Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 15, Episode 9 - A Matter of Honor - full transcript
Gunsmoke, starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Well, come on,
Louie, shake a leg.
It's about time for this
party to start to commence.
We got a whole heap
of things to get did yet.
Bring it on. Bring
it on. Bring it on.
Just put her right in there.
Right there. Yeah.
Well, that there's the last one,
Louie. You done a good job.
- I'm gonna put in a word for you.
- Thanks.
All right, let's get
them banners up there.
You... Here. Here.
Get ahold of them...
Lydia, I don't think this is
gonna be near enough glasses.
Would you run and ask Sam
to bring me some more, please?
- Sure, Miss Russell.
- Thank you.
All right, go on, get them
other over there. Get that...
Hello, Lydia.
- Apple?
- Thanks.
Are you saving all your
dances for me tonight?
Lots of fellas been asking.
Well, now, you know the kind
of sweet talking you'll be getting.
Fences need fixing.
The wells went dry.
And not enough rain for
the crops. Pigs slopping.
I guess you'd be
talking different?
Well, I won't be
stepping on your toes.
Billy Holland, now just
quit before somebody sees.
If you don't care, I won't.
I ain't no saloon girl.
Oh, you ain't no girl.
You're a woman. I can see that.
Now, that dance tonight, you
and me gonna slip off by ourselves.
- What for?
- Hm...
We'll take a walk,
have us a talk.
Holland, you get back!
- Liddy, you get about your business.
- Now, look, you two boys got no...
You get on with
what you're doing!
See you tonight, Lydia.
Now, how many times do we have
to tell you, stay away from our sister.
You know, I'm getting tired
of listening to you pig sloppers.
- Well, you better listen!
- Here, what's going on here?
Stop that! Stop it!
What in thunder's the
matter with you fellas?
Uh, just a little misunderstanding,
Dr. Adams, that's all.
- Well, what's your name?
- Billy Holland, sir.
Otis, you and CV
know better than that.
That's no way
to settle anything.
We know about you,
Holland, your kind.
- Stay away from Liddy.
- You hear?
Well, what's the matter,
pig sloppers? Huh?
One little old knife make
that much difference?
Oh...
You two keep pushing on me and I
am gonna carve you up... like side pork.
Hear?
♪ Bow to your corner
♪ Bow to your tall
♪ Wave how do to your ma-in-law
♪ Now, all join hands
and circle to the south
♪ Little-diddle
moonshine in your mouth
♪ Now, drop your host
and run tail back, Injun style
♪ To your homes, swing and whirl
♪ Swing and whirl
that pretty little gal
♪ Swing that gal
around and around
♪ And make that
big foot jar the ground
♪ Allemande left, your left hand
♪ And meet your honey
with a right and left grand
♪ Meet your honey
and pat her on the head
♪ If she don’t like
biscuits, feed her corn bread
♪ Promenade her home
♪ To your homes
and everybody swing
♪ Swing and whirl
that pretty little gal
♪ First couple out to
the couple on the right
♪ With the right hand crossed
and shake 'em out of view
♪ Left hand back
and how are you?
♪ To your homes
and everybody swing
♪ Swing and whirl
that pretty little gal
♪ Swing that gal
around and around
♪ Let that big
foot jar the ground
♪ Third couple out,
the couple on the right
♪ Right hand cross
and swing 'em out of view
♪ Left hand back
and how are you?
♪ Pig in the pen
three rails high
♪ Pop that pig
and pig'll never die
♪ Allemande left
to your left hand
♪ And meet your honey
with a right and left grand
♪ Meet your honey
and pat her on the head
♪ If she don’t like
biscuits, feed her corn bread
♪ Promenade on home
♪ To your homes, everybody
swing Swing and whirl that...
- Kitty.
- Hello, Matt.
- How's the punch?
- It's punch.
Well, it looks like
you've done it again.
Well, everybody seems
to be having a good time.
All right, all right.
Hold on. Hold on now.
Hold on. I want you all to
go get your favoritest partner,
'cause this here next is gonna
be a romantical kind of a dance.
The old Varsouvianna.
Put your little foot down.
- I think I'll even dance that myself.
- Wait just a minute.
If you're gonna start
dancin', I'm gonna leave
because with those spurs on,
you're gonna cut people all up.
Oh, just hold on, you old...
Bertha, take him my turn on
the floor and learn him something.
Well, just hold my hat and I'll show
you something, Bertha. Thank you.
Come on, cowboy. I understand
you're a pretty good dancer.
You sure you know
what you're getting into?
I think so.
When we gonna
move in on the girls?
See anything?
Hey, gimme some of that
stuff, will you? Come on.
How am I gonna grow?
I'm still waiting
for your answer.
What answer is that?
Well?
You sure talk in riddles.
You go out the back door.
And I'll meet you
by the ice house.
Billy.
- Billy!
- Well?
Do no such thing.
If we don't take hold of him, he's
gonna come after Liddy till he gets her.
Done caught her.
You know, Jess, that daughter of
yours is getting to be quite a little lady.
- What?
- She's all growed up.
Well, full day tomorrow, Cal.
I'll be getting on home, I guess.
Good night.
- Howdy, Mr. Fletcher.
- Get your wraps, Liddy.
- Time we were getting home.
- Already, Pa? But...
How's come Otis and CV
don't have to leave this early?
'Cause they're growed.
They're men. Come along.
Doc?
