Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 7, Episode 31 - Cale - full transcript

Starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

♪♪

♪♪

Anybody home?

Anybody around?

♪♪

Who's down there?

You get away from my horses.

Don't come any closer, Nick!

Sterret, you got a lot of
nerve coming back here.

I don't want to kill you, Nick.



You stole enough off us
while you worked here.

You ain't getting my horses.

Two of you?

Horse-thieving scum.

No, mister, look, I didn't...

Hey, mister, look, I didn't...

♪♪

♪♪

All right, let's turn you over.

Easy now.

Where are you hurt?

That's a pretty bad
shoulder you've got there.

How long you been here?

I don't know.



You come looking for me?

Should I?

You got a badge.

You can do anything.

It just so happens
I was out hunting.

I ran across you by accident.

Looks to me like
you're hit in two places,

- you know that?
- Better than you.

You got to get to a doctor.

You're not a hand to
cut bullets out, Marshal?

This one here is
lodged under the bone.

Where you gonna take me?

Dodge City.

Who shot you?

I don't know.

Well, do you know why?

Maybe I know why.

What's your name?

Cale.

Cale what?

That's enough, just Cale.

You in some kind of trouble?

I sure am.

I got two bullets in me.

Well, I'll get a fire going

and get you some coffee
before I take you back.

What's the matter with you, boy?

Don't you want help?

I hardly ever want help.

Well, let me tell you something,

you got help whether
you want it or not.

Now, suppose you just lie
back there and rest easy.

Pretty deep, all right.

Not gonna be too much trouble.

It's flesh, but
this one up here,

it's kind of mean.

It's right there
under the collarbone.

The marshal saw that much.

Well, he saw right.

What's that?

Well, I'm gonna give
you some chloroform.

No, no, you're not
gonna use that on me.

You don't want it?

Are you any good?

You a good doctor?

I got a right to know.

Well, there's a
controversy about it,

but I think I'm good
enough for you.

Hey, listen to me, boy,
Doc Adams is a busy man.

He doesn't have time
to fool around with you.

Yeah? Well, I'm young,
and there's a long life ahead,

and I want to live
it in good shape.

I don't want any nervous old man

hacking up on me.

Hold on here.

I'm gonna tell you
a couple of things,

and hear me good.

There's no long life
ahead of you at all

unless I get those
bullets out of there.

And I am busy, like Matt said.

There's a woman out
here having a baby,

about ten miles from
here, and she needs me.

Now, there's nothing that says

that you and me
got to like each other,

but I am gonna have to
take those bullets out of there.

And it'll be some easier for
you if you take some chloroform.

No, I'm gonna
watch you, old man.

Gonna watch, huh?

All right.

Excuse me.

Watch real close.

You just might
learn a thing or two

before this is over.

Is he all right, Doc?

Yeah.

Yeah, he's strong
as a bull, Matt.

He just sure ain't
gonna feel this next one.

Who is he anyway?

Well, his name's Cale, Doc.

That's all I know about him.

I found him out on the prairie.

He's a nice-looking young fella,

but he's sure got a big mouth.

One of these is from a
rifle and one's from a pistol.

Looks to me like he
must have two enemies.

The way he talks,

he'll have a lot more
before he's through.

Think he's going
to be all right?

Oh, yeah, he'll be all right.

But somebody's gonna
have to watch over him,

and I've got to get
out to Mrs. Travis'.

This is he ninth kid, you know.

Well, she's probably
got the hang of it by now.

Can you stay with
him for a while?

Well, yeah, I guess so.

Why don't you stop by and
tell Chester to come on up here?

All right, I'll do it.

And thanks, Doc.

You did a good job.

Don't I always?

Yeah, for a nervous old man.

Did he really called Doc that?

Well, he's quite a
friendly young fella.

He tried to hit me over the
head with a log this morning

when I was fixing some
coffee for him out there.

Oh, sort of the backward type.

Yeah, he's young, bullheaded.

You know the kind.

He's about 20, I'd say.

Chester's been
sitting over there

with him half the day.

Oh he's probably taken
care of Chester by now.

Broken both his
arms or something.

Well, uh,

now that you know
what a charmer he is,

I was wondering if you'd go
over and sit with him a while?

Oh, I'm flattered.

