Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 18, Episode 3 - Bohannan - full transcript

A faith healer shows up in Dodge City and is challenged by the skeptics, including Doc.

With...

and starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

Don't you people
believe in original sin?

Ain't word of Adam and
Eve got to Spearville as yet?

Well then, let me
just tell you about 'em.

They fell into original sin,

and the Good Lord threw
'em out of the garden of Eden,

told 'em they was to
live in sorrow and sweat

and disease and affliction

and all kinds of
contagious calamity.

And that's the reason,
that man can't talk.



And that's the reason
that woman can't walk.

And that's the reason
half of you got the tars

and agues and what not.

God's will.

Now, what do you expect
me to do about God's will?

Tear it up?

Whatsoever ye ask in prayer,
believe it, ye will receive.

There you got it. There
you go, Reverend.

- Believin', that's the crux of the matter.
- Now, that's what I said.

And not just that I believe,
but that you believe.

Now, we believe.

Now, don't you go
around sayin' we don't.

And don't go blamin'
me for Adam and Eve

fallin' into original sin.



All I fell into was a cistern.

What's your name, sister?

Dorcas Wentzel.

Dorcas Wentzel, do you believe

that I, Bohannan, can
make you walk again?

Do you believe that I can send
a prayer up to high heaven?

Your mouth's big enough.

Evenin', Lord.

This is your servant, Bohannan.

You can see I'm in a place
the name of Spearville,

state of Kansas.

Well, I'm still headin' on to
Dodge City, like you told me to.

And like usual, I'm
gonna ask you for a sign.

If I'm wastin' your Holy
time here tonight, Lord,

I ask you to knock me kick
and clean out of my jack boots

with one of your 99
caliber thunderbolts.

He'll do it too.

Anybody who does that
deserves what he gets.

Ha.

So be it.

Now, first, Lord, we got
Dorcas Wentzel here.

She fell down a
cistern, busted her leg,

which misfortunately
healed by a sound of the joint.

She ain't took a
straight step since.

Amen, brother, amen.

And then, we got this,

this pitiful wretch
over here, Lord.

His name is Goody Stackpole.

Goody Stackpole, I heard of him.

So have you, Lord.

You know, he got drunk,
pitched headfirst into a snowbank,

froze up the hinges
of his jawbone

so tight he ain't
said a word since.

Well, if you could hear
the foul mouth on him,

you wouldn't be so
eager to get it thawed out.

She's right about that, brother.

First peace and quiet we've
had in this town in years.

Hear me, Lord.

Hear me cryin' to
ya from out of this

bewilderness of
boils and abomination.

It's into your hands
I commend my spirit.

So, into my hands put the
healin' power of your Holy word.

Amen.

Dorcas Wentzel, do you believe?

I believe Do you truly believe?

I do, I believe.

Then stand up

and walk.

You can do it, sister.

I know you can do it.

Now, throw that crutch
away and come to me.

Just one step, sister.

Now, you watch out
where you're throwin' things,

you old bag of bones.

I talked.

I'm talkin'.

Hallelujah.

Dorcas, Dorcas, you walked.

I never would've believed it.

Hallelujah, you walked.

You walked.

You gotta have God on your side.

Or the devil.

Whichever, it works.

Lord, I give ya thanks.

But, I wish to high
heaven you'd find

somebody else for this here job.

Now, I want you raise
your right leg for me.

Raise it.

Can't you do better than that?

Alright, try the left one now.

Come on, lift it.

Come on, Hector,
that's your good leg.

I'm doin' my best.

Alright, that's fine, son.

That's just fine.

Alright, why don't you
get dressed now, Heck?

Can I go to the store?

Yes, darling.

It's moved to his left leg.

Sit down, Lydia.

He hid that from me.

Just like his father did...

before it got too bad to hide.

Well, Lydia, you'd know
more about that than I would

because I only knew Big
Heck in the early stages

before you took
him to St. Louis.

Two, three months
was all it took

to make an almost helpless
cripple out of a grown man.

I'm sorry, Lydia.

Thanks, Dr. Adams.

