Gunsmoke: Never Pester Chester

Down Dot City and in the territory on West, there's just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers. That's with the U.S. Marshal and the spell of... Gun smoke! Smoke!

Starring William Conrad, the story of the violence that moved West with Young America, the story of a man who moved with it. Matt Dillon, United States Marshal. Sure is hot today, Mr. Dillon. I used to get hotter in Sweetwater though.

Texas? Yes, sir. But I wasn't there very long. Yeah. What'd you do there, Chester? Oh, I was a salesman, Mr. Dillon. Salesman. What'd you sell? Lightning, Ron? Lightning. Oh. Well, now there are good things to have, Mr. Dillon.

Why, I had a line of lightning. I don't think you'd explain it to me, Chester. Too hot. Well, I'll go get us some beer. Maybe that'll help. I don't think I want any beer, Chester.

Well, then, why don't you just go take a sea ass, Mr. Dylan? I'll stay here in office. Why don't you just leave me alone, then? All right, Mr. Dylan? Marsha! Yeah, what do you want, Doc?

A couple of cowboys been feeding their liquor over to Texas Trail. That's what saloons are for, isn't it? Yeah, they've forgiven Kitty a bad time. Oh? She got rid of them now, but they're down at the end of Front Street now, making remarks and pester Natan ladies.

You just might lead the trouble. Well, I'm not gonna walk down there in this heat, just a lecture, a couple of hard-nosed cowboys. I'll go, Mr. Dylan. Oh, good, Chester, you go, huh? Just tell him to take it easy and leave the ladies alone.

Yes, sir, I will get you doing. Hey, lady, you ever been to Texas? Real men down there, not like these short-brass cans. All right boys, now that's enough. Who's this?

The preacher maybe. That's it. Boys, Marshall Dillon sent me down here. And we're going to send you right back, fella. Mr. Dillon said you can have all the fun you like, but to leave the ladies alone.

That's how they trouble these Dodge ladies. They've been left alone too long. Yeah, what they need is a couple of big handed Texas men. Hello. Now, why don't you go over there to the Al Faganza?

I'll buy you both a beer. You will, huh? Well, that's mighty thought of you, mister. We just don't want any trouble at all. Sure we don't. And I got an idea how we won't have any.

Wait until I get on my horse here. Stay with our friend, a minute, brother. Hey, mister. I'll make a bet. What kind of bet? of that what do you mean any kind you need it well but I don't I got him he spilled his gun traffic pick it up and drive your horse give me a rope off of me

maybe you're off mister you're going for a ride dragon to go try to get just a more so what who got Chester couple of cowboys he wrote them and dragged him out of town come on well which way west I'm I'm going with you hurry.

There they are, but they're not dragging anything. They must have cut him loose. There he is, but that's safe right there. Chester?

Chester, get that rope over his feet, Charlie. Look at him. He's bleeding all over the Corrin to ribbon. I'll stay with him, Marshall, if you'd like to know, Charlie. Go get our horses up. We'll get him back to the dock right away.

All right, Marshall. So I'm a new Chester. I got you now. We'll be at the docks soon. Easy Chester, easy follow. I'll let you carry him when you get tired, Marshal. I won't get tired, Shiloh. Not for a long time.

Ed, shape, Marshal. The worst is something that's bothering us breathing. I don't know what it is. We'll just have to wait and see if it goes away. If he lives the next few days, he'll pull through.

No, Doc. I know, I know, I know. I'll stay right here with him. Why did I have to send him? Why did my goat? I don't blame myself, my... I told him to go to the night.

Yes, sir. Doc, can I talk to him? No, no, my friend, no. Not for a while. All right, then. Would you tell him this for me? For me, the gun after those men, I'm gonna bring him back.

Alive, or at least half alive. The street outside waves a heat, move back and forth, making things seem unreal. Like Chester, lying up there at Docs. That seemed unreal somehow. I walked down to the jail and I went inside and I sat there for a while.

