Original subtitles

NARRATOR: "Gunsmoke."

With Milburn Stone as Doc, Amanda Blake as Kitty,

Ken Curtis as Festus, Buck Taylor as Newly, and starring

James Arness as Matt Dillon.

Don't you people believe in original sin?

Ain't word of Adam and Eve got to Spearville yet?

Well then, let me just tell you about them.

They fell into original sin, and the good Lord

threw 'em out of the Garden of Eden,

told them they was to live in sorrow

and sweat and disease and affliction

and all kinds of the contagious calamity.

And that's the reason that man can't talk,

and that's the reason that woman can't walk,

and that's the reason half of you got guitars

and [inaudible] and whatnot.

God's will.

Now, what do you expect me to do about God's will?

Tear it up?

Whatever ye ask in prayer, believe it.

You will receive it.

There you got it.

There you go Reverend, believing.

That's the crux of the matter.

Well, now, that's what I said.

And not just that I believe but that you believe.

How we believe.

Now, don't you go around saying we don't.

And don't go blaming me for Adam and Eve

falling into original sin.

All I fell into was a cistern.

What's your name, sister?

Dorcas Wentzel.

Dorcas Wentzel, do you believe that I, Bohannan,

can make you walk again?

Do you believe that I can send a prayer up to high heaven?

Your mouth's big enough.

Evenin', Lord.

This is your servant, Bohannan.

You can see I'm in a place the name

of Spearville, state of Kansas.

Well, I uh-- I'm still headin' on to Dodge City

like you told me to.

And like usual, I'm going to ask you for a sign.

If I'm a wastin' your holy time here tonight, Lord,

I ask you knock me kicking clean out of my jackboots

with one of your 99 caliber thunderbolts.

[crowd chatter]

So be it.

Now, first Lord, we've got Dorcas Wentzel here.

She fell down a cistern, busted her leg,

which misfortunately healed biased onto the joint.

She ain't took a straight step since.

Amen, brother.

Amen.

And then we got this pitiful wretch over here, Lord.

MALE IN CROWD: His name is Goody Stackpole.

Goody Stackpole.

I've heard of him.

So have you, Lord.

You know, he got drunk, pitched head first into a snow bank,

throws out the hinges of his jawbone

so tight he ain't said a word since.

Well, if you could hear the foul mouth on him,

you wouldn't be so eager to get it thawed out.

MALE IN CROWD: She's right about that, brother.

DORCAS WENTZEL: First peace and quiet

we had in this town in years.

Hear me, Lord.

Hear me crying to you from out of this bewilderness

of boils and abomination.

It is into your hands I commend my spirit.

Sew into my hands, put the healing

power of your holy word.

Amen.

Dorcas Wentzel, do you believe?

I believe.

Do you truly believe?

DORCAS WENTZEL: I do!

I believe!

Then stand up and walk.

You can do it, sister.

I know you can do it.

Now throw that crutch away and come to me.

Just one step, sister.

Now, you watch out where you're throwing things,

you old bag of bones.

I talked.

I'm talking!

[crowd chatter]

DORCAS WENTZEL: Hallelujah!

MALE IN CROWD: Dorcas, Dorcas, you walked.

I never would have believed it.

[crowd chatter]

MALE IN CROWD: He's gotta have God on his side.

MALE IN CROWD: Or the devil.

Lord, I give you thanks.

But I wish to high heaven you'd find somebody

else for this here job.

DOC: Now, I want you to raise your leg for me.

Raise it.

Can't you do better than that?

All right.

Try the left one now.

Come on, lift it.

Come on, Hank dear.

That's your good leg.

I'm doing my best.

All right.

That-- that-- that's fine, son.

That's just fine.

All right.

Why don't you get dressed now, Hank.

Can I go to the store?

Yes, darling.

It's moved to his left leg.

Sit down, Lydia.

He hid that from me, just like his father did

before it got too bad to hide.

Well, Lydia, you'd know more about

that than I would, because I only

knew Big Heck in the early stages,

before you took him to St. Louis.

