Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 3, Episode 30 - Texas Cowboys - full transcript

...starring James Arness
as Matt Dillon.

Good morning.

Oh, howdy there, Doc.

Hello, Doc.
Why don't you sit down?

No.

Are you going
somewhere?

No, I'm just
kind of walking around.

Just walking around, huh?

Boy, I'd sure hate
to be sitting

out in front
of his office,

waiting for him
with a bad case



of ague or a load of buckshot
or something, wouldn't you?

Oh, I tell you,
I sure would.

You know, he might get tired
walking around like that

and just go to sleep

somewheres.

Oh, yeah, you're a fine pair
to be criticizing anybody

for anything,
sitting here in the sun

like a couple of fat hop toads.

You haven't done
an honest day's work,

either one of you, in a week.

Oh, Doc, you'd
better sit down.

You're running
out of fuel.

I wouldn't sit down there
alongside either one of you

if I was on my last legs.



Man's known
by the company he keeps.

Known by what?

By the company he keeps.

Well, I-I-I don't see
how being alone's

gonna help you none.

You couldn't get

no worse company.

Ah...

Smart!

Hey, grandpa.

What'd you...?!
You talking to me?!

Yeah. Where's
the doc's office

in this town?

Doc's office
is right down there,

but the doctor's
right here!

You start playing games
with me,

and I'm gonna rope around you
and leave you hanging someplace.

Kind of mouthy, ain't you?

What is it you want?
I'm Dr. Adams.

Well, Doc, I got a job for you.

You don't look very sick.

It ain't me. It's a man
out in camp.

What camp?

We're holding trail out
a couple miles upriver.

We got 3,000 heads
of San Saba

longhorn and it's been a plumb
miserable drive up from Texas,

and I ain't about to answer
any fool questions of yours.

Now let's get going.

Now just a minute.

Just a minute.

What's wrong
with this man of yours?

You'll see when you get there.

Well, I'm not going till I know.

How else will I know
what to take with me?

Now, look, Doc, it wasn't
my idea to ride in town

and get you. Kin Talley
the trail boss made me come.

Now you ready
to go?!

I'm not going anyplace
with you until you tell me

what's wrong with him.

Doc...

I'll ride over
there with you.

Now wait a minute.

Oh, you're the marshal

in this town, huh?

Yep.

We don't need no marshal
out there, you hear?

I'll get your buggy for you,
Doc.

Meet you over at the office.

Come on, Chester.

Beat it.

Whoa! I brought
the doc, Talley.

That there's the one.

Who are the
other two?

Oh, that, that's
the lawman from Dodge.

I didn't send
for you, Marshal.

That your sick man
over there?

Well, you can get in your buggy
and drive on back to Dodge.

We don't need
the doc no more.

Well, I'll just
have a look at him.

Forget him, Doc.
He's all right.

Take a look at him, Doc.

You kind of make yourself
at home, don't you?

Sometimes.

Don't nobody
ever cut you down?

It's been done.

Mighty cool,
ain't you?

How is he, Doc?

He's dead.

Hmm?
Shot.

Well, what happened?

I don't figure it's
none of your business,

but since you're so nosey, I'll tell you.

He shot hisself.

Not hardly.
Shot in the back.

Shot in the back?

Yeah.

All right, you gonna
tell me who did it?

I ain't gonna
tell you nothing.

Talley, maybe you had
kind of a rough drive

and maybe you're jumpy,

but a man's been murdered
and I want to know who did it.

It's no use, Marshal.

I got 18 Texas cowboys here
with me,

and there ain't a one of them
who's gonna tell you

who killed Bud Collin.

You're in Kansas now, mister.

We got laws here.

Well, no Texan is gonna get hung
in Kansas while I'm around.

And there ain't a thing
you can do about it.

You're wrong about that.

What are you gonna do?

I imagine your boys
have been hankering

to ride into town and buck
the tiger, haven't you?

Of course, they have.

For the whole three-month
ride up here,

they talked of
nothing else.

Mm-hmm. So if they
don't have any fun,

why, they're liable to be
a little bit disappointed.

In fact, one or two of them
might even talk.