And... looks like 20
minutes after ten, Louie.
Time I was in bed.
Time you were too.
Real nice punch they've
been serving, Doc.
Slightly fermented too.
He thinks he's got us
buffaloed with that knife.
We wouldn't wanna
stay in this town
until after this little
old dance is over.
We're gonna stay real late.
Tens and sixes.
Will these three girls win it?
They not only win
it, they clean me.
I'm much obliged.
It got a little chilly,
Sam. So I figured...
No more, Sam.
Louie, I don't want you
to show up around here
until you've had a good night's
sleep and something on your stomach.
- Now, I mean that.
- Please, Miss Kitty.
You've had more than
enough for one night.
Maybe you can let
me have something
on the watch, Miss Kitty.
Hold it for a dollar.
Then I'll have money
for something to eat.
Except you won't eat.
I'm sorry, Louie.
The answer is still no.
Louie.
That's a mighty fine looking
watch there. Where'd you get it?
My father gave it to me.
Pretty.
You don't see many
around like that anymore.
It's very old.
- You wanna sell it?
- Oh, no, no.
I get loans from Miss Kitty.
She holds it for me.
Then I work and
get the watch back.
I'll tell you what
I'm gonna do, Louie.
A sporting proposition.
Now, I never saw that
watch before, right?
- Uh-huh.
- Now, I'll bet there's something
very special about
that watch, isn't there?
Just a watch.
Well, think a second.
What makes that watch
different from most others?
- You mean...
- Whoa. Don't tell me. Let me guess.
And if I'm right,
I win the watch.
But if I lose, you
get this bottle.
I'll go a step further.
Even if I win, you
get this bottle here.
Now, either way, win or lose,
you'll be coming out on top.
You mean, even if I lose...
You get the bottle.
Now, may I?
The most interesting
thing about this watch is...
it plays a tune.
Now...
Well, I guess you
win the bottle, Louie.
All right, cowboys, this
watch is worth at least $40.
I'll take a ten to get
back in the game.
Louie, what happened?
Sam, I lost my watch.
I made a bet.
You're not a very nice person.
- What?
- Not nice at all.
A fool.
A fool in the forest.
Who laid him down and
basked him in the sun.
And railed on Lady
Fortune in good terms.
In good set terms.
A motley fool.
"Good morrow, fool," quoth I.
"No, sir," quoth he.
"Call me not fool till heaven
hath sent me fortune."
And then he drew
a dial from his poke,
and looking at it with
lackluster eye, says very wisely,
"It is 10:00.
'Tis but an hour
ago since it was nine.
And in one hour
more, 'twill be 11."
When I did hear the fool
thus moral on the time,
my lungs began to
crow like chanticleer.
That fools could be
so deep contented.
- Straight.
- Nine is full.
Take the watch.
Thank you, gentlemen.
It's been a real nice evening.
New Orleans, we're
quitting the country.
It's a bit late for you pig
sloppers to be up, ain't it?
Now, we told you to
stay away from our sister.
- Go tell her.
- Liddy ain't for the likes of you.
Oh, come now, you boys
have been farm raised.
You know that all
the talking in the world
ain't gonna stop a brood
mare from kicking up her heels.
Are you likening our
sister to a brood mare?
Filly got a better sound?
Come on!
- Get him!
- Oh!
- He's dead, CV!
- He ain't dead!
Now, let's get outta
here! Leave that thing!
Will you come on?
Louie.
Louie.
Louie.
Louie.
Louie...
- Louie, what happened?
- Not a nice person, Festus.
- Louie, Louie...
- Holland, who done this to you?
It was... it was...
Louie.
Louie.
Not a nice person.
Not a nice person.
Louie, now I have
to ask you once more,
did you kill this fella Holland?
I don't remember
anything, Marshal.
Don't remember.
You stay here with him, Festus.
All I know is Louie
is a very gentle man.
Well, we've all seen him drunk,
but I've never seen him so drunk
he couldn't remember his
own name, have you, Doc?
- No, never.
- Well, I don't believe it.
- I just don't believe it.
- Kitty, this fella Holland.
When he's gambling around here,
has he ever made any
enemies or anything?
Well, he's not liked too
much. I can tell you that.
Well, but has he ever been
in any outright fights or...
- No.
- Hey, wait a minute.
This afternoon there was some kind of
a scuffle right underneath my stairway.
It was Holland and
those two Fletcher boys.
The two Fletcher
boys? What about?
Well, I don't know what it was about,
but it didn't seem too serious to me.
That might have been
over Lydia Fletcher.
What about Lydia?
Well, Holland's been
seeing quite a bit of her.
Ah!
Ah, crossing that Berkshire with the
Chester White sure was a fine idea.
You two have been
dragging tail all morning.
Time you learn to keep your noses
out of that bottle, if you can't hold it.
- CV, slop that other pen.
- Yeah, Pa.
- I got my gut tied in a knot, CV.
- Now, you listen to me.
Nobody saw us in that livery.
It was Holland's
own fault, wasn't it?
Yeah, it...
- CV. Otis.
- Marshal.
I want to ask you boys a
couple of questions, if I could.
- What about?
- Billy Holland was knifed
last night after the
dance. He's dead.
Sorry to hear that, Marshal. What
do you want to talk to us about?
Well, I'd understood that you
and Holland had a little trouble.
- Suppose you tell me about it.
- You saying we killed him?
I'm not accusing you of anything,
Otis. I'm just waiting for an answer.
