Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 8, Episode 4 - Root Down - full transcript

The pretty daughter of a rootless would-be farmer decides she's in need of a husband so that she can have a home of her own, and Chester strikes her as a likely candidate. If she can only get him by making her pa think that Chester compromised her by passing the whole night with her, well, that's all right, too.

(theme music playing)

(both guns fire)

ANNOUNCER: starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.

(man snoring)

Well, I-I'm ready.

- (loud snoring)
- Hey!

Don't go yelling the fish away!

- Pa?
- (snoring)

It's time we head in for town.

Stir yourself now.

(grunting)



(mumbles)

What's the matter?

Oh, just come on,
now. Stop teasing me.

We're going to town.

Oh, look at you.

All prettied up.

Grudie?

Cut your eye on
your sister here.

She got an idea, Pa.

Do me a turn-around.

Oh, Pa, you're
making light of me.

Go on, now.

Oh...

Might be your mama doing that.



Just might be your pretty mama.

Come on, now. Let's go.

Oh, no, no. No,
not today, Aggie girl.

No, I-I got plans.

I got work.

Pa, you promised me.

I told you she got an idea.

Well... maybe tomorrow.

(Aggie clicks tongue)

No, not tomorrow.

Yesterday, it was tomorrow.

(Aggie sighs)

I keep waiting, but you
just dream the time away.

Aggie girl, I'm
planning for all of us.

We've been camped
here ten days now.

I never been to town,
I never saw people.

Well, people... Much
the same all over.

You and Grudie...
you don't care.

You do what you want to do.

But, Pa, I got a need.

I want to be a
part of someplace.

I want to meet a boy.

You've met boys before.

Just a few weeks back
at our Fall River camp,

there was a boy.

Aggie girl, there's
boys all over.

(Aggie sighs)

Pa, you look at me.

Pa, I'm going to Dodge
City if I got to walk there.

And every step of the way,

I'm going to hope I
meet a nice boy there

who'll maybe want to marry me.

(sighs)

You got a lonely
spell, ain't you, girl?

Something fierce.

Grudie?

Saddle up one of the team.

Ride your sister
into Dodge City.

Now, you just have
a fine time in Dodge.

Oh.

And mind you.

Stop by the post office.

See if that letter from
Uncle Solen is there yet.

Colorado Territory's
a long ways off, Pa.

Oh.

It ain't all that far.

He promised to send
us a letter to Dodge.

Pa, what if he doesn't
find anything for us there?

Well...

Utah is just on the way.

I got a map on that, too.

(sighing)

(snoring resumes)

It's a nice little
town, huh, Grudie?

Well, your eyes...

Look at it any way
you want to look at it.

Will you walk around
with me just a little?

Uh, I'm going in here.

Now, you come back here
looking for me and I'm not there,

I'll be in another
place just like it.

How long have I got, Grudie?

You're not back here inside
of two hours, I'll leave you.

♪♪

Oh, good morning, miss.

Oh, good morning, sir.

Uh, the sign outside
says this is Jonas's place.

Is that you?

Uh, no, miss. I'm Howard Rudd.

Jonas ain't here.

Oh, my name's Aggie Dutton.

Oh. Pleased to meet you, now.

Thank you.

Um, sure looks like you have
a nice town here, Mr. Rudd.

Oh, yes. Uh, Dodge is all right.

You're from somewheres
else, are you?

Mmm, I'm from everywheres else.

- (Aggie laughs)
- Oh.

Can I show you
something, Miss Dutton?

Well, I-I'm mostly just looking.

I-I really can't buy too much.

Oh. (laughs)

Well, looking don't cost
anything around here,

so just go ahead
and look all you like.

Well, thank you. I will.

Um, you carry wedding
dresses, Mr. Rudd?

Well, not regular, we don't.

I could mail-order
you one, I guess.

Mmm. Well, like I told you,
I'm-I'm mostly just looking.

Are you fixing to get married?

Oh.

Well, I'm more
thinking than fixing to.

Well, you just go right
on with your looking.

Yes, sir, I will.

Mm-hmm.

Well, Howard, how are you?

HOWARD: Hello, Doc.

- Morning, Chester.
- Howard.

Oh, you got that
all fixed for me?

Yeah, yeah, it's okay.

