Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 14, Episode 20 - The Reprisal - full transcript

Gunsmoke, starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.

My, oh, my.

I just can't believe it.

Sam, did you ever see such luck?

Well, It's sure been some time
since I have, Jeb, I'll say that.

You know...

this is more money I ever
held at one time in my whole life.

I can believe it. You'd
better go on home now.

Oh, I'm gonna
do that, all right.

When I get home, I'm gonna
sprinkle this all over Mama's bed.

She'll fair bust!



That's the only way she'll
let me inside the house,

my being out late like this.

- Good night, Jeb.
- Good night, Sam.

My, oh, my.

Oh, gee.

What in thunder?
Hold on a minute.

Doc, it's my wife, you
got to come. It's her time.

- Tom, you sure about that?
- I've done everything you told me.

Now it's her time, she's in
a bad way. Now, come on.

- All right. I'll be there.
- Now! You got to come now!

I'll get the money to pay you.
Now, come on. I ain't asking favors.

Well, I'll just make out like
I didn't hear that last part.

You just get your coat
and hat and come on.

Well now, Tom, I'm gonna need a
few things besides my coat and hat.



You just calm down.
Go on back to the farm,

heat some water, I'll be
along as soon as I can.

Well, you just hurry!

Your luck just run out, old man.

Shut up. Give me the money.

Help!

What's the matter?
What's wrong? Hey!

Hold on there! Hey!

Stop that man!
Stop him, somebody!

Stop him, somebody!

Somebody, stop that man!

Hold it.

Why, I seen him earlier over
at the Long Branch, Matthew.

Got to get him up
to the office, Matt.

Some of you boys
give us a hand, will you?

- Do you know who he is?
- I never saw him before.

Well, he just
killed Jeb Perkins.

- Are you sure?
- Well, I saw him.

He stabbed him right
over there by my office.

Now, Festus...

I want you to go get Ma Smally.

- She ain't in town, Doc.
- What?

Well, she's went
over to Eldonwood.

Well, all right.

You go tell Kitty that I want her to get
to the Butler's farm as fast as she can.

- Sara's having her baby.
- Well, Doc...

hadn't you ought to get
out there your own self?

Will you just do
what I told you.

All right.

- Think he's gonna make it, Doc?
- Well, I think so. He should.

- Won't do him much good though, will it?
- What do you mean?

Well, my testimony alone's
gonna hang him, ain't it?

Probably.

Too soon to move him, huh?

No, can't move him.

Well, I'd better get Festus over
here to keep an eye on him then.

Well, he's not going to go
anyplace for a while, I'll tell you that.

But, it'd be a good idea to have
somebody keep an eye on him

while I'm at the Butler's.

Doc, your buggy's
ready and waiting.

Thanks, Festus.

Matthew, I took all of Jeb's
money and stuff over to the jail there.

You want me to go tell
Mama what happened?

No. No, I'd better do
that myself, Festus.

She's gonna take it
awful hard, Matthew.

Her and old Jeb fit like a
couple of alley cats, you know,

but she's still gonna
take it awful hard.

Yeah, I know.

Is he going to
pull through, is he?

Well, Doc seems to think so.

Worthless hunk of
trampiness come blowing in

on a little, old
puff of prairie dust.

All kinds of lives
get twisted up.

It's a blame pity.

Still no sign of him.

I should have stayed right there
with him until he was ready to leave.

Well, it wouldn't have
made any difference.

There wasn't anything Doc could
do with a man dying at his feet.

Well, I don't know
that man who was shot.

Or anything about him, or
anything about any shooting.

But I do know my wife. And Doc
ought to be here with her now.

He'll be along when he can.

He ain't going
to make it in time.

He's not going to
get here in time.

Well, we'll just have
to do all we can.

There's nothing we
can do and you know it.

No, I don't know any such thing.

Miss Russell, I'm a farmer, and
I've seen all kind of births, but...

the baby ain't setting right,
and that takes a doctor to...