All we know is
that it is hereditary,

that morphine is the only
thing that'll touch the pain,

which, of course, you
must've given to Big Heck.

Of course.

All he wanted.

Near the end, the
pain is so terrible.

I think you would
give the patient

almost anything he asked for

just to stop the screams.

Hey, mister. Hey, mister.

Are you a prestidigitator?

I certainly ain't.

I'm a Bohannan,
from my father's side.

And nothin' but a
Murphy on my mother's.

Well, you see, a
prestidigitator is a magician.

I thought maybe you were.

Yeah, I know what it means, boy.

But you thought wrong.

I meant no offense, sir.

What's your name, boy?

Hector Walden, Jr., sir.

But most folks call me plain
Heck since my daddy died.

Folks call me Bohannan.

I'm pleased to meet
ya, Mr. Bohannan.

No mister to it, Heck.

You know, I was
thinkin' of hirin' a boy

to tack up some
posters, but I notice

you're favorin'
that right leg there.

Don't you worry none
about this old leg, Bohannan.

I can get around
as fast as anybody.

Watch this.

You see?

Now, the main thing is to,
just to tack up these here

but while you're
makin' the rounds

you might let the
sick and ailin' know

that if everything
comes together right,

we get a real believin' crowd,

we must just possible
have a healin'.

A what?

A healin', boy.

Well, nothin' overpowerin',
just a little colic maybe

or sciatica.

I could pay ya, say, a
nickel an hour to start.

Hector.

A nickel an hour, Ma.

This here's Bohannan.
This is my Ma.

He's gonna pay
me a nickel an hour.

Pleased to know ya, ma'am.

I'm pleased to meet
you, Mr. Bohannan.

Just plain Bohannan, please.

I'm gonna help around
with the posters, Ma.

I don't think so, Hector.

The doctor says
you need your rest.

Please, Ma.

I'd take it fearsome easy.

The work ain't hard, Ma'am,

and he could go real slow.

Well, I suppose
it'll be alright.

Thanks, Ma.

Fine boy.

Thank you.

I was sorry to hear
about his father dyin'.

Somethin' recent was that?

Oh, no, well, seven years ago.

That's just Heck's
way of talking, I guess.

Ah, do you, do you
suppose it'd be all right

for him to help me out
at the gatherin' tonight?

Well, I don't allow him
out after dark, as a rule.

Even to a prayer meetin'?

Prayer meeting?

You're a preacher?

No, ma'am, but
all he'd have to do

is just to beat the drum
a lick now and then

and just play a
little mouth organ

now and again,
if he's so inclined.

Well, as a matter
of fact, Hector

is very musically inclined.

Good.

I'll think about
it Mr. Bohannan.

You do that.

Think about attendin'
your own self, too.

Hey.

Oh, Lord, don't
come a creepin' up

behind a man like that
blowin' your trumpet.

Are you the fella
in charge of this

rickety pile of planks, are you?

No, I ain't, but I work for him.

Well, where's he at?

He's everywhere.

Up mostly.

Up?

Up where?

Up there.

I'm talkin' about the
Lord High God, Deputy,

for which I work.

He's in charge.

Now, you listen here, mister.

We got us an
ordinance here in Dodge

that says that you
can't sell no potions

of no kind howsomeverly
without old Doc Adams

approvin' on it first that it's

fittin' for public conniption.

Not even branch water?

Branch water?

You mean to say you
been takin' these here folks

hard-earned money
for water that they

could dip right out of
the river their own selves?

Folks pay good money
for ice, don't they?

Ice is a different thing.

Just froze up branch water.

You can pick it
right out of the river.

It ain't the same
thing, don't you see?

It cost money to keep ice.

It costs money for
them there bottles,

stickin' them labels on.

Just the same, I want Doc
Adams to look at this here.

Alright, Deputy...

there you go.

On the house.

You let me know
what he says, will ya?

I'm gonna be across
the street there,

puttin' a little
faith in myself.

Hey, mister.

That there ain't no church.

That there's the saloon.

Amen, brother.

We do thank God
for such small favors.