Well, my buggy's
right outside now.

I can get it over
to depot by noon,

it will go out on the train.

Oh, well, Doc,
you couldn't lift that.

Oh, well, I'll...

I wouldn't even let you try.

No, I'm not fixing
to. Chester's gonna...

Chester?

(Chester groaning)

What did I tell you
on the way over here?

Well, you said, if I'd
ride over here with you,

you had a surprise
for me. That hurt.

You better get that
elbow of yours filed down.

Oh. Howard, show him
the surprise, will you?

Oh, well, uh...

Oh, yes. It's in the
back room, Chester.

In the back?

I guess you're right
here from Dodge City.

Well, yes, ma'am.
My name's Dr. Adams.

Mmm. I'm Aggie Dutton.

Well, I'm happy to know you.

Are there a lot of nice
young folks around?

I mean, the kind of person
I'd like to get to know?

Well, uh, some,
yes, a few, I guess.

Uh, that nice-looking
young man... is he your son?

What nice-looking young man?

Oh, the man yonder, just
went in there with Mr. Rudd.

Chester?

Chester. That's a nice name.

It is? Well, he's not my son.

I'm too young to
have a boy that old.

And, uh, I'm a
little too particular.

Uh, is he married?
Chester, I mean.

(laughing): No. No,
he's not married.

That's nice.

Nice? Well, I would say
that it's more of a blessing

to all of the young
ladies he's not married to.

Oh. I thought he
was a friend of yours.

Oh, he is. One of
my very best friends.

If he wasn't, I... I don't
think I could stand him.

(door opening)

(Chester panting)

Thanks a lot for
the surprise, Doc.

It's all right.
Don't mention it.

Just put it there in
my buggy, Chester.

My goodness, you must be strong.

Oh.

(both laugh)

Well... I'm glad
that you noticed.

Oh, I sure couldn't
help but noticed.

Chester, your knuckles
are turning white.

You better get that
out in the buggy.

I'll open the door for you.

Ooh, ooh, heavens.

I could have got that
with my other hand.

Well, certainly. He's
got three, you know.

Doc!

I was just meaning to help you.

Well, you were a help.

I don't see how you could be

much more of a
help than you are.

(Chester laughs)

Anything else I
can do for you, Doc?

No. I... was getting
kind of a little bellyache.

Oh, well, maybe if I...

No, no, I can... I can
take care of it myself.

Isn't that what we
agreed on there?

Uh... to the penny, Doc.

(door opens)

Well.

Was there anything else, Doc,
except that little dinky barrel?

Maybe, uh, you could
help me with this, Chester.

Oh. Oh, Chester.
You know my name.

The older gentleman
mentioned it.

Uh-huh.

My name's Aggie Dutton.

Oh, that's a real
nice name, Aggie is.

I was wondering,

uh, what do you think of
this as curtain material?

Oh, it's real nice.

Why, uh, you're not
even looking at it.

Oh.

Oh, say, that is nice.

I need some real bad.

I guess your wife picks
out all your curtains.

Oh. No, no, she don't, no.

What I mean is,
I don't got none.

Curtains?

Doc.

What I'm saying is
that I don't have no wife.

Chester, let's have
a game of billiards.

Later, Doc. I'll be along later.

I don't want to be a bother.

Oh, no, heavens,
you're no bother at all.

It ain't very often I get a
chance to look at curtains.

- I'll buy you a beer.
- I said later, Doc.

All right. All right.

If you want to ignore a
United States marshal.

Where was it that you
wanted to put the curtains?

I mean, was
there... was... wa...?

Who-who's ignoring Mr. Dillon?

Well, you are.

You said that you'd bring
his horse by the office

soon as you finished here.

But that's all right.
You just go right ahead.

I'm going by, and
I'll just tell Matt

that you'll bring his horse by
when you finish your needlework.

(stammering)

Well, uh, it looks like
I'm gonna have to go now.

Sure nice to have
met you, Chester.

Oh, it's been a
distinct privilege.

(door closes)

Well, you just keep right
on where you're looking.

I think I'm through looking.

I'll take a couple
lengths of this, please.

Oh.

(overlapping shouting)

MAN: Well, let him up!

WOMAN: Oh, stop it, you coward!

