Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 15, Episode 26 - The Cage - full transcript

When a gang tries to kill one of their captured members, the member turns around and teams up with Matt to bring the rest of the members to justice.

Gunsmoke, starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.

Just ain't no fresh wagon tracks
no place east of here, Matthew.

Look over that saddleback there.

Something's brought
the buzzards in.

Well, I just hope it ain't
nothin' more than a dead stray.

Let's take a look.

Get out of there! Get away
from... Ha! Get out of there!

Roy?

Won't make no
difference to a dead man.

I just can't stand to
see a bird get at him.

They didn't... They didn't
make 'em to break down, Roy.



I ain't got long.

Hey, I told you not to...

Don't talk that way.

What have you got
on your mind, Roy?

Getting us out of here.

No... I mean really
on your mind?

No matter how long it
takes, or what I have to do...

Benson and the others
are gonna wish they hadn't.

You're gonna
get yourself killed.

Yeah, well, I won't be the
only one they'll be burying.

You're talking like a boy.

Well, why'd Benson do it?

He had to know we wouldn't
gonna name nobody to the law.

Luke?



Sleepy.

Get out of there!
Get away! Go on!

Get out of there!

Get out of there! Get away!

Hey! Hey, in here!

Over here! And we need water!

See to them. I'll check
these others here.

Right, get back. Step back.

He can't breathe. We
gotta get him down.

All right, you take the top.

You hold on now, you hear?

Marshal...

Yeah.

My brother...

Nothin' to do with the robbery.

Only me.

And the... the others.

Now, you just stop that. You
ain't gonna take all the blame.

He... only a kid.

No fault...

except... wanting
to be with... with me.

Promise you won't blame Roy...

for what... what we did.

Pro...

Promise.

Luke?

They didn't have to do it.

They didn't.

Who's "they," Roy?

They didn't have to do it.

Right there, just shootin' them
deputies down like they done,

then emptyin' their
guns in this wagon,

there ain't no words
bad enough to call them.

Now, look, I'm going down to Doc's to
see how he's coming patching the boy.

You get Newly and get
the supplies together.

Well, Matthew, that there
boy, the way he was talkin',

I don't think you got a measly
prayer of finding out who that gang is.

Well, he's had a little time
to think about it. We'll see.

Well, that shoulder is gonna
be a little sore for a few days,

so you better keep
moving around.

There isn't a whole lot of
room to move around in here.

Well, I mean just keep it limbered
up. It'll heal better that way.

That's right. Don't favor that
arm at all. I read all about it.

You read about what, Burke?

Well, take a man with a broken leg.
The sooner he walks on it, the better.

That's very interesting.

Burke, I seem to recall

the last time you practiced
mail-order medicine on yourself,

you wound up with
blood poisoning.

How is he, Doc?

He's gonna be all right, Matt,
but I wasn't sure till just now.

Dr. Burke offered his very
capable medical advice.

- I'll see you later.
- Thanks, Doc.

Roy, what can you possibly owe that
gang after them killing your brother?

I owe them plenty.

Well, the law can collect it a
whole lot better than you can.

You know, Roy, you're just lucky
that were left alive long enough

to where you'd have a
chance to talk to the law.

The way they emptied their
guns through that window,

there was nobody figuring
we'd be left alive, including me.

It's a good thing that marshal from
Hays wired ahead to expect you by noon.

Roy, you're facing five years
for riding with your brother,

whether you had anything to
do with that train robbery or not.

Now, you can help
yourself by naming names

and telling us where we expect
them to try to sell that stolen gold.

I ain't gonna go
crying to no judge.

Uh-huh.

Just as tough as his
brother Luke, huh?

That what you want
written on your tombstone?

You got some
growing up to do, Roy.

Do you have any idea what five years
in prison'll do to somebody your age?

You better think about that.

Well, that's just the point.

Outlaws that have got gold
on their hands just can't go

running around the countryside
living off it or they'd leave a trail.

Or they just sell it
for less than it's worth.

That's right, and I'll
tell you something else.

That's one of the reasons
they ambushed that prison van,

so that they could keep the
secret of where they're gonna sell it.

Well, it's certainly becoming a
flourishing business to the south,

this dealing in gold.

Oh, I should say so.

There are some places down there, I
hear, that are discounting it 40, 50%.

- Doing what, Doc?
- They're di...

