Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 1, Episode 3 - Word of Honor - full transcript

Announcer:

Starring james arness
as matt dillon.

Sometimes, even at night,

It does me good
to come out here

To boot hill

And just look 'em over.

The gunmen
and the killers.

They had no friends.

The reminder that I'm not long
on friends either.

Most everybody he meets
dislikes the lawman.

I can't blame 'em too much.



It's just that I have
to remember:

Matt dillon, u.S. Marshal,

Few friends.

Doc.

Say somethin', doc.

Shock.

Shock of extracting
that bullet

Was too much
for him.

The spine. Bad-
bad place, the spine.

You couldn't do anything, doc?

No, I couldn't.

What difference does it make
to you, anyway?

Why did you bring me out here,
35 miles from dodge,

To try to help somebody
you shot in the back?



How is it you figured
one of us shot him down?

I didn't exactly
figure it.

He whispered it
to me.

The only words
he spoke.

I'm sorry
about him bein' dead.

I'm sorry about gettin' you
out here too late.

If I'd have
got here sooner

I couldn't have
helped him much.

He wouldn't have lived
more than a couple of days

With that bullet
where it was.

And whichever one of you
put it there murdered him.

Doc,

Tell me somethin'.

Do you know him?

Know him?

I knew him.

Sure.

The three of us here...

Do you know any of us?

Him.
How?

I've seen him
around somewhere.

Dodge maybe.

That kinda settles it,
don't it.

You know his name, doc?

No, I don't.

Might come to me though.
Let me think.

You don't understand, doc.

You're tryin'
to remember his name

When you shouldn't.

I understand.

Do ya, doc?

You can't kill a doctor
for following his oath.

No?

I don't think so.

He was shot when he tried
to get away.

You can be shot
just as easy.

Don't be a fool.
I'm a doctor!

And since there's nothing more
I can do here,

I've got to be available
to other patients.

Don't you know
there isn't another doctor

Within 100 miles
of dodge city.

Right now, doc,
there's one too many.

We gotta go outside.

Don't you touch me
again, mister.

Wait a minute.

I'm kind of thinkin'
the doc's wrong.

There ain't another doc
within 400 miles of here.

I could get sick myself.

A doctor ain't like
ordinary men.

He's-

Well, it's almost like
he ain't quite human somehow.

He's human enough to tell
what he knows

To that marshal
they've got in dodge.

The way I figure,

It's either us
or the doc.

I'm not interested in
what you figure, young mister.

Or you either!

Or you.

Right now, there may be
some woman havin' a baby

Or some man with gangrene
of the leg.

People needin' help
right this minute.

He's right.

If you can't kill him,
I can.

You'll do
what I say, hear?

Doc,
if I let you go,

Do you promise
not to tell

About anybody
you recognize here?

No, I won't!

See?

How 'bout that woman
havin' a baby?

The man with
that funny kind of leg?

I see what you mean.

Do ya, doc?

If I don't promise?

Then doctor or no doctor
I'll kill ya myself.

Yeah, well-

I guess you would.

All right.

I'm here as a doctor
and nothing else.

I promise.

Word of honor, doc?

Word of honor.

All right.

Get out.

What about him?

He's my responsibility,
doc.

I gave my word of honor
I'd return him.

Well, that's-

That's all
I can tell ya, matt,

And don't think it isn't
drivin' me crazy.

I can still see him
dyin' like that.

He was shot
in the back.

But you told us
practically nothin'

About the killers, doc.

Well, they didn't
look like killers

When they rode up
to my office.

They said a man
was hurt- bad!

-Out on a place
past fort dodge.

So I went with 'em.

But you must have known
it was a shooting, doc.

All that hurry?

You could have
left word for me.

Well, my job's
to help everybody,

Sinner
and saved alike.

A man was hurt bad
and needed me!

Now that's why
I went with him, quick.

Still not gonna
tell me where?

I-
I promised not to.

Or who they were?

I got to say I-

I don't know, matt.
I-

I gave my word.

Doc, you know their names
and where they are,

And you just-
I told you,

I gave my word!
Well, they're nothin'

But a bunch of killers.
I know it!

Leave him alone,
chester.

Matt.

Yeah, doc?

I...

Hope you can...

Well, I hope
they hang for it.

Right now, I'm gonna go
get good and drunk.

By myself!

God blast it, anyway.

Well, how are we
ever gonna find 'em?

I don't know.

We don't even know
who they killed.

And doc could lead us
straight to 'em, right now.

It's not making
the doc happy, chester.

No, I-
I guess it ain't. I-

No, sir,
I guess it sure ain't.

