Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 9, Episode 18 - Once a Haggen - full transcript

Starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

♪♪

Gentlemen, I'm staying
and raising another ten.

Well, are they gonna keep
that game going all night?

Most of them are cleaned out.

You in or out?

Well...

seeing this is my last
lonesome living bill,

and seeing it was easy come by,

taking only my life's blood

and the sweat of my brow,



I reckon it might
as well be easy go.

I'm looking at you, mister.

You in, Bucko?

In with what?

I ain't got nothing
left but my buttons.

This game is not
for buttons, Mr. Taos.

Aw, come off that
stiff-necked down the nose.

What I'm talking
about is money buttons.

Mexican dollars, pure silver.

Just as good as anybody's money.

Am I to assume that you
plan to disrobe in order

to stay in the game?

No, I'm out.

I am calling you, sir.



Well, it looks like
it's about over.

Come on, I'll buy you a beer.

Okay.

It seems to be up
to you, Mr. Graham.

Hmm, I've been a
gambler long enough, sir,

to know when not to buck
another man's run of luck.

It's your game.

I congratulate you, sir.

Thank you, gentlemen.

If anyone would care for
one more get-even hand,

I'll, uh, be happy to oblige.

Me and old Bucko's
broke flatter than a fritter.

Some other time when your
luck's a bit cooler, perhaps.

Don't know when I may
get back this way again.

Don't get through too often.

Company money.

Got to keep my
winnings separate,

or you know who'd
come out loser.

Now, let's see now.

Envelope's mine.

Rest of it's theirs.

Great little bookkeeping system.

Well, if I'm going to catch
that early morning train,

I better pound the pillow.

I don't reckon you're gonna
have too much time to sleep.

Thank you for a very
pleasant evening, gentlemen.

And, uh, good night, all.

He sure cleaned you
like a picked chicken.

I can afford it. Glass of water.

In a clean glass, if you please.

How about you extended
us some credit, Miss Kitty?

Sure, Bucko.

Anytime there's snow
on the ground in July.

Well, I reckon we'll just take

our business elsewhere.

The shape we're in, Festus,

we ain't about to do
much business no place.

Maybe we ought to rob a bank.

Yeah, or hold up that
stagecoach from Pueblo.

We ought to knock
over that dude.

He's got all the
money in the world.

He sure has.

Hey, did you get a
look at that wallet of his?

Look at it? My eyeballs
just flopped plum out

of my head and kissed it.

You fellers want
to stick around,

we are just liable to come back

and buy drinks for
the whole house.

Bartender, whiskey.

Those two are gonna
get themselves in trouble

if they're not careful.

Oh, Miss Kitty,
they're just funning.

They don't mean none of that.

At least, I... I don't
think that they do.

Like I was saying, Marshal,
the hotel was real quiet,

and then I heard a
kind of a yell back here.

And then when I got back here, I
heard somebody moving around.

But the door was locked,

and nobody would
answer when I knocked.

And then I heard somebody
going out the window.

And when I got back...
back here with my keys

and let myself in...

Well, you'll see for
your-yourself, Marshal.

So, how long you been in Dodge?

Three weeks.

But you would never
find anything like this

going on in Philadelphia.

Yeah, well, you wait
out in front, will you?

Chester, bring a lamp
over here, will you?

Yeah.

Well, Matt, he died instantly.

I don't think he
knew what hit him.

There's three stab wounds here,

and any one of 'em
could have been fatal.

Chester, is this the wallet
he had at the poker game?

Well, golly, it sure
looks like it, all right.

It has a sight more money
in it than that, though.

You think whoever done it broke
in the window there, Mr. Dillon?

Well, I don't think so.

The window doesn't
look like it's damaged.

It was a hot night. He
probably left it open.

Chester, was Bucko Taos
in that poker game tonight?

Well, yeah.

Him and Festus
Haggen both was in it.

They... they left...
Well, what is it?

It's a silver button.

Made out of a Mexican dollar.

Bucko?

Oh... howdy, Marshal.

