Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 13, Episode 21 - The Gunrunners - full transcript

Jubal Gray (Jim Davis) and his gang of renegade ex-soldiers steal a cache of rifles and gunpowder to sell to a band of marauding Indians. In a chance encounter they seriously injure Tahrohon (Dan Ferrone), an Indian friend of buffalo-man Noah Meek (Michael Constantine). Noah vows revenge for his friend's wounds.

Gunsmoke, starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.

As you were, soldier.

I'm Sergeant Gray.

Colonel McDeffit assigned
me to check the post tonight.

And I just want to be sure that
everything's all right with you.

Ah!

Patch.

Get going.

Ho!

Tahrohon!

Tahrohon! Where you at?



Coming into Dodge with me?

- No.
- Should've know'd better

than to ask you that.

- Will you be back today?
- 'Fore sundown.

I'll hunt for supper.

Paint a nice plump turkey.

If I can find one.

When you sell the furs...

if you get enough...

I would like a new knife.

Price of fur is down, boy.

We're gonna barely make
enough to buy supplies we need.

And one or two beers
with man-afraid-of-razor.

Huh... Wouldn't want me to
pass that up now, would you?



Man-afraid-of-razor, my foot.

Wasn't me who said it.

Well, you've been
a-blabbing it all over town.

Why don't you give up,
man-afraid-of-razor? You're beat.

I ain't no such a thing.

- You getting tired, Noah?
- A shade.

- You?
- A shade.

Call it even?

Who pays?

I'll pay.

Oh, much obliged, Miss Kitty.

Well, I'm gonna have to, if
I intend to keep Sam here

because he hasn't sold
anything since you two started.

Well, you've gone and
let him do it again now.

You're still in good
shape, Festus.

Well, by ding it, you're in pretty
good shape for an old mountain goat.

- Can I bring you something, Miss Kitty?
- No thanks. Nothing.

- How about you, Doc?
- No, nothing for me. Thanks, Kitty.

How is, uh, Tahrohon, Noah?

Oh, he's... growing, Miss
Kitty. Growing like an aspen.

You know, I haven't saw
him in two or three years.

How's a-come you didn't
bring him into town with you?

Oh, you'd do something
to see him in town.

Don't sound like he's
changed a whole heap.

No, I guess he's got a
touch of the wild in him still.

There's no denying that. He'd
no more set foot in town than...

Than you would,
if you could help it.

Oh, now, Doc. Now, I look forward
to the times I come visiting Dodge.

Good friends, good drinking.

But, you know, I get in the
middle of this here civilization,

after a while it makes me know how
lucky I am when I head back to the hills.

- How's trapping been?
- Fair, Miss Kitty, only fair.

Folks keep spreading this here
civilization, it'll get worse too.

Reminding me.

Ain't that a handsome thing?

That there what Jonas
been a-holding for you?

That's right.

Took him four months to
get me this from back East.

A year wouldn't have been too
long to wait for a knife like that.

That for Tahrohon?

Been ten years ago this month,
I found him, after that Kiowa raid.

Ten years.

Won't his eyes light up like a
full moon when he sees that.

Won't they, though.

Whoa! Ho!

As long as you stole us a wagon, why
didn't you get one that would stand up?

- Shut up, Patch.
- Got to be fixed.

No, it's gone. We
need a new wheel.

Well, now what do we do?

We sure can't haul stolen
guns down the middle

- of the Dodge trail on our backs.
- We got company.

Hold it.

Gunshot might bring
us some visitors.

And the last thing
we want is company.

We got a busted wheel.

Dodge is the nearest place.
Buy a new wheel there.

You talk pretty
good for an Indian.

- How much further is it to Dodge?
- Fifteen miles.

Wagon's loaded
full of foodstuff, boy.

It'll spoil long before we got to
Dodge and back with a new wheel.

Now, uh, is there any place nearby we
can get a wheel, another wagon maybe?

- Stage stop, ten miles east.
- Well, that's not much help.

Cut down one of those
saplings. Make a drag stick.

Drag stick?

Lash it to the wagon
in the wheel's place.

It'll slow you down some, but
it'll get you where you're going.

All right, Bender. You
and Wade get to it.

Cut a good strong one.

The greener, the better.

Come on!

You too good to
lend a hand, Indian?

I said no guns.

That's another one that
paid for this eye of mine.

You pass anybody on the way
to the farm, you be real polite.

