Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 10, Episode 33 - Two Tall Men - full transcript
Doc, carrying money on an errand for Matt, is found near death. In Matt's absence, the townsfolk figure there's no need to wait for official justice to deal with those deemed responsible.
(theme music playing)
(both guns fire)
ANNOUNCER: starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.
♪♪
(dog barking)
(dog barking)
DILLON: Howdy.
He's gonna need
some feed and water.
I'll be back in about
an hour for him.
Something wrong, mister?
Well, I didn't
expect you so soon.
(Dillon sighs)
Knowed you was
coming... the people.
(woman laughs)
(giggling)
He got a loose shoe.
Would you fix that, too?
Who'd that be, Pa?
Well, that'd be a heap
of trouble for this town
coming on two legs.
Oh, we're gonna lose
everything, Eli. Everything.
Pa, will you quit it.
He doesn't know a thing
about you, not a thing.
(hammering)
(hammering continues)
MAN: That's him, all right.
Well, if he come all
the way from Dodge,
he's gonna be mighty dry.
Yeah.
Anybody for a beer?
I'll see you down the saloon.
Anything wrong, Mr. Bennings?
Huh?
Oh. No. No.
(sighs)
Something I can do for you?
Oh, yeah. Is, uh,
Sheriff Scanlon around?
He ain't, uh...
He ain't coming
in till night, uh...
Marshal.
Thank you.
Y-You... you the man
coming in from Dodge?
(sighs)
Well, looks like everybody
knows I was coming here.
Oh, uh, it's, uh...
it's-it's written down
here in the paper.
Could you tell me where, uh,
Sheriff Scanlon's father lives?
Yeah, uh, up-up
through the rocks.
You... s-stay with the
rocks, you'll come out.
Well, I tell you, I'd
sure appreciate it
if you'd, uh, go over
to the livery stable
and pick up my horse for me,
bring him over to the saloon.
Oh, c-can't...
c-can't take no pay.
I'll-I'll do it, but can't
take no money, Marshal.
You see, f-folks
here tr-treat me good.
They-they give me work, and I...
I-I can... I can't take
no money for favors.
I see. What's your name?
Wesley. J-Just Wesley.
Thanks, Wesley.
Say, uh... you, uh...
you ain't gonna hurt my
town, are you, Marshal?
No, Wesley.
I didn't come here
to hurt anybody.
That's good.
(quiet chatter)
(chatter stops)
What do you got that's cold?
Got some chill on the beer.
All right.
It must be mighty
special business,
them sending a big
important U.S. marshal
to a little place
like Ridge Town.
Mighty important.
Would you say we was
being honored, Aaron?
Depends how you look at it.
The paper only said he
was here on Army business.
That right?
You here on Army
business, Marshal?
If I find it concerns
you, I'll let you know.
I bet he does a lot of shouting.
A man can tell right off.
Friend, I'm just here drinking
a beer, trying to keep cool.
Why don't you do the same.
Well...
You asking us to have
a beer on you, Marshal?
I'm not asking you
anything, mister.
I'm just telling you to
mind your own business.
Real shouting badge.
(spits)
You shouldn't have
been standing so close
to that there
spitting box, Marshal.
You want to be next?
Pick up your friend.
Oh, got-got your horse
waiting for you outside, Marshal.
Oh, good, Wesley.
Look, uh, I know you
usually don't take money,
but, uh, you wouldn't mind
me buying you a cold beer
on a hot day, would you?
Oh, I guess that'd be all right.
- Yeah, all right.
- All right?
Give me a towel.
He's a tough one, ain't he?
He sure don't push easy.
Well, he might if we all
tried pushing together.
He say anything to you
about where he was going?
He said he was going
to see the old sheriff.
Did he say anything
while he was in here?
Mm, enough to let us know
he's gonna have to be
persuaded to leave town.
Well, I got to get
back to the shop.
Seems like such a nice man, Eli.
Pa figures he's gonna
find out everything.
Your pa's wrong.
He ain't gonna find out nothing.
Easy, boy. Yeah.
(clicking tongue)
Easy, boy. Easy.
Pa, aren't you gonna stop long
enough to have some lemonade?
(sighs)
No, he hasn't even worked
up a sweat yet. Come on.
Have to remember to bring
out some more lemons tomorrow.
Wish you'd bring out
something a little stronger.
(laughs)
Now, now, no slipping back.
- Pa?
- Huh?
(chickens clucking)
Oh, be logical, Vera.
Now, I'm naturally the
first one he come to see.
Why don't you go in the
house, bring out another glass,
give yourself time
to get composed.
(clicks tongue) Come on, fella.
Oh, and, Vera?
Tell him.
(clicking tongue)
- (chickens clucking)
- Up.
You're coming, boy.
Hello, John.
I don't know as I should
even say hello to a man
spends 15 years getting up
this way to see an old friend.
(laughs)
Well, John.
By golly.
- Good to see you again.
- Hi, Matt.
- You haven't changed a bit.
- (laughs)
Proven yourself to
be a liar right off, huh?
Tie him up to the rail there,
will you, for me, please?
You betcha.
And don't go getting any
flattering ideas in your head
about me and that
pretty gal in there.
She's my daughter-in-law.
Yeah, somebody told me
your son married the
belle of the valley here.
(chuckles) Yeah, between 'em,
given me four fine grandsons.
Give me a shove out
of here, Matt, will you?
Sure.
Honey, this is Matt Dillon.
He used to make a pest
of himself a few years back
when I was sheriff
of Carson City.
(chuckles) That was quite
a few years back, I'm afraid.
Nice to meet you, ma'am.
Very nice meeting you, Marshal.
- I'll be going, Pa.
- Right, honey.
You bring those grandsons out
to see me real soon, you hear?
(laughing): Oh.
They'll be out...
soon as your namesake
gets over the measles.
Real nice meeting you, Marshal.
What are you gonna do,
John, hog all this to yourself?
Hmm? (laughs): Oh.
Help yourself. I'm sorry.
Seems to me you bought
the last drink we had together
back when you were being, uh,
sworn in as marshal of Dodge.
That's about right.
I got you to blame for
getting me into this business.
Mm. Part of my ornery nature.
You know, throw in a
good word for a man,
always keep him obliged to you.
(Dillon chuckles)
John, looks like you're
quite a gardener here.
JOHN: Yeah, I enjoy
seeing things grow.
(John chuckles)
Started planting out
of sheer boredom.
Now I'm out here at the crack
of dawn every morning, watering,
watching the sunup bloom.
John, I guess you know
what brings me up this way.
Oh, uh... (clears throat)
We heard it was Army business.
Yeah, they want to reopen
the Major Franklin case.
Well, I figured you'd know
more than anybody else
about the Franklin case,
being as you were there
the night he got shot.
I've often wished I was
someplace else that night, Matt.
I'd have my own
two good legs today.
John, let me ask you something.
How close did you actually
get to the killer that night?
Oh, I'd say I must've
been about, uh...
There some reason you're
not using the man's name,
Felix Smith?
Well, I tangled with Felix
Smith a couple of weeks back.
I-I had to shoot him.