Two, three months was all it took to make an almost helpless

cripple out of a grown man.

I'm sorry, Lydia.

Thanks, Dr. Adams.

All we know is that it-- it is hereditary,

that morphine is the only thing that

will touch the pain which, of course,

I'm sure you must have given to Big Heck.

Of course.

All he wanted.

Near the end, the pain is so terrible,

I think you would give the patient

almost anything he asked for just to stop the screams.

Hey, mister.

Hey, mister.

Are you a prestidigitator?

I certainly ain't.

I'm a Bohannan on my father's side and nothing

but a Murphy on my mother's.

Well, you see, a prestidigitator is a magician,

and I thought maybe you were one.

Ha ha.

I know what it means, boy.

But you thought wrong.

I meant no offense, sir.

What's your name, boy.

Hector Walden, Jr., sir.

But most folks just call me plain Heck since my daddy died.

Folks call me Bohannan.

Pleased to meet you, Mr. Bohannan.

No mister to it, Heck.

You know, I was thinking of hiring a boy to tack up

some posters, but I notice you're

favoring that right leg there.

Don't you worry none about this old leg, Bohannan.

I can get around as fast as anybody.

Watch this.

Ya see?

Now, the main thing is to-- is to tack up these here,

but while you're making the rounds,

you might just let the sick and ailing

know that if everything comes together right

and we get a real believing crowd,

we might just possibly have a healing.

A what?

A healing, boy.

Oh, nothing overpowering, just a little colic maybe or sciatica.

I could pay you, say, a nickel an hour to start.

Hector.

A nickel an hour, ma.

This here's Bohannan.

This is my ma.

He's going to pay me a nickel an hour.

Pleased to know you, ma'am.

I'm pleased to meet you Mr. Bohannan.

Just plain Bohannan, if you please.

I'm going to help around with the posters, ma.

I don't think so, Hector.

The doctor says you need your rest.

Oh, please, ma.

I'll take it fearsome easy.

The work ain't hard, ma'am, and he could go real slow.

Oh, well, I suppose it'll be all right.

Thanks, ma.

Fine boy.

Thank you.

I was sorry to hear about his father dying.

Something recent was that?

Oh, no.

Seven years ago.

That's just Heck's way of talking, I guess.

Do you-- do you suppose it'd be all right for him to help me

out at the gathering tonight?

Well, I don't allow him out after dark, as a rule.

Even to a prayer meeting?

Prayer meeting?

You're a preacher?

Well, no ma'am.

But all he'd have to do is just to beat the drum a lick now

and then or just play a little mouth organ now and again,

if he's so inclined.

Well, as a matter of fact, Hector

is very musically inclined. -Good.

I'll think about it, Mr. Bohannan.

You do that.

Think about attending your own self too.

[humming]

Hey!

Oh, Lord!

Don't come a creepin' up behind a man like that blowin'

your trumpet.

Are you that feller in charge of this rickety pile

of planks, are you?

No, I ain't, but I work for him.

Well, where's he at?

He's everywhere.

Up mostly.

Up.

Up where?

Up there.

I'm talking about the Lord High God, deputy, for which I work.

He's in charge.

Now, you listen here, mister.

We got us an ordinance here in Dodge that says that you can't

sell no potions of no kind how some everly without old Doc

Adams provin' on it first that it's

fittin' for public conniption.

Not even branch water?

Branch water?

You mean to say you been a takin' these here folks

hard-earned money for water that they could dip right outta

the river there own selves?

Folks pay good money for ice, don't they?

Ice is a different thing.

Just froze up branch water.

You can pick it right out of the river.

It ain't the same thing, don't you see?

Costs money to keep ice.

Costs money for them there bottles, stickin' them

labels on.

Just the same, I want Doc Adams to look at this here.

All right, deputy.

There you go.

On the house.

You let me know what he says, will you?

I'm going to be across the street there putting

a little faith in myself.

FESTUS: Hey, mister.

