Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 8, Episode 36 - The Odyssey of Jubal Tanner - full transcript

Starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

♪♪

- You're quitting early.
- Going to town.

Twice in one week.

Finish the side acre?

Nope. Moldboard's busted.

Well, you better fix it; can't
get along without a plow.

That ain't all you figure you
can't get along without, Aaron.

Don't start it, Hobie.

Why don't you take
a look in that mirror?

Can't you see she's
playing you for a fool?



You're old, Aaron.

You're old enough
to be her daddy.

That's true.

But you understand this:

If she'll have me,

I'm gonna ask her to marry me.

And if she marries me,

she's coming here to live.
Now, you can stay or go.

I-I want you to stay.

But if you stay, you're
gonna treat her civil.

- Understand?
- Hmm...

I can't hardly bear the
sight of that woman.

You better start trying.

What are you gonna do
with all your money, Kitty?



I'm saving it for my old age.

Well, from the
looks of business,

you're gonna be
very comfortable.

Hey.

- She's an awful pretty woman.
- Who?

- Leah.
- Yeah.

Well, the word is that, uh...

that Aaron Larker is
kind of serious about her.

Yeah. And she's only
been in town two months.

Well, you figure
that's kind of sudden?

Mmm, I think so. They
don't even know each other.

Well, gosh, they're old
enough to know their own minds.

Well, she knows hers.

Meaning what?

Meaning that she knows
what she's doing every minute.

She's lived a little.

Aaron, he doesn't know anything

but that dirt farm he's been
working with his brother.

He's a man.

Yeah, and a very nice man,
and he could get hurt by her.

My gosh, Kitty, a man has a...

right to choose any
woman he wants.

- He...
- Two beers.

- Leah.
- Kitty, Doc.

Thank you.

Now, what do you mean
he could get hurt by her?

I mean that Leah has
dealt faro on riverboats

and hustled herders for
drinks and worked in saloons.

Now, can you please
tell me what a dirt farmer

would know about
a woman like that?

No, I don't know, but
I do know one thing.

No man knows anything
about any woman. At all.

I think I'm gonna
have to run along.

Yep. Thanks for the beer.

At the cost of my old age
money, you're welcome.

Hey, bartender, get
me some whiskey.

I got me three long
months to make up for.

- That'll be two bits, mister.
- Ah...

it'll save us a lot of
trouble, if you just leave that.

- I'm going upstairs, Sam.
- All right, Miss Kitty.

Hey, you ain't leavin'?

I just got here.

- Have a good time.
- Oh, I'm fixin' to.

Why don't we talk about it, huh?

I've heard it all before.

Hey, your boss
wouldn't like the way

you're treating a
paying customer.

I'm the boss.

Well, then, we
should be real friendly.

My name's Colie Fletcher.

Get out of my way.

For a soft thing, you got spunk.

That's the way I like my women.

In just about one minute,
you're gonna find out

how much spunk I've got.

Oh, we can talk
about that, too, huh?

Uh, Marshal Dillon!

Uh...

Hobie.

Uh, Marshal, I
got to talk to you.

Uh, it's about my brother Aaron.

Well, what about him?

Well, uh...

he's set on marryin' up
with that Leah Brunson,

and I-I want to know what
you're gonna do about it.

I'm not gonna do anything.

You're not gonna do anything?

Well, ain't you gonna stop it?

Well, how could I do that?

Well... your job to
protect people, ain't it?

She got him so fuddled he
don't know-know his own mind.

Oh, now, I think you're
reading a lot into that, Hobie.

No, no; no, I ain't.

I-I know what
she's up to, all right.

Well, if you ain't
gonna do nothin',

I guess I'll just have
to handle it myself.

Now, what's that
supposed to mean?

It means I ain't gonna
let her go cuttin' me

out of my own home,
that's what it means.

Upsetting our lives...

Aaron and me.

We got along fine
without her all these years.

Now, just don't you
go doing anything

the law will have to set right.

The law can't stop a
man from protecting

what's his own, can it?

