Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 4, Episode 9 - Land Deal - full transcript

starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.

Oh, hello, Miss Kitty.

It's too high.

The price is too high.

Absolutely ridiculous.

I've never heard
of such a thing.

Well, Kitty, what, uh,

what seems to be the trouble
this morning?

Well, just take a look at that.

$2.65 for a pair of shoes.

Kind of high, huh?



Is it high?

Wilbur Jonas is a bandit, Matt.

You ought to arrest him.

Well, now, Kitty,
it's not as bad as all that.

I don't care if they are
the latest style.

And I don't care
if they're imported from Europe.

I don't care if they are

the prettiest shoes
I've seen in ages.

It's still too high.

Which pair do you like best?

Oh, well, uh, I don't know...

Come on, which ones
do you like best?

Well, well, how about the ones
with the laces on them there?

What's wrong with the ones
with the buttons?



Well, nothing, I guess.

But, uh...

Well, you know, I'm not exactly
an expert on these things.

Pair of 'em would look mighty
pretty on you, Miss Kitty.

$2.65... I want to talk to you,
Mr. Jonas.

Oh, w-well, yes.

I-I'd be happy to talk to you,
Miss Kitty, anytime you want.

Mr. Dillon.

Uh, this here
is-is Mr. Trumbell.

He come over to the office
looking for you.

Marshal Dillon.

What can I do for you?

I want a badge, Marshal.

I want you to make me a deputy.

Oh?

Are you out of a job,
is that it?

Oh, I'm never
out of work, Marshal.

At present, I'm leading
a party of immigrants

up onto the south fork
of the Pawnee.

Oh...

Well, you, uh, you familiar
with the country out there?

Oh, I have some excellent maps,
furnished to me by the railroad.

Oh, I see.
You work for the railroad.

No, I work for these immigrants,
you might say.

You see, I got together
some ten families back east,

and then I arranged
to buy five sections

of railroad land for them.

Oh, 'bout, uh, 30 miles
northeast of here.

I'm their legal representative,

- and I'm guiding them in.
- I see.

And I thought a deputy's badge
might be a good idea,

just in case there's any
squabbling after we get there.

You know, over who gets
what land, that kind of thing.

Well, most immigrant parties

draw straws for the land
before they ever see it.

Oh, well, uh,
we did that, too, of course.

Well, then what's the trouble
you're expecting?

Well, I'm not
expecting it, exactly.

It's just that, uh,
well, you know, Marshal...

it'd be worth something
to me to have one.

I don't sell badges, mister.

Oh.

Well, I just thought, you know,
some lawmen...

Forget.

All right, Marshal.

No offense.

Where's your party now?

Oh, we're in camp,
down by the river.

We're, uh, pulling out
in the morning.

Maybe I'll just ride out there
and have a look.

I'm kind of curious about this
trouble you're talking about.

Oh, no, that won't be necessary.

You misunderstand me, Marshal.

There isn't going to be
any trouble.

It's just that,
in case there was, I thought...

Well, I won't take up
any more of your time.

Good day to both of you.

Well, he sure had a lot of gall,
didn't he?

Yeah.

That fella can't seem
to make up his mind

whether he's expecting trouble
or not.

Maybe we can help him
find out, huh?

What are you gonna do,
ride out there?

Yeah.

Let's get the horses.

Looks like a nice place
for a camp, all right.

Yeah.

Looks kind of
empty though, don't it?

Well, there's something going on

over there behind the wagons.

Let's go.

You have to go through
with this, Cal?

Make that knot tight.

I don't want it come loose.

What are they
fixin' to do there?

That's the way they got to
fightin' on riverboats, Chester.

Bad way... they'll probably
both get killed.

You're wrong, Cal,
you're just plain wrong.

Plenty other times
I warned you about.

I couldn't have been
wrong on all of them.

That's got nothing
to do with Daniel.

- He didn't mean nothing.
- Don't you beg for me.

Ah, come on, you pigheaded fool.

Let's get this over with.

We was just talking's all.

Sure, talking.

I've been watching
you two "talking"

all the way out from St. Louis.

And I warned you about it
for the last time.

You're making a mistake, Cal.
There's no call for killing him!

Get out of my way.

You're ready, are you?

Well, just telling a fool
don't seem to do no good.

I guess you got to have it
cut into you.

All right, you men, hold it!

Stay out of this, mister!