Uh, this is a real big surprise.

I sure didn't expect
to see you out here.

Sure never.

Where you been all night?

What do you mean,
where have I been all night?

Uh, I've been lots of places.

A man don't
necessarily have to stay

in just one spot all
night, now does he?

Where's Festus?

Festus?

Festus Haggen. You left
the Long Branch with him.

By golly, I do remember
being out with Festus

last night, uh, earlier
maybe, or-or sometime.

Tell you the truth, Marshal,
I sure must've tied me

on a good one last night.

I don't remember
one daggone thing

till I woke up about a
half hour ago out yonder

in the draw, laying on
the ground like an old hog.

What about this?

I found that on the floor.

Uh, I don't know
nothing about it.

It looks like an envelope, uh...

It's been opened up.

It's got some writing on it,

but I never learned
to read, Marshal.

Looks like blood or
something on it, don't it?

Bucko, I'm afraid you'll
have to come with me.

Well, you ain't got
no call to act like that.

Uh, treating me like I was a...

killer or something.

I see you're missing a
button off your vest, huh?

By golly, I did
lose one, didn't I?

Hey, I'm right fond
of them buttons.

I... I sure hope it
turns up someplace.

It has turned up, Bucko.

Let's go.

Oh, here he is, Mr. Dillon.

He's just now got
back to his house.

What's all the big
to-do about, Marshal?

I understand you and
Bucko Taos had yourself

a big time last night, huh?

Yeah, we'd been
three weeks on the trail,

bringing that herd down
for old man Kramer.

We figured we had one owed us.

You got yourselves into a poker
game at the Long Branch, huh?

Just for a short spell.

There was a dude easterner
there that just skinned us all.

That man could draw cards

where there wasn't no cards.

Mm-hmm. Then after the
game, you went around,

and, uh, talked about
robbing him, didn't you?

Yeah, we laughed about it some.

We ought to went
ahead and done it, too.

He sure had plenty of money.

Well, somebody did do it.

They did?

You ain't surmising
it was me, are you?

Festus, where were you
around 2:00 this morning?

Down at Pop Shiller's
place in the river bottom.

And Bucko was with you?

Sure he was.

Ask him, he'll tell you.

Where's he at?

He's back there in a cell.

He's charged with murder.

The dude?

Yeah.

Same old story,
ain't it, Marshal?

Here I was figuring you
and me got to be friends,

but you just ain't never got it
out of your head, have you?

Just ain't never forgot
that I'm a Haggen.

Well, this time, Marshal,
your old dog won't hunt.

'Cause Pop Shiller will back
up everything I've told you.

All right, let's go see him.

Now, Marshal, you've
got to listen to me.

I don't care what happened,

but Festus didn't have
anything to do with it

on account of he was with me

practically all
night long last night.

And I'll swear to that
on ten stacks of bibles.

If you ain't the seven silliest

kinds of dimwitted idiot I
ever seen in my born days...

- But I thought...
- I'll throw in with you.

Now, look, if...

Why don't you
just, uh, tell the rest

of that to Chester. Come on.

Hello, Pop.

Oh, morning to you, Marshal.

Hey, Festus, I didn't expect to
see you around here this early.

Pop, would you
tell this... marshal

where I was last night.

Well, I can tell him where
you was almost the whole night.

He was right here.

Yeah, what time
was that about, Pop?

Oh, a little before
1:00 and about, uh...

almost sunup, about 4:00.

Well, I reckon that
gets old Bucko and me

off the hook, don't it?

Bucko? Bucko Taos?

Yeah, I-I told the marshal
we was here all last night,

and he wouldn't
believe a thing I say.

Well, uh, you was
all alone, Festus.

Uh, Bucko wasn't with you.

What are you talking about?!

'Course he was here with me!

We sat right at that very table,

uh, drinking beer and
talking and arguing.

Finally wound up
eating meat and eggs.

You put it on the tally
sheet, you know that.

Sure, I put it
down, but you, uh...

you was all alone.

Are you crazy?

Well, uh, Marshal, I got
my book right over here.