Tom, is this all the
toweling you got?

It's more than enough.

Just like it's more
than enough hot water.

So where is he?

I'm here, Sara.

Oh, Tom!

Just easy, ride with it. Easy.

Tom. Tom!

I'm so scared.

I know. I know.

Don't worry though.
Don't worry about a thing.

Oh, Tom.

- Something's wrong.
- No, no.

I know it.

I can feel it.

Something's awful wrong.

Girl, don't talk like that.

I'm sorry.

I'm awfully sorry.

No, no, don't.
Don't worry about it.

That's a girl. That's a girl.

Don't fret, Tom. Don't fret...

Stop worrying about things we
ain't got nothing to worry about.

Miss Russell!

Tom, get me those things.

If Garth comes to, just
don't let him move, Festus.

He'll start bleeding.

I can't work up too
much worry about him.

- Well, just do as I told you.
- All right, I will.

Doc, you sure I shouldn't
go out there with you?

No need for you to lose
all that sleep. Come on.

You know something, Matthew. I
wouldn't be a doctor if you paid me.

I'll see you in the
morning, Festus.

Good night, Matthew.

I'll wait for Doc, ride
on back with him.

You do that.

Tom...

Don't go start sayin'
things, like it's God's will

or me and Sara'll
have another chance.

As a matter of fact, all I was
gonna say was that I'm sorry.

You don't mind me asking
you not to bother, do you?

No, I don't mind.

Don't need your pity.

That offend you, does it?

Mm-mm. No, it doesn't offend me.

Then I'll... dressing out
one of my hogs for you.

What are you talking about?

I'm beholden to
you for your help.

Figure that settles accounts.

Now, that does offend me.

Miss Russell, there's things
I worry about in this life,

like enough rain for my crops,
enough crops to buy what I need,

that woman lying in there...

But I don't give much thought
to whether I offend people or not.

It might make life a little
easier on you if you did.

Make it rain more?
Grow more crops?

Tom, there's a little
bit more to life than...

Your life. Somebody else's life.

To me it's this farm and
that woman lying in there.

And I got no time, no want, for
anything else, except maybe a son.

That man Doc worked
on, you reckon he lived?

I hope so.

So do I, all things considered.

Who is he?

I don't know, Tom.

Festus sent word to me
that there'd been this shooting

and that Doc couldn't
get out here right away,

and he wanted me to come
out and do what I could to help.

Well, you done that, didn't you?

Seemed like it took forever
to get here, Kitty, I'm sorry.

- It's all right, Doc.
- How's Sara?

- She's asleep.
- How about the baby?

We're lucky Sara's alive.

Doc, there isn't anything
you could have done.

Just never will know for
sure about that, will we?

I kind of got held up
a little in Dodge, Tom.

I hope that man
lived, Doc. I really do.

Be a shame if he
didn't, wouldn't it?

Wouldn't it, Doc?

- Oh, howdy, Louie.
- What's that?

- That's vittles.
- I thought so.

Vittles for old Doc
and that Garth fella.

- He still up at Doc's?
- Oh, of course.

Doc, he ain't gonna turn him over
to Matthew for four or five days yet.

Sad thing... a
terrible sad thing.

Poor Jeb Perkins.

Poor little Sara. You
know, time or two

I done chores for
her and her husband.

We used to talk about a lot
of things, little Sara and me.

She used to say she
wanted to have a son.

So did Tom.

Like you're saying,
Louie, it sure is a sad thing.

"A man needs a son," she'd say.

"A man needs to see
himself like he used to be.

Needs to know he's leaving part of
himself when he's run out of time."

She's right.

It's an awful sad thing for a man
to leave nothing when he moves on.

Man ought to leave something.

Dinner time, Doc.

Set it right over there, Festus.

It sure do look larping.

Come on, eat it
whilst it's hot, Doc.

Well, I...

