Original subtitles

♪

-"Gunsmoke" starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.

♪

-A year's worth burning.

-Pa, you should have talked to the man.

-Well, I intend to do that also.

-I think we're being a mite too light on Mr. Springer.

[ Horse whinnies ]

-Makes a sight, don't it, Judge.

-Jay's bringing in Springer.

-Man was in such a hurry to see you, Pa.

He just didn't have time to dress.

[ Laughter ]

-[ Laughs ]

Sorry to get you up at this early hour, Mr. Springer,

but you've got one minute to say your piece.

-Oh, for the love of God, Judge,

I got a missus and four young un's

back there at the house.

-You were told to get out before the week came up.

-I swear to you, Judge.

I never rode with no Jay Hawkins.

I swear, never. -Now, Mr. Springer,

you're working land bought for taxes

over the body of man who was fighting for his country.

-It was from Talbot I bought the land.

Think most all the land around here was bought from Talbot.

-I think you know we're especially interested in Talbot.

Heard it was you who probably knew where he settled.

-I don't know, Judge.

I ain't seen him in about three years.

-Pa... -Now, look here.

Is it gonna be your neck, Mr. Springer?

Or is it gonna be Talbot?

-He's ranching out west of Dodge City.

That's the last I heard.

-Mr. Springer, you'll go back to your house,

you will pack, and by morning you'll be off this land.

You're gonna lose more than your wheat crop, Mr. Springer

if you're not.

It's a long ride to Dodge.

Anybody not up to it?

-Pa, I don't think we ought to ride any deeper into Kansas.

-I don't mind you talking about this night, Mr. Springer.

Make our job easy

if people get off the land before we got to them.

-Jay, I don't like riding outside the Missouri border.

-Talbot's the top man on Pa's list.

-Your own Pa said I was to go free.

-Jay.

-People start finding bodies instead of ashes,

they'll come around faster.

-Get on home, Springer.

-Since when did you start calling the terms?

[ Exhales sharply ]

♪

-Why didn't you tell Pa you're not feeling fit for riding?

-Have him think my tail's turning yellow

the minute we get out of Missouri?

-Trying awful hard to prove you're a bigger man than Pa.

♪

♪

[ Thunder crashes ]

-Storm's behind us now.

-My vote's still to take the road straight through Dodge.

Give Jay a chance to warm up

with some of them chills he's got.

-We go through Dodge, Judge,

word's gonna travel on ahead about us.

-Ross, Williams.

Those telegraph lines can't be too far off the road.

Cut the wires and meet us in Dodge.

-Right.

-Little whiskey won't hurt anyone.

-Let's go.

Go.

-Well.

And will you looky here. [ Cat meows ]

What's a little bitty old bum like you

doing out on a wet night like this?

Where you ought to be is tucked in alongside your mama,

unless of course she's out gallivanting again.

Hey, that mama of yours,

she sure ain't gonna win no prizes as a homebody.

Think what you better have is squirt or two of warm milk.

I'm just going to put some on the stove right now.

-See? With me sleeping in the freight house tonight,

you'd be getting a watchman without paying for one.

-Well, a night watchman

isn't exactly what we need right now, Louie.

However, I -- I don't see where the freight company

would object if you --

What's the matter, Louie?

-It's Judge Proctor.

His men.

-Proctor?

-Ain't good to let the Judge look on your face, Nathan.

Ain't good.

-All right, now, I want you to drink some milk,

and then I want you to go hunt down your ma

and tell her to get herself home where she ought to be.

Come on, here, drink.

It's good and warm now.

Drink it right there.

-This town sure goes to bed early.

-Town pillagers, killers.

-Town saloon closing this early?

-Oh, it's not the usual thing, friends.

It's Johnsonville.

Most of the darn folks there

are helping celebrate what you might call its birthday.

20 years old today.

-You got an awful lot of customers here, friend.

I think you better unlock that door.

-We didn't ride all day and half the night through rain

just to sit out in the street.

-I got orders from Miss Russell

to close any time I get tired tonight.

And I'm close to not keeping my eyes open.

-You ain't gonna be seeing much out of them eyes pretty soon,

you don't open that door.

-Whoa, now.

You better back off, little feller.

