Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 13, Episode 18 - Nowhere to Run - full transcript

A wounded man falls into his father's well, and rescue attempts are complicated by nearby blasting and the fact that the rescue party includes two men who don't want him to be rescued.

Gunsmoke, starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.

Come on. What's holding you?

- It's bolted down!
- Get back and watch the door!

Let's forget the whole thing.
Somebody's going to hear.

Get back there!
We've almost got it!

Hold it!

Now, you three stand
right where you are.

You said there
wouldn't be any shooting.

He had a shotgun, what
do you expect me to do?

Come on, let's get out of here.

- Come on! Let's go!
- We set out to steal a few dollars.



Farmer!

I don't want to
be a part of this!

You ain't no good for
anything but slopping hogs.

- Tod!
- Come on. Let's go!

The thing I miss most is having
old Doc here to raggle with.

I think the rest will
do you both good.

I could ride to Spearville and see if
he wants to do fishing on the way back.

There's awful good crappie
fishing in Tidwell's pond.

And we could have
ourselves a crappie fry and...

Old Roy's just liable to
have his-self a seizure,

seeing that young Honker
getting to work this early.

Is that so?

And that Tod Bishop there, he's
been working for Gibson, you know.

And here last week old
Gibbie just up and fired him.



Said he wasn't
worth a pinch of salt.

- Is that a fact.
- You know what I think?

That youngins today ain't got enough
gumption to pound sand for a rat hole.

Why, when I was his
age, there was 17 Haggens

depending on me for
everything there was...

Sure. Sure. Festus, how about
some breakfast. I'm buying.

I'm ready.

They do know
something, I tell you.

They was looking straight at
us and they're coming this way.

Will you shut up.

There you go.

You see, just heading
over to the Delmonico's.

Now, there ain't nothing to
tie us into last night, nothing.

Tod... I'm scared.

So am I...!

So am I, but I ain't going
to blab it all over town.

You'd better not either
unless you want to hang.

Now look, we ain't been
nowhere, we ain't seen nothing.

Anything we hear will be news to
us, just like it is to everybody else.

All right now.

Get back in there and go to
work like nothing's happened.

We live it like any other dull day
we've lived in this dog hole of a town.

What if Mark told his pa
he was going to meet us.

Mark, taking off for good, he wouldn't
have told that old man of his nothing.

Howdy, Miss Stonecipher.

Mr. Hirschbeck.

Well, was headed into
Dodge and just come by

to see if there was anything
I could fetch back for you.

That's neighborly,
Mr. Hirschbeck...

Pa?

Wash up, son.

You didn't need
to bother, really.

Oh, ain't no bother.

I figured you being
shorthanded, and all, like you are,

I could pick up
anything you needed.

I do thank you, but
there's nothing right now.

Hirchbeck.

Well, good day to you,
Ira. How's your well coming?

Something you came for?

Just to see if there was anything
I could get for you in town.

If I needed anything,
I'd go after it my ownself.

Oh, I know that, but as
long as I was going in...

I told you before,
we do for ourselves.

- Just trying to be neighborly.
- There's no call.

Never been a time when me and mine
needed more than I could provide for.

I never asked no
man for nothing.

Well, maybe back east folks have
got to be asked, but out here they don't.

We see a neighbor in need,
we do all we can to help him.

- I'm in no need.

The day you are the
saints protect you.

That's all I got to say.

Go on. Git.

Dinner's ready, Ira.

Mark!

Hi, Mark.

Pa.

What'd you come back for?

Uh...

I asked you a question, boy.

You found it colder out in
the big world than you thought?

You had it better at
home than you knew, huh?

What's wrong, boy?

It's nothing.

When I ask you a
question, I expect an answer.

Nothing, huh?

Come back here bleeding from a
gunshot wound and you call it nothing.

Now what happened?

- It was an accident.
- Don't you lie to me!

The only way a man gets shot in
the back is if nobody'll face up to him

or if he's running
away from something.

Pa.

You be quiet.

- Which was it?
- Mark wouldn't run away from nothing.

Well?

Go on tell him. You
wasn't running from nobody.

