Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 19, Episode 8 - A Game of Death... An Act of Love: Part 1 - full transcript

A riot on an Indian reservation leads to some of the men breaking out and marauding over the plains, terrifying the local whites. In one case, their terror is well-justified: a band breaks into the home of a local rancher and destroys it, killing his wife in the process. Matt and other lawmen come upon a group carrying various stolen items and take them in. The rancher gathers his minions and rides into Dodge vowing to lynch the men. Matt won't back down and insists that the Indians be held for trial. The rancher doesn't dare challenge Matt head-to-head, but Matt soon finds that any trial would be a shambles because the Indians can't speak English. In desperation, Matt shanghais a traveling circuit rider into serving as the Indians' counsel. The rider, Cicero Wolfe finally agrees, but warns Matt that he himself is a half-blooded Cherokee and intends to make the trial a crusade against bigotry. The trial begins in a highly charged atmosphere.

With...

And starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

Here you go, boys.

Have a pull.

A squirt of that tarantula
juice'll make your beard stiff

and your belly quiet.

Boys, I'm gonna drink to

the best gal a ole
range stud ever sired.

When you reckon she'll be
getting in, Mr. Sanderson?

Tomorrow, I judge
on the Wichita stage.

It'll be a great thing for the
missus, her coming home.



You betcha it sure will be.

If this news don't make her grin

and wiggle there
ain't nothing will.

You want us to
stick around tonight?

No, no they ain't
no use in that.

Y'all chase on into town
and get yourself an noseful.

I'll be here.

Be back before sun up, boss.

Ha, let's go.

Lavinia?

Lavinia, I gotta big surprise
for you tonight, honey.

What is it, you
been drinking again?

That's hardly a surprise.

No, no don't be
getting mad at me, now.



Cora's on her way home.

Cora, you don't mean that?

Telegraph office in Dodge

got a message out of St. Lou.

She'll be a getting
in tomorrow most like.

Ain't that fine?

But her schooling,
the fall term.

Well, maybe she
decided to sit one out.

Well, she can go
to school anytime.

Not to Vassar she can't.

You don't understand, she
can't just decide all on her own

to pack up and leave.

They won't permit that.

What do you mean
they won't permit it?

I'm paying them people

a war bag full of gold
eagles for their trouble.

I don't even count
the small fortune

I sent to help pay for that
library they're trying to put up.

My daughter takes a
fancy to coming home,

they better permit it.

Oh, whatever suits her fancy.

That's right, isn't it?

Oh, that's typical.

And how like you to think

that you could buy
anything in the world

with your money,
including a fine education,

which you can't even appreciate.

Now you listen to me,
my money ain't no different

than anybody else's.

They didn't have no shame
in taking it, I can tell you that.

I may not be no red rose
for what I know out of books,

but your ole man, the
governor of the state,

was hotter than a June bride
to see you coupled to me.

And you know why?

Because he know'd for
copper bottom certain

I could tear a life out
of alkali or Comanches

and not go belly up or
blood short in the doing.

You make my father's
name a shame to me.

Oh, Lavinia...

don't make us talk like this.

There just ain't no
sense to it, honey.

I know I ain't no
prize as a husband.

If you could just
sometimes think back

on how it was when we was young.

You cared for me then.

Didn't ya?

Yes, I did.

But I can't remember why.

Because you won't let
yourself remember, that's why.

I know I disappointed
you in a lot of ways,

but I ain't had all I might of
wished out of you, neither.

I've told you over and over,

all I wanted from you
was a civilized life.

A few friends who could
talk about something

besides the price of cattle

and the possibility
of an early snow.

There's more to
life than this ranch.

Then you shoulda
gone searching for it

a long time ago.

You think I've lived this
way because I like it?

I might as well be dead.

The way you live
you might be better off.

How dare you.

How dare you talk
about the way I live.

What about the way you live?

Spending your days and nights
with those tank town tramps.

Look at you.

You're nothing more than a
drunken bawdyhouse bum.

Go on, go ahead.