If Sam says he's locking up here, why,

that's just what he's doing -- locking up.

-Better tell him who you are, Pa.

-I'm Judge Proctor, but that's neither here nor there.

Came into Dodge counting on getting something to warm us.

Another hour, we'll be out on our way again

and grateful for your hospitality.

-Well, is kind of a chilly night, all right.

See, old Sam here, he's the boss of the Long Branch

when Miss Kitty's out of town.

-All right.

-Excuse me, friend.

-I wonder what business they got in Kansas.

-Kansas sure ain't Judge Proctor's bailiwick.

I know that for certain.

-Riding through, they said.

I can't think of any place that Proctor and his men

ride through without someone coming to some grief.

♪

[ Rattling ]

-More coming in.

♪

I'm talking to Festus.

Festus! -What is it, Louie?

-Festus, you doing anything about them killers in town?

-Now, just hold on, Louie.

We don't know for a fact that they're killers.

Even if did, well, I couldn't be holding them

without proof that they're wanted.

Don't you see?

-They're killers, all right.

The Judge carries a book around.

And they only ride to places at night.

-Louie, I want you to quit your fretting now.

Them fellers just went in to saloon there

to get theirselves dried out and get warm

and then they're leaving town.

Now, I don't want to hear no more of your blabbering.

-They got something against Dodge.

There won't be no Dodge City left in the morning.

Wait.

Get your gun belt. I swear down there.

-Why you little old scamp?

You just got a belly bigger than old Ruth.

You drank enough to fill twice your size.

Now I want you to go on out of here.

Get, get, get, get, get.

-Marshal.

-I ain't the Marshal. I'm the deputy.

Marshal Dillon, he's went over to Johnsonville,

been doing some speeching over there.

That's something he don't like to do too good.

-I don't blame him. Made more than a few in my time.

Is your doctor also out of town?

-Uh, Doc, he's a doctoring the widow Ingram.

He'd ought to be back, right, you know.

-We'll be here no more than an hour.

If he comes in, I'd like him to take a look at one of my sons.

-Oh, is the boy sick, is he?

-Oh, probably be all right after he warms up a bit.

I've been meaning to inquire.

Do you know a man named Talbot? -Talbot?

-He settled down on some land west of Dodge I understand.

-No. Don't recall no Talbot.

-You don't recall, or you don't want to.

-You heard me plain enough, didn't you?

-He may be living under a different name.

Be quite a wealthy man.

He moved down here several years back.

-No. Afraid I can't help you none.

-Well, no matter.

Thank you.

I'll be stretching my legs a bit.

-Festus. -What?

-Louie sure did got nervous seeing all them Missourians

into town, didn't he?

-Appears like old Louie

ain't the onlyest one that's a little nervy.

-You wouldn't have any coffee going, would you, Festus?

I -- I mean, I'd be glad to make some fresh for you.

-What you're actual trying to say Burke is that,

uh, you'd like to hang around for a little bit.

Is that it?

Well, go on. Help yourself.

-Judge throws a scare into Talbot and we just ride off.

Talbot no worse off than some sweating.

-Yeah. I'm beginning to lean to you,

Mr. Berber,

if I don't start finding a couple of graves

It won't hurt us none as long as they can't prove nothing.

-There's no doubt about it.

Judge is a tired man.

-Uh, it's all too far back.

Like burning Springer out.

All right, all right.

The land was stole.

Land grabbers moving in while everybody was away fighting.

But it was Springer that bought from Talbot.

Maybe Talbot bought from somebody else,

somebody from somebody else.

-Pa's told you often enough you don't have to stay around.

-Look, I just don't want Pa dying

for something nobody clearly understands anymore.

-Got an understanding of it.

Good land sold out from under Pa

while he's fighting for the rights of this country.

-You!

You did that on purpose.

-You had your foot out.

-Yeah, but you saw it.

Just like you saw us coming into town

and tried to close the saloon.

-My closing had nothing to do with you or your people.

-What side of that Missouri border you lived on?

Meaning you don't talk like no Kansan, Mister.

-I don't see fit to answer questions from the likes of you.

-The likes of me?

You mean the likes of us, don't you?

Missourians done out our lands.

-A night rider picks up his own excuses as he goes along.