I told you to be
quiet. I'm waiting.

I should have known better than to
come back here looking to you for help.

You never helped nobody.

No, and I never asked
for no help either.

You stand there crying,

you who run away in
the middle of the night

because you didn't have the backbone
to stand up in broad daylight and face me.

That's how you got
that bullet wound, too,

crawling around
in some back alley.

Well, you ain't coming back here,
dragging your dirt in our house,

shaming your ma and your brother

and blotting our good name.

Nobody asked you to go away
and nobody asked you to come back.

Then you leave me
be. I'll do for myself.

With that?

Is that how you're
going to do for yourself?

If need be.

I'd see you dead first.

Give me the gun.

No.

Give it to me or I'll take it.

That's the only way
you're gonna get it.

- Pa!
- Mark!

Mark!

Mark!

Mark!

What happened?

- It's Mark! He's dead!
- Mark!

- Hush!
- Ira?

I said hush!

Mark?

Mark?

Mark?

Mark?

Ma?

Help me, Ma.

It was me he called to, me.

And I ain't turning a
deaf ear to my son.

We'll do it my way. We'll get
Mark out of there our ownselves.

We'll tend to his
hurts our ownselves.

Mark?

Mark?

Don't you fear now,
Mark. We'll get you out!

All my life I've been doing as you told
me, Ira Stonecipher, but not this time.

Woman, I don't have to give
you reasons for what I say!

Dale.

You ride into town
and fetch Doc Adams.

No!

Do as I say.

Like it or not, this is one time you'll
have to take a man's hand in help.

We can't.

Pa, maybe just
this is one time...

Your brother has
got a bullet in him!

A bullet!

You want the whole
world to know?

Mark's been shot?

We don't know the why of it.

I got my own thoughts though.

But ain't no man
going to say bad of us.

You prideful, sinful man.

Your son lies down there,

Lord only knows how hurt,

and you think of
what folks'll say.

You get. Fetch the
doctor as quick as you can.

Don't you say "No" to this, Ira,

'cause if you'll do, it'll be the
last time ever I'll hear it from you.

You be sure you don't talk to
nobody but Doc Adams, hear?

Yes, sir.

It's the right thing, Ira.

You know it's the right thing.

Just make sure them ties hold.

It's a heavy rope down there.

Mark?

Mark? You hear me?

I hear you.

We're going to throw a line
down there, tie it to the rope.

I got it, Pa.

All right, tie it off
to the rope, son.

Are you ready, Mark?

Almost.

It's ready, Ma.

Pull it up, Vera.

Something wrong there.

Dale, something wrong?

Howdy, Marshal.
Festus. No, nothing wrong.

- Hold on a minute.
- I got to go, Marshal.

Well, if you're looking for old
Doc, he's over in Spearville.

- I didn't say I was looking for him.
- Then what are you doing up there?

Marshal, please. My pa said...

What did your pa say?

Marshal, please, you
know what he'll do to me.

Dale, what's the matter?

Marshal, my brother
fell into our well.

He's hurt real bad.

And your pa didn't
want you to tell nobody?

No, sir, nobody but Doc.

Well, did you got him out yet?

Pa was trying when I left.

Festus, why don't you go saddle up
a couple horses and get some rope.

Marshal, if Doc ain't here, what's
going to happen to my brother?

Don't worry about it, Dale. We'll
see what we can do. Get your horse.

- Howdy, Bishop.
- Well, what you say, Honker.

Mind a bit of company?

No. Sit.

I just seen the marshal.

I've seen him almost every day.

With Mark's kid brother.

So?

So what's he doing with him?

Well, why don't you ask him?

Do you reckon he's got
word from Spearville?

If he ain't, he will
before long, won't he?

- What are we going to do?
- I already told you that.

Tod...

Now you hear me.

Nothing we can do
except bide our time.

We run, people
could ask questions.

There'll still be questions.

Everybody knows that Mark
and us hung around together.

That's the magic
word, Honker: Hung.

Take care that
don't happen, boy.

Now if they ask questions,
answer honest except one.

Remember this, you're
in this as deep as me.

- It wasn't me that done any shooting.
- Shut up!