Well, what that means is

that if you got $100 in gold
and you gotta get rid of it,

well, then, you
can sell it for 40 or...

- Oh, never mind.
- Now, wait just a minute, now.

You mean if I was to
have me a paper dollar bill,

I could swap it for two
dollars in gold from somebody?

If you don't mind
accepting stolen goods.

Oh, I don't mind...

Well, what I mean... is

if I didn't know that this here
gold was stoled in the first place,

and I was... just happened to
be in kind of a bargainin' shape,

and this here fella,
he come along

with this here old mass
of gold that he was...

I understand exactly
what you mean.

What you're saying is that you
don't mind at all accepting stolen gold.

I ain't saying no such a thing.

- I heard you...
- I'll leave it up to Matthew...

That young fella in the
jail would like to talk to you.

- Thanks, Burke.
- All right.

I better get over there too

'cause I sure wanna talk to
him before he goes to sleep.

Drink that before it
goes flat, will you, Burke?

Oh, thanks, Doc.

Festus, um, I don't think I'd go in
the gold buying business if I were you.

I don't think it'd
make you too happy.

Oh, foot, Miss Kitty. I was just talkin'
to myself, that's all, just sayin'...

Uh, Burke, you... you on duty
over at the jailhouse, are you?

Well, sure.

What I mean is are you fixin'
to drink a glass of beer there

and do deputyin' all
at the same onced?

Well, I've seen the
marshal drink a beer,

and you too, and
you're still deputized.

Oh, well, the marshal
and the deputy,

they're different when they
ain't in charge of the jailhouse.

But you, now, you go drinkin' beer
and go over yonder to jailhouse,

some fella'd be a-sayin', "That fella
here in charge, he's a-drinkin' beer."

Don't you see? Not that
Matthew's gonna say nothin'.

He'd probably say,

"Well, you just go on and do
whatever you think's fittin' and proper."

Yeah, well, maybe... maybe
he wouldn't like it, huh?

Well, it... just could
be or couldn't be

that he would or wouldn't.

A fella just don't
know, just don't know.

Yeah, well, I just hate to
see a good beer go to waste.

Oh, I can't stand
to see that myself.

Like I say, Matthew, he
might not even say a word,

I mean, seein' as how
you're doin' him kind of a favor

lookin' after the
jail and everything.

But if I was you, I'd ask him
about that, drinkin' beer, I mean.

Then you'll know.

Marshal, I've been thinking.
I'm... I'm gonna cooperate with you.

Good, Roy. All right,
let's start with the names.

Well, I don't think the names'll
help you. None of them's wanted.

Benson's been the leader, but I
don't even think that's his right name.

How many in the gang?

Well, there was eight, counting
Luke and me, but that leaves six.

Where do you think they were headed
with that gold they stole off the train?

Well, down to Carcaros, New Mexico.
It's just south of the Cristo mountains.

But they see a lawmen anywhere around
there and they close the town up tight.

You'd think it was
a sheep village.

You'll never even find Sanders
unless he knows who he's dealing with.

Sanders?

He's the man you see in
Carcaros if you have gold to sell.

Uh-huh. Then he's more
important than the Benson gang.

I don't think so.

They're not gonna be travelling
through towns with 100 pounds of gold.

They're probably staying
outside, skirting through the hills.

Yeah, they'll be pushing
those horses day and night too.

We're gonna have
to do the same thing.

We'll be ready in two hours.

I'm gonna be leaving you
on your own here, Roy.

I'm not gonna be
running at this point.

Well, he's all yours, Doc.

I'm gonna head over to Judge
Brooker's and pick up some warrants.

He's got more on his mind
than he's talking about.

Have to wait and
see what it is later.

Roy.

You look fine. How
does that shoulder feel?

I got bigger worries
than this shoulder.

Hey, Doc, maybe you
can answer me a question.

If someone's born not
being able to hear or speak,

except when they're
about 14 they start hearing,

is that a good sign that someday
they may be able to speak?

Well... hard to say.

Trauma at birth could
create a deaf-mute.

- Trauma?
- Injury.

Now, discounting the possibility
of a mental defect, I'd say...

Mental defect?

Does this look like a... like a
girl who can't think straight?

Nice-looking girl.

Yeah, no girl who can understand
both English and Spanish

has got anything
wrong with her mind.