- Come on!
- Come on!

Get him!

(overlapping shouting)

Get up.

All right, get up.

I'm all right, Marshal.

What's your name?

Name's Grudie.

It don't matter.
That's his doing.

He was looking at me.

That was all I was doing.

I just looked at him, Marshal.

Yeah, looking at
me like I wasn't there.

Like he didn't see nothing.

Yeah, well, you look at
me, you see something.

Yeah, that's for sure.

What are you, a butcher?

I take care of
myself, that's all.

Let me tell you
something, sonny.

We don't go for brass
knuckles around this town.

Yeah, well, I got tired
of looking at belt buckles,

that's all.

With these on,
I'm tall as anybody.

You want me to
throw him in jail?

No good jailing him, Marshal.

He's too crazy.

DILLON: You just traveling
through Dodge, is that it?

Uh-huh.

Here, I'm gonna give
you a piece of advice.

You stay away
from things like this,

or you're gonna wind
up getting yourself killed

one of these days.

Now, you get out of
Dodge and you stay out.

Next time I see you around
here, I'll throw you in jail

till you dry up.

Fred, bring him a
couple of drinks, will you?

Just the kind of doctoring
I need, Miss Kitty.

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

How about you, Matt,
you want a drink?

No, no, thanks, Kitty.

I, uh... I got to ride
out to Fort Dodge.

What'd you let him go for?

Oh, there's no... no point
in jailing a kid like that.

It'd probably just
make him meaner.

So he can slice
somebody else up, huh?

Well, he'll get what's coming
to him one of these days.

Well, there's times when I
wish I were a man for a while.

(chuckles) Say, if
you're gonna try that,

uh, you better do it while
I'm out of town, will you?

Thought I told
you to leave town.

Can't go without my sister.

She'll be along directly.

All right, I'll be
back in an hour.

I want you gone by then.

♪♪

Oh, it's you, Chester.

Oh. Well, yes.

(chuckling): Well, my goodness.

Expecting some mail, are you?

Uh, well, uh, uh,
no, not for myself.

I-I usually come down

and, uh, pick up
Mr. Dillon's mail every day.

(chuckles) Here,
get in front of me.

- Oh, no, I'll wait my turn.
- Oh, no.

Heavens, a body don't mind
if a lady gets in front of him.

Thank you.

MAN: Yes, miss?

Oh, uh, do you have a
letter for Luke Dutton?

He's my pa.

It's from Colorado Territory.

- It's from my Uncle Solen.
- Oh.

No, miss, nothing here.

Well, thank you just the same.

- CHESTER: It was...
- Chester.

- Here's the marshal's mail.
- Oh. (snaps fingers)

(Chester chuckles)

It was, uh... I'm sorry
that you didn't get a letter

- from your Uncle Solen.
- Well, I'm not sorry.

If we hear from him, it
means we'll be moving on.

You, uh, said something
about moving on again?

We're most gypsies as it is.

We're always going
on to someplace.

Now it's Colorado Territory,
if my Uncle Solen says so.

Oh, then you're not gonna
settle down here in Dodge?

No. We're camped down
on Rattlesnake Creek.

Oh, down south yonder a ways.

Yeah, well, you know,
where the creek bends

and there's maple
trees and cottonwoods?

And a little deserted cabin?

You know just the spot.

Why, heavens, I've
fished there lots of times.

(both laughing)

Well, just about a month ago,

me and a big old channel
cat, well, we fought it out

till my pole broke.

- About that long?
- Uh, yeah, just about.

My brother Grudie just
caught him yesterday.

No!

Me and Pa and Grudie
had him for supper last night.

(chuckling): Well...

We've got all sorts of
things in common, Chester.

(laughing): Yeah.

Sure does seem
like it, doesn't it?

I-I'm going to meet
my brother Grudie now

so's we can ride home together.

Well, I'll just kind of
walk you to him, all right?

We don't know folks at all.

Uh, now you know where we are,

maybe you could come and see us.

Well, I'd be right proud to.

Grudie, I'd like you to
meet my friend, Chester.

- Howdy.
- I had to wait on you, Aggie.

- Grudie!
- Come on, get up here.

- You could at least say howdy.
- Get up here.

Ooh!

