Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 17, Episode 7 - Trafton - full transcript

Announcer: Gunsmoke, starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.

Hold it!

- What happened?
- Nothing. The safe was clean.

Nothin'! All this for nothin'?

Stop!

I... forgive you.

And this here bunch of
old cow waddles, you know,

is all hunkered down in a
circle around the campfire,

and directly this here new feller
come up and set down in the circle.

And then one of these
here old boys says, "64,"

and everybody just busted
loose and started to laughin'



and squallin' and the hoorahing
and the thumping the ground,

and this new feller says,

"Say, Mister," said,
"What's going on here?"

And this here old boy said...

Telegram, Marshal.

Oh, thanks, Burke.

He says, "Well,
we're a-telling jokes,

but we've all heard
'em so blamed much

that we got 'em
numbered, don't ya see?"

How about a beer, Burke?

No, thanks, Miss Kitty. I gotta
go back to the freight office.

So this here young feller said, "Well,
that sounds like a pretty good idea."

He says, "Do you all care
if I go ahead and tell one?"

This here old boy said,
"Well, shoot, no. Go ahead on."



Uh, anything important?

Burke! I'm telling a joke.

Some can tell 'em
and some can't.

Why, you blabberty-mouth
knockhead.

Big blab mouth.

Ya dang...

What is it, Matthew?

Some sheriff was shot down
in Cascabel, New Mexico.

Gang came through, and
they think it's the same bunch

that shot Marshal
Cubbing here last month.

Well, they expecting you
to ride clean down yonder?

Well, they want a U.S. Marshal,
and I'm the nearest one available.

Well, that'll take a week, Matt.

Yeah, just about.

You want me to ride
along with you, Matthew?

No, Festus, you stay here and
keep an eye on things for me, will ya?

I'll be back before long.

Dropped in the dirt.

Now, that ain't very
respectful of Trafton, now is it?

Sure ain't.

Yeah, it's a pretty
penny's worth.

All right, stay where
you are, Capps.

Howdy, Trafton.

Where you boys headed?

Just lookin' for you.

Just wondering where
you going and abouts.

We heard you rode away
with a sack from the church.

Now, if you got
anything, we figure, uh,

we deserve a little piece of it.

That's what you figure, is it?

Well, I figure you boys better
climb down off them horses.

I never figured
you for this, Trafton.

All right, slap them horses out.

We can't walk back from here.

Gettin' closer, ain't I?

Drop them gun belts.
You're going for a swim.

I can't swim, Trafton.

Sure, you can.

I can't swim. I
never learned how.

It's easier'n dyin'.

Now, drop them gun belts.

All right, you boys
start pullin' water.

And don't look back.
You're liable to lose an eye.

Trafton, don't leave me.

I'm gut-shot.

Trafton, I hurt.

Please, Trafton. I
can't stand the pain.

Why don't you just die?

Shoot me.

Do it.

Well, go ahead!

Ain't nothin' I can do for you.

You can kill me.

I don't feel like it.

You... you...

you dirty, yellow,
egg-sucking...

Trafton.

Like givin' oats
to a dead horse.

It's about time.

Name's Whale.

Quail?

It's been a long day.

Now, who are you?

Where ya from?

What do you want?
And get it right.

Name's Trafton.
I'm from most places.

I'm a traveling salesman.

You don't look like no
drummer I ever seen.

Well, you don't look
like no whale I ever seen.

- Why, you...
- Hey!

New boy in town, the
way I take it, Whale.

Now, we don't get no repeat business
if all you leave is bones and boots.

Says his name is Trafton.

Says he's a drummer.

Ever see a drummer
look like him?

Especially one with
such a big mouth.

You better be more than a
drummer if you sass Whale here.

What are you drumming?

Some solid gold
goodies to match you.

Why, these are church things.

How would you know?

How'd you get 'em?

Took 'em.

From a church?

That's where they keep 'em.

Oh, Lord be.

Why?

Money.

Ain't you got no morals?

I got as many as
you've got, tramp.

Why, you...

Don't, Mister.

Why not?

Big man, you come just
about as close as you can come

to get yourself
gathered by a rake.

You filth!

It's nice to have made your
acquaintance, Miss Mary.

The only ones I saw were the
two the townsmen picked up.

You should have seen them.

No horses, no guns, soaked.

Say their partner, named
Trafton, ambushed them.

- Where are they now?
- In jail. We're holding them for trial.

Did you, uh, happen to
know Sheriff Niles, Dillon?

No, I never met him, but I
knew of him. He was a good man.

You know how much it cost
me to bring him out here?

