Original subtitles

[theme music]

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.

Stambridge, Will Stambridge.

It's 9 o'clock, Stambridge.

You'll be buying one of two things, Lonnie,

a grave or a reputation.

Well, we all get us a grave eventually.

Stambridge.

I'm waiting, Stambridge.

Do you hear me?

It's 9 o'clock.

Hey, gunfighter, I'm waiting.

You hear me, Stambridge?

Hey, Stambridge.

He's the best there is.

I don't figure so.

Most people do, though, that's why he's the one to go after.

You want a reputation that bad?

I want to somebody besides Dale Colby's son.

That's what I want.

All Dale left him, and he don't see nothing but the size

of his daddy's tracks.

[gunfire]

[screaming]

MRS. COLBY: Oh, no.

Why didn't you stop him?

He was a man, Mrs. Colby.

MRS. COLBY: And you're fired.

Get your stuff and get off the ranch by morning.

Will Stambridge, $1,000 to the one who kills

him, here and now, $1,000.

Somewhere there's someone who will stop you.

I swear, I'll see you dead.

I'll pay to see you dead.

Men like you've got no right to live.

You meant that, $1,000, you don't care how or where.

He's dead.

[theme music]

Every bump, every jolt, every piece of dust

has put that much more distance between us and Dodge City.

I still say it would've been better

off to wait for that train.

And take a chance on something coming up, not on your life.

With that trial ending early, we've got an extra two days.

If we live through it.

Oh, you'll live through it or I'll kill you.

Kitty, I still don't see how you got ready so fast.

Been packed for a month.

Did I tell you I loved this?

Well, you, uh, you make that look pretty good.

St. Louis, here we come.

It'll be a time before he's rode again.

[inaudible] cut bad.

What'll you give me on him toward one of those?

I've got too many stove up this past month.

Got to hold on to the sound ones.

Can't sell none.

It's a long walk to nowhere.

Well, the eastbound stage from Dodge will be along in an hour

or so.

Westbound's due early tomorrow

One's the same as the other.

That horse ain't worth more than $30 to me.

Put it toward a seat on the eastbound.

How far?

Far as it goes.

Grub's inside and a bunk if you like.

That I would like.

Only be a few minutes, Marshal, just

time enough to water the horses and grease the axles.

All right, Hank, fine.

Running a little late, better try to pick up some time.

Hope you don't mind, Mrs. Russell.

Oh, you've just been dawdling along.

There's food inside, Ma'am.

You're Marshal Dillon?

That's right.

I've got a message for you here somewhere's.

Sheriff down at Greenburg had it wrote up.

I think I know.

Eh, here it is.

And there's hot water on the stove

if you're of a mind to wash up.

It's from Chet Brooker.

Now what?

[inaudible] lawyers filed an appeal for a new trial.

It starts Monday.

I'll have to be there to testify again.

No.

It's my job, Kitty.

Oh, Matt, don't use that word to me, not now.

I don't know what else I can do.

I-- I tell you what, we'll-- we'll get a fresh

start soon as the trial's over.

Do you know what it took to make this trip?

Yeah.

Well, then, you must know that after the trial is over,

there'll be something else.

I've had 18 years of something else's, Matt, please.

Kitty, I'm sorry.

So am I.

Look, I'll, uh-- I'll find us a rig to get back to Dodge with.

I'm not going back to Dodge.

You have to go back, but I don't.

I'm going to St. Louis.

We're pulling out, Miss Russell.

Stage is leaving, Mr. Stambridge.

Have a good trip, Miss Russell.

Take it away, Hank.

HANK: [inaudible].

Whoa.

[gun cocked]

Both hands, where I can see them.

And don't nobody get excited, well, nobody get hurt.

Climb on out of there.

Well, sweet Marie.

Throw down that cashbox, old man.

Oh, you got the wrong stage, Mister.

We ain't carrying a thing.

Hey, you.

It's all right, RJ.

Looks like we found ourselves something right here.

Stay away from me.

Pepper's in the stew, huh, just like I like it.

Leave the lady be.

Oh, what've we got here, a hero?

Take what you want and leave the lady be.

[gunshot]

Looks like we had ourselves two heroes, Mayhew.

Would you like to try for none?

That'll do just fine for a start.