That's all I'm gonna do...

protect what's my own.

Hey.

How about you and me sitting
and have a little drink, huh?

Yeah. That's my job, mister.

- What's your name?
- Leah.

Leah, huh? Here.

You know, I had you
picked in the first place.

- Is that so?
- Mm-hmm.

Waste of time
with that other one.

This your first time in Dodge?

Gonna be my last one, too.

You know, this ain't
the friendliest town

I've ever been in.

Well, till now they all
been the same to me.

That so?

Well, now, you just try some and
you might easily change my mind.

That ain't part
of the job, mister.

Huh?

You said a drink.

- What's the matter with you?
- Not a thing.

Am I full of ticks or something?

Now, lookie here, you ain't
sitting with some chawbacon.

Look, you've got any
complaints, I'll leave.

You'll stay.

But don't paw me.

Now, lookie here, I ain't
used to being made a fool of.

Not twice in one night, I ain't.

- You can leave.
- Yeah.

I can slap some
civil talk into you, too.

You can try!

I'm gonna mark
you good for this.

Hello, Leah.

Why, hello, Aaron.

Something wrong?

Nothing a breath
of clean air won't fix.

Move on, Haymaker.

- I'll take you outside.
- I said move on.

I mean without her.

I'd be a fool to fight you.

You'd be dead, too.

I got too much to live for.

Come on.

Come on.

I said come on.

Come on!

You don't have to take that
from him or nobody no more.

It's just part of the job.

Not for you it ain't.

Now, you tell Miss Kitty

that you don't want
that job, you're quitting,

- and we're not gonna wait any longer.
- Aaron, I can't...

There's no sense putting it off.
We'll be married tomorrow and...

Married?!

Would you marry me, Leah?

Oh, Aaron, I wouldn't
want to hurt you.

- I know I ain't much...
- No, you don't understand.

I mean, I... I mean,
I'm just a saloon gal.

What's been is past.

I ain't blind and I
ain't dumb, and...

you're not getting all
that much of a bargain.

Aaron...

you're the sweetest,
kindest man I've ever known.

I shave most every day... I get
a good look at me in the mirror.

What you are, a person
doesn't see with their eyes.

For the first time
since I can remember...

I'm being looked
at like I was a lady.

I ain't got much to offer you...

except maybe love.

You'll never go hungry,
you'll never be cold.

Aaron...

it is right, isn't it?

It's right.

Make a fool of me.

Then walk out with
some hayshaker!

I'm gonna learn you a lesson.

I'm gonna learn you good.

♪♪

♪♪

Doc?

It's a fractured skull, Matt.

Now, Leah, do you think you
could tell me any more about it?

You want details, Marshal?

All you got to
do is look at him.

Who was it?

He didn't introduce himself.

Well, what'd he look like?

He was a buffalo hunter.

They all look alike
and they all smell alike!

Was he the one I was talking to?

Yeah.

You knew him?

I met him.

His name's Colie Fletcher.

Colie Fletcher?

I'll walk you back to the
rooming house, Leah.

No, thanks, I... I'm
staying right here.

Well, let me know if I
can do anything for you.

- Moss.
- Oh, evening, Marshal.

Say, did you take in a horse
from a buffalo hunter tonight?

Earlier this evening, yeah. Why?

His name Fletcher,
by any chance?

- That's right.
- The horse still here?

No, he took it
about an hour ago.

Why? Is there something wrong?

Which way did he head out?

He went out east.

Uh, you want him for something?

Yeah, I'll say so.

Well, you won't have
any trouble following him.

His horse had a loose shoe.

I wanted him to get it
fixed before he went, but...

he wouldn't spend the
50 cents to have it done.

Ah, glad to hear it. Look,
saddle my horse, will you?

- I'll be back in a few minutes.
- Right, Marshal.

♪♪

♪♪

Morning.

Yep.

That coffee sure smells good.

You got some water to mix
with it, you're welcome to some.

My horse pulled up
lame a ways back.

