Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 5, Episode 35 - Belle's Back - full transcript

♪♪ [theme]

staring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

[dog barks]

[horse whinnies]

I'm glad you stopped by.
We can use the business.

You mean I'm gonna
have to pay for this stuff?

Yeah, I think it'd be
nice for a change.

Huh.

Howdy, Doc. Sit down
and have a cup of coffee.

No. No thanks.

Do you know who's back in town?



Oh, I don't even
know who's left.

Belle.

Belle?

Yes. Old man Ainsley's daughter.

Oh, no.

Well, she'll liven things
up around here for you.

Is anybody with her?

Nope. No, she went
in town alone just now.

I was kind of hoping
Jess Kreiger was along.

Jess Kreiger? Thought you were
well rid of him three years ago.

Rid of him? I'd like to
get my hands on him.

He's wanted for
about six counts...

Armed robbery, holding
up a bank, murder.

But anything you can think of.



I didn't know about that.

See you later.

Well, Belle, I heard
you were back.

News still gets
around fast in Dodge.

There was no one at your office, so I
took a chance on the next most likely spot.

Uh, you remember
Kitty, don't you?

Hello, Belle.

[Dillon] How are you?

Three years older, Matt,
and ten years harder.

Would you like to sit down?

No, thanks, I won't be a minute.

Where's Jess Kreiger?

I don't know, and I don't care.

I left him in
Durango months ago.

I'm through with
him for good, Matt.

I've come back to stay
if the town will let me.

My father's getting old,
and my kid sister Phyllis...

Well, she's grown into
a woman since I left.

Yeah. A pretty bitter
one, too, the way I hear it.

She'll get over it. Everybody
will if you'll help me.

Help you?

I came once, if you remember.

Three months after I left,

the good people of Dodge had
already tried and condemned me.

What could I do but to go back
to Jess? Nobody wanted me here.

Well, you left with him of
your own free will, didn't you?

Did I? Who knew
whether I did or not?

Who even bothered to ask?

What do you mean?

I rode out of Dodge thrown across
the back of Jess Kreiger's saddle

with a gag in my mouth
and my hands tied.

Well, now, why didn't
you tell somebody that?

Who'd believed it? You? Anybody?

What do you want
me to do, Belle?

Just tell people
the truth, that's all.

Maybe they'll believe it
if they hear it from you.

Just tell them
how it happened...

if you believe me.

Goodbye, Matt.

He didn't keep her tied
and gagged for three years.

All right, get out.

I'd like a room, please.

For the two of you?

No, for my sister.

How long is she staying?

Indefinitely.

22 is a nice room.
It's just down the hall.

I'll be glad to show it to you.

It won't be necessary. Come on.

It isn't much, but it's clean.

Anyway, you're better off
here than out at the ranch.

You're treating me
like I was a child.

And you're behaving like one.
Now go ahead and unpack.

Will you please tell me
why I have to stay here?

Because I say so, that's why.

Because you say so. Look, Belle,
I'm not your little sister anymore.

I've grown up in the last few
years while you've been gone.

Maybe you have, but
you're not much smarter.

[sighs]

What's Pa gonna
think about all this?

I don't much care what Pa thinks.
It’s got nothing to do with him.

Belle's back, so Belle's
running everybody's life again.

You're still my younger sister. I
think I know what's best for you.

I doubt that.

You'll stay here in the hotel
until I say you can come home.

We'll see.

You'll eat your meals here,
and you won't leave the room.

You don't fool me for one
minute, Belle. Not one minute.

What're you talking about?

I'm sick and tired of you
running around having all the fun

while I stay at home
like a scullery maid.

You just wait until the
marshal finds out what...

Now stop talking like a
fool, and stop acting like one.

You'll keep your mouth shut.

And you'll stay here till I say
you can leave, understand?

You'll pay for this.

You'll pay good.

You just be quiet
and do as your told.

Yeah. Chester, look. I think
that's just about enough.

Well, I took quite a
bit off there, Mr. Dillon,

but you ought to see
what you got left back here.

Yeah. I just... All wanted was just
down along the ears there, you know?

Well, my daddy used to say,
"If there's anything worth doing,

it's worth doing good."

Yeah. But he didn't mean to
cut down to the bone, you know?

Well now, Mr. Dillon, the
only time that I nicked you

is when you moved your head.

Well...

Well, there you done it
again. You moved your head.