- And keep moving, you hear?
- Yeah, we hear you.

When the wagon's hid, you just
get into Dodge and get a new wheel.

And a few drinks, huh?

You stay out of trouble.

When do we get the money?

When our man sees
what we've got for sale.

Well, when will that be?

Well, I won't know till I
see him, will I, Patch?

See you in Dodge sometime
tomorrow afternoon. Now, get going.

Anybody home?

Tahrohon!

Tahrohon!

Tahrohon!

Tahrohon!

Jubal said not to
shoot him. If he talks...

The way he looks, he
ain't going to be able to.

They got one of the best
docs in the state up there.

I wouldn't give no odds
on him coming out of it.

- We should've made sure he was dead.
- Shut up.

- That's all you're good for is...
- Shut up!

It was just dumb, bad luck somebody
found him before he croaked.

Our problem is what we do now?

Well, if he comes
around, we're dead.

We ain't that hard to describe.

He's in good hands, Noah.

Now, he's going to be all right.

He's the closest
I've got to kin, Matt.

He's got to be all right.

What happened to him?

I don't know what happened.

Where'd you find him?

Back aways off the Dodge trace.

Well, did his horse throw him?

He fell.

Well, he fell from what?

I don't know it makes
much difference, Matt.

Doc?

Well, Noah, he's
alive, but that's about it.

What's that mean?

That means he's got a
concussion, for one thing.

A lot of little broken
bones in his right hand,

and there's some cuts
and bruises and abrasions.

Discoloration around his throat here.
I don't like the looks of that at all.

What happened to him?

Kind of strange.

Did he tell you what happened?

Just Tahrohon fell.

It's possible, I suppose.

But I just can't see all of
that happening from a fall.

- What do you mean?
- Well, the concussion maybe,

the cuts and the bruises.

But his hands, all those
broken bones from a fall?

It seems to me like it would
have at least broken a wrist,

or a forearm, or a
finger, something.

And his throat.

Any kind of a fall that
would do that kind of damage

would have had to taken
his jaw off, it seems to me.

Another thing.

I just can't see a
boy like Tahrohon

falling off a mountain,

or whatever else it was he was
supposed to have fallen off of.

- I can't picture that.
- Neither can I.

Been like that all night.
Never moved, not a muscle.

There's times I
thought he was dead.

He's in a coma.

Will he make it?

You better have
something to eat, Noah.

Tell me, Doc, is
he going to live?

I don't know. I
honestly don't know.

Eat some breakfast.

All right, Noah. There you are.
Just dig right in. It's good and hot.

Here.

I hollered at him when I seen him riding
out, but he never paid me no nevermind.

I didn't think nothing
about following him.

Well, he was up all night
in there with Tahrohon.

I tried to get him to eat
something in there, but he didn't.

Matthew.

- How's Tahrohon?
- Well, he's about the same.

- Noah still with him?
- We was just talking about him.

He left here just about a
half an hour ago and he was...

He was acting awful strange. Festus
said he saw him riding out of town.

Which way was he heading?

He was a heading south,
just a-raising the dust.

Anybody about?

You want something, mister?

Howdy. I was looking to borrow
some of your water for my horse.

You'll get none
out of that well.

- Oh?
- Run dry a time back.

Well, I'd be obliged if you can
tell me where I can get some.

- There ain't none around here.
- That a fact?

My, uh, woman hauls it
from the creek over yonder.

Well, then I best be
moving on to that creek.

I'd say.

Good day to you.

Where's the rest of them?

How many of them where there?

From the tracks, I know there
was four or five. How many?

You don't know what
I'm talking about, do you?

That Indian you tried to kill.

It's coming back to you
now, isn't it? Remember?

Now, I'm gonna ask
you one more time,

and if I don't get an answer,

I'm going to snap your
neck like a chicken.

Now, how many of them was
there, and where's the rest of them?

Five. Five of us.

Where's the other four?

In... in Dodge.

What's their names?
Tell me their names.

I should do to you
like you done to him,

but then you wouldn't
be much good to me.

Don't die on me, you hear me?

I want those names!

Don't die! I need you, you
hear me? I want those names!

- Don't you die on me!
- Noah!

He's dead, Matthew.

Go take a look outside.

- Noah, who was he?
- I don't know.

I want to know
what this is all about.

It was self-defense, Matt.
He come at me with a knife.

