Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 6, Episode 37 - Melinda Miles - full transcript

Starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

♪♪

Melinda.

- You're late.
- Well, never mind,

I'm here, ain't I?

No, Tom, stop.

Don't you love me no more?

You're over an hour late.

Pa'll be here any minute now.

I got here as soon as I could.
Made some money today.

- How?
- Sold that bay mare.



But I thought you were
planning on breeding her.

I was offered too good a
price; close to a hundred dollars.

And I got it right here.

I hope you did the
right thing, Tom.

I got to get you
a ring, don't I?

A ring isn't important.

We can get one later
when we're settled.

No, you got to
have one right off.

You don't want people
to think I'm too poor

to buy you a
wedding ring, do you?

It isn't that.

Well, don't you worry.

Everything is
gonna be all right.

We're gonna get
married soon, aren't we?



I hope so, Tom.

It's Pa.

It's him and Roy Tayloe.

You know, that Roy Tayloe
follows your pa around

like his shadow.

He's Pa's right hand man, Tom.

Yeah. I found that out

the day Tayloe talked
your pa into firing me.

On account of paying
more attention to me

- than to your work, he said.
- And to get me out

so's Tayloe'd have
a free hand with you.

Well, it hasn't
done him any good.

It better not have.

What's he doing here?

Now, Pa, he came
here to see me, not you.

Then I give him credit
for that much sense.

Are you telling me I can't
call on Melinda when I want to?

When I decide that, I'm not
gonna tell you, I'll show you.

If you're gonna act like this
every time Tom comes here,

I'm gonna have to meet
him someplace else.

Look, Mr. Miles, I know
what you think of me,

but I'm gonna have
my own ranch soon,

and that's a whole lot
better than taking wages

from somebody
else, if you ask me.

- Your own ranch?
- Well, sure.

You're forgetting he owns
two, three head of horses.

I own six head, and there
as good as any around.

They might be the best
horses in the whole world,

but that don't
hardly make a ranch.

Well, he has to start
someplace, hasn't he?

Yeah. Yeah, he sure does.

I wish he was in Texas doing it.

Come on, Roy, we got work to do.

Don't pay him no mind.

You'll make out fine,
hard worker like you.

No, Tom.

Let him go.

Just what they want, for
you to start trouble here.

- Me start trouble?
- Forget them.

They're just mad because
they can't do anything about us.

No. No, they can't, can they?

Come on, I'll make some coffee.

Good idea.

Well, I'll tell you,
it's frightening

the way some people
can afford to lose.

You ought to know.

Come on, I'm thirsty.

Hey, Potter! Come on, sit down.

We need a little
fresh blood here.

No, not me.

Here. Take my chair.

This game's getting a
little too strong for me.

Good!

There you are, Potter.

No, I don't want
to get in the game.

Go ahead, maybe you'll
change everybody's luck.

Including his.

What's holding you back, Potter?

You're broke?

No, I ain't broke.

Well, maybe you
better save your money.

It can be a long time
between jobs, eh?

I ain't broke, and I
ain't looking for a job.

Well, then, take a hand.

Or are you scared?

I ain't scared of you, Tayloe.

At poker or anything else.

Well, that's more like it.

Let's get to work.

My deal, gentlemen.

Well, you just put your
money up and close your eyes.

You'd sure think that
Tom Potter'd have

- better sense than that.
- What?

Well, letting that Tayloe
goad him into a game like that.

He ought to see that Roy's
having a real good run of luck.

Well, a good run of luck
can end with the next hand.

Ain't none of my
business anyway, I guess.

- Oh, thanks, Fred.
- Thanks, Fred.

Oh, here's to you.

Thank you.

Tom's a nice boy.

He just needs a
little growing up, is all.

Yeah, well, Melinda Miles
seems to be willing to wait for him.

Yeah, I... heard he'd
been courting her.

Just about a year, is all.

Well, now, women just don't
like to... to rush into things.

- They don't?
- Mm-mm.

Well, how come, then,
every time I get an extra dollar

in my pocket, they're
just, every girl I know

- is rushing at me?
- Into marriage?