- Had to shoot it.
- Uh-huh.

Hey, that's a fine-looking
animal you have there.

Yeah, I'm kind
of partial to him.

I don't blame you.

Mighty fine animal.

See you was a soldier.

Yeah, I was a soldier.

Me, I wasn't in the war.

Well, you didn't miss nothing.

Yeah, it's been a
long time since '65.

You been a-driftin' ever since?

Yeah.

You know, it's a sorry thing

being miles from no
place without a horse.

Yeah, it sure is.

I, uh...

I don't suppose you've a
mind to sell yours, huh?

Now, money wouldn't
do me too much good

way out here, would it?

Now, ain't that a fact.

Yeah, I sure do hate the
thought of walking, though.

Yes, sir...

I sure do hate the
thought of walking.

Howdy.

What's happened to you, mister?

I got careless, that's
what happened.

Looks to me like
a gunshot wound.

A man shot me in the leg
and then stole my horse.

He wasn't by any chance a
big man in buckskins, was he?

Yeah, that's him.

Wanted to make double
sure I wouldn't follow him.

- Why? You looking for him?
- Yeah, I sure am.

Then go on after him; I
ain't asking you to stay.

- Well, you need help here.
- Then stay and give it!

It's all the same to me!

Are you looking for thanks?

Well, you can wait till you
turn gray before you'll get it.

Well, you'd make it pretty easy

for a man to leave you
out here, wouldn't you?

Like I said, it's all
the same to me.

We'll have to ride in double.

Either that, or one of
us is gonna have to walk.

My gun's over there.

All right, take it easy, now.

- Matt.
- Doc.

- Who's this?
- Name's Jubal Tanner.

Well, just... get over
there on the table.

What's the trouble here?

Well, he ran into
Colie Fletcher.

Oh.

Well, you're pretty
lucky Matt came along.

Am I?

You could've bled to death.

He's not exactly the
grateful type, Doc.

How's Aaron?

Well, Matt, Aaron died
about two hours after you left.

I guess you're real sorry
you wasted all that time

to help me out, Marshal.

How about Leah Brunson?

Well, Leah's about like
you'd expect her to be.

I'll be back later.

All right.

Well...

I'm gonna have to
give you chloroform.

No, no, no. None of that.

Well, all right.

It's gonna hurt some.

Not so you'll ever notice.

No, I won't notice
it a bit, but you will.

Unless this bullet has
numbed all your senses.

Didn't take no
bullet to do that.

♪♪

- Marshal Dillon.
- Hobie.

Heard you was back.

Yeah, I just got
back a little while ago.

Aaron's dead... you know that?

I know.

You didn't catch that fella?

No.

It's her doing.

Same as she killed him herself.

No, that's not true, Hobie.

If she let him be, he'd
be alive, I know that.

Showed I was right, it did.

What do you mean?

Well, Aaron's marrying...
just wasn't supposed to be.

He... he didn't need no woman.

Not her, anyways.

Go on home, Hobie.

Showed I was right.

All she wanted
was somebody to...

pay her way.

She didn't love him.

What's her kind know
about love, anyways?

Hobie, let me tell
you something.

It just so happened that your
brother had a mind of his own.

Now, don't try to
take it all out on Leah.

Now, why don't you go on home.

Mm.

♪♪

- Kitty.
- I heard you were back.

Yeah. I'm just about
to head out again, too.

- You didn't catch Fletcher?
- No.

I understand he's headed
up toward Great Bend.

I'm gonna start out
after him right away.

Well, I guess you heard
that Aaron Larker died.

Yeah.

He never even came to.

Leah stayed with him until
they buried him this morning.

I stopped by the
boardinghouse; she wasn't there.

I told her to take
some time off, but...

Leah?

Mind if I sit down?

Well, now, that's
my job, Marshal,

talking to customers.

I'm sorry.

You look tired.

I've been doing some riding.

Oh, yes.

- I'm sorry, Leah.
- Thank you.

You all right?