Land lost wrong side of the war,

it adds to the same misery for innocent people.

-We're night riders.

-Jay.

-Night riders don't stick in your craw, brother.

It does mine. -You have any other opinions

of us you'd like to get off your chest?

-In a few words,

people are tired of you Missouri riders.

Burning farms out, trying to bring back the war.

-A few words, Mister.

You got the night.

-I lost two brothers in that war

fighting on different sides.

And I lost another brother in Lawrence

when scum like you sacked that town

and run a boy down in the street

who wasn't even old enough to know what it was all about.

-Did I hear you say scum?

-When a man asks my opinion, he gets no half-way answers.

-Hey, Jay.

[ Glass shatters ] Get off. Get off.

-Who started this.

-Jay didn't agree with this man's

unflattering opinion of us.

-My orders of a man behaving himself also applies to my sons.

-Sam, What happened, Sam?

-He hit me with a bottle.

-We'll get you up to Doc's place.

Burke, help him get up there and make sure he makes it.

Now, did you have some call to hit Sam, young feller?

-A man calls me scum,

he's lucky to get away with a headache.

-Now Sam, he don't use no hard words

'less than they get called for.

I guess I'll just throw you in jail

and then you can tell it all to Marshal

when he gets back in the morning.

-I think a plain case of rowdyism

calls for say, a fine, not jail.

-Well, Sam up yonder with a cracked head

calls for a little more than money, Mr. Proctor.

Now, the Marshal wouldn't do no less than throw you in jail

and I'm a-fixin' to do the same thing.

Come on, son.

-I believe you're stepping both feet into a bucket of trouble.

-Well, you just head on to that jail

and I'll worry about that.

-Marshal.

-You have no right to make this a personal thing.

-Personal thing?

-Our reception in this town has not been the warmest.

It's obvious that you people think

a bit differently than we do.

It's quite apparent that your sympathies are,

to say the least, not with my men.

-Mr. Proctor, I don't reckon you know Dodge City too well.

In this here town, when a man lays a hand on another man,

he's got to answer for it.

That's the way it's been and that's the way it's gonna stay.

-I don't intend to ride on with one of my men in jail

over a trivial incident.

-You can call it what you want to,

but he's going to jail.

Doc, you'll find Sam up at your place.

He needs dome doctoring.

This here fella'll need some doctoring too.

-Well, I'll have a look at Sam and I'll be right down.

-Deputy?

I'm leaving this town in exactly one hour.

I expect you to see a way clear

to have my son released within that time.

-Mr. Proctor, your boy,

he ain't gonna be out of no jail in no hour.

No unless the Marshal comes back

and says that's the way he wants it to be.

-One hour, the Judge says.

That'll be about midnight.

We're here to back him up.

♪

-I say let's go over there

and take that jail apart right now.

-Then we can go find Talbot's place

and teach that land-grabber a lesson.

Then we can high-tail it on back to Missouri.

-As sick as Jay is, you know he shouldn't be riding tonight.

-Jay will ride with us.

-I'm willing to go along with Mr. Berber and the Judge.

-Judge calls it. He says one hour.

-You know my policy.

You don't confront the law head-on when you can avoid it.

An hour of thought on the part of that deputy

and we may come to an agreement.

♪

-Doc.

-Festus. -How's Sam?

-Well, he's gonna have a headache for a few days,

but he'll sleep all right tonight.

I fixed that. How's that Proctor boy?

-Well, he -- he's a-complaining about being cold

in betwixt them cuss words he was spouting out

while I was locking him in jail.

-You keeping him in jail, Festus?

-Well, as Doc says,

he's ought not to be moved, that's what I'm gonna do.

-Well, uh, I mean, if they want to leave town,

if the only thing holding 'em is Proctor's son in jail,

why don't you just -- -Oh, for heaven's sakes, Burke.

-Well, I was talking to Louie

and he says he's heard an awful lot about Proctor

and his men along that Missouri border.

-Burke, why don't you and Louie mind your own business.

Now, Festus has got enough on his mind.

And he's doing this just right.

And just for that young fella in there,

he deserves what anybody else does.

No more, no less.

-And if you want to make yourself useful, Burke,

why don't you go down yonder and look after the Long Branch

for old Sam.