[gunfire]

Here, let me look.

Oh, nevermind.

What do you mean, nevermind?

Just sit still.

You've got a bullet in you.

Oh, leave it be.

From the looks of this, you could bleed to death.

Ah, ooh, eh.

Here, hold this.

Yes, ma'am.

Oh.

I don't think you should do that.

You've lost a lot of blood.

Ever happened to you when your stomach's trying

to keep from churning over, your-- and your head

keeps talking to you about large [inaudible], pork and such?

As a matter of fact, it has happened a few times.

Ha ha ha.

Miss Russell, wasn't it?

That's right, Mr. Stambridge.

Hardly seems fitting not to say thank you.

-It isn't necessary. -Then, I won't.

You seemed a little upset on the stage earlier.

Yeah, I-- I guess I was running from something.

Lady, we're all of us running from something,

some of us just harder is all.

I guess you're right about that.

You bet I am.

I guess you've got to stop sometime.

Maybe.

Morning.

Good morning.

How you feeling?

Like it's time for us to get out of here.

Well, I'll go see if I can find some help.

Yeah, I think there'll be a stage along later today.

I heard the Station Master mention it back where I got on.

Well, you've got to get that wound looked

after before it gets infected.

Oh, meanness will hold off the infection for a few more hours.

You were half right, you know.

About what?

About running.

You never really stop altogether,

but you can sure slow down a lot.

Is that what you plan to do?

I will if you will.

STAGE DRIVER: Ya.

I think it's the stage.

Has he said anything to you, has he?

Who?

Matthew.

What for?

Oh, sure, we had dinner together about an hour ago.

Why?

Well, what'd he say?

Say about what?

About him and Miss Kitty, of course.

He didn't say anything to me about Miss Kitty,

and I didn't ask him.

I don't think you need any lessons,

Festus, on how to be a friend.

When he's ready, he'll say whatever there is to say.

STATION MASTER: Ma'am, stage will

be here in about five minutes. -Thank you.

Hm.

Does it look that bad?

Well, you'll live.

There'll be some people real sorry to hear that.

You must know some very interesting people.

I know very few people.

You should have a doctor look at that.

Yeah, there'll be one in Dodge.

There's also a United States Marshal.

Now, what's that supposed to mean?

I know a gunslinger when I see one.

The law's got no quarrel with me, at least

none I can be arrested for.

I appreciate the concern.

Well, under the circumstances--

Lady, you owe me nothing.

Well, I guess you don't see it the same way as I do.

Oh, you've evened that score.

I'd like to see you when I get back to Dodge.

Course, I wouldn't want my seeing

you to be an embarrassment.

Try the Long Branch.

It's a saloon.

I own it.

At least with what I'm asking for

ain't more than a couple dollars worth of supplies.

Well, it ain't the fly in the coffee, Corley.

It's the past due bills, long past due.

I'd have thought all these years of trading

here would count for something.

Well, it's all the years that's carried you this long.

Mr. Lathrop, Corley.

Afternoon, Festus.

Well, I ain't saw you around in quite a spell, Corley.

Staying close to the place mostly.

What can I do for you, Festus?

Well, I was fixin' to pick up some coffee for the jail,

but I can wait till you and Corley gets done.

We're done.

Lathrop, obliged all the same.

I sure hated to refuse him credit.

Now, I tell you now, Mr. Lathrop,

you ain't the onliest one in town that's put the kibosh

on these credits, you know.

It's a sorry thing.

That farm of his has got the richest spot of land around.

For a whole year, it's done nothing but lay fallow.

It's terrible what happens to some men

when they lose their woman.

Well, I reckon I'll take some of your coffee.

Sure thing, Festus.

I could've told you.

Begging ain't going to do you no good.

I didn't beg.

Uh huh.

Now, you show some respect.

Well, you show some sense.

Get you out of that farm.

She was your ma.

SHEB: She was your wife.

She stopped being my ma when she married you.

Keep the hill you buried her on but sell the rest.

Then what?

Then, we move into town and get some decent work.

You haven't done a decent day's work

since I don't know how long.

Well, I know how long it's been since you last did.

Sell it, or I'll find a way and I'll sell it myself.

Let's go.

STAGE DRIVER: Whoa.