Well, it's nothing dying
wouldn't cure, Marshal.

I didn't get Fletcher,
Leah, but I will.

What difference does it make
whether you get him or not?

It makes a lot of difference.

Will it bring Aaron back?

No, but you want to see him
pay for what he did, don't you?

Well, he could never do that.

He could hang.

And Aaron'd still be dead.

No, Marshal.

You don't have to
go after him for me.

I'm not doing it just for you.

Oh.

I forgot.

The law.

You staying on in Dodge?

Why not?

I'll be back in a few days.

I'll be here.

♪♪

That anybody could
possibly run a business

and find time to put
out that many circulars.

Who are you talking to?

Oh, hello, Kitty. Lookie here.

You know, every time I
come to the post office,

all I get are these
dad-blamed things.

Now, it's a waste of
time... For them to send 'em

and for me to get 'em.

Lookie here.

I'd have to own a bank
if I bought everything

that these people tell you
you can't get along without.

Well, why don't you
go ahead and buy them

and then pay for them the way
people pay you... in vegetables.

Well, not everybody...

Say, a fella paid
me the other day.

- In cash?
- Yeah, honest.

Young fella name
of... Jubal Tanner.

You remember that big
buffalo hunter, that Fletcher?

Well, he shot this fella

and Matt brought
him to my office, and...

you know, two days after
I took the bullet out of him,

he was out earning money to
pay me, and by golly, he did.

He's one in a million.

Sure is to me.

Hm. Well, I got to
be running along.

You gonna come by tonight?

Well, I hadn't figured on it.

I'll buy you a drink.

That changes my figuring.

I'll see you later.

Doc, don't you have
something for what's ailing her?

- Who?
- Leah.

Mm-mm.

You know, she hasn't said a word

about the other night; she
acts like it didn't even happen.

She's probably trying to
make herself believe it didn't.

That's her way of forgetting.

It'd be kind of nice for her
if everybody forgot it, too.

Oh, there's one I
haven't seen before.

Hello, Tanner.

Who is he?

He's that fella I was telling
you about this afternoon.

Oh.

- Friendly sort.
- Yeah.

Beer.

Well, now...

haven't I seen you
in Dodge before?

I've never been in Dodge before.

Well, I was just
trying to be friendly.

Well, I can only afford beer...

It'd be a waste of your
time to be friendly to me.

Do you want
something, Miss Leah?

No, thanks, Sam.

- He call you Leah?
- That's my name. Why?

Well, it's not a common
name; I wondered, that's all.

Well, that's my name.

Want a beer?

- There's no need.
- You want it or not?

Well, no use getting edgy.

Give her a beer, will you?

Thanks.

You, uh, gonna be in Dodge long?

No place else in particular
to go right at the moment.

And plenty of time to get there.

That's just about it.

Well, here's to whatever
it is you're looking for.

I'm not looking for a thing.

Oh?

What does that mean?

Means you go around
looking for something,

sooner or later
you find it, then...

you go around
worrying about losing it.

I don't think I like you.

No, sir...

I don't think I like you at all.

Well, you think about it a while

and you'll find it's a good
way to keep from getting hurt.

Nothing lasts forever.

But some things are
worth getting hurt over.

Ma'am?

Oh.

Yes, Hobie?

Uh, please, ma'am, uh...

uh, can I... can I talk to you?

I thought you said it all
the day Aaron was buried.

Well, I-I'm sorry
for that, ma'am.

But I've had time since
then, and, uh, well,

I-I think I'm doing what
my brother would want.

What do you mean?

Well, there's no use denying

- I didn't want him to marry you.
- I know.

But, uh, that's all over now.

Him dead and all.

What do you want?

Well, it isn't me, it's him.

I think he'd want it.

Want what?

Well, i-it's at the farm.

Something he got for you.

For your marrying.

I thought to bring it.

- Something Aaron got for me.
- Yes'm.

He figured to
please you with it.

It ain't necessary now.

Well, now, uh, please, ma'am.

