Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 3, Episode 38 - Overland Express - full transcript

...starring James Arness
as Matt Dillon.

Go on back!

Want to get
yourself shot?

I can see better here.

Not if Jim Nation puts
a bullet in ya.

Where's your horse?

He took a bullet
in the shoulder.

It ruined him.
So I finished him off.

He's got us in a spot, Chester.

Yeah.

Yeah. Your horse dead,
mine dead.



I didn't think
we were this close to him.

I figured him about
ten miles ahead.

Well, he ain't.

Well, I'll be. Looks...

Looks like he's giving up,
don't it, Mr. Dillon?

Yeah, yeah,
it looks like it.

He's still wearing
his six-gun, though.

I wonder
what he's up to.

I don't know.
We'll soon find out.

Come on.

Turn around.

Get his gun, Chester.

Can I put my
hands down?

Yeah.



How come you didn't shoot
it out, Nation?

I guess I didn't
want to kill nobody.

You killed a man
in Dodge.

Self-defense,
Marshal.

That's not what
the witnesses say.

Witnesses, sure.
All friends of his.

I heard them say what
they was gonna tell ya.

A man looks awful guilty
when he runs, Nation.

You don't believe me, do you?

It's not up to me.

You'll get a trial.

Well...

at least
I'm still alive.

You're alive, all right,
and 90 miles from Dodge.

By golly,
that's right.

How we gonna get
back, anyway?

How's your horse?

Road-foundered.
He ain't worth nothing.

Well, let's go get
our saddles, Chester.

Come on.

Doggone you, Nation,

them were durn good
horses that you shot.

When a man gets to running,
he'll do most anything.

Yeah, he sure will.

Well, the Great Western
Express route's

about 20 miles north
of here.

Guess we'll have to walk up
and wait for a stage.

Well, one thing, Nation's
gonna have to walk, too.

I'll get mine first,
Chester.

Keep an eye on him,
will ya?

Yeah.

Hey, Marshal?

Yeah?

Marshal, uh, you don't owe
me no favors, but...

I never been arrested before,
never in my life.

I feel...

kinda ashamed of it.

Well, I can't help that, Nation.

Oh, I know,
I know, but...

Well, would you...?

I mean, when we get
on a stage and all,

would you not say nothing
about me being a prisoner?

Marshal?

Well, doesn't make that
much difference to me.

I'd be powerful
grateful to ya.

All right, but if
you try any false moves,

you'll go to Dodge
in a sack.

Come on. Let's go.

Nation?

Well, here she comes.

Huh?

The stage is coming.

Yeah.

Uh, Mr. Dillon, h-how you
know that they'll stop for us?

You know, you lost
your badge.

Maybe they'll think
we're road agents.

Well, road agents don't usually
carry saddles, Chester.

I hope the driver
will notice that.

Well, he will
if he's awake.

Driving six horses ought
to keep him awake.

Yeah. Sure looks good
at that.

Marshal?

Yep?

Remember what
you said?

You won't tell 'em, will ya?

About me being a prisoner?

No, I'm not gonna tell 'em.

But just don't forget
what else I said.

If this is some kind of a game,
you're going back to Dodge

with a hole in ya.

Get your saddle.

Whoa!

This shotgun's got
two barrels, mister.

We're passengers,
not bandits.

Where are your horses?

Ran away last night.

Ran away?

You don't look
like greenhorns to me.

Well, uh, wolves
got after 'em.

That can happen to anybody.

All right, let 'em on.

Okay, Wells,
it's your strongbox.

You can pay later.

But I don't know how

them people in there
are gonna like this.

Well, we'll sure find out. Thanks a lot.

You got room for a
couple more in there?

Any man ain't got sense
enough to hold onto his horse

ought to be made
to walk.

Well, we've had our walk,
old timer.

Darn fools.

We ain't crowding
the three of you in here.

Well, yeah.

Chester, you, uh...?

You mean...
Do I have to?

We can't have
Nation up there.

No, I reckon not.

They sure can't
charge much

if I gotta ride up here
like a carpetbag.

The company guarantees
a ride, mister.