Well, he kept hanging around
Liddy. And we just told him to quit it.
- That's all?
- Yeah, that's about what we told him.
Yes, sir.
- Louie Pheeters?
- That's right.
But I'm not convinced that he's
the one that did it. Is your pa around?
Yeah, he's in the cellar.
Old Louie Pheeters
getting the blame.
They gotta know he
couldn't do nothing like that.
I sure have to agree with you.
I can't see Louie Pheeters
getting mixed up in a knifing.
What's it got to do with us?
Well, CV and Otis had some
trouble with this fella Holland.
Seems like they had to warn him
to stay away from your daughter.
That a fact?
One thing about my boys,
they do take care of their sister.
But their hands would be
enough on the likes of this Holland
in keeping him away from
Liddy. Don't you think so?
Well, I hope you're right, Jess.
Might have to come back
and look in on you a little later.
Well, social call, you're
always welcome, Marshal.
Bless us, oh Lord, for this
food we're about to receive.
Bless the hands
that prepared it.
- In His name, amen.
- Amen.
Amen.
First I'm told my
daughter's fooling around
with a saloon gambler
named Holland.
Then my sons is getting after
him without saying a word to me.
We just... told
him, Pa, that's all.
- Why?
- 'Cause he kept after Liddy.
For what reason?
The question's
meant for you, girl.
What you been doing your
brothers have to speak to Holland?
Pa, I don't like what
you're meaning.
You just lay it out for me.
There's something more here.
Pa, quit treating me
like I'm ten years old.
You may be near 20, but you're
not too old I can't take a strap.
Holland fella! Now,
what about him?
CV and Otis, they can do
most anything they want.
It's me you keep watching
like a chicken hawk.
They're different.
I keep telling you what men
do is an entirely different thing!
You know exactly what I mean.
If you'd just trust
me like you do them,
I wouldn't have to
sneak behind your back.
Behind my back?
Lydia May Ellen, what
do you mean behind my...
Pa, somebody's
dead and we're fightin'.
I just knew the
fella, that's all.
- Matthew.
- Festus.
- Where you been all mornin'?
- Oh, I been out at the Fletcher's.
Louie, I got some
good news for you.
I stopped by Cal Haines'
place on the way back.
- You remember him, don't you?
- Yeah.
Well, he's the best
lawyer in these parts
and he's gonna
defend you at your trial.
- Trial?
- Well, yes, Louie.
You see, Judge Brooker and the
state prosecutor are coming in today.
I kept hoping there was
some kind of a mistake.
A trial.
I'm beginning to have
a bad feeling about it all.
Look, CV, Marshal coming out
here if they're blaming Louie Pheeters,
that's what keeps worrying me.
It's the marshal's
job to ask around.
If only Holland
didn't have that knife.
Punching him around was
all we was aiming to do.
It's not our fault that he
got stuck the way he did.
I'm not gonna think about
it anymore, and you either.
But Louie Pheeters is in jail!
Will you stop worrying
about Louie Pheeters?
Nobody's gonna
believe he did it.
He's gonna get off
clear and so are we.
How do you know
that? How do you know?
Well, I told you
I'm not gonna...
- Liddy.
- Liddy!
Liddy!
Liddy! Now look, you gotta
understand something, Liddy!
- It was nothing we wanted to do!
- Let go of me!
- Liddy!
- Come back here!
Liddy!
- Liddy!
- Let us in, Liddy.
- Liddy, you come out here!
- Listen to us, Liddy!
Liddy!
Open up, Liddy!
What's going on?
I said, what's going on?
Liddy!
Lydia May Ellen,
you open this door!
Now, I've had just about all the
lies I'm gonna stand for around here.
I don't get told what's going on,
there's not a one of you too old
to feel some leather
on your backsides.
You gotta tell Pa.
Tell me what?
CV.
Otis.
You tell me! Now!
It was a accident, Pa.
Nothing we meant to do.
We was gonna teach Holland
a lesson, but he pulled a knife.
What... what?
It was us, Pa. It
was us with Holland.
We was wrasslin' around.
And the next thing we know, the
knife was in Holland, and he was dead.
So we ran.
Why didn't you tell Matt Dillon?
Scared, I guess.
It was a plain accident, Pa.
But nobody'd believe it.
Old Doc Adams saw
us fighting with Holland
a couple of hours
before the dance.
Pa, you know they won't
convict Louie Pheeters.
No.
Wait a minute!
I gotta puzzle this out.
Pa, Louie Pheeters is in
jail for something he didn't do.
You hush your
mouth! You started this!
- You took up with Holland!
- Now, wait a minute, Pa.
I told you to shut up.
Your brothers are worth
a dozen like Holland.
A dozen like Louie
Pheeters if you want to know.
Here, Otis and CV
try to do what's right.
God knows what
you've been up to.
That's right, think the worst of me.
Just keep thinking of me like I was a...
What are you, Lydia?
I'm a woman, Pa. A woman. Now,
that's something you have to face.
A woman makes sense. She
don't go around flittin' up her heels.
Pa, it's time I do as I like!
You were wrong.
Wrong.
I believe you're right
about Louie Pheeters.
I don't think they're
gonna hold him.
We'll do nothin'
for the time being.
Now, confound it, I don't want
any more pictures taken in here!
Get that camera outta here!
For the rest of you,
take your hats off!
Settle down! No smoking!
No talking! No chewing!