Doc, Festus.

- Sam.
- Sam.

- Can I have a beer?
- Yes, sir.

What's the matter with you?

I got this here
little kind of a...

Give him a beer, Sam.

Burke, what's the matter?

What are you lookin' at me for?

Well, ain't no need
to take that tone, Doc.

What is it?

Well, the fact is all I
got is a chip off my elbow

and still stiff and hurtin'
more than a month later.

Well, you just don't heal
very fast, Burke, that's all.

Well, you're, you're supposed
to be the healer around here.

Seems like every time somebody's

got a disorder, you
just put it in a sling.

I'm not a healer.

Or a miracle worker.

I'm a doctor.

Bohannan, I'll be comin'
to your meetin' tonight.

I can't seem to
get any satisfaction

out of a medical doctor
so a man's justified

in tryin' whatever
comes to hand.

I hope to see ya at the
meetin' tonight, Doctor.

I'll be there.

Oh, you got nothin' against
faith healin' then, huh?

In my opinion,
private or professional,

faith healing is the last refuge
of an incurable scoundrel.

Sure do speak your mind, Doctor.

If you feel that
way, maybe you best

not bother showin' up at all.

Oh, no, I'll be there.

And you can count on it.

Crotchety old coot.

Well, here's to
the meetin' tonight.

Hell, I'll drink to that.

How'd you get
the gift, Bohannan?

What gift would that be, boy?

Your laying on of hands.

The gift of healing.

Well, I'll tell ya,
Heck, I don't...

recount that story too often.

But you be at the
meetin' tonight,

and I'll tell it for
all to hear, huh?

You must lead a wonderful life.

Well, there is glory to it.

Movin' around, helpin' people,

easin' pain and
sufferin' here and there.

Where are all the places
you've gone to, Bohannan?

Name one.

Kansas City?

Been there. Name another.

Louisville, Kentucky?

Been there too.

How about St. Louis?

St. Louis.

Sold three cases of elixir,

cured two broken arms, a
case of dropsy and a lisp.

How about Colorado?

With the gold fields? Or Oregon?

Ho, ho, ho, hold on, boy.

I've been to all them
places one time or another,

but you get me
to tellin' stories,

and I ain't gonna make
it to the meetin' tonight.

I'll tell you this much, Heck.

Out there beyond
Kansas, beyond Colorado,

always beyond wherever you are,

there's sights and
sounds and people

nobody ever dreamed
of, least of all you and me.

Lost cities of gold.

Secret tribes of
people livin' in valleys

surrounded on all
four sides with the

tallest mountains
you've ever seen.

They don't take no stock
in the outside world at all.

There's, there's
little, teeny people

livin' in jungles,
can be no more

than three or four feet high.

Pygmies, they's called.

Well, I can see you
don't believe me, boy,

but I'm tellin'
the gospel truth.

May God strike
me dumb if I ain't.

I believe ya.

Someday, I'm gonna
go to all those places,

go see all those things.

Well, you let me know
when you're ready.

I'll draw you a map.

Alright, now, we gotta
get these bottles washed.

I got a heaven-struck
feelin' tonight's

gonna be a real crowd pleaser.

Well, that could've been
a pure, natural event,

a coincidence,
except for one thing.

I felt the power, the power
of the Lord movin' in my hand.

Well, I've heard it many,
many times since that first time.

I haven't got the leastest
notion in the world

why the Lord picked on me.

As long as he did pick on me,

I figure I gotta bound and duty

to move along
spreadin' the benefits.

And that's what I'm
doin' in Dodge tonight.

I like him, but do you really
think he can heal people?

Of course not.

Why not?

Well, I think he's a fake.

I generally start with a prayer.

Put the Lord on notice.

Lord, we got here a man named
Burke with his arm in a sling.

And, Lord, he fairly
stinks of unbelief.

Lord, hear me, bellowin' at ya

out of the hot belly of Kansas.

I'm askin' ya to
suffer him, Lord.

Though he believe
not, I'm asking

you to give me the
power to heal him.

Mr. Burke, do you believe
on the Lord High God?

