Original subtitles

[music playing]

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.

[music playing]

[laughter]

Mr. Honneger, I don't believe a word you've been saying.

I swear, I don't.

But if you dare stop, I'll die.

Clarisa, I'm telling you the truth.

Now, you ask Festus here.

Now, we've known each other longer

than we'd both like to admit.

He'd tell you, if I wouldn't say it.

Right, Festus?

Go on and tell her.

Well, young man, there ain't too

many fellers that's got ways with words like old JJ

has here.

I just can't believe that you don't know

what a rare thing that you are.

No, I mean, a woman like you is like--

like a soft, glowing candle in the window

on a cold, dark night.

And that-- that's the truth.

Oh, what a charming thing to say.

Oh, you poor boy.

Well, I deserve these, ma'am.

I deserve what Festus here is taking me to.

You see, I made that one misstep.

And I'm going to pay for it.

And then I'm going to start all over again.

Of course you will.

Whoa!

This is Elbow Creek Station!

All right, JJ, let's go.

You take good care of yourself, Clarisa.

It's been a pleasure knowing you.

Have a good trip, friend.

God go with you, Mr. Honneger.

Oh, thank you for that, ma'am.

I do.

You treat him kindly, Deputy.

You hear?

Yes'm.

Git!

Don't forget now, Clarisa!

You get one of them flower hats, you know, like I told you!

I will!

Oh, I will!

I could sure use a drink.

All right, come on.

Of all the claberated dribble I've ever hear, you dang near

reached the tops of my boots.

Oh, Festus, what's the hurt?

Well, if is just about as sincere as the undertaker's

grief at a $5 funeral.

Like the man said, if you can't be sincere,

the least you can be is charming.

Let me tell you something.

You better be saving some of that charm of yours

for old Judge Brooker.

Yeah, it never did work on that old boy.

Did it?

Well, of course it didn't work after

four or five times it didn't.

Hey, Festus, what do you think he'd give me this time?

I bet Pappy a mule you don't get no less than two years.

Two years?

Oh, come on, Festus, for stealing a rusty old hay rake?

Two years, and I'll tell you why,

because all them two, and three, and five months

he give you before never done no good.

These pretty little songs in all this silence, your work

are they?

Huh?

Well, I always said that people who grow flowers

have sunshine in their hearts.

[bang]

[snoring]

Hey!

Hey!

Hm?

Hey there, feller!

Feller, you're sleeping your blame life away.

Oh.

Well, I got beans, meat, hard tack, and rye whiskey.

Whiskey and stage to Dodge.

Well, whiskey, no stage to Dodge.

What do you mean ain't no stage to Dodge?

Well, Kroter Pass is closed.

For how long?

Oh, well, flash floods couple of days ago filled with half

a hillside, be a week or 10 days before it's clear

so the stage can get through.

I got me a prisoner out yonder I got to get to Dodge City.

Well, I got beans, meat, hard tack, and rye whiskey,

and a daughter I wouldn't leave alone

with anything that wears pants.

Angel of mercy, pure and simple.

Simple, maybe.

Leastways, that's what Pa's always saying.

I tell you, it's a shame you having to live your life out

in a place like this.

I've heard sweet talk before.

Have you ever heard of Avalene, or Simaron, or Wichita?

You'd take me there?

No, not changed to this here pump I won't.

But I will.

Now, my deputy friend will be coming out here pretty soon.

I always had my heart set on seeing Dodge.

Oh no, you wouldn't like it.

Time was, it was a pretty good place.

But it's changed.

JJ, them charming ways of yours going to be the death of you

yet.

Well, it's short of costing me that, Festus.

And I'll be danged if I'm going to spend those two years

for stealing a rusty old hay--

Here, just unlock that.

Give me the key.

Let me hear it click.

Well, you don't need me to make your dreams come true.

You just get on any stage here coming by.

I have.

And Pa's always drug me back. -Let's go.

Did it ever occur to you that maybe he

brought you back because, uh, that you're

the light of his life.

I mean, a man's daughter, a daughter like you is, well,

like a soft glowing candle in the window

on a cold, dark night.

Come on, silver tongue. Let's go.

I'm sure ever so much obliged to you

for the borrowing of your horses and all.

Well, as long as that animals is

returned in the same condition as you got them.

Well, it just might be this one won't get returned.

At least if things work out for me, it won't.

But tell you what I'll do, I'll send you, what, $30?

Is that fair enough?

Just don't you fret none, mister.

