Original subtitles

ANNOUNCER: "Gunsmoke," starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.

[thunder and rain]

Whoa.

And Doc says you ain't smart.

Whoa.

You wait right here now and I'll get us

a warming-up fire goin' there.

[theme music]

MAN 1: Hey what's Festus bringin' in?

MAN 2: It's an Indian!

What's he doing with an Indian?

Looks dead to me.

Why would Festus be bringing in an Indian?

I've got enough trouble minding my own business.

You all right, Pa?

Nothing wrong that wouldn't be right

if I was 10 years younger.

Nothing that'll matter before I'm 10 years older.

Aw, you're just feeling sorry for yourself.

There's a lot worse off than you.

Now don't you go catchin' cold.

It's bad enough Mandy being sick.

I ain't had a cold since I can't remember.

I haven't been sick in years.

I'm not sick, just less and less well.

FESTUS: Whoa.

Tie him up there, will you, fellers?

Oh.

Matthew, will you head-toe him upstairs with me

to the doctor's office?

Looks like a Sioux.

Must be from that tribe that's been up around Table Mountain.

'Bout time they were migrating, isn't it?

I believe it is, Matthew.

He must be too old.

They just off and left him there all by himself.

Let's get him up to Doc's.

FESTUS: How does he seem, Doctor?

Not very good.

His heart's weak.

His lungs object every breath he takes.

I can't make him young again.

FESTUS: How old do you figure he is?

I don't know, Festus.

I'd guess he's probably close to 90 years old.

Where'd you find him?

In a cave.

Alone?

Yes sir.

It's an Indian custom, Doctor.

See, when one of them's getting ready to die,

they send them off by himself.

You mean to tell me his sons, his daughters,

his grandchildren knew he was dying,

but they took him to a cave and just left him?

They look at death a little different than we do.

I can see they do.

See, he figures he's gonna prepare himself for his journey

to the next world. -Oh.

Well if that's the case, why'd you bring him to Dodge?

Well, when I found him he was by himself and sick and cold.

Before the storm come in, I heared the wolves a-howlin'.

And I didn't won't to--

I understand.

Well, Festus.

I ought to get back to the office.

All right, Matthew.

No, no.

Lie down.

Just lie still.

Lie down.

Lie back, lie back.

Do you understand English?

Don't appear like he does, Doctor.

What about you?

Do you speak Indian?

Well, I talk a little bit of Cree,

but that there ain't his tribe.

Try.

Try.

Maybe his mother-in-law is a Cree.

Come on.

Ain't likely, but--

[non-english speech]

No.

Ma-in-law wasn't no Cree.

[knocking]

Come in.

Oh, Doctor.

You've got a patient.

My good-- let me have her.

Let me have her.

Oh, it's the Indian.

Mandy feeling poorly, is she, Miss Mather?

It's just the sniffles.

But lately she hasn't been sounding

right in her breathing.

Well it's probably the catarrh.

It's been going around. -Oh, Doctor, I tell ya.

I don't know what's wearing me out

more-- chasing around that store a mite or worrying about Mandy.

If not Mandy, then her grandpa.

You've grown taller than a sunflower, Mandy,

and twiced as purdy, too.

Hey, hey.

You stay there now.

Doctor told you to lay down and rest.

Now don't-- don't you be getting up.

Just stay right there.

It's catarrh, all right-- bad case.

You just keep her warm and give her a tablespoon

full of this four times a day.

I'll be over to see her tomorrow.

Mandy? Listen.

You want to choose one for yourself?

Don't suppose I'll be getting any sleep again tonight either.

Sarah, mothers with sick children rarely get much sleep.

But you know, staying awake doesn't help

the cure one way or another.

Here, Miss Mather.

I'll hold her for you.

Oh, Festus, that's right kind of you.

Mandy, you stay warm.

Mind your mama now.

Here we go little bug.

Festus.

What about him?

Well he's resting, ain't he?

You said you'd order rest, didn't you?

Thank you, Doctor.

Doctor.

Festus is over looking in on your patient.

My patient?

Festus has been over there most of the day, ordering

me around like I was a servant.

You know I was over there this morning to take a look

at He's older than Methuselah.

He can barely move.

He's a little better now.

But I-- he's so very old.

I don't think he can live much longer.

Doctor, what's Festus gonna do with him?

Well I hope he takes him back to that cave.

Oh, Matt, you can't mean that.

Kitty, the man was brought there by his own people.

It's a religious rite.

The man wants to die.

I don't think anybody should deprive him of it.

What if you had found him instead of Festus?

What would you have done?

