Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 5, Episode 7 - Kangaroo - full transcript

Starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

Dillon, narrating:
Just looking at a grave,

you can't tell if it holds a
good man or a bad one.

But if you saw the man
himself, while he was alive,

you could tell easy.

Out here on the frontier,

where there's little
law and less civilization,

the bad in a man
grows fast and deep.

There's not much to stop it,

and there's a whole
lot to encourage it.

Some men grow
strong with adversity,



but a few become
as cruel and inhuman

as the bitter elements of
nature that surround them.

It's because of these
vicious few that I'm here.

Matt Dillon, U.S. marshal.

Anytime you say, I'm
ready to ride back to town.

5 miles out and
you're done in already.

Chester, that soft life
is really getting to ya.

Yeah, that and the high pay.

You wouldn't want
to get fat, would ya?

I sure wouldn't mind.

[Whip cracking]

Dillon: All right,
hold up there!

Now what's going on here?

You're barging into the
wrong place, stranger.



These boys of mine
can shoot your eyes out.

Mister, I'm a United
States marshal.

I want that man cut down.

No, sir.

Make him do it, Marshal.

Chester, cut him down.

Keep your hands off him, you.

Go ahead, Chester.

Chester, is it?

Well, Chester, you touch
that sinner hanging there,

I'm gonna bring you to
judgment just as I have him.

Huh?

It's all right, go ahead.

If you're planning
to use those rifles,

you'd better get started at it.

Pa?

Hold your fire. I got no
quarrel with the marshal here.

It ain't his hand that's
interfering. It's Chester's.

And it's Chester I'm
gonna bring to judgment.

What are you
talking about, Mister?

Chester's bringing
help to a sinner.

And therefore Chester's
going to be judged as a sinner.

I'm the one that gave the order.

But he's the one
that's carrying it out!

And he's the one that will pay!

You never mind about that.

You got any complaints, you
bring 'em to me. You understand?

Give me that gun, Marshal.

All I ask is a gun.

Take it easy cowboy.

What happened here?
What's your name?

Jim Bride. I was just riding into
Dodge, and they stopped me.

What for?

What for? 'Cause they're crazy.

That's what for...
all three of 'em.

You watch your mouth, you!

Shut up, Hod.

I was just riding along, and
they come at me with them rifles.

And they drug me off my horse.

Then they held a trial.

I ain't lying to ya.
They held a trial!

That old devil was the judge, and
them boys of his was like jurors.

And they even took a vote.

I'll tell you why we
stopped him, Marshal.

It's the Sabbath.

So?

He was riding into Dodge to sin,

to waste his substance
in riotous living.

Out of thine own
mouth I judge thee.

There. See what I mean,
Marshal? Now do you believe me?

All right, cowboy. Why
don't you get on your horse?

We'll see you into Dodge.

What's your name, Mister?

I got nothin' to be ashamed of.

My name's Ira Skurlock.

These are my two
boys... Hod and Dal.

Are you some kind of a
preacher or something?

I am a man that has been through
the fire and through the water,

a man that's renounced
the devil and all his works.

Uh-huh. You are a preacher, huh?

Pa ain't no preacher, Marshal.

He just don't like
sinnin'. That's all.

He's powerful strong ag'in' it.

So am I.

As far as I'm concerned,
it's a sin to tie a man to a tree

and try to beat him to death.

I was trying to
save him, Marshal.

That man was in
need of a hard lesson.

Now let me tell you
something, Skurlock.

The next time you
try anything like that,

you're going to wind up in jail.

And you boys here with ya.

You got no right
to talk like that.

No right at all!

No right? He's a
United States marshal.

It's his job to keep
the peace, ain't it?

A scarecrow in a garden of
cucumbers keepeth nothin'.

You interfered with
my work, Chester.

It was your hand.

And you shall be
judged. I promise it.

Skurlock, it was me
that gave that order.

Now, if you want any
satisfaction on it, you call me.

Come on, Chester.

He's fit to cast a spell.

Never mind him, Chester.

It's all right for you to
talk. It's me he's mad at.

I lie not!

Ye shall be judged!

Even the very hairs of
your head are all numbered.

Hey.

Thank you, Kitty.

I want you to know that this is
almost as good as Chester's.

By golly, I think you're right.

You know, I'm glad I came
in today, even if it is Sunday.

Well, I am.

Who in the world's that?

I'll be dapped.

Hmm?

You know that old man I was
telling you about last week,

that Skurlock?

Mm-hmm.

That's one of his sons.

If that old man
finds out he's in here,

why, he's gonna
take that boy apart.

That's the darndest
story I ever heard.

That old man sure sounds fierce.

Oh, he is.

Say, by the way, how's
that cowboy they beat?

Oh, he's all right.