I do.

Then I tell you to take
that sling off your arm.

You are healed.

Come on, brother,
believe it and try.

You said you
believed. Now show us.

Lift up that arm.

See how your faith
has been rewarded.

Do it.

Come on, do it. Do it.

Look at that, he's cured.

He couldn't hardly move
that arm this afternoon.

He's got the gift alright.

Thank you, Lord.

We do thank you, Lord.

Just hold on, I'm comin'.

Well, Miss Walden.

I know it's late.

Why, it's not late at all.

I'm, I'm at your service.

I'm, I'm sorry to bother you.

Oh, why, it's no,
it's no bother at all.

Why, many, many
times after a meetin'

I get visited by people
who wanna talk things over,

are a little worried
about somethin'.

I try to be as helpful
and comfortin' as I can.

I'm sure that's true.

Well, now you just sit
right down over here,

and you just tell me what,
whatever's on your mind.

It's about Hector.

Hector?

I need your help.

Hector's dying, Mr. Bohannan

of a terrible disease.

And there's no cure for it.

Who says so?

Doctor Adams?

He says so.

And I saw my husband
die of the same disease.

Well, there must be a cure.

There's a cure for almost
everything nowadays.

Well, it's too
complicated to go into,

but there is no cure for it.

There must be.

You can't just take the
word of some local doctor.

You gotta get Heck
to Boston or New York.

I took my husband
to Chicago, Baltimore,

and Washington,
D.C., all within 60 days

right before he died.

He had to be carried
from place to place

in a sort of wicker basket.

I will not put
Hector through that.

Oh, Miss Walden, if there's
anything at all I can do...

I saw you do a remarkable
thing tonight, Mr. Bohannan.

That man's elbow.

Does the boy know?

About his disease?

No.

But he will soon
enough, unless...

unless you are able to heal him.

Unless I, I what?

Heal him, by a
laying on of hands.

Oh, no, now, hold on, ma'am, no.

You can't think
for a minute that I...

I mean, sore elbows
and lumbago is one thing.

Heck... no, I don't
have that kinda power.

Your power comes from God,
and God's power is unlimited.

Do you believe in what you do,

what you're
saying, or don't you?

Well, yes, ma'am,
I do, but I can't

go presumin' on the Lord's
good graces and power.

If you just set your will to it.

But he's dyin'.

I never come close
to healin' a dyin' man.

And It ain't like it's my will.

It's my will against God's will.

Mr. Bohannan, I want my
son more than God does.

With your kind
permission, Miss Walden,

Miss Walden, I'm awful sorry.

I wish there was
somethin' I could do,

but askin' me to cure someone
who's marked out for dyin',

it's like askin' a
jackass on Shank's mare

to take a run at the big
rider on the pale horse.

I don't have that kind of belly,

that kind of audacity.

There's somethin'
about that boy, Heck.

He looks at ya, and you
just feel goodness in the air.

Honest to God
goodwill toward men

comin' from him
and growin' in you.

Yeah, but he gets into
his fair share of mischief.

He ain't no angel.

Oh, of course not.

You wouldn't want
him any other way.

He's got a mind as
quick as a sparrow's eye.

And, you know, he
should get schoolin',

really good schoolin'.

He should go on to
college, Harvard College.

Why not?

Mr. Bohannan.

I wanna talk to you.

Excuse me.

Can I buy you a drink, Doctor?

No, thank you.

I don't want Heck
Walden mixed up

in your clap trap medicine show.

Why?

Because you can't do him
anything but harm, that's why.

What are you doin'
for him, Doctor?

Let me tell you something.

I've seen your kind
come into Dodge,

and I've seen 'em leave
Dodge, tarred and feathered.

Now, I love that
boy, and I'm not

gonna stand by
and see you hurt him.

And you, sir, can rely on that.

Give me a bottle please, ma'am.

Make sure it's a full one.

All I know is that man
has the power to heal.

Lydia, all you've seen so far

is the natural and normal
loosening up of an elbow.

I don't care about that.

I care about Hector.

