Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 14, Episode 11 - Waco - full transcript

Gunsmoke, starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.

I'm looking for a man
named Waco Thompson.

Where is he?

Thanks.

Hm... Well, what'll it be?

Raise them slow
or get them up or...

- On your feet.
- On your feet.

Why didn't I think of that?

Weren't expecting no visitors.

- You Waco Thompson?
- Yep, on every inch.

US marshal. I got a
warrant for your arrest.



- For visiting the Raton stage.
- Yeah, and a few others.

What do you aim to
do about it, Marshal?

- You're going to Dodge.
- Yeah?

Well, I can think of about four
reasons why that might be hard.

- Name them.
- Well, my gang, Marshal.

Of course, I... I don't go
to telling folks their doings,

but if I was you, I'd
light out of here now.

Them old boys, they stick closer
to a trail than the hair on your head.

You just took hold of... of a
branding iron by the hot end, Marshal.

You...

You...

You're a mighty hard
and determined man.

I ain't got dressed this fast
as that time back in Tucson.

You said to wake you in an hour.



Let's go.

Yes, sir.

When my boys ride in and find old
Waco gone, they'll be breathing fire.

Getting me to Dodge'll be
like tiptoeing across a bog.

- That's your horse?
- What's left of him.

All right, saddle him up.

- Thank you.
- Well, thank you, sir. Thank you.

You know something, Marshal?

You ain't got a snowball's chance under
a Kansas sun to where we was going.

Keep saddling.

No need to lose
your temper, Marshal.

You got me so nervous
now, I'm just all thumbs.

Marshal, you sure know how
to stomp on a man's enjoys.

Yes, sir.

I just rode in last night. We
were just closing up some real fun.

That old Lillie, she's got a
tongue like a swinging door.

Just talk, talk, talk.

You know, Marshal,
I ain't funning.

Them boys of mine are going to
come riding over that ridge anytime now.

Why don't you ride
ahead, I'll catch up.

All right, lead him out.

Hold your hands out.

Oh, I swear if I
live to be 300...

Let's go.

- This ain't the trail to Dodge.
- It'll do.

We're traveling closer
to ground than a snake.

Why don't we ride up so
a breeze can reach us?

Uh-huh, and have
your boys spot the dust.

No, this'll get
us there till dark.

You're smart, lawman,
thinking clearer than blue sky.

You're smart and I'm parched.

Tongue's starting to curl
up and die like a dead leaf.

Wouldn't know
it to listen to you.

Let's get us a drink, Slick.

We'll get us a drink after we
see Waco and get that money.

Wonder how much money there is.

There's supposed to be six
or eight thousand in that box.

You know, I bet you old
Waco's already drank his up.

He'd better not
have drunk up mine.

Hey, Waco!

- Where is he?
- He ain't here.

He was here.

Slept here.

All of his gear's gone, Slick. I
thought he was staying here.

- Oh, he ran out on us!
- Where'd he go?

Wait a minute! Found a trunk.

Where'd he go?

Slick?

We'll find him. Fuller.

Lillie.

Fuller! That's enough.

Lillie, where'd Waco go?

When did he leave?

Better tell us, Lillie.

Waco ain't worth
getting Slick riled up.

Or worse.

Lillie?

Waco left just after dawn.

- There was a man with him.
- What man?

Big man.

Filled that door
when he came in.

You know him?

No. I never seen
him till this morning.

Which way did they ride?

East.

You heard her! Get going!

Gamble, you do your
femaling after we catch Waco.

As it sounds, Waco crossed
us. Joined up with another feller.

What are we gonna do, Slick?

Crying about it
ain't gonna help.

I'm gonna find Waco.

And when I do, I'm
not gonna shoot him.

I'm gonna drag him,
then I'm gonna hang him,

his toes just
touching the ground.

First, we're gonna
find that money.

Ain't we ever gonna
stop to catch our breath?

This old horse of mine don't get some
rest, I'm going to end up carrying him.

All right. Let's get off here
and let 'em breathe a spell.

Whoo!

Well, you ain't gonna
drink it all, are you?

Ah!

All the rain in heaven
must fill that canteen.

Hey, Marshal, you
want some jerky?

Dryer than a bride's prayer, but
at least it'll give you a last supper.

No thanks.

You know, Marshal, this here old
wash, it don't run on forever, you know.

Sooner or later you're gonna
have to take the high ground.

When you do, them old boys,
they're going to sight down on you.

Yes, sir. They'll be coming.