I said hold it.

This ain't nothing
for the law to horn in on.

Drop the knives, both of you.

Go on, drop 'em!

Yeah...

can't cut a man
that ain't armed.

That the only way
you men can think of

to settle an argument?

It wasn't my idea, Marshal.

You ain't using the law
to hide behind, Keppert.

I catch you bothering my wife
again, I'll shoot you on sight.

You hear me?

Once a fool, always a fool.

You wish I was, don't you?

Well, I ain't.

And you had the last warning
you're gonna get.

Just a minute.

Now, you people are going
to be settling

within 30 miles of Dodge City.

I don't want to hear anything
more about things like this.

That's up to Keppert.

Come on, Sidna.

I could tell that man plenty.

A man like that,
it'd just be a waste of breath.

You'd better take my advice
and stay away from him.

That ain't easy to do, Marshal.

See, he's the best friend I got.

Marshal, I'm Sidna Calhoun.

Yes, ma'am.

I think you're the first marshal

I've seen out here
on the frontier.

That so?

I suppose you want
to ask me some questions,

seeing as it was my husband
that Keppert wanted to fight.

Mrs. Calhoun,
I'm not in the habit

of mixing in family affairs.

Oh, I see.

Well, I've got some coffee
on the coals,

if you'd like a cup
before you start back to Dodge.

All right. Thank you.

Chester, I'm gonna join the lady
for a cup of coffee.

Maybe I can find out
a little more

about what's going on
around here.

Well, all right.
I'll just talk to them fellers

over there by the wagon, then.

All right.

Might be, uh,
somebody from their home.

Thank you.

Marshal, I'm so ashamed
of my husband,

fighting out there in the dirt
like any common drifter.

And his friend Keppert, too.

Well, maybe he's got a reason.

What reason?

Oh, I don't know.

Maybe he thinks
you got too many friends.

Oh, he's just a fool,
just like Keppert told him.

I see. And there's nothing
between you and Keppert, huh?

Marshal.

Is that a nice thing to say
to a lady?

Are you married, Marshal?

Nope.

Thanks for the coffee,
Mrs. Calhoun.

Anytime.

You know, that feller
I was talking to over there

come all the way from Ohio.

Oh, yeah?

Sure seem like nice folks.

You find out what you wanted to
over there?

I can tell you one thing.

I don't think the trouble's
over with yet around here.

What do you mean?

I'll tell you later.

Oh, Marshal?

Marshal, I-I hope
that little set-to

hasn't given you the wrong
impression of our group.

Oh, was that the trouble
you were talking about?

Well... yes, yes.

But, uh, now that they've got it
out of their systems,

I'm-I'm sure
it won't happen again.

I hope you're right.

One more river

That cool river in Jordan

One more river

There's one more river
for y...

Doctor?

Dr. Adams.

Oh, it's Mrs. Meggs.

I just left your office, Doctor.

Oh. Really?

Left a basket of cakes
sitting on your stoop.

Oh. Well, now,
that's very thoughtful

of you, Mrs. Meggs. Thanks.

Oh, lands, it wasn't me.

Oh?

It was Lavinia thought of it.

Oh, Lavinia.

- She made 'em, too.
- She did?

Well, you thank Lavinia for me.

I will, Doc.
I certainly will.

Yes, you...

- Uh... - You know, there's a girl
with a good heart.

- Oh, yeah.
- A heart of gold, you might say.

- Yes, indeed.
- And what a cook.

Oh, yes, indeed...

You know, only the other day
she was saying

how nice it would be
if you'd drop by

and take Sunday dinner
at her place.

Yes... Well...

Like you say, Doc,
Lavinia is a fine woman.

Oh, my, yes.

- A fine homemaker, too.
- Well...

Make a body a good wife,
Lavinia would.

Oh, no young harum-scarum,
mind you,

but a man who is settled and has
a position in the community.

Yes. Uh...

Well, well, uh...

Well, uh, Mrs. Meggs,

sorry, I have to see
Marshal Dillon right...

- Dr. Adams.
- Oh, yes?

Sunday?

- Sunday?
- Sunday dinner.

Oh, yes. Well, uh, you know,
I won't, uh...

I'm expecting... to...

Soon, very soon.

Hello, Matt, Chester.

Hello, Doc.

Well, I see you found yourself
a new lady friend, huh?

Huh?

Oh, I saw you out there
with Mrs. Meggs.