Hey, working man, how
about buying a friend a beer?

Hmm?

Sam!

Mark, try. Please try.

I can't, Ma.

I can't pull it tight
enough to hold.

Pull just once
more, Mark, please.

It's no use, Ma.

Pull the line up, Vera.

How much harness we got in the barn?
We'll tie it together and I'll go down.

Not enough. The
well's 30-40 feet deep.

I'll go to Hirschbeck's
and get help.

Vera.

You'd sooner see him die?

No, no, 'course not, but...

Marshal. Dale's
brought the marshal.

Thank heavens.

- Is Doctor Adams coming?
- Doc's out of town, Ma.

- Did you get him out yet?
- No.

I'm obliged to you
for the rope, Marshal.

- What happened to your hands here?
- There's no need for you to stay.

Pa!

What's the matter, boy?

I felt the ground shake and
dirt started coming down!

I think the well's caving in!

Ira?

It's Ed O'Conner, he's dynamiting
tree stumps over that hill.

We don't get him out, that
whole things' liable to cave in.

Oh, no!

- Get over there, stop the dynamiting.
- I'm gone.

Mark, don't worry. We'll have you out
of there in a minute. Ira, get a ladder.

Here's the rope.

All right, give me
hand here, Dale.

Hold off! Take cover!

Mark?

Son, can you hear me?

Mark?

Answer me! Please!

You ready?

All set, Marshal.

All right. Ira, go
give Dale a hand.

Ira?

All right, lower away.

I'm sorry, Pa, but
he made me tell.

The way things worked
out, it's a good thing you did.

You know, he still doesn't
know Mark's been shot.

Won't be long
before he finds out.

- Hold it. That's far enough.
- Whoa!

Marshal, can you see him?

Mark.

Marshal, what is it?

Mark.

Mark!

Hmm? Hmm?

What is it? What happened?

Wall caved in on Mark.

Stonecipher. Why didn't
you tell me you was digging?

I could have held back
on that dynamiting?

Matthew?

Stubborn fool. He
won't ask for nothing.

Could have killed his own boy.

Mark, can you hear me, Mark?

Pa?

Pa?

He's alive. I can hear him.

Can you hear me, Mark?

I can hear you.

Mark!

I can hear you.

Mark, it's Marshal Dillon, now
listen to me. Don't try to move.

Help me.

Help me.

Please.

Now, Mark, we're going
to get you out of there.

Now whatever you do don't
move, don't dislodge those stones.

All right, pull me up.

All right, ease it up, Dale.

Give me a little
slack, now back it off.

That's it, bring it on in.

Marshal?

He's still alive, but it's going to
be tough getting him out of there.

What's the matter, Matthew?

Well, he's pinned under
an outcropping of rock.

It's deflected the dirt around him
enough so that he wasn't buried alive.

Then he's all right?
We can get him out?

No, I'm afraid it's not
going to be that easy.

Why not?

Because half of the south
wall of the well caved in.

The other half's just
hanging by a thread.

If we try to move any of that
dirt it could start an avalanche.

- And bury him alive.
- There must be something we can do.

We're going to have to dig another
shaft here and tunnel through.

Another shaft? It took Dale
and me five days to dig that one.

We could do it in half that
time if we had some help.

He'd never last that long.

He's got air down there. He could
last a couple of days if he had to.

He can't. He'll die if we
don't get him out soon.

What do you mean?

Marshal, when Mark
came back this morning,

he had a bullet
wound in his shoulder.

- A bullet wound? What from?
- I don't know. That's the truth of it.

But I know he could bleed to death
before we get another shaft dug.

- Not if we get it dug today.
- Today?

Festus, get back to town and get as
many men as you can out here fast.

Marshal, the way I've turned people
down in the past, nobody'll come.

Festus, we're going to need picks,
shovels, buckets, lanterns, kerosene...

Marshal, I ain't got
the money for all that.

Oh, hush. Will you hush? Money.

We'll need a couple of star drills and
sledge hammers and a lot more rope.

- I'm on my way.
- What can I do, Marshal?

Let's get a couple of
shovels and we'll start digging.