They'll be coming.

Stay right there.

I'm thinking Waco running
off with all that money.

I swear that I'll
kill him, I will.

Hood, when I get through with Waco there
won't be nothing left for you to kill.

- Well, Fuller, you see anything?
- There ain't any tracks,

I can't find it. And
I'm betting you

they're somewheres
down in that barranca.

Them old boys could
track an ant over rocks.

I got to say, though, Marshal, you're
thinking sharper than a boar coon.

But like I say, though,
them boys is trackers.

Well, there's four
of them, all right.

I swear, if I live to be 300, I'll
never understand a lawman's brains.

Now, here's they's coming
just as quiet and deadly as lions,

here you sit bold
as a signboard.

What do you plan
on doing, Marshal?

- We're going back.
- Back to Spivey?

No. There's more than one
way back to Dodge. Let's go.

I swear, if you ain't the
biggest law giver since Moses.

Whoa!

No other way they could have
come except this barranca,

or we'd have seen them.

Waco's going to
have that money spent.

Oh, Hood, you're just like a hound
dog puppy, all mouth and feet.

Your whining is beginning
to grate me, Hood.

- Listen, Gamble, anytime you...
- Oh, shut up, both of you!

Fuller, you're always bragging
what a pathfinder and tracker you are.

You and ruddy mouth here go on up
ahead. See if you see any sign of them.

Me and Gamble'll
go back this way.

And if you find anything, we'll
meet back here. You got that?

- Yeah, I got that!
- Now, go on!

All right!

Where'd they go? It
looks like they got lost.

Well, airing your lungs ain't
gonna help us any, Gamble.

They got to turn up sometime.

And when they do, I'm
gonna get that money.

And Waco and his new partner are
going to end up pushing up daisies.

Here's Fuller.

Well?

Found some tracks about
a mile down that gulch.

- Two horses, they doubled on back.
- What'd you do with Hood?

Left him sitting on that track
so they wouldn't blow away.

Well, let's go!

Whoo!

Whoo!

So that's water.
I often wondered.

Eh...

You know what I've
been thinking, Marshal?

I've been thinking
you'll make Dodge.

I'd never have given you a
lamb's chance in a wolf's den.

But I do believe you got a
good lead on them old boys,

and pushing, you'll make Dodge.

Yes, sir, I do and I said it.

Let's mount up.

You know, the one thing I
notice about all you marshals

is you all got a sense of humor.

Yes, sir, always
funning and laughing.

- Let's ride.
- And riding.

Well, this one's a
looker. Must be a breed.

Kiowa, I'd say. Yes!
That there's an Indian.

Get over there.

Them Kiowas chop up their ears
when they take up with a white man.

Some old trapper
boy come along...

She's gonna die if
she doesn't get help.

Or still live. That's the way of them.
Just what would you do with her?

The condition she's in, she's
gonna need the help of a woman.

I swear, sometimes you got
brains sharper than a new knife,

other times you got the
ones an ox threw away.

We're gonna have to make
a travois. Take her with us.

Well, I don't know
where you get that "we,"

'cause I ain't about
to touch no Injun.

- You're not, huh?
- No, sir, I ain't.

Well now, Marshal.

Up to now we've just been
passing the time pleasurable.

But now... you just keep them eyes
in the back of your head wide open.

- Get over here and give me a hand.
- Sure. Sure.

Hold on. Hold on. Take it easy.

Easy. Easy.

That old Indian don't
want to be touched.

All right, we got some
work to do. Let's get going.

I want you to take those
bed rolls off of those saddles,

untie them and put them on
the ground. Come on, let's move.

All right. All right.

Get the bed rolls.
Get the bed rolls.

Seems like I never heard
nothing so stupid my whole life.

Squaws, bed rolls,
making travois.

You go dragging her around,
you're gonna lose time.

- Time you ain't got to lose.
- Let's move, Thompson.

I swear, if I live to be
300... Come on, horse.

We've lost a lot of time.

We got day tracking, night
tracking and track tracking.

But at the end of them
tracks, we got blood.

What's wrong, child?

- Good afternoon.
- Howdy.

- Howdy, pigman.
- My name's Dillon.

I'm a United States Marshal.
I'm going to need some help here.

We've got a squaw woman that's
gonna give birth any time now.

Don't look at me,
she ain't my woman.

Let's get her inside.

Ann, dear, go fetch your ma.

Yes!

- What is...
- Woman's near to having a baby, Polly.

