Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 15, Episode 11 - Ring of Darkness - full transcript

Ben Hurley, a poor farmer, steals horses for outlaws to get enough money to take his blind daughter Susan to Kansas City, where she can learn to read and lead a better life. Newly tries to ...

Gunsmoke, starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.

- Ah, Pinto.
- Anyone around?

Just me.

- Them horses ready?
- Got two in the barn.

How come you ain't got
four horses ready for us?

Well, I couldn't
manage all at once.

The other two are in
a box canyon waiting.

Hire cheap help,
that's what you get.

Uh... I swear, Pinto,
you'll have the horses.

Sundown, I'll be on
the ridge waiting for you.

Pa?



I thought you said
you was alone.

I meant me and family.

This is my daughter, Susan.

Susan, this here
is Mr... Mr. Carter.

He's a land office
man from Dodge City.

And this is Mr. Roberts,
he's a horse rancher.

He's gonna buy the horses
I told you was in the barn.

- Hi.
- And this here fella...

he, uh, he works
for Mr. Roberts.

Pleased to meet you, Mr. Carter.

Yeah, a pleasure, ma'am.

- Mr. Roberts.
- Ma'am.

I... I guess I didn't
catch your name.

Smith. Make it Pete between us.



You go about your cookin'.

Me and these gentlemen got
some business to talk about.

All right, now, Hurley.

You're getting 500 for the
horses and the supplies.

But if we come down through
here with a posse on our tail

and you ain't got no fresh horses for
us, you're gonna have 500 kinds of grief.

Come on.

♪ I gave my love a cherry

♪ That has no stone

♪ I gave my love a chicken

♪ That has no bone
♪ I told my love a story

♪ That had no end

- I'll be gone a couple hours.
- All right, Pa.

Just talking business.

So... I want you
to do something.

Sure, Pa.

Now, while I'm gone,

if you hear anybody, duck
around the tool shed and hide.

- Why?
- Because I say so!

Sorry.

It's just that I... I've seen so many
saddle tramps around here lately.

Nobody ever bothered me.

Pa, is there
something the matter?

No, nothing.

Got a surprise.

Surprise?

- We may be going to Kansas City.
- Kansas City?

Listen, you're
going to that school.

I'm selling out soon. That's
why I had those men around here.

Oh, Pa!

And if everything
works out all right,

we'll be on... on that
coach by morning.

The deal's almost set.

You know, that
Dodge land office man,

he thinks he can give me $500
over... over the mortgage here.

$500? But I thought you said the
farm wasn't even worth the mortgage.

- I thought you said...
- Well, I thought that too.

But I hear they're saying
land prices are going up.

A good cash price we're gettin'.

I'll see you soon, Sue.

I got a lot of things to do.

Goodbye, Pa.

Well, how did you get in
a predicament like this?

Well, I completely forgot
I asked Merry Florene

to go to that taffy-pull the widow
Hesper's giving for her birthday.

- Doc. Festus.
- Newly.

- Newly.
- Miss Kitty.

I was tellin' Miss Kitty that I meet
Kathy Ryan today and she says,

kind of bashful like, she says,

"I guess I'll be seeing you over
there, Newly." And I said yes.

- And?
- Well, that's all I said was yes.

Oh. Well, in another words,

you're all gonna be at this
party and both those girls are...

Well, each one of them is
going to be expecting you

to pay attention to them, right?

Miss Kitty, being a single
fella ain't easy these days.

- Oh, I don't know about that.
- Well, it is if you got a conscience.

This is no kidding matter, Doc.

Now, when I was a
young man your age...

When you were a young man
his age, you didn't do such things.

Well, as a matter of fact,
I was an awful lot more...

Uh, well, I was... I
was subtle about it.

I... They... Well, I can't
think of the word for it, but...

- I'd hate to suggest the word.
- Sneaky?

Oh, shut up. I... I... I was a very
proper young man is what I was.

Now, there's one thing I
never did get caught up in,

and that was going to a
taffy-pull and having two girls

with their mouths full
of taffy glarin' at me.

Well, maybe I can say I'm sick, Doc.
Uh, you were treatin' me for something.

No. No, sir. You're not gonna get me
tangled up in any of your connivances.

- Connivances?
- Newly, what you ought to do

is get yourself a great old big
bandana and tie it around your head,

see, like you had a toothache.