Well, no, not into marriage.

But, I mean, they do
come scrambling around.

Well, then, just think how
awful it would be if you were rich.

Well... well, I think

that I could handle that
problem if it ever come up.

I'm pretty sure you could.

I'll stay.

And, uh...

raise you $25.

I'll call.

I didn't mean to break you.

Just let's see
your cards, Tayloe.

Sure.

Four deuces.

Full house!

You win.

Hey, that's a good
hand you got there.

Yeah.

Not good enough, though.

Are you quitting?

Well, hope you're
better at courting

than you are at poker playing.

Don't you worry
about me, Tayloe.

Don't you worry at all.

Here, you buy yourself a drink.

Well, uh, you might
say hello, Tom.

Oh, hello, Chester. Miss Kitty.

- Hello, Tom.
- Howdy.

Why don't you have a drink?

No, thanks.

Oh, go ahead. It's on the house.

I can't.

Anyway, it's getting
late; I'm gonna turn in.

Well, all right,
Tom. I sure am sorry

to see that you had
such a bad run of luck.

I know how that is.

He'll go and tell...
Mr. Miles and Melinda.

I can just hear him now.

Well, you can get
back at him next time.

That's right.

I'm not gonna worry about it.

Well, right now
I'm going to bed.

Good night, Miss Kitty, Chester.

Good night.

Well... at least
he's a good loser.

Yeah, he's a
good loser, all right.

Well... he's dead, men.

There's nothing anybody
can do for him now.

You might as well break it up.

Chester, you say
he won a lot of money

- at the Long Branch tonight?
- Yeah, he did, Mr. Dillon,

but he give most of it to Bill
Pence to put in a safe for him.

Well, how much do you
think he kept on him?

Oh, I don't know.

I watched the
game, but, you know,

I couldn't watch it too close.

Well, about how
much would you say?

Well, I'd say about
a hundred dollars.

Well, he sure doesn't
have anything on him now.

And you figure that
whoever done it just killed him

just for his money, huh?

Looks that way to me.

Well, I... hate to
say this, Mr. Dillon,

but do you, uh, do
you know Tom Potter?

Yeah.

Well, he lost his
whole stake to Tayloe

in that poker
game there tonight.

- He did?
- Yeah.

Well, I mean, but there
must've been other people

in the game with
him, wasn't there?

Well, yeah, there was, but
there was already bad blood

between Tom and Tayloe there.

You know, because of
that Miles girl, that Melinda.

Yeah, well... I
still can't see Tom

as the kind that would
do a thing like this, though.

Well, no, I can't, either,

but you know it's bound
to come up, though.

Yeah. Well, I'll have a talk
with Tom in the morning.

Right now I think we
better find a wagon

and get him out
to the Miles place.

You want to take him
out there this time of night?

Yeah, I think
Harry'd appreciate it.

He thought quite a bit
of Tayloe, you know.

Well, he ain't gonna
take it easy, that's for sure.

Well, I'll find a wagon.

Marshal, I'm not
gonna stand for this.

I'll get him, Miles.

I want him now.
We know who he is.

There's nothing can be done
till morning, you know that.

If I'd been in town tonight,
something would've been done.

Guess maybe I made a mistake
bringing Tayloe back here.

I didn't mean that.

I appreciate what you did.

Roy belongs out here.

- Coffee's ready.
- Oh...

Oh, golly, it sure smells good.

Chester, tell Melinda
what you told me.

- Well, I-I...
- Go ahead, Chester.

Well, it's just that, uh,

Tom lost all of his money
tonight in a poker game

to Roy Tayloe

at the Long Branch.

Oh? Were you in the game?

No, I wasn't in it;
I just watched it.

That is, I watched it up
to the time that Tom left,

about midnight... said he was
gonna go home and go to bed.

And instead of that, he
waited out in the street

and shot Roy to
get the money back.

- Pa!
- It's true.

It's not true!

Of course it is.
I've known that kid

all of my life, and he's
never been any good!

He shot Roy Tayloe!

Miles, why don't you hold
up your opinion on this

until we know a
little bit more about it.

