Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 19, Episode 19 - The Iron Blood of Courage - full transcript

With...

And starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

- Hello, Talley.
- Hutch.

Ain't the day just polished
fine for playin' school now.

Seems they don't have too
much confidence in you, Hutch.

Well I'd rather've
done it alone,

and I reckon you know that.

I know.

You wanna take
him first, I'll wait.

If I'm still standing, Hutch,
he won't be any problem.

Any man who can't look
another man straight in the face



can't be too sure
of himself, can he?

The way I see it, too.

Wondered how long
it'd be before you and me

come up against one another.

Had to happen someday, Hutch.

You're always hiring
out to the wrong side.

All these people
have legal water rights.

Mr. Rickoff don't
feel it that way.

Guess I'm gonna
have to kill ya Talley.

But you always
was mule stubborn.

Mr. Talley, you are
as good a they say.

It won't solve
anything, Mr. Morris.

Bullets never do.

Papa.



Papa you're back.

I always come back, don't I.

Yes, but well I miss you a lot.

Momma wanted me
to come right on home.

We got packin' to do.

You women folk
got packing to do.

You see a man can put
his fixings in a shoebox.

What's Dodge City
gonna be like, Papa?

Just bigger and busier.

Is it a town that's got roots?

You know what?

Down to the middle of the earth.

Oh, Mr. Talley.

May I see you for a
moment, please sir?

It's my teacher, Papa.

- I'll see you at home.
- You run along.

I'm George Nichols, sir.

Hello, Mr. Nichols.

My manners are lacking.

Ronilou has talked
a lot about you.

Ronilou is a very
exceptional you lady.

Well, it seems that the
woman folk from both sides

of the family take a
lot of sunrise with them.

And the men, sir?

I beg your pardon?

Mr. Talley, your line of
work is not well known.

Specially Appointed Sheriff
is the kindest title I've heard,

and that depends on
the side one hears it from.

Well now, Mr. Nichols,
any work I get involved in

has a legal statute
as its birthright.

Which is often.

Orphaned at an early age
by a six-gun, I've heard.

Oh we live in strange
times, Mr. Talley.

I struggle to improve minds,
and you blow them apart.

But I suppose it's
according to one's viewpoint.

Mr. Nichols that is
according to whether the point

has a view at all.

Is that what you
came to tell me?

Mr. Talley, we're
both cultured men.

I can tell that of you,

which, I confess, confuses
me more than a little.

Culture and weapons
aren't exactly a marriage.

Opposites make the
best marriage, Mr. Nichols.

And my respects
to you for showing

so much concern for Ronilou.

Now you, you sir have
the physical requirements

that I lack to make
this a purposeful land

if you wish to do so.

Your daughter wrote this as
a going away present to me.

She asked me to
show it to no one.

I said I wouldn't,
but I feel in this case

by betraying her
confidence has a virtue

that far out-weighs
the transgression.

Read it.

Aloud if you will.

Please.

"Stay with me God.

"The night is dark.

"The night is cold.

"My little spark
of courage dies.

"The night is long.

"Be with me God
and make me strong.

"I am but the daughter my
father wrought, my mother bore.

"And a simple girl
and nothing more.

"But God of strength
and gentleness

"Be pleased...

"to make me nothing less."

That is simple
beauty, Mr. Talley.

A beauty of a depth
this land needs.

A beauty that came from a
daughter "my father wrought."

I thought you'd
like to know that.

Good luck to you, sir.

What we need's a gunfighter.

Yeah.

The only thing that
sings the right prayers

for the likes of Anderson and
that cavie of corn-fed baboons

of his is a six-gun,
a Winchester,

in the hands of a man
who knows how to use 'em.

Right.

Like this Talley fellow them
boys had 'em up to Nilo.

The way I hear it
Rickoff had him two men

with reputations high
enough to hide a stork behind.

And this Talley, he
tacked them flat as frogs

at a cow gathering.

Now that's the kind of man
to have Anderson standin'

straight as 12 o'clock
and singing any song

you want his lips to pucker.

