Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 5, Episode 27 - Where'd They Go - full transcript

Accused of being the masked robber of the general store, a homesteader agrees to come along quietly with Matt and Chester, but he asks that they help him complete a few chores about the place for his poor wife, who's in the family way.

♪♪ [theme]

starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

[wind blows]

[door closes]

Yes, sir, what...

You ain't gonna get by of this.

You shut up.

What's the matter?
Ain't it enough for you?

Shut up.

I ain't gonna shut
up. I'm gonna yell.

What are you doing?



What are you... [muffled]

[muffled] Help! Help!

Help!

Yes, sir, Marshal, robbed.

Held up. Hit over the head.

Robbed right in my own store.

Well, when did all this happen anyway?
Chester and I were by here not long ago.

Well, that's when I was tied up.

Dressed up like a prairie
chicken laid out behind the counter.

I finally worked my feet loose
and started kicking against that wall.

That's when Bert heard
me, come in, turned me loose.

I told him to go get you.

All right, just take it easy for a minute
and tell us exactly what happened.

Well, this fellow, this bandit...
He come in just about closing time.



Now, he had a bandana
over his face. He had a gun.

He tied me up. He took
everything in that cash drawer. $68.

Now, you go get him, Marshal.

Huh. It's a pretty tall
order going after a man

that's got that much of a head
start with a blizzard coming on.

Well, that's what I'm trying
to tell you, I know who he is.

Thought you said he had
a bandana over his face.

I can tell from his
voice, it is Clint Dodie.

Dodie?

Yeah, that homesteader up river.

Clint Dodie? Well, he's not
the kind that would rob anybody.

Well, he robbed me, Marshal.

Look, I know it was him, I'm
100% certain. You go get him.

Well, all right, we'll ride out in the
morning and have a talk with him.

In the morning?

Now, Mr. Jonas, if you think I'm
gonna ride 20 miles up a river bottom

with a blizzard
coming on for $68...

- Marshal, he took...
- Come on, Chester, let's go.

Boy, this town sure is
deserted tonight, isn't it?

Well, they probably went
home to go to bed to keep warm.

Say, they got a good stove
going over at the Long Branch.

Let's head on over
there and use it, shall we?

- That's a good idea. Yeah.
- Okay.

♪♪ [piano]

How much farther do
we got to go, Mr. Dillon?

Just beyond those
trees there, Chester.

I don't know whether I can
stand much more of this. I'm froze.

Well, listen, we came out here to arrest
a man, you know, not move in with him.

What do you mean by that?

Well, it's as long a
ride back as it was out.

Never thought of that.

Dodie probably seen
us ride up, Mr. Dillon.

You reckon he's hold up in there
just waiting to shoot it out with us?

No, no, he's not
that kind, Chester.

Well, nobody thought he was the
kind to hold up Mr. Jonas, neither.

Well, can't argue that with you.

Hello!

Howdy.

Come on in!

Just tie them up
on the fence there.

- Good morning, Marshal.
- Howdy.

- Chester.
- Yeah.

Well, come on in
out of the weather.

Got a couple of pots of
hot coffee on the stove.

- All right.
- Sure could warm my hands up a little.

Medora, we got company.

Come on over here and
warm yourselves a little.

That fire sure looks good, I'll tell you.
Looks like it's gonna blow up a real storm.

Yeah, we're in for a spell
of cold weather, all right.

Oh, hello there, Marshal,
Chester. Well, this is a surprise.

- Howdy, ma'am.
- Listen, if you're hungry,

I can rustle up some
eggs and side meat.

No, we ate before
we came out, thanks.

Oh, well, I got lots
of hot coffee cooking.

Well, what brings you
out this way, Marshal?

You, Dodie.

What do you mean?

Came out here to arrest
you. Take you back to Dodge.

What for?

Armed robbery.

You don't mean that holdup at Jonas'
general store last evening, do you?

That's right. How'd
you know about it?

- Well...
- Coffee's ready.

Come on while it's hot.

Did I hear you say something
about a robbery, Marshal?

Yes, ma'am.

I got the feeling you
was accusing Clint of it.

Well, it's more a matter
of Mr. Jonas accusing him.

Oh, when did this
robbery take place?

Last night.

Clint hasn't left the
house for two days.

Now, Medora.

Well, I'm afraid a wife's word won't
mean much in a case like this, ma'am.

Well, you calling me a liar?