Uh...

Not bad, huh?

Oh, pshaw.

Good heavens.

Every time she comes to town,

she tries to get me
cornered someplace

and marry me off to that
Lavinia... that sister of hers.

I think you could do
a whole lot worse.

Well, I don't know how.

She's buried two husbands
already.

Well, she's always bringing
you cookies and stuff.

Probably fed 'em to death.

You'd better look out, Doc.

What?

Well, you know,
the way to a man's heart

is through his stomach.

Oh, good heavens.

Say, I got time to play you

about two games of checkers,
I figure.

All right, you're on.

I've just been looking for a way

to get out of finishing
that report to Washington.

Well, the way I figure it,

the less you tell
Washington these days,

the better off everybody is.

What's the matter with him?

Oh, he's been like that
ever since yesterday, Doc.

Think there's anything
you can do for him?

He hasn't been chewing
jimsonweed, has he?

I don't think so.

Oh, you don't have to be
so smart about it.

I-I-I've been thinking, is all.

Can't a body
around here think at all?

He's in love,
that's what it is.

Oh, I ain't, darn it.

That's exactly what it is.

He's in love. And why shouldn't
you be, Chester?

Good heavens, you're young,
you're... chipper as a bronco

and rosy as an apple.

Well, it ain't nothing
of the kind, Doc.

It's more serious than I
thought. I don't think

- there's a thing I can do.
- Listen...

M-Mr. Dillon knows
what the trouble is.

Oh, he does?

Yeah. It's just that some people
don't go around

sticking their noses
into other people's business.

Well, if you're not in love,
then you're sick,

- that's all there is to it.
- Oh, I ain't neither sick.

It's-it's... I've-I've got
something that's on my mind

that I've been studying about,

so don't you tell me
that I'm sick or in love.

Chester has to find
$25 somewhere, Doc.

$25?

Yeah. Mr. Dillon, I just don't
know how I'm gonna do it,

no matter how hard
I think about it.

Oh, my, hey, $25
is an awful lot of money.

What are you gonna do with it?

Well, I'm gonna buy some land,
if you've got to know.

- Some land?!
- Yeah.

What in the world
is he talking about?

Oh, Mr. Dillon,
you go ahead and tell him.

He probably wouldn't
believe me, anyway.

He's smarting off so much
about it.

Well, we rode out
to the immigrant camp

the other day, Doc, and he heard
about the land sale.

Well, my gosh,
you can't buy any land

that's worth anything for $25.

What's it?

Well, the $25 ain't
to buy the land, Doc. It's...

It's to give
to this Mr. Trumbell

so's that he can fix it up
with the railroad. It...

It has to do with-with...
well, with taxes or something,

but if I can get
the $25 now,

well, then, I... I can
get the rest of it later.

Oh. Where?

Well, uh, uh, uh...

Well, I-I can get it
from the bank.

Mr. Bodkin'll give it to me.

- Oh?
- Loan it to me.

Yes. My goodness, Chester,

why-why don't you just
forget this whole thing?

Oh, well, Doc, no.

Now, this-this... this land
is real good bottom land.

Here, this immigrant feller
give me the map,

showed me right where
my piece of land might be.

Well, you see, well, this...

uh, south fork of the Pawnee
runs right along there.

Yeah.

Well, and the railroad comes
right along there.

Sure.

Well, now, these immigrants
bought these five sections

that lay right next
to each other right there.

Huh.

Well, I'm just hoping

that this Mr. Trumbell
will-will sell me

this little half section
right there.

Well...

Wait a minute.

Did you say those five sections

are laying right next
to each other?

Yeah, well, the...

Yeah, see where the immigrant
marked 'em out for me?

Well, that's very interesting.

Yeah, well... well, is there
something wrong?

It sure looks that way to me.

Who was it told you about this?

Was it Trumbell himself?

Well, no.

Uh, I-I kind of got interested
in it

out there the day of the fight
to begin with,

and then, well, I seen Trumbell
in here yesterday,

and I got thinking about it
all the more.

Hmm.

Well...

There is something wrong,
ain't there?

There's nothing we can't
find out about soon enough.

Well, what is it, Matt?

It's an old game, Doc,
but I guess it still works.

Well, what game?

Chester, let's get the horses.

Doc, I guess the checker game
will have to wait, huh?

Oh, yeah.

Well, Marshal...

