Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 14, Episode 22 - The Night Riders - full transcript

The Civil War isn't over -- not nearly -- for Judge Proctor, a respected Missouri man who was on the losing side and had his home devastated by a guerrilla band led by a Kansas man. Now the judge has formed a gang of his own and sweeps through Kansas seeking the guerrilla leader. A tip-off tells the group that the man is in or near Dodge, but the judge can't locate his exact whereabouts and sets fire to a wheat field as a warning to the local citizenry. When that fails to produce the man, the judge threatens to burn all of Dodge City.

Gunsmoke, starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.

A year's work burning.

Pa, you should've
talked to the man.

I intend to do that also.

I think we're being a mite
too light on Mr. Springer.

Makes a sight, don't it, Judge?

Jay's bringing in Springer.

Man was in such a hurry to see you,
Pa, he just didn't have time to dress.

Sorry to get you up at this
early hour, Mr. Springer,

but you've got one
minute to say your piece.

Oh, for the love of God, Judge.



I got a missus and four
young'uns back there at the house.

You were told to get out
before the wheat came up.

I swear to you, Judge, I
never rode with no jayhawkers.

I swear, I never.

Now, Mr. Springer, you're
working land bought for taxes,

over the body of a man who
was fighting for his country.

It was from Talbot
I bought the land.

Like most all the land around
here was bought from Talbot.

I think you know we're
especially interested in Talbot.

Heard it was you who
probably knew where he settled.

Oh, no, Judge. I ain't seen
him in about three years.

Pa?

Now look here, is it gonna
be your neck, Mr. Springer,

or is it gonna be Talbot?



He's a rancher.

Out west of Dodge City,
that's the last I heard.

Mr. Springer, you'll
go back to your house,

you will pack, and by
morning, you'll be off this land.

You're gonna lose more than your
wheat crop, Mr. Springer, if you're not.

It's a long ride to Dodge.
Anybody not up to it?

Pa, I don't think we ought to
ride any deeper into Kansas.

I don't mind you talking
about this night, Mr. Springer.

Make our job easy if people get
off the land before we got to them.

Jay, I don't like riding
outside the Missouri border.

Talbot's the top
man on Pa's list.

- Your own pa said I was to go free!
- Jay!

People start finding bodies instead
of ashes they'll come around faster.

Get on home, Springer.

Since when did you
start calling the turn?

Why don't you tell Pa
you're not feeling fit for riding?

Have him think my tail's turning
yellow the minute we get out of Missouri?

You're trying awful hard to
prove you're a bigger man than Pa.

Storm's behind us now.

My vote's still to take the
road straight through Dodge.

Give Jay a chance to warm up
with some of them chills he's got.

We go through Dodge, Judge,
word's gonna travel on ahead about us.

Ross! Williams!

Those telegraph lines
can't be too far off the road.

- Cut the wires, and meet us in Dodge.
- Right.

A little whiskey
won't hurt anyone.

- Let's go!
- Let's go!

Well! Now, will you looky here.

What's a little, bitty
ol' bundle like you

doing out on a
wet night like this?

Where you'd ought to be is
tuckered in alongside your mama.

Unless, of course, she's
out gallivanting again.

Say, that mama of yours,

she sure ain't gonna win
no prizes as a homebody.

That's what you'd better had,
is a swallow or two of warm milk.

I'll just go and put some
on the stove right now.

You see, with me sleeping
in the freight house nights,

you'd be getting a watchman
without paying for one.

Well, a night watchman isn't
exactly what we need right now, Louie.

However, I... I don't see why the
freight company would object if you...

What's the matter, Louie?

It's Judge Proctor... his men.

Proctor?

Ain't good to let the judge look
on your face, Nathan. Ain't good.

All right, now I want
you to drink some milk

and then I want you to go
hunt down your ma and tell her

to get herself home
where she ought to be.

Come on, here. Drink it.
It's good and warm, now.

Drink it, right there.

This town sure
goes to bed early.

Town burners. Killers.

Town saloon closing this early?

Oh, it's not the usual thing,
friend. It's Johnsonville.

Most of the Dodge
folks are there,

helping celebrate what
you might call its birthday.

Twenty years old today.

You got an awful lot of
customers here, friend.