Seems to me you're
getting people all upset

over something we
don't have any proof of.

I got all the proof I need.

What time did you say that
Tom left the Long Branch?

Well, uh, about midnight.

And what time was
Roy Tayloe killed?

Well, it was around
2:30, I guess.

What are you driving at?

Well, it's an hour's ride
from here to Dodge, isn't it?

At 2:00, Tom Potter and I
were standing right out there

by the big oak talking.

Now, Melinda!

It's true, Pa.

And I'll swear to it in court.

I'll be riding into Dodge
about noon tomorrow.

Well, you do whatever
you want to do.

I'll have Tom in first thing in
the morning for questioning.

I'll do my own
questioning. Behind a gun.

Now, you know
better than that, Miles.

Roy Tayloe was a
friend of mine, Marshal.

Nobody's gonna shoot him
down like that and get away with it.

Nobody's gonna get away
with it. I'm gonna find the man.

Good.

I'll be in your office at noon.

I'll want to see him.

Now, I'll-I'll take care of Roy.

You want any help?

No thanks.

Melinda?

Yes, Marshal?

I hope you were
telling the truth just now.

Well, I was, Marshal.

I swear I was.

All right. Then there's
nothing to worry about.

Good night.

- Good night.

Good night.

Mr. Dillon?

No wonder we couldn't find him.

A hundred dollars, you say?

Well, that's as low
as I can go, Tom.

All right. I'll take it.

Be right with ya, Marshal.

Fine.

Well, hello, Marshal. Chester.

Tom.

You want me put
it in a box, Tom?

No, I'll take it as is.

There's your money.

Thank you.

A hundred dollars. That's
a pretty nice ring, Tom.

Something wrong, Marshal?

I heard you went
broke last night.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I know. I heard
about Roy Tayloe.

Yeah, he was robbed

of just a little more
than a hundred dollars.

You know where I was, Marshal?

Where?

Well, you probably
wouldn't believe me.

So, why don't you ride
out and ask Melinda Miles?

She'll tell ya.

Where'd you get the money, Tom?

Sold two of my horses
this morning for $220.

I ain't even had breakfast yet.

Who'd you sell them to?

George Rand, but, uh, he
left town 'bout an hour ago.

Heading for home?

Mm-hmm.

And George Rand lives
a long way out, Tom.

Well, I sold them
over at the stable.

Moss Grimmick was there.

Well, I guess you wouldn't
mind walking over there then.

Why not? Be right with ya.

Uh, you won't tell
anybody 'bout this, will ya?

I want it kind of a surprise.

Oh, of course not, Tom.

Thank you.

Let's go, Marshal.

Hello, Marshal.

Hello, Moss.

Hello, Chester.

Moss, I'd like you to
tell the marshal here

about my selling those
two horses this morning.

How about that, Moss?

Did he sell two
horses to George Rind?

Yes, he did, and George
rode up north with 'em.

How much did he pay
for them, do you know?

Well, I don't know exactly
what they settled for.

Couldn't stand around
here listening all day.

Somewheres around
a hundred dollars,

maybe a little bit more.

There. Now I told you.

It was $220 exactly.

Now do you believe me?

Tom, that certainly
clears you, all right.

Looks like we only got
one man left to convince.

What do you mean?

Well, Harry Miles is riding
into town at noon today.

Sure doesn't look
like we're gonna have

no murderer locked
up for him, does it?

No, but we've still
got a couple hours yet.

Tom, you better stay clear of
Miles when he gets into town.

He's pretty worked
up about this.

So long, Moss.

So long.

Miles.

Marshal, I just took
a look out in back.

All those cells are empty.

Well, we haven't had much time.

Tom Potter isn't hard to find.

Tom Potter didn't do it, Miles.

Well, you seem mighty sure.

There's no point
in arresting a man

I know the court's
not going to convict.

Why do you say that?

I saw Tom on the
street this morning.

Before I even mentioned it,

he told me that he'd been
with Melinda last night.

He did?

Well, I was there
too, Mr. Miles.

That's just what happened.

Well, I'm not doubting
either one of you.