That there ain't no church.

That there's a saloon.

Amen, brother.

We do thank God for such small favors.

-Doc, Festus. -Sam.

-Sam. -Can I have a beer?

Yes, sir.

What's the matter with you?

I got this here little kind of a--

Give him a beer, Sam.

Burt, what-- what's the-- what are you looking at me for?

Well, there ain't no need to take that tone, Doc.

DOC: What is it?

Well, the fact is, all I got's a chip

off my elbow and still stiff and hurtin'

more than a month later.

Well, you-- you just don't heal very fast, Burt.

That's all.

Well, you're-- you're supposed to be the healer around here.

Seems like every time somebody's got a disorder,

you just put it in a sling.

I'm not a healer or a miracle worker.

I'm a doctor.

Bohannan, I'll be coming to your meeting tonight.

I can't seem to get any satisfaction out

of a medical doctor, so a man's justified in tryin'

whatever comes to hand.

I hope to see ya at the meetin' tonight, doctor.

I'll be there.

Oh, you got nothing against faith healing, then, huh?

In my opinion, private or professional,

faith healing is the last refuge of an incurable scoundrel.

You sure do speak your mind, doctor.

If you feel that way, maybe you best

not bother showing up at all.

Oh, no.

I'll be there.

And you can count on it.

Crotchety old coot.

Well, here's to the meetin' tonight.

Well, I'll drink to that.

How'd you get the gift, Bohannan?

What gift would that be, boy?

Your layin' on of hands.

The gift of healing.

Well, I tell ya, Heck, I don't recount that story too often,

but you'll be able at the meetin' tonight,

and I'll tell it for all to hear, huh?

You must lead a wonderful life.

Well, there is glory to it-- moving

around, helping people, easing pain

and suffering here and there.

Where are all the places you've gone to, Bohannan?

Name one.

Kansas City.

Been there.

Name another.

Louisville, Kentucky.

Been there too.

How about St. Louis?

St. Louis.

Sold three cases of elixir, cured two broken arms,

a case of dropsy, and a lisp.

How about Colorado or the gold fields or Oregon?

Oh, oh, oh, hold on, boy.

I've been to all them places one time or another,

but you get me to tellin' stories

and I ain't going to make it to the meetin' tonight.

I'll tell you this much, Heck.

Out there beyond Kansas, beyond Colorado,

always beyond wherever you are, there's

sights and sounds of people nobody ever dreamed of,

least of all you and me.

Lost cities of gold, secret tribes

of people living in valleys surrounded on all four sides

by the tallest mountains you ever seen.

They don't take no stock in the outside world at all.

There's little teeny people living in jungles, no more

than three, four feet high.

Pygmies they's called.

Well, I can see you don't believe me,

boy, but I'm telling the gospel truth.

May God strike me dumb if I ain't.

I believe you.

Some day, I'm going to go to all those places,

go see all those things.

Well, you let me know when you're ready,

and I'll draw you a map.

Right now, we gotta get these bottles washed.

I got a heaven struck feelin' tonight's going

to be a real crowd pleaser.

Well, that could have been a pure and natural event,

a coincidence, except for one thing.

I felt the power, the power of the Lord moving in my hand.

Well, I felt it many, many times since that first time.

I haven't got the leastest notion in the world

why the Lord picked on me.

But as long as he did pick on me,

I figure I got a bounding duty to move along,

spreading the benefits.

And that's what I'm doing in Dodge tonight.

[drum beat]

I like him, but do you really think he can heal people?

Of course not.

Why not?

Because I think he's a fake.

I generally start with a prayer, put the Lord on notice.

Lord, we got here a man named Burt with his arm in a sling.

And Lord, he fairly stinks of unbelieving.

Lord hear me bellering at ya out of the hot belly of Kansas.

I'm asking you to suffer him, Lord,

that we believe not I'm asking you to give

me the power to heal him.

Mr. Burke, do you believe on the Lord High God?

I do.

Then I tell you to take that sling off your arm.

You are healed.