I think you'd better
unlock that door.

We didn't ride all day and
half the night through rain

just to sit out in the street.

I got orders from Miss Russell
to close anytime I get tired tonight.

And I'm close to not
keeping my eyes open.

You ain't going to be seeing out of
them eyes soon if you don't open that door.

Whoa, now. You'd
better back off, little fella.

If Sam says he's
locking up here,

why, that's just what
he's doing, locking up.

Better tell them
who you are, Pa.

I'm Judge Proctor, but
that's neither here nor there.

Came into Dodge counting on
getting something to warm us.

Another hour, we'll be
out on our way again

and grateful for
your hospitality.

Well, it is kind of a
chilly night, all right.

See, old Sam here, he's
the boss of the Long Branch

when Miss Kitty's out of town.

Well, all right.

Excuse me, friend.

I wonder what business
they got in Kansas?

Kansas sure ain't
Judge Proctor's bailiwick,

- I know that for certain.
- Riding through, they said.

I can't think of anyplace that
Proctor and his men ride through

without someone
coming to some grief.

More coming in.

I'm talking to Festus.

- Festus!
- What is it, Louie?

Festus, you doing anything
about them killers in town?

Now just hold on, Louie.

We don't know for a
fact that they're killers.

Even if I did, why, I
couldn't be holding them

without proof that they're
wanted, don't you see?

They're killers, all right. The
judge carries a book around.

And they only ride
to places at night...

Louie, I want you to
quit your fretting now.

Them fellas has went
into the saloon there

to get theirselves dried out and get
warm and then they're leaving town.

Now, I don't want to hear
no more of your palaver.

They got something
against Dodge.

There won't be no Dodge
City left in the morning!

Burke...

I'll get your freight office
swept down, Nathan.

Why you little old scamp, you
got a belly bigger than old Ruth.

You drank enough
to float twice your size.

Now, I want you
to go on out of here.

Get, get, get, get, get.

- Marshal.
- I ain't the marshal. I'm the deputy.

Marshal Dillon, he's
went over to Johnsonville.

Been doing some
speeching over there.

That's something he
don't like to do too good.

I don't blame him. Made
more than a few in my time.

Is your doctor also out of town?

Doc? He's a doctoring
the widow Ingram.

- He ought to be back directly though.
- We'll be here no more than an hour.

If he comes in, I'd like him to
take a look at one of my sons.

Oh? Is the boy sick, is he?

Probably be all right
after he warms up a bit.

I've been meaning to inquire, do
you know a man named Talbot?

Talbot?

He settled down on some land
west of Dodge, I understand.

No, don't recall no Talbot.

You don't recall or
you don't want to?

You heard me plain
enough, didn't you?

He may be living under a different
name. Be quite a wealthy man.

He moved down here
several years back.

No. Feared I can't
help you none.

Well, no matter. Thank you.

I'll be stretching
my legs a bit.

Festus. Well, Louie
sure got nervous

seeing all them Missourians
enter town, didn't he?

Appears like old Louie ain't
the onlyest ones a little nervous.

You wouldn't have any coffee
going, would you, Festus?

I... I mean, I'd be glad to
make some fresh for you.

What you're actually
trying to say, Burke,

is that you'd like to hang
around for a little bit, is that it?

Well, go on, help yourself.

The judge throws a scare
into Talbot and we just ride off,

Talbot no worse off
than some sweating.

Yeah, I'm beginning to
lean to you, Mr. Berber.

Let 'em start finding
a couple of graves.

It won't hurt us none as long
as they can't prove nothing.

There's no doubt about it.

The judge is a tired man.

Oh, no, it's all too far back.
Like burning Springer out.

All right, all right.
The land was stole.

Land grabbers moving in while
everybody was away fighting.

But it was Springer
that bought from Talbot.

Maybe Talbot bought
from somebody else,

and somebody from somebody else.

Pa's told you often enough
you don't have to stay around.

Look, I just don't want Pa dying

for something nobody
clearly understands any more.

I got an understanding of it.
Good land sold out from under Pa

while he's fighting for
the rights of this country.

You!

You did that on purpose!

You had your foot out.

Yeah, but you saw it!

Just like you saw us coming into
town and tried to close the saloon.