Then all at once I got up and unbuckled my guns and I hung them on a peg behind the desk. And I went over to the Texas Trail. I'm over here, Matt. Sit down. Matt, I heard about Chester.

How is he? Doc doesn't know for sure. They were in here bothering you. Who were they, Kitty? I never saw him before. One was a kind of weasel-faced man named Trevit. And the other? Big man.

Real brute. Named Stobor, I think. That they say? Would it be the crow track? Yeah, the crow tracks holding I heard of the river. I could, Kitty. Wait a minute, Matt. Yeah? No business of mine to ask, but where are your guns?

It would have been easier for Chester to fit a shot of him and kill him. But I don't see him. So I'm not going to shoot them. Chester dies, I'll see him hanged. Otherwise... Otherwise what, Matt?

I don't know. But I'm gonna bring him back and we'll wait and see. You're taking an awful chance. Maybe. Oh, Matthew. Please be careful. Sure. Kitty. Yeah, ma. Looking on Chester wants to know how we're gonna be.

Oh, of course I will. Don't worry about him. So long. What is it, Shiloh? I'm all kind of inside with you. Oh, Marshal, I want to ride after those cowboys with you. No, Shiloh. I'm going alone.

But we could use you here at the jail here. I'm gonna take two prisoners. I don't know if when or how, but I need a jailer when they come in. So I'll bring them in with you and then I'll be...

No. That's something I have to do alone. Marshall, you're a stubborn man. But, okay, I'll do it. Geez, you're in my desk. Here's my horse. I'm going now. Yeah. Wait a minute, Marshall. You're not armed.

I know it, Shiloh. Goodbye. Who's the trail boss here? Where is he? And I don't need any rider. Maybe not, but you got two riders I need.

That's the crow track outfit, isn't it? That's right. I'm looking for a couple of your men called Stobo and Trevig. They ain't here, mister. Where are they? They come back this afternoon, picked up the gatherings and left.

Didn't even wait to get paid off. I'm telling you this just because they're no good and I'm glad they're gone. Which way'd they go? I wouldn't tell you if I knew this. I didn't think you would.

Who are you anyway? I'm a U.S. Marshal, other Dutch. That's so? Well, I don't know what you want them for and I don't care, but how you going to take a Marshal, put a sword on a tail?

You're going to at least take a glove if you're going out to that stove, though. He's mean, he's big. Besides being a Texan. Yeah, I can't believe it. We've hung Texans up here before, Mr. Marshall.

Yeah. Heard Stobo and Trevitz say they were heading west, following the Arkansas. Where are you from, son? Texas? near Waco. And what are you sniveling around and forming on these men for? That Stobo kick me.

Not me down and kick me. All right, son, I'll ride along the Arkansas. But you ride back to Texas and learn how to fight your own battles. We will return for the second act of gun smoke in just a moment, but first, the conventions start next Monday when the Republican Party takes over Chicago.

CBS Radio's greatest reporting names and the core of technical experts, Manning Mobile units and studios covering the convention floor and corridors, are all set to bring you history as never before. Wherever it happens, you'll miss nothing when you tune in the conventions on CBS radio starting next Monday.

Now, the second act of... Gun smoke! I cut straight down to the Arkansas and followed it west. I rode close to the water where I could use the sound of it for only my cover.

After an hour or two, I spotted a hobbled horse alone. Stoboe and Trebek must have separated. I got down and followed the animal's tracks as best I could in the moonlight until I cut the dying coals of the campfire on the bank ahead.

To one side I could make up the huddle figure of a man asleep in his blanket. Took a long time to crawl to his head where I saw the weasel face of a man trevit.

His gun belt lay on the saddle blanket and easy reach. I stood up and heave it out in the river. And this trevitz set up with a snap I kicked in back. Don't you, don't you.

You set up again and I'll smash your skull trevitz. Don't kill me, don't kill me. Shut up. I wish you rope. I told you to lie down. Now where's your rope? Under my saddle there.

He gonna lynch me? No, but you may hang legally if you live that long. Now keep your arms not blank and lie still. I'll get you roped up here. Who are you, mister? Yeah, I'll do it.