'Cause none of them girls would
expect you to go to no taffy-pull

if you had the
toothache, don't you see?

Or... oh, you could just tell one
you're gonna marry the other.

- Marry?
- Oh, good heavens,

now he's gonna have
apoplexy. No, Newly.

Now, the way to
handle it is this way.

Just tell the girls that the Widow Hesper's
been doing your laundry for a long time

and you'd kinda like
to keep it that way.

Matthew.

Say, Newly, would you
mind doing me a favor?

I just talked to the foreman
of the Lazy Y Ranch.

He claims he's got some horses
missing. Would you mind riding out there

- and checking up on that, Newly?
- Would I mind?

Marshal, I'll bring those horses
back with the reins in my bare teeth.

What was that all about?

Oh, the condemned
man got a reprieve.

Anybody around?

Hello!

Anybody in there?

Who's in here?

Nobody.

- Ow! Oh!
- What's the matter?

- Nothing.
- Did you hurt yourself?

- Just my arm.
- Let me see.

No. Please go away.

Don't act like a child.
I'm not gonna bite you.

Please, just leave me alone.

You were alone when
you fell over your own feet.

Come on out in the light
where I can look at that arm.

Maybe...

Oh, I'm sorry.

- Please, let me help you.
- I can manage.

Well, at least let me
take a look at this arm.

- What were you doing in that tool shed?
- Falling over my own feet.

You got a nasty cut here.

My pa'll bandage it
when he comes home.

Well, I can do that
much if you'll let me.

I got bandages in the house.

Good.

An ounce of prevention's
worth a thousand cures,

according to my Uncle
Newton. He was a doctor

and he tried pounding a
few things in my head...

Watch your step. I've
handled bandagin' before.

- How does that feel?
- A lot better.

Maybe I should wait
here till your pa comes.

Oh, I'll be all right now.
But I don't mind you waiting.

Well, good.

Can I get you a cup
of coffee or something?

- Would you like some, Mr...
- O'Brien. Newly O'Brien.

- And your name?
- Hurley. Susan Hurley.

Newly, that's a funny name.

I mean, it's kind
of strange, sort of.

That's what everybody says,
but that's what my folks named me.

I tell you, I'll settle for
Newly instead of Mr. O'Brien,

if you settle for Susan.

That's good.

Thank you.

Nobody else on the farm?
Just you and your father?

That's right.

You had a reason
for asking like that.

No, it just seemed a little
surprising, you being left here alone.

I'm not helpless, Mr... Newly.

I didn't mean that.

You didn't say how you
happened by our place yet.

Well, it's nothing important.

My horse had a loose shoe so I thought
I'd pick up some nails and a hammer,

and tighten it up before
I get back to Dodge.

We have some tools in the barn.

You could take a look
out there if you'd like.

No, uh... no. I'll... I'll wait
here till your pa gets home.

Somehow it just seems to me
you got something else on your mind

besides fixing
your horse's shoe.

You know, when you can't see the way
somebody looks when he's talking to you,

you have to listen real close.

Well, I guess I do have a
few things on my mind, all right.

Your future husband's
gonna be at a big disadvantage

coming home late with excuses.

I wouldn't wanna be unfair.

Maybe I'll just believe him.

Hey, I think I'm beginning
to know what you look like.

All right, but be flattering.

- You're real tall.
- Well, you might say that.

And your hair is light, sorta.

No, it's dark brown like yours.

Brown.

Wanna know something?

I don't exactly
know what color is.

Pa's tried to tell me, but...

I guess it's like music
you never heard before.

The color of your hair
makes music all right.

Now, who's doing the flattering?

It's the truth.

You don't know how happy it made
me to know Pa got a buyer for the farm,

money for the
school in Kansas City.

We've been talking
about it for a long time.

Me learning to read. It's
done with your fingers.

I've heard about that. I'm
real... real glad for you, Susan.

They teach all sorts
of things at that school.

Sewing, how to make
your own clothes.

They even have dancing...

Who are you, mister?
What are you doing here?

Oh, Pa, this is
Mr. Newly O'Brien.

He just happened by
when I fell and I cut my...

I mean, I didn't cut myself
badly, but he bandaged it for me.

Well, I... I thank you for
your help, Mr. O'Brien.

Susan, the farm deal is set.

Now, why don't
you start packing.

And I'll, uh, see
Mr. O'Brien to his horse.