We heard about it up this way.
Put a... put quite a
feather in your cap, didn't it?
Well, part of the thing was
he was kind of slow in dying,
John, he got a few
things off his chest,
including the fact
that he wasn't the man
that killed Major
Franklin and shot you.
I wouldn't take an
outlaw's word, Matt.
Well, he was a
dying man. In fact,
he told me he always felt
bad about taking credit for
putting you in a wheelchair.
He had a lot of respect for
you the few times you met.
Yeah, I did keep him on the
move pretty good, I'll say that.
It's still hard for me to
believe that he wasn't
the man I saw that
night, you know that?
Well, thinking back
on it, I'll say that
the major's killer must've been
about 50 feet away from me
when he opened fire.
But being night
and dark and all,
you know, it's just possible
that I could've been blaming
the wrong man all these years.
That's possible.
Would you... would you
mind giving a couple of those
a squirt or two, Matt, hmm?
Sure.
John, I'd sure
appreciate any information
you can give me about
the major's activities.
Well, he was finance
officer of the fort for about,
I don't know, three years.
Did a lot of strutting
around town.
Nobody ever liked him very much.
And he was shot down
on the flats south of town
with quite a lot
of money on him.
And he, uh... he made himself
kind of a big man around town,
- according to the record.
- Mm-hmm.
Well, the dollar was
in pretty short supply
during those years, Matt.
You might almost say
the town's existence
depended upon
the major's goodwill.
I guess that just
about sums it up.
Well, I better be
getting back to town.
I want to stop by the
bank before it closes.
Been good seeing you, John.
You, too.
Matt,
what's the point in opening
up a 12-year-old case?
Huh? The fort's been
closed down for years.
The man who killed
the major and shot me,
he could be living halfway
around the world by now.
He... (chuckles)
could even be dead.
Well, John, I have to.
The Army wants an
answer, if there is one.
Uh-huh. You should
speak to my son Tom.
He was leading
the posse that night
they chased that Felix Smith,
or whoever it was,
down through the hills.
Well, he was out when I
stopped by there, but I'll talk to him.
Ah. He might be
able to help you.
All right.
I'll keep you posted on
anything I find out, John.
What's he got?
Besides that
statement of Felix Smith.
Nothing that I can see.
After 12 years, this turns up.
Aw, it's no harm Matt
Dillon poking around a bit
if it means closing
the file for good.
Here you are, Marshal.
Well, I, uh, never recall
it being this hot before.
Uh, Mr. Bennings, you
don't seem to understand.
The only transactions
I'm interested in
are the cash withdrawals
made by the major
while he was finance
officer at the fort.
Cash withdrawals?
Yes.
The money found on
him the night he was killed.
It was all cash,
brand-new bills.
Now, this is the kind of money
he'd most likely
get from a bank.
Well, I, uh...
It's possible the money
came from this bank.
I'm not disputing that.
"Possible"?
You mean to tell me
you wouldn't remember
a $6,000 cash withdrawal?
Well, I, uh...
I haven't been a
well man, Marshal.
My, uh... my memory
fails me at times.
Of course, there are no
records for those years.
Why not?
There was a vault fire.
I see.
Coming for us.
Well, make like you're busy.
Now, I'll do the
talking this time.
How do?
Howdy.
Mr. Wall?
Yes, Marshal?
I understand that Fort Ridge
had most of their business
dealings with you here.
In fact, they got most of their
supplies through this store.
Yeah, we did some business.
Well, which one
of you handled it?
Well, you can talk to me.
Well, uh, Major Franklin
was found with a lot of money
on him the night he was killed.
Is it possible he could've
gotten that from you here?
Never paid the major anything.
Never, my whole life.
Never no cash.
Thank you.
Uh, wait a minute.
Uh, is that all you're asking?
That's all, yes.
Oh, you like playing
games with people?
What do you mean by that?
Well, you mean to say
you're not coming back
here with more questions?
I didn't say that.
He'll be back, all right.
It's the way a United
States Marshal would do it.
Yeah, make a man sweat first.
Well, hello, Wesley.
- Hello, Tom.
- Matt.
Good to see you.
It's been a long time.
Sure has.
Well, come on in.
- Thank you.
- Have a seat.
Well, I stopped by and
saw your father today.
Yeah, he, uh... he told me.
I-I stopped off at his
place on the way in.
You know, I, uh, hate to drag up
all this Major Franklin
business again, Tom,
but I wanted to ask you
a few questions about it.
Well, I'll be glad
to help you if I can.
For instance, now,
according to the Army records,
you headed up a posse
that chased the
killer into the hills.
Yeah, he gave us the slip.
Well, now, it was
winter at that time,
and the passes were all closed.
Is it possible that this killer
doubled back into town here?
Oh, Ridge Town would be
the last place he'd come to.
A strange face
would likely to be
the first one
questioned after a killing.
Maybe it wasn't a
strange face, Tom.
Well, that's... that's possible.
Oh, I-I didn't know what
time it was getting to be.
I-I'm due home for supper.
Tom... a lot of things I don't
understand about this case.
For instance, why
was Major Franklin
carrying $6,000
in new bills on him?
Why didn't the killer take
that money off his body?
And what was he doing
in that wash south of town
in the middle of
the night, anyway?
Well, we asked those same
questions 12 years ago.
Come up with no answers.
Maybe that's because
the name Felix Smith
seemed to provide all
those answers at that time.
Well... well, I... I got
to be getting home.
Tom.
What are you afraid of?
Take a look out here, Matt.
You see a hotel,
bank, store, saloon.
All this was born when
Fort Ridge started.
Well, Fort Ridge is gone now,
and this town
almost went with it.
For ten years, it's
been hand-to-mouth
trying to keep it going.
But we've kept it alive,
because it's our home.
And now it's starting
to grow again.
Not fast, but... but steady.
And, uh, we got a
settler coming in here,
a settler coming in there.
New blood, new life.
We, uh, we just don't
want the name of our town
with mud on it when you leave.
Well, how can bringing a
killer to justice hurt your town?
Tell the Army it's
a dead end, Matt.
Tell them this Felix
Smith was, uh...
out of his head when he
died and leave it at that.
I don't understand you, Tom.
Your father's in a
wheelchair for life.
The man that shot him
may be running around
the streets of your
town right now,
and you act like you
don't want to find him.
♪♪
(gunfire)
♪♪
Did you see who it was?
No. No, I didn't get
a close look at him.
Probably got away in the dark.
I think creased him though.
How about yourself?
No. I'm all right.
Well... (clears throat)
You know, there's, uh...
there's plenty of good
fishing up this way.
Folks see a feller relaxing,
why, they kind of lean
toward relaxing themselves.
Tom, if I'd wanted
to go fishing,
I would've stayed in Dodge.
I think you know what I mean.
Frankly, I don't.
Matt, the major hurt a
lot of people in this town.
Almost everybody breathed
easier when he was buried.
Do you figure stirring this
up is gonna help this town?
Do you think it's gonna
help my father walk again?
Tom, all I know is I was asked
to come here and do a job,
and I'm gonna
carry it out, if I can.
Good night, Matt.