Let's just say I'm a good friend of a man you dragged out of Dodge this morning. Stuva was in on that too. It was his idea. He did it. Don't worry. I'll find Stuva. Jay, you're gonna leave me like this?

I'll be back. You ain't even paying it good. Too bad for you, I'm not. Now, Trevor, I'm gonna throw you across my horse and tie you on. He'll take you into Dodge right to the jail.

When you get there, tell Shiloh who you are. You can still talk. And you'll give you a nice clean soul. You're the marshal. I'll be back when I find Stobo. You can't do it, marshal.

I'll die in that sun. Ride like that across a horse. No, no, listen. Stobo's about a mile up with her. We had a round I left in her. See her? I told you, marshal. Let me go now.

How about you like to go to Dodge behind my horse with a rope around you? No, no, no, no, don't, no, no, don't, Marshal. Don't kill me. I'll pack you on now. I tied Trevor to cross my horse and started him off in the direction of Dodge and then I forgot about him.

Stobo was next. A road west on Trevor's horse. Dawn was just breaking when I saw him. Crutch behind a campfire. Horse was saddled and stood nearby. Straight up, got down and walked over. Lost, stranger.

No. I'm not lost. No tricks, mister. I don't see your gun, but... no trick. Relax, Stobo. I'm unarmed. Who are you? Matt Dolan. I'm a U.S. Marshal. Not a dodge. You're a long way from dodge, Ma.

Stobo, you and your pal had some fun with a friend of mine. Yesterday, you heard him bad. Maybe you killed him. You wrote out here without a gun to tell me that. You're the craziest marshall I ever saw.

I'm going to shoot you, Marshall. And bury you in the river. What do you think of that? I expected you wouldn't. Yeah? But unless you want it on your conscience, that you refuse to feed a man on the trail, you better give me a piece of that pork first.

You're about the coolest man I ever saw, Marshall. Do I eat? Sure you do. You just stand right there across the fire and don't move. I have to shoot you before you've been fed. I know.

It's too bad I only got one dish for your last meal, Marshall. A man can keep sassy on me the long stubble. Yeah, he sure can't. Well, looks about done. Least this your piece as you can.

There you go. Oh! Oh! Oh! All right, I got your gun, Sobos, so don't try anything. You burn me! You burn me! Yes, sir! You'll call someone hurt you, and I'll shut up and get on your horse.

Oh! Can you put this marks in your can't hurt me like that? On your horse! Get out there! Now you just set that, Sobos. I'm gonna throw a nooser on you next, so keep your hands down.

There, now. Now you ride toward Dodge. And you do anything I don't like, and I'll jerk you off your horse and I'll get you drag you the rest of the way. Now ride. The tail's on the left.

You see it? I see it. This other one? Yeah. Private get here. More dead than alive but he's here. It was rough, Marshall. Real rough. Yeah. Chilo. Doc ain't sure you'd put his life.

Lock's double up. I'm going over the docks. Alright, you get down. Walk straight out. Shoot you through both knees. The chuster was asleep, but the doc let me take a look at him. It seemed to me he had more trouble breathing than before, but the doc said another day he might see him out of it.

And there was nothing I could do. So I went up for a steak and some sleep. Next morning I went back to the jail. Morning, Marshall. Is everything all right, Shiloh? Doc looked over your prisoners. Trev is pretty sick yet, but the stove was all right.

All right. Got a few burns is all nothing could hurt that moose. I hangin' my shoe, but what if Chester pulls through? You can't hold us then, Marshal. No longer said you. I don't like the sound of your voice, Trevor.

But you can't hold it. Be quiet. You're not doing good. You're too sober. Shut the door, Shiloh. I don't even want to look at him. Sobo's a mean one, but I feel kind of sorry for Trevor.

And go cry about it someplace else. I don't feel sorry. Don't you take it out on me, Marshal. I didn't send Chester off to do my job. Hiya. Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry. Go get some breakfast.

