Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 3, Episode 31 - Amy's Good Deed - full transcript

...starring James Arness
as Matt Dillon.

They tell me that, back East,
there's a lot of book writers

and newspaper people who
picture a frontier lawman

as somebody
pret' near perfection:

he always guns his man down,
never makes a mistake,

he's at the top of the heap
on every play.

Well, that may be-
back East-

but I never met a man like that
out here.

And knowing this job
the way I do,

I don't think I ever will.

Matt Dillon- U.S. Marshal.



Uh, Mr. Dillon?

Mr. Dillon, would you hold this,
just a minute, up here?

Uh, Mr. Dillon?

Hmm?

Will you, will you
just, just put

your hand up there
and just hold it

as steady as you can now.

Oh... Oh, that's gonna be
real nice there.

Something the matter
with your neck?

No, no, I'm just trying
to see the picture there.

That's, that's gonna look
real nice, real nice.

Huh...

What is it, anyway?

It's just a beautiful
thing, that's what it is.



Uh-huh... Well, that's sure got
a lot of color to it, all right.

Yeah, well, that's them
Indians for you.

Just as colorful
as can be.

I'd still like
to know what it is.

Huh?

I'd still like
to know what it is.

Well, William Henry Harrison
whuppin' them Indians

at Tippecanoe
is what it is.

Oh, well, first time
I ever knew

he did it by himself.
What?

I say it's the first time
I ever knew

he did it by himself.

Well, I didn't mean that
he did it all by hisself.

He had help.
Of course he did.

There was plenty of
people there to help him.

Uh, uh, I'm not driving you
away, am I?

Oh, no.

'Cause you can
sit here and work.

You're not discommodin' me
in the least bit.

Oh, no, that's
all right; go ahead.

Yeah, well...

Marshal Dillon?

Marshal Dillon.

Oh... ma'am.

Chester...

Chester!
Yeah?

Oh.
Oh, I beg your pardon.

I... Well, I guess that...
that'll hold it there

for the time being, anyway.

Yeah, fine.

Is there something
I can do for you, ma'am?

So you're...
Marshal Dillon.

Well, yes,
that's right.

Uh, wouldn't you like
to sit down, Miss, uh...?

Amy.

My name is Amy Slater.

I don't care
to sit with you, Marshal.

Well, you look
kinda tired, ma'am.

The prairie done that.

The prairie
and some other things.

Where you from?

Lately, the last year,

I've been living
in Wichita,

till I heard where you was,

and I took the Santa Fe Railroad
train and I come to Dodge.

Well, what can I do
for you?

Well, I...

I got reason
enough to see ya.

I been waiting
a long time.

I been living for it.

Now I'm... I'm near
through living.

Well, I wouldn't
say that.

Oh, I come here to die, Marshal.

Well, if you're sick, maybe
I can get Doc Adams to help you.

I ain't sick.

Then what's all this talk
about dying?

I only got money to last me
two more days.

Well, if it's

money you need, maybe I can help
you out till you find work.

You're gonna help me, Marshal,
but not that way.

You recollect
Dakota Territory, do ya?

Sure.

Dakota Territory,
that was my original home.

You think on that.

Did I know you
down there, Amy?

You think on it!

Now you said
I was gonna help you- how?

You're going
to kill me, Marshal.

What?!

I said you're going to kill me.

Now wait a minute, Amy-
what are you talking about?

I've been waiting, Marshal...

a long time.

We sure hear some peculiar
things, Mr. Dillon,

but what she said,
that beats all.

Yeah.

Now, what did she mean

that you should think
on the Dakota Territory?

I don't know, Chester;
I was up there,

but I swear I never saw her
until she walked in here.

You know,
it's kinda unsettlin'

her being so sure
that you're gonna kill her.

Poor old soul,
she must be crazy.

Yeah. Or else
she really means it.

Hyah!

Well, I got my strength
back, Mr. Dillon.

Maybe I ought to go
over to the office

and tidy up that mess.

All right.

I think I'll look around
town a little, Chester.

For Amy?

Yeah, maybe I can talk her
into going back to Wichita

if I buy her a ticket.