$1,000.

But I didn't mind
paying the price.

People know you're taking
care of them, they work hard.

And then those viper snakes
comes in and kills my man.

Two men, Bannion.

Two men?

Oh, Father Carter,
God rest his soul.

I have great respect
for Father Carter.

But it's... it's not like he was
going anywhere in business.

Goodbye, Mr. Bannion.

Buenas noches, señor.

You got something to eat?

Where's your folks?

They have gone to God.

You live here alone, huh?

Yes.

And why's that? Why don't you
go where there's some other folks?

This is my home.
Why should I leave it?

There ain't nothin' to do.

Some more milk?

Yes.

Tell me something, boy.

You ever do anything
bad in your life?

I don't understand.

You know, something
you were ashamed of.

Something... Something real bad
you couldn't get out of your head.

Two years ago, when
my father was alive,

I lied to him.

About what?

I told him a wolf
got one of the goats.

That wasn't true, huh?

No.

I sold the goat to Mr. Ramirez.

What'd you do with the money?

I bought a knife
with many blades.

You figure that
was real bad, do ya?

Where's the knife now?

I put it in my father's grave.

What kind of a fool
thing was that to do?

I didn't have the
money to give back,

so I gave him the knife.

Good knife rusting
in the ground.

There ain't no sense to that.

It made me feel better.

We must always
pay for the bad we do.

Always.

Oh, he was somethin', Marshal.

Chilled me to look at him.

You know, I been in
business a long time,

and I thought I'd heard it all,

but killin' a priest.

And lootin' a church.

I hope you kill him.

God, forgive me.

Well, that sounds
like the man, all right.

There's no two like
him. I'll tell you that.

Whale, come here.

Tell him.

Marshal, I ain't seen nobody
lightning-sharp like he was.

He tore up that shotgun of mine
like it was made out of pretzels.

I'll remember that.

Thanks.

Bye, Marshal.

- Bye, Marshal.
- Bye.

I wouldn't mind having a seat in a
tree when them two come together.

♪ Let me hide myself in thee ♪

♪ Let the water and the blood ♪

♪ From thy wounded
side which flowed ♪

♪ Be of sin the double cure ♪

♪ Save from wrath
and make me pure ♪

♪ Could my tears forever flow ♪

♪ Could my zeal
no languor know ♪

♪ These for sin
could not atone ♪

♪ Though must
save and thou alone ♪

♪ Simply to thy cross I cling ♪

I wanna thank you good
folks for coming today.

I hope I may see
you all next week.

In the meantime,
above all things,

keep forever open
your heart for the Lord.

For He sees you always.

He suffers for you.

He stands next
to you constantly.

He whispers to your
soul, which is His,

saying, "Hear me, loved one."

Those that are
gone are not gone.

They see you. They hear you.

They stand beside you.

There is no death.

There is only eternal life.

God bless you.

Excuse me, Mrs. Farrell.
Nice sermon, wasn't it?

Well, that ain't
at all like her.

She'll usually talk
a feller's leg off.

Maybe she didn't hear me.

What's wrong, Mama?

Why are we hurrying?

We've got a lot to do.

What do we gotta do, Mama?

It's Sunday.

We're gonna make some
boysenberry cobblers. How about that?

I'll make the crust.

Fine, honey. Fine.

Oh.

Mama?

The flour's got weevils in it.

I said the flour's...

What's wrong, Mama?

I heard you.

Why don't you run over to Mrs.
Miller's and see if you can borrow some?

But Mr. Nathrop's
store is closer.

I don't wanna bother
him on Sunday.

Go on now.

All right, Mama.

Missy.

That, uh, shop you
just came out of,

a lady named Farrell run it?

That's my mother.

Your mother?

What's your name?

Maria.

Why are you looking
at me like that?

Oh, well, it's just
you're so pretty.

Thank you.

Tell me something, Maria.

How old are you?

I'll be 11 in January.

11 years old.

That's a ripe age.

Do you know my mother?

From a long time ago.

Is she in there?

Maria.

You run along now, honey.

He says he knows you.

Yes. Yes.

Go on now.

Tereese.

It's, uh, been a time.

You, uh, got some coffee.

No.

Go away.

Please

Look at this.

Look.

Ten years in Folsom Prison.

I thought cows was the
only thing they branded.

If you can tell me the reason for that
after a man's served his lawful time...

then you've got the
reason they made Hell.

What do you want here?

Just some coffee.

What do you want here?

I got nothin' for you.

Just some coffee.

I never made that war.
I never wanted to fight.