Well, good heavens. Did you...

Don't you realize the
county's paying for that?

Well, of course I do.

The county always
buys vittles for prisoners.

Prisoners? Patient of
mine in here couldn't eat

a tenth of that, for
heaven's sakes.

Well... well, Doc, this... this
here broth's for Garth in yonder.

The rest of it's for you.

And me.

Well, how in thunder
did you get in on it?

Well, now, the county's
been a-buying your vittles

for the last two or three
days, for seeing as how

- you're kind of guarding the prisoner.
- Yes?

Well, I've been
kind of helping out.

It's been you and me
sharing in the guarding

of the prisoner, don't you see?

Yep, I do now.

- Doc, ain't you going to eat now?
- No, I'm not hungry.

Well, I don't reckon it'd be polite
if I was to go ahead on and eat...

Oh, no. Course not, wouldn't be.

Sure wouldn't be polite to
just let them vittles sit there

and get cold that way, neither.

Wouldn't be fair to the county.

Garth... that time again.

Try this.

You're a rare breed, Doc.

Is that so, how's that?

Takes a rare breed to
do what you're doing.

Why didn't you let me die?

What you saw in that
alley is gonna get me hung.

Kind of funny, you think on it.

You're the only man that
could have saved my life.

You're the only man
that can hang me.

No.

If you hang, the
law'll do it, not me.

On top of it all, that
fuzzy-faced deputy fella

says that a kid died, that
you might have saved.

- Is that right, Doc?
- Might have.

Kind of weighty thing for you,

deciding which one of
us was to get your help.

Mm-mm.

Wouldn't have been
no weighty thing for me.

Even me being the
one you decided on.

I mean, you're gonna tell that
judge and jury a lot of things

I'd just as soon
they didn't hear.

If you're threatening me,
you're in no condition for it.

True, Doc.

But if I had me the chance,
it'd be more than a threat.

I wouldn't think twice on it.

Sure be a touch more comfortable

if I could change
position in this here bed.

Well, I wouldn't
try that, either.

You move around,
you'll hemorrhage sure.

One more move might
be the last one you'd make.

Be easier than hanging.

Might, might not.

Tom?

You're supposed to
be inside taking a nap.

Well, Doc Adams told me I
could get back to normal living

just as soon as I felt up to it.

So he's been out here, has he?

He's come to see
me twice since...

He's come twice.

Why didn't you tell me?

Well, you were off
hunting the first time, and...

Yesterday you were plowing.

Why didn't you say
something, Sara?

Well, Tom, we...

we haven't exactly been...

Oh, it must've slipped my mind.

I set a nice dinner
out for you, Tom.

I'm not hungry, Sara.

Besides, I want to get
these supplies into town

before Mr. Jonas
closes up the store.

Could I come with you?

No, it's... it's too
hot and hard, Sara.

- Please, Tom.
- I said no, now.

Will you be long?

Just about as long as it
takes to drive into town,

unload supplies, get
paid and drive back...

Around supper time.

Sara.

All right, Tom.

Get up, horse. Come on. Come on!

Whoa. Whoa.

Giddyap, now.

No, there's really no reason why
those two can't have as many kids

as Madge and Codge
Collyer if they want to.

- Well, did you tell Sara that?
- Oh, yes.

Of course, that's not very much
consolation for her right now.

I suppose not.

You know, there's something
pretty wonderful about having kids...

but that first one...

That's very, very special
to young folks, Matt.

- How's she taking it, Doc?
- Oh, fine.

Yeah, she's young and strong.

She's gonna be all
right, Matt, but Tom...

Well, he's taking it awful hard. Of
course, I can understand that, too.

But then he's so blamed hard-headed,
he's making it very difficult for Sara.

And I have reason to believe...

Sara didn't say anything about
this, but I think maybe there's...

Well, things are getting a
little strained between them,

and that kind of bothers me.

Doc, you know as well as I do,

there's only just so much
you can do for people.