I got some errands
for Chester to do,

and I got a lot of paperwork.

And I'll guarantee
you one thing,

he won't be hitting
you with any logs.

Well, if he calls me
a nervous old woman,

I'm liable to throw
a few logs myself.

Well, maybe the sight of a woman

will calm him down some.

Oh, that's the effect I
like to have on a man.

By golly.

Didn't think that I'd know you
was behind me there, did you?

Huh?

Teach you to cause
trouble in our town.

I'll fix it so you
won't do it no more,

that's for sure.

No, you just put
your hands in there.

Go on, put your hands in there.

That's right.

Now, can tighten
that up a little bit.

Now, let's see if you
can get out of that.

Go on, see if you
can get out of that...

How's the patient, Chester?

Oh, fine. Just wonderful.

He's just been
laying there real still,

ain't made a sound,
moved or nothing.

Yeah, he looks pretty good

considering what
he's been through.

A little fever.

- Not much though.
- Yeah.

How did you get
tied up like that?

Oh, oh,

well, this isn't
anything, Mr. Dillon.

You've seen me
do it a lot of times.

It's a trick, you know,
Western handcuffs.

You say he hasn't made a sound?

Oh, no, not a peep.

He's a nice looking boy.

Yeah, well, I'll be back
in about an hour, Kitty.

All right, Matt.

Excuse me.

Well, what's the idea?

Pretty good idea,
don't you think?

No, I don't.

You lie back down there.

You've got a fever.

Yeah.

Just you go on back to sleep.

Oh, not now.

Oh, I didn't mind dozing off

through the rope
tricks and all that,

but now, well, I
just can't recall

when I have felt
more wide awake.

Oh, no, I can play this game

at the Long Branch
and sell whiskey too.

Now, look, wait a minute.

You better lie...

Well, well, I'm
beginning to think

that Doc's some kind
of a medical genius.

The marshal said an hour.

And I figure we can
get to know each other

right well in that time.

Why, we might
even do some talking.

Well, I...

I just hope you're as
healthy as you seem.

Anybody watching after
you needs a bullwhip.

Hi, Kitty.

If that Cale means
anything to you,

you look after him.

I haven't got the strength.

Kitty.

What'd he do?

Not as much as he had in mind.

♪♪

Here's your soup, Pa.

Thank you, Will.

I wish you'd let me go into
town for Doc Adams, Pa.

You dug the bullets out, Will.

I'm mending right enough.

The doc knows better than me.

I can't spare you, boy.

Not till I'm fit.

I wouldn't want to be here
alone if they come back.

I won't leave you, Pa.

There's no doubt in
your mind it was Sterret?

It was him and a young fella.

I sure didn't
expected that youngin,

but after I fell in
the barn that-away,

there he was, just
a-waiting for me.

You never saw him before?

You're sure?

Never before.

But if I see him
again, I'll know him.

Yeah, and he'll know you, too,

if you put a bullet in him.

What do you see out there, boy?

Nothing, Pa.

I wish I did.

I ever see someone
riding by to town,

I'm gonna tell him
to send the doc

and the marshal out here.

Bide your time, Will.

Won't be much longer

before me and you is
riding into Dodge together.

At least you didn't
get yourself killed.

Us mean ones live forever, boy.

Eat your soup, Pa.

How's your dinner?

You quit worrying about
mine and eat yours.

Well, you know, I'm sure
sorry about getting you

into that trouble
with Cale, Kitty.

I figured him to
sleep most of the day.

I don't think he wastes
much time sleeping.

I guess not.

Well, I wonder where he is now.

You worried about him?

Well, no, but wherever he is,
he can't be in very good shape,

I'll tell you that.

Well, you'll never
get me to worry

about the shape he's in.

I'll tell you one thing,

I wouldn't want to meet him
when he was completely healthy.

How are you?

- Hello.
- Hello, Doc.

Sit.

Thank you, I'm going to.

If you two didn't
want any company,

you hadn't ought to go leaving
extra chairs at your table.

How are you, Doc?

Well that's kind of
an moot question.

I've been out at the
Travis place all day.

Oh, Mrs. Travis have
her baby all right?

Yeah, she practically had
it by the time I got there.

Oh, my gosh, thanks, Joe.