Marshal, how are
you gonna keep

18 juiced-up Texas
cowboys out of Dodge?

They'll run
right over you.

I'm not gonna keep them
out of Dodge,

but they won't find much
to do when they get there.

What do you mean?

I'll close
Front Street,

I'll close every saloon,
gambling hall

and store in Dodge.

You'd do that?

You bet I'll do it.

Let's get out of here.

You think it over.

All right, all right,
gentlemen,

then we're all in
agreement, right?

There ain't no question
about it, Jim!

Fine. Then we stand together
in this,

and we're gonna have our way.

After all, without us,

there wouldn't be
any Dodge City, Kansas.

You sent for me?

We sent for you,
Marshal, all of us.

Mm-hmm.

Now, these gentlemen are
Dodge's leading businessmen.

And you know why we're
here as well as we do.

Yeah, because Kin Talley
told you

I was gonna close
Front Street.

Is that right?
Exactly.

He sure got to you
in a hurry.

Never mind about that.

We're here to tell you
that we won't stand

for your closing
Front Street.

We need that Texas money,
and we're going to get it.

18 Texas cowboys
out there.

Now, is that money
gonna break you gentleman?

The word gets around,

other Texas herds
will avoid Dodge

like the plague.

A man was murdered out there.

Doesn't that mean nothing
to you?

He was just
a cowboy.

Certainly, the prosperity
of Dodge is more important

than a... a trail hand.

Isn't that so,
gentleman?

That's right.

My stores mean more

than some cowboy.

So you good citizens of Dodge
are gonna put a few dollars

above the value of a human life,
is that it?

Now, Marshal, don't you go
preaching to us.

All the men you've killed.

All right, all right,
that's not important now.

Now, let me tell you something.

I was hired to keep the peace
in this town,

and I'm gonna keep it any way
that I see fit.

Is that clear?

We'll complain
about you, Marshal.

We'll all write letters
to Washington

and have you fired.

We'll get your job!

All right,
you write your letters,

but in the meantime,
I'm closing Front Street.

You take the Emporium,
I'll try this one.

All right.

Get your lights off
in there.

Well, nobody ain't give you
no trouble so far.

No. But if they ever have an
election for mayor in this town,

don't waste
your vote on me.

Oh, they'll forget about
it soon enough, Mr. Dillon.

Yeah, maybe.

I guess I'll go over
to the Long Branch

and tell Kitty and Bill Pence
we're just about through.

All right.
All right.

I'll meet you back
to the office.

All right, Tyler,
close the hand.

We've been waiting
for you, Matt.

Sorry to have to
close you up, Kitty.

Rest of the street
closed?

Yeah.

Any of those Texans
ridden in?

No, not yet.

There's liable to be trouble when they do.

We'll be waiting
for them.

Good luck.
Good night, Kitty.

Good night, Matt.

All right, Red,
get the lights out.

'Evening, Marshal.

'Evening.

Well, I see you went
and done it.

Yep.

The trail boss of yours
didn't give me much choice.

The boys here ain't blaming him,
Marshal.

I see you got about the best
lit-up place in town.

We come in for a little fun,

maybe this is where
we ought to have it.

Not tonight, Choate.

Why not? There's six of us.

You take your boys
back out to camp.

This town is closed
and it's gonna stay closed.

Kin Talley didn't think
you'd do it.

I reckon we ought to ride out
and let him know about it.

Come on, boys.
We'll be back later.

? You'll never find another
pair... ?

Get on in there.

'Morning, Marshal.

This here's Sam Peeples.

Well?

Did a lot of thinking
last night

when the boys come back.

Decided you were right
about the law and all,

so I brought Sam in.

You trying to tell me
this is the man

that killed
that trailhand of yours?

Yeah, he sure did.

There were five cowboys
who witnessed it.

We'll all be glad
to testify.

Did you kill him?

Yes, sir.

Where'd you get all those
marks on your face?

He fell off a horse.

Did you?

Yes, sir. I came loose
off'n a bronc last evening.

Lock him up.

All right, in...
in there.

Well, uh, everything
all right now, Marshal?

I'll let you
answer that one.

No hard feelings
on my part.

Now the street'll
be open, huh?