What I hear is, is Talley
ain't no ordinary gun pointer.

He got himself tight
ways and ideals and such.

Might be he won't find our
doin's ideal to his ideals.

What do you say, Mr. Burdette?

Well gentlemen...

we're all under the
same tent of survival.

Very reason for
our meeting here,

the very reason for
this little grain of history

transpiring at this point
and time is survival.

Now survival sometimes
demands the shedding of blood.

And if we must shed it at
least we know we're in the right.

Now, I've checked out
each of your land titles.

Your water rights are legal.

The point is, Mr. Burdette,
Shaw Anderson don't give

a boot in a barrel about
what's legal and what ain't.

And he ain't got just
one or two gun pointers

out there at his spread.

Every man he's got
workin' for him is married

to a Winchester.

Everyone of 'em can
thread a needle with a bullet

'cause that's the
way he hires 'em.

You ain't even seen
Talley shoot Randolph.

Have you?

I already told you that.

All right, all right.

Look, I ain't sayin that a
fast gun slicker than first ice

won't make a
difference, but this Talley,

how do we know he ain't
choosing sides with Anderson

right now?

Why that Anderson's a Reb,

and this Talley's a
Confederate War hero.

Because Talley fights
on what he believes

to be just principle.

And only a man who
fights on just principle

would've conducted himself
the way he did in Civil...

In the late war.

Well, if it was just principle

and not cows and water
we were talking about,

maybe I'd buy it sack
and saddle, Burdette.

This Anderson brands
with lead along with iron,

and that's a principle
worth considerin' ain't it?

And like I said how do know
he'll even choose our side?

Because I sent him a wire,
and I received this reply.

"If conditions
prevail as you stated,

"you may consider
me at your service,

"signed William E. Talley."

Whoa.

Now you women folk
do what you have to do.

I'll tend to
business, all right?

All right.

Oh, I am dead sorry.

I hada come in lookin' if
me and General hadn't been

so deep in conversation here.

My fault, ma'am.

Well, if that don't hop a hill.

How's that?

Gentleman tipped his hat.

Most of the whities
around here act like

they was born with
them tacked to their ears.

I'm Mignon Anderson.

I'm Ellie Talley. This is
my daughter, Ronilou.

Oh, I wouldn't.

I'm most pleased, ma'am.

Oh, well, if somebody told
me that I'd call them a liar

and lost a friend.

I've never seen General
take a stranger, lest I tell him.

You new here abouts?

Yes, we just arrived.

Oh well, then come
on, we'll all go shopping.

Haven't been shopping with
ladies for a long, long time.

General, stay!

I seen him.

He just rolled in plain
as a barrel on a skyline.

Who's that?

Talley, the William
E. Talley that's who.

I thought he was up in Alsworth.

No, he's where the money is,

and the money is
where the trouble is.

And seein' as he's here,
it's sure as wings to a bird

that they's trouble
around someplace.

Is he alone?

No, his wife and his
daughter appeared-like.

Well now Festus, that
doesn't exactly sound

like a hunting party, does it?

Well, Matthew I don't give
a hoot if he rolled into town

on a wagon-load of Bibles.

You know what his reputation is.

Sometimes a man's reputation
and the facts don't gibe.

You know what I mean,
Matthew, bad apples.

I know what you mean,

but if I hazed everybody out
of Dodge with a bad reputation,

I'd have half of Kansas
standing out there.

I'll check in on him later.

Right now I want you to
mail these letters for me.

Still an' all
Matthew, bad apples.

And you just gonna
keep standin' around

I don't know Burdette.

How can you be so
sure he'll even show up.

He mighta had second thoughts.

As I'm told, William
Talley's a man of honor...

Honor?

These days that and a penny
will get your kid a gumball...

Come in.

Mr. Talley?

Yes, sir.

I'm Cauley Burdette.

This is George Chandler
and Arnold Rolfing.

Talley.

Gentlemen.

I hope you'll find these
accommodations satisfactory.

Just fine.