Good night, Tom.
(crickets chirping)
(man panting)
(panting)
Wesley.
Who put you up to this?
No... No-Nobody, Marshal.
Where'd you get this gun?
I had it along the whole time.
Wesley, why'd
you try to kill me?
I... I just won't go
back to that place!
I... just won't!
What place is that?
Where-where-where
they lock me up.
They-they don't treat me
like-like this town... does.
Well, now, who told you they
were gonna put you back there?
The boys did.
They said you was gonna...
hurt-hurt the town bad.
It wouldn't be here no more.
All right, come on, Wesley.
We got to get you up to a
doctor, get you bandaged.
Hey, ain't-ain't you
gonna arrest me?
No, I'm gonna put you
on probation, Wesley.
That means you got
to behave yourself.
Thanks, Marshal.
That's one favor I owe you,
and I-I pay back my favors.
Come on.
No, no, Marshal,
it's me, Bennings.
What are you doing
here, Mr. Bennings?
I, uh...
I'm sorry for all this
trouble, Marshal.
I-I came here to talk to
you about Major Franklin,
the money found on him.
What about it?
Well, I wonder if you would,
uh, not let it go any further.
I can't make any
promises about that.
Marshal, a bank manager's job
may not seem very much to you,
but I still have a
growing family to support.
You trying to tell me
that the money found
on the major that night
came from your bank?
I had to give it
to him, Marshal.
The major threatened to
withdraw all the fort's business
if I didn't cooperate.
I see.
Just what did this, uh,
cooperation amount to?
Well, when he first came
to the fort, small loans,
the kind I couldn't
put on the books
because they reflected
poor business practices.
But later on, he
demanded larger amounts,
assuring me he was involved
in certain business deals
where he'd be able
to repay everything.
Just kept getting
in deeper, huh?
So deep...
the loss of Fort Ridge business
would've ruined the bank.
He held that over my head.
The Army withdrawing
its business.
Was it you that
killed Major Franklin?
Oh, no, no.
I wouldn't have had the nerve.
No, the only thing I know,
the money found on
him the night he died
came from the bank.
Marshal, I'm-I'm putting
myself in your hands.
I have to.
The auditors won't be content
with the usual balancing.
What, you have a shortage there?
No, not now.
Every penny is accounted for.
Took me ten
years to pay it back.
All the money that I
advanced Major Franklin,
ten years of living a nightmare
that an auditor would find I'd
been manipulating the books,
but I paid it all back.
Well, what are you
worried about now?
My whole life is in
this town, Marshal.
My reputation.
If the people find
out about this,
they won't think about
the money being paid back.
All they'll remember
in time to come
is money that I was
responsible for was misused.
And the main office in St.
Louis would surely remove me.
Did anybody else know
the major had that
money on him that night?
Nobody that I knew of.
Well, I'll tell you, I'm
getting a little fed up
with this town of yours.
The storekeeper's
worried about me proving
his dealings with the Army,
so he must have been
overcharging on supplies.
The livery stable man was
selling horses to the Army
through Major Franklin.
Horses that were
overpriced and overaged.
I guess we were all
caught in the same web.
Well, there isn't much
point in my exposing
your dealings
with Major Franklin,
and I'm certainly not gonna
call any auditors in on you.
That's not my business.
Thank you.
Thank you, Marshal.
Sure.
I wish I could make you
understand how it was.
- Mr. Bennings.
- This town was just...
I understand how it was.
(sighs)
(coughs)
Mrs. Scanlon.
Oh, good morning, Marshal.
My husband isn't home.
I think you'll find
him down at the jail.
Mrs. Scanlon, uh,
actually, it was you
I wanted to talk to,
if you've got a minute.
(chuckles): Well,
if it's about the
Major Franklin case,
I'm afraid I can't
be of much help.
I was hoping maybe
you could tell me
a little bit about the, uh,
social life at Fort Ridge.
What do you mean
by "social life"?
Were you in the habit of
meeting Major Franklin, ma'am?
I was a happily married
woman at that time, Marshal.
I still am.
This was in the major's
personal effects, ma'am.
Guess the Army,
uh, never bothered
to question you
about it once they...
found out about Felix Smith.
I'm sorry to have to bring
all this up again, ma'am.
I know how you must feel.
But I'm afraid I've got
to have some answers.
I was very young...
when I wrote this.
Barely 19.
No, you keep it, destroy
it, do whatever you want to.
Ma'am, uh, was
Tom aware of the fact
that you were gonna leave
him for Major Franklin?
No.
In fact, I... I changed my mind.
I never left the
house that night.
He was waiting for me, but...
I never went to the wash.
And Tom never
went there, either.
For Tom to have
killed the major,
he would also have had to...
shoot his own father.
I assure you, such a thing
could not have happened.
(door closes)
Morning, Matt.
Tom.
We were just talking, Tom.
(chuckles) Well...
Vera, why don't you, uh...
why don't you go inside
and fix Matt a-a cold drink.
No, no, thanks, Tom.
- I got to be going.
- Okay, Matt.
Ma'am.
I had to tell him
the major was waiting
for me that night.
Why?
(hoofbeats departing)
Did you tell him anything else?
Mister!
Hey, mister!
You the marshal
from Dodge, mister?
- That's right.
- Well, Sy said to tell you...
He's the livery man...
Said to tell you your horse
is starting a bad case of colic.
Oh, thank you.
(woman sobbing)
(sobbing continues)
Are you all right, miss?
(chuckles)
(rifle clicks)
MAN: All right, Marshal.
Get up.
(giggles)
Over there.
Got to protect our women
around here, Marshal.
You all right, Sue Ann?
You just sort of got
here in time, Mr. Coor.
Sy.
We got two ways of
handling things in Ridge Town.
Abusing our women folk is a
hanging offense hereabouts,
but that embarrasses the women.
Private, painful lesson being
the other way we handle things.
Keep them up, Marshal.
COOR: Hold it!
Here's a hole card you
can't bet against, Marshal.
(giggles)
(whinnies)
(panting)
Took a bit of doing.
Yeah, he's a big one, all right.
Your turn.
(chuckles): No, I couldn't.
Hit him.
You hit him.
Hit him! Hit him like we agreed!
Now!
Sheriff! Sheriff!
There's some-something
going-going on
at the livery stable.
Are you crazy?!
What'd you do this for?
He had it coming, Tom.
Yeah, he was after Sue Ann.
Ain't that right, honey?
That's right, Sheriff.
It was just awful. (giggles)
(grunts)
Saddle up his horse.
Better bring his things
down from the hotel.
Help me get him up.
That badge you're wearing
is the only thing that's
keeping you out of jail.
(panting): Tom...
I'm telling you, Dillon.
You ever come back to this town,
- that's where you're gonna wind up.
- Tom...
I'll charge you with
assaulting that girl.
(quietly): Please, Matt, for
your sake, don't come back.
Well, I don't think
he'll be back soon.
He's a dangerous man,
going after a young girl.
Town's got to protect
itself, doesn't it, Tom?
Yeah.
♪♪
I hope the coffee warmed
you up some, Marshal.
Oh, it's real good, Wesley.