- You mean we're really going, Pa?
- Deal's set.

Sold the equipment too.

In fact, nothing is keeping us
from taking the stage tonight.

Oh, Pa, that's just wonderful.

Go pack your clothes.

Newly...

It's been a mighty
pleasure knowing you.

Same here, Susan.
Good luck in Kansas City.

Thank you.

We'll talk outside.

Over to the barn.

You're in a lot of
trouble, Mr. Hurley.

The barn.

One thing I'd like
to know, Mr. Hurley,

is why a farmer'd take a
chance stealing horses.

So you sell 'em for $40 a piece.
You can't need money that bad.

Look, I never killed a man.

And before this, I never
even broke the law.

But to keep my daughter
from knowing what I've done,

I'd kill a hundred men.

Anybody can follow
tracks here like I did.

When I don't show up in Dodge,
other people be come looking.

What are you gonna
do when they find me?

I don't know. We'll
be gone by then.

All I can see is a
sorry life for Susan.

Well, it's been a
sorry life, mister.

- It's gonna change now.
- Pa!

Whatever you gotta
say, you say it right.

In here, Susan!

Pa, I wanted to ask you about
that old trunk. I can't find it anywhere.

Oh, it's, uh... it's
in the back closet.

Well, of course, I forgot.

I heard some talking
before. Is Mr. Newly still here?

- Yes. Yes, he's here.
- You'll have to forgive me.

I'm just running around
like a chicken, I'm so excited.

I can't even think straight. Are
you fixing your horse's shoe?

What's the matter?

This Mr. O'Brien is trying
to sell me two horses.

Oh, we won't be needing them.

- It's something else.
- Yes. Yes, there is.

Mr. O'Brien...

Well, the two horses are
wearing Lazy Y brands.

He's got no bill of sale.

He's an out-and-out
horse thief, Susan.

But that don't seem possible.

It's possible all right. All you
have to do is ask him outright.

What about it, Mr. O'Brien?
Or whatever your name is.

Well, I guess, for once...

I don't know what to say.

But you sounded so...

Susan, I got him
tied up pretty good.

Now, I'm going into
Dodge for the marshal.

Oh, Pa, he helped me.

- Don't you think maybe we'd...
- Susan, it wouldn't be right.

Now, put it out of your mind.

Go back in the house
and finish packing. Go on.

And Susan...

I want you to stay away from
the barn and him while I'm gone.

Go on.

You know, I'm pretty
mixed up with everything...

everything the way
it's been happening.

But sometime tonight,

I'll be freeing you if we
come to an understanding.

There ain't gonna
be no understanding.

You're in no
position to bargain.

The only understanding you're gonna get
from me is that I'm not gonna be the one

that hit your daughter
in the face with the truth.

There's something stupid
about your game here, Mr. Hurley.

- It don't make no sense.
- Well, it's...

- too late to back out of now.
- Why can't you back out of it?

You know I'll be coming
after you unless you kill me.

I never killed a man.

I'll just have to take the chance you
won't catch up with Susan and me.

Now, we won't go to Kansas City, we'll
go someplace else, change our names.

Why is it too late to
give those horses back?

Susan!

Susan!

Susan!

Susan!

What is it?

Susan, I'm hungry.

You want me to untie you,
Mr. O'Brien, and I can't do that.

Susan, wait. Wait a minute.

Susan!

You can feed me without untying
me. Haven't eaten anything all day.

My pa told me to
stay away from you.

You wouldn't let a dog go
without feeding him, would you?

Nobody has to teach
you how to cook.

I kinda picked
that up from my pa.

How did you get
started, Mr. O'Brien?

Started?

Well, taking things
not belonging to you.

Well, that's kinda
hard to answer.

When you said you knew something
about doctoring you were telling the truth.

I could tell.

Well, like I said, I went to
medical school a long time ago,

but I never stuck it out.

Couldn't have been that
long ago, you're not that old.

Well, let's just say it was
a number of dreams ago.

Since then, there's
been a few others.

Like what?

Lawyer, gunsmith,
most everything.

Horse thief wasn't
among those dreams.

I never knew a... a...

before.

I would have never thought
one would be like you.

What am I like?

You're sort of
gentle, like my pa.

Well, if you think that,
why don't you let me go?

I can't go against
my pa like that.

Do you wanna see me go to jail?