I was working on it. You can
have a look at it if you want.

- Thank you.
- There it is... last night.

"Six schooners of beer,

an order of meat and
eggs... Festus Haggen."

It's pure truth,
just like I told you.

There's nothing down
here for Bucko Taos.

Festus, you might
as well forget it.

He's gonna have
to go this alone.

Go what alone?

His trial for murder.

Order, please.
Order in the court.

Has the jury reached a verdict?

Yes, as a matter of fact,
we have, Your Honor.

Will you state the
verdict to the court?

Well, now, I don't see any
cause to have to state it.

Everybody in this
courtroom knows

what a low-down bullying
scoundrel that man is.

And I think it's about time

that us decent citizens
of Dodge City got together

and cleaned out
the riff-raff that...

Mr. Foreman, you
are out of order.

I have asked you to state the
verdict, and nothing but that.

Why, of course he's guilty!

That thieving killer
is as guilty as sin!

You're a dirty liar, Fickett!

What are you trying to do?

How can he be guilty when I
done swore he was with me?

Sit.

I'm just gonna go to work,
I'm gonna thump you...

Honey, sit down. Oh, hon!

You good-for-nothing
old yay-hoo, you!

Go ahead, Festus.
Stick it on him!

Order!

Order in the court!

Marshal, it's your duty to
protect this jury from violence.

Well, now, I don't
think that the, uh, jury

or the foreman's in any
particular danger here.

That man is as dangerous

as his contemptible henchman!

Fickett, when you
once get it in for a fella,

you sure go out of your
way to prove it, don't you?

Now, if this disorder does
not cease immediately,

I will clear the courtroom.

Now that's enough!

If there are any
further exchanges,

you'll address
them to this court,

and not to each other.

Actually, the only one here
who has any right to speak

at this stage of the
proceedings is the defendant,

providing you have
something you would like to say

before I... pronounce sentence.

Judge, would it do
me any good if I did?

Not as far as the
verdict is concerned.

That, of course,
is already official.

Well, in that case, well,
I ain't got a thing to say.

Go ahead, Judge... let her rip.

It's dry work, sentencing
a man to hang.

Every time I think, that killer
was right there in the room

when I knocked on the door,
and with a knife in his hand, too.

- Hello, Matt.
- Kitty.

- How about a beer?
- No. No, thanks.

Well, a hanging, a
shooting, or a murder trial

always brings
'em out, doesn't it?

People are what they are, Matt.

What's bothering you?

Kitty, I'll tell you.

You know, it's always
possible to get a pat hand

in a poker game,
even a royal flush.

But when you do, you always
wonder if the deck was rigged.

Bucko?

Yeah. Stop to think of this.

You know, he left
a trail that night

that a blind man could follow.

He lost that silver button

right in the place that'd
do him the most harm.

And that envelope.

Sure, we find the
envelope, but no money in it.

And all he can say is
that he doesn't remember.

Well, he's been
like that before.

Blanking out after a few drinks.

Yeah, I know that, and so
does everybody else in town.

What are you getting at?

Just this, Kitty.

It boils down to a question of
who was lying... Festus or Pop?

Well, Pop's word
is as good as gold.

Festus is just trying
to protect his friend.

Well, that's the
way it looks, right?

What reason would
Pop have to lie,

to say that Bucko
wasn't there that night?

I'll tell you something.

He could be lying in
a different direction.

What do you mean?

Well, Pop's always
been fond of Festus

and his girlfriend, April.

Now, it just might be
that Festus wasn't at Pop's

at all that night, either.

What in tarnation
are you doing here?

I just wanted to make
sure you was all right.

You followed me, didn't you?

Sort of.

What are you doing out
here at Bucko's shack?

Well, I just come to
get something for him

I judged he'd be a-wanting.

What is it?

None of your business.

Just something silly.

And don't stand
there looking at me I...

Who do you think
you are, the marshal?

I just don't want you to get in
no trouble, Festus, that's all.

Well, what do you
think Bucko's in?