That's the way you
do things isn't it?

You either hit
them or fight them.

I hope he drinks
himself into a stupor.

Hello?

Who's there?

Who's there?

You might not
believe this, Kitty,

but there have been
times, a good many times,

when I missed Dodge
so bad I just ached.

Well, I know your folks'll
be happy to see you.

But I think you
could have picked

a better time to come back.

You mean all that
Indian nonsense?

Well, I'm sure that's all it is.

Bunch of sorry
reservation renegades.

What could they possibly do?

It's not just a
local disturbance.

The word from the forts is

that it could be
a major uprising.

It may have already started.

Oh now, Kitty, my
father knows Indians

about as well as
any man, I think.

Papa would tell us if you'd
give him a good repeating rifle,

he'd take on any dozen Kiowa

and leave nothing
but feathers and beads.

And that was when the
tribes were still strong.

Desperate people are
capable of desperate things.

From what I've heard
they're nothing more

than trading post loafers
now, capable of little more

than intoxication
and camp following.

Hardly cause for alarm.

I beg to differ, young lady.

It is often the most degraded
who are the most dangerous.

I beg your pardon, sir,

but I believed our
conversation to be private.

I apologize for intruding,

but the fact is I
just couldn't sleep.

And after what you said, I
couldn't pretend to either.

Allow me to introduce myself.

I'm Cicero Wolfe,
attorney-at-law.

I'm Kitty Russell.

My name is Cora Sanderson.

My pleasure, ladies.

I've practiced the law for
a good many years now,

Miss Sanderson, and one
of the things I've found is

that the most trouble comes

from those who
have nothing to lose.

Is that a fact, sir?

I'd always been led to
believe that rabble-rousers

might make a
considerable stir in a country

that had no law or a
very weak civil authority,

but surely in a
nation such as ours

they could never prevail.

Because we are strong, miss?

Oh, I agree they couldn't win,

but not that they
couldn't make an effort.

The American Indian is a complex
human being, Miss Sanderson,

capable of very strange things.

Complex, perhaps, but
raw and ignorant and wild.

And in a civilized society, sir,

the primitive will
never win out.

And which society is
truly civilized, Miss Cora?

Not surely our own.

Good night.

You're illegible to sign up here

- and what this here
paper says is - Festus.

That you're a fixing to join up

with the Dodge City militias

and you ain't a fixing to quit

til the here fuss is over with.

- Festus.
- What is it Burke?

Festus, where's the Marshal?

Well, he's out yonder at the
Sanderson place, I reckon.

- Well, I...
- So just if you wanna join up,

step up here and put your
mark on this here paper.

Festus, look telegram
from Fort Scott.

The uprising isn't
just around Dodge.

Those renegades are raiding
all over Western Kansas.

This is serious, Festus!

Burke, what in the pea soup

do you think I'm a doing
all this for if it wasn't?

The wires was down from
Wichita all last night, Festus.

And we just now found out
Miss Kitty is on that stage.

Now you fellas just
keep on a signing here

and I'll be back directly.

Festus, where you going?

Well, I'm fixing
to ride out yonder

and meet the stage if
you'll quit pestering me

and let me go.

The stage is coming.

The stage is coming in.

Doc, Doc, Miss Kitty's coming in

on this here stage
according to Burke.

Well, that's what the
telegram says, Doc.

Whoa, whoa.

Have any trouble
on the way, Brewer?

Saw what looked like a
big fire at the Caroll place,

but we came through
clean as a bone.

Miss Cora.

Oh, Festus.

- Miss Kitty.
- Hello, Festus.

I sure am tickled
to see you back.

I just been a
fretting about you.

Am I ever glad to
be home, oh god.

Oh, Festus, how are you?

Glad to see you.
Let me help you.

Oh, Doc Adams,
how good to see you.

Cora, thank you.

Cora, there's
something I must tell ya.

You know...

renegade Comanches
have been rampaging

all over Kansas, and
while your father was away

they raided your place.

Cora, your mother's dead.

Oh, my god.