Susan, listen to
me. Now, listen.

As long as I live, I'll never
steal. Now, that's a promise.

Then why didn't you
say that to my pa?

He would've understood.
I know he would have.

I just don't know what to think.

It's not what you
think, it's what you feel.

I just can't trust my feelings.
None of them, it seems.

I'll trust them.

I don't know enough
about men, except my pa.

- You said I was a little bit like him.
- He don't lie.

Listen, when my pa comes back,

you tell him you
won't steal no more.

And I'll ask him to free you.
But you gotta make him believe

you won't do it no
more. That's fair, isn't it?

Except he's bringing the
marshal back with him, he said.

I forgot.

Susan.

Trust me.

Can't do any
more ridin' tonight.

Not till I get this side tended.

I gotta stop the bleedin'.

Yeah.

Well... that's what
happens sometimes.

- Let's get movin'.
- Wait a minute.

We're in this all
together. All the way.

Pinto.

Won't do you any good
if we get caught too.

Well, by morning I'll be
able to... I'll be able to ride on.

Maybe yes and maybe no.

I say yes.

Now, we can hole up at that
farm. Be safe enough there.

Hurley'll be waitin' on
the ridge with fresh horses.

Well, Gulley can
bring 'em to the farm.

Can't you, Gulley?

Especially since that's
where the gold is gonna be.

All right, Pinto.
Put the gun away.

I'll play along with you.

I guess we owe you
that much anyway.

Susan, I just don't know
how else to ask you.

- I wish you'd never come here today.
- Oh, I don't wish that.

- You're a nice person to know.
- Don't say things like that.

- You don't mean them!
- I do mean it.

Get out the back way.

- Pa?
- Ain't him, missy.

Marshal?

Whoever he is,
he's not the marshal.

- Are you Mr...
- It's your old friend,

Pete Smith, honey.

- How are you, Deputy?
- Deputy?

I seen you months ago on the
Dodge street wearin' a deputy badge.

- You saw right.
- Are you a deputy?

- Pa... Pa said...
- Get up to the house.

You too, honey.
Get. Cook some food.

Don't sound too clear, Deputy.

It's not too clear what
you two are doing here.

Not supposed to be. Now, you
come up with an answer and quick!

Mr. O'Brien, you
really a lawman?

That's right, Susan.

Then I just don't understand
nothing that's going on.

Pa... Pa said...

We're waitin', Deputy!

Been tracking stolen horses.

Told you we shoulda
gotten our own horses.

Then you mean that
Pa made a mistake?

But why didn't you tell him?

No.

- Pa said...
- Honey.

You just come over to the stove.

And you cook us some good food.

Carr, you get a
knife! You sharpen it.

Carr!

I want... I want this
bullet outta here.

I wanna get ridin' tonight.

I can feel it right
down in here.

Over here.

Now, just try not
cuttin' too much.

Gimme that thing.

Now, girl, do you got
any whiskey around here?

No.

Ah...

- You might as well cut his throat.
- What?

The way you've been bleeding,
that bullet's deeper than it feels.

He starts cuttin', you're gonna
have more blood on the floor

- than you got in your body.
- Nobody asked for your opinion.

Just a minute!

It's my hide.

Seems like you been here before.

Enough to know that that
bullet should stay where it is

till the bleeding stopped.

I don't care too much for your hide
either, but I can see him burying you

in about an hour if he starts
cutting away with that knife.

All right. Untie him.

- Wait a minute.
- I said untie him!

- Hurley.
- Where's Pinto? Where are the others?

- Been a change of plans.
- What?

We're gonna spend
the night at your place.

Oh, no, no, you can't do that.

Now look, I got 500 coming now!

That was the deal.

You got a bullet in the head coming
if you don't get that stock down there.

My...

My pa is in on it, isn't he?

Your old man's got his
fingers in as deep as us.

Only he works cheap.

Newly?

I'm afraid so.

Susan, I'm gonna need me
some more hot water, please.

This is gonna hurt.

Well, but it don't exactly
bother you much, does it? Huh?

You know, adding
it all together,

you people needed fresh horses
after a robbery, only it went wrong.

Only one little
piece went wrong.

- This little chunk of lead inside me.
- The money went right.

You know, it's occurring to me, I'm
not gaining too much around here.

I mean, you gonna ride off, but
maybe I won't exactly be fit for riding.