That bunch are running
around, trying to hang him,

and me knowing he ain't guilty.

You're planning on
helping him, ain't you?

Well, of course I'm
fixin' to help him if I can.

Bunch of tinhorn vigilantes
have got him all trussed up

and stuffed and
ready for the spit.

And you're gonna stand there
and tell me not to help him?

No! A man's got to
be loyal to his friends.

Ain't nothing else he can do.

Only... be careful, Festus.

Please?

Be... be real careful.

Well, sure... April.

Dove.

Come on, I'll walk
you back to the house.

You just get the whole
thing out of your head.

Silly little nitwit.

How come you're moving me
up here to the front, Marshal?

Oh, no particular reason, Bucko,

just a little easier to
keep an eye on you.

This here's the one that you
use for the death cell, huh?

Oh, now, Bucko, we don't
have no death cell here.

Reckon when a fella's got

a death sentence
a-hanging over him,

why, you kind of like
to keep your eye on him

so he won't do his self in.

Shucks, Marshal, you don't
have to worry about me, though.

Shoot, if that pack of
wolves is so all-fired set

on seeing me dead, they're
gonna have to do it their selves.

I sure ain't gonna
help 'em none.

Well, Bucko,
you're not hung yet.

We hope maybe
you're not gonna be.

You know, I'm taking you up to
the Territorial Prison tomorrow,

and the-the board of appeal's
gonna hear your case next week.

Oh, what good's a
hearing gonna do?

Shoot, I've told 'em
everything I knowed.

You just can't remember a thing
about what happened that night?

But sometimes it...

it seems like I pert near do.

Kind of bits and pieces,
uh, and then it leaves me.

Kind of like when Festus
was, uh, telling it there in court...

Shoot, about us
being in Pop's place...

- I could almost see it.
- See what?

Us being there

and drinking beer
and talking and...

And then it seemed like that
somebody called Pop outside.

And then after a little bit,
why, he come back in, and...

Aw, shucks, it ain't no use.

But just for a second
or two there in court...

Ah, but Festus and I been down
to Pop's place time and again.

Like as not, it was
one of them other times

I was thinking about.

Marshal.

Festus.

It all right with you

if me and old Bucko
chew the fat for a while?

Sure.

- Hello, Festus!
- Howdy.

Hang your gun belt on the peg.

By jings, Bucko,
if it don't look like

you fell into a plumb
good thing here.

Nice chair to set on, and
more than likely the best bed

you ever slept on in
your whole worthless life.

Yup. They even bring me a paper.

Sure is handy in
helping pass the time.

It would be if you just
knowed how to read.

Yeah!

Well, I, uh, brang you something
I judged you might be wanting.

All right if I give him
this thing, Marshal?

Oh, sure.

Doggone my hide if that
ain't my old mouth harp.

How come you
happen to think about it?

Why, I think of
everything, old friend.

You wouldn't have
figured that old Festus

is gonna forget all
about you, was you?

Oh, you know I wouldn't

be thinking nothing
like that, would you?

Ah, just like a coyote
a-howling at a star.

Ain't it a pity, Marshal?

Gifted boy like that
all canned up in jail.

Yeah.

I sure wish we could've
convinced the jury of that.

Oh, that bunch of...

yay-hoos.

They wouldn't have
believed either one of us

if we'd have walked in
with a bible under each arm.

Why, you don't even
believe him yourself.

You think he's a thieving
killer, now, don't you?

Well, I'll tell you,
Festus, what I believe

or don't believe doesn't
make much difference.

I'm not the court.

You know, being drunk like that,

I might have fought somebody.

Shoot, I've done
that lots of times.

- Sure.
- I might even have killed a feller, but...

but in a fight, not by knifing
him in his sleep like that.

It just ain't my nature.

Leastwise, I don't think it is.

Well, of course it ain't!

And what about that money
he's supposed to have took?

Wasn't on him.

Where was that?

I wish I knew.

Hey, wouldn't that
be a good joke on me?

If I really done it, I mean,
and they was to hang me,

and I didn't even know
what I done with the money?