Comfort's your problem.

And hurry it up.
We're late now.

Sun, dust, wind.

I'll probably fall off and bust
open like a bag of oats.

Hyah!

You must be

a real big spud, mister.

You order these men around like
you was a general or something.

What'd you say
your name was?

I didn't say.

The name's Dillon.

Well, I'm Art Carp.

And this old goat here
calls himself "Fly."

My name is Fly!
And I don't give a hoot

what the rest of you
call yourselves.

Crusty old devil,
ain't he?

You run cattle
or something, Dillon?

Hey, you got the manners of a blind mule.

Nobody's talking
to you, old man.

Good! Then I don't
have to listen

to your gabbing
anymore.

I'll push my boot in your
face if you don't shut up!

Yah...

Hold on, Carp.

Now wait a minute.

You may boss these other men,
but don't you start pushing me.

Nobody's pushing you.

Don't pay no heed
to him, Dillon.

He's been nervous about
something the whole trip.

What?

Yeah, you got
ants all

over you, Carp.

If you weren't so old,
I'd squeeze you out

of that scrawny hide
of yours.

You would, huh?

You know something?

I ain't even gonna
talk to you no more.

Dillon, did I ever
tell you

I knew Meriwether Lewis?

Yep, I met him in St.
Louis with that Clark fella

when they come back
from the West Ocean.

Whoa!

Oh, boy.

Well, I guess there's no use
asking you if

we could borrow
three horses, is there?

Nope. Them's
for the stages.

Where you bound for?

Dodge.

Well, the stage will be moving on tomorrow.

Yeah, I know, but I'd rather
be on horseback.

You cowboys is
all alike, ain't ya?

Supper will be ready
directly.

Dried beans
and sow belly.

Eh...

Well, you can eat it
or starve.

Chester?

Oh, yeah!

Oh, I tell ya, I'd hate to
spend the night in there.

That-that air, it could drown a person.

Well, I bet you wouldn't mind
eating in there, would you?

Well, no, no. I...

You know, I can stand it
for that long.

I didn't mean...
I thought so.

Well, look,
we'll sleep outside.

Oh, good, fine.

Yeah, but you're gonna have
to stay up half the night

and guard him,
you know.

No, I ain't gonna run off,
Marshal.

You ran once.

All right, I'll tell
you something

and maybe you'll
trust me a little.

Yeah?

Tell me what?

Come on over
there, Marshal.

All right.

I'll wait here for you.

When they get the supper
ready, I'll call to you.

Well?

Marshal, I've been in
California the last five years

before I hit Dodge.

Nation, you should
have stayed there.

Well, you listen to me.

It's that fellow Art Carp.

I seen his picture, Marshal.

It was tacked on a pole
out in California.

I think the reward was $500,

but I ain't certain
about that.

You telling me he's wanted?

He sure is.

Everybody was talking
about him out there.

He's real smart,
Marshal.

How do you mean?

Well, what he does he rides
the stages inside,

I mean, as a passenger.

Then his partners hold it up
somewhere.

Then this Carp pulls a gun
on the people inside the stage

and keeps 'em from getting into
the fight, you see?

Then when his partners
get the strongbox down,

Carp jumps out and joins
'em on an extra horse

that they've brought.

Now that's pretty smart,
ain't it?

Yeah.

Yeah, that is pretty smart.

What I don't understand

is why he ain't even
bothered to change his name.

Well, we're a long ways
from California.

Yeah. Well,
you gonna arrest him?

Nope.

Well, you believe me,
don't you?

Maybe.

Well, then why
not arrest him?

'Cause I'll just wait

and take his partners
at the same time...

if what you're
telling me is true.

All right,
boys, wake up.

Chester.
Oh.

Don't want to sleep
all day, do you?

All day?

The sun ain't even up yet,
hardly.

You wouldn't want the sun to get
up before you did, would you?

Well, it wouldn't
ruin me forever,

if that's what you mean.

Nation.

Doggone you, Nation.

I was up half the night
guarding you.

You's always doggoning me for
something or other, Chester.

Well, you got it coming.

Slept outside, huh?