Yeah, Mrs. Travis is
fine, new baby's fine,

all the other
eight kids are fine.

That leaves Mr. Travis.

What ails him?

Same thing that
always ails Mr. Travis

when Mrs. Travis has a baby.

He takes to his bed with a
whole book full of aches and pains

and the galloping fatigue.

Well, I've been
hovering over him all day.

You better have something to
eat and get your strength back.

Well, no.

I will later,

but I was kind of
wondering about young Cale.

Yeah, we wondering
about him, too. He's gone.

Gone? Where?

Nobody knows.

Well, he can't be very far.

He's not mended yet.

Kitty here might argue
that with you, Doc.

He's one for your
medical journals, Doc.

See, I had to get Chester,

so Kitty went up to stay
with Cale for a while.

Why don't you tell him about it?

Well, let me just
put it this way,

the last I saw of him, he
was, um, slightly fevered

and strong as an ox.

Brash young pup.

He's gonna have to have his
ears pinned back a couple of times,

I'll tell you that.

You know, uh, And
I'll tell you something,

wherever he is, he...

he just might be
a pretty sick boy.

Hey, come on, get
down from there.

Come on, get down.

Now, I don't believe I know you.

I don't know you.

Who told you you
could sleep up there?

I would have asked for the
use of the hayloft last night,

but you were jawing with someone

about a feed bill
when I came in.

I couldn't wait.

Name's Cale.

Hank Miller.

You own this stable?

No, I run it for Moss Grimmick.

That bacon and coffee
sure smells good, Mr. Miller.

You want lodging and grub, huh?

And a job.

Job?

Well, if I needed help, I'd
need a two-handed man.

Have no trouble pitching hay,

and I'm a hand at the forge.

You won't waste any
money hiring me, Mr. Miller.

Money?

Lodging, grub, now money, huh?

A dollar a day and my keep.

How'd you hurt that arm?

I got shot.

Mmm-hm.

I guess you better know,

Marshal Dillon's a
good friend of mine.

I guess you better know

Marshal Dillon
brought me to Dodge.

He did?

You're not gonna burn

that bacon now,
are you, Mr. Miller?

Oh.

Yeah, a dollar a day and
my keep is fine with me.

That's it, huh?

Well, I guess it's worth trying

for a while anyhow, son.

My name's Cale, just Cale.

Don't ever call
me son, Mr. Miller.

Well, I guess I can
remember that, all right.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Miller, you are just
bound to burn that bacon.

Mr. Dillon.

Hmm?

I found him.

I found that young Cale fella.

You did? Where?

He-he's down at Moss Grimmick's.

He's working down there.

- Working?
- Yeah.

You didn't find him in any of
those wanted posters, did you?

No.

Well, let's get down
and have a talk with him.

Good morning.

Morning.

Mr. Miller, he's
gone off for a while.

Yeah, I understand you're
working for him here now, huh?

We're giving each other a try.

Well, you seem to know pretty
much what you're doing there.

You used to this
kind of work, are you?

I've done most
everything, Marshal.

Yeah, there's a few
things you've done

I'd kind of like to
talk to you about.

Yeah, she's sure
pretty, that Miss Kitty.

But when she gets
a notion in her head,

she just blazes, doesn't she?

Yeah, that wasn't
exactly what I had in mind.

Like about these two
bullets Doc took out of you.

I'm not much for collecting
souvenirs, Marshal.

One's from a rifle,
one's from a pistol.

What kind of a trouble
were you in, anyway?

Look, I have anything
to say, I'll say it.

Don't go hounding me.

Nobody's hounding you.

If you're in trouble...

If I am, it's my trouble.

Nothing happened
in your town, Marshal.

I was, uh,

watching you
yesterday with that rope.

Where? Up at Doc's?

Well, I thought you was asleep.

Seemed like you
handled it real good.

Oh, I was just fooling around.

You ever try this?

Well... How'd you
get that knot in there?

Be a poor man couldn't
make a rope work for him.

They say you can loop a rope,

twist it, bend it
every which way,

but you can't do that to a man

unless he lets you.

Morning, Sam.

Good morning, Miss Kitty.

Oh, we had kind
of a quiet night.

They only broke one chair.

Well, if we string enough
of those nights together,

we might get rich.