That'd be a real
looney-buster, wouldn't it?

Be... be enough to
make a man die laughing.

♪ A shiny black carriage ♪

♪ All draperyed like snow ♪

♪ Six shiny black horses ♪

♪ A-pulling so slow ♪

♪ The road to the graveyard ♪

♪ Is lonesome and long ♪

♪ Who'll pass the
last judgment? ♪

♪ Was he right or wrong? ♪

Well,

if it ain't my best
girlfriend come a-callin'

and looking
prettier than a kitten.

Thanks, Pop. I
didn't know whether

I ought to come out
here at night like this.

I mean, alone and everything.

Alone? Well, old
Pop's here, ain't he?

What do you mean "old Pop?"

Why, I don't think about
you as being so old.

Well, now, my, my.

I'm gonna have to fix you
a nice cup of coffee for that.

I reckon I'd rather have
myself a shot of red-eye,

if it's all the same with you?

Well, sure.

I just didn't know that
you ever touched it.

Guess there are a lot of things
about me you don't know, Pop.

Well, I-I-I suppose so.

I think I'll have a little
nip right along with you.

Where's Festus tonight?

Oh, he's up in town somewhere.

I just got real lonesome,

and then I remembered
how good I always feel

when I'm with you, sort of
warm-like, you might say.

Warm-like?

My, my.

Well, here's to mighty
charming company.

Thank you, Pop.

My, my, April.

You-You're more
experienced than I thought.

Well, like I said, Pop,

there might be lots of things
about me you don't know yet.

You suppose it
would be all right

if I had myself just
a little nother one?

Oh, I... I guess so.

There you are.

Elmer,

you better get
back to your sheep.

Somebody's liable to steal 'em.

Good night, Elmer.

♪ Well, the chicken in the pen ♪

♪ And the hawk
is in the pine tree ♪

♪ Hidey-ho-a-deedle-dum-day ♪

♪ The hawk, he said, go,
and chicken said to catch me ♪

♪ Hidey-ho-a-deedle-dum-day ♪

♪ Chicken made a run, and
the hawk... he made a high dive ♪

♪ Hidey-ho-a-deedle-dum-day ♪

♪ Chicken on a fence, and
hawk... he ate a beehive ♪

♪ Hi, ho, the chicken got away ♪

♪ Chicken made a run, and
the hawk... he made a high dive ♪

♪ Hidey-ho-a-deedle-dum-day ♪

♪ Chicken on the fence, and
the hawk... he ate a beehive ♪

♪ Hidey-ho, the
chicken got away... ♪

Holding a little musicale
here this evening, huh?

Special concert. You've
missed the first three hours.

Well, it's only
the lower classes

that arrive on
time for a concert.

♪ Chicken made a run, and the
hawk... he made a high dive... ♪

Oh, what about
a little cribbage?

No, Doc, I'm afraid you'll have

to count on Chester
for that tonight.

I got to leave as
soon as he gets here.

He should be here any minute.

I guess you're, uh, taking him
on his last ride tomorrow, huh?

♪ Chicken made a run, and the
hawk... he made a high dive... ♪

Yeah. Kind of
looks that way, Doc.

Unless we get the appeal
board to do something.

♪ The chicken got away ♪

♪ Hidey-ho-a-deedle-dum-day,
Hidey-ho-a-deedle-dum-day. ♪

Well, Bucko, I'm tired

as if I'd been ironing all day.

I'm going home to bed.

I'll see you in the morning

before they take you
on that long last ride.

All right, Festus.

I'll be a-lookin' for you.

Good night, Marshal.

Good night, Festus.

- Good night, Doc.
- Festus.

Doc,

you mind if I ask
you a question?

Me? Well, no.

Of course not, Bucko.

What is it?

I reckon you been to a
number of hangings, ain't you?

Well, yeah, Bucko, I...

I have, quite a few

at one time or another.

Well, tell me something.

When they hang a man,

does he die sort of
sudden-like, so to speak?

Well, I...

