Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 4, Episode 7 - Stage Hold-Up - full transcript
A stagecoach on which Matt and Chester are riding is robbed and another passenger is murdered. Matt utilizes a ruse to incriminate the thieves when a "cowboy" appears and offers to show him where one of the thieves may be buried.
starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.
I've seen a lot of men
buried up here on Boot Hill,
and most of 'em really earned
what they got.
They cheated at cards,
robbed banks,
stole horses,
murdered innocent men,
picked fights with friend
and enemy alike.
They lived and died as though
they'd never heard of the law.
And they treated me
like a trespasser,.
like someone who had no right
to interfere with their bloody
little games.
But I shot it out with them,
anyway.
I guess I'll go right on
doing it... long as I last.
Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
Ya!
That was three years ago.
Worst winter that ever hit
Wyoming Territory.
You folks in Kansas don't even
know what cold weather is.
Oh, I don't know.
We had a pretty cold winter
in Dodge back in '68.
Didn't get cold enough
to freeze buffalo, did it?
Freeze buffalo?
That's right.
They were all over the plain
after the big blizzard...
standing there, froze stiff.
Didn't you ever hear about it?
Well, a man can hear
most anything, I guess.
It happened, all right.
That blizzard was a real
gully buster.
Same one old Cottonwood Pete
got caught in
camping alone
up on Kiowa Creek.
Lost his bedroll and his horse,
and pretty near lost his life.
When the storm was over,
he seen one
of his feet was froze,
so he knew
there was only one thing to do.
He took his bowie knife,
and he cut it off
and rode a hundred miles
into Cheyenne.
How could he ride into Cheyenne?
I thought you said
he lost his horse.
Oh, he throwed his saddle
on one of them froze buffalos,
then, uh, built a fire under it
to thaw it out.
I never heard of such a thing.
It's a fact, so help me.
Only thing was, though,
Pete built too hot a fire.
When he pulled up in front
of the Cheyenne Hotel,
that buffalo was roasted
to a turn.
Took the whole town
to eat it all.
How much longer
till we get to Dodge City?
Oh, we ought to be there
in an hour or two.
I wonder
what Jim's stopping here for.
Take it easy, driver.
Hand down that rifle
by the barrel.
That sidearm, too.
Get down from there.
Mr. Dillon? Mr. Dillon,
it's a holdup. Mr. Dillon!
Hold it!
Now get out.
Easy.
Get 'em up real high.
Now, get up there, Charley,
and open that box.
Sure am glad
you didn't draw your gun, Matt.
They'd have shot me
right off the box.
Is it just two of them?
I think there's a third one out
in the brush with the horses.
How much money
you got in that box?
Ain't money.
It's gold bars.
Gold bars?
Now, you look like
the kind of dude
might be packing some cash.
How about that, mister?
This is your responsibility,
Marshal.
There's not much
I can do about it right now.
If you got money on you,
you better give it to him.
Hand it over.
You all right, Charley?
Don't amount to nothing.
Now, get them sacks
on the horses.
Sure don't want nobody
chasing us for murder.
Now, wait a minute, mister. I...
I got a wife and kids
in Dodge.
What I hear, it ain't a good
place to raise a family anyway.
Now hold on a minute, mister.
Just don't forget
it was your partner
that committed that murder,
not you.
Come on, let's get out of here!
That's right.
Charley's the one
they're gonna be looking for.
Don't any of you move
till we're out of sight.
I sure could hear them trumpets.
Yeah, that was a close one,
all right.
You were right, Jim.
There is another one.
Well, did you enjoy
your dinner, Chester?
Oh, yeah, yeah, that-that...
that was a fine dinner.
You know, Doc, somehow,
it-it tastes a little bit better
when you don't have
to pay for it yourself.
Yes, it does.
I've noticed that.
l-I... I don't think
it tasted too good to Matt, huh?
Uh, what?
Well, he lost, you know.
He's paying for it.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Course, now, Doc, you know,
he drawed the shortest straw
there fair and square.
Yes, sir, he did, didn't he?
Uh, yeah, of course I wouldn't
worry too much about it.
He usually takes care...
Well, Matt, I just wanted
to thank you for that dinner.
It was just-just fine.
Oh, that's all right, Doc.
After all, you bought
the last one, you know.
- Oh, I did.
- Well, sure.
You don't think
I'd let you get away
with that crooked straw game
otherwise, do you?