Come on, brother.

Believe and try.

You said you believe, now show us.

Lift up that arm, see how your faith has been rewarded.

Do it.

Come on, do it!

Do it!

[crowd chatter]

MALE IN CROWD: Look at that. He's cured.

MALE IN CROWD: He couldn't hardly

move that arm this afternoon.

MALE IN CROWD: He's got the gift all right.

Praise the Lord.

We do thank you, Lord.

BOHANNAN: Just hold on, I'm comin'.

Well, Miss Walden.

I know it's late.

Why, not late at all.

I'm-- I'm at your service.

I'm-- I'm sorry to bother you.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, why, it's no-- it's no bother at all.

Many, many times after a meetin' I get

visited by people who want to talk things over

or are a little worried about something.

And I try to be as helpful and comforting as I can.

I'm sure that's true.

Well, now you just sit right down over here,

and you-- you just tell me what-- whatever's on your mind.

It's about Hector.

Hector?

I need your help.

Hector's dying, Mr. Bohannan, of a terrible disease.

And there's no cure for it.

Who says so?

Dr. Adams?

He says so.

And I saw my husband die of the same disease.

There must be a cure.

There's a cure for almost everything nowadays.

Well, it's too complicated to go into,

but there is no cure for it.

There must be.

You can't just take the word of some local doctor.

You gotta get Heck to Boston or New York.

I took my husband to Chicago, Baltimore, and Washington DC,

all within 60 days right before he died.

He had to be carried from place to place

in a sort of wicker basket.

I will not put Hector through that.

Oh, Miss Walden.

If there's anything at all I can do.

I saw you do a remarkable thing tonight, Mr. Bohannan.

That man's elbow--

Does the boy know about his disease?

No.

But he will soon enough unless-- unless you

are able to heal him.

Unless I'm-- I what?

Heal him by a laying on of hands.

Oh, no.

Now, hold on ma'am.

No.

You can't think for a minute that I-- I mean,

sore elbows and lumbago is one thing.

Heck-- no, I don't have that kind of power.

Your power comes from God, and God's power is unlimited.

Do you believe in what you do, what you're saying,

or don't you?

Well, yes ma'am.

I do, but I can't go presuming on the Lord's

good graces and power--

If you just set your will to it.

But he's dying.

I never come close to healing a dyin' man.

And it ain't like it's my will.

It's my will again' God's will.

Mr. Bohannan, I want my son more than God does.

With your kind permission, Miss Walden-- Miss Walden,

I'm awful sorry.

I-- I wish there was somethin' I could do,

but asking me to cure someone who's marked out for dying,

it's like asking a jackass on Shank's

mare to take a run at the big rider on the pale horse.

I don't have that kind of belly, that kind of bodacity.

There's something about that boy, Heck.

He-- he looks at you and you just feel goodness in the air.

Honest to God goodwill toward men.

Coming from him, growing in you.

Yeah, but he gets into his fair share of mischief.

He ain't no angel.

Oh, of course not.

You wouldn't want him any other way.

He's got a mind as quick as a sparrow's eye.

And you know, he should get schooling,

really good schooling.

He should go on to college-- Harvard College.

Why not?

Mr. Bohannan, I want to talk to you.

Excuse me.

Can I buy you a drink, doctor?

DOC: No, thank you.

I don't want Heck Walden mixed up in your clap-trap show.

Why?

Because you can't do him anything but harm, that's why.

What are you doing for him, doctor?

Let me tell you something.

I've seen your kind come into Dodge,

and I've seen them leave Dodge tarred and feathered.

Now, I love that boy, and I'm not going to stand

by and see you hurt him.

And you, sir, can rely on that.

Give me a bottle, please ma'am.

Make sure it's a full one.

All I know is that man has the power to heal.

Lydia, all you've seen so far is the natural and normal

loosening up of an elbow.

I don't care about that.

I care about Hector.

And I might as well tell you, I've already

asked Bohannan to help him.

And he turned me down.

Oh, he did.