Oh, here, here, let me
give you a hand up there.

- Well... thank you!
- Well.

Well, you will come
out and see me?

Oh, one day real soon, yeah.

(softly): Okay.

♪♪

(frogs croaking,
crickets chirping)

I wouldn't call it
a pretty town, Pa,

but there's everything in it.

And you never met
such friendly folks.

Now, I can't figure
out your Uncle Solen.

He ought to get me a
letter here by this time.

'Course, I never
saw a creature yet

you could hurry
against his will.

Grudie.

(pan clangs)

You listening?

Kind of.

I was saying of your Uncle
Solen how he's no hand to hurry.

I heard you.

'Course... he most likely
found himself a nest of sinners

yonder in Colorado.

And we all know he's
bound to save their souls first

before he finds a spot for us.

Uh, can't move
too soon to suit me.

Pa... I met a boy today.

His name's Chester.

I told you there
was boys all over.

Oh, this one's mighty
friendly and obliging.

Mmm, that's the way
it should be, honey,

pretty little girl like you.

Oh, say, Grudie,

I give them maps a
good looking today.

And... I read some
of them pamphlets

on Colorado Territory.

Why, we never saw
the like of mountains

like they have in
them Rockies, boy.

I reckon Uncle Solen's probably
set in a good stream right now.

Yeah. Well... he don't
write me right away,

we move out on our own.

Well, there ain't
nothing to hold me here.

Pa, won't you ever hear me?

Oh, I hear you
right along, honey.

Oh, but you don't
pay no speck of mind.

I was telling you
about Dodge City

and the nice people
and this boy, Chester...

And I heard all of that.

We're listening,
ain't we, Grudie?

No, you're not.

You're already planning
on moving away from here.

Well, sure, to find us a home.

That's what you said
back in Tennessee.

"Just a ways on," you said.

Well... we couldn't
bear Tennessee

after your pretty
mama passed on.

Oh, then it was
gonna be Arkansas,

with mountains and
lakes and all green things.

We give Arkansas a try.

We been camping here
and there and meeting folks

and then having to move
on clean across Missouri.

But there was something
doing in Missouri,

and then we had to see Kansas.

Then you had a
hankering to see that...

that ranch back east yonder.

Oh. Yeah, I might've
took that, too.

Oh... but I got no money.

We've just got bare
enough to keep us.

Pa, menfolks settle
down someplace.

They-they work, and-and
they make a home for their own.

I mean to do that, honey,

just as soon as ever
we get to Colorado.

I heard you talking
about Colorado

with all those mountains.

You won't bear not being
able to go across them.

You... never know
what's waiting for you.

Crossing a river...

rounding a bend,

on up over the mountains...

Pa...

I got to settle down someplace.

I got to belong
and-and have a home.

I like it here.

I bought me some curtains today.

And I'm going to stay.

How old is she now, Grudie?

I don't know.

Still younger than me.

She's sure growing
up pretty, ain't she?

(exhales) Now, lookie here.

♪♪

(howling in distance)

♪♪

(quietly): There's a
way to stay on here.

There's a way they'll
have to let me stay.

(howling in distance)

♪♪

(birds chirping)

(snoring nearby)

(snoring continues)

♪♪

(horse whinnies)

♪♪

This is a plow horse?

- Hmm?
- I say, this is a plow horse, is it?

Sometimes, if we ever
alight long enough to plow.

Mostly, it's half the team
that hauls the wagon.

You don't use a saddle?

Oh, we ain't got one.

Well, I'm most
ready, Miss Aggie.

I'd give something
to see you mount him.

Won't cost you a thing.

(chuckles quietly)

Well, you did that
right nice. (chuckles)

You're sure giving us
Duttons the day of our lives

- by coming to visit us, Chester.
- Well, it's just awful nice

of you and your
daddy to invite me up.

One thing I like to do is fish.

Well, Pa is powerful anxious
to meet my new friend.

Well, there ain't no need in
keeping him waiting, is there?

I'm sure mighty glad you're
coming to visit us, Chester.

Well, I'm just every
bit as glad as you are.

♪♪

Aggie! Aggie!

Aggie?

Aggie!

Aggie! Aggie, honey!

One of the horses is gone, Pa.

She must have rode off.