It's a little early for
whiskey, young fella.

I didn't come for whiskey.

It's a little early for
anything, isn't it?

You're some better
looking than I remembered.

They promised me that
you'd be sick as a horse.

I feel pretty good.

I make better coffee than that.

Why don't you go someplace
and make yourself some?

Aw, now I didn't hurt
you none, now did I?

I cried all night.

I kiss a woman,

it's not supposed to insult her.

Now look, I've
forgotten all about it,

why don't you?

Well, you're just sure not
supposed to forget about it.

How's your shoulder?

It's mending.

Maybe you ought to
let Doc take a look at it.

Aw, you're not gonna start
acting like that, now are you?

Like what?

You don't have to pat
heads and take care of strays.

You're a good-looking woman.

You're a good-looking boy.

You said it.

Only it doesn't change anything.

'Cause you don't take to
mothering and neither do I.

I'll make you a real
cup of coffee sometime.

Remember me?

Yeah, I've been
expecting you. Come in.

How do you feel?

I feel okay.

Here.

What's that?

It's a dollar.

Well, I can see it's a dollar.

- What's it for?
- That's all I have now,

but I'll pay you right
along as I earn it.

- How much do I owe you?
- Unbutton your shirt.

I want to have a
look at that shoulder.

I asked you a question.

Nothing wrong with my hearing.

Just sit down and
unbutton your shirt there,

and let me look
at your shoulder,

and maybe I can give
you a sensible answer.

That's a fresh bandage.

I put it there this morning.

You did?

Yes, sir.

You clean that out, too?

Yes, sir. What I could.

Coming along
all right, isn't it?

Yeah, I don't
know why, but it is.

All right, now here,

you sprinkle some
of this on the wound

next time you change bandages.

It'll help the
healing along a little.

I don't know.

You don't know what?

Maybe I don't need that.

I mean, I haven't
got a lot of money.

Well, who said anything
about money? Here.

I did. I been saying it
ever since I come here.

Well, let me worry about that.

Oh, no, no, I'm not
gonna be beholden to you.

Well, that's not one of the
requirements around here.

Well, you're just full of words
all the time, now aren't you?

Why can't you tell me
how much I owe you?

Now you must've done a good job

because I'm getting
along real good.

All I want to do is pay
you and get out of here.

Well, the door's
right over there

where it was when you came in,

and if I've got to
listen to your smart lip

every time I see you, you
can consider the bill paid in full!

I never saw an old
man wasn't stubborn.

And I never saw a young
one that didn't know it all!

You call that eating dinner?

He needs work, Mr. Miller.

He's a fine one, ain't he?

Never seen better.

Belong to someone you know?

He belongs to Tate Gifford.

Lives seven or eight miles
the other side of the river.

- A ranch?
- Mmm-hm.

Why doesn't he keep
him there himself?

Well, he belonged to his boy.

He died of the smallpox
about a month ago.

Tate brought him to me
and asked me to keep him

till he could stand
to look at him again.

You figure he might sell him?

He might. I
wouldn't swear to it.

I'll ask him when I see him.

You do that.

And, Cale, uh,

Tate Gifford just
might consider it a favor

if you take out in the country

and give him a good
workout now and again.

Well, I just might do
that now and again.

Ho.

There's no working
him at all, Mr. Miller.

He just works himself.

Next time you'll be telling
me he can read and write.

As soon as he
can, I'll let you know.

All I know is he still
eats like a horse.

Hey, that reminds me.

I better get him
something to eat, huh?

Yes, sir?

A little feed and
a lot of water.

Yeah, I notice she
favors that left forefoot.

I better look at it.

Don't do nothing
that costs money.

Mmm-hm, just what I thought.

Hey, mister?

There's a nail
missing in this shoe.

I told you, don't do
anything that costs money.

Cale, you take care of this.

Feed and water and a
nail in the left fore-shoe.

You know that man?

I know he's hard on
a horse, I know that.

You know who he is?

No, why?

What's the matter with you?

There's something
I got to be sure of.

Now hear, you go
after a man with a gun,

- I'm bound to tell the marshal.
- You're no such thing.

- I'd have to.
- It's not the marshal's concern.

You've got a look
I've never seen before,

and I don't know
what you're up to,

and I can't stop you,
but the marshal can.