Now, they're gonna have
to work out their own lives.

Mmm.

Yeah, I suppose so.

What time are you and
Festus leaving for Jetmore?

About four o'clock.

Oh.

Well, I'd better get to
the office and let him go.

Oh, now there's plenty of time.

Why don't you go have
yourself another cup of coffee?

Well, good. I'll just do it.

You know, the walls of that office
are closing in on me the last few days.

Whoa, there.

Afternoon, Mr. Butler.

Louie.

Those foods for Mr. Jonas?

- Yeah, and some oats.
- Uh-huh.

Give you a hand, can I?

Yeah, if I can buy you a
few drinks when I'm finished.

You've got a deal.

Mr. Jonas wants it
stacked right over there.

Let's get to it.

You know, I never could
understand folks' attitude toward you.

- Oh?
- Yeah.

I think you're a nice man.

Maybe that's because we don't have
to prove anything to each other, Louie.

I'm sure sorry. About
the baby, I mean.

- Stack 'em over there, Louie.
- Yes, sir.

Sure shook up ol'
Doc, I can tell you that.

- Yeah.
- Especially what with him being

the only one that can
testify against that killer.

What killer, Louie?

The one that knifed Jeb Perkins.

Louie, what are
you talking about?

About Doc operating
on the fella that killed Jeb

instead of coming out to your
place when Miss Sara was birthing.

And him having to
turn around and...

be the one that gets him hanged.

You know, I wanted to talk to
Tom and Sara both about this,

when I was out here, both
times, but I didn't have the chance.

You will.

Sure not looking forward to it.

You're gonna have a boarder
here in a couple of days.

Good. How soon will
he be able to stand trial?

Well, I think about
a week maybe.

Doc, you know, what do you
say when this whole thing's over

you and I take a ride
up on to Pawnee Fork,

see if we can find
a couple of catfish?

You know, not very often,
but once in a great while,

you reach a conclusion
that is absolutely brilliant.

We'll do it.

- I told you, he ain't here.
- Well, where is he then?

The way you're
squawking and bellowing,

I ain't fixing to tell
you where he's at.

- Get out of my way.
- Just hold on, now.

This the one? You
killed Jeb Perkins?

You get out of here or
I'm going to throw you out.

This the killer Doc
saved instead of my kid?

I ain't telling you no
more! Now get out!

I was just making conversation.
I didn't know he didn't know.

Never mind. Never mind.
It's all right. It's all right.

It ain't all right, Doc.
He's got blood in his eyes.

I didn't mean to be
the one to tell him.

Louie, it was just a matter
of time until he was gonna...

You just simmer down, Tom, or
you're gonna wind up in the jailhouse.

You quack! You killed my son!

You did it! It's your fault!

It's yours! Your fault!

Get out of the way,
Festus, I'm gonna kill him!

No you're not!

Hold on now.

Let go of me!

It's on account of
you my baby's dead.

You saved that garbage upstairs
and you left my Sara needing you.

You let my baby die.

You'll pay.

You old fool, you'll pay!

Sure as there's a God in
heaven, you'll pay for what you did!

- Doc.
- Yeah?

- Your move.
- Oh, I know it's my move, Newly,

but you know this is getting ridiculous,
you sitting here with me like this?

Well, I'm not sitting
here with you, Doc.

- Marshal Dillon told me to come...
- I know what the Marshal said.

Good heavens. Two nights in a
row, sitting here playing checkers.

I'm getting sick of checkers.

Matter of fact, I'm getting
kind of sick of looking at you.

Well, you know doggone well that Tom
Butler didn't mean a dang word he said.

He didn't mean it at all.

Well, I don't know about
that, but, Doc, it's your move.

All right.

There.

I'm surprised, Doc.

Oh, thunder.

Doc, how about another game?

No, I don't want to play
checkers with you anymore.

- I just want to ask you a question.
- Yes, sir.