Well, her bed's made
like it wasn't slept in.

I don't know what to make of it.

She must've rode off.

I can't make out
why she'd do that.

She kept saying how she
wanted to stay in one place,

then she rides off?

No, ain't no
sense in that at all.

Well, she ought
to have set a fire

and left us something
cooking before she went.

Well, you're some
worried about your sister,

ain't you, thinking food!

Well, I can't help thinking
food when I'm hungry.

(horses approaching)

Morning, Pa.

Aggie! Are you
all right, my girl?

I hope I didn't
fret you none, Pa.

- (Luke groans)
- Come on down, Chester.

- Meet my people.
- (laughing): Well...

uh, I'd sure be right proud to.

Pa, this here is Chester.

Well, I'll say howdy
to you, Mr. Dutton.

And I'll say it right
back to you, Chester.

You met my brother Grudie
yesterday in Dodge City.

- Yeah. Howdy.
- You didn't leave us no food.

Grudie!

Well, you give
me a fright, girl.

I got to thinking that you
was gone the night long.

I was, Pa.

Well, where was you all night?

(sighs)

With him.

With me?

(chuckling): Oh,
now, Miss Aggie.

He come to do the
right thing, though, Pa.

Chester come to ask
if he could marry me.

What's this right
thing business?

Well... heavens, I-I don't know.

I mean, I just... uh, come
out here to go... fishing.

You got the gall to come fishing

after you had my
Aggie out all night?

No! I mean, I-I don't
got no gall at all.

I mean, I-I-I've...

You better get to
say what you mean.

Well, now, just a
minute, Mr. Dutton. I...

I-I'm just... (chuckles)

kind of as ignorant
about this as you are.

I mean, I didn't see Miss
Aggie here till this morning

when she come into
Dodge and she asked me

if I could come out here...

to go fishing.

He was in town with
her yesterday, Pa.

Well, yeah, yesterday!

It'll be much easier, Chester,
if we just tell what's true.

If we do, well, then Pa
will give us his blessing.

D-Don't you talk to
me about what's true.

You ain't said a word that's
true since I been out here.

Except my name.

Well, listen to him, Pa.

Them city fellers are
regular spellbinders.

Well, you sure can talk
all of a sudden, can't you?

LUKE: You got some lip for
a man wronged my daughter.

Now you're calling her a liar?

Well, she is!

I mean, I was in
jail all last night.

Now, I can prove that!

I run into outlaws before,
and I can handle you!

Oh, Pa, Chester's
not an outlaw! (gasps)

- GRUDIE: Well, he had it coming.
- Oh, Chester, honey.

- Oh, Chester.
- No, he ain't dead.

And don't go
blaming your brother.

It's only rightful for men to
take up for their womenfolk.

- What'd you hit him with?
- My fist. Just my fist.

Yeah, you could've
killed a bear with that fist.

Yeah.

I didn't want him hurt.

I just want him.

Oh, come here, my little girl.

Aw, come here, my
little... innocent baby.

Well, you got him now.

Grudie and me will
see he does right by you.

Give me a hand, Grudie.

Tote him back to the cabin.

Here, Aggie girl,
you take his hat.

- Got his feet there?
- (straining): Yeah.

- All right. Up you go.
- (grunting)

And... go.

Here, and mind
that fish pole now.

Here we go.

That feel better now, Chester?

(gulps) Well, it's cool.

That's one thing
that... my head ain't.

I brought you some food.

It'll make you set
up and take notice.

Golly, you sure don't get a...

head like this from fishing.

'Course, I don't hardly
recollect fishing none.

Do you want to set up or do
you want me to spoon it to you?

Well, I'd just rather that
you'd kind of help me

get the straight of
things, uh, Miss Aggie.

Aw, you're funnin' me.

You remember
everything just fine.

Well, I will remember
it. It's just that...

well, I remember coming
out here and-and, uh...

to meet your daddy and
to go fishing, and then...

Whole thing is kind of getting
a little bit fuzzy after that.

Uh, you mean you
don't recollect last night?

What about last night?

(chuckles) Have a bite.

Mmm, that-that tastes good.

Thank you.

What was you saying
about last night?

Well, uh, I don't call
it flattering you forgot.

Well, uh, I told you that I was
having trouble remembering.