I wouldn't have felt it was my business to interfere.

Well how do any of us know whether he wants to die or not?

Suppose he wants to go on living and he has to sit

there and face those wolves?

How would you like that?

I wouldn't. But--

You see?

That's fine.

Well let me tell you something.

If anything ever happens to me, I hope

Festus is around and not you.

Oh you ought to see him.

He's doing right well.

He's setting up just like a young feller.

Good.

Festus, what are you going to do with him?

Well, I figured I'd take him back to his people, Matthew.

That's what I'm fixing to do.

Whoa.

Well, that there is your people down yonder.

Hm.

Don't reckon you ever figured you'd be seeing them again,

did you?

Well?

Ain't you glad?

Looky here now.

It don't make no never mind whether you understand

what I'm saying or not.

It wouldn't hurt you none to show

that you're the littlest mite glad to be back.

Giddup.

Whoa!

Hold on.

I'm peaceable.

I haven't came here looking for no fight.

Ain't no cause for you fellers to go stirring up one, neither.

[non-english speech]

Are you loco or something?

You asking to get yourself killed?

They ain't needin' no askin'.

You're a for real fool.

White man busting in with a dead redskin.

What do you think you're going to do?

I don't know nothing about no dead redskin.

[non-english speech]

They've got every right to kill you,

just as you'd kill an Indian if he busted one of your laws

Well tell him I ain't killed no Indian.

I haven't even saw no dead one.

Him!

FESTUS: That there's the livest looking

dead man I've ever ran across.

He stopped living when they put him in the cave

with his death blanket.

Well look at him!

Does he look like he's dead to you?

You get it through your thick head.

They believe that his spirit will

bring bad trouble to the tribe as long as it doesn't rest.

Put him back in the cave.

No.

I ain't gonna do no such a thing and-- quit.

Quit that!

They'll kill you and him both.

They'll do it right now.

If that's the way you want it there's nothing

I can do to stop it.

Now you get him out of here.

You get him out of here right now before they kill all of us.

You mean when an Indian gets put in a cave to die,

he just got to go ahead on and die, even if he gets better?

And you're saying what they're doing is right?

I'm not saying it's right.

I'm not saying it's wrong.

I'm saying it's what is.

Old Doc Adams told me once that you doctors have got yourself

some kind of a hypocritical do-dad

that you swear to that says that you've

got to help keep folks alive.

Well, that's all I'm a-doing.

Festus, this is an Indian custom

that's hundreds of years old.

Now you don't have any right to tell

this man when or how to die.

Well, supposing he'd rather die trying, Matthew?

In his mind, he's already left this world.

He's just waiting to reach the next one.

That's why he doesn't care what you do for or against him.

MATT: Festus, how would you feel?

Try and put yourself in his place.

Well, maybe I wouldn't like being brung to town

and thrown in amongst a whole mess of strangers at first.

But if folks was nice to me, well--

He's old, Festus.

He's weak.

He can't take care of himself.

What are you gonna do with him?

Well I ain't plumb decided yet.

Festus, try to look at the practical side of it.

Now you've barely got enough money to take care of yourself.

How are going to take care of him?

Well, I brung him to town, Matthew.

I'll do whatever's got to be did for him.

You're gettin' yourself the shivers there.

Here you go-- put that there.

Well, no.

Leave it on. You're cold.

Festus.

Festus, that robe is for his next life.

It's a death blanket.

Oh.

Here.

I'll put this on.

Here.

This here will help keep you warm.

There you are.

Festus, you've got yourself a lot of trouble here.

You can't talk to him.

He can't tell you what he needs.

Well shoot.

A horse or a mule or a dog can't tell you what he needs neither.

But he gets took care of, don't he?

Come on.

Festus got into this because he's a kind man.

I can't see him getting out without a lot of heartache.

I can't either, Doctor.

Thank you, Sarah.

FESTUS: Miss DeLacey.

WOMAN: Mr. Haggen.

Good day to you, Miss Mather.

Why Festus.

I don't believe I ever saw you in here before.

You fixin' to take up sewing?

No ma'am.

I just got to thinking about you up there the other day

in the doctor's offices saying that you

was chasing around 'cause you just

plumb tuckered out every day.

And well, I just kind of figured maybe you could use somebody

to help you lift the heavy boxes and put things away

and just do chores-- a kind of a hard man.

Me.

Well Festus, lord knows I could use some help around here.

I sure do need a job.

Well if the wage is right with you,

I'd be pleased to have you help me

here part-time in the mornings.

[humming]

Well.

I see you still got yourself a little fire going there.

It sure would help if you could just talk American.