I'll take care of your hands.

I want all of you that's stout
enough and willing enough

to work till your arms
just drop plum off.

I want you to rustle your
feathers and hightail it

right out to Stonecipher's
place right now.

And Newly, why don't you go get
the wagons so we can load it up,

- right now, go ahead.
- Yes, sir. You bet.

Lewy, Bud, Woody, go to Rollins store
and get us plenty of picks and shovels,

wheelbarrows and lanterns...

I just heard.

All the noise Festus is
making, it's no wonder.

Well, what are you doing, standing
around here with your mouths open.

Now get going!

I don't want anybody out
there just a feeling your eyeballs

and waiting for
free vittals neither.

Now go on. Just get moving.

Well, Bishop, Honker, what
are you doing standing here?

He's your friend. Get
out yonder and help.

All right, Festus.
We're going to go.

Shake a leg then, get going!

What do you mean,
we can't go out there.

Come on. He gave us a choice?

We don't go, we ain't there,
right out front all the time,

it's going to look mighty
suspicious, ain't it?

Besides, like you said,
he's our friend, ain't he?

All right.

I should be out there helping
O'Conner and the marshal.

There's no help
you'll be to them.

I could at least do something.
I could heft the wheel barrow.

Dale is doing that.

Ma, Mr. O'Conner busted open an old
cut. He needs some bandages for his hand.

- Uh, tell him to come in, Dale.
- No. I'll go out there myself.

Ira?

Accept giving with the same
spirit it's offered, open handed.

I'll send him in.

- Think anybody'll come?
- Yes.

You know, Pa ain't been the
easiest on folks since we come here.

Your pa is a good man.

Yes, ma'am.

As hard as he's ever been on you or
your brother, he's been hardest on himself.

Ma, I didn't mean...

Before either of you ever lent him
a slightest hand, he did for himself.

- He never asked no man for a thing.
- Ma.

Ma, don't defend him to me.

Please, there ain't no need.

I love him same as you.

Go in the house and have the
missus take a look at that hand.

It ain't that bad, Ira.

I don't want you...

I don't want you
stoving yourself up

with all the work that
we've got ahead of us.

Ira...

Take a rope and measure the
distance between these two holes here.

Then we'll know how much
of a tunnel we got to dig.

Sure thing.

Whoa! Whoa!

Hurry it up there.

Get everything right over
here where it'll be handy.

Matthew, we've got enough
fellas to dig clean to China.

Well, Festus,
that's mighty good.

And there's plenty more of them
willing to come, too, if we need them.

All right.

The rest of you fellas
can't get too close here.

We can only have two
digging in the shaft at one time.

Want to come and
do some digging.

- Oh, course, you betcha.
- All right.

Honker, Honker, come on over.

Let's you and me show
them how to do it. Want to?

Yes, sir. Come on.

Grab yourself a shovel
there and jump in the hole.

You talked to Mark,
Marshal. Is he all right?

Well, he's hurt pretty bad.

Sure hope we get to him in time.

Hey, some of you fellas,

get some of this dirt moved
away from the shaft here, will you?

Just put it right over here.

Ed, better get some boards and
make a walk for the wheel barrows there.

- It's getting awful muddy.
- Sure, Marshal.

Winthrop, tell the boys to start
piling that dirt on the other side.

- It's getting too close to the well.
- Sure.

Marshal, there must
be something I can do.

Ira, I understand how you
feel, but we got plenty of help.

Yeah.

Ira... we're going
to get him out.

Come on up with it.

Come on up.

Hold it right there.

All right, take her
down. Take her down.

Hey, this dirt's holding
a lot of moisture, ain't it?

Yeah?

If I didn't know better, I'd think you
was really working to get him out.

You wanted to make
it look like we was.

I didn't mean for
you to kill yourself.

Well, we can't do nothing with
all these people around here.

Maybe not, but we can make
sure he's dead before we leave.

Yeah? And how are
you going to do that?

Crawl down there
and shoot him again?

Get over here with that wheel
barrow! There's a load waiting for you!

Hurry it up there!

Thank you, sir.

No, son. Thank you.

How far down they gone, Lathrop?