I didn't expect
to see you again this soon.

Well, we didn't expect
to be back this soon.

There's no need to worry.

Calhoun ain't even been around.

I reckon he cooled down some
after he thought things over.

Yeah? Doesn't look that way
to me.

Better get my rifle.

Hold it, right where you are.

What are you doing? Riding herd
on him 24 hours a day,

helping him get away with it?

Put the rifle back
in the boot, Calhoun.

A man's got a right
to defend his home.

Sidna in that wagon?

Why don't you look for yourself,
you think so?

There's no place to hide
around here. You can see

for yourself.

Well, she's gone.

Since-since early before noon.

She-she took some of her clothes
and her things with her.

Well, that's not
the worst trouble

you're in, either of you.

What do you mean?

Do you men or any of the rest
of these settlers

have bills of sale
for this land you just bought?

Well, no, not yet.
Trumbell said

they'd send it on to us,
soon as they made it out.

But you've paid the money, huh?

Yeah.

Yeah, well, sure we did.

Each one of us give Trumbell
$400 for a half section.

And $25 extra
for his services.

What are you getting at,
Marshal? Something wrong?

Well, now, as I understand it,

these, uh, pieces of property
are adjoining.

- Is that right?
- Yeah, that's right.

There's five sections
right in a row.

The railroad come on one side,
and the river on the other.

Mm-hmm. Well, I guess
you didn't know it,

but when the government sold
this land to the railroad,

they sold alternate sections.

Every other one.

What are you saying?

Well, the railroad couldn't have
sold you adjoining sections,

because they don't own 'em.

Then Trumbell robbed us.

He sure did.

That's why there haven't been
any bills of sale

and why there won't be.

$425 apiece. Ten of us.

That's over $4,000 he got.

You got any idea
where he is now?

I don't know. I ain't seen him
since early this morning.

I have.

I seen him about three miles
downriver.

I was over there with the team
getting some logs.

They was on the other bank,
riding back towards Dodge.

Come on, let's go.

Cal?

Cal, uh...

Uh, there was a woman with him.

Woman? What woman?

You weren't wrong about Sidna.

It wasn't me.

I wouldn't have nothing
to do with her.

So she took up with Trumbell.

You're lying.

Cal, I sure wished I was.

We ought to go over there
ourselves.

Mr. Dillon said to wait here
and keep out of it,

and that's what
we're gonna do.

I reckon the marshal can handle
Trumbell if he finds him.

Well, it don't look
like he's having much luck.

Well, there's no sign of 'em,
but they must be here,

because Trumbell bought
two tickets about an hour ago.

Their baggage is on the coach.

Well, maybe he got scared,
changed his mind.

There's no reason for him to.

He wouldn't have been
expecting this.

Mr. Dillon.

Now, you two men stay here

and keep out of this,
you understand?

Trumbell,
I'd like to talk to you

a minute.

I'm sorry, Marshal.

We have an appointment,
and we're late now.

Just a minute, Trumbell.

The stage isn't leaving yet,

and besides,
you're not gonna be on it.

Well, if you're saying that

just because
of Sidna here, Marshal,

she's decided to go with me.

I don't think it's any of the
law's business, anyway.

It's got nothing to do
with Sidna, Trumbell.

You're under arrest.

Why, what are you talking about,
Marshal?

I'll take your gun.

No.

Now don't make it any
worse than it is.

I said give me your gun.

You're not arresting
anybody, Marshal.

Trumbell!

See, does he have
that money on him?

It wasn't my fault, Cal.

Looks like
it's probably all here.

He made me go with him.
He threatened me.

I was scared not to.

Be all right if I take my share
now, Marshal?

Yeah, I guess so.

What was it, $425?

That's right.

It's true, Cal.

It's true. You know
I wouldn't run from you

if it wasn't a reason like that.

You believe me,
don't you, Cal?

Here, take it.

What are you saying, Cal?

You know what I'm saying.

Oh, Cal, please.

Take it and get out.

Where'll I go? What'll I do?

That ain't no bother of mine.

I don't owe you nothing now.

I've been a fool, Danny.

I'm sorry.

Forget it.

Do me a favor, will you?

Tell the rest of those folks
out there

they can come to the office
and pick up the money?

Glad to, Marshal.

Yup.

Yeah, one more minute,
and he would have been gone.

Trumbell almost got away
with it, huh?

Yeah. Almost.