Well, good luck.

All right.

Oh, say, I'll be back
to the office

in about a half hour.

Amy, put that gun down.

The next shot will be right
through your heart, Marshal!

That's not gonna help you any.

I mean it!

Amy, I'm not gonna
draw on you.

You're afraid to fight!

I want that gun, Amy.

All right, take it.

You won't fight.

You're a coward!

Now, Amy, what's this all about?

You wouldn't fight.

You weren't trying to kill me.

How did you know I wasn't?

If you'd wanted me dead,

you could've done it
yesterday in the office.

You were just shooting
close here.

What were you doing,
trying to make me draw on you?

I was trying to finish you.

Uh-huh.

And if I'd killed a woman,

that'd be the end of me
as a lawman, is that it?

That'd be the end of you
as any kind of man.

You must hate me pretty bad
to be willing to die for it.

I'm willing.

Why, Amy?

What have I ever done to you?

I hate you more
for not remembering...

Dakota Territory.

You called yourself
a lawman there, too.

I was.

You killed all I had, Marshal.

All I had in the world.

Mr. Dillon, you-you just gonna
let her walk away like that?

Ain't you gonna
arrest her?

Oh, arresting her
wouldn't do any good, Chester.

She was shootin' at ya.

Claims I killed
everything she had

up in Dakota Territory.

Slater...

I tell ya, I never even knew
anybody by the name of Slater.

Mr. Dillon, she tried
to kill you.

No, no, she didn't,
Chester.

She tried to get me
to kill her,

but it didn't work.

Feel kinda sorry
for her.

Look at them sardines packed
into the bar there, Mr. Dillon.

I sure wished
I owned this place.

Cheap whiskey
at fancy prices is

always good business,
Chester.

Well, they ain't gonna
get any of my money.

What'd you come
over here for then?

Play a little Faro.

Oh, well, yeah,
that makes sense.

Yeah, well, I ain't
spending a nickel

at that bar on cheap whiskey,
that's for sure.

Good evening, Matt.
Hello, Kitty.

Want a drink?

Yeah.

Red, bring us
a couple whiskies, will ya?

Well, you look
busy tonight.

Oh, I'll get busier.

It's early yet.

Just wait, some of those boys
really get a skin-full.

Well, I hope they play
gentle, you know?

I've already been
shot at once today.

Yeah, I heard
about that.

Some old woman
with a, with a rifle.

Yeah, Amy Slater.

Never heard of her.

Well, she doesn't
live around here.

And besides, I don't think
that's her real name anyway.

Well, what she after you for?

I don't know, but she sure
feels strong about it.

She must.

Well, her plan didn't work,

so maybe that's the last
I'll hear of her.

I don't think you give
women enough credit, Matt.

She'll think of something else.

I hope not.

Throw her in jail.

Well, that'd look fine,
wouldn't it?

For me to throw
an old woman in jail.

You got a right to.

Besides, maybe if
she's locked up for a while,

she'll change her mind

I doubt it.

Take more than that to
make her change her mind.

Maybe you're right.

You know, women don't
do things in halves.

When they love, they love.

When they hate, they hate.

Then it's all or nothing.

You make 'em sound
kinda desperate.

Maybe that's it.

Kitty, all I know about women
is that some of 'em are pretty

and some of 'em aren't.

You're lying.

But I'm not gonna
argue with you.

Matt...

Marshal.

Get out of the way, Kitty.

You bet I will.

Stand up, Marshal.

Amy, what are you up to now?

Stand out a ways.

Throw the gun down, Amy.

I want to show you
that I can handle it.

Throw it down.

This gun
is all that's left of Jim.

I'm not throwing it down
till I'm through with it.

Jim? Jim who?

You killed so many,
you don't remember Jim?

Well, you're gonna
remember him.

His gun's the last memory
you're gonna have!

Amy... Amy?

You shot me.

I told you
you'd kill me.

What she talkin' about,
Mr. Dillon?

You didn't even shoot.

Is she dead, Matt?

No, she's not dead.

I think she's just fainted.

Look at there, Mr. Dillon,
look at that.

That's what happened.