It'd ease me
considerable, and...

well, like I said, he'd-he'd
want you to have it.

- Well, I don't...
- I could take you out to the farm now.

I can't go now.

Well-well, later, uh...

At your own
choosing, I'll be there.

All right, I-I'll come
out this afternoon.

Oh, thank you. Thank you, ma'am.

I sure do thank you
for relieving my mind.

♪♪

Afternoon, ma'am.

Hello, Hobie.

I'm pleased you could come.

'Tain't much.

I never been here before.

Well, 'tain't much.

Uh... well, won't-won't
you come inside?

It's been cleaner.

I ain't much of a hand
keeping things up.

Sit.

Well... if you like.

Well, some things just
aren't a man's work.

Yeah.

Can I brew you some coffee?

Oh, no, I-I can't. I-I've
got to go back to town.

Well, not yet. I mean,
well, you just come.

Uh... it's a long
ways back to town.

Coffee'd be nice.

You know...

me and Aaron, uh, we built
this place our own selves.

Yes, he told me.

Always meant to
fix it up a little bit.

I know.

Meant to more than once.

But... getting more
than he could handle.

Well, Aaron getting,
uh, older and all.

Well, what I mean is, uh,
this is hard living on any man.

Yes, it is.

He was 20 years older than me.

Yes, I know. He told me that.

He talked a lot about you;
he was very fond of you.

Well, there was days.

Like in all families.

Yeah. You know...

I was, uh... I was the first
one to see you in Dodge.

I was there when you come.

I was getting supplies.

I even remember the
dress you was wearing.

Hobie...

what was it that
Aaron had for me?

Well, there's time.

Coffee ain't even ready yet.

Well, it's a long
drive back to Dodge.

Well, you can't go now!

Well, uh, you see
this here chair?

Aaron made that hisself.

There isn't anything
here, is there, Hobie?

Yes, there is.

Hobie.

Well...

I wanted you to come out here...

us both grieving Aaron.

Well, it made us...

sort of...

it gave us something alike.

And you thought you
were gonna get me out here

by telling a lie?

- Would you come elsewise?!
- I don't think so!

Yeah, there, you see?

If it weren't for me,
you'd never known Aaron.

What?!

That's right.

I told him about you...

the day you first come.

I was there; I seen you.

I was getting s... supplies.

And you had on that...

green dress.

And you looked at me...

and you smiled.

Uh, you forgot
that, but I sure don't.

If I smiled, it
was to be friendly.

Well, uh...

can't you... can't
you be friendly now?

- I'm leaving now.
- Well, now, wait a minute,

I ain't never, I
never knowed a wo...

a... a woman like you.

Well, you don't know me, either!

Well, now, now,
please, don't you go!

- Now, stay away from me.
- Well, I'll be good to you!

I-I'll be as good as him!

I'm younger than
him and I'm stronger!

And I'm a better
man than he was!

- You better than Aaron?
- I'll prove it to you!

- He never touched me!
- I'm better for you!

Did you hear that?
He never touched me!

- I love you! I love...
- Love?!

Why, he showed his love in
a way you'd never understand!

You're like all the rest!

Except that you're a
lying, disgusting sneak!

Without the faintest idea
of what a man really is!

Now, you get out of my way.

Well, no, don't, I go...

I told you to get out of my way!

Golly, Sam, I-I think I'm
in the wrong business.

Well, Doc, folks
always seem to have

a little money for
letting off steam.

Well, I'm sure
glad Saturday night

only happens once a week.

Sorry, Kitty.

Well, it's only just started.

Well, could be a lot worse.

How?

Well, they could be
paying you off in vegetables,

and they're hard to
get in your cash drawer.

Follow me. Follow me.

Sam, I have three
thirsty customers.

Good.

Right there, right?

Right. If you
say so, little lady.

I say so.

One, two, three.

And then we'll have one,
two, three more, right?

Wrong.

What do you mean,
wrong? What's the matter?

To all them who are all alike.

She's changed some, hasn't she?