Mr. Chandler and
Mr. Rolfing were selected

by the other ranchers
to represent them.

And I represent
the legal aspects.

How many ranchers are there?

Three short of a hundred,

and nothing less than
a section per ranch.

And all legally
filed on waterholes?

Central, every
one, all legally valid.

And each and every
rancher's willing to contribute

$50 to keep it valid.

That makes a fee
just short of $4,900.

That's a lot of money.

Is that your idea?

Well the West is
changing, Mr. Talley.

It's the day of the little man
seeking his place in the sun,

and our government has
proclaimed his right to do so.

Ranchers today must be prepared

to defend themselves legally.

Then what I am doing
here, Mr. Burdette?

Well the West hasn't changed

quite that much yet, Mr. Talley.

This is Shaw Anderson territory.

I've heard.

Not quite like Rickoff
and his Nilo spread.

This is the Lazy W.

Anderson hires his
men for the workin'

of the levers of Winchesters
just as much as a rope

or ridin' a rough stream.

So I've been told.

We've got boys
who can shoot, too.

George here, Arnold,
Charlie Sobeleski.

And some others.

I appreciate your
thoughts, gentlemen,

but I don't need anybody.

I get the work
done is if it's legal.

Oh, it's legal all right,
sound as a gold bar.

Then I can go to the
courthouse and check the filings?

Why yes, of course, you
wanna go to that trouble.

A good conscience, it's no
trouble at all, Mr. Burdette.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Well thank you, Mr. Talley.

Mr. Burdette.

Do you collect a fee for
helping out these folks?

A small one.

You can check that out, too.

Now these are decent
pioneer folks just trying

to get their wedge
of the wilderness.

You know Mr. Talley,
I think I'd have hated

to have been under your command.

But you are, Mr. Burdette.

You are now.

Well, I can say one thing.

You could wear it to Hell
and wouldn't be noticed.

O'Roarke, I aim to go to
St. Lou or New Orleans,

maybe even Frisco.

I need something to
make this old trap and trash

look like a lady.

Now we better do
some more huntin'.

You've seen most
of the little I have.

What about this?

This?

Why Ellie, I am just
a breed Kiowa girl.

One part of bow and arrow.

What would the likes of
me do in finery like this.

Nothing of the sort, Mignon.

You have a natural beauty
which would be most fitting.

That's a fact, Mrs. Anderson.

I was sayin' the same
thing myself, ladies.

Well, Ellie, you're high-bred.

Easy to tell.

And I always turn trust youth.

But you're Irish, and
I wouldn't trust you

if you had the blarney stone
gift-wrapped in the back room

in a gold box.

Think it don't look too toney?

Oh no, not at all.

It's quite continental,
see for yourself.

Stitch her and a tuck there,
and I have some jewelry

if you'd honor it.

You'd go to those three cities,

and the eyebrows wouldn't
lower for a calendar year.

Think so?

I guarantee it.

You've got a way
of puttin' things.

And you'll have a
way of wearin' 'em.

Well, some days
is meant to happen.

And meetin' the
Talleys is one of 'em.

All right stone heart,
thanks to two ladies

you done sold the dress
you done ordered by mistake.

I'm so glad we
talked you into it.

Can I take you anywhere?

No thanks.

We're staying at the Dodge
House until we get settled.

And what line of work did
ya say your husband was in?

He's what you might
call a business advisor.

Well they ain't a lot of
businesses hereabouts,

but I suppose any door
can use a better handle.

Well, when you get settled
you gotta come out to the ranch.

It's the Lazy W.

Anybody'll tell you.

We'd be delighted, Mignon.

Yes, I'll say it again.

Some days is meant to happen,

and meetin' the
Talleys was one of them.

It was lovely meeting you.

- Bye Bye.
- Bye Bye.

Talley?

We haven't met before,

but my guess is Matt Dillon.

That's right.

Heard a lot about you, Marshal.

What do ya say you
and I have a little talk?

It's warm enough for a beer.

I believe it is.

I think I understand what
you're doing in this, Talley.