Now, don't you think that you and I
have known each other long enough

and we've been good enough
friends that I could just...

just ask you to leave
without hurting your feelings?

Night, Newly.

Good night, Doc.

Good night.

The marshal might
be a little upset at me...

Oh, I know. He'll
probably shoot you.

How am I doing, Doc?

Oh, pretty good.

Anything you need?

I'd like to be on
my way to Mexico.

Not tonight.

I'm out of tobacco.

There's some in the
sideboard drawer.

No there isn't, I looked.

Then it must be all gone.

That's what I said.

Woman... you're
driving me to distraction.

I'm sorry.

You sit there and sew.

You walk around
the house like a ghost.

I'm just doing what
you told me, Tom.

I'm tending to a woman's things.

I didn't hurt him, I tell you.

Yes, Tom.

I didn't!

Well, what would you
have expected me to do?

I tried to give you
an answer to that

when you came back from
Dodge day before yesterday.

Don't try me, Sara.

And don't go being a woman.

But I am a woman, Tom.

Oh, Sara, look, he stayed in
town that night to operate on a killer.

I know.

He saw that man
kill Jeb Perkins.

And yet he stayed in Dodge
and saved him for the hangman.

He saved that killer and
he let our baby die, Sara.

- He had a choice and he made it.
- No, he didn't have a choice.

There was nothing
else he could have done.

Now, don't take up
for him against me.

- Please, Tom...
- And don't argue with me, either!

I will!

I will, because it was
my baby that died.

Mine, not yours.

To you it was only
a hope, a dream.

To me, it was a life.

Inside of me, a
life. It was mine!

It wasn't yours and it
wouldn't have been yours

until God and I gave it to you.

Well, as much as we wanted...

as much as I prayed...

we couldn't give it to you.

For a lot of reasons,
we couldn't give it to you.

And I say to you, none of
those reasons was Doc Adams.

Now, you do what
you want to me...

but don't you dare blame
one of the finest men

you've ever known for what's...

for what's eating at you.

Doc?

Doc?

Doc?

Doc?

Doc.

Doc, I'm sorry to wake
you, but we got to talk.

Doc?

Doc? Doc...

Doc.

Help! Somebody, help!

Please! Please, help!

- Miss, Russell, listen, I didn't...
- Get out of my way.

- Miss Russell!
- Doc?

I couldn't tell which way...

It came from down here...

Oh, no, no.

Somebody help!

Somebody's coming
from Doc's office!

Somebody help!

- That's Miss Russell.
- Who was that?

Looked like Tom Butler!

Somebody get Newly!

Sam, inside, quick.

- Get Newly!
- I'll get him.

Did you see Tom Butler?

Yes'm. He ran off
that way. What is it?

Doc's dead!

Dead? Doc's dead.

Let's get him. Come on!

Doc's dead! Dead.

Mr. O'Brien!

Mr. O'Brien!

Halligan, what's wrong?

Come quick. Trouble at Doc's.

- Doc's?
- Somebody's up there.

You take some
men and go that way.

- The rest of you men come with me.
- Right.

Hey, he's going
around the corner!

- Come on! Burke.
- We just saw him.

Get some horses! Go!

He's lost too much
blood. He's dead.

Well, he wanted
to beat the rope.

Just hold still, Doc.

You know, I tried to keep him
from moving around even in that bed.

Then he pulls
something like this.

Shouldn't have
turned my back on him.

He told me he'd kill me if
he got a chance. He said it.

Ain't never had a scare
like this in my whole life.

Newly? Tom Butler.

- The whole town's after Tom Butler.
- I'll have to try and stop 'em.

See, what I'll do, Matthew,

I'll fry us up four or five
of them good big catfish...

Just like I've been telling you,
you're going to have to ask Doc.

I was hoping maybe you'd do
that. You see, old Doc's got to where

he's so jealous of me 'cause I
always catch more fish than he does.