He ain't fixing to run off with your horse.

I'll guarantee you that.

Festus, it's a long way across them badlands to Dodge.

It's sure going to seem like a long ways listening

to all your blabbering.

Let's go.

[music playing]

[neighing]

I'm glad to see you're all right, Festus.

Now, wait a minute.

I didn't mean to do that.

My horse spooked on me.

JJ, you're getting sincere again.

Your horse broke his leg.

Sorry.

You said her just right.

You're a sorry-- on your feet.

It was hard work working on that railroad, boy.

We come into a big town once in a while.

And the big old fat politician would come out.

And he'd want to drive in the last stake.

He'd take a couple, three swings at it and miss.

We'd finally end up having to pound it in for him.

Then my daddy would get up there and he'd-- he'd say

the last prayer, you know?

And so much that he didn't--

[grunting]

Get up.

When are you going to give up?

Festus, you know I'm going to keep on trying.

Why don't you give up?

Ain't no way you're going to take me back there.

Get on ahead of me.

Stay there!

Throw the keys for it.

Now, around that tree.

J?

[groaning]

[wind blowing]

[neighing]

Whoa, horse!

Come back here!

[gun shot]

Get back here!

We need that horse, Festus!

[gun shot]

Festus!

It's got all the water!

Get back here!

We need the horse!

Don't you know that!

Get back!

Oh, boy!

That's got my dad's comb, his watch.

We've got to have that horse.

[inaudible] wouldn't you?

Oh, Festus, come on.

Here, here!

Take off that cuff.

Now, throw that key away.

Why?

Snap it on there.

No, Festus, I ain't shackling myself to you.

Do it, JJ.

Snap it on there!

You know, you shouldn't have let that horse go.

Festus!

Ah!

Oh, Lordy, we're not gonna make it.

I figure, if we'll get there, we'll get there as two.

We won't make it, Festus.

We're not going to make it.

[groaning]

Easy, JJ.

We're not going to make it without that horse.

Just one of us would have made it anyhow.

You honestly believe I'd run off and left you?

Do you honest believe I don't know you would of?

I'd have sent you help.

Yeah, of course you would.

Then you'd have hoped they'd fine me.

But you wouldn't have lost more than a night

or two of sleep if they didn't.

Yeah, so now neither one of us makes it.

Matthew told me to bring you in.

That's what I'm fixing to do.

Well, which way is in?

According to the sun, east ought

to be that way, northeast.

Dodge is somewhere in that line.

Let's go.

[music playing]

Oh, Festus.

If I had known that old hay rake would have

brought me to this place, well, I probably

still would have stole it.

I'm thirsty.

Yeah, I know.

My daddy, he used to stand up there on that pulpit of his

and roar down at all us sinners telling us

how we were all going to die in the fires of perdition.

He'd be telling all of us, but he'd be looking right at me,

always looking right at me.

Well, I sure am getting an early look see what I'm heading for,

I tell you.

Let's get going.

Get going where?

To Dodge.

Yeah, which way you think that is?

Come on.

Let's try this way.

Wait, I hear some water.

Look, look, there's water.

Come on.

[groaning]

[panting]

[distant laughter]

Come on!

Get up there!

Good old cold water!

[groaning]

Sh, Festus, it's the desert rats.

Sh!

Have all the fun you can because you're not

getting any more for a while.

The Comacheros, Festus, sh!

Sh!

Boy, I bet where we're going is all whiskey.

Woo!

Come on!

Let's get out of here!

Come on. Let's try and get out of here.

Come on! Get out of here!

Ha!

Come on!

Ha!

Let's get it!

Keep going.

I tore some of my innards.

Ah!

Oh, howdy, boy.

Howdy.

You can't be from around here.

Where you from?

Texas, wagons over yonder.

Yeah?

You happen to come across a man last couple of days?

He's a big man, mustache, brown hair.

No, we-- we didn't see anybody.

What are you doing?

Are you out hunting?

Yep,

Yeah, you have any luck?

Nope.

You a pretty good shot.

Good enough.

Think you're pretty good enough to shoot this chain in two

from there?

I reckon.

Ah, this here's my prisoner.

I chained myself to him a ways back.

I didn't want him to run off and leave me.

You see, I twisted my ankle a ways.

[laughter]

Well, I tell you what I'll do.

I-- I gotta gold watch in my pocket here.

It's worth $1.

It's yours if you shoot this chain in two.

What'd you get arrested for?

Oh, you wouldn't believe it.

