Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 2, Episode 8 - Legal Revenge - full transcript

ANNOUNCER:

Starring James Arness
as Matt Dillon.

The men buried here,

most of 'em are in a coffin
of some sort.

And we even know
who they are.

But out there
on the prairie,

a lot of men die
or get killed,

and they're left
for the birds to pick.

And they have no more identity

than if they'd never
even been born.

It's a pretty empty finish.



Nobody knowing who you are

or where you came from.

But my job's
with those still alive.

Those who still
have names and faces.

Matt Dillon,

U.S. Marshal.

Oh, good afternoon, ma'am.

Mrs., uh-

Miss Tibbs, isn't it?

Miss Tibbs?

Well, I'm, uh-

I'm Doc Adams from
Dodge City, Miss Tibbs.

I'm-

I just delivered
a fine new baby girl



to Mrs. Cletty
down at the crossing.

And her husband
mentioned that

you folks moved in here
last month.

And, uh-
Well, I thought I'd come by

and get acquainted
with you,

and let you know
there's a doctor around.

We'll come to Dodge
we need a doctor.

Oh, well, yes.

But like Miss Cletty,

you can send for me too,
you know.

I ain't about to have a baby.

Well, there's...

There's other things
that can happen.

If they do, we'll
send for you.

Well, now, I don't
want you to think

that I'm out here
drumming up business.

I- I got patients.

I got more of 'em
than I got time for.

Then you better
take care of 'em.

I don't mean no offense,

I'm busy right now.

I can't
ask you in.

Well, that's
all right. I-

I just wanted to come by

and say hello to you.

Thought I'd-

Thought I'd say hello
to your husband too,

if he isn't busy.

He's out in the field
somewhere.

Thank you
for stopping by.

Let him in, Flory!

Let him in,
you hear?!

Don't mind Flory.

She don't stand still
much for doctors.

I can take care of you
without no help.

Without no help at all.

Well, yes,
but I...

Well, I think I better
have a look at him.

What's, uh- What's
the trouble, Mr. Tibbs?

My leg.

I cut it
two days ago...

chopping wood.

Well, let's see now.

Uh- Would you open
the door there?

Or- Or just draw those
curtains, Mrs., uh, Tibbs.

I need some
light here.

Please,
Mrs. Tibbs!

I can't see-
It's too dark here.

Uh, fine, thank you.
Thank you.

Yeah, that's a lot better.

Mm.

Is is bad?

Well, it's sure
not very good,

I'll tell you that.

It's all festered
and needs cleaning.

I knowed it was
gettin' worse.

I can't hardly stand
to move it at all now.

Yes, well, I'll-

I'll clean that up
for you, Mr. Tibbs,

but I think you ought to
come in to Dodge City

so I can kind of
keep an eye on this.

'Cause if that
infection

gets any worse,
you're...

Well, you're liable
to lose this leg.

I reckon
you're right, Doc.

I'll come too.

No.

You're awful tired.

You need sleep.

You just stay here
and rest, Flory.

I'll come set with you
till you sleep.

I guess we'd better
stay here, Doc.

You do the best
you can for now.

Flory will take care of me
when you leave.

You just tell her
what to do.

You tell me.

Well, all right then.
You start a fire

and get some
hot water goin'.

I'll go out
and get my bag.

I'll take good care of you.

Doc?

No, Che- No!

Get that- I don't want that.
Get it away from me.

Well, you can
taste it a little.

Ta- I don't have to
taste it, Che-

I can
smell it.

Oh, all right.

I knowed you wouldn't
want any of it.

Mr. Dillon,
would you-?

No, no.
No, thanks, Chester.

Not that stuff.

Well, they told me
at the store

that it was a special
kind of cheese.

It's a-

It's a German cheese
is what it is.

It's something
that's real rare.

Rare. I'll say
it's rare.

Take it away,
will you, Chester?

Well, they told me that

you have to kind of
get used to it.

Chester, please.

Now, Doc...
Yeah.

...what makes you so sure
that this man Tibbs

was holding a gun
under his blanket?

Well, of course I'm sure.
I told you...

I saw it.

And that wound on his leg-
That wasn't caused

by any axe chopping wood

like he said it was.

She knifed him.

And she's waiting for
a chance to finish him off.

Now, what makes you
so sure it was her?

He's scared to death of her.

Written all over his face.

You- You ought to
see him.

Well, maybe
I'd better see him.

I think you ought to go out
and see him because-

Well, I did everything I could,
but I didn't wanna start

quarreling with him.

No telling what
would have happened.

Maybe you ought to start
carrying a gun, Doc.

Gun? No, sir.
Not me.

I got enough trouble

patching up after people
who carry guns. Hm.

Well, you got
a point there.

Wanna take a little
ride, Chester?

You mean, all the way
out to there at-?

You don't have to go.

Oh. No, no, no.
No, I'm...

I'll go. I mean...

Only I don't
know. I-

Don't smell so bad to me.

Matt!