It's no use, Medora.

There's people seen me
in town yesterday evening.

Well, Jonas swears he did.

Well, I hear the man that
done it was wearing a mask.

He said he
recognized your voice.

Oh, well, Jonas couldn't recognize
sour apples if he had a mouth full of them.

Well, I'm afraid that will
be up to the judge to decide.

Then you're gonna take me jail.

Unless you can prove you
were somewhere else last night.

Well, might be
kind of hard to do.

Well, you better go
get your horse saddled.

All right.

Wait a minute. I can't leave Medora
like this, not with the storm coming up.

Ain't enough firewood in the
house to last her a day and a half.

I was aiming to get
some laid in today.

No, sir. I ain't leaving
here, not in her condition.

Oh, Clint.

Under her condition,
what are you talking about?

Medora's gonna have a baby.

What?

Hard on a woman having
her man took off to jail.

But you got to admit it'd
be a mean thing to leave her

without enough firewood
to keep her warm.

Well, Medora, I'm real happy to
hear that you're gonna have a baby.

I think that's fine.

Now, look, Dodie,
you just tell me that you

didn't have anything
to do with that robbery,

and I'll go back into town and get
the whole thing straightened out.

Well, I guess I don't
have any choice.

I'm sorry, ma'am. But
don't you worry now.

Because we'll get you somebody out here
to give you a hand just as soon as we can.

We sure will.

Well, it wouldn't take us no time
at all to get that firewood split first

if the three of us was
to pitch in together.

All right, let's get at it.

Mr. Dillon, you mean we're
gonna stay here and chop wood?

Well, just soon as we
get the horses put away.

Yeah.

I'm sorry, ma'am.

What's the matter, Chester?

Oh, well, that derned ol' piece
of wood hit me right in the leg.

That ax, it just... it
just needs sharpening.

Ain't too good a steel. The
marshal there has got the best one.

Well, you couldn't prove
it by me, I'll tell you that.

It just won't hold
no edge at all.

I'll touch it up on the
stone for you, Chester.

Well, look at all the wood
that we got cut there already.

It's enough to last the whole
winter and half of the next one.

Well, that fireplace uses
it up mighty fast, Chester.

Yeah, well, I'm getting used up
pretty fast myself. Ain't we got enough?

Got to use some to
cook with, you know?

Well, what is she gonna
cook? A whole buffalo?

Another lick or two, and I'll have
a real fine edge for you, Chester.

Yeah. I'm just as
grateful to you as I can be.

Chester's right, Dodie. We've
chopped up enough firewood here.

Let's get headed back for
Dodge before this storm really hits.

Well, whatever you say, Marshal.

Well, I say it's
about time, myself.

Oh, my, look at all this wood.

I'm right obliged to you men.

You've been working nearly two
hours. You feel like some nice hot vittles?

I got a stew
cooking on the stove.

Did you say stew?

Now, we have to get headed
back to Dodge, ma'am.

Well, uh, Mr. Dillon, couldn't
we, I mean, just taste it?

It'll make the trail
shorter, Marshal.

I fixed it just for you.

Well, all right.

I get the table laid.

You wouldn't mind carrying a few
sticks of this into the house, would you?

It ain't good for a woman
in Medora's condition

to be toting heavy
loads, you know?

Well, we cut it, might
as well carry it in for him.

By golly, Mrs. Dodie, that's
about the best stew I ever ate.

Oh, Chester, you just come
to the table with a big appetite.

All that work you've done.

Well, I was a might
hungry, I will say that.

I kind have noticed you been
eating more, too, Medora.

Oh, Clint. Ain't he
the one, Marshal?

Now, I'll have some coffee
for you in just a minute.

Oh, look at all that firewood.
Reckon I'll need every stick of it, too.

Soon the snow starts, that wind
will blow right through the north wall.

Gol-dang it! I clean forgot.

Forgot what?

- The bats.
- What bats?

That whole north wall
needs new bats nailed up.

I was aiming to fix it today.

Come on, I'll show you.

See what I mean?

I was aiming to fix it today,
but I got a lot of wood bats cut.

They're just laying
out back in the barn.

Dodie, it's getting late. We
got to get back to Dodge.

Well, it wouldn't
take no time at all.

You got to admit it
would be a mean thing,

a woman in Medora's condition, with
the snow and sleet blowing in on her.

Let's get our coats, Chester.

- Chester.
- Yeah.