I stole a hay rake from some man I was working for.

And that's the truth.

Looks like he's gone through an awful lot just

to arrest you for stealing a hay rake that wasn't yours.

Yeah, yeah, I'd say so.

He is a duty-bound man.

They make a mean enemy.

Name's Caleb.

Mine's JJ.

So what do you say, huh?

The $1 gold watch is yours.

We got a [inaudible] over at the wagon, running short.

But there's enough to share.

I am pretty hungry.

I imagine old Festus is here too.

Little more?

Boy, I tell you, Ms. Cunningham, hungry like I am,

you don't say nothing about how good these beans taste.

I tell you, I never been served by anybody

pretty in a long, long time.

More beans, Mr. Honneger?

Yeah, if you please.

Thank you, ma'am.

You know, Caleb, being the son of a farmer in a schoolhouse

full of cattleman's kids, I tell you,

it's got to be just about as bad as being

a preacher's kid anywhere.

That ain't why we left.

Pa said there's better farmland in Nebraska.

Yeah, sure, better than that farmland in Texas

you come from.

That's for sure.

How soon you figure your man will be back, Ms. Cunningham?

Should be back anytime.

If, uh, you don't mind me saying so,

I think it was a mistake, him going off to look for help.

Why is that?

Well, first off, there isn't any for miles.

And, well, I mean if he did find somebody to help him,

you know, how would he find his way back?

I don't mean any disrespect to your pa or anything.

But this is big country and, uh--

Luke will be back, with help.

What's going on out here?

Just getting some water.

I figure the sooner he comes around,

sooner I have to quit having to carry him.

Would you mind giving me a hand?

I'm not going to bite you.

Here, you give him that.

Ma'am, were you, uh, you low on food?

We'll get by.

Would you mind telling me how long

your husband has been gone?

Three days.

Three days.

Look, I could rig up one of them Indian carrying

beds for Festus here.

And you and the boy could ride in turn.

And we can get out of here.

Luke will be back.

Luke will be back.

Luke will be back.

He's been gone three days.

Now, I'd fret on the odds of that

happening if the boy was mine.

Of course, then again, if he was mine, I wouldn't have gone off

and left him in the first--

It might interest you to know that Luke went

for help because I insisted!

He didn't want to go.

Yeah, well, I'd figure you'd have

a good man-- maybe not the wisest,

but you'd have a good one.

You know, Mr. Honneger, a man like you just wouldn't

understand the importance of giving a boy a home with roots,

possessions.

Everything we own is in this wagon.

Luke will be back.

He said he would.

And he will.

[whimpering]

Morning.

Ma, he's gone!

He took the horse!

So he stoled your horse, did he?

Appears like he sweet talked you out

of a pair of cutting tools too.

He tried.

I ain't sure I believe that.

What are you doing, Deputy?

Why, you lie back here!

You just lay back.

You're going to do yourself more harm.

Those ribs could be splintered.

They sure feel like it.

Well, I wish there was something I could

do to make you feel better.

Obliged.

My name's Martha Cunningham.

Festus, ma'am.

My son Caleb.

Pa took Ulysseus S. to go fetch some help.

Your prisoner stole Mr. Grant.

What?

That's what we call our horses, Ulysseus S. and Mr. Grant.

Oh, well, there's a chance old JJ will

send somebody back to help us.

He-- he's a whole lot of things, old JJ is and there's a lot

of things he ain't.

He is a fair chance.

I'll get the rifle, go see can I shoot us a rabbit or two.

How long I been here, ma'am?

Caleb found you late yesterday.

He took the rifle and the box of shells!

What?

Oh.

[groaning]

[SINGING] Jesus set me free, oh Jesus let me be.

I want to-- come on, brother.

Come on. [neighing]

What's the matter?

What spooked you, boy?

Whoa, whoa, what are you smelling?

What's spooking you, huh?

Come on, boy.

[neighing]

Oh boy.

Oh no.

You stay, boy.

Oh, you poor dumb farmer.

Why the hell did you pick this way?

You dumb farmer.

Any way on the compass they could have come.

What did they pick this way for!

About out of fiddles, ain't you?

Now, the only thing I was trying to say

is it's something that ought to be thought on.

Seeing we ain't go us no horse, it's

going to be mighty slow going.

Luke will be back.

And stove up like I am, Dodge will be five or six days off.

How do you think you could make it?

One of them--

Ma'am, it's either trying or turning to dust right

where I sit.

As far as I can see, we ain't got us no druthers.