I didn't want him
dead. Not yet, anyway.

Well, what were
you doing out here?

Don't push me, Matt. What I
got to do got to be done by me.

There ain't no
room for you in this.

I'm making room, Noah.

Now, you claim you killed this man
in self-defense, but I don't know that.

Not unless you tell me what this is all
about and what you were doing out here.

Either that, or I'm
going to take you in.

He was one of them
that tried to kill Tahrohon.

How do you know that?

There was wagon tracks where
they pushed him into a barranca,

three wheels and a drag-stick.

I followed them tracks

till I come to a fork in
the road leading to Dodge.

Then I had to get Tahrohon
to Doc, so I left the trail.

Well, I followed it back
again. Led me right here.

- How many of them were there?
- I don't know.

Noah, use your head.

Now, if that gang finds out
that Tahrohon's still alive,

they're going to come into
Dodge and try and finish him off.

Now, you can't protect Tahrohon and
go after the rest of them at the same time.

Not alone.

There was five of
them. Four, now.

All right. Where's
the rest of them?

- Listen, Matt...
- Where are they?

Well, according to
him, they're in Dodge.

I tried to get
their names, but...

- Matthew!
- Let's go.

Over here, Matthew.

- You find something?
- You bet you. Look here inside.

Looks like we glommed
onto a nest of gunrunners.

Yeah.

Sure is a bunch of
rifles here, ain't there?

You got enough stuff
here to start a small war.

Where's he off to?

Well, he's probably headed back
to Dodge. I'd better follow him.

Look, put everything back
the way it was in there, Festus.

Hide the body and I'll
be back as soon as I can.

If they come back here, I'm
going to be waiting for them.

No, if they come back,
don't try anything yourself.

Just stay out of sight and follow
them. I'll get here as soon as I can.

Don't you fret none now, Matthew.
Everything's going to be right as rain.

- You the Doc?
- Yes. What's the trouble?

I cut myself slicing
a side of beef.

Over here. Let's
take a look at it.

We rode into town last night.

- Looks bad, huh, Doc?
- Well...

Pretty deep. Seems
to be healing all right.

Just clean it up and put
a bandage on it for you.

Sure appreciate it, Doc.

You looking for
something, mister?

No, just passing the time waiting
for you to fix up clumsy there.

Pass it somewhere
else, will you?

You're pretty lucky
that didn't get infected.

Poured some good
drinking whiskey over it, Doc.

All right. This may
sting a little now.

I'll clean it up and
put a bandage on it.

You kind of take good
care of it for a few days

and then come back in and see
me, and we'll keep watch on it.

- That's real kind of you, Doc.
- All right. Thank you.

- Sam.
- Doc.

- Thought you'd like something to eat.
- Oh, thank you.

Just put it on my
desk over there.

How's the boy?

Well, he's doing better.

That is, he's breathing
better and his pulse is better.

He's still unconscious, but I
think he's got a pretty good chance.

All right, there you are now.

If, uh, that gets to bothering you,
stop by and I'll have another look at it.

Thank you, Doc. How much?

Oh, 50 cents.

Much obliged.

Come on, Patch.

Let's get out of here.

Let's get back to the
farm and put that wheel on.

- There's time, Wade.
- It's crazy to hang around here.

That Indian could
pull out of it any time.

What did you get in
this thing for, Wade?

The same... the
same reasons you did.

I wanted out of the
Army, I wanted money.

Then shut up.

Well, we're in business.
We deliver tonight.

- Tonight?
- That's right.

They'll be at the farm about
midnight to take delivery.

- How much?
- $75 a rifle.

$75?

Why, that's a fortune.

12 rifles in a case, 12 cases...

That's right, it's a
little over $10,000.

Ten thousand?

Take a hitch or two in the
Army to make that kind of money.

I didn't know there was that much
money in the... in the whole world.

We're still a long
ways from spending it.

What's that?

We still got problems, Jubal.

What kind of problems?

It was you who said no shooting.

- What are you talking about?
- Well, the Indian ain't dead.

He's unconscious, but
according to the Doc,

he stands a good
chance of coming out of it.

- Then why ain't you taking care of it?
- We tried.

We was lucky to get away clean.
The bartender came in on us.

Let me tell you something.

That money don't mean a mess kit to
me unless I can spend it the way I want.

I put in 14 long
years in the Army,

and all I've got to show for
it is a horse and a uniform.