It's fine.
Aren't you gonna have some?
I can't, Marshal.
All... all I got's one cup.
Oh, well, here.
I'll share this with you.
Oh. Oh, no, no,
no. That's all right.
No, here.
(groans)
Here you go, Wesley.
Oh. Oh.
Have some.
Th-Thank you. Thank you.
You know, Wesley, I...
I think you saved my
life bringing me here.
Well, j-just-just a favor
I owe you, Marshal.
I'm the one that's
owing, Wesley.
And I thank you.
This, uh... this your
home here, huh?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, I... I built
it all myself.
Well, it's fine.
Yeah, people... people
give me the stove
and-and-and then
the... and the bed
and even the table.
Yeah, they-they
treat me good here.
Ev-Everybody
treats me real good.
Uh, the-the old sheriff,
he-he-he gave me his old coat.
Sure was a cold winter.
Boy. (chuckles)
You must be just
about melting in it
in this kind of
weather, aren't you?
Oh, th-this is the coat he wore
the night he was shot.
It's an honor to wear it.
You see it had a...
bullet hole right here.
Real big bullet hole.
And it was all burned
around there, but I fixed it.
I-I sewed it up.
I got the whole thing sewed.
I-I sew things
pretty good myself.
You say... you say that
was burned around there?
Yes, sir.
I fixed it.
Wesley, I know that
coat means a lot to you,
but I'd like to
borrow it for a while.
What for?
Well, I... I may
need it as evidence.
Against the sheriff?
I'm afraid so.
You're... you-you-you
gonna arrest the sheriff?
Well, I-I may have to.
You know, uh, there's
another thing, I...
want you to do for
me as a favor, too.
You know that, uh, gun you tried
to shoot me with the other day?
Gonna borrow that, too.
Y-You ain't gonna shoot
old Mr. Scanlon, are you?
No. No, I'm not, Wesley, I...
I'm not gonna shoot
anybody, if I can help it.
Thank you, Wesley.
And how long ago
was that, Wesley?
Well, you-you know,
I-I can't tell much
about time, Sheriff.
But it was just
before I left my shack.
And I-I run all the way.
If-if I'd known that it was
gonna hurt you, Sheriff,
I never would've helped him.
Of course you wouldn't
have, of course not.
Maybe I should've
tr-tr-tried to shoot him again.
Oh, no, no. You sure
he was going to town?
He said he was going to town?
Yes, sir. To see Mr. Tom.
Uh-huh.
Go inside, get me my
shotgun, will you, Wes?
Yes, sir.
What's this?
It's your father's coat, Tom.
The one he was wearing the
night Major Franklin was shot.
Well, is this supposed to
mean something to me?
It should.
Your father's always claimed
he was about 50 feet away
from that killer when
they exchanged shots.
That coat proves he was lying.
How do you figure that?
Look at this.
Look at that bullet hole.
Powder burns all
the way around it.
That means he was
shot from close up.
It also means he
got a close look
at the man that shot him.
And he's known all these
years it wasn't Felix Smith.
Now, who is it? Who is
it you and everybody else
in this town is
trying to protect?
You were a fool for
coming back here, Matt.
That all you've got to say?
That's all.
All right.
You don't leave me
much choice, Tom.
You're coming back to Dodge.
What for?
You're going up in front
of an Army inquiry board.
COOR: He ain't going
nowhere, Marshal.
Get your hands up.
(crowd clamoring)
Get his gun, Tom.
Thanks, Coor.
Go on.
I warned you, Marshal,
if you ever came
back to this town,
I'd arrest you for
assaulting that girl.
COOR: Hold it!
TOM: What is it?
Let's not play games, Tom.
We didn't come down
here to see you lock him up.
What's that supposed to mean?
You know what it means.
We want him.
We let you stop us last time.
We should've knowed better.
You're gonna kill him?
He's just gonna
have an accident.
That's right.
We're all gonna be
there when it happens.
Including you.
You're wrong now.
Come on, get back.
You stopped us once, Tom,
you ain't gonna do it again.
Get back. Get back. I
ain't gonna let you take him!
You don't have any choice.
(crowd clamoring)
That's enough!
Drop the gun.
Now, give me the keys.
(crowd clamoring)
(gunshot)
He's dead.
- Let's get him! Come on!
- (crowd clamoring)
All right, get him!
And get him, too!
Come on, get him
out of here, go on!
I'll get the marshal!
I'll get the marshal!
Get out here, Marshal!
Get him out of there!
Get out here, Marshal!
(crowd clamoring)
(gunshot)
Let them go.
Let them go, I said!
What's the matter with you?
Are you crazy?!
Don't you know if you kill him,
they'll only send
somebody else in his place?
- Well, let them!
- Yeah, let them!
- We'll take care of them, too!
- (crowd clamoring)
- Yeah! Yeah!
- That's right!
And then what?
What about the marshal
they'll send after that?
And the one after him?
We've had enough killing!
How many lives do you want
to take before this is all over?
John, you're not making sense!
- You're in this deeper than we are!
- That's right!
If he gets back to Dodge
City, they'll hang you!
- That's right, yeah!
- That's right!
Yeah, maybe they will!
But at least this way, the
rest of you won't hang with me.
Now, let them go!
Matt, I guess we've done
as much damage
as we're gonna do.
The town is yours.
Matt, don't.
Don't blame the townspeople.
The guilt isn't theirs.
The guilt's all mine.
I'm not worried about
the townspeople, John.
I learned a long time ago
you can't prosecute
mass hysteria.
John, I... I want to know
who killed Major Franklin.
I did.
(chuckles)
Sure, this town was dying
till Major Franklin come along
as finance officer of the fort.
He put it back on its feet.
At the time, I didn't think
it really mattered too much
that he was getting a kickback
from everything
that we sold the fort.
And by the time I realized
what he'd done to us,
it was... it was too late
to ask the military
authorities to prosecute him.
Besides, I would
have had to implicate
half the people in the town.
So you shot him.
Mm-hmm.
And I turned the gun on myself.
(chuckles)
To make it look good, I
thought I'd give myself
a little crease in
the ribs, you know?
But a lead bullet
doesn't always take
the exact direction
you want it to.
It kind of slanted off
one of my rib bones.
Lodged in my spine.
And I've been
paralyzed ever since.
Most, uh... most everybody
in town knew what happened,
but we went chasing off
through the hills anyway,
claiming that we was
looking for Felix Smith.
We've all lived
with it ever since.
12 years of existing
like a human vegetable.
12 years of not being
able to sleep nights
unless I take some
of that medicine
the doc gives
me to kill the pain.
12 years of waiting.
And being afraid...
for this kind of
thing to happen.
(sighs)
Now, I'm-I'm just
relieved it's all over.
I'm sorry, John.
Ain't you gonna take me in?
No, I'm not gonna
take you in, John.
All I got here is
a 12-year-old coat
with a bullet hole in it.
Couldn't prove a thing.
Besides, I...
I think you've done
about enough suffering.
Well, I'll be leaving
now, Wesley.
So long and thanks
for everything.
Thank you, Marshal.
