Gunsmoke (1955) s03e03 Episode Script

starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
You miserable What do you want to kill me for? Looks like you busted your leg, mister.
You come to finish me off.
Horse throwed you, huh? Dirty rotten animal.
Ain't much of a reason to shoot a good horse- just 'cause he throwed ya.
It's my horse, ain't he? I better get you out of the sun, mister.
I can't move.
Fetch me some water.
Water will only shrink you up, laying out here.
What are you aiming to do? Haul you over to them trees.
There's a spring over there.
I can't.
My leg's broken.
Now just fetch me some water.
You'll die out here, mister.
Now I'll move you as gentle as I can No! Feeling better? You about tore my leg off.
How long was you laying out there? I don't know, an hour maybe.
Two hours.
Traveling alone? Why? You don't look like a cowboy.
What's that got to do with it? A fella like you ought not to be out here all alone.
Get hurt too easy.
I don't get hurt easy.
That horse bucked me off.
Oh, I hate horses.
I've always hated 'em.
That what was you doing riding one? How else was I going to get to Dodge walk? You might have been better off.
I'm a bartender, not a not a fool cowboy.
I got a job waiting for me in Dodge.
You ain't in Dodge yet, mister.
No.
What's the matter? I think I hear horses.
Somebody's coming.
Good, let 'em come.
I need more help than you're giving me.
Hey, what are you going to do? Shut up.
What are you, an outlaw or something? I said shut up.
That's far enough.
Who are you men? We're looking for water.
You got a spring in there? Yeah.
Good.
Hold it.
I said who are you? Name's Dillon.
From Dodge.
My name's Chester Goode.
You don't worry me, and I ain't never heard of no Dillon.
Well, then you shouldn't mind if we get a little water.
Okay.
But you'll have to drop your gun belt first.
Sorry, mister.
You heard me.
Who is it? One of them's called Dillon.
Dillon? From Dodge? That's what he says.
Well, bring him in here.
He'll help me.
He's the US Marshal, you fool.
A marshal? By golly, you are a marshal, ain't ya? My name's Joe Harpe, Marshal.
What's the matter with your friend? Busted his leg.
Oh? Well, there's a doctor in Dodge about 20 miles.
I can't do it alone.
You put that rifle down, we'll help you.
Sure.
What's your name, mister? Speener, Harry Speener.
I don't recall seeing you around Dodge before.
Oh, I ain't never been in Dodge, but I heard your name down in Tasgosa.
I was working in a saloon down there.
Oh, I see.
That where you're from, too? Nah, I just happened along, found him laying there.
Horse throwed him.
I should never have come alone.
I don't know nothing about horses.
I hate horses- I always have.
Well, I guess we'd better get you into Dodge.
You aiming to drag me to Dodge? No, I've been drug as far as I'm going to be.
I had to get you out of the sun.
Well, you was mighty rough about it.
Well, looks to me like he saved your life, mister.
Why shouldn't he save my life? Well, of all the mean-tempered Oh, that's just 'cause his leg hurts him so bad.
I busted mine once, and I know how it feels.
You don't know nothing how it feels.
Nobody drug you around.
Well, I guess we better get started.
Chester.
Yeah.
You know that ranch house about a mile west of here? Yeah.
Go on over there and see if you can borrow their wagon.
All right.
I'll get some splints on him.
Yes, sir.
What are your plans, Harpe? Why, I'm going to help you get him to Dodge.
Why? I don't know, you seemed kind of wary when we rode in here.
Oh.
Well, that's because I'm carrying a little money from my last job.
Oh, I see.
Can't blame a man for playing it close, can ya? No, I guess not.
I'll get some splints.
There you are.
You're going to be on crutches a while.
How how long? I don't know- six weeks maybe.
If you're lucky.
Six weeks? I can't tend bar on crutches.
How am I going to make a living? I think you'll make out all right.
That's fine for you to talk.
Well, if there's nothing more I can do for you, Speener, I guess I'll be going.
That was a real rough ride you give me on that wagon.