Looky here.

I've got a little surprise for you.

You're sure gonna like this.

Stand up.

That's the way.

Turn around like that.

All right, now.

Go on, uncross your arms.

That's it.

That's the way.

There.

See?

Well?

Now looky here, I spent my whole first week's wages on that.

In advance!

You know, I know it ain't easy for you, being in the big town

with a whole mess of strangers and stuff,

especially when you can't talk.

But then you've got to try.

I'm fixing to do everything I can to help you.

But then you gotta help your own self, don't you see?

Here.

You can sleep in my bunk.

I'll make me a pallet on the floor.

Right over here.

Now I'll set you down right here.

That's the way.

I'll get the pallet fixed here.

You know, Doctor told me that you didn't eat nary a bit

of breakfast this morning.

That there means that you ain't had a bite of vittles all day.

How in tarnation do you expect to get any stouter

when you don't eat nothin'?

I'm fixin' to go rustle us up some grub.

And if you feel like it, you stretch out there and get

yourself a little shut-eye.

All right?

Miss Kitty.

I had Delmonico's fix that up for you, Festus.

I sure am obliged to you, Miss Kitty.

I think you better put that pot on the stove for a few minutes.

Yes'm.

Miss Kitty, I'll pay you back payday after next.

Oh, I'll write that down in my tally book.

How's he doing?

I wished I knowed, Miss Kitty.

He ain't opened his tater trap one time.

Festus, you're starting to work for Sarah Mather

tomorrow, right?

Yes'm.

What are you going to do about him?

What about him?

Well, you just can't leave him here in the stable all day

all by himself.

I don't suppose it would be right

if I was to just bring him to Long Branch

and let him set there, would it?

No, Festus.

The cowpokes that come in there--

they'd make his life miserable all day.

Some in fun and some not.

Yes'm.

What do you reckon I ought to do, Miss Kitty?

Well I wish I knew.

Miss Kitty.

Hello Doctor.

Hello Festus.

Festus, I've got to ride up to Chance's.

But I thought maybe you could use these for him.

You betcha, Matthew. Many thanks to you, Matthew.

You're a good nursemaid, Festus.

In just a matter of days, he seems to be coming along fine.

If he's doing fine without eating nary a vittle,

why, wait till you see how he does

once he gets them ribs pooched out with some solid food.

Here.

Now don't that smell good?

Smell that.

Don't it? Here.

Now go on.

Take a bite. Go on.

Take a bite.

You gotta eat.

Festus, maybe he's not used to that kind of food.

FESTUS: Oh.

Here.

Here, looky here at me.

Looky here at me.

Nom nom nom.

That there's good, real good.

Go on now.

KITTY: Festus, maybe he just doesn't

have an appetite right now.

Maybe he just don't like eating when anybody's watching him.

You reckon?

That could be.

All right then.

We're gonna set this down right here and leave

you all by your own self.

And nobody'll be watching you.

And you can go-- and you'll go ahead and eat, now won't you?

Be right here.

I'm setting her down right there now.

And you go ahead on and eat.

Aw, now what did you go and do that for?

Festus, if he doesn't want to eat,

there's not much you can do about it.

Festus, you have to face the truth sometimes.

His life is over because he feels his usefulness is over.

He wants to die now.

And no matter what you try to do for him,

I believe he's gonna have his way.

Morning, Mr. Cob.

I seen you bringing him in.

He looks older than me.

Well he ain't gonna get a whole lot older lessin'

I can get him to eatin' some.

None of my business who your friends are, Festus.

But why'd you bring that Indian here?

Well, ma'am, I figured he might be needing some pills.

And this way I can kind of keep an eyeball on him

whilst I'm working.

Not in my store.

Well he ain't gonna hurt nothing, Miss Mather.

Festus, some of my customers might not take too kindly

to having an Indian in there.

Now you either work for me or you work for him.

Well, I was hopin' to work for you on account of him.

I'll watch him, Festus.

Set him down there.

Give me something to do.

'Preciate that, Mr. Cob.

Kind of appears as he likes you.

Probably never seen anyone tied to a chair before.

Now you just stay right there.

Stay right there.

And he ain't gonna stir up no fuss, Mr. Cob.

In case you see he's wobblin' or something,

I'd appreciate if you'd give me a holler.

Much obliged.

I guess neither one of us is the men we once were, are we?

You know, it'd be kind of nice if I knew your lingo,

or you knew mine.

Oh, put that case over there, Festus.

And will you pack it down below?

Yes ma'am.

SARAH MATHER: You know, the real old and the real young--

there's not much to choose between them

when it comes to stubbornness.

