Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 4, Episode 13 - The Cast - full transcript

starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.

Well, hello, Shell.

Hi, Matt.

- Chester. Hi.
- Hi, Shell.

Whatcha doing way out here?

Oh, we're coming in
from Walnut Creek.

Yeah. Come on, I'll
build you some coffee here.

Oh, no, thanks, Shell,
we can't.

We're, uh, trying to get back
to Dodge tonight.

Oh, okay.

Well, what are you doing
so far from home?



Out on a wolf hunt, Matt...
you know, them ornery critters

been taking down too many
of my calves here lately.

Well, it seems like
one thing or another's

always keeping you
out of Dodge, Shell.

You know, we haven't had a drink
together for a long time.

Yeah. I miss that.

Well, I'll be
riding in there again

one of these
fine moonlit nights.

Well, good.
We hope to see you in there.

- Shell.
- So long, Shell.

So long.
I'll see you in town, Matt.

Say, now, those are wolves that
have been taking your calves,

- aren't they?
- Well, four-legged

or two-legged, Matt,
I'll shoot whatever I find.



Well, if they're
those two-legged variety,

you better come to me about it.

Yeah, sure.

Bring 'em with me, too,
wrapped in canvas.

Shell, you're as stubborn
as a Missouri mule.

Ah, you ain't worried none
about me, are you?

Well, you make it kind of hard
not to sometimes.

Get on into Dodge
where you belong.

All right. We'll see you.

Yeah.

Matt.

- How are you?
- Hello, Doc.

Let's go get something
to eat, huh?

Something to eat?
It's the middle of the morning.

What's that got to do with it?

Well, I'm not hungry myself.

Well, neither am I... don't want
to get hungry, either.

I see. You buying?

Well, sure.

All right, I'm hungry; let's go.

- Marshal?
- Well, hello, Rufe.

Uh, I came to get Doc Adams.

Well, Doc, this is
Shell Tucker's boy.

- Hi.
- Oh, we ain't never met before.

- No.
- So, how's your ma these days?

Well, it's Ma
I came to get you for, Doc.

- Yeah?
- She swallowed a nail,

and it's hurting her bad.

Swallowed a nail?
How in thunder'd she do that?

Well, she was fixing
the chicken house

and she had some nails
in her mouth,

and she just
up and swallowed one.

When'd this happen?

Couple of days ago.

Coup... Well, has she got pain?

She's got a pain in her stomach,
a terrible pain in her stomach,

and she's burning up, Doc.

I'll hitch up
and get right out there.

- Hey, wait a minute, Doc.
- Huh?

Rufe, is your dad back yet?

Well, not now...
he's been out on a wolf shoot

the last couple of days.

Yeah, I know. We saw him.

Ma said to get you anyway;
she don't want to die.

You know, there'll
be a lot of trouble

if he finds you out there.

I know he hates doctors
something fierce,

but Ma's awful sick, Doc.

I better ride out there
with you, Doc.

Yeah, maybe you better.

We'll bring your buggy around.
Come on, Rufe.

How is she, Mr. Dillon?

I don't know, Chester...
Doc's still working on her.

Is Rufe helping him?

Yeah, he's in there.

Yeah. Well, Shell
ain't showed up, anyway.

What's the matter with Shell,
anyway, Mr. Dillon,

hating doctors
the way that he does?

Well, I don't know, Chester.

Probably, uh, no doctors around
when he was a boy or something,

and what's good enough for his
father is good enough for him.

Yeah.

Some fool notion like that.

He's a good man
otherwise, though.

Just like with his horses...
he treats his horses

just like they was human;
did you ever notice that?

Yeah. Shell's all right;
he's got a good side to him.

How is she, Doc?

She's dead.

Dead?

Yeah.

She was so far gone, I...

l-I've never seen
a worse infection.

I operated, but...

If I could've just
got here sooner.

Well, Doc, you did
everything you could.

Yeah. Sometimes
it's not enough.

What about Rufe? Does he know?

Yeah, he's in there.
I told him.

How'd he take it?

Oh, he didn't say
anything at all.

Marshal?

Yeah, Rufe?

You got to help me, Marshal.

Sure. What is it?

Pa... I don't know what
to tell him when he gets back.

Well, Rufe, you'll just
have to tell him the truth.

Tell him that Doc came out
and tried to save your mother,

but it was too late.

You know Pa, Marshal...
he won't stand for it.

Well, I'm afraid there's
not much he can do about it now.