My closing had nothing to
do with you or your people.

What side of that Missouri
border you lived on?

Meaning, you don't talk
like no Kansan, mister.

I don't see fit to answer
questions from the likes of you.

Likes of me?

You mean the likes
of us, don't you?

Missourians done
out of our lands.

A night rider picks up his
own excuses as he goes along.

Land lost, wrong
side of the war...

it adds to the same
misery for innocent people.

- We're nightriders?
- Jay!

Nightriders don't stick in your
craw, brother, it does mine.

You have any other opinions of
us you'd like to get off your chest?

In a few words, people are
tired of you Missouri riders,

burning farms out, trying
to bring back the war.

Few words? Mister,
you got the night.

I lost two brothers in that
war, fighting on different sides.

And I lost another brother in Lawrence
when scum like you sacked that town,

and run a boy down in the
street who wasn't even old enough

to know what it was all about.

Did I hear you say scum?

When a man asks my opinion,
he gets no halfway answers.

Hey, Jay!

- Get off! Get off!
- Who started this?

Jay didn't agree with this
man's unflattering opinion of us.

My orders on every man behaving
himself also applies to my sons.

What is this?

- What happened, Sam?
- He hit me with a bottle.

We'll get you up to Doc's place.
Burke, help him get up there.

Make sure he makes it.

Now, did you have some
call to hit Sam, young fella?

Man calls me scum he's lucky
to get away with a headache.

Well, Sam, he don't use no hard
words unless they get called for.

I guess I'll just throw you in
jail and then you can tell it all

to Marshal when he
gets back in the morning.

I think a plain case of rowdyism
calls for say, a fine, not jail.

With Sam up yonder
with a cracked head,

it calls for a little more
than money, Mr. Proctor.

Now, the Marshal wouldn't
do no less than throw you in jail,

and I'm a-fixing to do the
same thing. Come on, son.

Deputy, you're shoving both
feet into a bucket of trouble.

You just head on to that
jail and I'll worry about that.

Marshal!

You've no right to make
this a personal thing.

Personal thing?

Our reception in this town
has not been the warmest.

It's obvious that you people
think a bit differently than we do.

It's quite apparent that
your sympathies are,

to say the least,
not with my men.

Mr. Proctor, I don't reckon
you know Dodge City too well.

In this here town, when a man
lays a hand on another man,

he's got to answer for it.

That's the way it's been,
that's the way it's going to stay.

I don't intend to ride on with one of
my men in jail over a trivial incident.

You can call it what you
want to, but he's going to jail.

- Doc?
- Whoa.

You'll find Sam up at your
place. He needs some doctoring.

This here fella will need
some doctoring, too.

Well, I'll have a look at
Sam and I'll be right down.

Come on.

Deputy!

I'm leaving this town
in exactly one hour.

I expect you to see your way clear to
have my son released within that time.

Mr. Proctor, your boy,

he ain't gonna be out
of no jail in no hour,

not unless the marshal comes back
and says that's the way he wants it to be.

One hour, the judge says.

That'll be about midnight.

We're here to back him up.

I say let's go over there and
take that jail apart right now.

Then we can go find Talbot's place
and teach that land-grabber a lesson.

Then we can hightail
it on back to Missouri.

As sick as Jay is, you know
he shouldn't be riding tonight.

Jay will ride with us.

I'm willing to go along with
Mr. Berber and the Judge.

Judge calls it.
He says one hour.

You know my policy.

You don't confront the law
head on when you can avoid it.

An hour of thought on the part of that
deputy and we may come to an agreement.

Doc?

- Hello, Festus.
- How's Sam?

Well, he's going to have
a headache for a few days,

but he'll sleep all right
tonight, I fixed that.

How's that Proctor boy?

Well, he's... he's
a-complaining about being cold,

in betwixt them cuss
words he was spouting out

while I was locking him in jail.

You keeping him in jail, Festus?

Well, unless Doc says
he's ought to be moved,

that's what I'm gonna do.

Well, I mean, if they
want to leave town,

if the only thing holding
them is Proctor's son in jail,

- why don't you just...
- Oh, for heaven's sakes, Burke!