Mm... It's old and rusty.
Just blew up in her hand.

She was sure shooting
at you that time.

Yeah. I better get up
to Doc's office.

Clear a way here for me,
will ya?

All right, let's just
move back here- clear a way.

There ain't nothing
for you to see.

Mr. Dillon, she sure was
desperate enough.

Yeah.

She's just not having
any luck at all.

? ?

Well, you-
ain't you got a home?

How is she, Doc?

Eh, she's
about the same.

She's asleep.

By golly, I'm certainly
not gonna founder

on that little dab
of coffee you left me.

Thank you.

Well...

I had to do something
all night.

Matt...

let me ask you something.

You think she...

think she was really
after you this time?

Yeah, she was, Doc.

How's she feelin'?

Well, not very good.

She's got an
awful bad hand.

She, uh, got
a fever, too,

but that's not what
worries me at all.

What do you mean?

Well, she's scared
half to death.

What she's really
suffering from is hysteria.

And there's just nothing
I can do about that.

It's something
she's got to do for herself.

Well, but, uh,
people don't usually die

from hysteria, do they?

Well, no.

Tell you I think
she'd be all right

if she could get this business

with you settled,
whatever it is.

Yeah.

I been thinking, Doc-

you know...

she called him Jim.

Jim- now, I...

and I've been
racking my brain,

and I can't think
of anybody

in Dakota Territory
by the name of Jim.

You're supposed
to have killed him.

Well, I...

I didn't always
get their names, Doc.

Well, Matt,
it may take a little time,

but Amy can
pull through all right.

Can? What do you mean?

Well, she can
if she wants to bad enough.

Well... what are you
gonna do with her?

What do you mean, Matt?

Well, you can't
keep her here.

Well, no, I can't
turn her out

in the street, either-
she's got no money.

You said so yourself.

How about Ma Smalley?

Well, who'd
pay for that?

Well, maybe she could work
around Ma Smalley's place.

No, no, no.

No, she can't
do any work

for two, maybe three
or four weeks.

No, no, that's
no good.

Well, all right, I...

I'll pay for it myself.

Well, it seems to me
you're being awful good

to a woman that just tried
to kill you.

Somebody's got to help her.

Well, now, maybe Amy

just wouldn't like you
helping her a bit.

Well, all right.

I tell you what,
just don't mention me.

You... you tell her
you're doing it.

Is that what you want?

Yeah.

Why don't you go on over
to Ma Smalley's right now?

I'll just stay clear
out of it.

All right, I will, I'll...

I'll go over right now.

By golly, there's
one thing

I sure think you ought
to keep in mind.

What's that?

That just because she didn't
make it this time,

there's no sign she won't try
to kill you again.

?...like his home in Kansas ?

? But all of his money
wasn't... ?

Oh, hello there,
Mr. Dillon.

Is it quiet enough
out for you today?

Well, it seems
quiet so far.

Of course, it can't get
too quiet to suit me.

Yeah.

You know, ever
since that ruckus

with that Amy Slater,

we ain't had a
lick of trouble.

Don't worry,
it won't last.

Yeah, Doc tells me that
she's up and about now,

even helping Ma Smalley with
the housework and all.

Yeah, last couple of weeks
in bed did her good, huh?

Yeah.

Mr. Dillon...

you remember that
Jeremy cracker

that used to be
around Dodge?

Be pretty hard
to forget him.

Yeah.

You remember the
time that he run

that big, old rusty
nail in his foot?

And then, he went over to
the-the Texas Trail Saloon

and bought hisself two pints
of that real raw whiskey.

And he took it outside,

and he filled his
shoe with one pint,

and he filled hisself
with the other one,

and then he slopped around
Dodge until it cured him.

That Jeremy, he sure
had his own ideas

about how to
do things.

He sure did.

Do-Do you remember the
time that he was walk...

Marshal, Chester.

Don't worry, I...

I haven't got a gun.

Well, we're not worried
about that, Amy.

Come on
and sit down.

Thank you.

Well, uh...
how you feelin'?

Pretty good.

I'm gonna feel better

when I tell you
what I come for.

Oh?