Bucko, I think I can
tell you that it's just...

It's pretty quick.

Doc, I'm-I'm downright
relieved to hear you say that.

You know, I sure
wouldn't like it much

if I was to linger on,
a-choking and a-kicking

and hoo-hawing around
up yonder in the air.

Yeah, well...

And supposing that
something would jar loose,

and I'd get my memory back

just when it is too
late to help me out.

Boy, that'd be
downright disheartening,

would it?

Oh, uh, Chester,

uh, would you like to
play some cribbage?

Some cribbage?

Uh... yeah, I reckon so.

Chester, will you, uh,
keep an eye on things here

and stick around
till I get back?

Yeah, sure will.

I'll see you later, Doc.

All right, Matt.

Yeah, that sure is
pretty there, Bucko.

Ain't that about the sweet
señorita south of the Pecos?

Nope.

It's about a double-hanging
down in Texas.

♪♪

Mmm.

This could sort of get
to be a habit, couldn't it?

You feel all right, girl?

Oh, I feel fine.

Far as I can tell, anyhow.

Well,

I'll never be able
to figure it out.

All my years of
training and drinking,

and a little slip of
a girl comes along

no older than...

Well, times are changing.

I'm getting older
than I thought I was.

You go, calling
yourself old again.

I'm gonna get real
upset if you don't quit it.

I mean, like-like...
like now you're here.

I hardly think of you as
being any older than Festus is.

Why, he's just a
young whippersnapper

compared to me.

Well, he don't act
like it most of the time.

He's always going off
and leaving me alone,

and he won't hardly
ever take me dancing.

Bet you like to
dance, don't you?

Well, if I do say so,

I was known as
a king bull prancer

at a hoedown in my day.

"In your day."

What's wrong with right now?

Oh, now, April.

Oh, come on, Pop.

Come on, I want to dance.

Come on. Come on.

You got to have music to dance.

You ain't got no music.

Oh, we got music.

♪ La-la-la, la, la ♪

♪ La-la-la, la ♪

♪ La-lump, ba-dah-dah ♪

♪ Da-da-dum, da-dum ♪

♪ La-la-la, la, lum ♪

♪ Boo-doo, doo-doo ♪

♪ La-dum, ah-dah-dum,
da-da, da-da, da. ♪

You're a real good dancer.

A heap better than Festus is.

Oh, he's right in his prime.

Well, he sure don't act like it.

He's always going
off and leaving me.

And, well, he won't
even attempt dancing

unlessing he's celebrating.

Well, he's a caution, all right.

Yeah, I bet he sure was
celebrating the other night

when that fella got killed.

I bet him and Bucko
could hardly walk

when they came through
that door over there.

Walk through?

They couldn't hardly
stagger through.

You-you should've seen them.

Holding each other up

and singing at the
top of their lungs, and...

Well... I-I got to be
going home now, Pop.

Oh, now wait a minute,
wait a minute, April.

I-I... I want to talk to you.

I got to be going home now, Pop.

- No, no, no.
- Pop, you let me go now.

No. No, I ain't gonna hurt you.

- I got to be going home.
- I just want to... Gosh.

No, I want to go home.
Marshal, Festus was right!

Bucko was here that night.

He just admitted it.

Pay her no mind,
Marshal. She's drunk.

I ain't drunk, but I bet that
spittoon of yours sure is.

You been stringing me
along all evening, haven't you?

Making sport of
me, laughing at me.

You better sit down,
Pop. This may take a while.

Well, now let's see.

If I hadn't have
put the eight-six

on the crib, then
he-he sure enough

wouldn't have got
the double run of eight.

But then, I'd have had
to have kept the eight-six

in my own hand, which
means that I had to throwed...

Well, I'd have throwed the...

Oh, doggone it, just so...

many ways that
you can go with it.

- Oh, howdy, Festus.
- Chester.

You back again?

Just trying to figure out here

how I could've
stopped Doc from...

Why don't you drag up a
chair and rest your feet?

Well, I don't think I can
hang around that long.