Well, tell me, uh,
how'd you enjoy it, Doc?
Yeah, how'd you enjoy
your dinner now, Doc?
You know, I got an idea, Doc,
that if you got
a little exercise,
you'd enjoy your food even more.
Exercise?
Like putting my feet up on my
desk the rest of the day,
like you're probably
gonna do right now?
You got a better idea?
Yes, as a matter of fact,
I have.
Why don't you go catch
those stagecoach robbers?
- Been over a week.
- Oh, we'll get 'em, Doc.
- Yes.
- They-they...
they might be clean
out of the country by now, Doc.
Well, I thought you said their
trail doubled back into Dodge?
Well, it did, but they might
have gone on through, you know?
They could be in Wichita,
Abilene, anyplace by now.
What I can't understand,
why with $2,000 of gold
in that box, why the stagecoach
people couldn't afford
to hire a man to ride shotgun.
Well, they should have,
but they're willing
to pay for it now...
$1,000 reward, dead or alive,
for the murder.
Sure, sure they are now.
Bad business for 'em...
people getting murdered
on their line.
Say, Doc, you know, uh,
they're also offering half
of the worth of that gold
to anybody that finds it.
- Oh, they are?
- Yeah.
Maybe you ought to start
looking for it.
Well, now, I just may do that.
I haven't got a soft
government job.
Hey, Doc, you ought
to get you a new set of straws.
He sure can't take a joke,
can he, Mr. Dillon?
Oh, boy.
Oh, watch where you're going!
- Sorry, mister.
- Oh, get out on the street
with those things where you
ain't bothering people.
Go on, get!
Now, wait a minute.
What is it, Mr. Dillon?
There's something awful familiar
about that man.
What?
Why, that voice. I've heard
that before, haven't you?
By golly, there is
something familiar about that.
He's going up
to Doc's office. Come on.
Yeah, it's my partner, Doc.
He hurt his arm.
Cut it on some wire, and now
it's all swole up there,
and he's talking crazy,
out of his head, you know?
Well, that sounds like
quite an infection to me.
Might even be gangrene.
Is that bad?
Well, yes, that's pretty bad.
He could lose the arm.
Might even lose his life.
Where is he?
Uh, he's out on the prairie.
We got a camp out there.
Well, why didn't
you bring him in?
Well, I thought maybe
he hadn't ought to be moved.
Ain't there just some kind
of medicine you can give me?
I'll take it back out to him.
Well, no, sir.
You better get that man in here
where I can have a look at it.
It wouldn't be his left arm
by any chance, would it, mister?
Why, no.
No. It was his right arm.
I'll see you later, Doc.
Well, what is it, Matt?
Well, Chester, I hope you got
a lot of sleep last night.
Why?
'Cause you're gonna be
pretty busy.
I want you to follow him
and don't let him out
of your sight, whatever you do.
Yes, sir.
Well, what's going
on here, Matt?
Doc, I think that's one of
the men that robbed the stage.
Oh.
Same build, same voice.
Well, you won't have to worry
about that partner of his,
unless he gets him in here
pretty quick.
Yeah.
- Mr. Dillon.
- Chester.
I wasn't asleep.
Oh, well, I didn't say you were.
Oh, well, I thought maybe
that-that you thought
that m... that, uh,
maybe I... that I... uh...
Well, I wasn't.
Yeah, uh-huh.
And where is he?
Oh, he's in the cafe there.
I'll tell you, Mr. Dillon,
if you hadn't come along
when you did, though,
I just might have been asleep.
I'll tell you,
I never seen nobody
that could go like he does.
He was up all night long
playing cards,
and then he... he gets
on his horse
and he rides down
along the river and back.
Well, he's probably
trying to shake you.
No. No, it wasn't that.
Heck, he didn't even know
that I was following him.
I was real cautious.
Mm-hmm.
Did you get a hold
of that Kiowa scout?
Yeah, he'll be along
in a minute to spell you.
Well, I sure hope so. He...
What's the idea, Marshal?
Idea?
This man's been tracking me
all night, and I got
a feeling you're behind it.
How'd you know?
Mister, you might as well
have been wearing snowshoes
with cowbells on 'em.
Well, Mr. Dillon,
I swear to you,
I didn't... I didn't make
no noise or...
It's all right, Chester.
It's all right.
I don't know what
you're getting at, Marshal.