It's all over.

Not for him, it ain't.

What do you mean?

Pa told us, Marshal, that we
were never to go near a doctor.

Now, Ma and I didn't cross him...
not when he was around anyway.

Now, don't blame yourself.

You did the right thing, Rufe.

I'm afraid of him, Marshal.

Will you... will you please
stay and talk to him?

You and him was always
best of friends.

All right, I'll stay.

Well, Matt, I guess
I'll let you take care of Shell.

I've got to get on over
to Caldwell's tonight...

they're expecting a new baby.

All right, Doc.

You know, Mr. Dillon, it's...

funny how a doctor
can lose one life and then

bring another one into the world
the very same day, ain't it?

Yeah.

Well, I'll tell you, Chester,
I'll stay out here with Rufe.

You, uh, better
get back in at Dodge,

in case somebody's
looking for me.

- All right.
- All right.

Well, now, Rufe,
don't you worry.

I'll talk to your pa
when he gets back.

He won't hurt you.

I ain't so sure about that.

Well, I think that ought
to just about do it, Rufe.

Want her buried good, Marshal.

How about a cross?

Would you want
to put up a cross, Rufe?

Guess I'll let Pa decide that.

He'll kill me sure, Marshal,
he'll kill me sure.

He won't hurt you at all, Rufe.

You just stand easy, now.

Whatcha doing out here, Matt?

What's this?

It's your wife, Shell.

Rufe and I just
got through burying her.

My wife died?

We didn't know
when you'd get back, so...

well, we figured
we'd better go ahead.

Well, wh-what'd
she die of, Matt?

Well, she was holding
some nails in her mouth,

and... she swallowed one of 'em.

Rufe, take these horses
up to the barn and dry 'em out.

Okay, Pa.

Rub 'em down good, now.

I will, Pa.

Don't let 'em get
near no water yet.

I won't.

I'm sorry, Shell.

How'd you happen
to come out here, Matt?

Came out with Doc.

With who?

Doc Adams.

He tried to save her life.

He cut on her, didn't he?

Well, he tried
to get that nail out,

if that's what
you're talking about.

Cutting on her...
that's what killed her.

Shell, your wife was dying.

Doc did everything he could
to save her life.

I've got no use for doctors.

They're all croakers...

that's what my old man
used to call 'em.

- Croakers.
- Well, did you ever

stop to think that maybe
your old man was wrong?

My ma died because
of a doctor cutting on her.

My pa and me sat there
after he left,

and we watched her die.

How'd Doc Adams
get here, anyway?

Who asked him to come?!

Your wife wanted him.

After all the times
that I've warned her

to keep away from doctors.

Well, maybe she
didn't want to die.

Maybe she wanted
a chance to live.

Yeah, sure.

And he come out here
and he killed her.

That poor, defenseless woman.

Killed her with his butchery.

He's nothing but a murderer.

There isn't
a man on the frontier

that doesn't respect Doc Adams.

He's one of the most
valuable men out here.

Not to me, he ain't.

By heaven,
Doc Adams'll pay for this.

Wait and see if he don't.

It's an eye for an eye, Matt,
just like it says in the Book.

Shell.

You lay a hand on Doc Adams...

you're gonna answer to me,
personally.

I thought you was my friend.

I am.

But I'm Doc's friend, too.

Hey, that's not bad coffee.

Well, it's something.

Wouldn't you think for a town
that deals in cattle trade,

you'd be able to get
a decent steak?

Well, I told you to try
the prairie chicken.

At least it didn't walk
all the way from Texas.

Well, the steak I had
got carried...

it was too old to walk.

Well, you wouldn't
take my advice.

I've never had prairie chicken.

What's it taste like?

Oh, a little chicken
and a lot of prairie.

If I didn't know you better,

I'd say you been drinking.

Yeah, and if I know you,

you'll order steak
next time, anyway.

Probably. I don't
give up easy, you know.

Yeah, I know.

Remember it.

Sure.

You sure don't know much
about women.

No, but, uh... I'm learning.

Yeah, but at the pace
you've set, I'll be in my grave

before you ever get
out of the first grade.

Come on, let's get out of here.

I'm losing this battle.

Matt. Kitty, hi.

- How are you, Doc?
- Hello, Doc.

Matt, I was on my way back
from the Caldwells' just now,

- and somebody took a shot at me!
- Oh, no!

Well, they did, sure enough.

- Did you see who it was, Doc?
- No, I didn't see anything.