But it's a good thing we
came along when we did.

Otherwise, he might never
have stopped beatin' on him.

Skurlock: Dal!

Pa, what are you doing in here?

A son of mine drinking
hard liquor in a palace of sin?

Now... now, Pa, you
don't understand...

My own son before my very eyes?

Pa, it ain't what it seems.

I just wanted to
try a little taste.

A little taste? Why, you fool!

Oh, please, Pa...

Wide is the gate and broad is
the way that leadeth to destruction.

I ain't as bad as all that!

Why, I'm a growed man...

You're nothing but a pig!

I have a pig for a son,
and I'll treat him like a pig.

Now, you come with me.

Where you going, Pa?

The way of
transgressors is hard, boy.

I'm gonna teach you
just how hard! Now walk!

Pa, I was only
trying to tell you...

Shut up and get going!

Pa, no, please! Please, no.

[Skurlock shouting]

Stand right there, boy.

You just do what I tell you.

What for, Pa?

Now you're gonna get it, boy.

Oh, Pa, I didn't mean
nothing. Honest, I didn't.

You learn hard.

I never took a drink
before in my life!

You got no right to whup me!

The man that spareth
the rod hateth his son.

Step closer, boy.

I said step closer.

Closer.

Ah. That's better.

No, Pa! No! Please,
Pa! No! No! Don't hit me!

Pa, please don't hit me!

[shouting]

What's going on, Mr. Dillon?

Ah, old man Skurlock's
weaning his son, Chester.

Weaning him? He looks like
he's beatin' him half to death.

Skurlock!

All right, that's enough.

I won't kill him.

A living dog is better
than a dead lion.

That's a terrible thing for you to
say, calling your own son a dog.

Chester, you and I have
made a covenant with death,

and with hell are
we at agreement.

Whatever in the world
are you talking about?

It was your hand interfered with
the work of the Lord last Sunday.

Ye shall be judged, and by me.

Come on, boy.

Golly, Mr. Dillon, you know he...
He leaves me a little bit skittery.

I think he means that.

He's a strange man, Chester.

Well... Huh?

What?

No, I didn't say nothin'.

I just said "huh."

A couple of beers sure don't
loosen your tongue much, does it?

Huh.

I might as well have done
my drinking with a horse.

Well...

a man's gotta do his
thinking sometime, Doc.

What are you thinking about?

Oh. Well, to tell you
the truth, I'm just...

Just a little bit worried.

Oh? What is it this time?

Women or money?

Oh, no. You... You... You...

You don't understand
nothin' at all,

just nothing at all.

Yes, I do.

There's one thing I
always do understand.

What?

When it's bedtime.

Well, golly, Doc, I
think you might be right.

I might turn in myself.

- Good night, Chester.
- Good night.

Oh, ahem, Chester...

don't worry.

Never did help anyway.

Well, no, I guess
you're right about that.

Thanks for the beer, Doc.

♪ Do, do, do, do, do, do ♪

♪ He'll make his
home in Kansas ♪

[Singing indistinctly]

[Continues singing]

Ahh!

Don't you try nothin'.

If you go to
hollering, we'll shoot.

What are you doing here?
What do you want with me?

Pa's waiting for
you out at the camp.

For me?

That's right. Down the alley.

We brought an
extra horse for ya.

Now, move it, Chester.

No, I ain't going. I... Ugh!

Punch a hole in you!

All right.

Come on.

Dal, what are you doing here?

Your pa just about half beat
you to death this afternoon.

Pa will kill him the next time
he gets out of line. Dal knows it.

Come on, Chester. Let's go.

It's gonna be a long
enough night as it is.

No! No! I ain't going! No!

[shouting]

Get him!

Hod, you didn't
have to kill him.

You just wait until I tell Pa
about you not helping, Dal.

You do it, and I'll put
a bullet in your mouth.

I swear I will.

We'll see about that later.

Now you help me
get him out of here

before somebody
comes by and sees him.

And you better help
too, Dal! Come on!

Come on.

Hod: Get my gun.

Rise.

You heard him! Get on your feet.

I said, get on your feet!

What are you doing,
Hod? You know he's tied!

I'll get you for this,
Hod. I'll get you good.

Do you want me to
knock you down again?

Silence, both of you.

Chester, you heard
the evidence again't ya.

It was your hand did allow the
sinner to escape punishment.

Therefore, you shall
be punished in his stead.

For they have sown the wind

and they shall
reap the whirlwind.

Trial is over. I shall now
pronounce judgment.

What right have you
got to bring any man

out here and try
him for anything?

Especially anything
as crazy as this.

Chester, I swear
I'm gonna give you

another crack on the
head if you don't shut up!

Okay, Pa.

He won't be no more trouble.