If they get to the
north side of the river

what's up the near bank?

Well, there's a
bunch of dry coulees

that run north and east

and six miles or so
beyond that you hit the forks.

And the south bank?

The country flattens out,
drops off to near desert.

Forage would be better

- on the north side.
- Yes, sir.

The line of the raids
tapers off near the forks.

Seems like if they be
running, they'd run west.

What do you think, O'Brien.

Well, Comanches
wouldn't leave forage

if they could help it.

Not unless they
had a good reason.

Lieutenant, form the
men in a column of twos.

Put four men out on
individual point half a mile apart.

Sir.

We'll keep to the
north side of the river.

Yes, sir.

Form columns of twos.

Four men, regular men
on point, half a mile apart.

Maybe we'll catch them
at breakfast, O'Brien.

Yes, sir.

Forward, ho.

Dr. Adams?

Yes, Cora, I'm right here.

What happened to me?

You collapsed. You're
under mild sedation.

You're all right,
you're all right.

My mother?

She was, killed?

How?

Why?

Well, Cora, it was part of a
general uprising on the reservations

and your mother
was one of the victims.

- I don't understand.
- And I don't either.

There isn't much I can say to
make things any easier for you

except perhaps that
you have to be strong.

You have to accept
things as they are,

you can't change that.

And go on and live your life.

If it's any consolation to you,

the Calvary's trying to run
those renegades down now.

Hold fire, no firing, no firing.

Come on, give it up there.

Give it up there.

Take them out of there.

Take them out, Sargent.

Renegades.

They're Kwahadi Comanche
they're not from around here.

Probably split off from
the main raiding party.

Sir, look at these.

And Captain, look at this.

I don't reckon they made
this on no reservation.

Lieutenant, can I see that?

What is it, O'Brien,
what's the matter?

This watch is from Dodge.

It belongs to Bear Sanderson.

Lieutenant Briggs, see
that those men get mounted,

the women with them.

Keep them under close guard.

We're heading into Fort Dodge.

Yes, sir.

This scum just might
have a few things

to explain to Mr. Sanderson.

They killed her, I heard.

Bear, I'm sorry.

Ashes to ashes.

Ain't that it?

Just ain't right, you see.

Not her.

Not this way.

If it'd been me, there
wouldn't be no grief to it,

no shame.

I come to Kansas
lower than the Red River

and meaner than smallpox

and I got what I
got because I took it.

Mostly from the Indians.

And I did killing
and injuring to 'em.

Them people hate me.

They got a right.

You see, Matt, time went on by.

Towns growed up,
folks got different.

They got them an army first,

who whooped the
Indian one time for good.

And then after that they
thought he'd just lie down and die.

They never knowed him.

Not like me.

Very few have.

Then they put him
on scrub reservations

and fed him maggot beef.

Commenced to call a man
we'd been killing "brother".

You never know people.

They had to have peace out here.

Land can't grow without it.

You ain't gonna get
no peace from an Indian

lessin' you kill him.

This here is the
price for learning that

and I paid it.

Bear, it was a
few that did this.

You can't blame this
on a whole people.

Can't live with them is
what I'm saying to ya.

Can't live with them living.

I ain't saying it's right,
I'm just telling ya how it is.

We're gonna find
the ones who did this

and they'll answer for it.

They'll answer for it all right.

They'll answer to me.

And when it take them
I'll do for them myself

what I always done,

gut them out and feed
them to the wolves.

That's not the way to do it.

They'll pay just like anybody
else pays within the law.

You'd stand again
me on this, would ya?

I'd have to.

Then that's how she'll swing.

Mr. Sanderson!

Marshal!

Marshall, I come up as
quick as I could from the fort.

I've been riding with
the Calvary patrol

down across the Cimarron.

We run into a couple
of renegade Indians

and took them captive.

Tell it.

They had your gold watch

and some of Mrs.
Sanderson's jewels.

I'll need you to identify them.

You need me?

I need them.

I'll be a coming for 'em.

Here they come.

They got the Indians.