And I don't aim to be running
around all over the country

worrying about the law or the
Army picking me up, you hear?

The Indian is the
only thing in our way.

All right, then we kill him.

There are people
all over the place.

We'll find a way to do it
without anybody seeing us.

And how do you do that?

We do it tonight.

Whoa, whoa. Hold
on there now, boy.

Now, don't you fight that.

That there's part of
what they call civilization.

Them's sheets.

Oh, oh, uh, as I say,

I didn't have as many of
them bears as I figured to do.

So I had a little
left over and...

Go on now, that's for you.

Oh, man... man over at the
general store gave me a price on it.

Hold on now. Hold on now.
Now, don't you fret, boy.

Just relax now.

That's fine, boy. That's right.

Oh, say.

How about the
Sangre de Cristos for us

when you get up out
that there civilized bed?

This country getting
all too full of people.

A man can't make a move without
falling face down in one town or another.

What's you say,
boy? The Sangres?

Prettiest mountains you
ever set your eyes on.

That's fine.

That's just fine.

'Course we just can't... just can't
pull up and leave just like that.

A couple of things we
got to take care of first.

You got to get well.

And there's
something I got to do.

You get a good look at
them that done this to you?

Now, don't you cheat
me out this, Tahrohon.

I got a right to them, just the same
as you would if they'd done this to me.

You understand me?

All right, now. Now, did you
get a good look at any of them?

Can you tell me
anything about them?

Now, I know there was five
of them, there's four now.

I don't know who
the rest of them are.

Now, just tell me anything you can
that'll help me find the rest of them.

Scar?

Man with a scar
over his right eye.

Just let him get some rest now.

You'll have plenty
of time to talk later.

Well, that's a good idea, Doc.

Now, you just get
some rest, Tahrohon.

It's a long way to the Sangres.

Noah, Matt said you'd
stay close to Tahrohon.

I'm going, Doc.

Keep an eye on
him for me, will you?

- That's the window.
- All right. Get to it.

- I'll get the horses.
- You wait here for Patch.

We'll get the horses.
Come on, Bender.

Come on. Get on with it.

Go on! What are you waiting for?

What was that?

- I can't see, Wade.
- Shut up.

Wade! Don't leave me here, Wade!

I can't see, Wade!

- Where's Patch?
- He's back there.

- What happened?
- He's... They got him. He's dead.

We got to get out of here.

Hey, get the marshal!

Wade, I can't see!
You dirty, rotten...

- Wade! That you, Wade?
- No, it's Doc Adams.

Put that gun down!

The lousy coward left me.

Well, if you want me to help
you, you better put that gun down.

Matt, he's blind.

All right, mister. This is a
US marshal. Drop the gun.

Doc, I can't see.

I'm blind, Doc.

I said drop it.

Put a rag on him.

- Let's get him up to the office, Matt.
- Here. Boys, give us a hand here.

Tahrohon!

You all right?

They come for you again.

Hold on. All right, boy.

Good boy. Good boy.

Bring him right in here. Here.

Put him right here.

- It was them again, Matt.
- I know.

This is one of them here.

Here, let me see.

- Hold on here!
- Hold on!

The other three
are getting away.

Doc saw them.

Reese!

Reese!

You up there, Reese?

He ain't in the barn.
The place is deserted.

- What could have happened to him?
- Now, how in the blazes would I know?

- Do you figure he could of run out?
- Without his count?

Well, something's wrong!

I don't need you
to tell me that.

Now, let's get out there
and hid them horses. Go on.

- That shot, it wasn't but one shot.
- Shut up.

- I'm getting out.
- Like heck, you are!

- Jubal.
- Come on.

We've been staked out. I just
shot a lawman riding out of here.

They got Reese. They know.
We got to get out of here.

Well, not without
the money, we don't.

Yeah, but they know we're
here. They'll be coming soon.

So will the ones who's gonna
buy the guns and ammunition.

- Yeah, but who's gonna get here first?
- It's almost midnight.

It'll take at least a half
hour to get a posse together.

- Maybe it will, but...
- Now, you listen to me.

We're in perfect position.

We get that money
and hightail it out of here.

Then we'll let the posse
grab Singleton with the guns.

- Singleton, huh?
- That's right.

Well, we'd better be long
gone before that posse comes.

Or that half-breed will have
us cut up for coyote meat.