Hold this for me
a minute, will you?

Well, all right.

What's the matter?
Can't you hold it?

Well, my hand is so froze, I
just can't hardly hold nothing.

- Here, I'll hold it.
- Never mind. I got it.

- You got it?
- Yeah.

That ought to keep the
wind off your wife, Dodie.

Looks, fine, Marshal. Just fine.

Sure am obliged to you men.

Both of you.

Well, that's all right,
Dodie. That's quite all right.

Want you to know, Marshal,

I sure appreciate the way
you've been so decent.

I wouldn't have
asked just for myself.

Yeah, come on, let's
get these tools put away.

It's gonna be dark
before we get to Dodge.

Say, Marshal, I just thinking.

I might be gone for a
long time, mightn't I?

Well, that's kind
of hard to say.

All I'm responsible
for is getting you to jail.

Well, there ain't many lawmen that would
help me get the place here into shape,

Medora would be all right alone.

Oh, we're glad to do it.

She's gonna have
enough problems as it is.

Ain't that the truth.

Her in her condition and all...

now with the sheep gone.

The sheep gone?

Well, I only had about 30 head.

But with me in prison,
it might've been enough

to see her through
while I was gone,

her and the little one.

What happened to them?

Had them in the meadow
there, back of the barn.

They drifted off last night.

Well, when the storm hit,
they probably just turn tail

and drifted along with
the wind, didn't they?

That's what they usually do.

Well, it don't
matter now anyhow.

Medora couldn't take care
of them, not in her condition.

Unless maybe I had
them in the corral here.

She can push the feed
out of the loft at them.

Where do you
suppose they went to?

Well, I...

I suppose they drifted about three
miles downstream there to them bluffs.

That wouldn't help
them none, though.

They just mill around there and
freeze to death if this storm keeps up.

Three miles downstream, huh?

I was aiming to go fetch
them today, of course.

Oh, sure, sure. Of course.

Well, should we get our horses?

Well, we're gonna need them.

We got 30 head of
sheep to round up.

[sheep bleat]

Some crankiest bunch of darn
sheep I ever seen in my born days.

Well, it's that storm.
It had them spooked.

Turned out to be more of a
chore than I thought, Marshal.

I just wished I was getting paid
for the work I've been doing today.

Well, I don't know how I'd
have managed without you men.

I want you to know that we
appreciate it, me and Medora both.

Now, we can head for town
anytime you're ready to start, Marshal,

unless you'd like
some hot coffee first.

We're not going to Dodge tonight,
and you know that as well as I do.

It'll be dark in half a hour.

Thank goodness for that.

Now, come on, let's get
these horses bedded down.

[chickens clucking]

Well, dang it, Dodie. Where
did you get all these chickens?

Oh, they always come in in the
cold weather, all by theirselves.

Well, at least they got a place
where they can keep warm.

Say, Marshal, I just thinking.

Yeah?

Since we ain't
rushing off no place,

maybe you wouldn't mind helping me killing,
dress a couple dozen of these hens.

We can hang them up on
the ridge poll there to freeze.

A couple of dozen hens?

Well, that chicken broth is mighty
good for a woman in Medora's condition.

Well, you wouldn't mind if we
put up the horses first, would you?

If you'd rather not help
me, I can do it by myself.

Oh, no, no. We'd
be glad to help you.

I haven't plucked a chicken
since I was 9 years old.

You know...

A man could sure get
to love this kind of work.

- Huh.
- Well, I mean, you know,

if he had his
druthers between this

and rounding up a
bunch of mean old sheep

in the middle of
a near blizzard.

I know it ain't been an
easy day for you, Chester,

but we're mighty grateful
to you, me and Medora,

especially Medora.

Yeah, I know. In her condition.

Ain't that the truth.

You ain't sore at me, are you?

[coughing] No, no. Heavens, no.

Why on earth would you
think we'd be sore at you?

It's good for a man to do hard
work. That's what everybody says.

You've been mighty
decent, both of you.

Let me tell you
something, Dodie.

Now, we've chopped your wood,
and we've fixed up your house,

we've rounded up your sheep,
we're plucking your chickens.

We'll make soap for
you, we'll salt down pork,

anything you want
up until midnight.

Then we're going to bed,

then we're gonna
get up at sunrise,

and we're going
to ride into Dodge,

and you're going to jail.

Chester.

- Chester.
- Huh?

Wake up.