They'll bring 'em in.

They're the ones
that killed Bear's wife.

You're going to hell.

They're gonna hang 'em for sure.

I want them men.

They're going to jail, Bear.

They don't need
jailing, they need killing.

That'll be decided
by a court of law.

There's gonna
be no killing here.

No killing here?

I'm telling you they's
been killing here.

Them cutthroats is
raging like a storm of fire

all across the country
and you say no killing?

I'm saying the killing's
been on the wrong side.

And I'm gonna change it now.

Hold it right there.

You men listen to me.

The Calvary's on
the way in right now

with reinforcements to
put down this uprising.

These men are gonna
be tried in a court of law

and if they're found
guilty, they'll hang.

In the meantime, nobody
takes justice into his own hands,

not you or anybody else.

That's the way it's
been around this town.

That's the way it's gonna be.

Just stay out of the way.

Now, listen to me.

All of you.

Them murdering
savages killed my wife.

I'm gonna see them
burn in hell for it.

And any man that ain't
with me is again me.

I'm on your side, Bear.

You don't reckon he'd haul off

and do something
silly do you, Matthew?

I don't know, Festus.

Right now he's hurt

and he's not used to
being hurt and taking it.

Do you think him and his boys'll

try to hit the jail, Marshal?

Oh, I don't think so, Newly.

Not right away, at least.

Of course he's got his
blamed ole ears flayed back

and his eyeballs pooched
out and a rolling around

like you was some
squared off blood enemy

when you been friends for
the biggest part of your life.

Well, he's after
revenge, Festus.

He doesn't care who
gets hurt in the process.

Maybe we'd oughta
just collect him

and slap in the
cooling box for a spell

til he simmers down.

Well, I guess after
they're indicted and tried,

he'll feel better about it.

I'm not so sure, Newly.

Did you have a chance
to talk to those prisoners?

Yes, sir.

Both of them are Kwahadi,
they're Southern Comanche.

They claim they've never
been north of the river

until the night before
we caught them.

What about the raids?

They said they didn't
know nothing about it.

But they seen a Kiowa party
from Choke Cherry Creek

and they said they had full
pokes and blood in their eyes.

Now, this story checked out

because a squadron
from Fort Hook

had run them down
later in the day.

Well, of course,
what would they say?

You don't expect them to fess up

and put their necks
in the ringer, do ya?

Well, it's pretty
hard explaining

why they had
Bear's watch, Festus.

Yeah, that sure is.

I'm going over to
the telegraph office.

Keep an eye on things
here will you, Newly?

You bet.

Matthew, supposing you
was to go right to ole Bear

and just tell him to
keep his nose clean?

When he finds out that we
actually mean business, why...

All right, boys, I don't want
you hanging around here.

Let's break it up
and move along.

Well, go on. You heard him.

Go on, scat, get about
your business, now.

Matthew, I sure don't like
the looks of things at all.

Neither do I.

It just shouldn't have happened.

It's my fault it was
for leaving her alone.

I swear to God, Cora,
if I'd a known what...

Papa, please.

Stop hurting yourself with it.

I ain't dodging what
I got coming to me.

Never have and never will.

I loved your momma, Cora.

Well, she never took
to me like I done to her.

So, I went off at times
and worked, drank a little.

Too much is how she seen it.

But I loved her.

Like I love you, lady.

Everything I done,
everything I made here,

I done for you and her.

I know, Papa.

She knew it, too.

The biggest spread in all of
Kansas we had for a home

and that ain't all.

What I done for this territory.

This wasn't no state
when I come here.

Wasn't nothing but
19 kinds of misery.

When just closing your eyes
was like offering up your soul.

And I fought and stuck
on like grim death til I had

what I had to have and
helped the other folks

settle this territory.

Now whadda I got?

You tell me.

Papa, what do you want?

What are you saying?

Well, I'm saying
the law denied me.

Denied you?

You haven't given
it a chance, Papa.

I want the ones that done it.

And I want them
and I'll have them.

You do have them.