I didn't have a gun with me,
so I just got out of there.

What do you think?

I didn't think
he'd really do it.

Who? Wh-What? Do what?

Shell Tucker.

When he got back,
I told him what had happened,

and, uh... well,
he made some threats.

I might've known that.

I'll go have a talk
with that gent.

I don't think it'll do
any good to go out there, Doc.

Well, I'm not gonna let
anybody take shots at me!

All right, now, wait a minute.

If you really want to go
out there, why don't you

go get some sleep,
and we'll leave in the morning.

All right.

You be ready to go early, 'cause
I'll be leaving first thing.

I'm glad you're going
with him, Matt.

Well, I wouldn't let him go out
there alone, I'll tell you that.

We'd be in a bad fix around here
if anything happened to him.

Don't worry, Kitty,

nothing's gonna happen to Doc.

Hello, Rufe.

- Marshal.
- Shell.

What'd he do, hurt hisself?

Shell?

Yeah, sure looks like it.

Is it bad?

Busted his leg, that's all.

All right, hold on, now.

Shell, uh, how'd this happen?

I don't know... he was fine

when I put him out
in the corral last night.

This morning I come out,
and he's got a busted leg.

Could be that he got it caught
in the corral fence.

Yeah, maybe.

Rufe...

run over to the house
and fetch my rifle.

Yes, Pa.

Well, uh... you going
to have to shoot him?

Got a busted leg, ain't he?

Is it hurt bad, Doc?

Well, no, I don't think
it is, Chester.

It's one of those little bones
just below the fetlock.

It's cracked a little bit.

Terrible thing to lose
a good horse like this.

It's just terrible.

Well, Shell, I, uh...

I can do the shooting,
if you'd rather have me.

Nah, nah, it's my horse, Matt.

I'll do it.

Leave that animal alone, now!
Get away from him!

I'm not hurting your horse.

Want me to let you hang around
so you can start cutting on him?

Who said anything about cutting?

Well, then what are you
feeling around on him for?

Well, I just thought
I might be able to help him.

Help a broken leg? How?

Well, I don't know how.

Ah! Sure you don't!

Take the knife out of your hand,
and you don't know nothin'!

Well, I'd like to try
to put a cast on him.

- You'd like to put a what?
- A cast.

Just like I would on you,
or any man.

I never heard of putting
no cast on a horse.

Well, neither did I, but...

might work.

Aw, it's crazy; I don't like it.

You're gonna shoot
your horse anyway,

and there's no harm in trying.

Not gonna let you
fool around with my horse.

I'd rather shoot him first.

All right, Shell...

you shoot him,

and then I'm gonna
take you back to Dodge.

- What for?
- I'm gonna throw you in jail

for trying to kill
Doc Adams last night.

Well, wait a minute, Matt,
what I said, I...

I ain't going to no jail!

You wouldn't do that to me,
would you, Matt?

Got no choice, Shell.

That is, of course, unless, uh,

Doc Adams there decided not
to prefer charges against you

for attempted murder.

In that case, I wouldn't be
able to throw you in jail.

Well, yeah,
that-that's right, Shell, I...

I maybe could get too busy
here on your horse that...

I'd just forget everything else,

and then I might
save your horse, too.

Well?

Make up your mind.

All right.
But you better make it work.

Well, I'll try.

You better try hard.

I always do.

- Chester?
- Uh...

Here. Here's
the key to my office.

Now, I want you to go into town,

and you go into my office there
at that cabinet

that's right at the right
as you go in the door, you know?

Oh, you-you mean, it's got
all them bottles in it?

That's right.
You open that door underneath,

and you'll find
a lot of muslin and cotton,

and I want you
to bring it all to me.

And-and go by Moss Grimmick's
and bring me his glue pot.

All right. Uh... his glue pot?

Yes, you've seen it there,
Chester, a hundred times.

Now, just tell Moss
you want the glue pot.

- All right, all right.
- He'll give it to you.

- And hurry.
- Yeah.

Oh, Rufe, I... I think Doc's
just about finished there.

I don't think that he's
gonna need any more water.

Oh, no, this is,
uh, water to drink.

I thought y'all
might be thirsty.

Oh, well!

Yeah, it is kind of warm.

That's mighty nice
of you, Rufe.

Golly, I... didn't
realize how thirsty I was.

Well, don't drink
all of it, Chester.

Well, if I drink it all,
I'll fetch another pail.