Or I'll clear this court!
All right, Mr. Haggen.
Well, this here fella Holland
was a-sayin' Louie's name,
but the onlyest reason he was
'cause Louie was a-standin' there.
Don't you see?
No further questions
of this witness.
And then Miss Russell said Louie
wasn't to have any more to drink.
Continue.
Well, there's not much to say,
except Louie did get more to drink
- when Holland won his watch.
- When Holland did what?
Well, he didn't really win it.
But he tricked Louie out of it.
Now, let me get this straight.
Did Louie Pheeters and the
deceased have an argument, in fact,
that night in The Long Branch?
Oh, not an argument, Your Honor.
Now, Louie didn't like Holland
walking off with his watch,
but that's all there was to it.
Nobody walked off
with my watch, Sam.
I got it here. I always had it.
Mr. Pheeters, I wanna hear from
you... any way you wanna tell it,
your version of how
you obtained your watch.
I never knew I didn't have it.
Mr. Pheeters, weren't you angered
with Holland when he took your watch?
But I don't remember anything.
Mr. Pheeters, I
find it hard to believe
that you cannot remember
anything from that night.
I suggest that you waited
outside in the street for Holland
and followed him down to that livery.
And there you killed him for that watch.
- Mr. Pheeters?
- Yeah?
What happened that
night in the livery stable?
Mr. Pheeters, did you or
did you not kill Bill Holland?
Well? Did you kill him?
Maybe I did.
Thank you, Sam.
Five years in the state
penitentiary. I just can't believe it.
Well, Kitty, Judge Brooker
says he still might be able
to come up with something,
but Louie, in the meantime's,
gonna have to stay in jail,
might be as long as six months.
Six months?
Good heavens, Matt, one month
would destroy Louie's will to live.
And five years...
Well, it's a death
sentence, what it is.
Well, Judge Brooker's
staying over tonight.
Were gonna go over
the whole testimony.
He says he might possibly be
able to find some kind of loophole.
- You mean like a mistrial?
- Yeah, something like that, Kitty.
He says he might be able
to get him off on the grounds
of being incompetent to
testify on his own behalf.
Let me tell you something.
There's been an awful lot of time
and money wasted around here.
And Louie Pheeters is over in that
jailhouse of yours dying right now!
And I know it's impossible
for Louie to kill anybody.
Festus.
Festus.
Festus.
- Yeah, Louie?
- What time is it, Festus?
Oh, must be pretty near 2:00.
Maybe three hours to light.
And the prison wagon will
be here at dawn, won't it?
Afraid it will.
I keep hearing sound, shadows.
- And sometimes there's...
- Louie.
You gotta try to get
that outta your mind.
Festus, let me out!
Louie, I can't do that.
I promise... I promise
to come back to the jail.
Please, Festus!
It's the most important
thing in my whole life. Just...
I'll be back before the
prison wagon gets here.
I promise!
Louie, you just ain't got no
idea what you're askin' of me.
No idea.
Be light soon.
- What do you think you're doing?
- I'm leaving.
Leaving is it?
Leaving going where?
I don't know where. What
difference does it make?
It makes a lot of
difference to me.
No daughter of mine is gonna
tell me she's leaving my house...
Will you listen
while I'm talking?
Pa, you don't see what we're
doing? You don't see the wrong of it?
Stop this!
Pa, a man's going to
prison, maybe die there.
My sons are not
swinging from any rope.
Or were you planning
on turning them in?
No, I can't do that.
That's why I'm leaving.
You're not doing that either.
Now, you get in there
and get some food up.
You're gonna listen to
me while I do some talking.
- Pa!
- Now, get in there!
I've got something
to say to all of you.
A man lives out his life,
has to make compromises.
Sometimes you do
things you don't want to do.
But you do them
because if you didn't...
you don't survive.
That's right. Survive.
Your ma is buried out there
on land worked for our children.
She died for this land.
She died for you, her children.
Now, someday I'll be dying too.
But I'll know that a life's work is
being turned over to my children.
Haven't heard Louie
Pheeters' name mentioned yet.
Because he doesn't matter.
The town drunk. There's
no feeling in the man.
He could die tomorrow
and nobody'd be surprised.
Probably gonna let him out
in a couple of months, anyway.
That's another thing.
I'm firmly convinced...
They let him out.
How'd you get out of jail?
I'm going back.
But first I had to
know something.
See, I keep seeing
things, faces.
Must've been there, you boys.
You can't prove that.
You don't
understand, it's for me.
Please, I just have to know.
I have to know, boys.
Did you see me kill Holland?
Please.
Tell me if I killed him.
If I only knew I did it,
be right for me to go to jail.
Please tell me if I did it.
Mr. Pheeters...
You're not supposed
to have any feeling.
What kind of people are we?
About what time's it
getting to be now, Matthew?
Oh, it's after six, Festus.
Twenty after.
Festus.
Look, you know Louie's
never on time for anything.
You ought to have saw
the way that he looked at me
and the way that
he asked me. I just...
He wouldn't do
a thing like that.
Matthew!
Matthew, he's
back! They're here!
Right here!
Whoa.
Jess.
My boys and me got
something to say to you, Marshal.
Louie.
Thank you, Festus.
Oh, fiddle. I knowed
you'd come back.
Just like I just got done
telling Matthew in yonder.
I said, "Old Louie,
he ain't never...
been on time...
for nothing."