I been wrong, Marshal-

giving way to my
hate for you

the way I have
been, it...

it's hurt me more
than it has you.

And Doc's been
talking to me.

He took it on
himself to tell me

that you've been paying for
my keep at Ma Smalley's.

After all I've...
tried to do to you.

Oh, that's
all right, Amy.

When you killed
Jim Band,

you took all I had.

Jim Band.

So that's who it was.

You killed him.

You don't deny it.

No, I don't
deny it, Amy.

He tried to kill me.

I had no choice.

But what was Jim Band to you?

He was my brother.

I see.

Amy, did you know
what Jim Band was?

I know what they
called him,

but he was no outlaw to me.

He... He give me everything-

home, comforts.

He was so good to me.

I'm sorry, Amy.

I just did what had to be done.

In your way, you've
been good to me, too,

and I've come to
pay you back.

Well... you don't
owe me anything, Amy.

But I've got to,
for my own sake.

Uh, I don't mean money-
I got no money.

Jim had a partner.

Emmett Gold
was his name.

Yes, I remember him.

I never seen him
after the shooting.

Not until today.

What?

Half hour ago,

I saw him walk
into the Long Branch Saloon.

Somehow, he's found out
that you're in Dodge,

and he's come here to kill you.

After all these years?

I didn't forget, did I?

No.

Seems kind of funny,
me warning you about him.

I'm doing it for my own sake.

I know I'm doing what's right.

Well...

makes you and me
even, doesn't it?

Makes us even, Amy.

And I'm real glad.

All right.

Mr. Dillon, you...

you gonna go after
this Emmett Gold?

Might as well
get it over with.

Emmett Gold.

Well, hello, Dillon.

You remember me, huh?

Well, sure I do.

I hear you're
a marshal now.

Yep.

It's been a long time.

Yeah.

We was never
friendly, Dillon.

Nope.

Then what
do you want?

What are you doing
here in Dodge?

I'm just riding
through.

I'm heading
for Colorado...

soon as I finish
this drink.

That all?

What do you think
I'm doing here?

Looking for me.

Looking for you?

What for?

I killed Jim Band,
didn't I?

It was a fair fight.

It was.

You got shot, too,
didn't you?

Yeah, but I didn't get killed.

Wait a minute.

You think I'm after you
for killing Jim Band.

Well, if that
don't beat all.

You remember where
that fight happened?

Yeah, it was out on
the prairie somewhere.

And Jim's bullet
knocked you out.

Mm-hmm.

And when you came to,
you found me gone

and a fresh grave nearby
with Jim's name

carved on a hunk
of wood.

You figured I buried him.

Didn't you?

You didn't kill him, Dillon.

Huh?

And I didn't bury him.

Because he wasn't dead.

What are you trying to say?

Jim and me dug that grave
and put his marker on it

so you'd leave off chasing him.

Then he changed his name
and went to Virginia City.

That's where
he got killed.

Had a brawl with the law
about two years ago.

They found out
who he was after.

You got connections,
Marshal.

You check,
see if I ain't right.

So long, Marshal.

You sent him away,
didn't you, Marshal?

You sent him packing
right out of town.

Well, Amy, he's
headed for Colorado.

I guess you caught him
by surprise,

walking into that saloon
and facing up to him.

Well, it surprised him
all right.

Well, sir, I...

I feel better.

I was in your debt, Marshal.

Well...

warning you about Emmett Gold
the way I did,

you might say
I saved your life.

Amy...

I'll always be grateful to you.

Don't mention it, Marshal.

Mr. Dillon, that...

that Emmett Gold...

what he told you in there,
was that the truth?

Well, he'd have
no reason to lie.

Well, then...
don't you think you ought

to straighten Amy out
about it?

Amy's doing
fine, Chester.

Well, what's she
going to think now?

I'm not going
to tell her.

You ain't?
Why, no.

Amy did a big thing
for herself, Chester,

telling me about Gold that way.

But, Mr. Dillon, Gold
didn't come here to kill you.

Her warning you about him
was just plumb useless.

No, it wasn't.

Not unless we tell her.

I am not about to spoil
what Amy did for anything.