Did-did you get what you
come here for, Marshal?
Well... more or less, Wesley.
Sometimes you got
to settle for a little less.
♪♪
(both guns fire)
ANNOUNCER: starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.
♪♪
(dog barking)
(dog barking)
DILLON: Howdy.
He's gonna need
some feed and water.
I'll be back in about
an hour for him.
Something wrong, mister?
Well, I didn't
expect you so soon.
(Dillon sighs)
Knowed you was
coming... the people.
(woman laughs)
(giggling)
He got a loose shoe.
Would you fix that, too?
Who'd that be, Pa?
Well, that'd be a heap
of trouble for this town
coming on two legs.
Oh, we're gonna lose
everything, Eli. Everything.
Pa, will you quit it.
He doesn't know a thing
about you, not a thing.
(hammering)
(hammering continues)
MAN: That's him, all right.
Well, if he come all
the way from Dodge,
he's gonna be mighty dry.
Yeah.
Anybody for a beer?
I'll see you down the saloon.
Anything wrong, Mr. Bennings?
Huh?
Oh. No. No.
(sighs)
Something I can do for you?
Oh, yeah. Is, uh,
Sheriff Scanlon around?
He ain't, uh...
He ain't coming
in till night, uh...
Marshal.
Thank you.
Y-You... you the man
coming in from Dodge?
(sighs)
Well, looks like everybody
knows I was coming here.
Oh, uh, it's, uh...
it's-it's written down
here in the paper.
Could you tell me where, uh,
Sheriff Scanlon's father lives?
Yeah, uh, up-up
through the rocks.
You... s-stay with the
rocks, you'll come out.
Well, I tell you, I'd
sure appreciate it
if you'd, uh, go over
to the livery stable
and pick up my horse for me,
bring him over to the saloon.
Oh, c-can't...
c-can't take no pay.
I'll-I'll do it, but can't
take no money, Marshal.
You see, f-folks
here tr-treat me good.
They-they give me work, and I...
I-I can... I can't take
no money for favors.
I see. What's your name?
Wesley. J-Just Wesley.
Thanks, Wesley.
Say, uh... you, uh...
you ain't gonna hurt my
town, are you, Marshal?
No, Wesley.
I didn't come here
to hurt anybody.
That's good.
(quiet chatter)
(chatter stops)
What do you got that's cold?
Got some chill on the beer.
All right.
It must be mighty
special business,
them sending a big
important U.S. marshal
to a little place
like Ridge Town.
Mighty important.
Would you say we was
being honored, Aaron?
Depends how you look at it.
The paper only said he
was here on Army business.
That right?
You here on Army
business, Marshal?
If I find it concerns
you, I'll let you know.
I bet he does a lot of shouting.
A man can tell right off.
Friend, I'm just here drinking
a beer, trying to keep cool.
Why don't you do the same.
Well...
You asking us to have
a beer on you, Marshal?
I'm not asking you
anything, mister.
I'm just telling you to
mind your own business.
Real shouting badge.
(spits)
You shouldn't have
been standing so close
to that there
spitting box, Marshal.
You want to be next?
Pick up your friend.
Oh, got-got your horse
waiting for you outside, Marshal.
Oh, good, Wesley.
Look, uh, I know you
usually don't take money,
but, uh, you wouldn't mind
me buying you a cold beer
on a hot day, would you?
Oh, I guess that'd be all right.
- Yeah, all right.
- All right?
Give me a towel.
He's a tough one, ain't he?
He sure don't push easy.
Well, he might if we all
tried pushing together.
He say anything to you
about where he was going?
He said he was going
to see the old sheriff.
Did he say anything
while he was in here?
Mm, enough to let us know
he's gonna have to be
persuaded to leave town.
Well, I got to get
back to the shop.
Seems like such a nice man, Eli.
Pa figures he's gonna
find out everything.
Your pa's wrong.
He ain't gonna find out nothing.
Easy, boy. Yeah.
(clicking tongue)
Easy, boy. Easy.
Pa, aren't you gonna stop long
enough to have some lemonade?
(sighs)
No, he hasn't even worked
up a sweat yet. Come on.
Have to remember to bring
out some more lemons tomorrow.
Wish you'd bring out
something a little stronger.
(laughs)
Now, now, no slipping back.
- Pa?
- Huh?
(chickens clucking)
Oh, be logical, Vera.
Now, I'm naturally the
first one he come to see.
Why don't you go in the
house, bring out another glass,
give yourself time
to get composed.
(clicks tongue) Come on, fella.
Oh, and, Vera?
Tell him.
(clicking tongue)
- (chickens clucking)
- Up.
You're coming, boy.
Hello, John.
I don't know as I should
even say hello to a man
spends 15 years getting up
this way to see an old friend.
(laughs)
Well, John.
By golly.
- Good to see you again.
- Hi, Matt.
- You haven't changed a bit.
- (laughs)
Proven yourself to
be a liar right off, huh?
Tie him up to the rail there,
will you, for me, please?
You betcha.
And don't go getting any
flattering ideas in your head
about me and that
pretty gal in there.
She's my daughter-in-law.
Yeah, somebody told me
your son married the
belle of the valley here.
(chuckles) Yeah, between 'em,
given me four fine grandsons.
Give me a shove out
of here, Matt, will you?
Sure.
Honey, this is Matt Dillon.
He used to make a pest
of himself a few years back
when I was sheriff
of Carson City.
(chuckles) That was quite
a few years back, I'm afraid.
Nice to meet you, ma'am.
Very nice meeting you, Marshal.
- I'll be going, Pa.
- Right, honey.
You bring those grandsons out
to see me real soon, you hear?
(laughing): Oh.
They'll be out...
soon as your namesake
gets over the measles.
Real nice meeting you, Marshal.
What are you gonna do,
John, hog all this to yourself?
Hmm? (laughs): Oh.
Help yourself. I'm sorry.
Seems to me you bought
the last drink we had together
back when you were being, uh,
sworn in as marshal of Dodge.
That's about right.
I got you to blame for
getting me into this business.
Mm. Part of my ornery nature.
You know, throw in a
good word for a man,
always keep him obliged to you.
(Dillon chuckles)
John, looks like you're
quite a gardener here.
JOHN: Yeah, I enjoy
seeing things grow.
(John chuckles)
Started planting out
of sheer boredom.
Now I'm out here at the crack
of dawn every morning, watering,
watching the sunup bloom.
John, I guess you know
what brings me up this way.
Oh, uh... (clears throat)
We heard it was Army business.
Yeah, they want to reopen
the Major Franklin case.
Well, I figured you'd know
more than anybody else
about the Franklin case,
being as you were there
the night he got shot.
I've often wished I was
someplace else that night, Matt.
I'd have my own
two good legs today.
John, let me ask you something.
How close did you actually
get to the killer that night?
Oh, I'd say I must've
been about, uh...
There some reason you're
not using the man's name,
Felix Smith?
Well, I tangled with Felix
Smith a couple of weeks back.
I-I had to shoot him.
We heard about it up this way.
Put a... put quite a
feather in your cap, didn't it?