Will, wake up.

We're in Dodge.

Marshal?

I just saw Miss Kitty.

She's coming in on that stage.

Thanks.

I got your message, Burke.

Now, you just, uh-- just sit there and I'll-- I'll go

get some help.

No, I don't need any help, Kitty.

Just sit there.

MATT DILLON: What's happened?

Stage holdup.

I'll explain to you later.

He needs some help.

Um, Will, this is, um, Marshal Dillon.

This is Will Stambridge, Matt.

Marshal.

Um, it was a gunshot wound.

I did what I could.

Couple of you boys give me a hand here.

I'll see you in the morning.

How about dinner tomorrow night?

Well, Doc said that you'd be up in a day or two, but I--

Maybe now that you're back, you'd

rather have a little time.

It's going to take a lot of time, Will,

but I'm not going to stop living.

How about 8 o'clock?

I don't know the town, so you'll have to pick the place.

Sleep well.

DOC: Kitty, you, uh-- you all right?

All I need is a hot tub and a good night's sleep.

Well, that's been known to cure a lot of things.

Matt, I, uh-- I owe you an apology

for storming off like I did.

But just as long as you're all right, Kitty.

I'm fine.

I'll walk you to Long Branch.

All right.

Goodnight, Doc.

Goodnight, Kitty.

Kitty, I'm sure sorry about the trip.

Well, like you said, it's the job.

Anyway, what does it matter in a hundred years?

I guess you're right.

Kitty, uh, about Will Stambridge.

What about him?

Well, I guess you would find out sooner or later.

That he's a gunfighter?

Just so long as you know.

As a matter of fact, I've learned quite a bit about him

in the last two days.

He's not on any Wanted posters.

None that I know of.

Well, then, what people talk about really

doesn't interest me a bit.

Goodnight, Matt.

I'm gonna have us a new pot of coffee before you can say rat

ran over the roof of the house with a piece of rolled

liver in his mouth, Matthew.

And this here is going to be [inaudible]

special brew, Matthew, just stout

enough to float a smithy's hammer.

Hee.

Listen, Matthew, how blame much longer are you--

are we going to have to wait for to get them there new

wanted posters from Wichita?

They usually get here first of the month.

Well, they done already four days late then.

Yeah, and they were three days late when you asked yesterday.

Besides, Stambridge isn't going to be on any of them.

Who said anything about Will Stambridge?

You know, Festus, that coffee is not going to cook

unless you put it on the fire.

FESTUS: I'll tell you something, just betwixt you

and me and that water trough yonder,

I'm getting filled clean up to my goozler

with Will Stambridge.

I guarantee I am.

Well, the talk is she's sweet on him.

On a gunfighter?

The man saved her life, that's all.

What bothers me is a man like Will

Stambridge being in our town.

I agree with Turner.

You know the trouble his kid can bring.

Oh, the marshal can handle that and him.

Then, why in blaze is he standing by

and doing nothing, if what Burke says here is true?

I mean, him and Miss Russell, after all these years,

what more reason does he need to hand

Stambridge his walking papers?

When you think about it, any other gunman,

he'd have sent packing days ago.

It don't make sense.

Unless Stambridge has his number, all the way around.

Oh.

Oh, Mr. Grimes--

Listen, Burke, I'm not the only one that's been thinking that.

Eh.

There was an old trapper I [inaudible]

with back in the '40s.

I was about, oh, 17 or so, I guess.

He use to say the further down the mountain a man goes,

the more clearly he remembers the view from the top.

I never forgot that.

Hm, it does go by fast, doesn't it.

Yeah, the older you get, the faster it goes.

It's frightening to look back and see all the years.

I wish there were more than memories to show for them.

What else could there be?

A family, a home.

Oh, well, I guess we all have to make choices,

because for most of us, there comes

a time when we question the choice we made, whatever it is.

I think the mistake is in not making

a change if we really wanted.

Taken me better than half my life to find out I

wanted to change.

Not now, Will.

You let me know when.

[breaking sounds]

I've [inaudible] to my rump ain't

nothing but a solid callous.

And I'm going back to Texas with nothing

but that callous and empty pockets.

Now, if I lay out the likes of Will Stambridge,

I go back with an [inaudible], right?

Right.