Why, a man can't come into
Dodge City here
and do a little gambling
without you putting somebody
on his trail?
Even followed me down
to the river.
Always like to know
who I'm talking to, mister.
What name do you go by?
My own. Yermo.
Well, all right, Mr. Yermo.
The reason
I'm having you followed
is because I don't want you
to leave town
without my knowing about it.
Yeah? Why not?
I'm kind of interested
in that friend of yours.
That one that hurt his arm
on some wire?
Well, he's a long ways
from here.
Well, you better go after him,
hadn't you?
He's liable to die.
Well, then stop
having me followed.
Now, what difference
does that make?
We're not keeping you from him,
are we?
Don't you worry.
I'm going after him.
When?
It's my business when.
Anybody tries to follow me
is going to get into trouble.
From a shotgun?
I ain't got a shotgun.
You had one the last time,
didn't you?
I don't know
what you're talking about.
You're wasting time, Yermo.
While you're standing
around here,
that friend of yours
is probably dying.
Now, you just leave me alone,
Marshal.
All right.
You're free to come and go
as you want to.
But you're not going
to be alone.
Eh, I tell you, Mr. Dillon,
that Indian's a wonder
to behold.
Two days, not a wink of sleep.
He don't even look like
he's tired.
Yeah, but Yermo sure does.
I saw him down the street
this morning.
Yeah, well, he ought to be with
what he's got on his conscience.
Letting his partner just lay out
there on the prairie and die
'cause he won't risk his neck
to help him none.
Yeah, I sure figured him
to break before this.
Well, that pump
down at the plaza
sure is sucking up mud.
Mr. Dillon,
you-you think that Yermo knows
that that Kiowa
is following him yet?
Oh, I doubt that.
He's a pretty smart Indian.
- Yeah.
- But I'll tell you.
I think Yermo knows
something's up,
or he'd have headed out there
before this.
You the marshal?
Yeah. What can I do for you?
I'm Verd, Marshal.
Uh, Verd Regan.
Just a cowboy.
Nothing wrong with being
a cowboy, is there?
No, I reckon not.
Marshal, I found a dead man
yesterday.
He was out in the prairie
about 15 miles.
I didn't know what to do,
so I just wrapped a blanket
around him, left him there.
Looked like a kind of a camp
he had there.
Well, you think
you could take us to him?
- If you want.
- Well, good.
Better saddle up
a couple of horses, Chester.
Yes, sir.
Well, you got any idea
how the man died?
Well, not for sure,
but his left arm was swell up
something fierce.
Let's go.
How'd you ever find him
way out here?
Oh, I was hunting strays.
That's the only reason
I came poking back in here.
His arm's all swole up, he's got
a bullet hole in his sleeve.
Didn't just happen, though.
Must have been a week
or more back.
Yeah. Well, it was gangrene
that killed him.
Mr. Dillon. Mr. Dillon,
look at that there, would you?
Oh.
Well, that's the kind
they were using, all right.
You think it's him, maybe?
Well, I don't think
there's any doubt of it now.
Verd, looks like
you made yourself $1,000.
What do you mean?
Well, that's the man that
murdered that passenger
on the stage holdup last week.
$1,000 reward for him,
dead or alive.
What do you know.
I didn't know
I was gonna get rich off this.
Well, that's the way
things work out sometimes.
You know,
there's another $1,000, too,
for anybody can show 'em
where the gold is hid at.
- There is?
- Yeah.
Well, I bet it's buried
right around here somewhere.
Say, wait a minute.
Seemed like
when I was here yesterday,
I remember somewhere
around here looked liked
somebody had been digging.
Yeah, yeah,
it was around here somewhere.
Someplace close to here.
Yeah.
Yeah, there.
Here it is. See?
Ha.
You know, Marshal,
I didn't think nothing
about this yesterday,
because I didn't know
this fella had robbed a stage.
Hey.
Here it is. See?
Yeah.
Here's one.
Yeah.
Here's another one.
Two of 'em. Whoa, heavy.
Another one.
Hey. Hey.
Here's a third one.
Maybe there's another one.
No, no.
There was only three of 'em.
I found 'em, didn't I, Marshal?
So, I...
I collect that reward, too,
won't I, Marshal?
'Cause I told you
right where to look.
Yeah, you sure did.
Told us right where to look.
Well, let's go get
that man buried, shall we?
Boy, it's mightily good
to get off that prairie
for a change.