Oh, they down more than 30
feet. Started tunneling, they did.

Lathrop, will you get that bucket back
here. We ain't got all night, you know.

Ain't a soul believe
it could be done.

Well, they've had a lot of men
digging down there since noon.

I'm talking about me.

You?

You know it's
been near 14 hours,

and I ain't even smelled a cork?

Take it away, Festus.

All right, haul that bucket up.

Take it on up.

Hurry it up.

Hold her right there.

Sam, why don't you and Halligan come
up now and take a little breather? Come on.

All right.

Charley, pull that lantern up there.
Let's put a fresh one on it, will you?

Just pull it on up there.

How's it a-looking
down there, Sam?

Well, that tunnel's going to be
a pretty tight squeeze, Festus.

Just don't you
worry about it now.

Festus.

Sam, go yonder and get yourself
something to eat, take a little spell.

You too, Mr. Halligan.

- Who's going down there with you?
- I'll go. Been waiting my turn all night.

Well, watch it, Bishop.
Slow down there. What the...?

Well, Matthew and me'll be down
there to spell you directly now...

All right, Festus.

Don't go too hard and too
fast. Be easy now, be easy.

Hey, Festus, look. Look
at Honker over there.

What's the matter with him?

- You all right, Honker.
- What's the matter with you?

You look like you're
tuckered plum out.

No, Festus. I'm all
right. I'm all right.

Well, Dale, take him over yonder
and get him something to eat

and sit him down
and let him rest.

No need.

There's some good beans
and meat cooking over there.

There's plenty of
good vittals over there.

You'll get a chance
to get your breath.

We got all the help we can
use right now. We have. Go on.

Come on. Get on
over there. Hurry it up.

- Burt?
- Yes?

Come over and get a
hold of this wheel barrow.

Keep away from the edge.

All right, somebody, get
some kerosene for these lamps.

Why don't you sit
down right here, Honker.

Dale, fetch some clean plates.

Yes, right away, Ma. And Honker
here needs some grub. All right?

Ma'am, I... I ain't
really hungry.

You're the boy from the
General Store, Mark's friend.

Yes, Ma'am.

I do thank you for your
goodness in helping.

Oh, I ain't doing all that much.

More than you'll
ever know. Bless you.

Can't be much
further, can it, Matthew?

Well, that tunnel ought to be
about half way done by now.

- How's it going down there, Lathrop?
- Another six foot or so.

It's getting awful
muddy down there.

- More than it was before?
- Well, I'd say so.

Where's Bishop at?

Well, he's tunneling away
down there like a regular mole.

Said he wasn't even tired.
Smell something good over here.

They got plenty of vittals. Go
over there and take a rest, eat some.

Bishop come out of there.

I'll stay a while longer.

No, come on out. You need
rest. We'll spell you a while.

I ain't tired,
Marshal. I don't mind.

Bishop, come on out.

Water's sure seeping
in fast, Matthew.

Yeah, and that hole Ira's
digging is bone dry. There you go.

I'm telling you, Marshal,
I'm good for hours yet.

That's all right. Thanks a lot. Go on
up and get some air. We'll call you later.

I'd never known that youngin to
work that hard before, have you?

Well, I guess he's a
friend of Mark's, isn't he?

Yes. Him and
that Honker fella is.

Let me know when you
get tired and I'll spell you.

All right, Festus.

All right, haul away now!

Get some more buckets
down here, quick as you can,

all you can get ahold of!

Matthew, how's
it coming in there?

Slow, very slow, Festus.

Well, speed it up if you can! This
here wall's a bleeding awful bad!

Hurry it up. Get them
buckets down here!

All right, hurry it up! Get them
buckets down here! Hurry it up!

Come on down with it!

All right, take
it up. Take it up.

Get them on down here now.
Give me as many as you can.

Matthew, I'm just a barely keeping
up with it. Hurry as fast as you can.

Seeps in much faster, I ain't
going to be able to handle it.

Get them down here!
Hurry it up with them buckets!

Hurry up! Take it up!

Why couldn't they have
hit that water sooner?

- Let's get out of here.
- And go where?