They'll be punished
for what they've done

if you don't somehow prevent it.

It's the law and
lawmen that prevents it.

What I want done to them
doesn't need no courts or juries.

Papa, listen to me, please.

If you try and deal with
these men the way you want to

it won't work and you'll
only destroy yourself.

Myself be damned.

You think I care what
happens to me now?

What about me, Papa?

Do you care what happens to me?

Howdy, Miss Kitty.

Hello, Festus.

What's it like out there?

Well, town's simmered down some

from what it was this morning.

Course, it couldn't
be no more exciteder

than it was neither.

Where's Matt?

He's went over to
the telegraph office.

I reckon he's still a messaging.

More trouble?

I don't know, Miss Kitty.

We sure don't need
no more, though,

not with the two renegaders
locked up down yonder.

Hi, Matt. Matt.

How are things out there?

Oh I got a problem, Doc.

- What?
- More raids?

No, as a matter of fact, the
Army's got those raiding parties

pretty well pinned down.

It's Bear Sanderson.

Ugly business.

It's stupid, he
shouldn't a done it.

Yeah, that's putting it mildly.

You know the thing is
people think an awful lot of him

and not only in Dodge either.

I know he's well thought
of all over the state.

I just got a telegram from
the State Bar Association.

There isn't a lawyer in Kansas

that's willing to defend
those two Indians.

What'll do if you
can't find somebody?

Well, I don't know.

Every day I keep
those two locked up

then things are
liable to get hotter.

No question about it.

They gotta be
tried and right away.

You know I had a thought.

It's a possibility
but it might work.

There was a man on the
stage, his name was Wolfe.

Cicero Wolfe, I think.

He said he was a lawyer
from back East somewhere

and he was on his way to San
Francisco to start a practice.

Well, he's from out of state,

he sure wouldn't know Bear.

Or anybody in Dodge or
in Kansas for that matter.

Yeah, if he's just a
traveling on through,

then he could just
dust on out of town

when the chivalry
is over, couldn't he?

Well, he can't
leave town, anyway,

the Army's got the
whole town blocked off.

Sure wouldn't have
anything to lose

in the state of Kansas.

Nothing except his life.

Don't you understand,
sir, I can't possibly tell you

when they'll be another stage.

Now, if it were in
my power to I would.

But I just don't know.

Now the federal
authorities have closed down

all lines of transportation
until the uprising is over.

Come now, you mean to say

that if I chose to
buy myself a horse

and ride away alone, I
wouldn't be allowed to?

That's right, mister.

Name's Matt Dillon.

I'm the Marshal here in Dodge.

Cicero Wolfe, sir.

Well, he's right you see
there are no stages leaving,

no trains.

Nothing until this
Indian thing is settled.

I'm supposed to
be in San Francisco

by the end of the month.

Well, what a man can't eliminate
or change he must accept.

Mr. Wolfe, I'd like to
talk to you for a minute

if I could.

There's a question
I'd like to ask you.

Why certainly, Marshal.

Burke.

That's what we're up against.

A very difficult situation.

Mr. Wolfe, if you'd
take this case

it would solve a
lot of problems.

Of course.

If I don't?

Then those two men
go unrepresented.

It could blow this
town wide open.

And me, Marshal, what about me?

Well, I'll do my
best to protect ya.

I have no guarantee
there isn't some risk.

It's not the risk I'm
concerned about.

I have my own affairs, you see.

Well, this trial won't take long

and you can't leave town anyway.

I'm afraid that I
have to refuse.

Is it because of what they are?

Mr. Wolfe, let me
tell you something.

The law and lawyers exist to
defend men just such as these.

I know that, Marshal,
believe me I do

and my refusal
is not made lightly.

I know you're a man
who can understand

when I say that I have
strong personal reasons

for not taking this case.

Strong enough to risk
the lives of two men?

You build a pretty strong
case yourself, Marshal.

You see I built my
whole life around the law

as I think you have.

And if I've learned one
thing in the process,

it is that there are times when
even the most dedicated man

must recognize his,
call them limitations.