Yeah, I can imagine.
You must not get to town
too often.
I don't remember
seeing you around before.
No, you ain't.
l-I've been too broke.
Well, it takes a lot of money
to see the elephant in Dodge
these days.
Well, that's just what
I'm aiming to do,
see me some elephants.
And I'll have plenty of money
to do it, too.
That sit all right with you?
Sure. Come on over
anytime, Verd.
A good customer's
always welcome.
Hey, how long you figure
it's gonna be
before that stage line
pays off, Marshal?
Oh, it's pretty hard to say.
Two, three weeks maybe.
Waiting ain't gonna be easy,
is it?
I can stand it.
Fire, boy,
that's what I like... fire.
Can I fetch you a beer?
No, thanks, uh-uh.
I'll just get myself one, then.
Not very choosy
about your friends anymore.
Kitty, I didn't say
he was a friend, did I?
Well, you two have been
hanging around together
for the last two days closer
than a calf with its mother.
Even been buying his drinks.
Look, Kitty,
one of those robbers is dead.
I want the other two.
Is that what he's for?
I'm using him for bait.
Well, that's about all
he's good for, if you ask me.
Well, I just hope
he's good for that.
Miss Kitty.
Howdy, Chester.
What's, uh...
What's Yermo doing, Chester?
Well, he's-he's outside there,
Mr. Dillon.
He's... keeps looking
in the window there
like he's trying
to get up the nerve
to come in or something.
Oh, good. Maybe it's beginning
to bother him.
What's beginning to bother him?
Wondering where
all that gold is.
Well, it hasn't been found yet,
has it?
Well, not officially, no.
That's the point.
Oh.
Hello, Chester.
Oh, howdy, Verd.
How about a beer?
Well, I'm-I'm much obliged
to you, Verd,
but, uh, I... I don't...
Mr. Dillon, here he comes.
If he mentions that gold,
you stick to the same story
we've been telling
all over town, you understand?
Yes, sir, I think so.
Well, you better, or
you won't collect that reward.
Marshal.
Oh, hello, Yermo.
This the man
that found that bandit for you?
Yeah.
I was real lucky.
I just stumbled onto him.
Just an accident, huh?
Yeah, that was it.
That was a real lucky accident.
You must have made
a couple thousand dollars by it.
No, only a thousand.
Oh. Well, the way I heard it,
the company was offering $1,000
for that bandit,
and then
there was another $1,000
for the gold that was stolen.
Yeah, but we didn't find
no gold.
We didn't.
If there was some there,
we didn't find it.
Uh, looked like there
was some digging,
but there wasn't no gold.
The marshal'll tell you.
How come you're so concerned
about that gold?
I'm not.
I just thought
it was kind of funny,
the gold disappearing that way,
like maybe
somebody got there ahead of you.
Well, I don't know
what happened to it,
but we didn't find it.
That's too bad, ain't it?
That sure is too bad.
I'll see you.
I said it just like
you told me, Marshal.
I done all right, didn't I?
Yeah, you did fine.
I feel kind of tired.
If it's all the same to you,
I think I'll just head back over
to the rooming house.
Fine. Whatever you like.
Well, I'll just go on, then.
Good night.
What came over him
all of a sudden?
Probably the bad beer
you serve in this place.
Oh, I'm serious, Matt.
Don't you think I am?
Hey, Verd?
You in a hurry, Verd?
No. No, I'm not in a hurry.
Listen, uh, Yermo,
we hadn't ought to be seen
talking together like this.
Oh, it don't matter.
I'm leaving town tonight.
Just as soon as you give me
that gold.
I ain't got it.
The marshal has.
That's the truth, Yermo.
He told me to say that
about not finding it.
You're lying. Come on, now,
what'd you do with it?
Listen to me, Yermo.
When you didn't come back,
I figured you got caught.
And then Charley died,
and I got scared.
You always was a coward, Verd.
That's why we left you
in the bushes
when we held up the stage.
Look, this way, we'll be safe.
We'd have a hard time
getting rid of them gold bars.
Look, I'll collect the reward
and split it with you.
Ah, Verd, you ain't gonna live
to collect nothing.
Hold it.
He killed him, Mr. Dillon.
Good.
At least he won't get away
with it.
You'd have both got away
with it
if you'd trusted him
a little more, Yermo.
I didn't have enough evidence
to convict either one of you.