Yeah, the street
will be open.

Well, that's fine.

See you later, Marshal.

Wait a minute,
Chester.

I want to
talk to him.

Well, how do you
feel, Peeples?

I'm all right, Marshal.

Uh-huh.

I think you'd
better sit down.

Now...

Tell me something.

You a Texan?

No, sir, Marshal,
I ain't.

Then how come
you were riding

for that San
Saba outfit?

Well, sir...
I happened

to run into them
back at the Cimarron,

and they hired me on
just for grub.

I was getting
awful hungry.

Uh-huh.

Tell me, that, uh... that horse,
did he tramp on your face?

Well... yeah, sort of.

Now, that's one horse
I'd like to see.

Why?

Well, it's the first time

I ever saw a horse's hoof shaped
like a man's fist.

Not much you can do
about it, is there?

No, sir, they're all gonna swear
I murdered him.

You know who did it?

I was out hunting firewood
when it happened.

And none of them fellas ever
talked much to me anyway.

Well, you're in a
pretty tough spot.

I sure am.

I'll do what I
can for you.

Well, thanks, Marshal,
but there ain't much

nobody can do,
what with all them fellas

testifying agin me.

Well, we'll see.

Oh, Marshal,

I hate to be
a bother to you,

but I'm awful hungry.

They wouldn't
let me eat much.

Well, Mr. Dillon, I
could get him something.

All right, Chester.

Oh, and you'd better
get Doc, too.

I think he ought
to take a look at him.

Well, all right.

Pal, don't you worry.

You'll, uh... you'll be
feeling better soon.

Yeah, sure.

Better get some
rest, huh?

Good evening, Matt.

Kitty.
Want a drink?

No, I don't think so.

Not tonight.

There hasn't been
any trouble so far.

Yeah, but it's early.

Yeah, I guess
you're right.

You know, Matt, I've worked
in a lot of places,

but I think Dodge
is the worst.

Now, what makes you say that?

Oh, I don't know.

Maybe it's the sun
and the prairie

and the hard life that
beat people down too much.

It just seems like every
man that rides in here

is out to get back at
it all somehow, and...

even if he has to kill
somebody to do it.

Oh, it's not as bad
as all that, Kitty.

You know it is.

Good evening,
Marshal.

Talley.

How about introducing
me to the lady?

No need for introductions
around here.

My name is Kitty.

Kitty, huh?

My name's
Kin Talley.

How about having
a drink with me?

I'm busy.

Aw, come on,
you ain't...

Talley!

You heard the lady.

You're sure something,
ain't you?

Suppose you go back
and join your friends, huh?

Sure.

Is he drunk or crazy?

I don't know, Kitty.

I bet he gets into trouble
before the night's out.

Well, if he does,
there's plenty of room

for him in jail.

You sound like you already
got a grudge against him.

I have, Kitty.

But it's not on my account.

Oh, whose?

Little fellow by the name
of Sam Peeples.

I've never
heard of him.

You just asking for trouble!

You ain't big enough
to cause me no trouble.

A man like you ought to
be ashamed of yourself.

Only thing I'm ashamed of
is seen drinking with you.

Give me some room.

Look out!

You mighty full of
talk, ain't you?

Well, we'll see about that.

Hold it.

What are you doing,
Marshal?

You men will have to settle it
some other way.

I'm not gonna have any gunplay

in here.

Gunplay?

Gunplay?

Well, we wasn't really
fighting, Marshal.

Was we, Bob?

Oh, no, we're just
haranguing each other some.

Me and Bob always
carrying on

like that,
ain't we, man?

Don't mean a thing.

You plum determined, Marshal,

to have bad ideas about us.

I swear I don't know
where you get them.

Come on with
me, Kitty.

Let's go outside
and have a look

at the moon, huh?

Let me go!

Come on.

Come on,
I'd just love

to rub the rest
of this

in your face.

Get out of the
way, Kitty.

There was no call
for that, Marshal.

Now, you men break it up
and get out that door right now.

You talking
to ten men, Marshal.

You figuring
on whipping us all?

Of course not.

So, we're gonna whip you.

We're gonna beat you
half to death, ain't we, men?

Hold on.