Stay tuned for scenes
from next week's Gunsmoke.
James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Well, come on,
Louie, shake a leg.
It's about time for this
party to start to commence.
We got a whole heap
of things to get did yet.
Bring it on. Bring
it on. Bring it on.
Just put her right in there.
Right there. Yeah.
Well, that there's the last one,
Louie. You done a good job.
- I'm gonna put in a word for you.
- Thanks.
All right, let's get
them banners up there.
You... Here. Here.
Get ahold of them...
Lydia, I don't think this is
gonna be near enough glasses.
Would you run and ask Sam
to bring me some more, please?
- Sure, Miss Russell.
- Thank you.
All right, go on, get them
other over there. Get that...
Hello, Lydia.
- Apple?
- Thanks.
Are you saving all your
dances for me tonight?
Lots of fellas been asking.
Well, now, you know the kind
of sweet talking you'll be getting.
Fences need fixing.
The wells went dry.
And not enough rain for
the crops. Pigs slopping.
I guess you'd be
talking different?
Well, I won't be
stepping on your toes.
Billy Holland, now just
quit before somebody sees.
If you don't care, I won't.
I ain't no saloon girl.
Oh, you ain't no girl.
You're a woman. I can see that.
Now, that dance tonight, you
and me gonna slip off by ourselves.
- What for?
- Hm...
We'll take a walk,
have us a talk.
Holland, you get back!
- Liddy, you get about your business.
- Now, look, you two boys got no...
You get on with
what you're doing!
See you tonight, Lydia.
Now, how many times do we have
to tell you, stay away from our sister.
You know, I'm getting tired
of listening to you pig sloppers.
- Well, you better listen!
- Here, what's going on here?
Stop that! Stop it!
What in thunder's the
matter with you fellas?
Uh, just a little misunderstanding,
Dr. Adams, that's all.
- Well, what's your name?
- Billy Holland, sir.
Otis, you and CV
know better than that.
That's no way
to settle anything.
We know about you,
Holland, your kind.
- Stay away from Liddy.
- You hear?
Well, what's the matter,
pig sloppers? Huh?
One little old knife make
that much difference?
Oh...
You two keep pushing on me and I
am gonna carve you up... like side pork.
Hear?
♪ Bow to your corner
♪ Bow to your tall
♪ Wave how do to your ma-in-law
♪ Now, all join hands
and circle to the south
♪ Little-diddle
moonshine in your mouth
♪ Now, drop your host
and run tail back, Injun style
♪ To your homes, swing and whirl
♪ Swing and whirl
that pretty little gal
♪ Swing that gal
around and around
♪ And make that
big foot jar the ground
♪ Allemande left, your left hand
♪ And meet your honey
with a right and left grand
♪ Meet your honey
and pat her on the head
♪ If she don’t like
biscuits, feed her corn bread
♪ Promenade her home
♪ To your homes
and everybody swing
♪ Swing and whirl
that pretty little gal
♪ First couple out to
the couple on the right
♪ With the right hand crossed
and shake 'em out of view
♪ Left hand back
and how are you?
♪ To your homes
and everybody swing
♪ Swing and whirl
that pretty little gal
♪ Swing that gal
around and around
♪ Let that big
foot jar the ground
♪ Third couple out,
the couple on the right
♪ Right hand cross
and swing 'em out of view
♪ Left hand back
and how are you?
♪ Pig in the pen
three rails high
♪ Pop that pig
and pig'll never die
♪ Allemande left
to your left hand
♪ And meet your honey
with a right and left grand
♪ Meet your honey
and pat her on the head
♪ If she don’t like
biscuits, feed her corn bread
♪ Promenade on home
♪ To your homes, everybody
swing Swing and whirl that...
- Kitty.
- Hello, Matt.
- How's the punch?
- It's punch.
Well, it looks like
you've done it again.
Well, everybody seems
to be having a good time.
All right, all right.
Hold on. Hold on now.
Hold on. I want you all to
go get your favoritest partner,
'cause this here next is gonna
be a romantical kind of a dance.
The old Varsouvianna.
Put your little foot down.
- I think I'll even dance that myself.
- Wait just a minute.
If you're gonna start
dancin', I'm gonna leave
because with those spurs on,
you're gonna cut people all up.
Oh, just hold on, you old...
Bertha, take him my turn on
the floor and learn him something.
Well, just hold my hat and I'll show
you something, Bertha. Thank you.
Come on, cowboy. I understand
you're a pretty good dancer.
You sure you know
what you're getting into?
I think so.
When we gonna
move in on the girls?
See anything?
Hey, gimme some of that
stuff, will you? Come on.
How am I gonna grow?
I'm still waiting
for your answer.
What answer is that?
Well?
You sure talk in riddles.
You go out the back door.
And I'll meet you
by the ice house.
Billy.
- Billy!
- Well?
Do no such thing.
If we don't take hold of him, he's
gonna come after Liddy till he gets her.
Done caught her.
You know, Jess, that daughter of
yours is getting to be quite a little lady.
- What?
- She's all growed up.
Well, full day tomorrow, Cal.
I'll be getting on home, I guess.
Good night.
- Howdy, Mr. Fletcher.
- Get your wraps, Liddy.
- Time we were getting home.
- Already, Pa? But...
How's come Otis and CV
don't have to leave this early?
'Cause they're growed.
They're men. Come along.
Doc?
And... looks like 20
minutes after ten, Louie.