Marshal.

Marshal dillon.

Well, it's jake worth.

Haven't seen you around dodge
in six months, that I know of.

Well, I'm here now.

Trouble?

Marshal,

I know what people
think of me.

That hard-nosed,
hot-tempered, old goat.

Got more money

Than he's got brains.

I'm glad to hear
you say it, jake.

Us, we're the good men,
marshal.

We work hard,
don't cause any trouble.

Only thing wrong with us
is we're rich.

We mind our own business.

And we haven't learned
how to-

How to ask for help.

You asking for help,
jake?

But I've gotta ask for it
in my own way.

Come on inside.

Want some cold coffee?

No. No, thanks.

What is it, jake?

If you ride south of town,
maybe 15 miles,

There's a big cottonwood stump
just off the road.

I've seen it.

There's a hole
inside that stump.

At the bottom.

I put a sack in that hole
just before I rode into town.

The sack's got $20,000 in it.

Now, that's a lot of money,

Even for you.

It isn't if hank gets
back all right.

Why, hank's your youngest son,
isn't he?

He was 24
just last month.

He didn't show up
the other night.

Next mornin', I found a note
tacked to one of the corrals.

Said, leave the 20,000,
he'd be returned.

It didn't say
how he'd be returned?

I told you what it said!

Come on, jake.

Maybe we can get out there
before they pick up the money.

I told you I had
to ask for help

In my own way.

All I want from you
is to watch for anybody

That turns up rich
around here.

Now, listen to me,
jake-

No, you listen to me.

I told you
what I want you to do.

There's nothin' else
gonna be done

Till hank's back safe
on the ranch.

Not one blessed thing.

If they killed hank,

You'd want to see 'em hang,
wouldn't you?

I'd hang 'em myself.

All right, then, let's get out
to that stump.

A chance we can still
beat 'em there.

Marshal,

I already told ya, no.

Jake,

I've got an idea
that hank's dead.

What?

I think they might have
already shot him,

And he's dead.

Who's "they"?

I don't know.

What are you talkin' about?

Where's hank?

I don't know.

Well, how come you figure
he's dead?

I can't tell you, jake.

Marshal, I've had
just about enough of this.

I can't tell ya any more
than what I think.

Not till we get there.

We'll get there.

Now, if you don't talk
any clearer than this,

Maybe one of us
won't leave there.

I put it over there.

It's gone.

I'm glad it's gone.

No, jake,

You're not glad.

It's him.

It's hank.

You knew he was
gonna be like this.

He had his whole life
to live.

Why'd they do it?
I gave 'em the money.

Well, some men
took your son,

Hank tried to break,
and one of 'em shot him.

But I'll get 'em, jake.

I'll take care
of 'em myself,

Soon as you tell me
who they are.

I don't know.

You know a lot
you're not tellin'.

It's hank lyin' there.

He's been murdered.

Why don't you tell me?

Well, because the man
who told me,

He had to promise
not to name anybody.

Promise not-

What man?

Who is he?

I'll get it out of him
if I have to cut it out.

That's another reason
I can't tell you who he is.

What kind of a lawman
are ya anyway?

You know the man
who could tell me who did this,

And you won't even give me
his name.

I can't, jake.

Marshal, I-I don't know much
about words,

But I've heard the ones
about obstructing justice.

A lawman shouldn't be guilty
of that.

I've told ya
all I can, jake.

No, ya haven't.

All I know is,

You know the man
who could tell me who did this.

I'm giving you 24 hours
to name him, marshal.

If ya don't,

Me and my two livin' sons
are comin' to dodge.

There's gonna
be blood spilled, marshal,

If you don't name him.

I'll help you
get hank home now.

Go on back to dodge.
I'll manage here.

Sundown tomorrow, marshal.

I'll be there, jake.

We'll find you,
wherever you be.

It's got to be done
like I say, matt.

It's my idea,
and I'm gonna see it through,

Whether you like
what I'm doin' or not.

Yeah, but it might not work.
Have ya thought of that, doc?

Yes, I thought
of that!

And I'm also thinkin'
it's been 24 hours

Since you left jake worth.

Now, him and his sons will be
comin' into town any minute

Lookin' for you.

Are you goin' down there
in the street and meet 'em?

Are you sure, doc?

Well, sure I'm sure!

You've been searchin'
this town for 24 hours

For men who suddenly showed
a lot of money

And you haven't
found anybody yet, have ya?

No, not yet.

No, and you won't.
Not this early.