If that man's dead
when you get there,

it's not because of that leg,
I'll tell you that.

She's pretendin'
she don't see us.

Well, I didn't expect
to be very welcome here.

Wait till she finds out
you're the marshal.

I'm not gonna
tell her.

Not right off,
anyway.

Hello.

We're looking for
a drink of water.

Creek's over
yonder.

What's the matter
with the pump?

Water's better
in the creek.

All right,
we'll use the creek.

But first I'd like to
talk to your husband.

My husband?
What about?

Just want to get acquainted.

He ain't here.

All right,
we'll get a drink.

And we'll come back
and wait for him.

No.

Who you talkin' to, Flory?

Nobody. Now,
you stay quiet.

He's feeling poorly. I don't
want nobody botherin' him.

We won't
bother him.

You stay
out of there.

Maybe I'd better
wait outside.

Please leave us
alone.

Hello.

Come in, come in.

I knowed I heard
somebody.

Your wife here
says you're sick.

I said for you
to leave him alone.

I said not to be
troubling him.

I'm just trying
to be neighborly, ma'am.

If he's sick, maybe there's
something I can do for him.

Did you say you're
a neighbor, mister?

Well, my partner and I are
gonna stake out a homestead

here somewhere as soon as we
can find a good piece of land.

Soon as you get it
staked out, you come back.

Everything will be
fine then.

Flory...

don't be that way.

Heh.

Me being sick and her having
to do all the chores

makes her kind of edgy.

And being up
at nights,

that's what's
worst on her.

I ain't complainin'.

I know you ain't, Flory.

But I can tell.

Did you say
you wanna help, mister?

Anything I can do.

Would you be willing to
sit up with me tonight?

No!

You need rest, Flory.

You see, I got sort of
a fever, mister, and...

when I get tossing
in my sleep,

I throw the blankets off,
and all like that.

You don't look to me
like you've been

gettin' any sleep
at all, mister.

He's been sleepin'.

Flory...

Well, will you do it, mister?
Would you sit up with me?

No!

No, he ain't gonna
sit up with you.

And why not?

I don't mind.

'Cause I ain't gonna sleep
in here with no stranger,

that's why.

Mm-hm.

Well, I didn't
think she would.

It's all right, I'll sleep
on the ground outside.

If you don't
mind.

We do mind.

Flory,
you ain't

acting like
a wife.

You ain't actin'

like a wife at all.

You can stay, mister.

Thanks.

Oh, mister,
wait a minute.

Uh...

I was wondering if...

maybe tomorrow,

if you'd be
willin'...

I-I think I ought to
go into Dodge

and see the doc.

Well, we could use the wagon.

I can't
ride.

No, you don't.

Shut up.

Well...?

We'll take you in,
mister.

Be glad to.

Are you really
gonna drive him

back to Dodge tomorrow,
Mr. Dillon?

Well, we'd better,
Chester.

Looks to me
like Doc was right.

She stuck
a knife in him.

Now, she's trying
to finish him off.

Well, if he's got a six-gun

under that
blanket of his,

why don't he
shoot her?

I don't know.

Who'd take care
of him? Feed him?

He's, uh, bad enough off
as it is now,

and he can't
even walk.

Well, he can't
last much longer,

him trying to
stay awake in there

to keep an eye
on her.

This has gone on
long enough.

I'm goin' in there
and tell him who I am,

and I'm gonna put him
on that wagon right now.

We should be back
in Dodge by midnight.

Where's your wife,
Tibbs?

She went
out back.

Go get her,
will you, Chester?

Yes, sir.

Tibbs...

I'm taking you
into Dodge right now.

You are?

Oh, that will
be fine.

No.

Flory.

You wanna tell me
what's been goin' on here?

What do you mean?

I'm not a homesteader, Tibbs.

I'm a U.S. Marshal.

What?

And I'm taking you
in to Dodge right now,

Flory or no Flory.

You need rest and you need
care for that leg.

You can tell me what's
been going on later.

There's no story.

I just got myself hurt
a little, that's all.

You gotta try
and understand Flory.

She doesn't mean
half she says.

She just gets all riled up
about nothing.

You know how women are.

No, I don't.

What are you
trying to say?

Well, that I'm just fine
right here.

Flory's a good
nurse, marshal.

You telling me you don't
wanna go into Dodge now?

Oh, I'll be up and about
in a day or two.

Don't you worry
about me.

Now, wait a minute, Tibbs-

Mr. Dillon!

Get your hands up.

Turn around.

Now, take his gun
and put it on the ground.

She was listenin'

outside the window,
Mr. Dillon.

You're making
a big mistake, Flory.

I won't have you
nor nobody else

meddlin' around
where you don't belong.

And you don't
belong here, marshal.

Now, get on
your horses!

Come on.

Throw your rifles
on the ground

and get out of here.

I'm gonna be settin'
right by that door.

First thing
I see or hear

gets a load of buckshot.

Now, let me
tell you something.

