Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 6, Episode 29 - Stolen Horses - full transcript

Starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

Hey, where you going, Jed?

I'm going after my mule, Jim.

Where's the halter?

What for?

Told Doc Adams I'd be
in to see him this week.

Your eyes ain't getting
any better, are they?

Doc says I need an operation,
but that costs too much money.

I'd have to go
clear to St. Louis.

I know.

I'm sorry I can't help you.



You do enough, taking me
in and letting me live here.

I'm beholden to you.

Never mind that.

Halter's in the shed there.

You go on out and get that mule

and try to get back
here before noon, huh?

Yeah, I'll make it.

I put the meat on to boil.

Good.

Howdy.

They're fine-looking animals.

They're good horses, ain't they?

That's what we were thinking.

Yeah, well, uh,
you horse traders?



Well, you could call us that.

Yeah, we're always in the
market for good horseflesh.

Well, I ain't
figuring on selling

if that's what you was thinking.

Maybe we could talk you into it?

It'd have to be a mighty
good offer, mister.

What would you figure
would be a good offer?

Well, I don't know.

$200 apiece, but like I
say, I ain't figuring on selling.

Price sounds reasonable to me.

You ain't serious?

- Why not?
- That's a lot of money.

Why don't you go take a
closer look at the horses?

You ain't really
serious, are you?

Why, sure.

Acker, pay the man off.

♪♪

Come in.

Just sit down; I'll be
with you in just a minute.

Hello, Kitty.

Hello, Matt.

Oh, Kitty, I didn't
know it was you.

- How are you?
- Oh, I'm fine.

What's he doing?

Well, I, uh, I don't think he
really knows himself, Kitty.

He's probably making up some
of those sugar-coated fooling pills

that he foists on his
unsuspecting patients, you see.

You got any
comment on that, Doc?

I wouldn't even dignify

such a libelous
statement by denial.

What are you doing here?

Well, now, I'll answer that.

My dear lady, the law of Ford
County and the High Plains

is undoubtedly quaking
and trembling with fear

because of some imaginary
gunman that's loose in Dodge,

and he sought sanctuary
here in my humble office.

Well, he's right about
the sanctuary part.

You see, Chester's
cleaning up the office,

and I, I just couldn't
take that singing.

Poor Chester.

Every time anything happens,
it always turns out to be

- his fault.
- And it usually is.

Say, you're dressing
pretty high-fashion there.

What's the occasion?

Oh, well, no occasion.

I, uh, I just had it in my mind

to let the good doctor
take me to dinner,

and I wanted to impress him.

Well, you sure have
impressed me, and I'm...

I'll be with you as soon
as I wash my hands.

Maybe you can go, too.

He's buying.

Well, Kitty, I doubt if
he was that impressed.

Mr. Dillon.

Jed Cuff's over at your office.

He says he wants to see you.

Well, I'm afraid it'll
have to wait, Chester.

You see, Doc here and Kitty
have just invited me out to dinner.

Well, this is
serious, Mr. Dillon.

He said Jim Redigo
has been murdered.

- Jim Redigo?
- Yeah.

Well, I'll see you later.

Marshal.

Hello, Jed.

Chester tell you what happened?

Well, yes, he did.

Why don't you tell
me the whole thing?

Well, just like I told Chester,

I was out back in the shed
when these men come riding up.

I... I couldn't recognize 'em.

I can't see too good
from a distance.

Well, how many of
'em were there, Jed?

Two.

They just rode up and
talked to Jim for a minute,

and then suddenly
there was a lot of shooting

and Jim was on the ground.

There's only one of
them left now, though,

'cause Jim got his shot
off before they killed him,

and the other one rounded
up Jim's two horses and...

just rode off.

Poor Jim.

Now, look, Jed, these
horses... What kind were they?

One was white, Marshal,
about eight years old,

and the other was a paint.

Any brands on 'em?

Yes, sir, they was

both marked with a lazy "R."

That was Jim's brand.

Uh-huh.

Well, we'll get him, Jed.

He shouldn't be too hard
to follow with those horses.

Well, he's got a three-
or four-hour head start

on us, though, Mr. Dillon.

Well, he's gonna have a
little more than that, Chester.

We got some work to
do out at Jed's place first.

Jed, I'll see that Jim
gets a good grave.

Thank you, Marshal.

♪♪

I didn't know there was
an Indian camp out here.

Looks like a Kiowa
hunting party to me.

Well, if it's all the same to
you, I'd just as soon skirt 'em.

Even peaceful Indians
give me goose bumps.

No, I can't do that, Chester.

The trail we're following
leads right through there.

Well...

Well, it's too late now anyway.

They've already spotted us.

We'd like to see your chief.

You are Kiowa?

Hawk clan.

I am Quick Knife.

I'm Dillon, United
States Marshal.

Why you come here?

Those horses... can my
partner ride close and look?

Go.

Well, them's the
ones, Mr. Dillon.

There's a lazy
"R" on both of 'em.

Chief, those horses... stolen.

We buy those horses
and one more today.

Well, he must have sold 'em

his partner's horse,
too, Mr. Dillon.

Chief, those horses...
Stolen from white man.

All white men steal.

He killed man he
stole the horses from.

White man dead does
not bring sorrow to Indian.

This man must be punished.

You come to Indian for help?

Nope.

I just want you to tell me
which direction he rode.

I do not care if white man
punished or not punished.

Quick Knife.

I find this man,
he must die, too.

Two white men dead.

You find his trail there.

♪♪

Well, what do you
think, Mr. Dillon?

The trail leads
right to it, Chester.

Yeah, well, I don't
see nobody around.

Maybe he just stopped for water.

Let's go take a look. Come on.