I'm sure I will. I'll wait here now. I'll be back later. Doc? Well, what is the doc coming? Uh, Chester. He's gonna be alright. But... you sure...

Why are you calling me? Because my show is breathing suddenly changed. The pressure's off somewhere. It's always gonna be fine. That's good. Of course, he'll be in some pain for wide effort. Yeah. Yeah. Alright, Doc, I'll come see him in a little while.

I'll tell him for you, man. Alright, come on, Trevid. What, too? Come on, I said. What's up, Marsh? I'll be back for you, Stobble. I'll get going. No! No, Stobble, did he?

No, me. You can't do anything to me. Shut up. Trev at your horses down at the national. Go get on it. Turn on me, loose. Get your horse and ride and don't ever come back to the doctor.

I won't ever come back to dodge, not while I'm alive. Now go on before I change my mind. Yeah, yeah, sure, sure, sure I'll go. Your next stobo. What you do is trellis. Put a knife in it.

I turned him loose. Now come on, get out of that cell. Am I free too? You will be in a little while. So the doctor marshall, chest is... Hey, where you going with stobo? Gonna shoot me in the bag, probably.

That right marshall? I'm gonna do what I should've done three days ago I sent Chester after you. Bring him outside, Shiloh. Let's go, Stobo. Slow and easy. Bring him over here, Shiloh. You're gonna drag me, is that it?

You try that? That's what you do, isn't it, Stobo? Don't try. Never mind. Shiloh, oh my God. Here. What? Oh, I get it, you're gonna fight me. Oh, my sure, your grace, your night's off.

Why I'll tear your throat out. If he wins, let him go, Shire. Maybe I will. I said you'll let him go. Alright, Marshall, alright. Maybe you're crazy, but I guess this is your party. Come on, Marshall.

Big, I'll make it short for you. Real short. Stand back, everybody. Get back to here. You're big. The stupid, ugly, stupid. Why you? You! You!

Give me my guns, shallow. You don't look too good, Moslow. I better get that talk.

Hey, you heard what he isn't dead. They can't ride Troy Monastage. We got him out of here. Let's see him again. I'll shoot him. Chester, can I come in? Yes, Mr. Miller.

What happened to you? Been lecturing a couple of hard-nosed cowboys. I want a particular. I'm sorry, Mr. Dillon. Those two sort of got the drop on. Yeah, sure did. Mr. Dillon? Yeah. I've been thinking.

Yeah. What is it, Chester? Well, Mr. Dillon, I'm not much help to you here. Maybe I better just add some luck, Chester. Well, but I've been thinking that... Well, just stop thinking. Yes, Mr. Dillon.

Now, look, Chester, I'm going to tell you something. I uh, I, I need you here. You see, you're the only man in Dodge I can really trust. Yeah, sure. Well, you can trust me, Mr. Dillon.

Yeah, and I know. But you sure know I helped him in lying there, you know? No help at all. I don't even stay here long. The doc says I'll be up and around again. Look Chester I I'll tell you what I'll go get patched up and then we'll make kitty come over and

Fixes some snakes and we'll have some beer too. Well, what do you say? That'd be fine. We're still on my I'm sure like that. Unsmoke transcribed under the direction of Norman McDonald's stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshall.

Night Story was especially written for Gunsmoke by John Meston, with music composed and conducted by Rex Corey. Featured in tonight's cast were Paul Dubaud, Lou Krugman and Georgia Ellis, with Don Diamond, Gill Stratton and Jack Prusian.

Parley Bear is Chester and Howard McNeer is Doc. Join us again next week as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal, fights to bring law and order out of the wild violins of the West in Gun Smoke.

Meet Millie. This delightfully funny little secretary is heard from every Sunday evening here on CBS Radio. Audrey Todder stars as Millie, a gal with a one-tracked mind on the subjects of love and marriage, especially where the boss's son is concerned.

Remember, you can now meet Millie every Sunday night on most of the same CBS radio stations. This is Roy Rowan speaking. And remember to an end history starting next Monday, here at the Republican Convention on the CBS Radio Network.