Our wagon, our belongings.

We can send somebody back to fetch them.

Why, Luke will get here.

We'll all be gone.

Now, can your man read writing?

Well, you can leave him a letter in the wagon

telling him where we went.

It's that there boy that's to be thought of now.

Don't you see?

Well, just the rest of the day.

Tomorrow will be soon enough, give you

time to get your strength back.

Yes'm.

BOY: Mom, Mr. Hagen, look!

Luke!

Right, three of them.

I can't make out if Pa's with them.

I guarantee you he ain't.

What?

Now, get him over yonder in them trees.

Both of you, go over there and hide!

Don't stick your heads out. Go on.

-Who are they? -Comancheros, now get!

Hurry up! -What about you?

Don't--

Come on, Caleb.

Hurry up.

Hurry up!

[gun shots]

Well, I cut that pretty close.

Didn't I?

Close enough.

I couldn't figure out whether to try it or not.

You been sitting up there watching?

I tell you one thing.

If they hadn't have laid out, I would have.

Thing I can't puzzle is why you came back in the first place.

Mr. Honneger--

I found.

Caleb, I want you to get all the food and all the water

we can carry. And get me an ax.

Now get going. We're getting out of here.

Providence is what it was.

Yes, ma'am, providence.

Festus, I'm going to rig up one of those Indian carrying

beds for you.

You ain't going to make me believe that you

all of a sudden get religious.

How you feeling?

Think they'll come back?

Yeah, they'll be back.

But we won't be here.

Well, I better write Luke a note.

There won't be no need, ma'am.

Your husband is dead.

I found him.

It had to be them Comancheros.

How do you know?

I know.

You don't know it's my husband.

He was a big ma calloused hands, a farmer.

He had a moustache and brown hair,

spitting image of the boy.

That's all the talking about it.

Give me that axe, boy.

Boy, you go do what I told you.

Ma'am, I'm going to need this canvas here.

Wait a minute.

Where is he?

Can't we at least bury him?

Ma'am, we take time to bury him,

we could be burying ourselves.

Now, let's go.

[music playing]

It wasn't really so awful, you stealing that old hay rake.

Yeah, I know.

I was just having some fun.

You see, I worked for this man named Drew Narrymore.

And he had a neighbor named Otto Fry.

And Otto Fry and Drew Narrymore used to argue all the time.

I mean, they've been feuding it seemed like before creation.

Then hadn't said 10 words to each other

in about twice that many years.

So I took that hay rake.

And I sold it to Otto Fry.

Boy, I tell you, you should have seen those two go at it.

Thought it was pretty funny at the time.

But it's not two years funny.

If you just tell that to the judge.

Brooker?

Judge Brooker and I, we've faced each other a number of times

before.

And, uh-- well, I think he's just tired of looking at me.

That's all.

I still don't think it was so awful.

Boy, I wish there was some way you could sit in Judge

Brooker's chair this one time.

You know, that's interesting and all.

But wouldn't it be simpler just to shoot us a rabbit.

Simpler, maybe, but it would be simpler for those Comancheros

to find us, too.

Did the shoot my Pa?

Yeah, they shot him.

More?

I read in penny dreadfuls about Comancheros.

Some day they'll pay for it.

Someday, somehow, I guess everybody pays for everything,

one way or another.

That sounds like him, like my Pa.

Was you ever somebody's Pa?

No, no I was never anybody's Pa.

I always thought maybe I'd like to be.

But I don't know.

I'm not much of anything to anybody.

Just go-- you take this down there

and set it in the rabbit run for me.

[coyote howling]

About done?

Just about.

Mr. Honneger?

Yeah?

I sure do want to thank you.

There's no need.

If I had any smarts, I would have been gone a long time ago.

But it didn't happen that way.

And I'm just real grateful.

For Caleb, I'm grateful.

He'll be all right.

His Pa taught him independence.

That's good.

It has such a price.

Had you noticed he hadn't even cried?

Yeah, I noticed.

You know, Luke was just a real good man.

And I'm going to miss him.

I'm going to miss him.

But like Caleb, I can't cry for him.

That's just so sad to be married to a man for 15 years,

and to work with him side by side in the heat, in the cold,

and-- and not to cry at his passing?

Well, there's some who don't even know

the likes of those 15 years.

That's sadder.

[coyote howling]

Is them Comancheros?

Boy, it's time like right now when

you hear old quail and the meadowlark

talking to one another, smart folks takes

a tight hold on their scalps.

