Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 1, Episode 26 - Hack Prine - full transcript

( dramatic theme playing)

(gunshot)

ANNOUNCER:

Starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

(wind gusting)

DILLON: Out here I remind
myself how violence ends.

Buried on the rim of a nation.

The edge of a wild frontier.

Some of these Boot Hill men

are the victims of
aimless slaughter.

The rest... I killed myself.



I'm a lawman.
United States marshal.

Well, the law comes
hard to the frontier.

Men like these didn't want it.

And more men still alive.

They're in Dodge
City. They don't want it.

They're the drifters, the
killers and the spoilers.

And they have to be met.

It's a chancy job.

Makes a man watchful
and a little lonely.

But somebody has to do it.

( mellow theme playing)

DILLON: Sometimes
a marshal's job

takes him hundreds of miles

away from his headquarters.



And a man who doesn't count

on a little luck
in a job like this,

doesn't know much about his job.

It happened for me

on my third day
out after Lee Timble.

Luck in the form of a slight

but sharp movement
off to my right.

( slow, suspenseful
theme playing)

You can chase him all day,

and he'll never let us near him.

Where's your horse?

Broke his leg in
a prairie dog hole.

What about yours?

Empty too, Lee.

Fifty miles to water.

Then you'll be
cheating the rope.

Get up.

( tense theme playing)

( cheerful theme playing)

Whoa.

Welcome back, Mr. Dillon.

Hello, Chester.

You got my brother
in there, marshal?

Come on out of there, Lee.

You made a wrong
move this time, marshal.

Hello, Dolph.

Don't you worry none, Lee.

He ain't gonna keep you in jail.

Course he ain't.

Shoot him, Dolph!

He told you to shoot.

I don't make wrong
moves, marshal.

No.

You hurt him kind of bad.

He'll come around.

Do you want me to take
Dolph's gun, Mr. Dillon?

He is wearing one, isn't he?

There's nothing wrong
with wearing a gun.

There is the way you wear one.

What do you mean?

You might run into
somebody sometime

didn't know you
were afraid to use it.

He might shoot you
before he found that out.

Nobody else ever called
me a coward, marshal.

Just because I'm
not as quick as you.

Chester.

Yes, sir.

Messenger's shotgun, borrow it.

Yes, sir.

When Lee comes around,

herd him over and lock him up.

Yes, sir.

And if Dolph
tries to stop you...

shoot him.

I don't like that
kind of talk, marshal.

You don't?

You'll find out I don't.

Get out of here.

Oh, there's a fella
waiting for you

over at the office, Mr. Dillon.

Who is he?

Why, he's a stranger to me.

I'd hate to make that trip

over again, Chester.

Heh. Don't you
worry, Mr. Dillon,

he ain't gonna get away.

Oh, come on, Lee.

Get up. You ain't hurt.

Huh.

( cheerful theme playing)

I don't see my picture.

Surprise.

Hack.

Hack Prine.

Ha-ha. Ha-ha.

How are you, you
old son of a gun?

How are you? Sure
is good to see you.

Matt, been a long time.

(chuckles)

A U.S. marshal?

Well, if that don't beat all.

Well, man has to earn

his keep somehow, Hack.

Sure. But it's kind of sudden

to find an old friend
a U.S. marshal.

Yeah, I suppose it is.

Sit down.

You want a cup of coffee?

No thanks, had some.

Surprised to see me?

Well, it's been... at
least seven years.

Yep.

A man ain't born to kill me.

At least I ain't
run into him yet.

Well, I guess we all got a
share of luck coming, Hack.

Then you have had yours.

You thinking about Santa Fe?

Uh-huh.

Hey, you know that scar
is pretty well haired over.

I sure had a long headache.

Oh, what a fight that was.

Nothing but a whiskey
bottle in your hand.

Three of John
Chisholm's drunk cowboys

about to make yourself
bleeding inside too.

(chuckles)

Yeah, and they
could have done it too.