-But Sam almost got killed by Proctor and his men.

Maybe I'd be next.

-Burke, we're a little shy of men-folk in Dodge right now.

Why don't you just help us out a little bit?

Look after Miss Kitty's interest.

Go on.

-Judge doesn't have to know about this, of course.

-Give that deputy something to think about what it'll do.

[ Laughs ]

-I'd just as soon torch up the whole town.

-Only the livery.

-Oh, I --

I'm just sort of helping, see if you need anything.

-What's that stuff?

-Well, I could give you a name for it

but you wouldn't remember it for two minutes.

Let's just say it's better for you than that stuff

you've been drinking. Here you are.

-I'll take a bottle of whiskey.

-That'd be about the worst thing you could do, son.

Now, let me tell you something.

I want to take you up to the office

and I'll make room for you -- -The only place I'm going

is out of this jail at midnight,

and then out of this town.

-How is he, Doc.

-Really not very good.

Got something a little more serious than just the chills,

I'll tell you that.

-What do you figure I'd ought to do about him?

-Well, not much you can do, Festus,

or me, for that matter,

I can't treat a patient by force.

Be the same as killing him.

And if you let him ride out of here

it'd be about the same thing.

-Oh, I ain't had no idea about letting him ride out.

Only thing, I just want to know

that we're doing everything we can for him.

-Oh, well I think you can be sure of that all right.

But I'm more worried about you, Festus.

I mean, I'm worried about that Proctor.

I just don't know whether he's bluffing or not.

I don't know how far he'll go.

Now that farmer's alliance that he's heading up,

that don't fool me any.

That's just like all the rest of 'em,

the Sons of the Red Legs and the Missouri Volunteers

and the Party of Independents.

I know about them.

They're a bunch of law-breaking,

marauding ruffians, what they are.

And I just...

mm, I don't know how far that Proctor's gonna go.

-Well, I reckon we'll find out

whether he's bluffing around about midnight, won't we?

-11:30 right now.

I'll look in on Sam.

Festus, I'm available if you need me

and I wouldn't want you to hesitate a second to call on me.

-Sure am obliged to you, Doc.

-Louie.

-Doc.

-You look sober.

-You bet I am.

Nightman best stay sober.

-Proud of you.

-Night, Doc. -Night, Louie.

-Festus, I've been thinking about it.

-Thinking 'bout what, Louie?

-It's a real coincidence --

You being alone here in town tonight,

Judge Proctor and his boys riding in.

Maybe it's you that's on that list the Judge carries.

Maybe you've been on the wrong side.

And the Judge knowing the town's empty and you being here --

-Louie, I ain't so sure that you're sober.

I think you got a ways to go yet.

-Anyways...

-Well, where in the tarnation

did you get that old handful of rust at?

-It's loaded, Festus, Be careful of it.

-Louie, this here thing wouldn't go off

if you put a barrel of dynamite under it.

Then again, it could just go off and take your hand with it.

-Not standing by watching you in trouble.

-Louie, sometimes a feller

just don't know where his friends is coming from.

I sure do count you as a plumb special kind of a friend.

Much obliged to you.

-Fire! Fire in the livery!

Hey, come on out! It's a fire!

There's a fire in the livery. We need help!

-Look out. Get out of the way.

-Fire! Fire in the livery!

Come on down here, you all!

Come help out!

There's a fire! Come out!

Fire in the livery!

Fire! Fire!

-Come on!

-Come on, now. I'm trying to save your life

Come on.

[ Horses whinnying ]

-Well, I'd say it was their problem, the town's.

-[ Shouting indistinctly ]

-Move! Come on!

Come on! Come on! Come on!

Come on! -Look out! Get out of the way!

-Come on. Come on. Come on.

Come on.

-Get out!

Come on! Get out!

Come on! Get out!

-Unless we're asked for help,

I -- I don't see no need to offer.

-Come on! Come out! Come on!

Hurry! Hurry it up! Get moving!

Get that water. Go!

-Incoming.

[ Horses whinnying ]

-Come on! Get out!

-We're out! We're out!

Hey!

[ Coughing ]

[ All coughing ]

-They did it. -What are you talking about?