That's quite an accomplishment.

Maybe she can't speak
because she's never been taught.

Never been taught?

Well, yes, even an infant
has to be taught to speak.

They have to learn how
to control sound, you see.

Now, I don't know that
that's true in her case.

Her problem could... well, it could
stem from any one of a dozen sources.

Yeah.

I bet we'd have no
problem if we had the money

for one of them big,
fancy eastern hospitals.

Well, maybe yes, maybe
no, but, in any event,

no doctor, no doctor would
even attempt a diagnosis

without first
seeing the patient.

Roy, you got a long ride ahead
of you. You better get some rest.

Well, there it is. No telegraph,
no stage ever going through.

If Benson's been there and gone,
I'll know it the minute I hit the livery.

If so, you'll find me
riding back this way fast.

Don't you think we ought to
slip off down yonder with you,

so's we can be close by in
case anything was to go wrong?

You think that's a sleepy-looking
town down there now,

you ought to see it the minute
a stranger passes the livery.

You wouldn't even
find a dog on the street.

All right, Roy. You know
the town. You know Sanders.

- Deseame buena suerte.
- Buena suerte, amigo.

I'll ride down partway with you.

What was that you two
was a-jabberin' about there?

You mean "Buena suerte, amigo"?

Well, he said, "Wish me
luck," and that's what I did.

You know somethin', Newly,

I kind of wish that I'd learned
me how to talk some Mexican.

It'd come in handy for a fella who
travels around as much as I do.

Like that there lady
barber there in Juarez.

It'd have helped me so much if I
could have made her understand.

Festus, you don't have to speak
Spanish to get along with the ladies.

After all, you know the old
saying, love is a universal language.

Well, who's talkin' about love?

She was a-scrapin' my
face with a dull razor.

I couldn't make her understand
that I didn't have the hide of no hog,

don't you see?

All right.

Doc told me about that
girl you have in town.

Yeah. I'll be paying her a call.

Well, it's gonna be
light in a couple of hours.

I'll expect you on your
way out of there by then.

Should be on the road out.

Roy. You know that
wasteland south of town there?

You know, some men seem
to think that's an easy way out,

a fast horse and headed for Mexico
and all your troubles are left behind.

It's been about the size
of it from what I've seen.

Don't fool yourself
about that, Roy.

A man carries his
troubles with him.

Yeah. I'll be out first light.

We'll take a position above the
road just outside of town there.

Marshal, you can't help like
that kid, but I don't trust him.

Neither do I.

I just hope he doesn't hang himself
with the rope we're giving him.

Alfonso.

Oh, Roy, mi querido amigo!
It's good to see you again.

- Cómo está?
- Muy bien.

A man has to work and
live. The others, amigo?

- They're not here yet?
- No.

I came on a little bit ahead. Could
you feed him but keep him saddled?

'Cause I'll be leaving
about first light.

Good, good. Of course, amigo.

And brother Luke?
He is well, I think?

I guess you hadn't
heard. Luke's dead.

- News travels slow down here.
- I am deeply sorrowed, Roy.

Andale, caballo. Vengas.

I'm sorry it took so long to
get back this time, honey.

Seeing that your aunt
still doesn't like me

just proves that you must
be taken care of real good.

Still say you make the best
morning bread in town, Mrs. Ramos.

Oh, every time I look at you,

I just don't see how anybody
has the right to be that pretty.

I sure did miss you.

Or maybe it was your cooking.

I almost didn't make it
back this time, honey.

Luke's dead.

Yeah, I know. Hit
me kind of hard too.

Not too many people put
much stock by Luke, but...

he always shared right
down the line with me.

Benson had him murdered.

Anyway, what I was saying
about me almost not making it...

I had to make a
deal with the law.

I was facing five
years of prison.

I was kind of hoping we'd
have two or three sons by then.

But I told 'em I'd play along.

The marshal can have the
others, but I want Benson.

I'm gonna put a bullet...

Now, don't go telling
me it's not the thing to do.

Luke's my brother
and I owed him.

Don't you understand?
Benson killed Luke.

Now, you just shut...

This is between Luke and me. This
is something he'd be doing for me.

Even without talking,
you say too much.

All right.

My deal with the marshal

is that he gets the gold
and Sanders and Benson.

That's the way I'll play it.