They was off to a good start.

Three bullets. He
got every one of 'em.

Mm-hm. Yep.

Sure surprised him, didn't it?

Tsk. Hey, hear Chisholm's
been after you ever since.

Ah.

They were just the first
of John Chisholm's men

I've killed, Matt.

Oh?

Been riding with Billy the
Kid till about a half a year ago.

Why did you quit?

Never could make out

whether Billy was working
for or against Chisholm.

Besides, didn't pay enough.

What are you doing
at Dodge, Hack?

Don't know yet.

Been over in Wagon
Springs stretching the legs,

sleeping in a real bed and,

heh, playing me a little poker.

And some fella from
here sent for me.

Ain't seen him yet.

But if it's a job, I sure
need the money. Ha.

Ah, good luck with it.

We'll get together
later and have a drink.

Sure thing.

Keep walking, Lee.

The cell's right out back.

(door closes)

What's that?

Prisoner.

He murdered a man.

Oh, that's bad.

That's real bad.

Well, murder's always bad, Hack.

No, I mean being locked up.

I couldn't stand it.

I'd as soon be
hung as locked up.

You better stay
sober tonight then.

You taking it back
about that drink?

You'll be safe as
long as you're with me.

(chuckles)

Safe?

Oh, I've been with you

when it wasn't so safe.

You know, I keep forgetting,

if I was to shoot somebody here,

you're the man who'd
come after me, ain't you?

(chuckles)

See you later, Matt.

( mellow theme playing)

( dramatic theme playing)

Evening, Oley. How are you?

I... I feel terrible, marshal.

Your eye bothering you?

Told me I was a hero.

That's what they
said at Vicksburg.

(horse hoofs clopping)

That... Everything
is getting rusty now.

(sighs)

Here, Oley.

This will help get the
bother away from you tonight.

Uh, no, thanks.

Eh... This time I
ain't just bothered

about myself tonight, marshal.

What's the matter?

I-I-I come looking for you.

Oh?

I... I hate informing on people.

Look, Oley, we're friends.

If you're in
trouble, I'll help you.

Well, it ain't me
needs helping. It's you.

Me?

I-I heard him in
the saloon, marshal.

He's setting up a meeting.

Well, who's he, Oley?

E-eh, Dolph Timble.

Uh, I-I figured maybe
you ought to hear

what's he got to say about you.

Where is he?

I-in the Long Branch.

Hey, they'll be there by
the time you get there.

Eh... They'll shut up if
they see you coming.

Eh, that's why I
figured an idea.

Uh, how you could hear him. How?

Uh, around the
back. I-I know a way.

(piano playing cheerful
music in saloon)

Well, what's the
matter with you men?

Are you so cheap
you're gonna let

a few dollars stand on your way?

Alone, I've already put in 100.

And it'll cost you
another 100. What?

But think what
it'll mean to you.

You're the one it'll
mean the most to.

Getting you brother
loose and all.

But how come all of a sudden

the price has been doubled?

Because he didn't know it
was Dillon he'd be facing.

Costs double to kill a
man like Dillon, huh?

That's right. Double.

That's a lot of money, Dolph.

Too much for me.

You can't back away from it now.

It's worth the money to
every one of you here,

and you know it.

What do you want, marshal?

(piano stops playing music)

What are you doing here?

We're just talking.

There's nothing wrong
with talking, is there?

Well, is there?

All right, marshal,
I'll tell you myself.

Lee ain't gonna stay in jail.

He's innocent.

And we're sick and
tired of your kind of law.

And we're going to
see to it that legally...

Get out of here.

All of you.

We got as much
right in here as you.

I said get out.

Why?

Because I said so.

All of you. Move.

(people chattering)

He had no right to order us out.

My money goes to you
in the morning, Dolph.

Mine too. Right.

(piano music resumes)

Have one on me, Oley.

Thank you, marshal.

Thank you. I-I sure need one.

Hello, Matt.

Kitty.

Let's sit down.