Why, you sure ain't one
to let a man die happy,
are you, Marshal?
A man makes his dying
by the way he lives, Yermo.
James Arness as Matt Dillon.
I've seen a lot of men
buried up here on Boot Hill,
and most of 'em really earned
what they got.
They cheated at cards,
robbed banks,
stole horses,
murdered innocent men,
picked fights with friend
and enemy alike.
They lived and died as though
they'd never heard of the law.
And they treated me
like a trespasser,.
like someone who had no right
to interfere with their bloody
little games.
But I shot it out with them,
anyway.
I guess I'll go right on
doing it... long as I last.
Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
Ya!
That was three years ago.
Worst winter that ever hit
Wyoming Territory.
You folks in Kansas don't even
know what cold weather is.
Oh, I don't know.
We had a pretty cold winter
in Dodge back in '68.
Didn't get cold enough
to freeze buffalo, did it?
Freeze buffalo?
That's right.
They were all over the plain
after the big blizzard...
standing there, froze stiff.
Didn't you ever hear about it?
Well, a man can hear
most anything, I guess.
It happened, all right.
That blizzard was a real
gully buster.
Same one old Cottonwood Pete
got caught in
camping alone
up on Kiowa Creek.
Lost his bedroll and his horse,
and pretty near lost his life.
When the storm was over,
he seen one
of his feet was froze,
so he knew
there was only one thing to do.
He took his bowie knife,
and he cut it off
and rode a hundred miles
into Cheyenne.
How could he ride into Cheyenne?
I thought you said
he lost his horse.
Oh, he throwed his saddle
on one of them froze buffalos,
then, uh, built a fire under it
to thaw it out.
I never heard of such a thing.
It's a fact, so help me.
Only thing was, though,
Pete built too hot a fire.
When he pulled up in front
of the Cheyenne Hotel,
that buffalo was roasted
to a turn.
Took the whole town
to eat it all.
How much longer
till we get to Dodge City?
Oh, we ought to be there
in an hour or two.
I wonder
what Jim's stopping here for.
Take it easy, driver.
Hand down that rifle
by the barrel.
That sidearm, too.
Get down from there.
Mr. Dillon? Mr. Dillon,
it's a holdup. Mr. Dillon!
Hold it!
Now get out.
Easy.
Get 'em up real high.
Now, get up there, Charley,
and open that box.
Sure am glad
you didn't draw your gun, Matt.
They'd have shot me
right off the box.
Is it just two of them?
I think there's a third one out
in the brush with the horses.
How much money
you got in that box?
Ain't money.
It's gold bars.
Gold bars?
Now, you look like
the kind of dude
might be packing some cash.
How about that, mister?
This is your responsibility,
Marshal.
There's not much
I can do about it right now.
If you got money on you,
you better give it to him.
Hand it over.
You all right, Charley?
Don't amount to nothing.
Now, get them sacks
on the horses.
Sure don't want nobody
chasing us for murder.
Now, wait a minute, mister. I...
I got a wife and kids
in Dodge.
What I hear, it ain't a good
place to raise a family anyway.
Now hold on a minute, mister.
Just don't forget
it was your partner
that committed that murder,
not you.
Come on, let's get out of here!
That's right.
Charley's the one
they're gonna be looking for.
Don't any of you move
till we're out of sight.
I sure could hear them trumpets.
Yeah, that was a close one,
all right.
You were right, Jim.
There is another one.
Well, did you enjoy
your dinner, Chester?
Oh, yeah, yeah, that-that...
that was a fine dinner.
You know, Doc, somehow,
it-it tastes a little bit better
when you don't have
to pay for it yourself.
Yes, it does.
I've noticed that.
l-I... I don't think
it tasted too good to Matt, huh?
Uh, what?
Well, he lost, you know.
He's paying for it.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Course, now, Doc, you know,
he drawed the shortest straw
there fair and square.
Yes, sir, he did, didn't he?
Uh, yeah, of course I wouldn't
worry too much about it.
He usually takes care...
Well, Matt, I just wanted
to thank you for that dinner.
It was just-just fine.
Oh, that's all right, Doc.
After all, you bought
the last one, you know.
- Oh, I did.
- Well, sure.
You don't think
I'd let you get away
with that crooked straw game
otherwise, do you?
Well, tell me, uh,
how'd you enjoy it, Doc?
Yeah, how'd you enjoy
your dinner now, Doc?