Well, did you offer him money?

Not then, but I intend to.

Let me tell you one thing.

Mr. Bohannan, in order to please his own sense of the dramatic,

is going to tell Heck he's dying.

Now, he'll do that, then he'll tell

him that this so-called faith giver is a sure thing.

Next, he'll parade him up and downtown

until enough faith and hysteria is generated

to effect this so-called cure.

Now, this is bound to have its effect.

No question about it.

It'll raise his hopes.

Now, what are you going to, Lydia, when this fails?

Dr. Adams, I know you mean well, but you can't help me,

and there is no doctor on earth who can.

Now, maybe Mr. Bohannan can't either,

but I have nowhere else to turn.

I love Hector, doctor, and I'll try anything.

DOC: Well, something's gotta be done, Matt.

You gotta arrest that man.

Doc, I can't tell Lydia Walden what to do with her money

anymore than you can.

Well, Bohannan's a charlatan, Matt.

He-- he's a cheat.

He's gonna do a lot of harm.

Well, until he breaks some law, there's nothing I can do.

There's somethin' I can do.

The answer's still no, Lydia.

I don't want your money.

Almost $1,200 cash.

Ah, ma'am, please.

That's a lot of money, Bohannan.

Don't you understand?

I can't be bought to do or not to do.

Only there's a--

All I'm asking is that you try.

BOHANNAN: I don't have the power, the horses, to fetch

betwixt livin' and dyin'.

You absolutely refuse?

BOHANNAN: Yes.

You refuse to do what the Lord sent you forth to do,

to heal the sick and the dying?

Don't you see?

It ain't fittin' that I--

You know your trouble, Bohannan?

You don't have the courage to risk failing.

And you're absolutely right.

It would not be fitting for moral coward

to lay hands on my son.

[sticks snapping]

How long have you been there?

Ah, a couple hours, I reckon.

How'd you know where I was?

Mr. Burke saw you head out this way.

Well, don't get the wrong idea.

I don't do this too often.

You'd get stiff in the legs, like me.

Legs?

The other one starting to act up?

Ah, nah, it's just sort of catching me up a little,

that's all.

Well, now that you've caught me in my moment of deepest

privacy, you can go back and tell the world

how brother Bohannan is on private speakin' terms

with the Lord.

Bohannan?

I've been thinking about somethin'.

Don't think too much, boy.

It tends to get mighty painful.

Well, it seems to me that you must get pretty lonesome

travelin' around all alone.

And it seems to me that you could

use some help fillin' bottles and beating

on the drum at the right time.

And it seems to me that--

Well, boy, I think you've hit on something that's been

bothering me for a long time.

I have been looking for someone, but how

am I ever going to find anybody to put

up with this kind of a life?

Well, I know someone.

You?

You mean-- you mean it was you you was talking about?

Well, I-- I'd be mighty proud to have you along with me,

Heck, but I just can't.

I-- your mother needs you.

Heck, I-- I'm-- I'm going to be leavin' here in a-- in a day

or so, but before I go I'd-- I'd like to lay hands on you, maybe

fix up them legs of yours.

Ah, no, Bohannan.

That's a waste of good handling.

I mean, my legs ain't worth nothin'.

It'd mean a sight to me, Heck, or I wouldn't ask you.

I don't think it would do any good, but you can try.

Lord, your servant, Bohannan, fixin' to fly in your face.

Make this my sign, Lord.

Now, no messing around with your humble servants bewilderness.

One sign, clear as a cherub's ring finger.

Amen.

Heck Walden, Jr., do you believe the Lord High God?

I surely do, Bohannan.

You know what I'm asking, Lord.

You require a life.

Take mine.

I mean it, Lord.

Take it right now in one great ball of fire.

Only reach these hands one more time with the power.

Suffer that little one to go on shinin', gentle

and light footed through the thickets of the world.

Seven more years, Lord-- I swear it-- if you grant him life.

Amen.

Heck Walden, do you truly believe?

Yes.