Oh, well, Mr. Dillon will be
back pretty soon, I guess.

Be gentle, Chester.

Just move real gentle.

What are you doing?

Don't do anything to
make me mad now,

'cause I like you,

and, uh, I sure wouldn't
want to do you no harm.

Well, now, wait
a minute, Festus.

Good old Festus... I knowed
you was gonna come back.

You didn't think I was fixing
to let 'em hang you, did you?

- What are you doing?
- Well, I sure had my hopes.

Well, you-you... you
can't do that, Festus.

Come right on over here and
get in the cell now, Chester.

Well, what do you mean?

Over in the cell. Move!

Hurry up now. I
don't want to hurt you.

Well, now listen, Festus.

Now, you-you better think
on what you're doing here.

You oughtn't to
be doing this now.

You know, Mr. Dillon
thinks a lot of you.

Yeah, I know. Anything
bad that happens,

I'm the first one he thinks of.

Uh...

Got some horses out
there, Bucko. Come on.

Well, uh, uh,
you-you better think

on what you're doing, Festus!

'Cause you better think
on what you're doing! Help!

Don't move! We've
got a dozen guns on ya.

All right, turn
around. Turn around!

Tie 'em up.

Want to thank you,
Festus, for helping us out.

We seen what you was up
to, so we just waited for you.

Now you're in on it, too.

In on what?

The hanging.

That was the sentence
of the court, wasn't it?

Let's go.

Oh, my gracious.
Oh, my goodness.

Mr. Dillon? Mr. Dillon?!

Mr. Dillon?!

We was dancing and talking,

and... I'd had too many drinks,

and I-I don't know
what I was saying. I...

Anybody in town'll take my
word against hers, Marshal.

How come you won't?

You lied in court, Pop,

and they sentenced a man
to death on account of it!

I can't help that.
I told the truth.

I-I don't know
any more about it.

Pop, a man is gonna die
because of what you said.

Now, do you think
you're gonna be able

to live with that memory?

Bucko's probably been guilty
of murder more than once

and got away with it.

I see. So it's all right
to lie about Bucko,

but with Festus,
it's different, huh?

I didn't say that!

Well, what did you say?

I said...

I don't know what I said!

You lied about Bucko,
the way it sounded to me.

April, you stay out of this.

You've caused
enough trouble already!

Pop, what did you say?

I don't know what I said.

There's one thing we both know,

and that is, Bucko
was here that night.

Now why don't you get
it off your conscience?!

I-I can't, Marshal.

I don't dare. He-He'll kill me!

Come here! I'll tell
you something, Pop!

You may be an old man,

but I'll kill you myself
if you don't talk!

All right.

I-I lied.

I...

I lied about Bucko, and...
I lied to the court, and...

And Bucko was here that night
just like Festus said he was.

They both had the
same to eat and drink,

only I didn't put
it in the book.

I was scared to. I was...

just trying to save
my own skin. I...

I'm-I'm a rotten old
coward, Marshal,

and I can't help
it! I-I can't help it!

Can't help it.

♪♪

♪♪

April!

Well, what are you doing
in there? Where's Bucko?

Will you pick up them
keys and let me out of here?!

Well, I-I don't
know if I ought to.

I mean, if the marshal
put you in there,

he might have had
some reason for doing so.

Mr. Dillon didn't
put me in here!

It was that fool
boyfriend of yours!

Get the keys and
let me out of here!

- Festus?
- Will you open up the door?!

Well, where's Festus?

Well, he's gone to a
hanging, more than likely.

- Hanging?
- Yeah, there's the key.

Just put it in there, and-and
then turn it. Open up the door!

What do you mean, a hanging?

Well, I'm not talking
about the Monday wash.

Put the key in
there and turn it!

I've got to find Mr. Dillon.
Do you know where he is?

Yeah. He's at Benton's
boarding house.

Oh, thank you.

But what do you
mean, a hanging?!

I ain't got time to jaw.
Oh, heaven's sakes,

you'd forget your head
if it wasn't screwed on

the way you're gabbing.

