Original subtitles

Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.

Think maybe we're too late, Mr. Dillon?

No. They're still diggin', Chester.

Matt, hold on here a minute.

Hi, Doc.

By golly, I hope you've got a good reason

for asking me to climb this hill.

Well, I think I may have. Come on.

Let's quiet down now, folks.

We got to have proper respect for the deceased.

Here now. Seems to me you men have got that deep enough.

We're not goin' to plant him standin'.

All right, neighbors.

Let's all huddle around now.

We'll give Packy the kind of sendoff that's due and fittin' to him.

If I have to listen to much of that gone-to-glory talk of his,

I'll just bust a gallous.

He won't talk long today. It's too hot.

Well, I'd just like to know what this is all about.

All right now, folks.

I just want to say that I came out here today

for the same reason the rest of you came.

To pay final respects to a fellow neighbor

we all knew and loved.

Packy Roundtree.

Now, I can't recall ever seeing Packy at any of my meetings.

Never saw many of the rest of you there, for that matter.

But I still looked on him as all of you did...

As a fine, upstandin',

courageous, God-fearin' gentleman.

Fine, good, honest, hard-workin'.

Credit to Dodge City and the whole country around.

Is he talking about Packy Roundtree?

That's what he said.

Packy wasn't nothin' but a shiftless grubstaker.

Well, Chester, that was while he was still alive.

That's all, unless somebody wants to add somethin'.

I'll just say we're wishing you a good trip, Packy.

Say, Doc,

you ever hear of a sawbone around Walnut Springs called Stern?

No, why?

He's the one that signed the death certificate here.

Well, could've been some doc passing through.

Yeah. Could've been.

Now, folks, he's got a long journey ahead of him,

so let's get him started on his way.

You fellas that are goin' to be pallbearers,

pick up these ropes.

And we'll put him down gently.

Hold it there, Parson.

Sorry, Marshal, didn't know you were planning to speak.

I'm not.

Mr. Blouze, I'm sorry but I'm afraid I'm goin'

to have to take a look at that corpse.

I told you his horse rolled on him.

He's all smashed up.

Chester, get a couple of these picks there,

will ya? Give me a hand.

I resent this, Marshal.

Well, I'm sorry, Parson.

But any violent death has to be certified

by the marshal's office.

I told you how it happened. I brought the body in myself.

I know. All nailed up in this coffin here.

It's the way it was given to me.

Rocks!

Yeah. Just a box of rocks.

Well, you think Parson or Blouze is going

to come here or maybe head out?

He'll be here, Chester.

I just thought it'd be better for him to come along alone.

People wouldn't think he was under arrest or something.

Well, I ain't so sure, but what he already has

is the doggonedest story I ever heard.

Marshal, you make Doc Adams a deputy?

No, why?

He's been following me like a shadow.

Think I'd try to skip town?

Oh, nonsense.

I'm not followin' ya. I was coming here anyway.

I'm kind of curious to hear what you got to say about this.

Chester.

Yes.

Would you take those rocks over to the assay office?

Maybe Pete can tell us something about where they came from.

You want me to do it now?

Better get started.

Parson, sit down.

Now, Preston Hawkins, that was his name?

That's right, Marshal.

Uh-huh.

And he said he was Packy Roundtree's partner?

Said he was.

Hawkins.

That's right.

I can't believe Packy Roundtree

had a partner. He always liked to be alone.

All I can say is what he told me.

Now, what did he look like?

About average, I guess you'd say.

Nothin' special I can tell you about him.

Well, was he short, tall, fat, thin, what?

Well... kind of

short and thin, you might say.

Yeah. Sort of a runt, more or less.

Mmm. Not too young, by my way of thinkin'.

All right, now this runt... More or less...

Stopped you outside of Walnut Creek

and asked you to put this coffin

in your wagon and bring it into Dodge,

Is that right?

That's right, Marshal.

And he said that Packy Roundtree's horse

had rolled on him and killed him?

And that his body was in that coffin?

That's about it.

Oh, he gave me this, too.

Packy's will.

I was going to file it after they buried him.

Hmm.

"I leave everything I own to my partner,

Preston Hawkins."

Signed Packy Roundtree.

Everything I own.

Packy Roundtree never owned anything!

Not as far as anybody knew, Doc.

Packy's probably not even dead, Matt.

That will's not worth a nickel.

Well, it might've been if that box

had been buried according to plan.

Preston Hawkins or whoever's plan it was.

Afraid I can't tell you anymore about it, Marshal.

Would it be all right if I go now?

My wife will be waitin' table for me.

All right. Just don't plan to leave Dodge for a few days.

I'll be right here, Marshal.

Lord's blessing on you gentlemen.

You think maybe he might be lying some?

No, not really.

He's just avoiding the questions.

That's all, Doc.