And I say to you, get up and walk.

Go on. Come on, Heck.

Jump.

Jump up and run around.

Come on.

Run!

They feel a lot better, Bohannan.

Honest.

They do.

Really do.

BOHANNAN: Everywhere I go, I see the good sufferin'.

I ask the Lord why.

I never get an answer you'd want to sign your name to.

Oh, you see the bad sufferin'.

That makes some kind of sense.

The good--

[baby crying]

--especially the children-- oh, I can

preach you Adam and Eve all day and all night,

but the baby dyin' of the croup, that little baby never

heard of Adam or Eve or the sinner

and the hand of the angry god.

So here comes Bohannan.

What's he sellin'?

No answers.

Just a sometime cure for this one, that one.

Sometimes nothin' at all.

What's he leave behind him?

A lot of people who wasn't cured wonderin' why them that

was cured got ahead of them.

In other words, often as not, Bohannan leaves a town

unhappier than he found it.

So that's the reason Bohannan's just about

made up his mind that quick to layin' on hands,

let the Lord find himself another man.

No, Bohannan, no!

We need you!

[crowd chatter]

I promised the Lord seven years, ma'am.

I don't think he'll hold it again'

me if I'm one summer short.

DORCAS WENTZEL: The Lord won't, but the devil will.

You're workin' for the devil, Bohannan.

Hell fire's burnin' in both your hands.

DOC: Bohannan, step down off of there and come here a minute.

I want you folks to all hear this.

I just came back from Spearville,

and I brought these two folks that Bohannan claimed he

healed just by layin' on hands.

Now, is that right?

Dorcas Wentzel, what are you doin' on them crutches again?

What I'm doin' is your doin'.

Are these the two people you claimed to have healed?

I did heal 'em.

They must be playin' possum.

You walked, Dorcas Wentzel.

You threw away them crutches and walked.

Now admit it.

That's right, I did.

But soon as you was 10 feet down the pike,

you took the trance off of me and down I went and near busted

my hip in the bargain.

[crowd chatter]

And you, Goody Stackpole, you talked.

Well, you could at least nod your head,

you crepitatious old ingrate.

You believe I'm in league with the devil like Dorcas does?

That's not the point.

The point is, you're not a miracle worker.

You never healed anybody of anything.

The only thing you do is mesmerize them.

He ought to be strung up in the thumbs.

[crowd chatter]

Everybody just shut up and listen now.

MALE IN CROWD: Maybe he's of the devil.

Now, if I am of the devil as you

say I am, and everybody knows it,

then I can't cure anybody of anything.

That right?

[crowd chatter]

All right.

Good enough.

I'll make it short and sweet, folks.

Dorcas.

Don't you talk to me.

Dorcas, you'd like to show me up for a devil, wouldn't ya?

Huh?

See me sprout horns, see my feet start smokin'

and turn into cloven hooves, wouldn't ya?

Well, then believe in the Lord High God that only a man of God

can heal you again.

I believe without you tellin' me.

No, no.

No, I don't think you do.

I don't see no believin' sweat bespanglin' your brow.

Next thing you know, I'm goin' to bedevil you again, Dorcas.

You folks, you think believin' is easy.

You think you put it on like your galluses and your corsets?

Well, you don't.

Dorcas Wentzel, you ready to withstand my power?

I'm ready.

Shieldin' myself in the name of the Lord.

[crowd chatter]

Well then, brace yourself, Dorcas Wentzel, because here

comes two jackboots full o' God help us.

Lord, your servant, Bohannan, still in Dodge City and tonight

we're going to make it holy ground indeed, fill

it with a joyful noise, a terrible thunder

of your mighty name.

If my power comes from Satan, you will not

be healed, Dorcas Wentzel, but if I am of the Lord,

I say to you, throw down your crutches and walk.

Come on, woman, walk!

I can't walk.

You're a devil outta hell fire, sure.

Goody Stackpole, I tell you to talk.

It's old [inaudible] you're chawing, ain't it?

How'd you know that?