Time I was in bed.
Time you were too.
Real nice punch they've
been serving, Doc.
Slightly fermented too.
He thinks he's got us
buffaloed with that knife.
We wouldn't wanna
stay in this town
until after this little
old dance is over.
We're gonna stay real late.
Tens and sixes.
Will these three girls win it?
They not only win
it, they clean me.
I'm much obliged.
It got a little chilly,
Sam. So I figured...
No more, Sam.
Louie, I don't want you
to show up around here
until you've had a good night's
sleep and something on your stomach.
- Now, I mean that.
- Please, Miss Kitty.
You've had more than
enough for one night.
Maybe you can let
me have something
on the watch, Miss Kitty.
Hold it for a dollar.
Then I'll have money
for something to eat.
Except you won't eat.
I'm sorry, Louie.
The answer is still no.
Louie.
That's a mighty fine looking
watch there. Where'd you get it?
My father gave it to me.
Pretty.
You don't see many
around like that anymore.
It's very old.
- You wanna sell it?
- Oh, no, no.
I get loans from Miss Kitty.
She holds it for me.
Then I work and
get the watch back.
I'll tell you what
I'm gonna do, Louie.
A sporting proposition.
Now, I never saw that
watch before, right?
- Uh-huh.
- Now, I'll bet there's something
very special about
that watch, isn't there?
Just a watch.
Well, think a second.
What makes that watch
different from most others?
- You mean...
- Whoa. Don't tell me. Let me guess.
And if I'm right,
I win the watch.
But if I lose, you
get this bottle.
I'll go a step further.
Even if I win, you
get this bottle here.
Now, either way, win or lose,
you'll be coming out on top.
You mean, even if I lose...
You get the bottle.
Now, may I?
The most interesting
thing about this watch is...
it plays a tune.
Now...
Well, I guess you
win the bottle, Louie.
All right, cowboys, this
watch is worth at least $40.
I'll take a ten to get
back in the game.
Louie, what happened?
Sam, I lost my watch.
I made a bet.
You're not a very nice person.
- What?
- Not nice at all.
A fool.
A fool in the forest.
Who laid him down and
basked him in the sun.
And railed on Lady
Fortune in good terms.
In good set terms.
A motley fool.
"Good morrow, fool," quoth I.
"No, sir," quoth he.
"Call me not fool till heaven
hath sent me fortune."
And then he drew
a dial from his poke,
and looking at it with
lackluster eye, says very wisely,
"It is 10:00.
'Tis but an hour
ago since it was nine.
And in one hour
more, 'twill be 11."
When I did hear the fool
thus moral on the time,
my lungs began to
crow like chanticleer.
That fools could be
so deep contented.
- Straight.
- Nine is full.
Take the watch.
Thank you, gentlemen.
It's been a real nice evening.
New Orleans, we're
quitting the country.
It's a bit late for you pig
sloppers to be up, ain't it?
Now, we told you to
stay away from our sister.
- Go tell her.
- Liddy ain't for the likes of you.
Oh, come now, you boys
have been farm raised.
You know that all
the talking in the world
ain't gonna stop a brood
mare from kicking up her heels.
Are you likening our
sister to a brood mare?
Filly got a better sound?
Come on!
- Get him!
- Oh!
- He's dead, CV!
- He ain't dead!
Now, let's get outta
here! Leave that thing!
Will you come on?
Louie.
Louie.
Louie.
Louie.
Louie...
- Louie, what happened?
- Not a nice person, Festus.
- Louie, Louie...
- Holland, who done this to you?
It was... it was...
Louie.
Louie.
Not a nice person.
Not a nice person.
Louie, now I have
to ask you once more,
did you kill this fella Holland?
I don't remember
anything, Marshal.
Don't remember.
You stay here with him, Festus.
All I know is Louie
is a very gentle man.
Well, we've all seen him drunk,
but I've never seen him so drunk
he couldn't remember his
own name, have you, Doc?
- No, never.
- Well, I don't believe it.
- I just don't believe it.
- Kitty, this fella Holland.
When he's gambling around here,
has he ever made any
enemies or anything?
Well, he's not liked too
much. I can tell you that.
Well, but has he ever been
in any outright fights or...
- No.
- Hey, wait a minute.
This afternoon there was some kind of
a scuffle right underneath my stairway.
It was Holland and
those two Fletcher boys.
The two Fletcher
boys? What about?
Well, I don't know what it was about,
but it didn't seem too serious to me.
That might have been
over Lydia Fletcher.
What about Lydia?
Well, Holland's been
seeing quite a bit of her.
Ah!
Ah, crossing that Berkshire with the
Chester White sure was a fine idea.
You two have been
dragging tail all morning.
Time you learn to keep your noses
out of that bottle, if you can't hold it.
- CV, slop that other pen.
- Yeah, Pa.
- I got my gut tied in a knot, CV.
- Now, you listen to me.
Nobody saw us in that livery.
It was Holland's
own fault, wasn't it?
Yeah, it...
- CV. Otis.
- Marshal.
I want to ask you boys a
couple of questions, if I could.
- What about?
- Billy Holland was knifed
last night after the
dance. He's dead.
Sorry to hear that, Marshal. What
do you want to talk to us about?
Well, I'd understood that you
and Holland had a little trouble.
- Suppose you tell me about it.
- You saying we killed him?
I'm not accusing you of anything,
Otis. I'm just waiting for an answer.