It's Cauley Burdette
and his ranchers, isn't it?

Squatters, some
people call them.

As far as I can see every
inch of land is legally filed.

Yeah, and all
selected by Burdette.

Meaning what, Marshal?

I guess there's some men
who like to push others around

for supposedly
unselfish reasons.

I just find it a little
bit hard to believe

that Burdette is
that kind of man.

Well, I had similar
thoughts, Marshal.

But, you know, I think I
see him pretty clearly now.

I've been in the military
long enough to know when

to walk out a door backward.

You know Talley, there's
not much I can do about a man

that comes to town
with a set of law books

and a line of talk.

But gunfighters are my business.

Well they're not mine, Marshal.

That's not the way I hear it.

Hayward Valley feud,
Wallace war, the Nilo

and now this Alton.

That's a lot of front
sights lookin' at you Talley.

None that I wanted.

I came home from
the war in a prison

without a cent, Marshal.

Yankee owned by land who
couldn't even read or write.

"Reclamation" they called it.

The print was still wet
with the blood of the people

who thought they
had died for principle.

I came home to a wife
who thought I was dead,

a daughter I didn't
even know was born.

No one wanted to
hire a Confederate

who had hurt a
Yankee once or twice.

So, I simply did
what I know best.

A gun has been a
part of me all my life.

Well, you're getting
yourself a large reputation,

and the word comes from
men that I know and respect.

You know what that means?

The short ones come and try you.

Hill, gully, bed,
bath, even church.

That's one of the
reasons I'm asking ya

to step out of this thing.

What's the other
reason, Marshal?

Shaw Anderson.

What about him?

Well in the first,
second and third place,

he's a long cut from the others.

Not from what I have heard.

They tell me that every
man he hired is practically

married to his gun.

That's just on the surface.

His grandfather was
with Lewis and Clark.

His father was one of the
first cow men Kansas ever saw.

Shaw Anderson knows this
country better than anybody

that's ever crossed it.

In the big die up in '69,

half this country had to
start over from new seed.

Not Anderson.

He didn't lose more
than a third of his herd.

In fact, it was him
that provided the seed

for most of them to start over.

Memories are short.

Let me tell you this, Marshal.

This is gonna be the
last thing I'm gonna do.

I think I've saved enough
money to start again somewhere.

Tell you somethin' else.

I aim to meet this man Anderson

before any more dust kicks up.

When a man becomes my
enemy, I like to know him.

Good. If you talk to Anderson
you'll see what I mean.

Marshal, nice to meet you.

Talley.

I woulda introduced
him to you Kitty.

Oh I know.

"Men's talk", if you
can call two wolves

sizing each other up men's talk.

Well he's goin' out and
have a talk with Anderson.

You know two honest men talking

can save a lot of spade work.

The only trouble with
that is the two honest men

can give you two different
answers to the same question.

Yeah, I'll see ya later.

Oh Bill, she was the sweetest
woman you can imagine,

just the sweetest.

She certainly was, Papa.

Well that's nice.

We helped her pick out a dress,

and she's our first
friend in Dodge.

We've been invited to their
ranch when we get settled.

That's really nice.

What's their name, Ellie?

You know here I
go, I can't remember.

What was it Ronilou?

Mignon Anderson?

Anderson?

Where?

Someplace called the Lazy W.

Well, I'll be in the vicinity.

Might be I'll pay my respects.

Oh, do that.

She was so pleasant.

I think I've got everything.

All right, my princess,
give me a kiss.

Do you have to go?

I have to go.

Possibly, I'll be back tonight.

Take care.

Don't worry.

- Bye.
- Bye

That'd be a decency
for your father

to pay respects
to the Andersons.

Yes, that'd be a nice decency.

Mr. Talley.

Mr. Burdette.

That has the
appearance of travel.

It serves that function.

Well, it's worth the
trouble to see the country.

The prairie this time of year

day or night's like
heaven unfolds.

I'm not gonna see the
country, Mr. Burdette.

I'm on the way to see Anderson.

Ander... What in God's
name could that do?