Chester, will you please tell
me what you are talking about?

All I know is that they took him
towards the west end of town,

and they was figuring on
hanging 'em, both of 'em.

Both of 'em?! You
mean Festus, too?

Maybe he hid it someplace else.

Well, I guess maybe he did.

I always kind of figured maybe
he'd keep it around handy

in case he had to
leave town in a hurry.

I'll bet he got the idea
when Bucko lost that button

and-and didn't notice it.

Then he come over to my place,

and called me outside
and threatened me.

Am I gonna have to go
to jail over this, Marshal?

Perjury's a crime, Pop.

You lied under oath.

But I had to lie.
He said he'd kill me.

Well, I don't know.

Maybe the judge will
take that into account.

Mr. Dillon?!

Mr. Dillon, Bucko's out.

A-A mob's got him.
They're gonna hang him.

Let's go, Pop.

Well, if a feller don't get it
one way, he gets it another.

Papa always said...

us Haggens is born to be hung.

I got my hands loose.

That's good You can
wave good-bye to 'em.

Now, I'd like to say
that doing one's duty

is not always a pleasant chore,

but decent, honest
citizens have got to support

the demands of justice.

You wouldn't know justice

if it snuck up and bit you
in the seat of the pants.

You'd do better if
you spent your time

making your peace
with your creator!

I got more peace
than you'll ever have,

you hidebound old honyock you.

All right, bring 'em on.
Let's get this over with.

Get the ropes on 'em.

Stop it! Bucko ain't guilty!

The marshal just found it out!

- All right...
- Get her out of here! Get her out of here!

No! Stop! No! Let me down!

- You get out of here!
- Stop it!

- You let me go!
- Now you stop this right now!

- Stop! Festus!
- Hold her!

She'll get hurt!

Get out of here.

Stop! No!

- Let me down! Stop him!
- You get out of here!

Stop it right now!

Thanks, partner!

Drop me! You can't
do it for both of us!

Grab 'em, somebody!
They're gonna get away!

Hold it!

Chester, kill the
first man that moves.

Yes, sir.

Festus!

You all right, Bucko?

Yeah, I think so.

Much obliged for
my life, Marshal.

You men think those masks
are hiding something, do you?

Get 'em off, all of you!

Now, Fickett, you ought to
be really proud of yourself.

This is the way an
upstanding citizen acts, is it?

Marshal, they're
killers, both of them.

And we were told that the
law was gonna turn 'em loose.

The law's still
gonna turn 'em loose.

If you want to know
why, ask your friend here.

Pop decided to
tell the truth, Curly.

He told us the whole story.

Pop can't be relied on.

He's getting a little
soft in the head.

Save your breath.

We found the money in your room.

Ah, Pop, you old
fool. I warned you.

All right, all you men
get on out of here.

I want you to be in
Judge Bent's court

at 9:00 in the morning.

Now, go on.

I'm sorry, Bucko.

I didn't want this to happen.

Aw, don't give
it a thought, Pop.

A man don't get a chance

for an experience
like this every day.

I'm real fond of both
of you, you know that.

I-I don't know why I did it.

- I-I just...
- Chester, um...

you want to prefer charges
against Festus here?

Well, Mr. Dillon, the
way that I figure it,

if he hadn't of busted
Bucko out of there,

I think them other
fellers would have,

and in that case, why,
they'd more than likely

have been a lot meaner about
it than he was, and-and it just...

Yeah, I think I see what
you mean there, Chester.

Yeah.

April?

Why don't you take
these two fellas home,

and see if you can keep
them out of trouble for a while.

Marshal, what are you
fixing to do with Pop?

Well, I don't know. I
haven't decided yet.

Well, if it's all right with
you, we'll take him home.

All right, you run
along with them, Pop.

Oh, and be in my
office in the morning.

Yes, sir.

Well, Mr. Dillon,
sometimes I think

that you're just too
soft-hearted to be a lawman.

I doubt that Curly'd
agree with you there.

Come on, let's go find Doc.

♪♪