The way you handle me
without saying anything.

I wonder what you'd
do if you could talk.

Honey, I talked to
a doctor in Dodge

and he said that sometimes people
can't talk just 'cause they've never tried,

and... and, like a baby,
they have to learn how to talk.

Say my name, Maria.

Say "Roy."

Come on, you gotta try.

Say "Roy."

Come on.

All right.

All right, maybe it takes
more than just trying.

If we had the money for one
of them big eastern hospitals...

But it doesn't make any
difference between us.

It doesn't. It doesn't
make any difference at all.

I gotta go, honey,
but I'll be back later.

And you don't
worry about a thing.

You're looking awful
good, Mrs. Ramos.

I don't know why you
still call yourself a widow.

I was just on my
way to see you fellas.

Mr. Sanders wants to see you.

So Luke is dead and you're
speaking for Benson, huh?

That's a little strange, Roy.

"Strange" maybe is the word for
me riding in and telling you about it.

Pretty bum luck is what
I'd say about Luke dying.

Let me hear you tell again
what you call "a little trouble."

There's nothing to add to
it. Luke and me got caught.

Benson hit the prison wagon
taking us down to Dodge.

Luke got killed, but
Benson managed to free me.

You tell it so simply.

It was over in a minute.

There was lead flying
around, Luke getting killed.

Then I took off with Benson and
the rest and hid in the mountains.

Now you're speaking for Benson.

Well, he wasn't about to leave the
amount of gold we got this time. 30,000.

Oh, I guess you didn't hear
about the amount of gold we got.

Well, all the news we heard that
a train north of Hays was robbed.

Yeah, it was an express car.

Surprised us. We didn't
know how much it was carrying.

I don't quite understand Benson
sending in a boy like you to speak for him.

Well, why shouldn't he send me
in? I'm not here to do any bargaining.

Just came in with a
"take it or leave it" price,

50%, right down the middle.

Go ahead.

How close by is Benson?

He'll be here about mid-morning.

Foot of Black Mesa?

15,000 in bank notes.

15,000 in bank notes.

Except he's pulling in
from the east this time,

like to meet you in Rock Canyon.

Why Rock Canyon?

'Cause we're gonna be taking
the ridges on down to the border.

Why Rock Canyon?

Uh, Benson also mentioned

that maybe you're getting a
little nervous about the big money,

wondered if 30,000's a
little rich for your blood.

A fresh tongue is
easily tamed, my friend.

- I'll tell Benson how you feel.
- Now, wait, Roy.

You know this whole territory
is tightening on gold deals.

Frankly, Benson's as worried as
you about the goods we're carrying.

That's why he'll accept 50%.

We were thinking 40 this trip.

Well, you'll think 50 or
we'll take it down ourselves.

You know, boys...

I wouldn't be surprised to find
Benson taking orders from this boy soon.

Yeah, well, I'm
working on that too.

- 50%?
- Agreed.

Rock Canyon, then, mid-morning.

Rock Canyon.

Maria, I want you
to trust me on this.

I want you to leave a note
that we're getting married again,

in a church this time, just
like your aunt always wanted.

Now, listen very carefully.

I want you to get your horse and ride
over to Old Town and meet me there.

Train comes through about noon
for water. We're getting on that train.

Remember, now, before noon.

Well, there he be, Matthew.

And I wouldn't have
bet you a thin dime

that he'd be comin'
back here lookin' for us.

I'll you one thing,
Festus, I wasn't sure.

- That can't be him.
- Well, it sure ain't no ghost. Come on.

I got a hunch who
those two might be.

How'd you get out
of that prison wagon?

- Bars weren't set that tight.
- What were you doing in Carcaros?

Talking to Sanders, find out how much
he'd give for that gold we're carrying.

Or you boys forget I
got a share coming?

For a wet-eared kid,
you got plenty of savvy.

Yeah, and plenty of
talking to do, to Benson.

We're riding to the
foot of Black Mesa.

- Come on.
- Let's go.

Nothing about it sounds right.

You riding in to dicker with
Sanders, willing to forget about Luke?

- Nah.
- I ain't gonna forget about Luke.

That's between you and me.

One of these days we'll
make a personal thing out of it.

Kid, you got more
lip than brains.

Well, I had to come down here. I
had no choice to get out of Kansas.

They got posters all
over up there on me now.