Anything in God's name
could do something.

Now, if you'll excuse me.

Mr. Talley,

I'm only a lawyer

with a dream of the future,

but I have an ear and an eye.

Shaw Anderson's a
man cold as polar ice.

Oh, he'll be cordial enough,
and he'll have heard of you.

There can be no mistake.

You go there alone,
you'll be dry-gulched.

Shot from cover,
Talley. It's his way.

It's won him this
country that way.

A smile, a promise,
then before you know it,

lead coming like it was,
like it was rainin' rocks.

Let me get you
some men to ride flank

if your mind's made
fast, that at least.

Thank you, Mr. Burdette.

I best travel alone.

Good day.

Talley's going to see Anderson.

I want the three of you
out there this afternoon

on the Humboldt Wash
where it narrows to the road.

Talley doesn't stop
to water coming down,

he'll cross slow.

I want you to graze him.

Just do it surface
meat, left arm.

You do it.

The rest of you start
the fourth of July.

That'll change his thinking.

But why? He's our man, ain't he?

He's ours. I aim to
keep him that way.

He'll think Anderson
ambushed him.

Get yourselves a jug.

It'll be cold out
there just waiting.

See me when you get back.

All right.

Mr. Anderson.

Uh-huh.

There's someone here to see you.

Who is it?

He says his name is Talley.

Talley. Here.

Now, ain't that something.

You want me to send him away?

No. No, I wanna
get a look at him.

And Lynit, speak
soft to the man.

Talley.

Anderson.

Johnny Reb, himself.

The grave and beyond.

Can't tell it by
the sound of you.

Didn't know it was a sound,

I thought it was a way of life.

Somehow heroes never do look

just like you expected 'em to.

More than likely because they
weren't heroes to being with.

No, that ain't the
way I heard it, Talley.

Battle of Lookout
Mountain, the wilderness.

Stories I heard your
name wrapped around

made you sound more
like a giant than a man.

Stories get
twisted in the tellin'.

I guess you know why I'm here.

Cauley Burdette?

Wanted to talk to you first,
hear your side of it, Anderson.

Educated, a hero, modest

and honorable to boot.

Almost too much
to ask of any man.

You wanna talk or not?

We might,

but not for long.

Water titles are legal.

The men are all
prepared and determined.

Prepared, huh?

So all-fired prepared
they sent for a hired gun.

You got any idea how many
men we got on this spread, Talley?

A hundred, maybe
a hundred and fifty.

And there ain't a one of
'em couldn't hit a thin thought

sailin' through a fog.

How many men's Burdette got?

Forty or 50 maybe, that
can hold a gun that is.

Then that's no war.

That's a turkey shoot.

Turkey shoot in which a
hundred men could die.

Now, if it were just two men...

"Just two men..."

Now what's that
supposed to mean?

You and me, Anderson.

I've heard of you, too.

Oh, I didn't know.

Oh Mr. Talley, what a pleasure.

How are you?

Shaw, this is the man
whose family I told you about.

Oh such a sweet wife
you got, Mr. Talley.

Thank you.

And that daughter, like
the moon and the sun

in the same basket.

They helped me to
pick out this gown, Shaw.

All right, go own now, Mignon.

What?

I got short talkin', Mignon.

I told your wife and daughter
we'll expect you down here

for a visit once you're settled.

Thank you, Mrs. Anderson.

You ain't playing poker with
a hollow-headed man, Talley.

I don't know how to
play poker, Anderson.

In fact, I don't know
how to play anything.

We'll, you're
sure drawing to it.

One man representin'
cow-pushin' carpetbaggers

expects me to meet him head
on when I've got enough men

to march on Hell.

This Cauley's been out
in the sun too long, Talley.

So the answer is no.

The answer, Talley,
is that the water rights

on this land belong to
them that was right on 'em.

And them's Kiowa.

My wife's half Kiowa,
daughter to the chief Satanta,

and that's every drop of
water and every blade of grass

from the Dakota's all the
way to the Rockies and back.