Well, part of the thing was
he was kind of slow in dying,
John, he got a few
things off his chest,
including the fact
that he wasn't the man
that killed Major
Franklin and shot you.
I wouldn't take an
outlaw's word, Matt.
Well, he was a
dying man. In fact,
he told me he always felt
bad about taking credit for
putting you in a wheelchair.
He had a lot of respect for
you the few times you met.
Yeah, I did keep him on the
move pretty good, I'll say that.
It's still hard for me to
believe that he wasn't
the man I saw that
night, you know that?
Well, thinking back
on it, I'll say that
the major's killer must've been
about 50 feet away from me
when he opened fire.
But being night
and dark and all,
you know, it's just possible
that I could've been blaming
the wrong man all these years.
That's possible.
Would you... would you
mind giving a couple of those
a squirt or two, Matt, hmm?
Sure.
John, I'd sure
appreciate any information
you can give me about
the major's activities.
Well, he was finance
officer of the fort for about,
I don't know, three years.
Did a lot of strutting
around town.
Nobody ever liked him very much.
And he was shot down
on the flats south of town
with quite a lot
of money on him.
And he, uh... he made himself
kind of a big man around town,
- according to the record.
- Mm-hmm.
Well, the dollar was
in pretty short supply
during those years, Matt.
You might almost say
the town's existence
depended upon
the major's goodwill.
I guess that just
about sums it up.
Well, I better be
getting back to town.
I want to stop by the
bank before it closes.
Been good seeing you, John.
You, too.
Matt,
what's the point in opening
up a 12-year-old case?
Huh? The fort's been
closed down for years.
The man who killed
the major and shot me,
he could be living halfway
around the world by now.
He... (chuckles)
could even be dead.
Well, John, I have to.
The Army wants an
answer, if there is one.
Uh-huh. You should
speak to my son Tom.
He was leading
the posse that night
they chased that Felix Smith,
or whoever it was,
down through the hills.
Well, he was out when I
stopped by there, but I'll talk to him.
Ah. He might be
able to help you.
All right.
I'll keep you posted on
anything I find out, John.
What's he got?
Besides that
statement of Felix Smith.
Nothing that I can see.
After 12 years, this turns up.
Aw, it's no harm Matt
Dillon poking around a bit
if it means closing
the file for good.
Here you are, Marshal.
Well, I, uh, never recall
it being this hot before.
Uh, Mr. Bennings, you
don't seem to understand.
The only transactions
I'm interested in
are the cash withdrawals
made by the major
while he was finance
officer at the fort.
Cash withdrawals?
Yes.
The money found on
him the night he was killed.
It was all cash,
brand-new bills.
Now, this is the kind of money
he'd most likely
get from a bank.
Well, I, uh...
It's possible the money
came from this bank.
I'm not disputing that.
"Possible"?
You mean to tell me
you wouldn't remember
a $6,000 cash withdrawal?
Well, I, uh...
I haven't been a
well man, Marshal.
My, uh... my memory
fails me at times.
Of course, there are no
records for those years.
Why not?
There was a vault fire.
I see.
Coming for us.
Well, make like you're busy.
Now, I'll do the
talking this time.
How do?
Howdy.
Mr. Wall?
Yes, Marshal?
I understand that Fort Ridge
had most of their business
dealings with you here.
In fact, they got most of their
supplies through this store.
Yeah, we did some business.
Well, which one
of you handled it?
Well, you can talk to me.
Well, uh, Major Franklin
was found with a lot of money
on him the night he was killed.
Is it possible he could've
gotten that from you here?
Never paid the major anything.
Never, my whole life.
Never no cash.
Thank you.
Uh, wait a minute.
Uh, is that all you're asking?
That's all, yes.
Oh, you like playing
games with people?
What do you mean by that?
Well, you mean to say
you're not coming back
here with more questions?
I didn't say that.
He'll be back, all right.
It's the way a United
States Marshal would do it.
Yeah, make a man sweat first.
Well, hello, Wesley.
- Hello, Tom.
- Matt.
Good to see you.
It's been a long time.
Sure has.
Well, come on in.
- Thank you.
- Have a seat.
Well, I stopped by and
saw your father today.
Yeah, he, uh... he told me.
I-I stopped off at his
place on the way in.
You know, I, uh, hate to drag up
all this Major Franklin
business again, Tom,
but I wanted to ask you
a few questions about it.
Well, I'll be glad
to help you if I can.
For instance, now,
according to the Army records,
you headed up a posse
that chased the
killer into the hills.
Yeah, he gave us the slip.
Well, now, it was
winter at that time,
and the passes were all closed.
Is it possible that this killer
doubled back into town here?
Oh, Ridge Town would be
the last place he'd come to.
A strange face
would likely to be
the first one
questioned after a killing.
Maybe it wasn't a
strange face, Tom.
Well, that's... that's possible.
Oh, I-I didn't know what
time it was getting to be.
I-I'm due home for supper.
Tom... a lot of things I don't
understand about this case.
For instance, why
was Major Franklin
carrying $6,000
in new bills on him?
Why didn't the killer take
that money off his body?
And what was he doing
in that wash south of town
in the middle of
the night, anyway?
Well, we asked those same
questions 12 years ago.
Come up with no answers.
Maybe that's because
the name Felix Smith
seemed to provide all
those answers at that time.
Well... well, I... I got
to be getting home.
Tom.
What are you afraid of?
Take a look out here, Matt.
You see a hotel,
bank, store, saloon.
All this was born when
Fort Ridge started.
Well, Fort Ridge is gone now,
and this town
almost went with it.
For ten years, it's
been hand-to-mouth
trying to keep it going.
But we've kept it alive,
because it's our home.
And now it's starting
to grow again.
Not fast, but... but steady.
And, uh, we got a
settler coming in here,
a settler coming in there.
New blood, new life.
We, uh, we just don't
want the name of our town
with mud on it when you leave.
Well, how can bringing a
killer to justice hurt your town?
Tell the Army it's
a dead end, Matt.
Tell them this Felix
Smith was, uh...
out of his head when he
died and leave it at that.
I don't understand you, Tom.
Your father's in a
wheelchair for life.
The man that shot him
may be running around
the streets of your
town right now,
and you act like you
don't want to find him.
♪♪
(gunfire)
♪♪
Did you see who it was?
No. No, I didn't get
a close look at him.
Probably got away in the dark.
I think creased him though.
How about yourself?
No. I'm all right.
Well... (clears throat)
You know, there's, uh...
there's plenty of good
fishing up this way.
Folks see a feller relaxing,
why, they kind of lean
toward relaxing themselves.
Tom, if I'd wanted
to go fishing,
I would've stayed in Dodge.
I think you know what I mean.
Frankly, I don't.
Matt, the major hurt a
lot of people in this town.
Almost everybody breathed
easier when he was buried.
Do you figure stirring this
up is gonna help this town?
Do you think it's gonna
help my father walk again?
Tom, all I know is I was asked
to come here and do a job,
and I'm gonna
carry it out, if I can.
Good night, Matt.
Good night, Tom.
(crickets chirping)
(man panting)
(panting)
Wesley.
Who put you up to this?