- You know...
- Marshal? Am I glad to see you.

- Sara?
- I'm here, Tom.

Sara, there's a dozen men...

- What are you doing?
- I decided to wait until you returned.

You decided what?

I'm going to sister's,
Tom. I'm going tonight.

In the name of heaven...

Please don't tell me no, Tom.

- I've made up my mind.
- Listen to me.

We can discuss things later.

What is it?

Sara, now, I went to... I
went to see Doc Adams...

Butler! Come out
of there, Butler.

You two men cover the back.

Tom! Talk to 'em! Tell
them what happened.

They don't want to talk.
They want my blood.

All right, Butler, you're
all through running.

- Tom, please!
- Come on, get down in here, please!

Hurry.

We don't want to hurt your wife,
Butler! Come on out of there now!

Look!

Jenks, you and Forbes
go in through the back.

You two men come with me.

- Grab him!
- No, wait!

My wife, wait!

Let's get him out of here!

Mrs. Butler!

She run out on him. Come here!

I told you she run out on him.

Let's get out of here.

Help!

Tom, help!

Let me out!

Come on! Get him over here!

That's no loss. I say
let's string him up.

- Hold on!
- He killed Doc, I say string him up!

- Wait!
- Burke's right. Wait!

We don't want him
to miss anything.

Let's bring him to.

You got no stomach for this
Burke, you'd better go back to Dodge.

I tell you Marshal
Dillon should handle this!

He killed Doc!
Let's hang him up!

I tried to stop them, Marshal.

He killed Doc Adams!

No he didn't, but Garth
tried to. Doc's all right.

Nice try. But it
ain't gonna work!

No, sir. He killed Doc Adams...

All right, stand back
now, the rest of you!

Marshal, my
wife's in that house!

Root cellar! The hutch
on top of it, she's trapped!

Festus!

Tom...

Tom, I'm awful sorry I
was thinking of leaving.

Nothing to be sorry about.

Nothing at all.

It was as much
my fault, Marshal.

Marshal...

Tom... we heard about Doc...

What can we say?

You can say their
home's a total loss.

No, it's not, Newly.

No, it's not.

Doc, I sure am
grateful for the news.

Well, don't thank me. I didn't
have anything to do with it.

- Watch your step, Sara.
- For heaven's sake, Tom, don't fuss.

- Well, you heard what Doc said.
- I did, but did you?

- We've got months before...
- Howdy, Tom. Mrs. Sara.

Tom. Sara.

Festus. Marshal.

Sara, you're just a
pure old blossoming.

Why thank you, Festus.

Does this here visit to old
Doc mean what I think it does?

Why don't you mind
your own business?

Marshal, you and Miss Russell
coming to my barn dance Saturday?

Tom, we're sure planning on it.

Well, we'll see
you all on Saturday.

Careful, Sara.

Uh, Tom, you want me
to do the calling for you?

- Well, I appreciate that.
- I'm just the one that can do it, too.

That's the way I'll do it.

Well, I sure hope
it's a boy, don't you?

Not very much
you can do about it.

Well, if you use Aunt
Tory's test you can tell.

- Is that so?
- Well, what's that?

Oh, for heaven's sake.

- What'd you have to ask him that for?
- Well, what you do, Matthew, you see,

you get your big long
piece of string, like that.

And then you tie it to Sara's
wedding band to it, see.

Then you have Sara
lay down flat like that,

and then you hold
it up over her belly.

And if it swings clockerwise,

well then she's gonna
have a girl, but if it...

if it swings contrary
clockerwise,

then it's going to be
a boy, don't you see?

Once I... I held it
over my cousin Bee,

and it didn't go clockerwise and
it didn't go contrary clockerwise,

what it done was to go
backwards and forwards.

- Do you want to know what it was?
- I don't think so, do you, Matt?

No.

Well, it was gas,
was what it was.

Stay tuned for scenes
from next week's Gunsmoke.