And I might as well tell you,

I've already asked
Bohannan to help him.

And he turned me down.

Oh, he did?

Well, did you offer him money?

Not then, but I intend to.

Let me tell you one thing.

Mr. Bohannan, in
order to please his own

sense of the dramatic, is
going to tell Heck he's dying.

Now, he'll do that.

Then, he'll tell him
that this so called

faith cure is a sure thing.

Next, he'll parade
him up and down town

until enough faith and
hysteria is generated

to affect this so called cure.

Now, this is bound
to have its effect.

No question about it.

It'll raise his hopes.

Now, what are you gonna
do, Lydia, when this fails?

Dr. Adams, I know you mean well,

but you can't help me.

And there is not doctor
on earth who can.

Now, maybe
Mr. Bohannan can't either,

but I have nowhere else to turn.

I love Hector, Doctor,
and I'll try anything.

Well, something's
gotta be done, Matt.

You gotta arrest that man.

Doc, I can't tell Lydia Walden

what to do with her money
any more than you can.

Well, Bohannan's a
charlatan, Matt. He's a cheat.

He's gonna do a lot of harm.

Well, until he breaks some
law, there's nothing I can do.

There's somethin' I can do.

The answer's still no, Lydia.

I don't want your money.

Almost $1200 cash.

- Aw, ma'am, please.
- That's a lot of money, Bohannan.

Don't you understand?

I can't be bought
to do or not to do.

All I'm asking is that you try.

I don't have the power,

the horses to fetch
betwixt livin' and dyin'.

You absolutely refuse?

Yes.

You refuse to do what the
Lord sent you forth to do?

To heal the sick and the dying?

Don't you see? It ain't
fittin' that I should...

You know your trouble, Bohannan?

You don't have the
courage to risk failing.

And you're absolutely right.

It would not be fitting
for a moral coward

to lay hands on my son.

How long have you been there?

Aw, a couple hours, I reckon.

How'd you know where I was?

Mr. Burke saw you
head out this way.

Well, don't get the wrong idea.

I don't do this too often.

You'd get stiff in
the legs, like me.

Legs?

The other one's
starting to act up?

Aw, it's just, sort of catching
me up a little, that's all.

Well, now that you've caught me

in my moment of deepest privacy,

you can go back and tell the
world that brother Bohannan

is on private speakin'
terms with the Lord.

Bohannan?

I've been thinkin'
about somethin'.

Don't think too much, boy.

It tends to get mighty painful.

Well, it seems to me that
you must get pretty lonesome,

travelin' around all alone.

And it seems to me that
you could use some help

fillin' bottles and beating
on the drum at the right time.

- And it seems to me that...
- Well, boy,

I think you've hit
on somethin' that's

been botherin'
me for a long time.

I have been lookin' for someone,

but how am I ever
gonna find anybody

to put up with
this kind of a life?

Well, I know someone.

You?

You mean it was you
you was talkin' about?

Well, I, I'd be mighty proud to
have you along with me, Heck,

but... I just can't, I.

Your mother needs you.

Heck, I...

I'm, I'm gonna be
leavin' here in a...

in a day or so, but...

before I go, I'd...

I'd like to lay hands on you.

Maybe fix up them legs of yours.

Aw, no Bohannan.

That's a waste of good handlin'.

I mean, them legs
ain't worth nothin'.

It'd mean a sight to me,
Heck, or I wouldn't ask you.

I don't think it'd do any
good, but you can try.

Lord, your servant Bohannan,

fixin' to fly in your face.

Make this my sign, Lord.

Now, no messin' around

with your humble
servant's bewilderness.

One sign, clear as a
cherub's ring finger.

Amen.

Heck Walden, Jr., do you
believe on the Lord High God?

I surely do, Bohannan.

You know what I'm askin', Lord.

You require a life.

Take mine. I mean it, Lord.

Take it right now in
one great ball of fire.

Only...

reach these hands one
more time, with the power.

Suffer that little
one to go on shinin',

gentle and light-footed
through the thickets of the world.

Seven more years, Lord.

I swear it... if
you grant him life.

Amen.