You know, I got an idea, Doc,
that if you got
a little exercise,
you'd enjoy your food even more.
Exercise?
Like putting my feet up on my
desk the rest of the day,
like you're probably
gonna do right now?
You got a better idea?
Yes, as a matter of fact,
I have.
Why don't you go catch
those stagecoach robbers?
- Been over a week.
- Oh, we'll get 'em, Doc.
- Yes.
- They-they...
they might be clean
out of the country by now, Doc.
Well, I thought you said their
trail doubled back into Dodge?
Well, it did, but they might
have gone on through, you know?
They could be in Wichita,
Abilene, anyplace by now.
What I can't understand,
why with $2,000 of gold
in that box, why the stagecoach
people couldn't afford
to hire a man to ride shotgun.
Well, they should have,
but they're willing
to pay for it now...
$1,000 reward, dead or alive,
for the murder.
Sure, sure they are now.
Bad business for 'em...
people getting murdered
on their line.
Say, Doc, you know, uh,
they're also offering half
of the worth of that gold
to anybody that finds it.
- Oh, they are?
- Yeah.
Maybe you ought to start
looking for it.
Well, now, I just may do that.
I haven't got a soft
government job.
Hey, Doc, you ought
to get you a new set of straws.
He sure can't take a joke,
can he, Mr. Dillon?
Oh, boy.
Oh, watch where you're going!
- Sorry, mister.
- Oh, get out on the street
with those things where you
ain't bothering people.
Go on, get!
Now, wait a minute.
What is it, Mr. Dillon?
There's something awful familiar
about that man.
What?
Why, that voice. I've heard
that before, haven't you?
By golly, there is
something familiar about that.
He's going up
to Doc's office. Come on.
Yeah, it's my partner, Doc.
He hurt his arm.
Cut it on some wire, and now
it's all swole up there,
and he's talking crazy,
out of his head, you know?
Well, that sounds like
quite an infection to me.
Might even be gangrene.
Is that bad?
Well, yes, that's pretty bad.
He could lose the arm.
Might even lose his life.
Where is he?
Uh, he's out on the prairie.
We got a camp out there.
Well, why didn't
you bring him in?
Well, I thought maybe
he hadn't ought to be moved.
Ain't there just some kind
of medicine you can give me?
I'll take it back out to him.
Well, no, sir.
You better get that man in here
where I can have a look at it.
It wouldn't be his left arm
by any chance, would it, mister?
Why, no.
No. It was his right arm.
I'll see you later, Doc.
Well, what is it, Matt?
Well, Chester, I hope you got
a lot of sleep last night.
Why?
'Cause you're gonna be
pretty busy.
I want you to follow him
and don't let him out
of your sight, whatever you do.
Yes, sir.
Well, what's going
on here, Matt?
Doc, I think that's one of
the men that robbed the stage.
Oh.
Same build, same voice.
Well, you won't have to worry
about that partner of his,
unless he gets him in here
pretty quick.
Yeah.
- Mr. Dillon.
- Chester.
I wasn't asleep.
Oh, well, I didn't say you were.
Oh, well, I thought maybe
that-that you thought
that m... that, uh,
maybe I... that I... uh...
Well, I wasn't.
Yeah, uh-huh.
And where is he?
Oh, he's in the cafe there.
I'll tell you, Mr. Dillon,
if you hadn't come along
when you did, though,
I just might have been asleep.
I'll tell you,
I never seen nobody
that could go like he does.
He was up all night long
playing cards,
and then he... he gets
on his horse
and he rides down
along the river and back.
Well, he's probably
trying to shake you.
No. No, it wasn't that.
Heck, he didn't even know
that I was following him.
I was real cautious.
Mm-hmm.
Did you get a hold
of that Kiowa scout?
Yeah, he'll be along
in a minute to spell you.
Well, I sure hope so. He...
What's the idea, Marshal?
Idea?
This man's been tracking me
all night, and I got
a feeling you're behind it.
How'd you know?
Mister, you might as well
have been wearing snowshoes
with cowbells on 'em.
Well, Mr. Dillon,
I swear to you,
I didn't... I didn't make
no noise or...
It's all right, Chester.
It's all right.
I don't know what
you're getting at, Marshal.
Why, a man can't come into
Dodge City here
and do a little gambling
without you putting somebody
on his trail?
Even followed me down
to the river.