Just a boy helping his daddy on
a little border thicket cow ranch.

Never shot nothin'.

Never shot nothin' except
the needs for the table.

You know I can't tell you
this minute why I joined.

Folks talkin', I suppose.

But I could ride,

and Billy Anderson's Raiders
is where the riding was.

I saw and done more killin'

than a man's got a
right to see or hear or...

feel.

Man comes away
from that, it's...

like a ghost town, you know?

Like... broken windows
in him, you know?

The wind sweepin' through
his soul till he's hollow.

Hollow.

I don't wanna hear this.

And then seein' you.

I never knew nothing
could be as pretty as you.

Was I pretty?

When you dragged
me into that alley.

I was drunk. I don't
hardly remember it.

I can't hardly forget.

Eh.

Guess that's kinda hard with
the little girl around to remind ya.

How do you know about her?

Oh, I went back to Greensburg
the following year with another herd.

Asked around, and
found out you'd been, uh...

disgraced, they called it.

Moved to another town.

No one knew it was Dodge.

They knew.

Folks always know when there's
something to tongue-wag about.

Is that, uh, coffee hot yet?

Why are you afraid of me?

I ain't hurt you but that once.

I been scared
every day of my life.

Every single day.

Never knowing when
you might come ridin' up.

Every stranger rode into town,

my heart jumped till
I saw it wasn't you.

Why?

Why?

I got reasons aplenty!

For one, nobody knows about you.

Everyone thinks...

I had a husband.

What'll happen to
Maria if they find out?

Look, I never told nobody.

I'll beg ya if you want.

Please go away from
here and leave us be.

I gotta do something
for you. For her.

The best thing you can do for us

is ride a long ways on.

No.

No.

Tell me, in your whole life,

did you ever do something good?

Something besides hurt?

I sent you money when I had it.

That was trying
to buy forgiveness.

Well, I can't forgive you!

Go ask God to do it.

You try to do something right,
and folks step on you for it.

Go away from here and
don't bother us no more.

Please.

Dillon: Kitty. It's one of the
strangest things I ever ran into.

He never got more than two
miles off the road to Dodge.

What happened?

I went all the way to Cascabel.

And they'd picked up
two of these prisoners.

Third one was in a rock grave,

and a fourth one I been
trailin' all the way back here.

Hmm.

Well, I haven't seen
any strangers, but...

'course that doesn't
mean anything.

Maybe he doesn't drink.

Well, Kitty, the nearest thing
I can figure... that this man,

he calls himself Trafton,

that he's trying to
get himself caught.

Well, you just said that he
was doubling back all the time

in order to hide his trail.

Well, yeah, but every
little town that we came to,

he went in there and he got
himself into a lot of trouble.

It's like he wanted
people to remember him.

Any idea why?

Well, just that I think he
wants whoever's following him

to know where he's headed.

Does that make any sense?

No.

But I'll tell you
something, Kitty.

I got the feeling he's
right here in Dodge.

Or somewhere mighty close by.

Anybody home?

Anybody here?

Yes, who is it?

What's wrong?

Something happen?

You the man of God around here?

Well, I'm the
Reverend English, yes.

Well, I got something for ya.

Oh? What?

These.

Good Lord.

You know what they are?

Yes, of course. They're...

They're from a Catholic church.

Well, it don't matter where they're
from. I'm giving 'em to ya free and clear.

But why?

'Cause I got no
use for 'em no more.

Neither have I.

Where did you get these?

Don't matter. I'm
giving 'em back.

No.

Listen, Mister,

I said you're taking
'em, like it or not.

That cross there is solid gold.

You stole these from a church.

Did you hear what I said?

Solid gold.

Now, you can melt that down

and feed some starving
bellies around here with money.

Instead of pumping
their heads full of words

that fade like
snow in a fry pan.

They're not of our church.

Now, what in the raw name of common
sense has that got to do with anything?

I'm sorry, but no.

Greenhorn!

I'm trying to tell you
something that makes sense.

Now, you can do
something with that.

You can really help somebody.

"Not of our church."

What is that supposed to mean?

What is that supposed to mean?

That you got the answer and
some little sin-killer down the road,

he's all wrong?

Well, let me tell you
something, Mister.

You ain't got the answer.

I'll tell you something that comes a
whole bushel closer to making sense.

It's that Injun out there.

Or a coyote yammerin'
because he feels the moon.

Now, they make sense, because
they belong to something that works.

But you little dudes...

tellin' folks that nothin' dies,

and all that about
freedom of the soul

just as easy and troubless as you
singing in your Saturday-night tub.