Well, I was talking to Louie, and
he says he's heard an awful lot

about Proctor and his men
along that Missouri border.

Burke, why don't you and
Louie mind your own business.

Now, Festus has got enough on
his mind, and he's doing this just right.

And as for that young fella in there,
he deserves what anybody else does.

No more, no less.

And if you want to make
yourself useful, Burke,

why don't you go down yonder and
look after the Long Branch for old Sam.

But Sam almost got killed
by Proctor and his men.

Maybe I'd be next.

Burke, we're a little shy of
menfolk in Dodge right now.

Why don't you just
help us out a little bit.

Look after Miss
Kitty's interests. Go on!

Judge doesn't have to
know about this, of course.

Give that deputy something
to think about, what it'll do.

I just as soon touch
off the whole town.

Only the livery.

Oh, I'm... just sort of helping,
see if you need anything.

What's that stuff?

Well, I could give
you a name for it,

but you wouldn't
remember it for two minutes.

Let's just say it's better for you
than that stuff you've been drinking.

Here you are.

I'll take a bottle of whiskey.

That'd be about the worst
thing you could do, son.

Now, let me tell you something.

I want to take you up to the
office and I'll make room for you...

The only place I'm going
is out of this jail at midnight.

And then out of this town.

How is he, Doc?

Well, not very good.

Got something a little more serious
than just the chills, I'll tell you that.

What do you figure I
ought to do about him?

Well, there's not much
you can do, Festus.

Or me, for that matter.

I can't treat a
patient by force.

It'd be the same as killing him.
And if you let him ride out of here,

it'd be about the same thing.

Oh, I ain't had no idea
about letting him ride out.

Onlyest thing, I just
wanted to know that we're

doing everything we can for him.

Well, you can be
sure of that, all right.

But I'm more worried about you, Festus.
I mean, I'm worried about that Proctor.

I just don't know whether
he's bluffing or not.

I don't know how far he'll go.

Now, that Farmers' Alliance
that he's heading up...

that don't fool me any. That's
just like all the rest of them,

the Sons of the Red Legs,
and the Missouri Volunteers

and the Party of Independence,
I know about them.

They're a bunch of lawbreaking,

marauding ruffians,
what they are, and I just...

Well, I don't know how
far that Proctor's gonna go.

Well, I reckon we'll find out

whether he's bluffing along
about midnight, won't we?

Eleven-thirty, right now.

I'll look in on Sam.

Festus, I'm available
if you need me

and I wouldn't want you to
hesitate a second to call on me.

Sure am obliged to you, Doc.

- Louie.
- Evening, Doc.

- You look sober.
- You bet I am.

Night man best stay sober.

Proud of you.

- Goodnight, Doc.
- Night, Louie.

Festus, I've been
thinking about it.

Thinking about what, Louie?

The real coincidence,

you being alone
here in town tonight,

Judge Proctor and
his boys riding in.

Maybe it's you that's on
that list the judge carries.

Maybe you've been
on the wrong side,

and the judge knowing the
town's empty, and you being here...

Louie, I ain't so sure
that you're sober.

I think you got
a ways to go yet.

Anyways...

Well, where in the tarnation

did you get that old
handful of rust at?

It's loaded, Festus.
Be careful of it.

Louie, this here
thing wouldn't go off

if you put a barrel
of dynamite under it.

Then again, it just could go
off and take your hand with it.

I'm not standing by
watching you in trouble.

Louie, sometimes a fella

just don't know where
his friends is coming from.

I sure do count you as a
plumb special kind of a friend.

Much obliged to you.

Fire! Fire in the livery!

Hey, come out! There's a fire!

There's a fire in the livery!

Look out! Get out of the way!

Fire! Fire in the livery!

Come out here! Come help me out!

Fire! Fire! Come on!

Come on, I'm trying to
save your life. Come on!

Well, I'd say it was
their problem, the town's.

They be town burners!

Ruth, come on!

Come on. Come on. Come on.

Come on. Get out
of the way! Come on!

Come on! Come on! Come on!

Hyah! Go! Hyah! Go! Hyah!

Unless we're asked for help,
I... I don't see no need to offer it.

Come on! Look out! Come on!

Burke, hurry it up! Get going.

Keep that water coming.

We're coming.