Yeah, I guess it was.
I'd better be going, too.
And the ride you give me was the roughest of all- I'll never get over that.
I reckon maybe I should have put them splints on your leg before I moved you.
It's a fine time to be thinking about that now, ain't it? You sure make it hard, Speener.
Well, so long.
Doc.
You leaving Dodge, Harpe? Nope, I aim to do me some gambling first.
I'm tired of working anyhow.
I see.
Well, I'll see you later.
Yes, yes, Harpe.
What in the world is the matter with you anyway? The way I heard it, that man saved your life.
You a preacher or a doctor? Doc.
Yeah? Come on along, I'll buy you a drink.
Drink? Oh, no, no, thanks, Matt.
I can't leave with that sorehead laying there.
All right, but don't let him throw you.
Well next time you bring him in here, I have a feeling it'll be because, I hope, somebody shot him.
Well, he's just a no-good, Doc.
Yeah.
It's this Joe Harpe that interests me.
Harpe? Why, Matt, that's as nice a young fella as I ever met.
Yeah, yeah, I know.
He seems nice enough.
Matt, you're worrying too much about it.
Maybe you need that drink.
I'll see you later.
All right, Doc.
I sure hope that that's the last ride we'll be making for a spell.
Chester, I think this town life is making you soft.
Town life? I ain't slept in a bed for a week.
Well, it's a big country, you know.
The law can't spend all its time in Dodge.
You don't have to tell me that.
Looky, there, Mr.
Dillon.
That's Joe Harpe.
He's still in town.
Yeah.
Say, take the horses on down and pick up the mail on your way back.
Oh, all right.
Hello there, Matt.
Hello, Doc.
Marshal.
Harpe.
How was the trip? Well, we were just scouting around.
Nothing in particular.
How's things in Dodge? Oh, everything's been just like Sunday.
No trouble? No, not well, only trouble's with him.
You know what he's trying to talk me into? What's that? Well, he wants to pay me the bill for that miserable Speener's broken leg.
I never heard of such a thing in my life.
Well, it's just that I made me a little money gambling and Speener ain't been able to work yet.
Of course, it's been better than a month since we come in.
He can work any time he wants to, Matt.
He's been around town here without even a cane.
Marshal, I know it sounds funny, but I saved his life, and I got to help take care of him now.
Why's that? Ain't saving his life enough? It's a thing my pa taught me.
If you save a man's life, then you're kind of responsible for him from then on out.
Now that's an idea I never heard before.
Well, by gosh, I never did either.
But be that as it may, Speener is going to pay his own bill.
I got my own ideas about that myself.
Well, if you won't let me I won't.
Okay.
I'll see you later, Doc.
Marshal.
All right.
You don't look to me like you believe him.
Yeah, yeah, I believe him, Doc.
But, you know, there's something I can't figure out about him.
Well, he's an awful nice fella.
There's not a man in this town that doesn't like him.
Yeah, yeah, he's an nice fella.
I like him myself.
Just quit worrying about him, Matt.
I tell you, that Speener's the bad one.
You worry about him.
All right, Doc.
I'll be up to see you after while.
Yeah, I'll be back in about an hour.
All right.
Well, I got the mail, Mr.
Dillon.
Good.
This one here looks awful official looking.
Better open that up.
Maybe my paycheck's in there.
Yeah.
Well, no paycheck.
Just the usual wanted posters.
Uh-oh.
What's the matter? Look at this, Chester.
Oh, my goodness.
Well, that's that's him.
That's Joe Harpe all right.
Yep.
Wanted, bank robbery, dead or alive, $500 reward.
Sheriff, city of Denver, Colorado Territory.
Well, ain't that awful, Mr.
Dillon.
Yep.
He's made a lot of friends here, Chester.
You gonna arrest him? Well, can't you just pretend that you didn't get it or something? You can stay here if you want to, Chester.
No, no.
Now, Mr.
Dillon, I didn't mean that.
All right, then you take the Lady Gay and Delmonico's.