Want a beer?

Uh, not now.

(sighs)

Dolph Timble?

He's hiring some help.

So that's what
that was all about.

Yeah.

Matt?

What's the use.

(chuckles)

You worry too much.

Sure. I might
oversleep any morning

and miss your burial.

Now, Kitty.

Well...

You look very pretty tonight.

Is that a new dress?

You like it?

Mm-hm.

I ordered it by mail all
the way from St. Louis.

You did?

Yeah. It came in
on the Santa Fe.

Four months ago.

Oh.

I, um... I heard you
caught Lee Timble.

Now, you hear everything.

Men. They're gabbier than women.

Maybe they are
when they're with you.

Matt, do you think
if I closed my eyes

and prayed real hard,

that they'd all go away.

And what would
you do for a living?

Tsk. Oh, I don't know.

Bust up sod with some
skinny homesteader maybe.

You'd hate it.

Of course I would.

(song ends)

Evening, Miss Kitty.

Any objections
this time, marshal?

Well, are there?

I didn't think so.

I hope I'm there to watch.

Who's that man with Dolph, Matt?

Hack Prine.

I never heard of him.

He's a stranger to Dodge.

How come you know him?

We're old friends.

We used to be real close.

You didn't look at each
other like old friends.

He saved my life once.

Then what's the matter?

Guess he wants it back, Kitty.

Dolph Timble's
hired him to kill me.

Oh, Matt.

See you later, Kitty... Matt...

( tense theme playing)

Hack?

You following me, Matt?

Yep. What for?

Where you staying, Hack?

Dodge House.

Wanted to talk to you.

Street will do.

Was Dolph Timble sent for you.

Didn't know what my
job was this morning.

But you do now.

Yeah, I do now.

You gonna take the job?

He had to double the pay.

Why?

Eh, you make your
living one way...

I make mine another.

I see.

Turn his brother loose.

Might I get paid if you do.

What?

But I don't get paid
if he stands trial.

I guess Dolph didn't
tell you the whole story.

What do you mean?

There are other
men in on this deal,

for their own reasons.

Their reasons aren't good.

(laughs)

What do I care? Long
as Dolph pays me.

I don't wanna fight you, Hack.

How'd you get to
be marshal anyway?

It's a job, I took it.

I've been offered a job too.

I took it.

How much Dolph paying you?

Eight hundred.

That's a lot.

Maybe.

From what I hear you're somewhat

handier with that gun
than you used to be.

I'll borrow the money, Hack.

I'll give you the 800.

Sorry, Matt. I back out on this,

and my reputation
wouldn't be worth crow bait.

Tsk. I'm down pretty far, Hack.

Huh?

I don't think I'd sell
my gun against you.

No matter what.

No use holding off, Matt.

( tense theme playing)

Let's see how good you are.

Wait.

Dolph tell you how his brother

murdered that man?

Dolph says he
didn't kill anybody.

I got two witnesses who saw him.

The man was a hide
skinner, unarmed.

Didn't even have a knife on him.

Unarmed?

Lee shot him in the back.

Shot an unarmed man in the back?

Think about it, Hack.

( dramatic theme playing)

♪ My daddy came west To Kansas ♪

♪ I'll make his home In Kansas ♪

♪ But all that he made
Was his own grave ♪

♪ When he crossed
the path of Killer Dane ♪

Well, throw it or
put it away, Chester.

(chuckles)

I was sharpening it, Mr. Dillon.

That's fine. Keep it sharp.

My brother Magnus once killed

a cinnamon bear with a knife.

Well, "Wild" Bill Hickok
claims he did too.

Well, it's the truth.
I saw the hide.

There's no bears in
the high plains, Chester.

(dog barking)

Lock up the guns,
we're going to breakfast.

I already got 'em locked.

Morning, Matt. Chester.

Morning, Doc.

You had breakfast?

No. No. We'll, uh...

We'll have breakfast later.

Maybe.

What's going on, doc?