No... No-Nobody, Marshal.
Where'd you get this gun?
I had it along the whole time.
Wesley, why'd
you try to kill me?
I... I just won't go
back to that place!
I... just won't!
What place is that?
Where-where-where
they lock me up.
They-they don't treat me
like-like this town... does.
Well, now, who told you they
were gonna put you back there?
The boys did.
They said you was gonna...
hurt-hurt the town bad.
It wouldn't be here no more.
All right, come on, Wesley.
We got to get you up to a
doctor, get you bandaged.
Hey, ain't-ain't you
gonna arrest me?
No, I'm gonna put you
on probation, Wesley.
That means you got
to behave yourself.
Thanks, Marshal.
That's one favor I owe you,
and I-I pay back my favors.
Come on.
No, no, Marshal,
it's me, Bennings.
What are you doing
here, Mr. Bennings?
I, uh...
I'm sorry for all this
trouble, Marshal.
I-I came here to talk to
you about Major Franklin,
the money found on him.
What about it?
Well, I wonder if you would,
uh, not let it go any further.
I can't make any
promises about that.
Marshal, a bank manager's job
may not seem very much to you,
but I still have a
growing family to support.
You trying to tell me
that the money found
on the major that night
came from your bank?
I had to give it
to him, Marshal.
The major threatened to
withdraw all the fort's business
if I didn't cooperate.
I see.
Just what did this, uh,
cooperation amount to?
Well, when he first came
to the fort, small loans,
the kind I couldn't
put on the books
because they reflected
poor business practices.
But later on, he
demanded larger amounts,
assuring me he was involved
in certain business deals
where he'd be able
to repay everything.
Just kept getting
in deeper, huh?
So deep...
the loss of Fort Ridge business
would've ruined the bank.
He held that over my head.
The Army withdrawing
its business.
Was it you that
killed Major Franklin?
Oh, no, no.
I wouldn't have had the nerve.
No, the only thing I know,
the money found on
him the night he died
came from the bank.
Marshal, I'm-I'm putting
myself in your hands.
I have to.
The auditors won't be content
with the usual balancing.
What, you have a shortage there?
No, not now.
Every penny is accounted for.
Took me ten
years to pay it back.
All the money that I
advanced Major Franklin,
ten years of living a nightmare
that an auditor would find I'd
been manipulating the books,
but I paid it all back.
Well, what are you
worried about now?
My whole life is in
this town, Marshal.
My reputation.
If the people find
out about this,
they won't think about
the money being paid back.
All they'll remember
in time to come
is money that I was
responsible for was misused.
And the main office in St.
Louis would surely remove me.
Did anybody else know
the major had that
money on him that night?
Nobody that I knew of.
Well, I'll tell you, I'm
getting a little fed up
with this town of yours.
The storekeeper's
worried about me proving
his dealings with the Army,
so he must have been
overcharging on supplies.
The livery stable man was
selling horses to the Army
through Major Franklin.
Horses that were
overpriced and overaged.
I guess we were all
caught in the same web.
Well, there isn't much
point in my exposing
your dealings
with Major Franklin,
and I'm certainly not gonna
call any auditors in on you.
That's not my business.
Thank you.
Thank you, Marshal.
Sure.
I wish I could make you
understand how it was.
- Mr. Bennings.
- This town was just...
I understand how it was.
(sighs)
(coughs)
Mrs. Scanlon.
Oh, good morning, Marshal.
My husband isn't home.
I think you'll find
him down at the jail.
Mrs. Scanlon, uh,
actually, it was you
I wanted to talk to,
if you've got a minute.
(chuckles): Well,
if it's about the
Major Franklin case,
I'm afraid I can't
be of much help.
I was hoping maybe
you could tell me
a little bit about the, uh,
social life at Fort Ridge.
What do you mean
by "social life"?
Were you in the habit of
meeting Major Franklin, ma'am?
I was a happily married
woman at that time, Marshal.
I still am.
This was in the major's
personal effects, ma'am.
Guess the Army,
uh, never bothered
to question you
about it once they...
found out about Felix Smith.
I'm sorry to have to bring
all this up again, ma'am.
I know how you must feel.
But I'm afraid I've got
to have some answers.
I was very young...
when I wrote this.
Barely 19.
No, you keep it, destroy
it, do whatever you want to.
Ma'am, uh, was
Tom aware of the fact
that you were gonna leave
him for Major Franklin?
No.
In fact, I... I changed my mind.
I never left the
house that night.
He was waiting for me, but...
I never went to the wash.
And Tom never
went there, either.
For Tom to have
killed the major,
he would also have had to...
shoot his own father.
I assure you, such a thing
could not have happened.
(door closes)
Morning, Matt.
Tom.
We were just talking, Tom.
(chuckles) Well...
Vera, why don't you, uh...
why don't you go inside
and fix Matt a-a cold drink.
No, no, thanks, Tom.
- I got to be going.
- Okay, Matt.
Ma'am.
I had to tell him
the major was waiting
for me that night.
Why?
(hoofbeats departing)
Did you tell him anything else?
Mister!
Hey, mister!
You the marshal
from Dodge, mister?
- That's right.
- Well, Sy said to tell you...
He's the livery man...
Said to tell you your horse
is starting a bad case of colic.
Oh, thank you.
(woman sobbing)
(sobbing continues)
Are you all right, miss?
(chuckles)
(rifle clicks)
MAN: All right, Marshal.
Get up.
(giggles)
Over there.
Got to protect our women
around here, Marshal.
You all right, Sue Ann?
You just sort of got
here in time, Mr. Coor.
Sy.
We got two ways of
handling things in Ridge Town.
Abusing our women folk is a
hanging offense hereabouts,
but that embarrasses the women.
Private, painful lesson being
the other way we handle things.
Keep them up, Marshal.
COOR: Hold it!
Here's a hole card you
can't bet against, Marshal.
(giggles)
(whinnies)
(panting)
Took a bit of doing.
Yeah, he's a big one, all right.
Your turn.
(chuckles): No, I couldn't.
Hit him.
You hit him.
Hit him! Hit him like we agreed!
Now!
Sheriff! Sheriff!
There's some-something
going-going on
at the livery stable.
Are you crazy?!
What'd you do this for?
He had it coming, Tom.
Yeah, he was after Sue Ann.
Ain't that right, honey?
That's right, Sheriff.
It was just awful. (giggles)
(grunts)
Saddle up his horse.
Better bring his things
down from the hotel.
Help me get him up.
That badge you're wearing
is the only thing that's
keeping you out of jail.
(panting): Tom...
I'm telling you, Dillon.
You ever come back to this town,
- that's where you're gonna wind up.
- Tom...
I'll charge you with
assaulting that girl.
(quietly): Please, Matt, for
your sake, don't come back.
Well, I don't think
he'll be back soon.
He's a dangerous man,
going after a young girl.
Town's got to protect
itself, doesn't it, Tom?
Yeah.
♪♪
I hope the coffee warmed
you up some, Marshal.
Oh, it's real good, Wesley.
It's fine.
Aren't you gonna have some?
I can't, Marshal.
All... all I got's one cup.