Always like to know
who I'm talking to, mister.
What name do you go by?
My own. Yermo.
Well, all right, Mr. Yermo.
The reason
I'm having you followed
is because I don't want you
to leave town
without my knowing about it.
Yeah? Why not?
I'm kind of interested
in that friend of yours.
That one that hurt his arm
on some wire?
Well, he's a long ways
from here.
Well, you better go after him,
hadn't you?
He's liable to die.
Well, then stop
having me followed.
Now, what difference
does that make?
We're not keeping you from him,
are we?
Don't you worry.
I'm going after him.
When?
It's my business when.
Anybody tries to follow me
is going to get into trouble.
From a shotgun?
I ain't got a shotgun.
You had one the last time,
didn't you?
I don't know
what you're talking about.
You're wasting time, Yermo.
While you're standing
around here,
that friend of yours
is probably dying.
Now, you just leave me alone,
Marshal.
All right.
You're free to come and go
as you want to.
But you're not going
to be alone.
Eh, I tell you, Mr. Dillon,
that Indian's a wonder
to behold.
Two days, not a wink of sleep.
He don't even look like
he's tired.
Yeah, but Yermo sure does.
I saw him down the street
this morning.
Yeah, well, he ought to be with
what he's got on his conscience.
Letting his partner just lay out
there on the prairie and die
'cause he won't risk his neck
to help him none.
Yeah, I sure figured him
to break before this.
Well, that pump
down at the plaza
sure is sucking up mud.
Mr. Dillon,
you-you think that Yermo knows
that that Kiowa
is following him yet?
Oh, I doubt that.
He's a pretty smart Indian.
- Yeah.
- But I'll tell you.
I think Yermo knows
something's up,
or he'd have headed out there
before this.
You the marshal?
Yeah. What can I do for you?
I'm Verd, Marshal.
Uh, Verd Regan.
Just a cowboy.
Nothing wrong with being
a cowboy, is there?
No, I reckon not.
Marshal, I found a dead man
yesterday.
He was out in the prairie
about 15 miles.
I didn't know what to do,
so I just wrapped a blanket
around him, left him there.
Looked like a kind of a camp
he had there.
Well, you think
you could take us to him?
- If you want.
- Well, good.
Better saddle up
a couple of horses, Chester.
Yes, sir.
Well, you got any idea
how the man died?
Well, not for sure,
but his left arm was swell up
something fierce.
Let's go.
How'd you ever find him
way out here?
Oh, I was hunting strays.
That's the only reason
I came poking back in here.
His arm's all swole up, he's got
a bullet hole in his sleeve.
Didn't just happen, though.
Must have been a week
or more back.
Yeah. Well, it was gangrene
that killed him.
Mr. Dillon. Mr. Dillon,
look at that there, would you?
Oh.
Well, that's the kind
they were using, all right.
You think it's him, maybe?
Well, I don't think
there's any doubt of it now.
Verd, looks like
you made yourself $1,000.
What do you mean?
Well, that's the man that
murdered that passenger
on the stage holdup last week.
$1,000 reward for him,
dead or alive.
What do you know.
I didn't know
I was gonna get rich off this.
Well, that's the way
things work out sometimes.
You know,
there's another $1,000, too,
for anybody can show 'em
where the gold is hid at.
- There is?
- Yeah.
Well, I bet it's buried
right around here somewhere.
Say, wait a minute.
Seemed like
when I was here yesterday,
I remember somewhere
around here looked liked
somebody had been digging.
Yeah, yeah,
it was around here somewhere.
Someplace close to here.
Yeah.
Yeah, there.
Here it is. See?
Ha.
You know, Marshal,
I didn't think nothing
about this yesterday,
because I didn't know
this fella had robbed a stage.
Hey.
Here it is. See?
Yeah.
Here's one.
Yeah.
Here's another one.
Two of 'em. Whoa, heavy.
Another one.
Hey. Hey.
Here's a third one.
Maybe there's another one.
No, no.
There was only three of 'em.
I found 'em, didn't I, Marshal?
So, I...
I collect that reward, too,
won't I, Marshal?
'Cause I told you
right where to look.
Yeah, you sure did.
Told us right where to look.
Well, let's go get
that man buried, shall we?
Boy, it's mightily good
to get off that prairie
for a change.
Yeah, I can imagine.
You must not get to town
too often.
I don't remember
seeing you around before.