Let me tell you
something, Marshal,

I don't want that boy hanging
around my house anymore.

I'll tell Melinda.

I'll leave it up to
you to tell him.

First time he shows
up, I'll shoot him on sight.

- Now, wait a minute, Miles.
- Wait nothing.

I still think he's guilty no
matter what anybody says,

but I guess I'll have
to leave him alone.

That is, unless he comes
courting Melinda again.

Then I'll kill him.

Well, he means that, Mr. Dillon.

Yeah, I'm afraid
he does, Chester.

Heh. Boy, that-that sure
smells good, don't it?

It smells strong.

Attar of roses.

Makes you feel kind
of younger somehow.

Well, I can see that's gonna be

a problem for you,
all right, Chester.

Well, you know
what I meant by it. I...

Marshal, we've been
looking everywhere for you.

Hello, Chester.
- Melinda.

What's wrong?

My pa, that's what's wrong.

What's he done?

You know perfectly
well what he's done.

He came home and said
he'd shoot Tom on sight

if he caught him
'round the place again.

What are you doing in town?

She came to see me.

She's got a good idea, Marshal.

I thought it all out, Marshal,

and there's only one
way to settle this business.

How's that?

Tom's innocent.

Pa said you're
convinced of it yourself.

I am, yes.

Then you have to arrest
him and have him tried.

What?

It's the only way, Marshal.

He'll be found "not guilty."

It put Pa to shame and
then he'll leave us alone.

Now where'd you come
up with an idea like that?

You've got to do it right now.

Melinda's right. It's the
only thing that'll work.

You will do it, won't you?

No, I'm afraid I can't.

But, Marshal!

The law just can't be
used that way. I'm sorry.

Then you won't help us?

No, I didn't say that.

As a matter of fact, I've been
giving this a lot of thought.

I may come up
with something yet.

In the meantime, I
want you to go on home.

And you stay away
from there, Tom.

You're in enough
trouble as it is.

Come on, Melinda.
We'll go get your horse.

You give up awful
easy, don't you?

I didn't say I'd given up yet.

Come on.

- Chester?
- Yeah?

I'm gonna ride out of
town for a couple of days.

You are?

Yeah, I want you to keep
an eye on things around here.

Is the marshal here?

No, he ain't.

We've got to find him, Chester.

Well, what's the matter here?

We've decided to run away.

I met Tom this
afternoon near home.

But her pa saw us.
Now he's on our trail.

With two of his men, and
they'll kill him. I know they will!

Well, Tom, you're
just a durn fool.

Mr. Dillon told you to
stay away from there.

Well, that ain't
gonna help me now.

Please, Chester.

Well, all right. Go on inside.

I'll lock you up
and stand guard.

He'll have to get
through me first.

Now it's too late.

You keep away from him, Pa.

I warned ya what would happen.

Now just a minute, Mr. Miles.

There ain't gonna
be no killing here.

I don't aim to kill him here.

I'm gonna take him
out on the prairie

and give him an even
chance with me alone.

No, you ain't. I ain't even
gonna let you do that.

There isn't anything you
can do to stop me, Chester.

Pat?

- What's going on here?
- Mr. Dillon.

There about to
kill Tom, Marshal.

Come here, Tom.

You know George.

I know him.

Marshal told me the story, Tom.

He wanted me to ride
back to town with him

to be sure you got your money.

- You don't owe me nothing.
- Oh, yes I do.

A hundred and ten dollars.

I told you I'd pay you within
a few weeks, remember?

Here it is.

You paid me!

What's going on here, Marshal?

Melinda, you got word
to Tom about that alibi

you had set up
for him, didn't you?

The cook's boy.

I sent him to town with
a note before dawn.

Melinda.

I knew it.

I knew it all the time.

Tom, I'll take your gun.

All right, let's go inside.

- You murderer!
- Harry!

Let me settle it now.
Roy was my friend!

Get a hold of
yourself now, Harry!

You better start
thinking about Melinda.

Got a hunch she's
gonna be needing you.

All right, Marshal.

Melinda?

Time we went home?