I'll go down the other side of the street and meet you at the Long Branch.
All right.
If you see him, come let me know.
Yeah.
Hello, Kitty.
Oh, hi, Marshal.
Well, you look like you've been eating cockleburs.
I'm looking for Joe Harpe.
He was in here a while ago.
The usual.
Then that Speener came running in here and said something to him, and they both left.
Speener? Somebody ought to take that man out and bury him somewhere.
Well, I couldn't find him anyplace, Mr.
Dillon.
I looked all over for him.
Miss Kitty.
Chester.
What's all this about, anyway? Well well, Joe Harpe's wanted for bank robbery, that's what.
I don't believe it.
Well, you know, that's just what Speener said when I told him- he just couldn't believe it.
Now wait a minute.
You told Speener? Well, yeah.
I mean, I seen him down there.
Chester.
Next time I'll have to send you out with a potato stuck in your teeth.
Speener dashed in here and warned him, Chester.
No.
Well, now that just goes to show, Mr.
Dillon.
He ain't as bad as we thought.
He was just waiting for a chance to do Harpe a real good turn.
Sure looks like he did it, too.
Come on, let's get the horses.
We'll see you later, Kitty.
Yeah, sure.
Well, you think that they left town? If they're smart, they did.
Hot.
This place you picked ain't very well hid.
Oh, I guess not, but we won't be here long.
Come on, sit down, take it easy.
You ought to go on back to Dodge, Speener.
This ain't no kind of life for you.
Besides, you done enough for me.
I ain't done half enough to pay you back, Joe.
I can get away alone now.
You know how you hate riding and horses and all.
One more day won't hurt me.
We'll split up tomorrow.
And then if there's anybody following us, they won't know which trail to take, see? I shouldn't have done it.
What? I shouldn't have robbed that bank.
I never done nothing like that before.
Well, it's done.
You sure you only got $600 out of it? I ain't even got that now.
No? Well, it don't matter.
I mean well, you had fun with it.
I got to get out of here.
Sure wasn't thinking when I unsaddled in a fool place like this.
Wasn't your fault.
You was too excited to notice.
I'm noticing now.
All right, we'll move out.
You finish your coffee and I'll fill the canteens.
There's Speener, Mr.
Dillon.
I don't see Joe Harpe anywheres.
Well, I think I do, Chester.
Hi, Marshal.
Chester.
Putting up a lot of smoke, aren't ya? Just to help you find the place, Marshal.
So you shot him in the back, huh? I tried to talk him into giving himself up, but, uh, he wouldn't listen.
Then he tried to draw on me.
Don't lie to me, Speener.
What difference does it make how he was killed? He was an outlaw, wasn't he? Yeah, he was an outlaw.
$500 worth- if you lived long enough to collect it.
What are you saying? I'll send a telegram to Denver.
You'll get your reward.
Let me tell you something.
If I were you, I wouldn't talk about this around Dodge.
A lot of men don't take to the idea of blood money.
You got no right to talk like that, Marshal.
I ain't done nothing wrong.
Shut up, Speener or I'll kill you myself.
Let's go find something to scratch out a grave with.
Well, I found him like you said, Mr.
Dillon.
Over here, Speener.
I've been waiting around like you said, Marshal.
I haven't talked to nobody.
Got a wire from Denver this noon.
Everything's all right.
Your money will be here in about a week.
Oh.
Oh, I thought maybe it had come now.
There it is.
But I thought you said it hadn't come yet.
I'm paying you out of government funds in the meantime.
Oh.
Oh, well, that's, uh, that's fine.
Just fine.
I didn't think you'd mind how you go it.
Oh, now, Marshal, I only done my duty.
Count it, Speener.
Oh, I'm sure it's all here.
I said count it.
Satisfied? Yep.
$500, all right.
Speener, nobody knows about this yet.
Everybody thinks I killed Joe Harpe.
And my advice to you is to get out of Dodge before they find out who did kill him.
What for? I didn't do nothing wrong.
Tell me something, Speener.