-I said "They did it." -Did you see 'em, Burke?

-I didn't have to see 'em.

-All right, then. Just hush up.

The best thing for you is go on home and get some sleep.

Now, Scotty, I want you to send a telegraph off to Johnsonville.

Tell Matthew to --

-That's what I come before to tell you, Festus.

The telegraph ain't working.

-Yeah. I'll bet they cut the wires.

Just like they tried to burn down this stable.

-Just hold it now. Hold it.

-Festus, what are you trying to do?

You try to protect these men?

If Proctor wants to move on, let him move on.

-Should we take a vote on it, Festus?

I mean, so you won't get no blame.

-No. We ain't taking no vote now, Louie.

-You're just trying to play games with our hides.

That's what you're doing. -Burke,

I've heared just enough from you.

-Now this is just pure old plain and simple.

There's a feller in that jail that's supposed to be there,

and that's where he's a-fixin' to stay.

Now get out of my way.

-Hey, deputy.

You figure that old fire in there be a problem,

you just ask us boys to pitch in.

We're showing up here to lend a helping hand, now.

-What's the matter here? What's going on?

-Doc, right there's a knothead

that's fixin' to get his ugly face moved out.

-Oh, come here.

You got that badge on now.

You don't have to push anybody around,

smooth their face out.

Now get on in here.

-Pa, can we talk?

-Since when do you have to ask if you can talk?

-Well, you most times appear to shut me off

when I have something to say. -Well, say it.

Say it now.

-Well, that man Springer and this fella Talbot,

I mean, when everything's all over,

I wonder what we've accomplished.

-Don't you understand, boy?

-You don't let soup stand.

You stir it up. You get it to bubbling.

You get people to notice there's wrongs to be righted.

You get people to look to you, 100,000,

millions maybe if the good Lord spares me that much time.

-The good Lord, Pa?

You call on God to help you burn people out?

I mean, get 'em so scared of your name.

-You wanted to know what we're accomplishing

and I told you.

-Pa, you've told me nothing.

-There's a war being fought and it's not over yet.

-You fellas know what's good for you,

be getting out of town right now.

You don't think Marshal Dillon in Johnsonville

don't know there's no telegraph here?

Don't think he won't be figuring there's trouble and come here?

-Ross, you ride outside town a ways

and you stop anybody coming in, anybody.

Go on.

Come on.

-Well, I know that don't feel good, Festus,

but it's not serious.

That's irritation from the smoke's what it is.

Little watery for a while but you'll be all right.

-Obliged, Doc. [ Knock on door ]

Come in.

-I'm Jay's brother,

and I'd like to talk to him.

-I ain't got no objections.

Doc here's fixin' to go and see him.

-Doc, about Jay.

Him always being so cold

and way he can't get his breath sometimes.

-Well I can understand your concern.

There's plenty to worry about.

Seems to me like your father

would have done a little worrying.

-Well, uh...

he's had a lot on his mind.

-Here, here.

You know what Doc told you

about drinking that whiskey.

-I don't care what that old quack said.

Way I felt 'till I got some whiskey in me,

I'd like to die.

-Well, now, that's just exactly what you're working up to, son.

Now, that's a stimulant and the last thing

your heart needs is more work.

You're flirting around around with pneumonia.

-When's Pa riding on?

-He's still sits midnight.

-Hear it, deputy. Hear it good.

What you won't hear is the shovels over your grave

after that time. -And you ain't gonna be drunk.

'cause no more whiskey in you. -[ Shouting indistinctly ]

-Festus.

-Wait a minute. Hold on, Doc.

Now you know that Matthew

don't allow no whiskey drinking in the jail.

-I know. I -- I know that. I know it.

And I know it's no good for him to be drinking in there either.

But you struggling with him like that,

his condition, that could be just as bad or even worse.

You can't do that.

-He's just plain-on mule stubborn,

that's what he is.

-Yeah, well, you can't do anything about that either.

-Hey, Jay.

Jay, uh, you been noticing a change in Pa?

-Like what?

-In the last six months,

he don't give many orders to anybody.

It's always Berber saying something.

-So?

-Well, he never would have had Springer burned out

if it weren't for Berber pushing for it.

-Berber wants things done.