No, there's only once chance we
got, and that's Mark being dead.

If that marshal'd just
left me down there...

What are we going to do?

You know any way to get
that water to come in faster?

Won't be but half an hour before
they get down to where Mark is.

Help! Help!

I'm sorry, Mr. Stonecipher.

If that closed off that
good air down there. You...!

- Ira. Stop it. Stop it, Ira!
- It was my fault.

Mark! Mark!

Ow! My ankle!

Mr. Stonecipher, I'm sorry.

- Truly I am.
- Get out.

Ira, stop!

There's still hope, Ira!

Still hope.

I sure hope he's got
enough air down there.

Marshal's going to be breaking
through any minute now.

Just as well that he does
before the water gets any higher.

I'll walk over there.

Doc, we wondered
what happened to you.

I've been to Spearville. A man got shot
over there, Luke. How's it going there?

Not so good. The rescue
shaft is filling up with water.

Haul it up! Get some more!

Take her on up!

Get some more!

Take her on up!

Get it back in a hurry!

Festus, I've broken through!

Matthew's broke through.

The marshal broke through.

Matthew, come on! Come on!

It's sure filling up fast!

Hurry it up, Matthew!

Get him up here
where I can help you.

Get over here. There's fresh
air. Come on over here, here.

Mark, are you all right?

All right. Get that
line down to me here.

Come right on down with it!

Just hold it now, Matthew.
I'll get this line on him.

All right.

I didn't kill him, Marshal,
honest. You've got to believe me.

Kill who? What are
you talking about?

That storekeeper in Spearville.

That storekeeper.

All right, haul him up slow now.

Come on, men!

Easy!

Somebody get some blankets.
Burt, get some blankets, will you?

Hold it right there.

Give him some slack now!

Just a little more.

Give him some slack!

Set him right there.

All right, now
everybody step back.

Get back, give him some
room, area to breathe.

Doc, he kept mumbling something
about killing a storekeeper in Spearville.

Do you know about it?

Yeah, I took a bullet out
of him yesterday afternoon.

He's going to live
though. He'll be all right.

Well, did he say who did it?

He said three boys
came in to rob the store

He got a good look at
the one that shot him, too.

Let go of me! Let go!

- What's the matter with you?
- It's all over, Tod!

Tod, we're going to face
up to what we've done.

They ain't going to hang me, you
hear? They ain't going to hang me!

No, I don't think
they will, son.

But they'll give you a long
time to think about what you did.

Festus, get the horses.

What I'm trying to tell you,
Doc, is that if a fella went to work

and make himself a pair of
britches out of a pair of old shafts,

then he wouldn't have
to wear shafts no more

because he'd done have
shafts all the way around.

- Wait. Wait a minute.
- Don't you see what I mean?

I am positive that an idea as silly
as that has been followed before

by some other pinhead,

but there's a very good
reason why it's never been done.

Well, the only reason
it ain't never been did

because nobody never
came along smart enough...

All right... all right, you go ahead
and make yourself a pair of pants

out of Matt's old shafts, but
when you get them finished...

call me, I want to see what...

I'll call you...

- Been looking for you, Marshal.
- Hello, Mark.

Me and Pa just got in from Hays.

That judge up there gave
me two years suspended time.

That's what I heard.

Well, I just want to thank you
for all you did for me, Marshal.

You did all right, according to
that storekeeper in Spearville.

Yeah, well...

Still in all, I'm thanking
you for that letter you wrote.

That went a long way in
getting me a second chance.

I'm truly obliged.

Good luck to you, Mark.

- Festus. Doc.
- Mark.

You know, Marshal,

me and Pa got a
second chance, too.

Seems that...

Well you've got my word,
Marshal, on both accounts.

I ain't letting down.

Just makes you feel
good all over, don't it.

Yeah.

Does it make you feel good
enough that you could take us down

to Long Branch
and buy us a beer?

Oh, yeah, Doc.

But the truth is,
you see I'm busted.

Now, if you could see your way
clear to loan me a dollar or two, why...

Don't look at me, Doc, you
walked right into that one.

Stay tuned for scenes
from next week's Gunsmoke.