Must rule himself
out in a given case.

It would be a grave
mistake, a dangerous mistake

for me to involve
myself in their trial.

I must say no.

Mr. Wolfe, when I met you

I was hoping you would
be the man to take this case.

Now, I just hope you can
live with the fact that you didn't.

Good day.

Would you ask him if I
might speak with him,

please, Howie?

Of course I will, Miss Cora.

Oh, will you sit
down for a moment?

Thank you, I'll wait outside.

Miss Sanderson.

Mr. Wolfe.

I don't know quite
how to begin to explain

why I've come here to see you.

You would needn't
explain anything.

I have a favor to ask of you.

- I hope I can help you.
- I hope you will.

You know, of course,
that I lost my mother.

Yes.

They have captured the men...

Would you like to sit?

I can only hope that
those who are guilty

will be punished as swiftly

and severely as the law allows.

That's why I've come to you.

Mr. Wolfe, you don't know
my father, but he's a violent,

passionate, self-willed man.

Perhaps you can understand
that a man who fought to take

this country from the Indians,

who spent his entire
young life trying to survive

against their vicious
depredations would become so.

He's obsessed with
hatred for these men

because of what they've
done, but beyond that,

because of what they
are and have been to him.

I can understand.

And perhaps because
of what he represents

he's a great power in Kansas.

A symbol.

Exactly, someone
the people of the state

rally to and respect.

Therefore, the men
who are his enemies

are the enemies of Kansas.

Yes, you amaze me with
your perception, Mr. Wolfe.

Excuse me for it.

And now these men
who have been jailed,

he wants them for himself.

And not for the
impersonal, finical,

anesthetic treatment
of a court of law.

That's right.

And I'm afraid that he
will get them or die trying.

And that's why I've
come to you, Mr. Wolfe.

To ask you if you might
see fit to take their case.

I know the Marshal
asked you and you refused.

But I wanted to add
my request to his.

You would ask me,
let me understand,

to take a case that no
other man will touch,

forgive me, in order
intentionally to lose it?

No, no it's not a
question of that.

What then?

Well, those men are murderers.

And guilty before they're tried.

Those animals have no
valid claim to even appear

before a true court of justice.

You do yourself an injustice
by saying so, Miss Sanderson.

There are no men so low
they do not have that right.

None who are not
innocent until proven guilty.

I'm sorry, I didn't
mean that, I...

Please, try to understand.

I'm at the end of my resources.

I don't know where
to turn, what to do.

I'm truly afraid
of what my father

might do if you don't help me.

I sympathize with
you, believe me I do.

Well, then please
will you take the case?

I'll see that you're
paid very handsome...

Miss Sanderson it is
not a question of money,

I cannot take the case.

- Why?
- Because...

Because it would not be fair,

not to the men on
trial and not to you,

because, you see, if I
take a case, I take it to win.

And those are the
reasons you choose to give?

They are real and legitimate.

No, I'm sorry.

They're false.

I think I'm beginning to
understand you, Mr. Wolfe.

You are one of those
very practical men,

whose morality is contingent
upon his own convenience.

One of those more interested
in comfort than in law.

Who is so indifferent to justice
that he won't take the time

and trouble to see it done.

Goodnight, sir.

We want those Indians, Dillon.

Yeah.

Come on, send 'em out, Dillon.

Listen to me, those
Indians are in jail,

that's where they're gonna stay.

Nobody's getting them out.

Now, move along.

Then we'll come in and get 'em.

Yeah.

Back off.

Break it up.

Move off.

Back off, all of you.

Before somebody
gets blown in two.

I'm to gonna tell you again.

Now, break it up and move off.

Go on.

It's open.

What do you want?

I came to talk to you, Bear.

Talk then, get gone.

You're letting me down.

I don't believe you said that.

I said it and I mean it.

You trying to provoke me, Matt?

You want some trouble?

You're the one that's
making the trouble

and you know it.

Why, damn you, man.

You got a high riding
brass coming in here,

baiting me to my face.