Meantime, jake worth and
his sons are comin' into town

And lookin' for you
to find out about me,

And there'll be
a gunfight!

And-
and they're innocent men.

And besides, it'll be three
against you.

Well, I'm not gonna
let that happen.

You do just exactly
as I say,

And- and forget
about me, ya hear?

Mr. Dillon?

The worths
are comin' in.

All right, doc.

And thanks.

You remember,
I'm thinkin' about the men

Who killed hank worth.

Yeah.

You've had the time, marshal.
You gonna name him?

No, jake, I'm not.

I warned you, marshal.

Yes, you did.

And here I am.

Go ahead.
Cut me down.

What's the matter
with ya?

I'm waitin'!

Marshal, I just kept you alive
for another minute.

I won't do it again.

Are you gonna name him?

Hank's dead, jake.

I can't bring him back.

Shot in the back.

And those who did it
are runnin' free

Because of the coward
you're coverin' up.

I can get 'em, jake.

Will you help me?

Don't ask fool questions,
marshal.

Will you give me your word
of honor that you'll help me?

You got it.

Word of honor?

You heard me give it.

I speak for my sons too.

All right.

Chester,

Take 'em over to the cell
and lock 'em up.

What?!

What's he tryin' to do?

Don't listen to him, pop.

You heard mr. Dillon.

Marshal, this is
the wrong time for a joke.

We can still shoot ya down.

You men are out for blood,
all three of ya.

But you're not gonna
spill yours,

Or anybody else's, in jail.

And that's why
you're not gonna interfere

With my getting
the man who killed hank.

Now, you gave me
your word of honor, jake.

You wanna go back on it?

I won't go back
on my word.

All right, let's-

Let's have your shotguns.

All right, let's get going
up to the office.

What'd ya do down there
with the worths?

Locked 'em up.

Hm.

Now that I think of it,

I never expected you
to be that smart.

Don't let's go through
with it, doc.

I'm-

Well, all I can think of is
that you're gonna get killed.

Oh, I know better, and I insist
we go through with it.

I know you insist!

Well, then your job's
to spread it around

That I've broken my word
and identified the killers!

Now, the news will reach
those people soon enough,

And they'll come in.
They'll come in to thank me

For breakin' my word.

Rest's up to you.

Now, just one thing.

What?

Rather than break your word
and let me go out after 'em-

Yeah?

You make yourself a target
for the killers.

Do you wanna get started
spreadin' the word?

That's all you have
to do, mr. Marshal!

Yeah, doc.

I can't wait
to spread it around

That you're a liar.

Which makes you
a sitting duck

Right here
in your own office.

Oh, get out of here.

Five days, ya hear me?

Tomorrow's the sixth day
and the sixth night.

You and I sit here

And glare at each other's
mongoloidian features.

I wish I'd never had
this idea.

Wish I'd been out
makin' my calls.

I wish
I didn't know you.

Once more to I tell ya
I was wrong!

The people you want
would have been here

Two nights after you
spread the word

If they were comin' in
to get me.

Doc?
Easy, I mean it.

Don't you be calm
with me!

Take a chair and sit down
over there,

I'll hear your complaint
in a minute.

You sure will.

'cause you ain't gonna
get a chance to fix it.

My complaint says
you're a dirty liar, doc.

Put that shotgun down
and tell me where

Your two anthropoid
friends are.

You'll never know,
ya liar.

Stay there.

This man's been wounded
and I gotta help him

Whether I like it or not!

There's more than this one,
isn't there?

There's two more!

They've been smart, doc.

I knew it!

They sent him up here
for a-

A decoy, marshal,
a target, same as me!

They're out front
waitin' for me to come down.

Stay here.

I'm not goin' anyplace!

Why don't you try
bein' careful, matt.

He's seen us,
and just about now

He's climbing down the back
to come around at us.

I'm sorry,

But I had to take things
into my own hands, mr. Dillon.

When I saw 'em ride up

And stop in front
of doc's office,

Well, heh, there's 3-to-1
against ya.

I had to even
things up.

You know what, chester?

You're forgiven.

Marshal,

Me and the boys'll be getting
back to the ranch now.

All right, jake.

I'd like to buy ya
a drink before we leave.

I'd like that.

You wanna buy one

For the coward
I was covering up for?

Hm.

I take it you're all right,
matt.

Yeah, doc.

You're invited
for a drink.

Doc.

Doc adams.

I've gotta do something

About those two dead beauties
down there,

I've gotta make
about 3,011 calls

On patients tomorrow.

Drink!
This is no time for drinkin'.

Time to sleep!

You know what?

He's right.