Clerk over at the Dodge House

just sent a boy after...

Well, send him
back, and let's eat.

If you're not hungry, we are.

I got a dead man
over there, Matt.

You know who he is?

No. Clerk didn't say.

Well, the clerk
thinks mighty high

of your ability, doc. Hm?

Sending for you
after the man's dead.

Yes, I got to admit, I
never brought anybody

back to life.

But I killed a few maybe.

Never brought
anybody back to life.

Well, you better
come on along anyway.

Anyway? Sure I will.

There's an autopsy fee in it.

I thought there was
something wrong

the way that man walked
out of here, marshal.

What man?

Number 22. Is the body in 22?

That's right. Up the
stairs and down the hall.

Right-hand door.

And you didn't hear a shot?

No, sir. I didn't hear a thing.

He must've killed
him with a knife.

That's the way I figure it.

Now who was he?

Well, I'm new in Dodge, marshal.

Yeah, but you must
have got his name.

No, I didn't... Never
saw him before.

Well, how did he
get a room here?

Oh. I thought you
meant the dead man.

No, we'll look at the dead man.

Well, the man whose
room the body's in,

that's number 22.

He's registered as Mr. Prine.

Hack Prine.

( ominous theme playing)

Oley.

He sure is dead, ain't he, doc?

He's dead, Chester.

Bullet through
the abdominal wall

just below the
lower rib, marshal.

About two inches
left of the midline...

You mean, he got shot?

That's what I'm telling you.

Talk like a lawyer.

Don't get sore at
me. I didn't shoot him.

Oh, why do you want
to kill poor little Oley?

Why who'd want to kill him?

That Pine fella.

Prine, Chester. Hack Prine.

Well, go and arrest him, Matt.

I'll... I'll take care of Oley.

Mr. Dillon, I'll bet Hack did it

just to make you fight him.

That's an admirable
reason to murder a man.

( mellow theme playing)

(dog barking)

He ain't in there.

Maybe he left town.

No, he's here.

You want me to
look in that saloon?

Yeah.

If he's in there, tell him
to come out in the street.

I don't want to meet him inside

where people would
get hurt. Yes, sir.

Mr. Dillon?

Won't you let me
get you a shotgun?

Go on, Chester.

( suspenseful theme playing)

(two gunshots)

Mr. Dillon?

Get out of the way, Chester.

Good morning, Matt.

Hello, Hack.

I just killed a man.

Dolph Timble?

I gave him a chance,
but he wouldn't draw.

So I killed him anyway.

That's too bad.

Hm. No man's gonna frame me.

I knew you didn't kill Oley.

You did?

Oley never carried a gun.

Hm. That's right.

So while you were out
playing poker last night,

Dolph killed him.

Dragged him in the back way
and dumped him in your room.

Last night I told Dolph
I changed my mind.

Couldn't kill you, Matt.

Dolph knew I wouldn't
let you leave town

if I'd thought you killed Oley.

He picked a mighty mean
way to get us into a fight.

He was a fool to try it.

But everything's
straightened out

with you and me, ain't it, Matt?

You admit Dolph didn't draw?

I told him to.

Tsk. Hack... I'm
arresting you for murder.

( tense theme playing)

No.

You'll get a trial.

But you'll have to wait in jail.

No, Matt.

I couldn't stand that.
You know I couldn't.

I'm a lawman, Hack.
I... I got no choice.

It's all right, Matt,
I understand.

Well, let's go.

Let's see what happens.

No.

(moans)

You...

You're a lot faster
than you used to be.

Yep.

Like you say...
you got a job to do.

You can do it pretty good.

(panting)

I can't hardly see you no more.

It's like being
un... Underwater.

Matt.

Matt!

(moaning)

You got him, Mr. Dillon.

I sure was scared.

That was the fastest thing

I'd ever seen my whole life.

I though he'd never go down.

I almost died myself
waiting for him.

( sorrowful theme playing)

( mellow Western theme playing)