Get your horse out of
sight. Come on in the barn.

Will you stop it?

Listen.

- We're caught!
- Shut up!

It's Singleton.

Come on.

Matthew! Matthew!

Festus.

I'm sorry, Matthew.

I done like you told me, but
like a bonehead I got myself shot.

- Hit bad?
- No, it ain't bad.

Right now I couldn't whup a sick
kitten. But there's three of them, Matthew.

I seen two of them go in and the other
and he's waiting for somebody to follow.

Do you think you'll
be all right if we go on?

- Oh, I'm going with you.
- No, no, you're not, Festus.

I want you to get back and have
Doc fix that up just as soon as you can.

All right.

Now, you take care of
yourself, you hear me?

They ain't going to be took without
no fight, I'll guarantee you that.

Not with all them
rifles, they ain't.

Come on.

They're all there.

There's a lot more
than three of them.

- Let's go.
- Now, wait a minute.

We just can't go charging
in there, you know.

Well, for certain, I ain't
letting them get away.

Now, don't worry about that.
They're not going to get away.

A man as anxious to make a deal
as you makes me a little nervous.

I'm anxious.

What we went through to get those rifles
makes me kind of anxious for our money.

Do you know who's
going to use those rifles?

Makes no difference to me.

Don't bother you that some
soldier boys you served with

are gonna get killed with them?

Bother you that some of your
Indian friends might get killed, too?

Ain't no Indian friend to me.

Let me loose, breed,
or I'll cut you in two.

All right, boys, let's go.

Hold it right there.
It's a US marshal.

- They got here too!
- So that's why you were so anxious.

Not fighting you. You
save it for them outside.

Come out with your hands up.

Keber, Punch, go out
and try to get behind them.

Charlie, get up in the
loft and cover them.

They're flanking us.

- I've been hit!
- You ain't dead, are you?

When we get out of this,

I'm going to show you just
how much Indian there is in me.

If we get out of this.

We got plenty of
ammunition right there.

How much do you
suppose they're carrying?

- Jubal!
- Shut up.

When Punch and Keber get
behind them, we pour it on.

Then you and I settle our score.

We'd better do something quick.

They'll have us in a
cross-fire before long.

There's one thing we can do if
that ammo is still where it was.

- What's that?
- Cover me.

Matt!

Matt, you all right?

I'll tell you in a minute.

Well, of all the
tomfooled stunts.

Well, Noah, it worked.

Yeah, it worked all right.

Sure took the fight out
of the ones that are left.

Let's go round them up.

There. That's it. Now
you're all set there.

Doc, I'm truly grateful
for what you done.

Well, it wasn't all that much.

Oh, no. Just give me
my boy back, that's all.

Well, you just make sure he don't
do too much too soon, that's all.

Never fear.

Tahrohon, I want to see you the
first time you come into Dodge.

I want to kind of look you over,
make sure you're doing all right.

You will always be the first
one I see when I come to Dodge.

- My thanks, Doctor.
- Don't mention it.

Noah, you... you take care
of yourself now, you hear me?

All right, my friend,
man-afraid-of-razor.

Next time, we'll wrestle
for two pitchers of beer.

That there's a deal, and a
sarsaparilla for Tahrohon.

Heyo!

He's come out of it
plum good, ain't he?

Remarkable recovery.
Just remarkable.

I still say he oughtn't to have
been let out of bed this quickly,

let alone heading up
yonder in them hills.

Oh, is that a fact?

Why afoot, it's as plain as a pimple on
your nose, with that mauling he took...

Let me tell you something!

If I had thought he should
have stayed in bed longer,

he'd have stayed in bed longer,

and it wouldn't have made any
difference what you or anybody else said!

All right! That's your
whole trouble right there!

You just ain't willing to listen to
nobody that knows more than you know.

Well, now just who could
that be, for instance?

For instance, my Aunt Pansy.

- I am so sick and tired...
- Why, many a time us young'uns

has been a running out
across a cow lot barefooted

and step on a rusty nail, and
the first thing Aunt Pansy do

is to get a bunch of old sheets
and tear them up into strips

and put some turpentine
and sugar on our foot

and said to keep
it wrapped up, too.

That's the reason you
ain't going to learn nothing,

'cause you won't
listen to nobody!

He's a-getting too
blamed old to learn nothing.

Stay tuned for scenes
from next week's Gunsmoke.