But you ain't never
been shot, Mister,

and you ain't
never shot nothin'.

Or felt the sting of both.

And you ain't never
been in prison, Mister,

to know what freedom
of the soul means,

until it's been took from ya,

each and every bit of it.

Just blotted and swept away.

You understand?

Yes, I understand.

Now, take 'em.

- No.
- I said take 'em.

No.

It wouldn't take no more
than nothin' to kill you.

I agree.

I'm nearly scared
to death already.

There would have been a day.

There would have been
a day you'd have been

splattered all over the wall.

Can't do nothin' right no more.

Nobody wants 'em, I'll
melt 'em down myself.

Go with God.

Go to Him yourself.

♪♪

Hello.

You, uh, going somewhere?

To Kansas City.

That's kinda sudden, ain't it?

Yes, but we're going
to visit Mrs. Ames.

She took care of me
after my father died.

How'd he die?

My father?

He was stampeded.

It was a bad accident.

Why?

Oh, I just wondered.

Well, he was
on this trail drive.

He was a ramrod.

That's a kind of a leader.

And one of his drovers
fell off his horse.

And when my daddy
tried to save him,

he was run over.

Oh. It sounds like he was
a real gut-buster to me.

Gut?

Well, that's just a saying
cowpokes have about, uh,

you know, men that are big
enough to ramrod cattle drives.

Things like that.

Gut-buster.

You said you knew my mama.

Did you know him too?

Uh, no, no, never met the gent.

But I heard about him, though.

'Course I don't know is I
should tell you what was said.

You can tell me. Please?

Well...

Come on.

Now, you don't
repeat this, you hear?

'Cause I don't want
nobody to know I told ya.

'Cause I don't hardly
believe a word of it myself.

But they say he was the
biggest, most handsomest man

to ever sat in a saddle.

Handsomer than me, they say.

'Course it's kinda hard to put
stock in something like that.

Heard some waggoneers
talking about him once.

Oh, they say he was
strong and big, tough.

Didn't like to fight. Didn't like
to fi... But he'd fight if he had to.

Defend a lady or such as that.

Yeah, I guess all in all he was
somebody you could be proud of.

'Course, I don't put no
stock in what I heard.

Ain't nobody that good.

He was.

You know that
for a fact, do you?

Oh, there's Mr. Burke.
He's a ticket seller.

Are you, uh, going
back to your house?

No, I'm supposed to stay here
with Mr. Burke until Mama comes.

But I guess I
could get the tickets

and then walk back with
you if you're going that way.

No.

No, you best do what
your mother says. Always.

All right.

- Hello, Maria.
- Mr. Burke.

And directly, one of
these old boys said, "36."

Well, the rest of
'em just hoorah'd

and laughed and
beat on the ground,

and had a fit, and this here young
feller says, "Well, what's that..."

- Miss Kitty. Festus. Marshal.
- Reverend.

I have been wrestling with my conscience
whether I should tell you or not,

- but an incredible thing has happened.
- What's that?

Well, there was a man. A desperately
confused man came to visit me.

You didn't have to
go to Kansas City.

How'd you know?

I'm here to tell you... you don't
have to be afraid of me no more.

I ain't gonna hurt ya.

I'm going away. I won't be back.

Don't come near me.

Now, look, I'm telling you...
You stay here, you hear?

You stay here in
Dodge. You and the girl.

I'm trying to tell ya I
won't bother you no more.

How do I know that?

Because I'm tellin' ya.
That's how you know.

No. No.

Because I'm asking you to.

How can I believe
someone that kills people?

I've killed a lot of men.

But not no more.

All right.

All right, I'll tell ya.

Because I shot one man...

and he forgave me.

What kind of a fool
thing was that to do?

I can't get it out of my head.

He forgave me.

I mean, I used to shoot a man

with no more thought than, uh...

squashing a beetle.

But I tried.

I can't.

And that means I ain't
gonna last very long.

Why'd you come
back in the first place?

I don't know.

What do you want?

I don't know.

Maybe... Maybe just to...

tell you I'm sorry.

Maybe to tell you that, all these
years, you had no reason to be afraid.

Maybe...

Well, how should I know why?

Anyway, I'm going away.
You won't never see me again.

Uh...

You tell her goodbye
for me. All right?

Trafton?

I can't forgive you.

I don't know how.

But if it's any good to you...

there's Maria.

Oh, I hate what you did.

I always will.

But I love her.

Marshal.

That's the man there.

Reverend, get back inside.

Trafton.

Festus.

Marshal.

I forgive.

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