You know, Chester, I think maybe
we've taken off just about enough.

Well, I hate to stop, Mr. Dillon,
just when I've got a good start on it.

I hate to do just a halfway job.

Well, no. Listen, I think this is
gonna just be fine, Chester. Thank you.

Well.

Evening, Miss Kitty.

Hey, Chester. What are you
doing, Matt, getting your tonsils out?

No, but I almost did.

[laughs]

You don't want to get
your hair cut, do you?

No, no. If I did,
I'd go up the street

and spend a quarter at
Mr. Teater's Barber Parlor.

Well, so would I, except he happened
to be out of town for three weeks.

By golly, you know, I think
I done a pretty good job

for as little time as I
had to work on you.

You did just fine, Chester.

I think so, too, Chester, considering
what you had to work with.

Huh?

- Matt.
- Yeah.

Have you talked
to Belle Ainsley?

Well, no, not since she got
into town the other day. Why?

Well, after she moved
back in at the ranch,

as I understand it, things
got a little rough out there.

Old man Ainsley always
did work them after to death.

Can't say I blame them
for wanting to leave.

Well, that's exactly
what's happened.

Only this time it's the younger
girl, Phyllis, that's left home.

She's got a room over
here at the Dodge House.

- She does?
- Yeah.

You know, she hit the
roof when Belle came back.

She's been pretty
bitter, you know?

Well, I can't blame
her for that, either.

She's having a pretty tough time
living down her sister's reputation.

How about a cup of coffee?

Yeah, I'd love one. Thanks.

I know you're gonna say
"This is none of your business."

Well now, Kitty, that's
exactly what I'm gonna say.

Thank you.

Matt, if Belle's telling the truth and
she really was dragged off by force,

then this town owes her and
the whole family something

for the way they've
been treated.

Well, maybe so. But what's
that got to do with me?

I know it's not
the law's business,

but it seems to me that if
there's something to be done

and nobody's gonna do
it, then it is your business.

Now, Kitty, listen...
Matt, wait a minute.

Maybe what I'm
trying to say is this.

I would have given
anything in the world

if somebody like you had talked
to me when I was Phyllis' age.

Now, you know what's gonna happen
to her if she stays at the Dodge House.

Will you talk to her, please?

All right, I'll talk to her.

Thank you.

But I don't see what
good it's gonna do.

Well, good evening, Marshall.

Mr. Dobie.

Some of my guest been
kicking up their heels, have they?

The youngest Ainsley, Phyllis, I
understand she took a room here.

She sure did.

Would you mind telling
her I'd like to speak to her?

Well, I'm afraid I
can't do that, Marshall.

Why not?

She up and left this evening.

Left?

Yes.

Said she was leaving the
country and not coming back.

I've already rent her room
to a fella by the name of...

Now, wait just a minute.
Did you see her go?

Yes.

Well, did she go alone.

She walked out here alone.

But I kind of had the impression

there was a man hanging
around outside waiting for her.

And you just let her leave?

There's nothing I
could do about it.

Oh, well, you could have told
somebody. Her family or me.

That girl's only 17, you know?

Well, 17 is grown
up, the way I look at it.

Well, I don't like the
way you look at it.

Well, I don't see no reason
to get all het up about it.

The way I figure,
she's just like her sister.

Can't wait to pick up
some low-down, no-good...

Come on, Chester.

Well, it ain't none
of my responsibility!

More coffee, Matt?

No, thanks, Belle.

We probably ought to be going.

Well, Mr. Dillon...

Thanks very much
for the hospitality.

It was nice of you to ride out.

Well, I already had business
out in the neighborhood.

Thought it would be
a chance to stop by.

- I'm glad you did.
- Bye, Mr. Ainsley.

Uh, Marshal, there's
something you ought to...

The marshal said good night, Pa.

Yeah, well, good night, Marshal.

I'll walk out with you.

Good night, Mr. Ainsley.

You know, you're the only
visitors I've had since I came back.

Nobody else from town
has been near the place.

People are kind of
slow to change, Belle.

I suppose.

Take them a while to
get used to you again.

It's not just the outsiders.

What do you mean?

I guess you wondered
where Phyllis was.

Yeah, as a
matter of fact, I did.

She wouldn't have anything
to do with me. Moved out.

Took a room in town.

Mm-hmm.

Well, she's young.
She'll get over that.