Come on! Clear out! Clear out!

They did it.

- What are you talking about?
- I said they did it.

- Did you see 'em, Burke?
- I didn't have to see them.

All right then, just hush up.

The best thing for you is go
on home and get some sleep.

Now, Scotty, I want you to send
a telegraph off to Johnsonville.

Tell Matthew to...

That's what I come
before to tell you, Festus.

The telegraph ain't working.

Hey, I'll bet they
cut the wires.

Just like they tried to
burn down this stable.

Just hold it, now. Hold it.

Festus, what are
you trying to do?

You trying to protect these men?

If Proctor wants to
move on, let him move on.

Should we take a vote on it, Festus?
I mean, so you won't get no blame.

No, we ain't taking
no vote now, Louie.

You're just trying to play
games with our hides,

- that's what you're doing.
- Burke, I've heard enough from you.

Now, this is just pure
old plain and simple.

There's a fella in that jail
that's supposed to be there

and that's where
he's a-fixing to stay.

Now, get out of my way.

Hey, Deputy.

You figure that old fire
in there be a problem,

you just ask us
boys to pitch in.

We're showing up here to
lend a helping hand now.

Wait a minute, what's the
matter here? What's going on?

Doc, right there's a knothead

that's fixing to get his
ugly face smoothed out.

Oh, come here. You've
got that badge on now.

You don't have to push anybody
around and smooth their face out.

Now, just get on in here.

Pa, can we talk?

Since when do you have
to ask if you can talk?

You most times appear to shut
me off when I have something to say.

Well, say it. Say it now.

Well, that man Springer,
this fellow Talbot...

I mean, when everything's all over,
I wonder what we've accomplished.

Don't you understand, boy?

You don't let soup stand, you
stir it up, you get it to bubbling,

you get people to notice
there's wrongs to be righted.

You get people to look to you.

A hundred, a thousand,
millions maybe,

if the Good Lord spares
me that much time.

The good Lord, Pa?

You call on God to help
you burn people out?

I mean, get 'em so
scared of your name...

You wanted to know what we're
accomplishing and I told you.

Pa, you've told me nothing.

There's a war been
fought and it's not over yet.

You fellas know what's good for you,
you'd be getting out of town right now.

You don't think Marshal
Dillon in Johnsonville

don't know there's
no telegraph here?

Don't think he won't be figuring
there's trouble and come here?

Ross, you ride
outside town a ways

and you stop anybody
coming in. Anybody. Go on.

Come on.

Well, I know that don't feel
good, Festus, but it's not serious.

That's irritation from
the smoke's what it is.

It'll water for a while,
but it'll be all right.

Obliged, Doc. Come in.

I'm Jay's brother.

I'd, uh, like to talk to him.

I ain't got no objections.

Doc here is fixing
to go and see him.

Now, Doc, about Jay...

Him always being so cold and the
way he can't get his breath sometimes.

Well, I can understand your
concern. There's plenty to worry about.

Seems to me like your father
would have done a little worrying.

Well, uh, he's had
a lot on his mind.

Here, here, you know what Doc
told you about drinking that whiskey.

I don't care what
that old quack said.

Way I felt until I got some
whiskey going in me, I'd liked to die.

Well, now, that's just exactly
what you're working up to, son.

Now that's a stimulant and the last
thing your heart needs is more work.

You're flirting around
with pneumonia.

When's Pa riding on?

He still sets midnight.

Hear it, Deputy. Hear it good.

What you won't hear is the shovels
over your grave after that time.

- You ain't gonna be drinking more...
- Give me that!

Festus!

Wait a minute. Hold on, Doc.

Now, you know Matthew don't allow
no whiskey drinking in the jailhouse.

I know that. I know it.

And I know it's no good for
him to be drinking in there either,

but you struggling with
him like that in his condition,

that could be just as bad or
even worse. You can't do that.

Well, he's just plain old
mule stubborn, is what he is.

Yeah, well you can't do
anything about that, either.

Hey, Jay.

Jay, you been noticing
a change in Pa?

- Like what?
- The last six months.

He don't give many
orders to anybody.

It's always Berber
saying something.

So?

Well, he'd never would've
had Springer burned out

- if it weren't for Berber pushing for it.
- Berber wants things done.