That's before the people were
moving out West, Anderson,

bringing the white
man's law with them.

A law that respects the
masses and no morality.

The tides are
comin' in Anderson,

and there's nothing
that you can do about it.

Can they go back out again?

Not these tides.

They're here to stay
with more behind them.

You give up a
piece of your empire

or they'll swallow it whole.

And choke on my Winchesters.

On both sides.

Now if it's just the two us,

meeting at any point you choose,

it's gonna be a simple death.

The matter settled neatly.

If I'm gonna kill
somethin', Talley,

it's the killin' I care about
and not how it's done.

And I done it
enough different ways

to sprain and owl's head.

Besides, how do you know
you're gonna be seeing me

face to face?

Because I trust you, Anderson.

You're a damn fool.

I've been damned half
my life, but I'm not a fool.

Neither am I.

You've lived this long, Talley,

because you're one of
the best with a handgun.

But I'm one of the
best with a Winchester.

And I figure that'll
even the odds up some.

Fair enough.

All right. You choose
the place and time.

Tomorrow at sunup,

at long mesa at the
fork of the Humboldt.

Goodbye, Talley.

I don't have to go to
St. Lou or New Orleans.

No you go ahead.

It'll do you good, Mignon.

Don't bother you I might meet
some sweetly handsome man?

Not unless he's got
nails like Cavalry sabers

and fights like a burnt
bear in a cave full of hornets.

I thought, I thought
maybe if I got me

something pretty to wear

I could take your mind
off all this rucktion,

till you get
yourself level some.

Shaw, Shaw we could
start Christmas tomorrow.

Or you go with me and
we'd pull down New Orleans

nail by nail like we used to.

What I'm looking at now
is just plain honest man

who just turned
himself into a plain fool.

What are you gettin' at woman?

You and Talley.

Like two little boys sassing
each other in a sandbox.

I don't told ya to
take your trip, Mignon.

And what for?

Water rights?

Whose water rights?

Yours? Theirs?

Those rights are Kiowa rights.

And before them they
was Pawnee rights.

And before them
they was Ricory rights.

You think I don't
know that, woman.

Maybe I don't know what
you know, Shaw Anderson.

But what's important is
what I'm sayin ain't comin'

for your ears.

It's their time, all
them folks moving west

with dreams in their eyes.

There's no stopping them, Shaw.

And those that are coming
got Talley to stand for 'em.

Them little apple-nosed
plow-pushers,

they ain't this land.

They make as much
sense in this land

as an elk wearing a corset.

They can learn if that
got the sand to 'em.

And you'll find they do.

But, the point is, the two
of you aiming to go out there

and trade lives like
they was leaves.

I won't hear of it.

Mignon.

Now I ain't never
told you before

to stay out of my business,
because you ain't never needed

to be told.

But I'm telling you now.

Don't get no fancy
notions into that head.

Now, do ya hear me?

I hear you, but I ain't
necessarily listening.

Tell me, woman.

I can't tell you anything I
haven't already said, Shaw.

Accept maybe no.

Tommy Lynit?

Yes ma'am.

Hitch up my buggy and
bring it around to the back.

Yes ma'am.

And tell Mr. Anderson I
forgot something in Dodge.

Yes ma'am, Mrs. Anderson.

Two men could've been brothers

and fixing to kill each other.

Land's going mad.

Mr. Talley, you
took me by surprise.

Anderson and I are going to
meet tomorrow by the Humboldt

just the two of us.

Make sure you tell your men.

You've been shot, Mr. Talley.

Just buck.

How'd it happen?

Quickly, Mr. Burdette.

He bushwhacked you, like I said.

He bushwhacked you, didn't he?

Make sure you tell
your men about it.

Goodnight.

'Help us be heroes, Oh
God, when death is near

"To mock the
haggard face of fear.

"That when we
fall, As fall we must,

"Our souls shall
Triumph in the dust.

"And then, and
perhaps then only,

"May we ask where was
the Iron blood of courage?"

You know something?

I swear that the summers
in Dodge are gettin'

longer and hotter,
don't you think so Kitty?