We was together
last night, Chester.

All last night?

Sundown to sunup.

Oh, now, just a minute.

Now, don't you go
straining to recollect.

You just sit back and eat
and get your strength back.

No, no, now, filling
me full of that stuff

ain't going to blot out
the truth, Miss Aggie.

Why, you-you storied to me
and you storied to your daddy.

And then that brother of
yours hit me in the head

with a shovel or something.

Why, you just
done a terrible thing.

Well, I thought you was
beginning to like me some.

Well, I was. I
mean, you're purty.

You're real purty, but...

well, you n-not only lied to
me, but you almost got me killed.

I'm sorry about your head.

Well, it's enough to change
a man's opinion of a woman.

It won't be so bad marrying me.

Oh, now, just a minute, now.

You just got to forget
all of this marrying stuff.

Just all about it.

Heavens, I don't even
know what I'm doing out here.

If I don't get back,
Mr. Dillon... (groans)

Now, you can't go
running out into the night.

You're just not able to.

Oh, golly, that's no ordinary
hit in the head. (chuckles)

Mmm, you go wandering outside,

and Grudie will
likely do it again.

Well, you just got
to set him straight,

him and your daddy
both. I can't talk to 'em.

My head won't let me
talk to 'em no more.

Well, you just ease back,

and everything will be
much better in the morning.

Will you talk to 'em now?

Now, you just drift off,

and I'll go talk
to 'em right now.

Well, you-you'll
sleep a lot better

when your conscience is clear.

I just... (sighs)

Well, I just can't understand
you storying to me like that.

(crickets chirping,
frogs croaking)

He's asleep again, Pa.

Did he come to?

For a bit.

He says I storied you, Pa.

I got a lot to learn him
before we're through.

You believe me, don't you?

You never lied to your pa.

But it don't seem like you could
forget yourself the way you did.

You and Grudie will take
to him, won't you, Pa?

You won't hit him no more.

That's gonna depend
a lot on him, honey.

But don't you fret none.

There's gonna be a
wedding right soon.

(grunts) Me and Grudie
will sleep by the fire here.

You take the wagon
tonight, Aggie.

(Luke sighs)

Huh?

What's the idea?

Get up and go to sleep.

Tomorrow morning, you ride
into Dodge and ask about the mail.

Well, answer me, boy!

All right, Pa.

Mind you say your
prayers now, young lady.

Yes, Pa, I will.

Howdy. You were
out early, Marshal.

Yeah, I was, Moss.

Did you get a line on him yet?

Line on who?

Chester. You've been out
looking for him, ain't you?

Well, no. What are
you talking about?

Well, he ain't been home
since morning yesterday.

Well, I thought he went
out fishing, didn't he?

Well, he had a fishing
pole. And that pretty girl.

Pretty girl? What
pretty girl was that?

That one that rides that, uh,
plow horse without a saddle.

Huh. I guess I
must've missed her.

Never knew Chester
to fish all night.

Well, neither did I.

'Course, I guess, if
you're going fishing,

the best way to go is with a
pretty girl, Moss. (chuckles)

Well, you know, it'll
be interesting to see

how many fish he
caught. (chuckles)

(Kitty chuckles)

You know anything
about the girl?

No.

Just from the description
Moss Grimmick gave me,

he said she rides
around town on a...

bareback on a plow horse.

I'm afraid I'd need a little
more than that to go on.

(Kitty laughs)

Well, now I think
I feel kind of hurt.

Chester used to bring his
girls around for my approval.

Well, maybe he's trying to
make his own decisions now.

Well, I don't think
I'd count on that.

You know anything about her?

Well, if this is the girl I saw
him with day before yesterday,

I just might know
something about her.

Well, who is she?

Well, I don't know who she
is, but I'll tell you one thing,

I sized her up in about
a minute and a half.

I told Chester about it.

If I ever saw a scheming
woman, she's it.

All that in a minute
and a half, huh?

Well, if you found all that
out in a minute and a half,

she must've had a sign on her.

Well, now, let me ask
you what you think of this:

She took one look at Chester

and started talking
about marriage.

And-and started
showing him material

- for curtains.
- Oh, Doc.

Well, she did.

Now, a girl like that's
got to be a little peculiar.