Where are they?

I don't know.

JJ gets done scouting.

He's sure more of a man than he first seemed.

Well, like I told you, ma'am, old JJ,

he-- he's a lot of things.

He just can't--

[branch breaking]

Make up his mind which one he-- how many is there?

Four.

What'll we do?

Why don't you get out of here?

And I'll catch up with you.

Go on, move, move.

I'll be able to follow those tracks.

JJ.

Go on.

Get moving!

Watch out.

[gun shots]

Come on.

Quickus, you almost done eating?

We ought to get to getting because we

got us a fair piece to go.

Can't we wait a little longer?

I'm feared he-- he'd of came by now if was a coming.

Won't hurt to wait just a little while longer.

He coulda had trouble following the tracks in the dark.

Yes'm.

Reckon he coulda at that.

I hope he's run off.

Well, that's more than likely just what he done,

boy, put a stopper to them Comancheros and then let out.

If he did, it was the judge's fault.

Now, now, hold on.

Handing him all over the place just because he was a fighting

a couple of cranky old cooks--

Whoa boy, whoa now.

Ain't no sense in you getting all--

Festus, don't stop him now.

I need all the voices I can get speaking for me.

Why, you scutter, you-- how long you been up there?

Oh, long enough to realize that I'm not so bad as I been

led to believe all these years.

Don't stay up there fluttering your gums.

Come on.

We got us a long way back to Dodge.

Oh, I don't know, Festus.

I mean, not much of a future for me in Dodge.

Well, JJ, I-- I reckon you're going to have to be the one

deciding on that your own self.

[mooing]

[groan]

What in Sam Hill?

Get that thing out of my face.

Now what if I'm deciding to blow your head off?

Now, you just simmer down, mister.

You see this here badge?

Yeah.

Who are you?

Who's that?

My name is Festus Haggen. I'm a Deputy for Marshal

Matthew Dillon in Dodge City.

That there is Ms. Cunningham, her boy Caleb.

That there is JJ Honneger.

Who's JJ Honneger?

Him, right-- well, now where did that slippery little skunk

get off to now?

Our horse is gone, too, Festus.

That old Judge Brooker would go crow for all JJ.

He ain't never going to get him for taking that old Drew

Narrymore's hay rake.

Let me give you a hand.

Easy, got us some bad ribs.

What the!

Why don't you look where you're going?

You're like a blamed old walleyed buffalo

in a hen house.

Well, where you been anyway?

Busy.

Busy?

You were supposed to let me look at those ribs.

You done your last look at them ribs,

you clammy-handed old quack.

Well, that's just fine.

I'll send you my bill!

Bill?

Well, you done got all the money in Ford County.

How much more do you want?

Just what I've earned.

That's all.

Earned, a poking, and a prodding,

and a pounding them little old pain pills.

You don't--

I'll send--

Well, Festus, Doc.

Son.

How's everything been?

Just fine, Festus, thanks to you.

Well, you make a mighty looksome

new person in our town.

I'll say that.

Oh, well, thank you, Festus.

See you later, Festus.

Bye.

So long, Caleb.

I'll tell you, Doc, that there is a lady with a mess of proper

classumness If I was 10 years--

Classumness?

Oh, you wouldn't know what that means--

Oh, Matt!

Hold it.

What in tarnation?

It's that Honneger fellow that got away from you, Festus.

Festus, mind if I explain later?

That there is the Cunningham's wagon.

Yeah, well, I got some things to do.

Marshall, I promise you I'll be back.

Festus?

AI

Well, I reckon it's all right.

Uh, where's Mrs.--

You might try looking right yonder in the Dodge house.

I'll be back later tonight.

Hold on here, hold on.

I've seen that white horse before.

Yeah, that's right, Doc. I stole it.

DOC: You what?

Yeah, that left wheel there on the rear, I stole it too.

There wasn't any other way.

JJ, can't you get it through that thick head of yours

that you can ask to borrow something.

You don't have to be stealing it all the time.

Well, I--

Now, just supposing you could go up to a farm, say

I'd like to get me the loan--

Festus, you remember that farm I left you at?

Well, they didn't have the right size wheel there, you see?

So I went looking for it.

And I found it--

Ask, JJ.

That's the only thing you got to do is ask.

I couldn't, Festus.

Why not?

Because there's no way on God's green earth

that Drew Narrymore would have believed me.

That's why.

You stole them from Drew Narrymore?

I just don't believe it.

[music playing]