Well, he kept hanging around
Liddy. And we just told him to quit it.
- That's all?
- Yeah, that's about what we told him.
Yes, sir.
- Louie Pheeters?
- That's right.
But I'm not convinced that he's
the one that did it. Is your pa around?
Yeah, he's in the cellar.
Old Louie Pheeters
getting the blame.
They gotta know he
couldn't do nothing like that.
I sure have to agree with you.
I can't see Louie Pheeters
getting mixed up in a knifing.
What's it got to do with us?
Well, CV and Otis had some
trouble with this fella Holland.
Seems like they had to warn him
to stay away from your daughter.
That a fact?
One thing about my boys,
they do take care of their sister.
But their hands would be
enough on the likes of this Holland
in keeping him away from
Liddy. Don't you think so?
Well, I hope you're right, Jess.
Might have to come back
and look in on you a little later.
Well, social call, you're
always welcome, Marshal.
Bless us, oh Lord, for this
food we're about to receive.
Bless the hands
that prepared it.
- In His name, amen.
- Amen.
Amen.
First I'm told my
daughter's fooling around
with a saloon gambler
named Holland.
Then my sons is getting after
him without saying a word to me.
We just... told
him, Pa, that's all.
- Why?
- 'Cause he kept after Liddy.
For what reason?
The question's
meant for you, girl.
What you been doing your
brothers have to speak to Holland?
Pa, I don't like what
you're meaning.
You just lay it out for me.
There's something more here.
Pa, quit treating me
like I'm ten years old.
You may be near 20, but you're
not too old I can't take a strap.
Holland fella! Now,
what about him?
CV and Otis, they can do
most anything they want.
It's me you keep watching
like a chicken hawk.
They're different.
I keep telling you what men
do is an entirely different thing!
You know exactly what I mean.
If you'd just trust
me like you do them,
I wouldn't have to
sneak behind your back.
Behind my back?
Lydia May Ellen, what
do you mean behind my...
Pa, somebody's
dead and we're fightin'.
I just knew the
fella, that's all.
- Matthew.
- Festus.
- Where you been all mornin'?
- Oh, I been out at the Fletcher's.
Louie, I got some
good news for you.
I stopped by Cal Haines'
place on the way back.
- You remember him, don't you?
- Yeah.
Well, he's the best
lawyer in these parts
and he's gonna
defend you at your trial.
- Trial?
- Well, yes, Louie.
You see, Judge Brooker and the
state prosecutor are coming in today.
I kept hoping there was
some kind of a mistake.
A trial.
I'm beginning to have
a bad feeling about it all.
Look, CV, Marshal coming out
here if they're blaming Louie Pheeters,
that's what keeps worrying me.
It's the marshal's
job to ask around.
If only Holland
didn't have that knife.
Punching him around was
all we was aiming to do.
It's not our fault that he
got stuck the way he did.
I'm not gonna think about
it anymore, and you either.
But Louie Pheeters is in jail!
Will you stop worrying
about Louie Pheeters?
Nobody's gonna
believe he did it.
He's gonna get off
clear and so are we.
How do you know
that? How do you know?
Well, I told you
I'm not gonna...
- Liddy.
- Liddy!
Liddy!
Liddy! Now look, you gotta
understand something, Liddy!
- It was nothing we wanted to do!
- Let go of me!
- Liddy!
- Come back here!
Liddy!
- Liddy!
- Let us in, Liddy.
- Liddy, you come out here!
- Listen to us, Liddy!
Liddy!
Open up, Liddy!
What's going on?
I said, what's going on?
Liddy!
Lydia May Ellen,
you open this door!
Now, I've had just about all the
lies I'm gonna stand for around here.
I don't get told what's going on,
there's not a one of you too old
to feel some leather
on your backsides.
You gotta tell Pa.
Tell me what?
CV.
Otis.
You tell me! Now!
It was a accident, Pa.
Nothing we meant to do.
We was gonna teach Holland
a lesson, but he pulled a knife.
What... what?
It was us, Pa. It
was us with Holland.
We was wrasslin' around.
And the next thing we know, the
knife was in Holland, and he was dead.
So we ran.
Why didn't you tell Matt Dillon?
Scared, I guess.
It was a plain accident, Pa.
But nobody'd believe it.
Old Doc Adams saw
us fighting with Holland
a couple of hours
before the dance.
Pa, you know they won't
convict Louie Pheeters.
No.
Wait a minute!
I gotta puzzle this out.
Pa, Louie Pheeters is in
jail for something he didn't do.
You hush your
mouth! You started this!
- You took up with Holland!
- Now, wait a minute, Pa.
I told you to shut up.
Your brothers are worth
a dozen like Holland.
A dozen like Louie
Pheeters if you want to know.
Here, Otis and CV
try to do what's right.
God knows what
you've been up to.
That's right, think the worst of me.
Just keep thinking of me like I was a...
What are you, Lydia?
I'm a woman, Pa. A woman. Now,
that's something you have to face.
A woman makes sense. She
don't go around flittin' up her heels.
Pa, it's time I do as I like!
You were wrong.
Wrong.
I believe you're right
about Louie Pheeters.
I don't think they're
gonna hold him.
We'll do nothin'
for the time being.
Now, confound it, I don't want
any more pictures taken in here!
Get that camera outta here!
For the rest of you,
take your hats off!
Settle down! No smoking!
No talking! No chewing!
Or I'll clear this court!