It's morning. The sun's up.

That storm's gone, too. We got
to get headed back for Dodge.

Ohh... Ohh... Heck, you know,

I never felt so sore
in I don't know when.

Uhh...

Oh, I feel like I'm plum
out down in my back.

[groan]

Oh, I swear I'm gonna have to
be spoon-fed for a whole month.

I just never worked so
hard in my whole life.

- Good morning.
- Morning, Marshal.

- Ohh...
- Chester.

- Yeah. Ohh...
- What's the matter with him?

Oh, he's got growing pains.

Well, I'm just growing
tired of being a ranch hand,

that's all I can tell you,

and I ain't gonna do another
lick of work for you today, neither.

You'll feel better when you've
had some hot coffee, Chester.

[Doc] Anybody home?

- Well, who's that?
- Well, it sounds like Doc.

By golly, it does.

It is Doc.

What in the world's
he doing out here?

- Hello, Doc.
- Hello, Matt.

Well, what are you doing
out here this time of the day?

Well, I'd like to get
warm. Hi, Chester.

- Well, that's...
- Good morning, Doc.

Take off your coat and
come here and get warm.

I'll do it. That
fire looks good.

So this is where you've
been hiding out, huh?

Yeah.

Well, morning, Doc.

- Medora, how you feeling?
- Oh, fine. Never felt better.

That's good.

I'll have some coffee ready
for you men, just a minute.

That's fine.

Doc, what brings you clear out
here this time of the morning?

Well, the Murdock baby got a little
touch of the croup yesterday afternoon,

and I had to run out there,
and then the storm got worse,

and I decided to stay all night.

Then this morning I
just figured I'd come by

and see how Clint and
Medora was getting along.

What are you... What
are you doing here?

Doc, if we was to tell you
what we've been doing here,

you... you... you just
wouldn't believe it no how.

What?

Well, they've been helping
me out, Doc, me and Medora.

Oh. How's that?

Well, you see, the marshal
come out to arrest me.

Arrest you? What for?

For holding up Jonas'
store night before last.

Well, where in thunder
did you get an idea like that?

What are you talking about?
Jonas proffered charges against him.

Why, Jonas is crazy.

Well, they caught
the fella who did it.

What are you talking about?

Sure. Sure. Some
drifter came to town,

and he was playing poker
with the boys the other night,

the way I heard it, and he got to
throwing money around kind of loose,

and they got suspicious, and
they jumped on him about it,

and he confessed the
whole thing right there.

They got him tied up now,
waiting for you to get back in town.

- Didn't you tell him?
- Well, I...

Told me what?

Well, good gosh.

Clint was playing poker with me
and Moss Grimmick at the time,

and we heard about
the store being robbed,

and we heard that Jonas
was blaming Clint for it,

and, well, he was sitting right
there. We got a big laugh about it.

Well, you see, Marshal, uh...

when me and Medora
seen you coming out,

we kind of figured what
you was coming for,

and, uh, with all the chores around
the place that needed doing and...

Well, I never
actually lied to you.

I suppose that story about
your wife having a baby and all...

That's the Gospel
truth. Tell him, Doc.

Oh, sure it's the truth.
Medora's going to have a baby

we figured in about six
months, didn't we, Clint?

Mm-hmm.

Six months?

See, Doc, the marshal
here is a mite put out with me.

I don't think him and Chester
had done all those chores for me

if they'd knowed I was playing
poker with you and Moss.

- Chores? What?
- Never mind about the chores.

Oh, like splitting wood
and rounding up sheep

and nailing up the bats
and plucking chickens.

Plucking chickens?

[Dillon] What's so funny?

Well, I think the boys in Dodge
are going to find this kind of amusing

when I tell them how you and
Chester got hooked up like a pair of...

Wait a minute. Let
me tell you something.

Both of you.

If this story ever gets
past this room right here,

I'm gonna take the both
of you and throw you in jail,

and I'm gonna
throw away the key.

What's the charge?

I don't know, but I'll
think of something.

Oh, don't get so
steamed up, Marshal.

We might even name
the baby after you,

if we can't think
of nothing else.

Thank you very much.

I'll have breakfast
ready in a few minutes.

Nothing fancy now. Just buttermilk,
hot cakes, side meat with gravy,

fresh laid eggs, hot apple pie,

and you start the coffee,
and I'll start breakfast.

Well, at least we get
a good meal out of it.

Yeah.