Heck Walden, do
you truly believe?

Yes.

Then, I say to you...

get up and walk.

Go on. Go on, Heck, jump.

Jump up and run around.

Come on.

Run.

They feel a lot
better, Bohannan.

Honest.

They do.

They really do.

Everywhere I go, I
see the good sufferin'.

I ask the Lord why?

I never get an answer you'd
wanna sign your name to.

Oh, you see the bad sufferin'.

That makes some kind of sense.

The good...

Especially the children.

Oh, I can preach you Adam
and Eve all day and all night,

but the baby dyin' of the croup.

That little baby never
heard of Adam or Eve

or the sinner in the
hand of the angry God.

So, here comes Bohannan.

What's he sellin'?

No answers?

A sometime cure
for this one, that one.

Sometimes nothin' at all.

What's he leave behind him?

A lot of people who wasn't cured

wonderin' why them that
was cured got ahead of them.

In other words, as often as not,

Bohannan leaves a town
unhappier than he found it.

So, that's the reason
Bohannan's just about

made up his mind to
quit the layin' on of hands.

Let the Lord find
himself another man.

No, Bohannan, no.

- We need you.
- Please stay.

I promised the Lord
seven years, ma'am.

I don't think he'll
hold it against me

if I'm one summer short.

The Lord won't,
but the devil will.

You're workin' for
the devil, Bohannan.

Hellfire's burnin'
in both your hands.

Bohannan, step down off of
there and come here a minute.

I want you folks
to all hear this.

I just came back
from Spearville,

and I brought these two folks

that Bohannan claimed he healed,

just by layin' on of hands.

Now, is that right?

Dorcas Wentzel, what are you
doin' on them crutches again?

What I'm doin' is your doin'.

Are these the two people
you claimed to have healed?

I did heal them.

They must be playin' possum.

You walked Dorcas Wentzel.

You threw away them
crutches and walked.

- Now, admit it.
- That's right, I did.

But soon as you was
ten feet down the pike,

you took the trance off
of me and down I went

and near busted
my hip in the bargain.

And you, Goody
Stackpole, you talked.

Well, you could at
least nod your head,

you crepitacious old ingrate.

You believe I'm in league
with the devil, like Dorcas does?

That's not the point.

The point is you're
not a miracle worker.

You never healed
anybody of anything.

The only thing you
do is mesmerize them.

He outta be strung
up in the thumbs.

Alright, alright, listen.

Everybody just shut
up and listen now.

Maybe, he's of the devil.

Now, if I am of the
devil, as you say I am,

and everybody knows it,

then I can't cure
anybody of anything.

Is that right?

Yeah.

Alright, good enough.

I'll make it short
and sweet, folks.

Dorcas.

Don't you talk to me.

Dorcas, you'd like to show
me up for a devil, wouldn't ya?

Ah, see me sprout horns.

See my feet start
smokin' and turn

into cloven hooves, wouldn't ya?

Well then, believe
on the Lord High God

that only a man of
God can heal you again.

I believe without
you tellin' me.

No.

No, I don't think you do.

I don't see no believin'
sweat bespangling your brow.

Next thing you know, I'm
gonna bedevil you again, Dorcas.

And, you folks, you
think believin' is easy?

You think you put it on like
your gallouses and your corsets?

Well, you don't.

Dorcas Wentzel, you ready
to withstand my power?

I'm ready.

Shieldin' myself in
the name of Lord.

Amen.

Well then, brace
yourself, Dorcas Wentzel,

'cause here comes two
jack boots full of God help us.

Lord, your servant
Bohannan, still in Dodge City.

Tonight, we're gonna
make it holy ground indeed.

Fill it with a joyful noise,

a terrible thunder of your
mighty name, ah ha ha.

If my power comes from Satan,

you will not be healed,
Dorcas Wentzel.

But if I am of the
Lord, I say to you,

throw down your
crutches and walk.

Come on, woman, walk.

I can't walk,

you're a devil
out of hellfire sure.

Goody Stackpole,
I tell you to talk.

It's old Creever
you're chawin', ain't it?