No.

You don't?

Hmm.

Maybe I'm just getting
older and colder.

Say, Matt, by the way I
understand that Anderson

tried to bushwhack Talley.

Yeah, I heard that.

Wait a minute.

You know, about two
hours ago a couple of fellas

came up to the office with
another fella that'd been shot.

I took care of him and
he's gonna be all right,

but before they left I just
kind of inquired about a fee.

They said see Burdette about it.

- Burdette?
- Yeah, you know something?

Ever since that fella
got in town, Matt,

everything's been all lopsided.

Matthew, it's all over town now.

What?

Well Anderson and
Talley's fixing to shoot it out

betwixt thereselves.

Where?

Ain't nobody knows.

Those two fellas you
were talking about,

now they say where
they were headed?

Yeah, the livery stable.

Just a minute.

Coming!

Who is it?

Mignon.

Mignon? Come in, come in.

What are you doing here so late?

I didn't have time to
worry about the hour.

What is it?

Hello, dear.

What I gotta say
might sound harsh.

Well, Ronilou knows a sight
more than her years, I'm afraid.

Ellie, you know what
those two hay heads

of ours intend to do?

Hay heads?

Our husbands.

They gonna stand
on a lot of flat rock

and shoot at each other.

Bill and...?

My Shaw. Course I
can understand Shaw.

The only thing he
likes better than a fight

is a fast horse.

And come sunup, one of
them is gonna be plain flat

deader than last week,
unless we do something.

But why?

Well, your Bill was hired
by the small ranchers

who claim water
rights to our land.

The law, that is the Army,

claims it's both
Kiowa land by treaty

and free land by
open-range title.

We gotta stop the, Ellie,

or one of us is
gonna lose a husband.

I'll get dressed.

I will too, Mama.

No, Ronilou,

Mama, Papa looked
in on me tonight

thinkin' I was
asleep, but I wasn't.

And the I looked in on him
readin' something I wrote.

I know what he's thinkin'.

I can't explain it but I just
know what he's thinkin'.

I gotta go, Mama.

Is there room in the buggy?

We'll make room.

Out here, us girls
gotta stick together.

All right.

This is intimidation
and rank hearsay

of the most scurrilous order,

and I demand a retraction.

Toey. What's he a

Your man confessed
to everything, Burdette.

It wasn't hard when I told
him what Talley'd do to him

if he found him.

The same thing goes for you.

You know, you were
right about one thing.

This country is changing,

but it's gonna be done legally.

I want you out of this state.

Next time I find you here,

I'll hang enough charges
on you to paper a barn.

- Is that all?
- Not quite.

I wanna know where Talley
and Anderson are meeting.

I never lay my hand
down first, Talley.

You can now at
any time you want.

Bill, turn back. Don't do this.

Ellie it won't make
any difference.

If it isn't here it'll be
someplace else, sometime else.

Papa.

Papa.

Don't do it.

Please.

"The girl my father
wrought, my mother bore.

"Oh God of strength
and gentleness

"Be pleased to make
me nothing less."

Did I get it right?

Yes, Papa.

Come here.

Well, I never
figured it like this.

Anytime you get
three women together,

two men just don't
have a chance.

Shaw, it's about time
women stopped letting men

make fools of themselves.

Is that so?

Shaw, you might
as well get used to it.

Things are gonna be just
the way they used to be

before all this bloodshed.

With a little peace for change.

Is that so? Is that so?

Oh, Mignon.

All right, Marshal.

You can have that
printed and post it.

All waters on my holdings
north of the Black Wolf Buttes

to be declared open graze.

Then south to my post
lines to be declared the land

of William E. Talley.

You know,

my pa told me, "Son,
you get a slippery man

you can't shake,
make him a neighbor.

Then you can keep
your eye on him."

Well that there
works out plum good.

What would you have did if
they'd have shot, Matthew?

I mean what would you
have did with the winner?

There wouldn't have
been one, Festus.

There never is.

Stay tuned for exciting scenes

from our next Gunsmoke.