Well, you're alive.

You're breathing.

As they say, you ought
to count your blessings.

It's about time Gulley and
Hurley come in with them horses.

- Can I, uh, give you a little help?
- No thank you, I can manage just fine.

The night goes pretty fast.

- I want you to quit that!
- Leave that girl alone!

Get on with it!

Pay attention to
your job, Deputy.

- Mr...
- Now, just pretend

- you and me are alone.
- No, mister, please let me go.

- Carr, leave her be!
- Mind your business!

I said leave her be!

Let me go, mister,
please! Mister, stop it!

Oh, no! Let me go!

Ah!

Carr, get back here!

Ah!

Ah!

Shh! Susan! It's me, Newly.

Don't move.

Newly?

Newly?

- Susan.
- Pa!

- Susan, what's the matter?
- Pa!

- What's the matter?
- Pa!

Tell me.

- Tell me why I shouldn't.
- No, you can't.

I was mad. She burned me.

You got one more chance. And
Deputy... you got one more chance.

Susan.

- Susan, you...
- No, don't touch me!

Don't even put your hands on me.

- Susan.
- Oh, don't fool me, Pa.

Don't fool me!

Susan, there are some
things you have to understand.

You knew Mr. O'Brien
was a lawman.

You're in with them, these
men. You're part of whatever it is.

All right, Susan.

I stole the horses.
But that's all I did.

Never... never
in your whole life

did you ever fool me
'cause I couldn't see.

Never.

- It's for you, Susan.
- No!

Oh, Pa.

I don't know how you got
yourself into this, and I don't care,

but you gotta get yourself out. You're
taking money we don't ever need.

Don't need.

Me knowing you should be in that
school, so I can make a life for you.

So that you're
not like an animal,

not reading, not knowing
what the world is like.

I didn't ask for it
to turn out this way.

All I know is I've got you and me
to worry about and nobody else.

Oh, that's not
what you taught me!

That's not how
you read the Bible!

The Bible says honor thy father!

I'll obey you, Pa.

I'll obey you.

Pinto.

- Time to go?
- Yeah.

- It's morning.
- Yes.

And what happens to you, Newly?

It'll be another
day, it always is.

Why do things like this happen?

My Uncle Newton'd probably
have the answer to that question.

Trouble is I never
thought to ask him.

- Should I take care of that deputy?
- You might as well.

- I was just thinkin'.
- About what?

Well, he could be of use to you.

Posse wouldn't be so free with
bullets if you had a lawman around.

- He's got something there.
- That make it better, Pa?

You don't have to be
there to see it happen?

You don't have to see
them kill Mr. O'Brien?

All right, bring him along.

Hey, let's go. Get
on your feet. Let's go!

It's all right,
Susan. It's all right.

Pa, we got nothing
left! Nothing!

Hey!

Hold it!

All right, you get over there.

What's happening? Tell me. Pa?

Put it down. Put it down.

- Hurley, you're crazy.
- I was.

You turned us in, you
turned yourself in too.

- Pa...
- Thank you, Mr. Hurley.

You see, Newly,
I did know my pa.

We're gonna get out of here even
without that money. Won't we, Pa?

Won't we, Mr. O'Brien?

Can I pour you a little
dab of coffee, Susan?

No, thank you.

Susan, everybody
expected the guilty verdict.

But you see, Judge Brooker knows
that Newly wouldn't be alive today

if it hadn't of
been for your pa.

Just came in from Hays City.

Susan, your pa got probation.

You said that might
happen, didn't you?

Well, I was hoping it would.

Hey, um, I've been
sitting here thinking...

that no matter how it
would have turned out,

you did the right
thing, Mr. O'Brien.

- Are we still on last names?
- No. I mean Newly.

We can have dinner over at the Dodge
House and wait for the Hays stage.

Your pa'll be coming in on it.

- Marshal Dillon?
- Susan.

I just wanna thank you.

Well, I'm... I'm happy
it worked out this way.

Watch this first step.

Right there's nice.

Matthew, have you
noticed how Newly's actin'

kinda peculiar here lately?

No. What do you mean?

Well, you just can't hardly turn
around if there ain't some she-male

a-standin' there
not a foot away.

Well, that's kind of natural,
isn't it? I mean, he's single...

Well, so am I, single.

Stay tuned for scenes
from next week's Gunsmoke.