-Oh, he wants it back 10, 20 years ago,

past any time we can remember.

You know, Jay, I ain't never seen a real, live Jayhawk

in my whole life.

It's like the North/South war.

It's always somebody saying we got robbed of our lands.

Jay, I ain't never seen those lands.

Is it different from land we could settle right now?

-I'm getting tired of listening to you whining.

Always wanting to know if I'm keeping in measure up to Pa.

Well, brother Eliot, you even start to measure.

In fact, I think you're a plain-livered coward.

-[ Gasping ]

-Jay?

Jay, you all right?

-Get of out here.

[ Chokes ]

Leave me be.

-Looks like the pilgrim here has a bone to pick.

-You've been fish-eying us since we rode in.

-I don't know what you mean.

-Well, the way you look at us sometimes,

like -- like you want to say something.

Huh?

-Look, I'm not looking for no trouble.

-Well, maybe we offended you then.

Something you want to take up with me?

-What's going on here?

-Well, now I say.

Well, now.

Our dog-eared deputy.

Nothing going on in this town

without you making it a personal thing, huh?

-They pestering you some, are they, Burke?

-No, I'm just moving on, Festus.

-Well, now you sure quick swing

the weight of that badge around, don't you deputy?

-What is it you're trying to say?

-I'm saying, dog-eared,

that you'd be a whole lot more respectful

without that piece of tin stuck to your shirt, deputy.

-Well, now, just don't let this deputy badge hobble you none.

Whenever you get to feeling froggy just hop on.

-Show me.

-Pa.

Pa!

It's Jay.

I think he's dead.

-Hold it right there, Mister.

-You better put that gun down.

I'm a United States Marshal.

-Well, now you're the one I was waiting for, Marshal.

Suppose you drop your gun.

Nice and easy.

-Who are you?

-I'm a Proctor man. You ever hear of him?

-What business the Judge got in Dodge City?

-I wouldn't keep asking questions

unless you figure on bucking this rifle.

-I guess that wouldn't be too smart, would it?

Now...

We'll just finish our little talk on the way into Dodge.

-Jay.

Fella like that just wouldn't listen.

Nothing anybody could do for him.

-How about a doctor that had some interest in him?

-I want to drop my foot right in his mouth,

spur and all.

-Well, now. Hold on here just a minute.

Seems to me like you've got some other problems.

How you planning on handling them?

-Well, Doc, whatever this badge says I'm supposed to do,

that's what I'm gonna do.

-Glad to hear you say that, Festus.

Now, that's the way Matt handles it.

Let's that badge do the talking,

not his temper, you know.

-I very nearly let mine

scoot away from me out yonder, didn't I?

-Well, sure --

-Judge wants to see you two outside.

-Don't.

Unless you want to see Doc here carried out feet first.

Party's outside. You both got invites.

Move.

-Calls himself a doctor.

A man doesn't die in one night, not from a chill.

Every paper in Missouri is gonna be asking why your son

died in a Dodge jail instead of being tended to.

And there won't be one paper in Missouri

not asking what action you took.

-This town lacks law.

This town lacks people willing to enforce the law.

It does not lack for spite, for vindictiveness.

One man wears a badge,

locking my son in a jail

even though knowing he's signing my son's death warrant.

-Oh, why don't you talk some sense?

-Another father would simply put a bullet into you,

but you're all equally guilty.

All protecting the man you know we have come for.

You had to know who Talbot was.

-Talbot?

Are you talking about Jim Talbot?

-Strange how nobody remembers until now.

-Well, I don't know what you're talking about,

but I know Jim Talbot.

He owned a lot of land around Dodge.

Came out from Missouri a few years back,

settled on some of it.

He was a recluse, a strange sort of a fella,

nobody knew much about him

'cause he took sick a day or two after he arrived

and sold all the land through an eastern broker.

I remember him 'cause I tended him at his death.

-Death? -Died about three years ago.

-[ Sighs ]

-Come all the way to Dodge for a dead man.

Now you'll be taking one back.

-Burn this town to the ground.

♪

-Move, move, move.

Go on!

Get, get! Let's go! Let's go!

-Judge, if you're after some sort of a reputation,

you may accomplish that here tonight.

-A reputation for seeking justice in the town of Dodge.