Oh, he wants it back ten, 20 years
ago. Past any time we can remember.

You know, Jay, I ain't never seen
a real live Jayhawker my whole life.

Like the North-South war.

It's always somebody saying
we got robbed of our lands.

Jay, I ain't never
seen those lands.

Is it different from land
we could settle right now?

I'm getting tired of
listening to you whining.

Always wanting to know if
I'm trying to measure up to Pa.

Well, brother Eliot, you
don't even start to measure.

In fact, I think you're
a plain-livered coward!

Jay?

Jay, you all right?

Get out of here!

Leave me be!

Looks like the pilgrim
here has a bone to pick.

You've been fish-eyeing
us since we rode in.

I don't know what you mean.

Well, the way you look at us sometimes,
like you want to say something, huh?

Look, I'm not
looking for no trouble.

Well, maybe we
offended you then.

Something you want
to take up with me?

What's going on here?

Well, now... I say, well now.

Our dog-eared deputy.

Nothing going on in this town without
you making it a personal thing, huh?

They pestering you
some, are they, Burke?

No, I was just
moving on, Festus.

Well, now, you're
sure quick to swing

the weight of that badge
around, don't you, Deputy?

What is it you're trying to say?

I'm saying, dog-ear,

that you'd be a whole
lot more respectful

without that piece of tin
stuck to your shirt, Deputy.

Well now, just don't let this
deputy badge hobble you none.

Whenever you get to
feeling froggy, just hop on.

Show me.

Pa!

Pa!

It's Jay.

I think he's dead.

Hold it right there, mister.

You'd better put that gun down.
I'm a United States Marshal.

Well now, you're the one
I was waiting for, Marshal.

Will you drop your gun?

Uh-uh. Nice and easy.

Who are you?

I'm a Proctor man.
You ever hear of him?

What business the
Judge got in Dodge City?

I wouldn't keep asking questions
unless you figure on bucking this rifle.

I guess that wouldn't
be too smart, would it?

Now...

we'll just finish our little
talk on the way into Dodge.

Shame.

Young fellow like that.

Just wouldn't listen.

Nothing anybody
could do for him.

How about a doctor that
had some interest in him?

Oh, I'd like to jab my foot
right in his mouth, spur and all.

Well now, hold on
here just a minute.

It seems to me like you
got some other problems.

How you planning
on handling them?

Well, Doc, whatever this
badge says I'm supposed to do,

that's what I'm gonna do.

Glad to hear you say that, Festus.
Now that's the way Matt handles it.

Lets that badge do the talking,
not his temper, you know.

Well, I pretty near let mine scoot
away from me out yonder, didn't I?

Well, you sure...

The Judge wants to
see you two outside.

Don't!

Unless you want to see
Doc here carried out feet first.

The party's outside,
you both got invites.

Move.

Calls himself a doctor?

A man doesn't die in
one night, not from a chill.

Every paper in Missouri's gonna
be asking why your son died

in a Dodge jail instead
of being tended to.

And there won't be one paper in
Missouri not asking what action you took.

This town lacks law.

This town lacks people
willing to enforce the law.

It does not lack for
spite, for vindictiveness.

One man wears a badge,
locking my son in a jail

even knowing he's signing
my son's death warrant.

Oh, why don't you
talk some sense.

Another father would
simply put a bullet into you.

But you're all equally guilty,

all protecting the man
you know we had come for.

You had to know who Talbot was.

Talbot?

Are you talking
about Jim Talbot?

Strange how nobody
remembers until now.

Well, I don't know what
you're talking about.

But I know Jim Talbot. He
owned a lot of land around Dodge.

Came out from Missouri a few
years back to settle on some of it.

He was a recluse. Strange sort of a
fellow, nobody knew much about him,

'cause he took sick a
day or two after he arrived

and sold all the land
through an eastern broker.

I remember him because
I tended him at his death.

- Death?
- Died about three years ago.

Come all the way to
Dodge for a dead man.

Now you be taking one back.

Burn this town to the ground!

Move! Move! Move! Come on!

Let's go. Let's go.

Judge, if you're after
some sort of a reputation,

you may accomplish
that here tonight.