Not to mention doing this town a favor, getting [inaudible].

The Marshal, too, huh, Coots?

This town and your marshal can go fry.

At least, I'll go back with something, right.

Come, men, the marshal's bridled at the Long

Branch saloon right now.

Are you talking Texas or you going to show us some grit?

He's going back to his herd.

And you two are clearing out of here.

Uh, we's just talking about you, Marshal.

Let's go.

But Marshal, I don't really take to that, uh, clearing out

'cause you ain't got no right to tell us so.

Me and Coots here, we-- we haven't done a thing.

That's right.

Hey!

Anybody who wants to use their gun, now's the time.

All right, boys, back to your herd.

It's Corley Deems' place.

I understand it's for sale.

Do you want to buy it?

Oh, you needn't look so concerned.

I'm buying a piece of land with some buildings on it.

It means more than that, Will.

It means you're putting roots down here.

And you'll be--

Under foot?

Does that bother you?

You have a right to live any place you want to.

That's not what I asked you.

I know it isn't, Will.

And I don't have the answer, at least not yet.

Nobody's pushing.

Like hell, you're not.

[laughter]

Stambridge.

WILL STAMBRIDGE: Afternoon, Marshal.

We've got some strange gunmen after you in this town.

What do you mean?

Well, gunslingers, I can understand.

But these Texas trail hands--

I guess you didn't hear, Marshal.

The last town I was in a woman offered $1,000 for me,

no questions asked.

And you figure these men have heard about it?

Somebody has.

I could understand if you ordered me out of town.

Comes to that, I will.

About Kitty.

What about her?

Is she really her own woman?

Mister, if you don't know that, you've got a long way to go.

Thank you, Marshal.

You got a minute, Matt?

Sure.

I need some answers.

The scales are getting all out of whack.

It's hard to throw away 18 years.

Yeah.

I know what that badge means to you, to this town, to everyone.

But I'm thinking of us.

I was just a kid when we met, Matt,

and I was going to live forever.

I knew how things had to be with us, and it was all right.

But I thought that someday, some far-off someday,

that things would change.

And Matt, my somedays are almost gone.

I guess what I'm asking is for you to tell me

to say no to Will Stambridge.

Kitty, you know how I feel.

But that's a decision you're going to have to make yourself.

I know, Matt, I know.

Did you bring in cash, like we said?

Here it is, $650.

I made out a bill of sale for your share

of the property, Mr. Deems.

The balance, I'll settle with Mr. Budkin in the morning.

I get to keep the hill?

It's been arranged, you keep the hill.

My wife, she's, uh-- she's buried there, you know?

He knows, he knows.

You told him a dozen times, now sign it.

Ahem, we-- we could be out of here in a day or two.

For all of me, we're outta here right now.

There's no rush, Mr. Deems.

You take all the time you want.

Sign it.

Thank you, Mr. Deems.

Mr. High-and-mighty gunfighter bought himself a pigsty.

Don't talk like that, Sheb.

Uh, go pound sand down a rathole.

This was a mighty fine home for a lot of years.

Well, It's a pigsty now.

Eh, all right, give me the money, Sheb.

What for?

So we can figure out what we owe and take it out.

See what there is left. -What we owe?

To Mr. Lathrop and others.

They get nothing.

You're a living shame to the memory of your mother.

You ain't nothing like she ever was.

Eh!

Uh!

Here's to your new home.

I was hoping you might come out and give

me a hand fixing it up.

Well, now, that's not going to take an hour or two.

That might take quite a while.

I was hoping it might.

You can't ever tell, you might get attached to the place.

Will.

Not afraid, are you?

No, I'm not afraid.

That's good because the new owner thinks

very highly of your taste.

Well, in that case, here's to the new owner.

[knocking]

FESTUS: Miss Kitty?

Come on in, Festus.

Miss Kitty, I, um-- I sure hated to bustin'

in on your supper here.

That's all right.

What is it?

Well, uh, Matthew, he ain't here, and ain't going

to get back for a couple hours.

And he told me to look out after the town.

All right.

Well, the fact is somebody's bringing up a charge of murder

agin' Will Stambridge here.

MISS KITTY: Murder?

I never-- I never seen him hit Pa.

Well, what did you actually see, then?