Yeah. Wells, I'd like to
talk to you for a minute.

What for?

Come here.

What's on your
mind, mister?

Wells, how long
you've been riding shotgun?

Two years.

Not that it's any
of your business.

I'm just trying to find out
if you can handle yourself.

You keep nosing around,
you'll find out, mister.

I figure you to be
a good man, Wells.

I hope I'm right.

Who in thunder are you?

I'm a U.S. marshal.

A U.S. marshal.

Prove it.

I can't prove it.

I lost my badge,
and I got nothing else with me.

Say, you speak right out,
don't you?

All right.

I'm a fair judge of men.

What do
you want?

How much money you carrying
in your strongbox?

Say, you really do move in.

Either you trust me
or you don't.

$20,000, Marshal.

All right.

Now, what'd be the best place

between here and the next road
station for a holdup?

Oh. Oh, I see.

Well?

That'd be Willow Bend, I guess.

It's about 20 miles
down the road.

All right, I'll tell you
what I'd like to have you do.

When we hit the bend,
you have that driver

go through there
like he was on fire.

Chester will be up
on top to help you.

I'll be inside, kind of
organizing the passengers.

How come you think
there's gonna be a holdup?

We'll find out
when we get there.

Come on, let's go and see
if breakfast's ready.

What'd you go and kill the jug
for last night?

I'll die
if I don't get a drink.

You could die
anyway, friend.

What'd you say?

He said you could
die anyway.

Oh, he did, huh?

Forget it.
I was just talking.

You're always
just talking, mister.

He sure is, always talking,
talking about nothing.

Nothing at all!
He don't know nothing.

Why don't you shut up?

Yeah!

Hey.

I know this place.

We've come 20 miles,
20 miles already.

What place is it?

Willow Bend. Ever
hear of Willow Bend?

Yeah, yeah, I have
heard of it.

Whoo-ooh...

Whoo-ooh...

Whoa!

Hey, driver, what are we
stopping here for?

What's wrong?

Wheel's stuck.

Uh-oh.

Rear wheel won't turn.

Run out of grease.

There ain't nothing here.

No, no, or they'd
have jumped us by now,

if they'd been here.

But keep your eyes
open anyway.

Okay.

It's froze solid.

That fool boy at
the station

forgot to grease this
one last night.

Ought to take a bullwhip
to him when I get back there.

Well, you can grease
it now, can't ya?

Could if I had
any grease.

You mean you
haven't got any?

Not unless I render you down
and make some, mister.

Who do you think
you're talking to?

Now hold on a minute, Carp.

Look, can't we take
some long grass

and wrap it around
that spindle?

Won't last very long,
but if we can keep doing it

we'll get to
the next station.

Next station's
15 miles.

We'll be all day
doing that.

Why don't you greenhorns
ask a real man how to fix it?

Okay, pop, suppose you
tell us how to fix it.

Cheese.

Don't even listen
to the old fool.

Why, cheese would
do just fine.

You know, it
might, at that.

And I suppose you brought
some along just in case, pop?

I brought some along
to eat, you young'un,

but I'll let you have it.

It's in my carpetbag
up there.

Son, throw down that
carpetbag, will ya?

How far are we from
the station, old man?

What's the matter, you got
a woman waiting for you there?

Tell me!

Oh, not that far.

You can see it
right around this bend.

Hey, hey, looky there!

They're having trouble up there.
They're burning.

They've been attacked.

Yeah, their
horses are gone.

Look at them arrows.

Indians. Indians
has done this.

Whoa. Whoa.

Comanches.

That's a Comanche arrow.

Look at that.

Well, better take a look
inside, I guess.

No need.

I already looked.

Somebody throw some water
on that blanket.

Well, looky here.

Look at that, they
killed three men.

This one's still
alive here.

Hey, that's
the station man.

You're gonna be
all right, fella.

Just don't move.
The stage is here.

It was...

Indians. Indians.

What about these other two-
these white men?

Who are they?

Road agents.

Held me...
held me up.

Gonna hide here.

Got a partner on...

on the stage.

Anybody touch a gun,

I'll kill
the old man.