[crowd chatter]

Dorcas Wentzel, are you of the devil?

Say somethin' to me, Stackpole.

Oh, shut up.

All right then, God take hold to my top knot if I falter.

Step out.

I can't, brother.

I can't.

Yes you can.

You can.

By the will of God, you can.

I felt the power go into ya.

By the will of God, you can walk and you will walk.

Walk!

[crowd chatter]

MALE IN CROWD: She's healed!

Look at that!

She's healed!

[knock on door]

Come in.

You wanted to see me?

Well, yes and no.

Come in.

Heck said it was about his mother.

Yes, and Heck too, of course.

Sit down.

You have some coffee?

It smells good.

Well, it usually tastes about half as good as it smells.

I made it especially strong today to kind of help

wash down the crow I think I'm going to have eat.

You examined Dorcas and Goody?

Yes.

They were up and about, walking and talking,

and absolutely convinced that you've

got God on a kite string.

But you ain't.

Not hardly.

But I'll say one thing, you have one of the most

amazing gifts I have ever seen.

You have the ability to make people believe so strongly

that they're able to forget their pain

or at least are able to ignore it.

You think Dorcas and Goody are in pain?

Of course, no question about it.

That woman's pain must be something fierce at times.

Well, maybe.

The Lord said walk.

He never did say it was going to be easy.

Well, don't get me wrong.

Best thing in the world for her--

keep those muscles exercised, minimize the pain.

That is, if she don't quit like she did the first time.

Well, that wasn't her fault. That was mine.

I don't have the faith anymore, the fire I used to have.

The power used to hit me like a double load

of rock salt. Yes, Lord.

Well, now that brings me to the crow.

I apologize to you, sir, for accusing you of exploiting

Heck and his mother.

I'm sorry.

There's no cure at all then for Heck?

Afraid not-- not medically-- but that

doesn't mean it's hopeless all together, not

after what I saw last night.

I tried layin' hands on Heck.

I can't help him.

I'm not talking about laying on of hands,

but I'm not discounting that either.

I'm talking about the way Heck looked

at you last night during the meeting-- every word you said.

I can't forget the look in his eyes as long as I live,

and I'm convinced that as long as he's with you,

he is totally oblivious to pain of any kind.

I can't stay here, doctor.

I got things to do.

I'm-- I'm a rover.

Heck could be too.

She'd never let him go.

Well, it'd be hard, of course-- mother, only son,

but it might be harder watching him die here little by little,

especially when there's just the slightest chance

that with you he might recover.

Hey!

Hi, Bohannan.

Hello, Bohannan.

Well, now what we got here, ma'am,

is a-- is a boy who thinks he's ready to cross

the Rockies and-- and go all the way to California.

Plum flummoxed in the head is what he is.

I know.

He's been talking about it 'til he's blue in the face.

I told him what a crazy notion it was,

but he's a powerful persuader.

I told him you'd never let him go runnin' off,

traipsing around the country with a faith

healer crazy in the head for takin' him.

You're sure, beyond a doubt, both of you.

Bohannan says we might even be able to get to Pikes Peak.

Can I go, ma?

It wouldn't take but a month or so.

Can I?

Be a good boy.

You wouldn't run off and cause Bohannan trouble.

And you write to you mother once a week no matter what?

And you honor God and obey Bohannan.

And you grow up to be--

Can I?

Huh?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

HECK: Thanks, ma.

Won't take but a minute, Bohannan.

I ain't got much.

And if you don't bring him back with you--

There's no way I won't bring him back to you, dear.

No way.

Bohannan gave me this new Bowie knife

for skinnin' things and protectin' myself from outlaws

and the like.

Here, let me take that from ya.

All right.

Up we go.

Atta boy.

I'm really goin', ma.

I really, really am.

[HOLLERING] Bye ma!

See you at the end of the summer!

Don't forget to feed my rabbits!

[theme music]

NARRATOR: Stay tuned for exciting scenes

from our next "Gunsmoke."

[theme music]