Well, get her... get her in the
bed. Turn... turn the covers down.

Whoee! That wind's ripe.

Whoee!

Let's get inside.

Stinking pigs, stinking Injuns.

If I live to be 300... Whoo!

You're the soul of
sweet charity, ma'am.

Shame to put a stinking Injun
on a nice, clean bed like that.

That's enough out of you,
Thompson. Get out of here.

Is she an Injun?

- I don't want her in there.
- Pol...

Take her away. Let her have it under
a bush somewhere. That's their way.

But sure as the Lord takes notions,
she ain't gonna have it in here.

No, she's gonna stay
right where she is, ma'am.

And if you won't accept my
asking, I'll have to order you.

- Nathan?
- Pol, he's a United States Marshal.

- And he's a criminal.
- Begging your pardon, ma'am?

This is my house. And I
want you all out of here.

I can respect that, ma'am,
but I have no choice.

It's too late to move her now.

You're just gonna
have to pitch in and help.

I'll see that
you're paid for it.

Pol, get these men
something to eat.

All right.

Go help your ma.

Marshal, much as I'm
wolfy, we got to stop to eat?

We're staying here till we
find out how she makes out.

You're joking.

No, I guess you ain't.

- Look, I done told you, them boys...
- Thompson!

I hope you'll excuse
my wife, Marshal.

It's kind of hard to explain
what she's been through,

what all of us
have been through.

See, uh, she
don't like this land,

Indians less.

See, I done uprooted Polly
when I brought her out here,

and pigs is all I know.

But that sure don't make
it no pillow for a woman.

By the way, I'm...
I'm Nathan Cade.

Mr. Cade.

Here, drink.

First time I've ever
seen a grateful Indian.

Well now, don't she rattle on.

What'd she say?

She says, uh, One Moon.

Don't they name them, though?

Will pray to the great
spirit for his passage.

We already got the
great spirit, Red Wing,

he ain't passed up nothing yet.

Now, Marshal, I got something
important to say and you got to hear it.

- Shut up, Thompson.
- But Marshal, time's running out.

Miss Cade, Mrs. Cade,
you just gather around here.

I got a saying to say and I'm
gonna say it right here and now

and you can just
all get big-eared to it.

Now, here it is. See, when
we robbed the Raton stage,

it was me carried the Fargo
box. I said we split up, you see?

Only I opened the box and
spent it one night in Spivey.

And now they're after you?

- You know that?
- I figured it.

For a man that wanted to get caught
up with, you were in an awful big hurry.

Well, I, uh, couldn't help
but spend it in one night.

Weren't but $12.

That don't make no
difference to them old boys.

See, they... they think that box
held hundreds, maybe thousands.

And they'll come on
just sure as sunlight.

So that's about the
size and smell of it, folks.

So here we are, Marshal,

our necks feeling longer and all on
account of $12 and one stinking Injun.

What do you say we saddle
and ride, huh, Great Spirit?

Now, hold on here just a minute.

You mean to say that
there's outlaws coming here?

There sure enough are.

Where the Comanches quit
thinking of things, they start in.

- Well, Marshal?
- All right, folks. It's up to you.

Nothing's changed. That woman in
there's gonna give birth any time now

and I'm not about
to ride out of here

unless I know she's
gonna be well taken care of.

- I don't care about her.
- You wouldn't help her?

I won't touch her.

Can't say I blame her.

Pure soul of sweet charity.

- And god-fearing and not a heathen.
- Amen.

I, uh, didn't exactly say I
favored them myself, Marshal.

Seeing as how what
we've been through and all.

Understand?

Thompson, put the horses away.

Whoa.

Get some of this Indian
smell off your horse.

Nice, boy. Easy. That's good.

Come on over here.

I swear, if I live to
be 300 years, I'll...

Thompson, I want
to tell you something.

Your life's at stake as
much as mine is in this thing,

- so you'd better cooperate.
- Never volunteer.

Whole family doing.

Thompsons is the only
family out of Tennessee

never volunteered for nothing
but eating, and drinking.

Well, you're gonna be volunteering
for this, so get used to the idea.

You know something?

You're just putting us right in the
ground. You know that, don't you?

- Well...
- You got a plan?

No.

You know, I ain't never been to
Dodge City, that must be quite a place.

That round redskin in there, I suppose
you're going to deliver that young'un?

- I'm going to try.
- By golly!

I never done seen a man like you.
Do you know about delivering babies?

Well, I've seen Doc Adams deliver a
few. He's the best there is in these parts.