Mr. Miller, I want you
to understand now

I've just got to stop you.

I'm sorry, Mr. Miller.

I'm sorry.

I still think you ought
to see the doc first, Pa.

I been living to see
the marshal, Will.

You know that.

Okay.

- Howdy, Marshal.
- Marshal.

Well, hello, Nick, Will.

You mind if I sit down?

Not at all.

He's, uh,

he's doing the
fathering these days.

I tell you, it's hard
taking orders again.

What's the matter?
You been sick?

Pa got shot, Marshal.

Shot?

And I'll do the
telling about it.

See how he takes orders?

Marshal, you see,
there was two of them.

Sterret was one and the other...

Now, wait a minute,
who's Sterret?

You mind that
thieving hired hand

worked for us most of last year?

Oh, yeah, yeah, I
think I remember him.

Me and Will let him
go a month or so ago.

Then he come back bringing
that young friend with him.

They was set on
stealing our horses.

This is about a
week ago, Marshal.

I'd gone off to Fort Dodge

to see about
selling some horses,

and Pa here was alone.

Well, do you think
they knew that?

He could have seen
me ride off, I guess.

Now, I'm doing the telling.

He could've thought
that both of us was gone.

I mind that morning
after Will left,

I heard this whinnying and
goings-on out in the corral

and I grabbed my
rifle and run out there,

and I seen Sterret and I
yelled to him to get out.

What about the other fella?

Well, he was in the barn.

I didn't see him yet.

You see, Sterret and
me fired back and forth.

To tell the truth, I
don't think I hit him,

but that young one in the barn,

I shot him right enough.

But you didn't know him?

No, sir.

You see, I fell in the barn.

Sterret hit me pretty good.

I fell in, and there
was that young one.

The last thing I
did was fire on him.

I shot him right
in the shoulder.

Now, Nick, you said
you shot him with a rifle?

Yes, sir.

And you know you
hit him in the shoulder?

Oh, he grabbed for that
shoulder quick enough.

Now look, you say
he's a young one.

How young?

Oh, I'd say around
about 20, I guess.

Pa swears he'd know
him if he saw him again.

Yeah, he was medium
build, fair-headed.

Not a bad-looking boy.

Nick, how long you
gonna be in town?

Well, Will's set on
me seeing Doc Adams.

I won't be an hour, Marshal.

It's Pa's idea to
ride on home alone.

I got some business to
take care of at Fort Dodge.

Be home about suppertime.

All right, if I find
out anything,

I'll let you know.

- Thank you, Marshal.
- Thank you, Marshal.

You haven't by any chance
been down to the stable, have you?

No, not since this morning.

Why? Is something wrong?

I don't know. I'm going
down there to find out.

I got to talk to Cale.

Feel better, Hank?

Yeah, anything's
better than that.

Give me a hand.

You sure you're all right?

Oh, yeah.

He didn't want to
hurt me, Marshal.

Oh, no, he just bound
and gagged you, that's all.

Well, he figured he had to.

I was butting into his business.

What business, Hank?

Well, this fella come
back in, left his horse.

Cale was awful anxious to
know whether I knew him.

Well, I didn't, and
so next thing I knew,

he'd strapped on his gun

and was going to
take out after him.

So when I tried to stop him...

Yeah, he stopped you.

I better look around town.

That won't do no good.

They're gone.

You mean they left town?

Yeah, I come to just
as they come back here

and got the horses
and rode off together.

You know which way they went?

Well, the best I
could tell by listening,

they headed west.

Better get the horses, Chester.

Yes, sir.

You won't have no
trouble trailing them.

The other fella's
horse had a loose shoe.

Thanks, Hank.

That'll help a lot.

Matt.

I can't be wrong about that boy.

We could all be
wrong about him, Hank.

Least you can do is
tell me who you are.

You don't know the face.

The name wouldn't mean a thing.

Look, I had plenty of time
to look at you good now.

I know I never seen you before.

I know I seen you.

Well, what'd I do?

Anything you don't remember,

I'll tell you when we get there.

Get where?

Where we're going. Mount up.

You gonna kill me, you
could do it right here.

I could do it anywhere.

You just keep that in mind.

♪♪

This is right around
where I found Cale that day.