All right.

After judgment is pronounced,

we shall take the vote.

With your right hand you
did interfere in the Lord's work.

Therefore, I pronounce that
your right hand you shall lose.

My what?

Pa, you don't aim
to cut off his hand.

Skurlock: Silence!

You're gonna get Pa
real mad at you, Dal.

We shall now take the vote.

Wait... What... What was that
about cuttin' off my right hand?

That is your punishment.

What?

You can't be serious.

He's serious, all right.

Pa don't run trials
ordinary-like, Chester.

We vote after he's already fixed
what the punishment is to be.

But it don't matter
none in the long run.

You'll see.

You... You... You can't
cut off a man's hand.

You just can't do that.

Hod, how do you vote?

He's guilty, Pa.

One vote, guilty. Dal?

Dal?

I want your vote.

It's too mean, Pa.
It's too doggone mean.

Dal, have you gone loco?

Please, Pa.

Pa.

I find your drinking
hard liquor in a saloon.

My own son standing,
feeding like a common sinner

on the pomps and
vanities of this wicked world.

Pa, we done had that out.

And tonight, you turn ag'in' me.

There's something
gone rotten in you, boy.

Ye are fallen from grace.

Pa, listen!

Good for you, Pa!
He had it comin'!

If a house be divided ag'in'
itself, that house cannot stand.

Stand guard on the prisoner.

Punishment will be
carried out in the morning.

Well, Chester...

sun's up.

That blanket been
laying there all night?

Of course not.

I'd have froze without it.

Well, I'm glad that
you was comfortable.

Well, I had to
stand guard, didn't I?

Yeah.

Besides, you've been
asleep the past two hours.

Well, is one blanket
all that you got in camp?

Why, I swear you'll be
wantin' breakfast next, Chester.

Now, what would you like?

Eggs?

Fried taters, huh?

Piece of fat back?

Why didn't you say so, boy?

We wouldn't want a man like you
to starve to death, now would we?

How 'bout a cup of coffee?

I'll get Pa to
build a fire for ya.

I know he'd want
to do that for you.

That ain't too funny.

Well, it's just that I want

to get this business
over and done with

so I can get some sleep.

I'm sorry I put you out
so much. I apologize.

Ahh. Don't matter none.

I go without sleep
lots of nights.

[footsteps in distance]

Hod, your Pa's crazy.
You go through with this,

the law will get you.
You'll got to prison.

- Chester!
- You got sense enough to know that.

You see that? Do you see that?

I'm gonna push that in your
mouth if you don't quit talking.

You're just as crazy as he is!

Hod!

Hod!

Answer me when I call you, boy.

Yes, Pa.

I don't see Dal about.

Well, he...

he come to a while
after you whupped him.

He got up, and he
wandered off somewhere.

I ain't seen him since.

But we don't need him, Pa.

I got Chester so tied up,
one man can hold him easy.

All right.

Free his right arm.

All right, Pa.

Now... Now, look, you ain't
gonna chop my hand off, are ya?

If thy right hand offend thee,
cut it off and cast it from thee.

You can't do a thing
like that. You just can't.

Chester, shut up!

Be brave. The Book says that
each man shall carry his own burden.

You don't know
nothin' about the Bible.

You're just mouthin'
a lot of words

that you heard somebody
say somewheres.

It's a wonder God don't
strike you down dead

for all the mean
things that you've done.

Chester, shut up!

Hold it tight, Hod.

Now, Pa.

Aah! Pa!

You did not hold him, son!

My arm!

It was the devil that
gave you strength for that.

I'll kill you now for sure.

[gunshot]

He's dead, Dal.

Oh... help me, somebody.

I'll bleed to death if
you don't help me.

Dal, get something
to tie his arm up with.

Try to stop the
bleeding there, will ya?

Hod: Hurry up, Dal, will ya?

- Mr. Dillon.
- Chester.

If you hadn't shot him when you
did, I wouldn't had no head left.

I didn't shoot him, Chester.

- You didn't?
- Dal did.

He shot his own pa?

Yeah.

[groaning]

I got the bleeding
stopped some, Marshal.

You all right?

Yeah.

[Hod groaning]

Dal, you stay out here.

We'll send a wagon
out for your pa.

Rest up here.

But, Marshal, ain't you
feared I might run off?

Why should you?

I killed Pa, didn't I?

Yeah.

But you also saved a man's life.

Yeah, I guess you're right.

Poor old Pa. I guess
he wasn't so bright.

He meant to do right, Marshal.

I guess he just got
lost somewhere.

What does the
Lord require of thee

but to do justly, to love mercy,

and to walk humbly with thy God?

I guess that's one of the things
your pa never understood, Dal.

Can you ride?

Sure can.

All right.