Has he ever been mixed up in anything shady

that you know of?

No, no. He's all right. He lives quietly.

He and his wife.

Spends all week riding around the backcountry there

sellin' tinware and then he preaches on Sunday.

Maybe somebody's just usin' him, huh?

Well, I don't know.

There's no way of finding out now.

It'll keep a while anyway.

Let's go get something to eat, huh?

Good.

Ahem.

Uh, did you get a chance to look at them rocks, Pete?

What?

I said did you get a chance to look at them...

Save it, son! I can't hear ya. I'm too busy.

Oh! Oh, howdy, Chester!

Pete.

Hot day, isn't it?

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

In here it is.

A day like this could just melt you right down to the bone.

What?

I said a day like this here with the heat,

uh...

never mind. It's...

Uh, Pete, I'm tryin' to talk to ya.

I ain't stoppin' ya.

Well, the... the rocks that I brought in.

Did you get a chance to look at them?

Yeah.

Well?

What?

Well, them rocks I brought in, did you get a chance...

No reason to yell now. I can hear...

Say, that's pretty good ore.

It runs $55 a ton in gold and silver.

Uh...

what does?

Them rocks that you brung in here. That...

That's what you asked me about, didn't ya?

Yeah. $55 a ton?

You mean them rocks that I brung in

wasn't just rocks? Them rocks was ore?

Well, where do you suppose they could've come from?

Why, any one of a dozen places, maybe.

They'd been mined, though.

See, I can tell by the way they were broken up.

Yeah.

They wasn't just float rock.

Well, you... you suppose that Packy struck it rich?

Packy? Yes.

Might have.

That's what that other fella thought, too.

Other fella? What other fella?

That one that brung in some of that same rock this afternoon.

You mean, there was another fella in here

with the same kind of rock as the rock that I brought in? Who was it?

Well, I don't know. Stranger.

Jeb Crooder, I think his name was.

- Crooder? - Yeah.

He was a kind of heavy-set fellow, bull necked.

And he wore a plaid and calico shirt.

Kind of mean little fella. He was kind of mean.

I've seen him around town the last few days.

Well, Pete, why in the world

didn't you tell me?

You didn't ask me.

Well, I...

Uh...

Well, thanks a whole lot.

Mr. Dillon.

He's wearing a calico plaid.

Yeah. And it fits the description we got.

Let's go have a talk with him.

You Jeb Crooder?

Might be, Marshal. What about it?

I understand that you brought some rocks

into the assay office this afternoon.

Some stuff out of that coffin.

Any law ag'in' it?

I also understand you've been looking for Packy Roundtree. Is that right?

Marshal, suppose you go and do your understanding someplace else.

Get up.

All right, boys, break it up and go on about your business.

I didn't mean no offense, Marshal.

I asked you some questions, mister.

Sure. I have been lookin' for Packy, all right.

Came here a couple of weeks ago.

Knowed him for years.

But I haven't seen him for a long time now.

Did you find him?

No. No, I didn't.

And then... And then after that what happened out at Boot Hill,

Well, I was just flabbergasted, Marshal.

You know any reason why Packy would want to pull a trick like that?

No. No, I don't.

You see, I figured I'd find him through them rocks.

But the assayer, he couldn't help none.

What'd you want to find him for?

Well, him and me, we used to be partners years back.

I just wanted to say howdy to him for old times' sake.

You know anything about this new partner of his,

this Preston Hawkins?

No.

No, I sure don't.

In fact, I don't know nothin' at all about this, Marshal.

If I did, I'd tell ya!

Come on, Chester.

Ahh!

Whoa.

Parson home?

Won't you come in?

Evening, stranger.

Howdy, Parson.

Could I give you a cup of tea?

No, thanks, ma'am.

Say, that was some burying

you pretty near had out there at Boot Hill today.

It was just a surprise to me as a well as everybody else.

Heh. I bet it was.

Quite a mystery.

Well, not to everybody, Parson.

What do you mean?

Well, for one...

Ain't no mystery to Packy Roundtree.

I couldn't say about that.

You couldn't or wouldn't?

I don't believe I care to discuss the matter.

Maybe not. But I do.

In that case, I'll have to ask you to leave.

Now sit down. Sit down, Parson.

You don't scare me none.

Who are you anyway?

Name's Jeb Crooder.

Crooder?

Mean something to you, doesn't it, huh?

So Packy told you, huh?

I don't know what you're talking about.

Well, you'd better start knowing, Parson!

Because, look, I want the truth about that box of rocks,

and I want it right now!

I've already told my story to the marshal.

I'm not talking about the lies you gave him.

Look here, my husband doesn't lie!

Now, you keep your face shut.

Don't you talk that way to my wife.

Stop it!

Stop that!

Aah!

Keep your hands off her!

Feel more like talking now?

Break every bone in my body,

I'll tell you nothin'.