Now, I'm warning you.

You turn around, and you get
out that door right now.

Oh, that gun of yours
don't scare us, Marshal.

There's too many of us.

Let me tell you something.

I'm going to get bullets

in at least three of you
before I go down.

And mister,

you're gonna be
the first one.

Maybe he's
right, Gil.

What's the matter with you men?

He's just bluffing.

What can he do?

Gil, I-I don't want
no part of this.

All right.

I'll fight him myself.

I ain't half bad with a gun.

Don't do it, Choate.

You haven't got a chance.

You shoot me,
my boys will take care of you.

Don't be a fool.

Words of Kansas, Marshal.

All right.

Who's next?

Anybody else
want to die in here?

All right,
then you get that man,

and get him back to camp
and bury him.

Now, get going!

Kitty, you all right?

I am all right.

Give me a beer,
will you?

Don't you want
whiskey or something?

No, beer is fine.

Matt!

Well, you didn't think
I was going

to carry him back
to jail, did you?

Get in there.

You intending to
lock me up in here?

You're lucky
I'm not planting you

on Boot Hill today.

You think, just because
you're the marshal,

you got the right to do
anything, don't you?

Talley, if I
was a plain citizen,

I think I'd have
killed you tonight.

Now, get in there.

Sam Peeples is gone.

Yeah, well, uh...
well, you know

how he was kind of sick
and old, Mr. Dillon?

Well, he got worse.

What happened?

Well, I-I heard
him moaning

and groaning in there,
and I went in.

He was all doubled over,
holding his stomach.

He just looked
terrible,

so I hustled him
up to Doc's.

Is he up there now?

Yeah, and Doc asked me
to come and find you.

He wants to
talk to you.

Huh.

Well, I'd better get
up there, I guess.

You stay here-
we got a new customer.

Well, who's that?
Kin Talley.

How is he, Doc?

Well, he's unconscious.

Other than that,
he's got me stumped.

I just don't know
what to do for him.

What's his
main trouble?

Well, it's not anything
special at all.

He's not...
he's not a well man.

He's not strong.

He hasn't been well
for a long time.

Probably never was.

Well, that
beating he got

sure didn't
help him much.

No, it sure didn't.

Think there's a chance
he might not live?

Oh, there's a good
chance he won't.

Well, if he doesn't
live, I'm gonna have

the pleasure of hanging
Mr. Kin Talley.

Well, wait a minute.

You can't prove
a thing like that.

Can't prove it?
Well...

Well, you know as well
as I do, if he dies,

it was the beating
that killed him.

Well, no,
I can't say that.

Huh?
Well, no, Matt.

With a thing
like this, it...

Well, the beating
might have...

no, no, no.

Well, you're sure
not much help.

All right, let's go.

Well, here he is,
Mr. Dillon.

He ain't singing too loud
this morning, though.

I got some loose teeth
right here.

Too bad.

Did you hear
about Gil Choate?

Yeah. Choate was a fool
to go up against you.

You were willing
to try it.

We'll, I'd been
drinking.

Anyway, Choate's dead now.

It don't matter no more.

What doesn't matter?

Choate's the man who killed
Bud Collin, Marshal.

Oh?

Yes, sir, shot him
in the back.

I didn't like that much,

but I still couldn't turn
a Texan over to Kansas law.

You know
how it is.

I'm learning.

If Choate were still alive,

I'd protect him all the way.

His horse ready yet?

It's outside at the hitch rail,
Mr. Dillon.

Thank you.

Talley.

One thing I'm kind of
curious about.

What's that?

Sam Peeples.

Oh, him.

Well...

I'd have never
let him get hung.

No, sir, I'd have wrote
you a letter from Texas,

telling you that
was all a lie.

Anyway, I didn't figure
a couple of weeks in jail

would hurt
him any.

He died this morning.

Died?

And mister, if I had my way,
you'd be paying for it.

But Marshal, I... Now,
you get on that horse,

and you ride
back to Texas.

Did-did Peeples really
die, Mr. Dillon?

Yep.

Oh, forevermore.

They just kind of
throwed him away, didn't they?

Let's get over
to Doc's.

He's waiting for us.