My son lost his life here.

-No, not lost.

He gave it away and you helped.

-Stay right where you are. Nobody move.

Drop the gun and belts.

Don't try it, Judge, I'm a United States Marshal.

-11 guns against 1 man.

You're not very prudent, Marshal.

-The gun belts.

-There's no way he can come out better than second best, Judge.

-He may be right, Judge, but you'll be dead too.

-I don't count.

When you men leave here, I'll be dead.

But you'll go on, carrying on the work we started.

-I'd hoped to find you more reasonable, Judge.

-My son lies dead in that jail.

-And killed by his own Pa.

That's right, Pa. You killed him.

Jay's not dead by any other hand but yours.

-That's enough, boy.

-You had more hate than love for your sons, Pa.

You ain't even going over to that jail to see Jay's body.

And now I'm gonna die because I got to defend you.

Pa, that's got to be hate.

-I never wanted anybody to die, son.

All right, then put the gun down.

-How do we stand, Marshal?

-The only thing you're wanted in Kansas for right now

is burning a wheat field.

That might be a good place to leave it.

-We'll leave it there.

-No, no. You're not talking for us, Judge.

-You'll be a man alone, Berber.

-No, you're the man alone.

-I've always taken the responsibility

for what my men do.

And that's the way it will continue.

-Step aside, Judge.

-All right. Up.

-Take their guns, Festus.

-Go on.

-Billy.

-[ Weakly ] I never --

I never hated my sons, boy.

Maybe I --

maybe I wanted to put off seeing Jay

till the light of morning,

not wanting to believe he's gone.

-It's all right, Pa. It's all right.

-Because...

because a man's not the smartest person in the world

doesn't mean he --

he hates the one he loves.

-Shh, Pa, you shouldn't be talking.

-[ Chuckles weakly ]

-I think the doctor's agreeing

that won't make the difference.

You said, boy,

you didn't know what it was all about.

Well, maybe it wasn't about anything --

An echo from the war.

You've proven that nobody goes back.

Something ahead is the...

-What are you doing there?

-Polishing up this here badge.

-What for?

-So as I can give it back to Matthew

in as good a shape as I got it in.

-Well, it's not necessary.

As much as it pains me to say this, Festus,

that badge never got one little bit tarnished

while it's been pinned to your vest there.

Matt, the brightest thing in Dodge City last night

was that badge shining up, and that's the truth.

-I know, Doc.

-Well.

-Well, don't let it go to your head.

Everything improves with age, you know.

It's supposed to.

It's just one of the schemes of things in nature.

Even your mule is getting old enough now

to where he can kind of find the way to his own oat pen.

-Now, why'd you have to bring Ruth in?

You ain't gonna get me mad today.

No, sir.

Fact is, I was gonna buy you fellers breakfast this morning.

Steak and eggs, biscuits, gravy.

-Hey now, that sound pretty good.

But, uh, how is it you're feeling so rich?

-Oh, I got the answer for that, all right.

You know the rumor that's been going around

that he turns in an expense voucher

to the town council every month?

Well, that's a little bit more than a rumor.

Happens to be the truth because last month,

an item showed up on his expense voucher

for a new pair of britches.

And I got a surprise for you.

As head of the town council,

we're not buying you any britches.

I'm hungry. Let's go get that breakfast.

-Oh, all right.

Matthew, I can tell you what happened there.

And I wouldn't have did that

if it hadn't have been in the line of duty.

You remember when I went out to serve that warrant for you

out at Arthur Dean's place?

And you know that big, old, whiskeredy-jawed,

waggledy-tailed dog of his that acts friendly?

Well, he ain't.

He glommed on the seat of my britches

and just liked to tore 'em clean off of me.

And if I hadn't have went to work

and bought me a new pair of britches

out of my own money,

why I'd have been a-runnin' around Dodge

naked as a picked prairie chicken.

Don't you see?

-Festus, uh, we better get on over there.

Doc's gonna be expecting you to buy his breakfast.

-Well, he can just sit there and fiddle with his mustache.

If he ain't gonna get me no new britches,

I ain't gonna buy him no free breakfast.

Waddly old scudders.

♪

-Stay tuned for scenes from next week's "Gunsmoke."