How'd you know that?

Dorcas Wentzel,
are you of the devil?

Say somethin' to me, Stackpole.

Aw, shut up.

Alright, then.

God take hold of
my topknot if I falter.

Step out.

I can't, brother, I can't.

Yes, you can. You can.

By the will of God, you can.

I felt the power go into ya.

By the will of God, you
can walk, and you will walk.

Walk.

- Oh, he did it.
- She's healed.

Look at that. She's healed.

Come in.

You wanted to see me?

- Well, yes and no.
- Come in.

Heck said it was
about his mother.

Yes, and Heck too, of course.

Sit down.

Will you have some coffee?

It smells good.

Well, it usually tastes about
half as good as it smells.

I made it especially
strong today

to kind of help
wash down the crow

I think... I'm
gonna have to eat.

You examined Dorcas and Goody?

Yes, they were up and
about, walking and talking

and absolutely convinced

that you've got
God on a kite string.

But you ain't.

Not hardly.

But I'll say one thing...

you have one of the most
amazing gifts I have ever seen.

You have the ability
to make people

believe so strongly that
they're able to forget their pain,

or at least are
able to ignore it.

You think Dorcas
and Goody are in pain?

Of course, no question about it.

That woman's pain must
be something fierce at times.

Well, maybe.

The Lord said walk.

He never did say it
was gonna be easy.

Well, don't get me wrong.

Best thing in the world for her.

Keep those muscles
exercised, minimize the pain.

That is if you don't quit
like she did the first time.

Well, that wasn't her
fault. That was mine.

I don't have the faith
anymore, the fire I used to have.

Power used to hit me like
a double load of rock salt.

Yes, Lord.

Well, now that
brings me to the crow.

I apologize to you,
sir, for accusing you

of exploiting Heck
and his mother.

I'm sorry.

There's no cure at
all, then, for Heck?

I'm afraid not, not medically.

But that doesn't mean
it's hopeless all together,

not after what I saw last night.

I tried layin' hands on Heck.

I can't help him.

I'm not talking about
laying on of hands,

but I'm not
discounting that either.

I'm talking about the way
Heck looked at you last night

during the meeting,
every word you said.

I can't forget the look in
his eyes as long as I live,

and I am convinced that
as long as he's with you

he is totally oblivious
to pain of any kind.

I can't stay here, Doctor.

I got things to do.

I'm a rover.

Heck could be too.

She'd never let him go.

Oh, it'd be hard, of course.

Mother, only son.

But it might be harder watching
him die here, little by little,

especially when there's
just the slightest chance

that with you he might recover.

Hey.

Hi, Bohannan.

Hello, Bohannan.

Well, now what
we got here, ma'am,

is a boy who thinks he's
ready to cross the Rockies

and go all the
way to California.

Ah, plum flummoxed
in the head is what he is.

I know.

He's been talking about
it 'til he's blue in the face.

I told him what a
crazy notion it was,

but he's a powerful persuader.

I told him you'd never
let him go runnin' off,

traipsin' around the
country with a faith healer

crazy in the head
for takin' him.

You're sure, beyond a doubt?

Both of you?

Bohannan says we might even
be able to get to Pike's Peak.

Can I go, Ma?

Wouldn't take but a month or so.

Can I?

Be a good boy.

You wouldn't run off and
cause Bohannan trouble.

And you write to your mother
once a week, no matter what?

And you honor God
and obey Bohannan.

And you grow up to be.

Can I? Huh?

Yes, yes, yes.

Thanks, Ma.

It won't take but a
minute, Bohannan.

I ain't got much.

And if you don't bring
him back with you...

There's no way I won't
bring him back, Lydia.

No way.

Bohannan gave me
this new Bowie knife

for skinnin' things and protectin'
myself from outlaws and the like.

Here, let me take that from ya.

Alright, up we go.

- That a boy.
- I'm really goin', Ma.

I really, really am.

Bye, Ma.

See ya at the end of the summer.

Don't forget to feed my rabbits.

Stay tuned for exciting scenes
from our next Gunsmoke.