And you got yours, trying to
buck me in front of my town.

Your town?

Whose town?

When you come here
a runny nose punk

with nothing on
but a piece of tin

to cover your virgin
heart, who backed ya?

What man stood up for ya?

Dug in behind ya
and told the politicians

and the buttermilkers and
the Texican hell wreckers

who it was gonna be?

A man who knew good from bad

and bad from worse named
Sanderson, now where is he?

What's happened to him?

You wanna know
what happened to him?

You did.

You and a bunch of your
town posies turned him rogue

and run him maverick
with your barbed wire

and your lady rig rules.

Then he's not the
man I thought he was.

Now cut loose of
it, Bear. Talk sense.

I came here to ask your help.

I had a lynch mob in
front of my jail tonight.

If you wanna you can
cool that town off right now.

If you don't you
can blow the lid off it.

It's up to you.

Talk to me, mister.

They roughed up your gal
and you took off that badge

and went after 'em
with fire in your eyes.

And I wouldn't have spit
in your eye if you hadn't.

Yeah, I did that
and I was wrong.

But at least I went alone.

I didn't rouse the whole
town to murder on the way.

Bear, if you come
into Dodge on the prod

and you try to face me
down, I'm gonna have to kill ya.

Come down to that, has it?

It's gone as far as it can go.

Matt, you know a
lot of men, don't you?

How many you know ain't
afraid of you and your hogleg?

I took on everything there
was when I was bullin'.

And I buried a right
smart of lead chuckers

that thought a angel was
sitting on their shoulder

and lightning and mercury
lived in their gun hand.

And I learned a big thing,

watching 'em bleed
away to brew meat.

A man don't die but once.

Now, some red, rabid hog is down

and killed my Chantilly woman.

If you think I'm
afeard of dying,

then you ain't got
no sense at all.

Now get out of here.

Mr. Wolfe, let me
tell you something,

the law and lawyers exist to
defend men just such as these.

Mr. Wolfe when I met you, I
was hoping you'd be the man

to take this case.

Now, I just hope you can live

with the fact that you haven't.

I'm afraid I'm at the
end of my resources.

I don't know where
to turn or what to do.

I'm truly afraid
of what my father

might do if you won't help me.

Come in.

Mr. Wolfe.

What can I do for
you this time of night?

I'd like to ask you
a favor, Marshal.

What's that?

I'd like to see the prisoners.

All right, they're
right in there.

Marshal, what you said the
other day was sound and true.

The law, if there's
meaning in it,

exists to defend just
such men as these.

I have reconsidered,
I will take this case.

But I know the moral climate.

Your town and your state
are looking for a sacrifice,

a speedy conviction,
a brisk public revenge.

You prevailed on
me to take this case.

And I must warn you I
will fight it with all my skill,

which is considerable.

You must bear
that responsibility.

And there is perhaps
a heavier burden still,

which you must
shoulder and bear alone.

How do you suppose your
good public will react, sir,

when they
discover, as they will,

that the man who
represents your renegades

is himself a
half-blooded Cherokee.

Marshal.

We are ready.

There's one thing, Mr. Wolfe.

Yes.

You and I both know you
don't have much of a chance.

There's one piece of evidence

that everybody
seems to have missed.

I wanna make sure you don't.

And gentlemen of the jury,

I intend to prove,
beyond all possible doubt,

that these men are not guilty.

Order.

Order.

Order.

I intend to show
to your satisfaction

that the case against
my clients is a sham

and a pretense.

That it is not a
real case at all.

But rather a tissue of
moonbeams and horsefeathers

based entirely on
imprudent speculation.

Without any sound basis
and evidence whatsoever.

And ladies and gentlemen,

I have the painful
duty to show as well,

and believe me,
I would rather not

that this whole indictment
is the kind of conveniently

and irresponsibly
trumped up slander which

would never have come
to trial if the two defendants

had been white men
instead of Indians.

Order.

We will have
order in this court.

Stay tuned for exciting scenes

from our next Gunsmoke.