We're not gonna be far away.

And if anything happens
to your husband,

you're gonna answer for it.

Well, I couldn't
help it, Mr. Dillon.

She's come around
the side of that hut.

I didn't even
see that shotgun

till it was
too late.

It's all right,
Chester.

Well, what are we
gonna do?

Well, there's nothing
we can do till tonight, late.

We'll come back then.

I figure she's too tired

to stay awake
another night.

Yeah, looks kind of
nice out here,

ain't it, Mr. Dillon?

Yeah.

Looks like
a long wait

on an empty stomach.

Mm, looks like it.
Heh.

It's too bad
that you don't like

this kind of cheese.

Oh, not that
stuff again.

It'd be a lot
better though,

if you'd have thought to
brung a blanket or two. Hm.

You're gettin' soft,
Chester.

Yeah. It's that city life
that does it.

I mean, you know,

eatin' three
square meals a day,

sleepin' in a bed,

washin' kind of regular,

havin' a beer
every once in a while.

That kind of life will
ruin you.

I love it though.

You ever think of going
into the hotel business?

Yeah, I have.
I thought of it.

Well...?

I never seem to
think of it

when I was
in town though.

It's always sometime
when I was laying around

in the dirt somewheres.

Well, at least nobody
could ever accuse you

of looking ahead,
Chester.

Well, I'm looking ahead
right now, Mr. Dillon.

You know, it's gonna be
sunup before long,

and we're gonna
go back there,

and that woman's
a-gonna come

a-roaring out of that
cabin at us

with that shotgun
a-blazin'.

Yeah.

Well, that sure would be
a bad way

to start the day,
wouldn't it?

Yeah, I can't
think of nothin' worse,

especially on
an empty stomach.

Well, let's go
take a try at it anyway.

She's gotta be asleep
by this time.

You know, I was
just thinkin' though.

What if that
husband of hers

went to sleep
before she did?

Well, we'll know that
soon enough.

She's asleep.

You're too late, marshal.

He died during the night.

I'll take a look at him.

What for?

Got him all wrapped up
in his blanket,

ready for
burying.

Go dig a grave if you
wanna be so much help.

After I've looked at him.

Got no respect
for the dead, marshal.

It's the living
that bothers me right now.

You're no better than
a coyote.

You don't have to look
if you're so skittery.

Go ahead. I don't care.

What did you use,
Flory?

A knife.

He was your husband.
Why'd you murder him?

My husband.

He wasn't my husband.

He was a stranger
named George Bassett.

That was his name, marshal.

We never seen him before.

He rode by here one day...

started trouble...

over me.

Ben, my husband,

pulled a knife.

This man shot him.

I swore I'd kill him for it.

And I did.

Why didn't you
tell me this before?

Have you take him
into town and hang him?

I had to kill him myself.

It was a promise I made
my husband while he was dyin'.

We'll have to
arrest you, Flory.

Nothing you can
do to me for this.

You murdered a man.

You're wrong, marshal.

You just admitted it.

I ain't gonna do
no more talkin' about it.

We'll go to Dodge.

But I won't be
in jail very long.

Now, take him
out of here and bury him.

Take him far away

and bury him deep.

I'll just sit here and wait
till you're finished.

Come on, Chester.

Let's get a couple
of shovels.

There you are,
Mrs. Stevens.

Oh, here's one
for you, marshal.

Thanks, Bob.

Well. Good morning,
Chester.

Oh.

Oh-ho. Good morning,
Mr. Dillon.

How's Flory?

Oh, well-

Well, she still ain't
said a word yet.

Go get her,
will you?

What for?

Well, she was right.
I can't keep her in jail.

Oh, why?

Go get her.

All right.

You can come out
now, Flory.

Are you
turning me loose?

Well, no, I ain't.

It's, uh,
Marshal Dillon.

Well, it's about time.

Hello,
Flory.

Ain't much of a jail
you got here.

It's not strong enough
to hold you.

Course it ain't.

This man you killed...

you said you'd never
seen him before.

I never had.

You said his name
was Bassett?

That's right.
George Bassett.

What else do you know
about him?

Well, he was wanted.

He was wanted?

Dead or alive.

This came in the mail
this morning.

How'd you know
he was wanted?

Said so.

He did?

That's hard to
believe.

He told me...

when he was bothering me.

Before he killed
my husband.

He said, "One more
wouldn't matter."

I guess he planned
to kill me too.

Only he hadn't
figured on getting cut up.

He needed me
after that.

Why didn't you tell me this
a long time ago?

Didn't think
you'd believe me.

And you're right.
I probably wouldn't have.

I'd never heard of
Mr. Bassett before.

Well, you heard of him now.

Yeah.

You'll have some
reward money comin'.

Marshal?

What?

You say it.

Say what?

Please.

You don't want the money.

You wouldn't take it.

Thank you, marshal,

for saying it right.

I feel some cleaner
for that.

Well...goodbye.

Goodbye, Flory.