I knew, uh, he and Pa had been talking

about his buying the farm.

And, uh, well, Pa told me he was coming out.

And well, I left before he got there.

But when I got back, like I said, I seen him driving off.

He never saw me, though.

And then, when I got inside, I-- I

saw Pa lying dead on the floor.

How much good will it do to tell you everything

he's told you is a lie?

Well, that's why we're all a-jawing here so's

that you can tell your side, don't you see?

I was there and I bought the place.

I paid $650 cash.

The paper Mr. Deems signed is in my hotel room.

Are you able to prove that, are ya?

Festus.

Your Mr. Bodkin cashed my draft.

The money I gave to him.

No, sir, Festus, I never-- I never see no money.

All I saw was Paul lying dead there by the fireplace.

And if he signed a paper, he signed it at gunpoint.

You believe that?

Well, it's Sheb's story here.

It's the truth.

He's lying.

Look at him, listen to him.

Miss Kitty, I sure hope you never

come home and find one of your kin lying dead on the floor.

See how smooth-talking you'd be.

I don't believe you.

Well, uh, believing's going to be

up to Judge Brooker and a jury.

And I-- I sure hate to do it, Miss Kitty,

but I'm going to have to lock him up.

Now, Matthew, he ought to be back any time now,

and he can sift through it and find out what the answers are.

But till then--

I said it right from the start, didn't I?

I said this man was trouble.

I knew as sure as Satan loves sin,

he'd be the cause of somebody getting killed.

I wouldn't have figured it would be somebody

like poor old Corley Deems.

Now, if he'd been run out of town the day he came,

like he should have been, none of this

would have ever happened.

Lord knows the marshal had reason enough to run

him out, personal reasons.

Get the hell out of here, all of ya, now.

I'm sorry for you, kid.

Your old man was all right.

Well, I like that Festus character.

He didn't raise one eye at that Will Stambridge.

No, sir.

He sweet-talked Miss Kitty.

Next, he's going to sweet-talk Judge Brooker.

Then, it's all going to be forgotten.

Well, I wouldn't say that.

No, no, it's a terrible thing, enough to make a man's

innards turn hindside out.

If [inaudible] can't get rid of them first,

boys, maybe we ought to get rid of ourselves.

[interposing voices]

All right, boys, let's head out.

String him up.

Don't do anything foolish.

[interposing voices]

If it comes to it, deputy, you think

you could shoot any of those people, your friends,

protecting me?

FESTUS: I'll do the job that this here badge tells me to do.

All right, boys, we've been waiting around long enough.

Let's go.

[shouting]

Looks like it's going to be rough, Festus.

It's sure looking that way, Newly.

[shouting]

All right, that's far enough right there.

Now, deputy, now, we've come to get Will Stambridge.

Well, you ain't fixin' to get him.

[shouting]

Hush up, hush up, all of you.

Get on home before somebody gets hurt.

You ain't going to shoot nobody, Festus.

Yeah, we're your friends.

Now, simmer down, back off, go home.

He killed Corley Deems.

And it's been proved he shot Lon Colby over in Newton

in cold blood.

There was 20 or 30 witnesses. -Yeah!

[shouting]

That ain't been proved yet.

Seems to me you'd be glad to see

him got rid of, what's he done to your friend, the marshal,

taking his woman and all.

[shouting]

He's gone.

Festus?

Festus?

Move out of the way, we're coming through.

[inaudible].

We got him.

MISS KITTY: You hold it right there.

Now, let him go.

[footsteps]

All right, men, get that rope.

[interposing voices]

[gunshot]

Hold it.

Get that rope off him.

I mean it, get it off now!

Now, I want everybody off this street right now.

Move!

[mumbling]

MATT DILLON: Better hope Judge Brooker has more

faith in your story than I do.

Well, like the lady once said, there

are things that just can't be.

I remember, Will.

As long as there's hope, we never know for sure, do we?

No.

That's what keeps us going.

I'll never forget you, Kitty.

Goodbye, Will.

STAGE DRIVER: [inaudible].

You know something?

I know a lady who could sure use a drink.

Well, I know a man that's ready to buy.

Hm.

[claps]

NARRATOR: Stay tuned for exciting scenes

from our next "Gunsmoke."

[theme music]