I don't know what's
gotten into her.

But she sure has been
going strong the last hour.

You're the one I don't like.

That's what you said.

Are you still
drinking only beer?

That's all.

What's your name?

Jubal.

Jubal Tanner.

Well, Jubal Tanner,

how come you so sour?

How come you
pretend to be so drunk?

The night has just started.

Followed closely by tomorrow.

Wouldn't it be nice if there
were no more tomorrows?

Lost your stomach for them, huh?

Yes, I have lost my
stomach for them.

Well, I know someone
who did the same thing.

Aren't you lucky.

Only the strong
make it till tomorrow.

You got to fight for it.

Oh, I admit, it shouldn't be,

but it's all a war

of one kind or another.

But in a real war, you
know what you're fighting,

and you can fight back.

Not at Andersonville.

Oh!

How sad.

You were a prisoner there?

Yeah.

Then you could've
fought the barbed wire.

No, no, I couldn't.

Then you were a coward.

No, I was a guard,

and I learned firsthand
that only the strong survive

on both sides of the stockade.

Well, then, you should have
helped the weak, shouldn't you?

No, I couldn't.

I was in uniform.

And being in uniform,
I obeyed rules.

The same rules that were
making all men animals.

And they still are.

Some of them.

Well, all my life,

except for one man,

all the men I met are
still following those rules.

Well, maybe that's because

where you've been
standing, you...

couldn't see any of the others.

Well...

it's too late to change now.

I-I knew you'd come...

sooner or later.

Do-Don't you laugh at me, woman!

I-I-I'm gonna kill you.

Put that gun away.

I'm gonna make you pay

for-for hitting me.

I'm a man!

You're everything
I said you were.

Now, you're gonna
shut your mouth.

You haven't got the
guts to pull that trigger.

I have.

I will.

I swear I will.

You made me out a fool.

- Huh?
- Put it down.

You go away.

Put it down.

Go away, beer drinker.

Go away!

I don't need you.

I said, put that down.

I'm gonna kill her.

You'll die trying.

Hey!

What a fool thing to do,

face a man like that with a gun.

He could have killed you.

It didn't matter.

Still feeling
sorry for yourself.

Leave me alone.

I should.

Yes.

You should.

♪♪

Somebody better
get him out of here.

Tanner...

you shoot him?

Yeah.

You did?

Yeah.

Where you planning on going?

Nowhere, Doc.

♪♪

Moss Grimmick said you
was back, and I thought I'd...

Hmm.

It's hot!

Thanks.

Thought you was asleep.

Well, I was, till you came
stumbling around here

making so much noise.

Least you could have done

was let me know you was back.

Well, I was going to.

When was you going to?

Soon as I get
cleaned up a little bit.

I hear you had
a little excitement

around here last night, huh?

I suppose Moss Grimmick
filled you in on that, too, huh?

He did, yeah.

Well, I don't...

- Marshall Dillon.
- Well, hello, Tanner.

Uh, man over at the stables
said you wanted to see me.

Yeah, I just wanted to tell
you that you're officially clear.

No questions?

No.

I stopped by Leah's to have
her identify Colie Fletcher.

She told me what happened.

It checked out with
the other witnesses.

I see.

Then I'm free?

I can go?

Far as I'm concerned.

Yeah.

I, uh...

I-I'm much obliged for
you getting back my horse.

You want to join me
for an early breakfast?

Well, I'd say it's
getting about that time.

Yeah, and maybe you, uh...

maybe you can
fill me in a little bit

on what's been
going on around here.

All right, fine.

Uh, Jubal?

You're leaving.

Said I was last night.

Well, uh...

I hope you find what
you're looking for.

There's a piece
of homestead land

right up on the
Smokey Hill River.

Saw it a time back.

Thought I'd go take
a look at it again.

Oh.

If, uh...

you're still around
when I get back, I...

like to tell you about it.

I'd like that.

I really would.

Take care of yourself, huh?

Morning, Marshal.

Leah.

Doc.