marshal, what are you doing here? Get your hands up in the air.
I don't understand.
Get your hands up and turn around.
You might explain this, Marshal.
Quit you're talking and turn around.
Go on.
You don't leave a man much choice, do you? He-He sure was terrible desperate to try a thing like that, wasn't he, Mr.
Dillon? Well, I tried to keep from killing him, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
Ada, you all right? You killed him.
Yes, Ada.
I had to.
Look, you, uh you better drag him out of here.
He'd have killed killed me if you hadn't, Marshal.
He said he would.
All right, I think that's enough for now, Ada.
Ada? What? You didn't know where that money was hidden, did you? No, Marshal.
I told you I didn't.
Now, what about Leach? You never knew him in St.
Joe, either, huh? I been lonely, Marshal.
I needed, um a man to look up to.
He had a way about him.
He He-He was a gentleman.
I only I-I I only said I known him before to make it look better, my marrying him so quick.
I done wrong, Marshal.
No, you didn't, Ada.
You never meant to hurt anybody.
I guess you're the only one around here who believes anything I say, Marshal.
Everybody's gonna believe you now, Ada.
Now, look, you're gonna stay right here and rest, and I'm gonna get Doc and bring him out here to take a look at you.
He seemed so good, Marshal.
So good.
For a day or two.