Would anybody like some
fresh spring water to drink?

Now, get away
and quit bothering us!

Okay, Pa.

Go ahead and drink it all;
I don't care.

Well, now, he's just worried
about his horse, Rufe.

He'll want some later.

He don't have to be
so mean about it.

There.

That's not so bad,
is it, Matt?

No, it looks pretty good, Doc.

That's a terrible thing
to put on a horse.

Yeah, but it's no worse
than a bullet in his brain.

I ain't so sure.

Well, you've still got
the horse, haven't you, Shell?

He might even get well...
you got no cause to complain.

Ain't me I'm complaining about;
it's my horse.

Well, I didn't break his leg.

No, maybe you didn't.

But you killed my wife.

Now, just a minute, Shell.

- Matt, wait a minute.
- I've heard enough...

Now, you listen to me.

You've threatened me, and I...

I'm not very
bothered about that,

but you've called me
a butcher and a murderer,

and I'm not gonna stand for it.

Now, I don't like
saying this to you, Shell,

because I know the grief
you've had and everything...

but it's all your fault.

If you hadn't scared
your wife and boy so much

they were afraid to come get me
until it was too late,

I could've saved your wife.

I could've saved her life,
and that's the truth.

And you're gonna have to think
about that as long as you live.

Is the horse gonna get well, Pa?

If he don't, that Doc
ain't gonna be well long.

Chester.

Oh, Shell.

Uh, wh-wha...

what are you doing here?

- Hello, Kitty.
- Hello, Shell.

You looking for somebody?

Yeah, I sure am.

Well, uh, who?

Doc Adams. You know where he is?

Uh, uh, no, no, l-I...

What do you want him for?

I just want him.

You sure you don't know
where he's at?

No, I ain't seen him;
I got no idea, Shell.

I haven't seen him
in a couple of days.

I'll find him.

He's awful mad, Chester.

Yeah. Y-You suppose something
could've happened to his horse?

That was eight weeks ago.

Do you suppose
that horse is well yet?

Well, I ain't heard
nothing about it, Miss Kitty,

one way or the other.

Look, you better
go look for Matt.

I'm scared.

Well, uh, I'll... I'll...

Well, go on and make
your move, Doc.

Well, I'll move, I'll move.

Well, you only got one.

Yeah, you'd like me
to think that, wouldn't you?

You been setting
that trap over there for me.

I've seen it coming;
I got one for you.

There.

Doc, you do it every time.

Eh?

Hmm.

Oh, uh, Doc, i-it's
a good thing that you're here.

Chester... don't bother him now.

He's in big trouble.

But, Mr. Dillon,
uh, he's gonna... Doc?

Oh, go sit down
someplace, Chester!

Yeah, well, yeah,
I'll-I'll sit down...

I'll be sitting on your grave
in the morning,

if that's the way
you feel about it.

- What do you mean?
- Well, I'm just a-trying

to tell you that
Shell Tucker's out there,

and he's mad, too.

Where was he?

Well, he was in the Long Branch,

Mr. Dillon,
and-and he means business.

He's got blood in his eye.

Well...

No, you stay here, Doc;
I'll find him.

I'm going with you.

All right.

- Wait a minute, Doc.
- Huh?

Better let me handle this.

Hello, Shell.

I've been looking everywhere
for you, blast you.

Well, you found me.

What are you wearing a gun for?

Man'd be a fool not to carry
a gun in a town like this, Matt.

He'd be a worse fool
to try and use it.

Now, don't you rile me none.

I'm in a bad enough
temper already.

Well, what are you mad
about now, your horse?

Nah, I rode that horse
into town tonight.

- You rode him?
- Sure I did.

I took the cast off of him
myself two days ago.

'Course, I had
to take it easy with him,

real easy... I even led him
part of the way...

but he ain't even limpin'.

Well, what are you so mad about?

Well, you'd be mad, too,

if you was carrying
a rotten tooth around

in your jaw for all this time!

A tooth?

Wait a minute.
You mean to tell me

that you came all the way
into town looking for a doctor?

Yeah, I did.

And I'm man enough
to admit it, too.

All right, come on,
I'll see what I can do for you.

Now, listen, Doc,

you'll pull it for me,
won't you, Doc?

There you go,
always jumping to conclusions.

I'll pull it if I have to, but
I'd a lot rather save it for you

if that's all right with you.

That's good enough for me.

Huh.

Well, good gravy, Mr. Dillon,
if that don't beat all.

Huh?