Joe Harpe the first man you've killed? Of course he is.
You know, there's men around Dodge that have killed ten or a dozen and thought nothing of it.
But I can't guarantee how they're gonna take to your killing one man.
Well, they can't do nothing 'cause it was legal.
Yeah, it was legal.
I earned this, and I'm gonna double it gambling.
There ain't nobody gonna stop me.
Okay, I warned you.
I'm gonna get rich.
This is my start, and I'm gonna get real rich now.
Get out of here, Speener.
Go on.
I said get out.
Oh, Marshal I'm about to go in there.
I've been thinking over what you said, and it just ain't right.
I'm an honest citizen.
I can use my money any way I want.
Evening, Marshal.
Hello, Red.
Well, sit down, Matt.
You want a drink? No, thanks, I came in here for one, but I changed my mind.
Why? You mind if I sit in, gentlemen? This ain't no penny-ante game.
Oh, you think I ain't got money? There's $500 in there.
Well, I'll show you.
$500? Give me that.
Where'd you get $500, Speener? It's none of your business.
Now give me that.
One story had it you rode out of town with Joe Harpe.
That's a lie.
I'm not gonna ride anywhere again.
Not on a horse.
I never did figure the marshal shooting a man like Harpe, even if he was wanted.
Now give me that money.
It's mine.
Yeah, I guess it's yours, all right.
And I guess maybe I know how you earned it.
Give me that.
Matt? It's all right, Kitty.
He's too much of a coward to draw.
Marshal Now he's running to you, the dirty sneak.
Did you have to give him that money? Marshal, Marshal, you saw what he done.
You saw him.
Now you ain't gonna let him get by with that, are ya? No, no, I guess I'll have to talk to him about that.
Talk to him? I can't understand why he didn't kill you.
Kill me? Yeah, without waiting for you to draw your gun.
Now look here, Marshal.
You're supposed to protect people.
Speener, I'm afraid I've done about all I can for you.
Now that it's out, you're sure to get killed.
Joe Harpe was pretty well liked around here, you know? From now on, around Dodge, you're as good as dead, mister.
And I don't want the bother of it.
Now suppose you get out of here, huh? Go on.
Get out of here.
It's up to the ace.
Mr.
Dillon, over here! Here he is, Moss.
I told you that the boy would find him.
Good morning, Marshal.
Hello, Moss.
Is something wrong here? Well, I really ain't sure, Marshal.
Well, it's the horse, Mr.
Dillon.
The horse? He looks all right to me.
Well, it ain't the horse.
I mean, the horse is all right.
It's that, uh Marshal, look here.
See that mud? Yeah.
That's red mud.
You know where that came from? Well, about the only red mud I know of comes from Granby Springs down about 20 miles south of here.
That's right.
Well, why? What's all this about? Well, Harry Speener rented this horse.
That's right, Marshal.
Right after you run him out of town last night.
Sold his other one.
He swore he'd never ride again.
So? Well, he should have bought this horse instead of renting it.
He never intended to bring it back.
He was stealing it, that's what.
Moss, the horse is here now.
What's your complaint? Well, I guess I really ain't got one.
Where's Speener now? Well, that's just it, Mr.
Dillon.
This horse come back alone.
It looks to me like that somebody just maybe went and killed him after all, don't it? Well, maybe we'd better go find out.
Help.
Help.
Help.
Help.
Wait.
That's the man that murdered Joe Harpe.
Yeah.
After Harpe saved his life.
Help me.
You gotta help me.
Horse kicked me.
Smashed smashed my side.
I'm hurt bad.
Water Water.
Wait.
Wait! Oh! No! Don't leave me! Wait! Wait! I didn't do nothing wrong! It was legal! You got no right! I didn't do nothing wrong! I'll kill you.
I'll find you and I'll kill you both! Well, looks like somebody was here, all right.
But he ain't been shot, Mr.
Dillon.
It looks like it was his horse again.
You mean, like before? Yeah.
Only this time, Joe Harpe wasn't here to help him.