There are days when Mandy and her grandfather

behave like they're the same age.

Yes.

Well Mandy!

You little buck, you.

You're lookin' a whole sight better.

You 'bout to get over that old catarrh, are you?

I hope so.

Well I hope so, too, honey.

It'll just take a little while, that's all.

Time was when I had fire in my belly and sparks in my eyes.

When you're young, you think you'll always be like that.

I know different.

I guess you do too.

Watch the store, Festus.

I'll be back as soon as I help Carrie

Plunkett fit a new dress.

You all right, Pa?

If I wasn't all right, how'd I have time to tell her?

PREACHER: All of you!

Prepare to meet your maker!

Do you want to be saved?

All of you.

Hear the message of the Lord tonight!

We'll meet tonight at the flats outside town!

Perdition or Paradise-- make your choice, one or the other!

Do you want to be saved?

Meeting tonight!

God don't beg for souls.

[SLURRING] You ain't no preacher!

You're a [inaudible] medicine drummer.

[laughter]

MAN 1: Whatcha selling, preacher?

Snake oil?

[SLURRING] I seen you in Garden City, where

they throw you out of town.

You're absolutely right, my friend.

I was a sinner.

But that very same day I saw light and glory.

And I repented.

You're just another bible-thumping glory-seller,

ain't ya?

MAN 2: Hallelujah, preacher.

I saw the light!

But wherefore are any of you sinners

different from this savage?

Wherefore don't you mind your business like he's minding his?

An animal can't know God's law.

Is a heathen any better?

Now he ain't bothering nobody.

Which is more than you could say.

Now you leave him alone!

Hey Festus!

Better you come out here.

Would you or you or you risk being what he is?

He's on his knees before God!

But does he pray?

No!

And he cannot be saved.

Get your hands off him!

Come on.

Are you refusing the word of God?

The onlyest word I hear is you calling this old man names.

And I don't want to hear no more of it

or I'm gonna throw you in the calaboose

and keep you there till the marshal gets back.

He's an abomination in the eyes of the Lord.

HALLIGAN: [SLURRING] He ain't so good in my eyes, neither.

You know the thing I can't figure

is how a feller like you knows just exactly

what's on the good Lord's mind.

Come on.

You, Halligan, go home and sober up.

Meeting tonight at the south end of town!

Lots of singing and gospeling and a free Chautauqua!

Hear the message of the Lord at the meeting tonight!

Until that drooling knee-thumper

gets away from here, you best just stay right in here

with me.

Now set down right there, real easy.

That's it.

That's it.

Well it ain't gonna help you none

to get all mad and pouty at me.

I didn't know that blabbermouth was a-comin' along.

Besides that, I could lose my job for just bringing

you in there, you know that--

MANDY: [GROANING] Mommy?

Mommy!

Mandy? MANDY: Mom.

Mommy? -Mandy?

Mommy.

FESTUS: Mandy, honey.

Mommy.

Mandy!

Mommy?

It's Mandy.

She's took bad.

She's burnin' up.

I'm goin' for the doctor.

Mommy?

Mommy.

Mommy.

Mommy!

Mommy.

Doctor?

Dr. Chapman!

Mommy.

Dr. Chapman?

MANDY: Mommy.

Doctor!

Doctor?

Dr. Chapman!

MANDY: [groaning]

Mommy!

What are you doing?

Miss Kitty.

Miss Kitty, have you saw the doctor?

-He left a while ago. -Somebody.

Anybody!

Help.

Help!

Hey.

Look at the Indian.

He's got Mandy.

Where are you going with her?

[screams and gasps]

Get him, quick!

Get that savage away from her.

[coughing and sputtering]

WOMAN: He tried to kill her.

MATT: Oh, Dr. Chapman.

Please, please come.

You all right?

You go waving that old stuff at me

and I'll take it away from you and drive it down your throat.

Somebody look after Newly.

I'm all right. I'm all right, Festus.

That stinking Indian tried to kill that little girl.

I don't never call no man a liar lessin' I'm b sure.

And I'm practical plumb sure about you.

But I'll do some asking.

Ask?

Why, he tried to drown her in that there horse trough!

You can ask anybody-- -Wait, wait, wait, wait now.

Y'all listen to me for a minute.

Mandy's temperature shot up.

She had a convulsion.

Getting the fever down fast is the only cure.

Dipping in cold water has been a folk remedy

for ever a hundred years.

Who are you?

I'm the doctor here.

And I'm telling you, the Indian didn't try to kill Mandy.

He saved her life.