Yeah, but you still don't know
nothing about it, do you? Do you?

Let's go inside.

That Dodge City, doctoring marshal,
got the streets paved with gold.

If I live to be 300 years old...

Slick, this is the place.

Them tracks head straight
toward that ranch house.

That's fine. Just fine.

We'll wait'll that moon
gets high and full,

and then we're gonna go calling.

Hood.

Pretty.

Pretty.

Go get some hot water, quickly.
As much hot water as you can.

A big kettle. And some
clean towels. Now, go on.

Thompson, wake up. Get in here
where I can keep an eye on you.

- I think she's starting.
- Well, you go ahead, Marshal.

- I hate kids.
- Get up, Thompson.

All right, all right,
old Great Spirit.

- Over here.
- Get up. Sit down.

Now, we know that Waco and his
newfound friend are in that farmhouse.

Now's the time. We're
going down there one by one.

Fuller, I want you to ease down
to that barn Injun-like, and stay put.

And if nothing happens, Hood'll
follow, then Gamble and me.

Operating from that barn we...

We're gonna have both of
them right under our thumb.

Go.

There's coffee.

It'll be over soon, Polly.

It'll be over soon.

I've been out getting wood. There's
no one out there. No sign of anyone.

I figured they just quit.

You worried about them or an
Indian being born in your house?

I'm worried about both.

Marshal...

What I want to say is, ten years
ago the Comanches came here.

My wife and I were in town.

Ann, she was down in the
root cellar, but she could see.

They killed her two
brothers, slow, with torches.

And she hasn't spoken
one word since that day.

Well, I'm sorry
about that, Mr. Cade.

But I'm afraid it doesn't
make any difference.

Now, this girl is gonna
have a baby any minute.

And your wife or those outlaws
or nobody else can stop that.

There's no two
ways to the middle.

Hood. Hood!

You're gonna get me
killed one of these days!

I don't expect
you to understand.

Birthing boys, it's a
mother's dream, it's a...

Well, it's a little like holding
a sunrise up close to you.

And I had two of them.

Two straw-haired boys.

They were freckled-faced
and they were laughing.

Oh, how they would
pound the air with laughing.

And...

I don't expect
you to understand.

We went to the trading
post for gingham,

and I left Annie with the boys.

She was old enough and
there hadn't been an Indian sign

around here in three
years. Three years.

If I had been...

Well, there wasn't much
that I could... have done,

but I wouldn't be half dead now.

I don't expect
you to understand.

But then I... I don't
expect you to know

much about mid-wifing,

so I'm gonna help her.

- Mrs. Cade, I...
- Never mind.

I'm gonna help her.

Turn out those lights!

Mr. Cade, get the
women down in the cellar!

Waco, you better come out
here before you get burned up!

Waco!

I tell you, the luck I got,
a skunk'd smell sweet.

Waco!

- Cover the door.
- They're not coming in.

- Well, you coming out?
- Nope!

I got her, Marshal.

- Where's that money?
- Weren't but $12!

Hey, Slick, spent
it on old Lillie.

And a bottle.

$12?!

$12?

$12!

He's lying! You're lying!

You wait, you give me my money!

- Hood!
- Hood!

Hood!

Gamble, they got a cellar.

Now, you go in there
and surprise them.

- Yeah.
- Fuller, you and me

- are going in together.
- Yeah.

Yeah, right on
through that front door.

That's one down, three to go.

Waco!

Slick, you never
could shoot straight.

- Polly!
- It's all right, we're all right.

Hey, we done pretty
good, didn't we, Marshal?

$12.

Pretty.

Well, the Lord moves in
strange and wondrous ways.

They're in there talking.

One of them's
talking Injun and...

And Annie's talking.

Sure, Pol. I know.

All I can say is that that Injun girl
and her baby can stay here just...

just as long as Nathan says so.

Sure thank you, Marshal.

$12 don't seem like very
much, looked at one way,

but a whole lot another.

- Stop in and see us, Marshal.
- Sure will. Ma'am.

Let's go, Thompson.

You know, I done helped you back
there, Marshal, that shooting and all.

- Yeah.
- Without my lead,

- it would have been kind of touchy.
- Yeah.

Kind of like a good
right arm, wasn't I?

- Yeah.
- Why don't you let some of the facts

on that there warrant just filter
out so's that we could, you know...

Nope.

I swear, if I live to be
300, I know'd it. I know'd it.

Stay tuned for scenes
from next week's Gunsmoke.