Well, is she pretty?

Well, yes.

Pretty enough to make
Chester slip his moorings,

which is not unusual.

(Kitty and Dillon chuckle)

Well, I'm not gonna
worry about him.

Well, I don't know.

She looked determined enough
to run off with him someplace.

Carry him, even.

(Kitty chuckles)

Can't keep me
here against my will.

You ought to know that.

I most promised Aggie

that we wouldn't whip you
any more than we have to.

Why don't you just tell
him the straight of it?

Now, Chester, don't
you go taxing yourself.

Let me tell you
the straight of it:

No man ever trifled
with a Dutton woman,

and that's the end of it.

You're gonna marry my Aggie.

Well, I can't do that.

Well, you can't do nothing else.

If I don't get back to
Dodge pretty soon,

Mr. Dillon is gonna
come a-looking for me.

Well, he ain't gonna side
with you when I tell him

what his sometimes deputy
done to my Aggie, now, will he?

Well, he ain't gonna
believe it is what he ain't.

I wish I didn't.

It ain't pleasurable to believe.

Well, don't. There ain't a
word of truth in it anyway!

- Pa! Stop!
- You... you say one more word

against her, and I
just might kill you.

Now, you make yourself
useful around here.

Pa, he's hurt enough.

Honey, you want that cabin
fixed up, you set him to do it,

but keep him out of my sight.

Oh.

You was to ride into town

and see if Uncle
Solen's letters come yet.

- I can't.
- What ails you, you can't?

Now, ain't no
need to hit me, Pa.

I'll judge that.

Well, that marshal
he was talking about,

he said, if I come into
town again, he'd jail me.

All right. What is it
this time, Grudie?

Well, cowboy whooped me.
I whooped back, that's all.

Every town, you got to
find trouble, don't you?

Well, seems like it finds me.

All right, all right. I'll
go into town myself,

but you keep an eye
on that Chester there.

I want him here
when I come back.

Don't this seem nice, Chester?

Aggie, I think it's just best

if we just don't
talk to each other.

Well, there's no reason
why we can't be friends.

(Chester grunts)

Well, I-I ain't
gonna go into it now,

but there's every
reason in the world.

Do you like the curtains?

No, not especially.

Well, you seemed to think

they'd make up
nice the day we met.

Well, there was a lot
of things that I thought...

Ooh! nice the
day that I met you.

Don't this help?

Aggie, let go of me.

Sure gonna be nice
having someone all my own.

I'm not your own.

I just tipped my hat to you,

and we's as good as engaged.

I just can't make
you out at all.

Chester, haven't you
never been lonely?

There, that ought to do it.

Now, if you'll
just let go of me,

well, I'll get down from here.

♪♪

Chester, I asked, "Have
you never been lonely?"

Yeah.

I guess that I've always
been just a little bit lonely.

Well, when you
try making me out,

keep that in mind.

I know I done you
a terrible wrong.

But that's why.

You... you mean
you-you lied like that

out of just being lonely?

I got to be someplace.

I can't always be on my way.

Like I told Pa, I
got to root down.

I'd lie, I'd do anything
to get me a home.

Well, Aggie, there ain't
no reason for you to lie.

You... well, you're so pretty,

you could have any
man that you wanted.

There ain't time.

There ain't never any time.

I meet someone,
and then we move on.

There ain't no time to court.

No porch to sit on
and have ice cream.

No little minutes to...

to hold hands and...

and get to know a body.

Aggie,

have you ever told
this to your daddy?

Chester,

I've told Pa till
he don't hear me.

And I've wished, and I've prayed

till I don't know
what I was gonna do.

And then I found me this way,

and I'm going to stick to
it, no matter what happens.

♪♪

Is that your horse, mister?

How's that?

I asked if that was your horse.

Oh.

Eh...

he ain't for sale,

if that's what
you're fixing to ask.

You live around here?

Not for long, stranger.

♪♪

You get a line on
Chester yet, Marshal?

No, not yet, Moss.

Well, I saw a horse
down the street

just like the one
that girl was riding.

You mean the plow horse?

Yeah. There can't
be two like that.

Back all busted in,
looks like a hammock.

Now, wait a minute.

You mean that-that bay
plow horse with the swayback?