Yeah? Well, maybe there's other bones that I could break, Parson.

No!

Please, don't!

What do you say now, Parson?

Ohh.

Lord, forgive me.

Now start talking!

That's some confession, Parson.

It's about the wildest story I ever heard.

Marshal, my husband doesn't lie.

And I didn't lie to you, Marshal. Not ever.

Of course, maybe I let you mislead yourself a little.

Now, let me get this straight.

You said that Packy Roundtree found you outside of Walnut Creek

and asked you to help him?

He was in mortal fear for his life.

That's why I agreed to do it.

He showed me a paper.

He'd gone down to Hayes and got his name

legally changed to Preston Hawkins.

Yeah. And you don't think it's a lie

when you told me that a man named

Preston Hawkins gave you this coffin?

But it wasn't, Marshal.

My husband doesn't lie.

Parson: He gave me that will at the same time,

leavin' everything to Hawkins.

That is, to himself under his new name.

So I sort of figured that since he changed his name legally,

Packy Roundtree was sort of dead in a way of speaking.

That was the only way I could help Packy in his trouble.

And you said that Packy claimed

he was doing all this because he was scared?

He was scared.

He practically turned white every time he mentioned Jeb Crooder's name.

Crooder told me that he used to be a partner of Packy's.

Not according to Packy.

He said this Crooder kind of got the Indian sign on him years ago

and been bullying him ever since.

Hmm. Maybe that'd explain why he never settled down.

That's what he said.

Said he just always kept movin' on

and hopin' that Crooder wouldn't find him again.

This time he couldn't move on

because he stumbled onto a vein of ore.

That's right.

There where I told you. Right were Walnut creek

cuts sharp into the Comanche Hills.

From what I've seen of Crooder, why, Packy's story makes a lot of sense.

So does yours, Parson.

Thank you.

Like I told you, Marshal.

One thing my husband doesn't do... He doesn't lie.

Thank you, Martha.

Well, this Crooder is a coward and a bully.

And Packy's got good reason to be scared of him.

That I can guarantee.

What do you mean? I didn't think you even knew him.

We didn't until tonight.

He forced his way into our home.

Knocked me down, kicked me.

Nearly killed me.

Then he threatened my wife.

Why?

Made me tell him where he could find Packy.

I had to tell him, Marshal.

What could I do with him threatening my wife?

- Chester. - Yes.

Get a couple of horses saddled fast.

Yes, sir.

Well, they ought to be around here somewhere,

according to that parson's description.

Let's take a look down this drop.

Bring the rifle, Chester!

Come on, Chester.

Well it looks like we found the mine anyway.

You think it was Crooder that fired the shots?

I don't know, Chester. Could've been.

Chester.

Yeah.

I'm goin' circle down around there and get up closer. You cover me.

Yes, sir.

Chester!

Looks like we got him bottled up. Come on.

That was Crooder, all right.

Yeah.

Mr. Dillon, how we gonna get him out of that mine?

Hold it.

Drop them guns.

Now ease them hands up real easy.

Fine, darn, thing-a...

Packy! Packy, it's Marshal Dillon.

Marshal Dillon.

Chester.

Get down, Packy.

What are you doin' out here anyway?

I got your friend Crooder holed up in that mineshaft, Packy.

Crooder?

Is there any other way out of there, Packy?

No. There ain't no other way.

Well, we might as well stay here and wait him out, Chester.

I want to tell you about Crooder, Marshal.

Can't it wait, Packy?

I want to show you somethin'.

I... I'm a coward, Marshal.

I... I just got the courage other men have

when it comes to Jeb Crooder.

I ain't got not at all.

I want to tell you about 3 years ago,

out in Montana territory,

I thought I got clean away from him.

I had ordered a flock of sheep.

Bred 'em up from nothin'.

Then Crooder showed up again.

Hog tied me.

Told me to sign over the sheep to him.

He put his gun 6 inches from the calf of my leg.

Put a bullet through it.

Then put a bullet through the other one.

I... I signed, Marshal.

Ought to have been hung.

Right on time.

That's a durn good fuse.

4 and 5.

Just too bad, Marshal,

that nobody can get in there now and get him out.

You know, I worked all night.

Got myself in a real good round of drillin'.

13 holes. I loaded 'em up.

7.

No chance now.

That's 10.

Ought to bring down a lot of rock.

You know, I reckon I'll stick to that brand of fuse from now on.

That's 11.

Don't worry, Marshal, about questions

you ain't never gonna get the answer to.

I sure hope that Parson kept that coffin.

Might come in handy.

I don't think he's gonna need a coffin, Packy.

12.

Ought to be one more.

Ain't very pleasant to get shot in the legs, Marshal.

13.

Reckon that's the end of it, Marshal.

Yeah.

I reckon that's the end of it.