All right, Mr. Haggen.
Well, this here fella Holland
was a-sayin' Louie's name,
but the onlyest reason he was
'cause Louie was a-standin' there.
Don't you see?
No further questions
of this witness.
And then Miss Russell said Louie
wasn't to have any more to drink.
Continue.
Well, there's not much to say,
except Louie did get more to drink
- when Holland won his watch.
- When Holland did what?
Well, he didn't really win it.
But he tricked Louie out of it.
Now, let me get this straight.
Did Louie Pheeters and the
deceased have an argument, in fact,
that night in The Long Branch?
Oh, not an argument, Your Honor.
Now, Louie didn't like Holland
walking off with his watch,
but that's all there was to it.
Nobody walked off
with my watch, Sam.
I got it here. I always had it.
Mr. Pheeters, I wanna hear from
you... any way you wanna tell it,
your version of how
you obtained your watch.
I never knew I didn't have it.
Mr. Pheeters, weren't you angered
with Holland when he took your watch?
But I don't remember anything.
Mr. Pheeters, I
find it hard to believe
that you cannot remember
anything from that night.
I suggest that you waited
outside in the street for Holland
and followed him down to that livery.
And there you killed him for that watch.
- Mr. Pheeters?
- Yeah?
What happened that
night in the livery stable?
Mr. Pheeters, did you or
did you not kill Bill Holland?
Well? Did you kill him?
Maybe I did.
Thank you, Sam.
Five years in the state
penitentiary. I just can't believe it.
Well, Kitty, Judge Brooker
says he still might be able
to come up with something,
but Louie, in the meantime's,
gonna have to stay in jail,
might be as long as six months.
Six months?
Good heavens, Matt, one month
would destroy Louie's will to live.
And five years...
Well, it's a death
sentence, what it is.
Well, Judge Brooker's
staying over tonight.
Were gonna go over
the whole testimony.
He says he might possibly be
able to find some kind of loophole.
- You mean like a mistrial?
- Yeah, something like that, Kitty.
He says he might be able
to get him off on the grounds
of being incompetent to
testify on his own behalf.
Let me tell you something.
There's been an awful lot of time
and money wasted around here.
And Louie Pheeters is over in that
jailhouse of yours dying right now!
And I know it's impossible
for Louie to kill anybody.
Festus.
Festus.
Festus.
- Yeah, Louie?
- What time is it, Festus?
Oh, must be pretty near 2:00.
Maybe three hours to light.
And the prison wagon will
be here at dawn, won't it?
Afraid it will.
I keep hearing sound, shadows.
- And sometimes there's...
- Louie.
You gotta try to get
that outta your mind.
Festus, let me out!
Louie, I can't do that.
I promise... I promise
to come back to the jail.
Please, Festus!
It's the most important
thing in my whole life. Just...
I'll be back before the
prison wagon gets here.
I promise!
Louie, you just ain't got no
idea what you're askin' of me.
No idea.
Be light soon.
- What do you think you're doing?
- I'm leaving.
Leaving is it?
Leaving going where?
I don't know where. What
difference does it make?
It makes a lot of
difference to me.
No daughter of mine is gonna
tell me she's leaving my house...
Will you listen
while I'm talking?
Pa, you don't see what we're
doing? You don't see the wrong of it?
Stop this!
Pa, a man's going to
prison, maybe die there.
My sons are not
swinging from any rope.
Or were you planning
on turning them in?
No, I can't do that.
That's why I'm leaving.
You're not doing that either.
Now, you get in there
and get some food up.
You're gonna listen to
me while I do some talking.
- Pa!
- Now, get in there!
I've got something
to say to all of you.
A man lives out his life,
has to make compromises.
Sometimes you do
things you don't want to do.
But you do them
because if you didn't...
you don't survive.
That's right. Survive.
Your ma is buried out there
on land worked for our children.
She died for this land.
She died for you, her children.
Now, someday I'll be dying too.
But I'll know that a life's work is
being turned over to my children.
Haven't heard Louie
Pheeters' name mentioned yet.
Because he doesn't matter.
The town drunk. There's
no feeling in the man.
He could die tomorrow
and nobody'd be surprised.
Probably gonna let him out
in a couple of months, anyway.
That's another thing.
I'm firmly convinced...
They let him out.
How'd you get out of jail?
I'm going back.
But first I had to
know something.
See, I keep seeing
things, faces.
Must've been there, you boys.
You can't prove that.
You don't
understand, it's for me.
Please, I just have to know.
I have to know, boys.
Did you see me kill Holland?
Please.
Tell me if I killed him.
If I only knew I did it,
be right for me to go to jail.
Please tell me if I did it.
Mr. Pheeters...
You're not supposed
to have any feeling.
What kind of people are we?
About what time's it
getting to be now, Matthew?
Oh, it's after six, Festus.
Twenty after.
Festus.
Look, you know Louie's
never on time for anything.
You ought to have saw
the way that he looked at me
and the way that
he asked me. I just...
He wouldn't do
a thing like that.
Matthew!
Matthew, he's
back! They're here!
Right here!
Whoa.
Jess.
My boys and me got
something to say to you, Marshal.
Louie.
Thank you, Festus.
Oh, fiddle. I knowed
you'd come back.
Just like I just got done
telling Matthew in yonder.
I said, "Old Louie,
he ain't never...
been on time...
for nothing."
Stay tuned for scenes
from next week's Gunsmoke.