I tell you, kid, you're
just plain unlucky.

You know, you come a
long way... just to get buried.

All right there, you men!

Get your hands
away from those guns!

All right, get your
hands up. Over here.

Come on, get
over there together.

- Get the cuffs and the irons on 'em.
- Right.

Come on.

Newly, check the other
saddlebags for the rest of the gold.

That there is a sight, ain't it?

- This Benson?
- Yeah, that's him.

Well, we got the gold
and the gang, Matthew.

The onliest that
ain't here is Sanders.

There's one more
missing, Festus. Roy.

Throw them guns in the rocks.

I said throw them guns out!

We got a new deal, Sanders.

It's 100% for me. Throw
those saddlebags over.

All right, now, the three of you
climb down and take your boots off.

Unless you wanna
be buried with them on.

That's right, tie them
boots on good, boys.

We wouldn't want
you to lose 'em.

It's not too late, Roy,
to discuss this further.

Slap them horses.
Get 'em moving.

Sanders, I got a lot less patience
with you since I buried my brother.

There'll be no place that boy'll
hide... if it takes my whole life.

Our young friend wants an hour's start,
excepting he's gonna find it's no good.

You get started
after them horses.

The exercise'll do you good.

How do.

I understand you're the man that
knows everything that goes on in this town.

Señor Marshal, I'm
only a poor livery man.

What about Roy Stewart?
Has he ridden back this way?

Roy? I...

I have not seen him, Señor
Marshal, since... since leaving.

It was early this morning,
Señor Marshal, believe me.

Mm-hm. And his girl,
where does she live?

Maria? She is not here. She
also left. She rode down south.

Well, a man named Sanders,
did you ever hear of him?

Señor Marshal, I have never heard this
name before, believe me, Señor Marshal.

Mm-hm. Thanks.

Hasta luego, Señor Marshal.

Que le vaya bien.
Muchas felicidades.

Everything worked out real well.

You're trying to
tell me something?

Doesn't the train
run by here anymore?

He says the train hasn't
come by here for a month.

Come on, we gotta
get out of here quick.

Come on, Maria. Come on.

You don't feel good?

You're gonna feel worse if
we don't get out of here quick.

I robbed Sanders of the
gold money he was carrying.

Money for hospitals and
doctors. Now, come on.

Maria.

Maria.

Señor.

- Maria.
- Señor, señor.

Gracias.

Maria?

Maria?

Feeling better?

Maybe it was just
riding in the sun.

What is it?

B...

B... What are you trying to say?

Ba... by.

W... Well... you talked.

You talked, honey.

Baby?

Our... Our baby?

And... And you're...

Say it again. Say it.

Ba... by.

Baby.

Baby.

Oh, God.

God, thank you.
Thank you, thank you.

The money.

We don't need it now.

You talked. We
don't need any of it.

We'll turn it in to the marshal.

Horses. Better hide
those horses quick.

They're here.

Call 'em off,
Sanders! Call 'em off!

- Enough!
- Here's your money, Sanders.

Now, stop shooting.

You've been a bad boy.

You better come down here.

Roy!

I'm coming!

They won't hurt you.

They won't hurt you.

You ain't very smart, Roy.

There are easier
ways to make money.

Hold it right there.

Are you Sanders?

That's a lot of money you're
carrying around, isn't it?

There's no law against
having money, Marshal.

There is when you're
using it to buy stolen gold,

and I got a lot of people
willing to talk about that.

Wait till you hear the story about
how I was robbed about an hour ago.

That's something else
we're gonna talk about.

The doctor's still with her. He
says she's gonna be all right, though.

Good. I'm glad
to hear that, Roy.

You know, Roy, you kept
part of your bargain with me.

But you also took a lot
on your own shoulders,

and you'll have to
face a judge about that.

Yeah.

Well, do you think if I leave
you around here running loose

that you'll show up
when the judge arrives?

Well, you're not gonna
find me far from Maria.

That's about what I figured.

- Good luck, amigo.
- Buena suerte, Marshal.

You know, I was thinking out there
what a dumb husband you've got.

Real dumb.

But all that's gonna change.

Would you think
it was dumb if I...

if I asked you to...
say "baby" again?

R... R... R... Roy.

Roy.

Y... You said my...

You said my name.

Stay tuned for scenes
from next week's Gunsmoke.