Sure don't do us much
good now, does it?

Well, I don't know,
Chester, maybe it does.

Nick Archer's place
is right over there.

Think that's where he headed?

Well, I'm beginning to think so.

Let's go over and see.

Right here, where
you're standing,

that's where that old man died.

You... You gonna kill me here?

It'd be fitting.

What for?

A week ago today.

Now, I'm gonna give
you time to remember.

You came here.

You shot that old man,

and he reeled in
here and he died.

You're crazy. I
never killed any...

I saw you through
the window yonder,

and when you rode off,
I came riding after you.

You remember that?

Look, mister, I told you,

I never saw you before.

You saw someone
riding after you,

and you shot away.

Now, I'm gonna be
drawing from the wrong side

a long time because of you.

You starting to remember?

Look, I didn't know it was you.

Somebody was
after me; I just fired.

Anybody would've.

I figure I owe you something.

Well, you weren't
killed. Y-You're lucky

you weren't, coming
after a man like that.

The old man weren't so lucky.

I want you to know

that I'm the last thing
he saw before he died.

He thought I was with you.

He died thinking I
wanted him dead.

Is that what you
dragged me here for?

Because of what
an old man thought?

Well, he's dead now, ain't he?

Nearest way I can make
it right is to settle with you.

That's crazy kind of thinking.

Well, you put me down for
that kind of crazy thinking.

Hold it, you two.

Nick, you're all right?

You got a lot of gall
coming back here.

Mister, I thought you were dead.

And you come back to make sure?

Nick, he's out of his mind.

He wants to kill both of us.

- You got to help me, Nick.
- You stay there, Sterret.

I ain't got a gun.

He's the one that's after us.

Mister, don't listen to him.

Drop that gun.

Go on, drop it.

Are you hurt?

A little bit ago, you
could've killed me.

I don't want you dead.

What do you want?

- To talk to you.
- Why?

Make you understand, if I can.

Well, I don't mind listening.

I never worked with him.

I don't even know him.

That day, I was just
sleeping in your barn,

when he shot you
and you fell in here.

Now, I know how
it looked to you,

but that wasn't how it was.

I... I shot you in the shoulder.

Yes, sir, you did.

I thought you were dead.

I rode off after
him, saw his face,

and he shot me,

and I never saw
him again until today.

Why didn't you turn
him over to the law?

No, I only know to
do things my own way.

This was personal.

I figured you died
thinking I killed you

or wanted you dead.

Now, that was his fault.

I had to do my
settling with him.

You don't know me.

What do you care what I thought?

Didn't rest easy on
my mind, that's all.

You think it would
set easy with you?

No, sir, I don't think it would.

You mind I get some water?

I'm dry.

I'm kind of dry myself.

I'm beginning to think
you don't want me dead.

I sure don't mind
you being alive.

Sets better, does it?

Sets better, yes, sir.

I'm glad to see you, Marshal.

Well, I guess
you're all right, Nick.

I'm lots better now.

You go nosing into
everything, don't you?

Yeah, but you pretty
much fixed it so I have to.

Well, it's all
settled without you.

He understands,

and you'll find
Sterret in the barn.

Like I told you before, I
handle things my own way.

Yeah, I know how
you handle things.

Knocking out Hank
Miller, tying him up,

stealing his horse.

Mr. Miller, he'll understand.

I'll show you where
Sterret is, Marshal.

Seems to me you take an
awful lot of understanding.

You shoot Sterret?

I had to.

But don't believe me.

The old man saw it, too.

Mr. Miller, he's okay,
isn't he Chester?

Yeah, yeah, sure, he's
gonna pull through it all right.

Seems to me like you
could do a little bit better

if you'd talked
to somebody first

before you start shooting
them and beating them up

and riding off the
way that you did.

I mean, it looks to me
like you could make friends

once in a while.

It's a lot easier than
making enemies.

Yeah, well, I'll manage.

I've had to manage all my life.

That long, huh?

♪♪

It's just the pride
in him, Mr. Dillon.

It's big as he is.

You know, I...

I think maybe if he
learned something.

Yeah, well, he's got an
awful lot more to learn yet.

Well, that could be,

but didn't you, I
mean, at his age?

Yeah.

Yeah, I guess I did.