MAN: I don't believe you.

Well Mister, I don't care whether you believe me or not.

But if you don't back away from here,

you're going to have to fight me.

And you can believe that.

Well it's good to have you amongst us, Doctor.

All right.

You can all go on about your business now.

Go on, get.

Get, all of you.

He seems none the worse for it.

How's Mandy, Doctor?

Better than she would have been without him.

Newly, let me take a look at that.

Here.

Here, Doctor!

What is it, Doctor?

I think it's his heart.

He's sleeping normally now.

I sure am much obliged to you, Doctor.

Festus, why don't you just let him rest?

Festus, do you still have those pills I gave you?

Yes sir.

I sure do, right there.

All right.

Now you just let him sleep now.

But when he wakes up, you give him one.

I've got to get on back over to the [inaudible].

That whole family's down with the catarrh.

Anything I can do to help you over there?

Yes ma'am.

Yes ma'am, there is.

Somebody has got to fix supper for those folks.

-I'll be happy to. -All right.

Let's go.

Doctor.

How is he?

He's fine now, Sarah.

I'm glad.

Is there anything I can do?

I owe him.

Sarah, I don't believe there's very much any of us

can do for him, except maybe let him stay here in peace.

[snoring]

Well.

You've went and woke up.

No, no, no!

No.

You ain't supposed to be setting up.

Well, I reckon you can, if that's what you feel like.

Are you feeling better?

Oh. l almost forgot.

The doctor told me to give you a pill.

Now I want you to take this.

And I want you to swallow it right down now.

You swallow it.

No.

Doc said it'd make you feel a whole heap better.

Go on, take it.

He's gone.

That there skin blanket of his is gone, too.

Festus, he couldn't've gone far.

I'll go get the marshal.

We can cover any place he might have wandered off to.

Hey Matt!

Festus!

There's no change, not since I saw him last.

I want to tell ya, there ain't nobody no more

stubborner than Indians is.

But he knows that I ain't gonna stand for no more foolin'.

Festus, the only one foolin' is you.

You're foolin' yourself.

He doesn't want what you're trying to give him.

He doesn't want to live.

You don't understand him like I do.

Oh Festus.

The doctor's right.

He's been close to death twice.

And you've pulled him back both times.

Now, to what?

Well, he'll get used to town livin' directly.

Just takes time.

Festus, he knows there's nothing here for him.

He couldn't even find a cave to die in here tonight.

So he tried to make due with the next best thing.

DR. CHAPMAN: Festus, he's a grown man,

an old man with dignity.

Now you can't treat him like a child.

The onlyest thing I'm trying to do is help him.

Don't you see?

I know you are.

But you're taking away his manhood-- his right to decide

for himself what's best.

What you're saying is that what I done was cruel, ain't you?

Festus, look.

You don't have a cruel bone in your body.

But I'll tell you something.

You have been known to be stubborn.

Whoa.

I can't see what it is that you're so all-fired glad about.

This here ain't no picnic you're going to, you know.

Now looky here.

It ain't too late to just turn right smack-dab around

and head on back to Dodge.

It ain't too late.

All right.

If you want what you want, just go ahead and want it.

It ain't no skin off my nose. Come on.

Whoa.

Rain?

Sure don't appear like it ought to rain.

But I did feel something.

We better go find us some cover, in case it starts storming,

too.

Come on.

[thunder and rain]

I told you it was fixin' to rain, didn't I?

Onlyest thing is it just took a little longer to get started

than I figured it would.

Looky here.

It don't make no never mind to me whether

you eat or whether you don't.

[thunder and rain]

Well.

It cleared up right nice, didn't it?

Giddup.

Come on.

Festus?

Whoa.

Mr. Cob.

I was sort of hopin'-- waste of time, I guess.

Well, my time ain't worth much nowadays.

It's like you said, Doctor.

A man's always a fool to get mixed up in what

ain't none of his business.

Festus, I didn't say that.

FESTUS: Well, I learned my lesson, though.

I ain't did nobody no good by trying

to help that old Indian feller.

Grandpa, Ma says I can play outside!

Festus, I'll tell you something.

Seeing that little girl there makes

me feel that maybe everything happens for the best.

You know, if it hadn't been for your Indian,

maybe she wouldn't be alive today.

That right, Doctor?

She'd've never made it without him.

Mandy, you want to know something?

I think you're purdier than a whole big bouquet

of sunflowers.

Thank you.

Now you go over on the boardwalk and play, sweetheart.

[theme music]

ANNOUNCER: Stay tuned for exciting scenes

from our next "Gunsmoke."

[theme music]