Uh, Mr. Dillon...
Let's ride, Chester.

Thanks again for riding out.

Sure.

Good night.

So long.

Mr. Dillon, I just don't know
what you're thinking about.

You know we sat
there for a half an hour

drinking that bad coffee

and, uh, talking about the weather
and the crops and all like that,

and you never mentioned one
time about that girl being missing.

Didn't you notice
how they were acting?

What do you mean?

Well, Old man Ainsley
was scared to death,

and Belle was as jumpy as a cat.

Well, yeah, I noticed that they
acted kind of funny, but, uh...

Just lay you 10 to 1
that Jess Kreiger's there.

- He's there?
- That's right.

And we're going
back to find out.

Come on.

We'll walk from
here. Bring your rifle.

Yes, sir.

You think he was right there
in the house all the time, huh?

No, I doubt it, Chester.

There's no place
for him to hide there.

More than likely,
he's in the barn.

Well, there... there's
a light on there.

Yeah.

Come on.

[dog barking]

[ruff]

[growling, barking]

Ranger. Quiet, boy.

Be quiet. What's
the matter with you?

[howling]

[howling]

Come on, boy. Come on.

Come on into the house, huh?

Come on, Ranger. Come on.

You stay here and
cover me. I'm going in.

[cat meows]

It's all right,
Chester. Come on in.

He's not here, huh?

No, but he has
been. Look at that.

Well, I'll be doggoned.

All right, hold it right there.

Now drop your guns, both of you.

Drop 'em!

Jess! Jess!

I'm afraid he's too far
away to hear you, Belle.

What do you mean?

You had two horses
in there, didn't you?

They're gone.

What's happened to
Jess? Where is he?

Well, what do you care?

You left him a long time ago.

I just told you that
to throw you off.

He caught a bullet
during a holdup in Elko.

It was bothering him. He had to
have a place to stay for a while.

I think you made a
mistake bringing him here.

Why?

That kid sister of yours had a long time
to grow up while you were gone, Belle.

What do you mean?

When did you see him last?

Just before dark.

Your sister checked out of
the Dodge House tonight, Belle.

Said she was
leaving town for good.

There was a man
outside waiting for her.

What?

He left here with two saddles, two
horses, and two packs, didn't he?

I'll kill him. So help me, I'll put
a bullet right through his head.

A little too late
for that, Belle.

Anything else, yes.

I know what he is.

I never thought he'd do this.

Any idea where he's headed?

There's an abandoned shack

about a mile west of the junction of
Little Deer Creek and the Arkansas.

That's where he'll be.

Get him, Matt.
Kill him, anything.

Matt. Uh...

What I said about being taken
away by force with my hands tied,

that part was true, Matt.

[door opens]

Well, I just don't
understand it, Mr. Dillon.

A nice young girl like her.

She's carried her resentment
for Belle for a long time, Chester.

I guess she figures this is
the best way to get even.

Well, I guess I just don't
understand women at all.

Huh? Who does?

You know, Mr. Dillon, it
wouldn't be no chore at all

just to sneak up there in
the bush there in the back.

Well, I want to keep her
out of it if I can, Chester.

Maybe we'd better
wait till he comes out.

Well, he might not
come out before morning.

Well, no, they haven't
been here long.

See, those horses
are still lathered.

He'll be out before long and
take the saddles off of them.

Well, I hope so.

[coyote howls]

Well, I sure wish that I was in
there having a cup of that coffee

and he was out here smelling it.

[door opens]

Stay here.

Kreiger, put your hands up.

Jess!

Is he... dead?

He's dead.

[sobbing]

Come on, Phyllis.

There's nothing anybody
can do for him now.

What am I going to do?

There's only one
thing you can do.

Go back home.

Not while Belle
is there I can't.

Now, don't be too
hard on Belle, Phyllis.

Maybe she can help you.

Maybe she can keep you from making
some of the same mistakes she did.

It's too late. I
can't go back now.

Phyllis, listen to me.

As far as I'm concerned, when I
found Kreiger, he was out here alone.

Nobody in town knows that
you were out here with him.

Let's just keep it that way.

No.

I'm not going back.

Now, you listen to me, young
lady. You are going back.

Now you can either go
back of your own accord,

or else I can throw you up on
my horse and take you back.

- You wouldn't do that.
- Wouldn't I?

You better go on in
and get your things.