No, you ain't.
l-I've been too broke.
Well, it takes a lot of money
to see the elephant in Dodge
these days.
Well, that's just what
I'm aiming to do,
see me some elephants.
And I'll have plenty of money
to do it, too.
That sit all right with you?
Sure. Come on over
anytime, Verd.
A good customer's
always welcome.
Hey, how long you figure
it's gonna be
before that stage line
pays off, Marshal?
Oh, it's pretty hard to say.
Two, three weeks maybe.
Waiting ain't gonna be easy,
is it?
I can stand it.
Fire, boy,
that's what I like... fire.
Can I fetch you a beer?
No, thanks, uh-uh.
I'll just get myself one, then.
Not very choosy
about your friends anymore.
Kitty, I didn't say
he was a friend, did I?
Well, you two have been
hanging around together
for the last two days closer
than a calf with its mother.
Even been buying his drinks.
Look, Kitty,
one of those robbers is dead.
I want the other two.
Is that what he's for?
I'm using him for bait.
Well, that's about all
he's good for, if you ask me.
Well, I just hope
he's good for that.
Miss Kitty.
Howdy, Chester.
What's, uh...
What's Yermo doing, Chester?
Well, he's-he's outside there,
Mr. Dillon.
He's... keeps looking
in the window there
like he's trying
to get up the nerve
to come in or something.
Oh, good. Maybe it's beginning
to bother him.
What's beginning to bother him?
Wondering where
all that gold is.
Well, it hasn't been found yet,
has it?
Well, not officially, no.
That's the point.
Oh.
Hello, Chester.
Oh, howdy, Verd.
How about a beer?
Well, I'm-I'm much obliged
to you, Verd,
but, uh, I... I don't...
Mr. Dillon, here he comes.
If he mentions that gold,
you stick to the same story
we've been telling
all over town, you understand?
Yes, sir, I think so.
Well, you better, or
you won't collect that reward.
Marshal.
Oh, hello, Yermo.
This the man
that found that bandit for you?
Yeah.
I was real lucky.
I just stumbled onto him.
Just an accident, huh?
Yeah, that was it.
That was a real lucky accident.
You must have made
a couple thousand dollars by it.
No, only a thousand.
Oh. Well, the way I heard it,
the company was offering $1,000
for that bandit,
and then
there was another $1,000
for the gold that was stolen.
Yeah, but we didn't find
no gold.
We didn't.
If there was some there,
we didn't find it.
Uh, looked like there
was some digging,
but there wasn't no gold.
The marshal'll tell you.
How come you're so concerned
about that gold?
I'm not.
I just thought
it was kind of funny,
the gold disappearing that way,
like maybe
somebody got there ahead of you.
Well, I don't know
what happened to it,
but we didn't find it.
That's too bad, ain't it?
That sure is too bad.
I'll see you.
I said it just like
you told me, Marshal.
I done all right, didn't I?
Yeah, you did fine.
I feel kind of tired.
If it's all the same to you,
I think I'll just head back over
to the rooming house.
Fine. Whatever you like.
Well, I'll just go on, then.
Good night.
What came over him
all of a sudden?
Probably the bad beer
you serve in this place.
Oh, I'm serious, Matt.
Don't you think I am?
Hey, Verd?
You in a hurry, Verd?
No. No, I'm not in a hurry.
Listen, uh, Yermo,
we hadn't ought to be seen
talking together like this.
Oh, it don't matter.
I'm leaving town tonight.
Just as soon as you give me
that gold.
I ain't got it.
The marshal has.
That's the truth, Yermo.
He told me to say that
about not finding it.
You're lying. Come on, now,
what'd you do with it?
Listen to me, Yermo.
When you didn't come back,
I figured you got caught.
And then Charley died,
and I got scared.
You always was a coward, Verd.
That's why we left you
in the bushes
when we held up the stage.
Look, this way, we'll be safe.
We'd have a hard time
getting rid of them gold bars.
Look, I'll collect the reward
and split it with you.
Ah, Verd, you ain't gonna live
to collect nothing.
Hold it.
He killed him, Mr. Dillon.
Good.
At least he won't get away
with it.
You'd have both got away
with it
if you'd trusted him
a little more, Yermo.
I didn't have enough evidence
to convict either one of you.
Why, you sure ain't one
to let a man die happy,
are you, Marshal?
A man makes his dying
by the way he lives, Yermo.