♪♪

What do you want?

How do you do, ma'am?

I'm just wondering if
we might get some water.

Water's scarce
this time of year.

Well, I know it is, ma'am.

It's not for the horses.

It's just that we'd like
a drink if we could.

Well, wait here.

Oh, thank you.

Chester.

Don't waste it none.

Thanks a lot.

Well, is your husband
around, ma'am?

No, he's out hunting.

Hunting?

Well, it's a pretty-pretty
poor season for that, isn't it?

Sometimes a body don't
have no choice, mister.

Well, that's...
that's right, ma'am.

You a marshal?

Yes, ma'am.

Well... thank you very much,

and I hope your husband
has good luck hunting.

- By the way, what's his name?
- Kurtch.

Abe Kurtch.

You can get riding now, Marshal.

She sure don't talk
your arm off, does she?

Well, living out here, Chester,

maybe she's gotten
out of the habit.

Follow me.

Let's get off the horses here.

Did you notice those
two horses in the corral?

Yeah, they both
look poor, don't they?

Yeah. One was born poor,
and the other was rode poor.

Well, you think the man we're
after is in the house with her?

That'd be my guess, Chester.

And I think her husband's
in there with her.

Well, she said that
he was out hunting.

Yeah, I know, but she was lying.

I saw his rifle leaning
against the wall.

Well, couldn't he have
more than one rifle?

I doubt it. They're too poor.

By golly, if he's in there
with 'em, they're in a bad way.

- Yeah.
- What are you going to do?

Sneak up to the house?

No, we can't chance that.

If he's in there,
he'd kill 'em both.

We'll just have to wait
and see what happens.

You said you wouldn't
hurt Abe. You said that.

I said that.

Knocked him out.

Stopped him from hollering.

I wasn't gonna holler.

Nothing like making sure.

Done what you told me to do.

Got rid of them men,
and you hit him anyway.

You better shut her up, Kurtch.

- Them men's the law, ain't they?
- Lou, Lou.

- They've been following you.
- Lou!

- So?
- The big one... he's a marshal.

- So?
- Food's ready.

Better get them horses.

Them horses?

Yeah, I'm taking
your husband with me.

Just in case. Come on.

By golly, looks like
you was right, Mr. Dillon.

Yeah.

Ain't much of a
horse you got there.

He's old.

Well, my animals plumb wore out.

They won't go far...
Neither one of them horses.

Why don't you give it up?

Well, I'd be glad to.

When me and your
husband are both dead.

You can't kill him, Mr. Tebow.
You got no reason to.

I can find a reason.

Leave him be, Lou.

I'll be all right.

Haven't you finished that yet?

All right, go on.

Abe?

I'll be back, Lou.

Quit stalling. Get
on your horse.

We gonna keep
after 'em, ain't we?

I'm gonna go up and
talk to her first, Chester.

Let's go.

Oh, it's you.

Wh-What are you doing
back here? What do you want?

Ma'am, we... we were
hiding in the brush out there,

and we saw the whole thing.

But he knows you're a marshal.

He knows you're after him.

That's why he took
my husband with him.

What's his name? Did you get it?

Name's Tebow. That's all I know.

What's he wanted for?

Well, he's wanted for
horse-thieving and murder.

And you're gonna follow him?

Yes, ma'am.

But you can't do that! He'll
kill my husband for sure.

Well, now, don't worry, ma'am.

We're not gonna rush
up on him or anything.

We're just gonna
follow along behind

and trail him out of sight.

But you can't do that.

Sorry, ma'am. I
have to. It's my job.

Oh, please don't do
that. He... He'll kill him.

Look, I promise you
we'll do everything we can

to see that your
husband is not harmed.

Come on, Chester.

Has he been shot?

No.

No, he's been hit
on the head, Chester.

L-Lou? Lou?

Tebow couldn't be more
than a half hour ahead of us.

Think we can get him?

No, Chester. Tebow
will have to wait.

We got to get him back
to the house right away.

Come on, give me
a hand, will you?

Take his feet.

Go easy now.

Okay.

Abe.

He's been shot.

No, ma'am. He's...
Tebow hit him on the head.

- He ain't dead?
- All right, Chester.

No, he's just
unconscious, ma'am.

You promised you wouldn't
ride up on 'em, Marshal.

Get the front door, will you?

Put him down gentle.

Easy now.

He don't look right, I tell you.

Well, he's been hit
in the head, ma'am.

Hit awful hard.

Oh, there's more
wrong with him than that.

He's dead, ain't he?

I'm sorry, ma'am.

My golly, I didn't
know that he was dead.

I didn't, either.

Well, when do you
think it happened?

Must have happened
on the way in.

Well, we've got to bury
him before we get started,

so you better go out and see if
you can find a shovel, Chester.

What about that man?

That Tebow?

Is he gonna get away with this?

No, ma'am. I promise
you we'll get him.

He had no cause to kill Abe.

He did it for no reason at all.

He didn't even want his horse.

Did he?

No, ma'am.

Chief Quick Knife
say, "You come."

Wonder what he wants us for.

I don't know.

You come.

We don't have much choice.

Let's go.

Quick Knife, what
do you want of us?

We find white man.

You mean the one
that stole the horses?

That man.

Well, what happened?

Indian boy on prairie
leave horse to hunt rabbit.

White man take
horse, shoot boy. Kill.

I see.

Well, Quick Knife,
we'll take him from you.

We'll take him back to town
and see that he's punished.

Mother of boy decide his fate.

What's the matter?

They turned him
over to the women.

You mean, they killed him?

I wouldn't want
to die like that.

You don't take him?

Not now.

You know, Quick
Knife, I... I can't agree

with the way you do things,

but I respect your law.