Oh, well, here.
I'll share this with you.
Oh. Oh, no, no,
no. That's all right.
No, here.
(groans)
Here you go, Wesley.
Oh. Oh.
Have some.
Th-Thank you. Thank you.
You know, Wesley, I...
I think you saved my
life bringing me here.
Well, j-just-just a favor
I owe you, Marshal.
I'm the one that's
owing, Wesley.
And I thank you.
This, uh... this your
home here, huh?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, I... I built
it all myself.
Well, it's fine.
Yeah, people... people
give me the stove
and-and-and then
the... and the bed
and even the table.
Yeah, they-they
treat me good here.
Ev-Everybody
treats me real good.
Uh, the-the old sheriff,
he-he-he gave me his old coat.
Sure was a cold winter.
Boy. (chuckles)
You must be just
about melting in it
in this kind of
weather, aren't you?
Oh, th-this is the coat he wore
the night he was shot.
It's an honor to wear it.
You see it had a...
bullet hole right here.
Real big bullet hole.
And it was all burned
around there, but I fixed it.
I-I sewed it up.
I got the whole thing sewed.
I-I sew things
pretty good myself.
You say... you say that
was burned around there?
Yes, sir.
I fixed it.
Wesley, I know that
coat means a lot to you,
but I'd like to
borrow it for a while.
What for?
Well, I... I may
need it as evidence.
Against the sheriff?
I'm afraid so.
You're... you-you-you
gonna arrest the sheriff?
Well, I-I may have to.
You know, uh, there's
another thing, I...
want you to do for
me as a favor, too.
You know that, uh, gun you tried
to shoot me with the other day?
Gonna borrow that, too.
Y-You ain't gonna shoot
old Mr. Scanlon, are you?
No. No, I'm not, Wesley, I...
I'm not gonna shoot
anybody, if I can help it.
Thank you, Wesley.
And how long ago
was that, Wesley?
Well, you-you know,
I-I can't tell much
about time, Sheriff.
But it was just
before I left my shack.
And I-I run all the way.
If-if I'd known that it was
gonna hurt you, Sheriff,
I never would've helped him.
Of course you wouldn't
have, of course not.
Maybe I should've
tr-tr-tried to shoot him again.
Oh, no, no. You sure
he was going to town?
He said he was going to town?
Yes, sir. To see Mr. Tom.
Uh-huh.
Go inside, get me my
shotgun, will you, Wes?
Yes, sir.
What's this?
It's your father's coat, Tom.
The one he was wearing the
night Major Franklin was shot.
Well, is this supposed to
mean something to me?
It should.
Your father's always claimed
he was about 50 feet away
from that killer when
they exchanged shots.
That coat proves he was lying.
How do you figure that?
Look at this.
Look at that bullet hole.
Powder burns all
the way around it.
That means he was
shot from close up.
It also means he
got a close look
at the man that shot him.
And he's known all these
years it wasn't Felix Smith.
Now, who is it? Who is
it you and everybody else
in this town is
trying to protect?
You were a fool for
coming back here, Matt.
That all you've got to say?
That's all.
All right.
You don't leave me
much choice, Tom.
You're coming back to Dodge.
What for?
You're going up in front
of an Army inquiry board.
COOR: He ain't going
nowhere, Marshal.
Get your hands up.
(crowd clamoring)
Get his gun, Tom.
Thanks, Coor.
Go on.
I warned you, Marshal,
if you ever came
back to this town,
I'd arrest you for
assaulting that girl.
COOR: Hold it!
TOM: What is it?
Let's not play games, Tom.
We didn't come down
here to see you lock him up.
What's that supposed to mean?
You know what it means.
We want him.
We let you stop us last time.
We should've knowed better.
You're gonna kill him?
He's just gonna
have an accident.
That's right.
We're all gonna be
there when it happens.
Including you.
You're wrong now.
Come on, get back.
You stopped us once, Tom,
you ain't gonna do it again.
Get back. Get back. I
ain't gonna let you take him!
You don't have any choice.
(crowd clamoring)
That's enough!
Drop the gun.
Now, give me the keys.
(crowd clamoring)
(gunshot)
He's dead.
- Let's get him! Come on!
- (crowd clamoring)
All right, get him!
And get him, too!
Come on, get him
out of here, go on!
I'll get the marshal!
I'll get the marshal!
Get out here, Marshal!
Get him out of there!
Get out here, Marshal!
(crowd clamoring)
(gunshot)
Let them go.
Let them go, I said!
What's the matter with you?
Are you crazy?!
Don't you know if you kill him,
they'll only send
somebody else in his place?
- Well, let them!
- Yeah, let them!
- We'll take care of them, too!
- (crowd clamoring)
- Yeah! Yeah!
- That's right!
And then what?
What about the marshal
they'll send after that?
And the one after him?
We've had enough killing!
How many lives do you want
to take before this is all over?
John, you're not making sense!
- You're in this deeper than we are!
- That's right!
If he gets back to Dodge
City, they'll hang you!
- That's right, yeah!
- That's right!
Yeah, maybe they will!
But at least this way, the
rest of you won't hang with me.
Now, let them go!
Matt, I guess we've done
as much damage
as we're gonna do.
The town is yours.
Matt, don't.
Don't blame the townspeople.
The guilt isn't theirs.
The guilt's all mine.
I'm not worried about
the townspeople, John.
I learned a long time ago
you can't prosecute
mass hysteria.
John, I... I want to know
who killed Major Franklin.
I did.
(chuckles)
Sure, this town was dying
till Major Franklin come along
as finance officer of the fort.
He put it back on its feet.
At the time, I didn't think
it really mattered too much
that he was getting a kickback
from everything
that we sold the fort.
And by the time I realized
what he'd done to us,
it was... it was too late
to ask the military
authorities to prosecute him.
Besides, I would
have had to implicate
half the people in the town.
So you shot him.
Mm-hmm.
And I turned the gun on myself.
(chuckles)
To make it look good, I
thought I'd give myself
a little crease in
the ribs, you know?
But a lead bullet
doesn't always take
the exact direction
you want it to.
It kind of slanted off
one of my rib bones.
Lodged in my spine.
And I've been
paralyzed ever since.
Most, uh... most everybody
in town knew what happened,
but we went chasing off
through the hills anyway,
claiming that we was
looking for Felix Smith.
We've all lived
with it ever since.
12 years of existing
like a human vegetable.
12 years of not being
able to sleep nights
unless I take some
of that medicine
the doc gives
me to kill the pain.
12 years of waiting.
And being afraid...
for this kind of
thing to happen.
(sighs)
Now, I'm-I'm just
relieved it's all over.
I'm sorry, John.
Ain't you gonna take me in?
No, I'm not gonna
take you in, John.
All I got here is
a 12-year-old coat
with a bullet hole in it.
Couldn't prove a thing.
Besides, I...
I think you've done
about enough suffering.
Well, I'll be leaving
now, Wesley.
So long and thanks
for everything.
Thank you, Marshal.
Did-did you get what you
come here for, Marshal?
Well... more or less, Wesley.
Sometimes you got
to settle for a little less.
♪♪