A reputation for seeking
justice in the town of Dodge?

My son lost his life here.

No, not lost. He gave it
away, and you helped.

Stand right where
you are. Nobody move.

Drop the gun belts.

Don't try it, Judge. I'm
a United States Marshal.

Eleven guns against one man?
You're not very prudent, Marshal.

The gun belts.

There's no way he can come
out better than second best, Judge.

He may be right, Judge,
but you'll be dead, too.

I don't count.

When you men leave
here, I'll be dead.

But you'll go on, carrying
on the work we started.

I'd hoped to find you
more reasonable, Judge.

My son lies dead in that jail.

And killed by his own pa.

That's right, Pa.
You killed him.

Jay not dead by any
other hand but yours.

That's enough, boy!

You had more hate than
love for your sons, Pa.

You ain't even gone over
to that jail to see Jay's body.

And now I'm gonna die
because I got to defend you.

Now, Pa, that's got to be hate.

- I never wanted anybody to die, son.
- All right, then put the gun down.

How do we stand, Marshal?

The only thing you're
wanted in Kansas for right now

is burning a wheat field. That
might be a good place to leave it.

We'll leave it there.

No, no. You're not
talking for us, Judge.

You'll be a man alone, Berber.

No, you're the man alone.

I've always taken the
responsibility for what my men do.

And that's the
way it will continue.

Step aside, Judge.

All right, up.

Collect their guns, Festus.

Come on. Louie?

I never... I never
hated my sons or boys.

Maybe I...

Maybe I wanted
to put off seeing Jay

till the light of morning,

not wanting to
believe he's gone.

It's all right,
Pa. It's all right.

Because... because a man's not
the smartest person in the world

doesn't mean he
hates the one he loves.

Shh, Pa, you
shouldn't be talking.

I think the doctor's agreeing,

that won't make the difference.

You said, boy, you didn't
know what it was all about.

Well, maybe it
wasn't about anything.

An echo from the war.

You've proven that
nobody goes back.

Something ahead is...

What are you doing there?

Oh, just polishing
up this here badge.

What for?

So's I can give it back to Matthew
in as good a shape as I got it in.

Well, it's not necessary.

Much as it pains me
to say this, Festus,

that badge never got
one little bit tarnished

while it's been pinned
to your vest there. Matt...

the brightest thing in
Dodge City last night

was that badge shining
up, and that's the truth.

- I know, Doc.
- Well.

Well, don't let it
go to your head.

Everything improves with
age, you know. It's supposed to.

It's just one of the
schemes of things of nature.

Even your mule is
getting old enough now

to where he can kind of find
the way to his own oat bin.

Now, why'd you
have to bring Ruth in...

No, you ain't gonna
get me mad today.

No, sir.

Fact is, I was gonna buy you
fellas breakfast this morning.

Steak and eggs
and biscuits, gravy...

Say now, that sounds pretty good,
but how is it you're feeling so rich?

Oh, I got the answer
for that all right.

You know the rumor
that's been going around

that he turns in an expense voucher
to the town council every month?

Well, that's a little
bit more than a rumor.

Happens to be the
truth, because last month,

an item showed up on his expense
voucher for a new pair of britches.

And I got a surprise for you.

As head of the town council,
we're not buying you any britches.

I'm hungry. Let's
go get that breakfast.

Oh, all right, uh...

Matthew, I can tell
you what happened.

And I wouldn't have did that if it
hadn't a been in the line of duty.

You remember when I went
out to serve that warrant for you

out at Arthur Bean's place?

And you know that big,
old, whiskeredy-jawed,

waggledy-tailed dog of
his that acts so friendly?

Well, he ain't.

He glommed on to
the seat of my britches

and just like to tore
them clean off of me.

If I hadn't a-went to work and
bought me a new pair of britches

out of my own money, why I'd
have been a-running around Dodge

naked as a picked prairie
chicken, don't you see?

Festus, we'd better
get on over there.

Doc's gonna be expecting
you to buy his breakfast.

Well, he can just sit there
and fiddle with his moustache.

If he ain't gonna get
me no new britches,

I ain't gonna buy
him no free breakfast.

That wily, ol' skunkin'...

Stay tuned for scenes
from next week's Gunsmoke.