Thought you
didn't know about it.

I'm just beginning to
put two and two together.

Had a run-in with a boy
over at the Long Branch

the other day that rode
a horse just like that one.

He wasn't all there, either.

He was a mean one.

I'd swear this was
the same horse

that girl was riding, Marshal.

Well, if Chester's
mixed up with that boy,

he may be in trouble.

Which way did he ride?

South. He was riding south.

Moss, saddle up
my horse, will you?

I'll be riding out.

Right away, Marshal.

♪♪

And, you know, Aggie,
Uncle Solen says that there's...

there's lakes and
there's streams

and mountains and... campsites.

Why, they're just
covered with bluegrass.

Just on up above Pueblo.

But there ain't
gonna be no town.

No new folks to meet.

Well, you got him now.

But...

can't we stay here
and fix a cabin up?

Oh, no, no.

You deserve better than this.

Grudie,

climb down out of there
and give me a hand, will you?

Quit toying with him that way.

We gonna take him
along, ain't we, Pa?

We sure are.

I'd just as soon hang.

Well, I know there are lots
of men that look on marriage

like setting their
necks in a noose,

but it don't got to
be that way, Chester.

Did I tell you Uncle
Solen's a parson?

He'll do the marrying
when we get to Pueblo.

Well, I ain't going to Pueblo,
I can tell you that right now.

Oh, you're going.

Tied and bound.

You make up your mind
and be a good husband

to my little Aggie girl,

and I am apt to
forget a lot of things.

♪♪

(wagon rattling and creaking)

♪♪

Hold up, there!

Pa! It's that marshal!

Well, come on, let's go!

Hyah!

Say, what did you do that for?

No, Pa!

You make it pretty hard
for a man to talk to you.

Well, you don't pull your way
onto my wagon without a fight.

Where's Chester?

I know that's his
horse you got there.

Now, where is he?

He's back here, Marshal.

Well, you can't have him.

He's gonna marry my Aggie here.

Get down off this wagon
where I can keep an eye on you.

Go on.

All right, you, get in
there and untie him.

Go on.

You know what he done?

What?

He put shame on my Aggie.

That's what he done.

He better be all right.

Oh, Mr. Dillon, I don't
know how you found me,

but I'm sure glad you did.

You all right, Chester?

Well, uh, kind of hit
in the head a little bit,

and it was kind of aggravating
being tied up in there,

but I guess I'm all right.

I never heard of no law
that'd protect a man like him.

Well, now, just a
minute there, mister...

No, Chester.

It's mine to tell.

Pa...

he was right all along.

I storied you.

Never in your life...

Not till this time.

But I just wanted
to settle down.

I wanted to find me
a boy and-and marry,

and-and no folks,

and I figured the only way,
I-I had to make you do it.

And I almost did.

Well...

honey, you're...

still my sweet little girl.

Oh, and-and, Chester,
I didn't want to hurt you.

I-I didn't want you
to come by any harm,

but, well, I-I was...

Well, Mr. Dutton, let
tell you something.

See...

You-you take a good
look at Miss Aggie now.

She's most a woman now,
and you got to see her that way.

If you don't, well...

well, she's just
gonna pull this trick

every place that
you set for a spell.

And it's your
fault; it's not hers.

Oh, Pa didn't mean
any wrong, Chester.

Well, he sure got the
wrong slant on a lot of things.

Grudie there, for instance.

He's just mean.

He's gonna get hisself killed
if he don't change his ways.

Don't you think we ought
to take them into town?

Oh, I don't know,
Mr. Dillon. I...

Maybe we ought to just
let them go on their way.

I don't think they
meant any harm.

They're just kind of peculiar.

I know that "sorry" doesn't
sound like much, but...

I really am sorry.

Well, Miss Aggie, you just...

you just get yourself
that front porch to sit on

and have your ice cream
and hold hands, and...

well, everything's
gonna work out all right

once that you can find
a place to root down.

Okay.

♪♪

♪♪

Do you wear these now and again?

Now and again.

We're all done
with these, Grudie.

There's better
ways to grow tall.

You're a-flowering, Aggie girl.

Like he says, you're...

most a woman now.

I gave your pretty mama a home.

I'm gonna get you one.

That's a promise.

♪♪

Hyah!