Get that gun out of my back. Shut up.

You're a dirty coward.

I knew something
was wrong with you.

What are you going
to do now, Carp?

I want you men to go out
this door one by one.

I'm gonna take Fly
outside with me.

And we're gonna watch you
drop your guns in a pile

as you come out.

You can shoot me anytime,
any one of you,

but you'll be killing
the old man.

Start coming out.

What-what are we going
to do, Mr. Dillon?

We're going to do
what he says.

You boys drop your guns
and get outside. Go on.

Well, Marshal,

I guess you believe
me now, don't ya?

Nation, you're the only
one that can stop this.

What?
There's no time to talk.

I want you to go out there
and pretend to join him.

You mean, you trust
me that much?

I have to.

Yeah, yeah, I guess you do.

Drop it, Dillon.

I'm telling you
to drop it!

Now move.

Move! Move!

Hold it.

Where's your gun?

I ain't got any.

All right, get over
there with the others.

You heard me!

Well, I-I want to
tell you something.

Important.

Tell it quick.

You know why
I ain't armed?

Too yellow, maybe.

He took my gun-

Dillon.

I'm under arrest.

He's a marshal, Carp.

He's bringing me in for
killing a man in Dodge.

I might have
guessed it.

I just know'd he
was something.

Keep still.

They're going to hang me
if they get me to Dodge, Carp.

You bet we are.
We're gonna hang you high.

Now look, look, Carp,

you and me, we can
work good together.

Better than alone.

Now I'm throwi''
in with you.

What do you say?

I'm warning
you, Nation,

I'll track you down
if it takes a year.

You ain't gonna
track nobody down.

You're gonna stand
here till tomorrow,

while we ride off
on them stage horses.

Ain't that so, Carp?

Yeah. Yeah!

Grab yourself a gun.

I sure will.

Don't do it, Nation.

I'm sorry, Marshal.

I figure I'll live
a little longer this way.

Making a fool out of you,
ain't he, Marshal?

Yeah, you're all a bunch
of fools, if you ask me.

Shut up!

Let's make one of them
unhitch them horses.

Yeah.

Uh, let's get the
marshal to do it.

Yeah, I'd like
to see that.

Go ahead, put him
to work.

Oh, you ought to get some
pleasure out of this, Carp.

Go ahead. I'll hold him.

Just in case anybody
gets any smart ideas.

Yeah, you're one
as bad as the other.

Shut up!
Go ahead, I got him.

All right, Marshal,

go over there and
unhitch them horses.

Hurry up!

I'm not gonna do it.

You want me
to kill you?

You wouldn't dare.

What's the matter
with you?

I'll shoot you like
I was swatting flies.

You don't mean
nothing to me.

Don't move,
Carp.

I got a gun
on your back.

It'll make
an awful big hole.

Drop it.

You crossed me, huh?

That's right.

I can still shoot the marshal.

You'll get a bullet
in your spine if you do.

Maybe it's worth it.

Well, make up your mind.

You seem awfully
willing to die.

No more than you.

Come on, Carp,
drop it.

I'm tired of waiting.

You dirty, lying dog!

You're nothing but
a murderer, Carp.

I hate your kind.

All right, get moving.

Chester, take care of him.

I'll take my gun
now, Nation.

What for?

You're still
under arrest.

I don't know
about that.

It's kind of up
to me now, ain't it?

Yeah, I guess it is.

I don't understand you.

Don't you?

You know I could
have rode off with him.

I could still ride off.

Yeah, yeah, I guess you could.

I got a gun
in my hand.

I could kill
you easy.

Carp sure would.

It's like you said-
he's nothing but a murderer.

Feel kind of
like a fool.

Nation...

A man like you-
I'll testify in court

he only shoots
in self-defense.

Thanks, Marshal.

'Course, you'll still have
to stand trial to get clear,

but you can wear
that until then.

Yeah, not taking
me in as a prisoner,

ain't you taking a chance
it'll make trouble for you?

I... I take chances every once
in awhile, Nation.

Yeah, yeah, like you
just did with me.

Sometimes it pays off.