Original subtitles

♪♪

Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.

Yes, sir, what...

You ain't gonna get by of this.

You shut up.

What's the matter? Ain't it enough for you?

Shut up.

I ain't gonna shut up. I'm gonna yell.

What are you doing?

What are you...

Help! Help!

Help!

Yes, sir, Marshal, robbed.

Held up. Hit over the head.

Robbed right in my own store.

Well, when did all this happen anyway? Chester and I were by here not long ago.

Well, that's when I was tied up.

Dressed up like a prairie chicken laid out behind the counter.

I finally worked my feet loose and started kicking against that wall.

That's when Bert heard me, come in, turned me loose.

I told him to go get you.

All right, just take it easy for a minute and tell us exactly what happened.

Well, this fellow, this bandit... He come in just about closing time.

Now, he had a bandana over his face. He had a gun.

He tied me up. He took everything in that cash drawer. $68.

Now, you go get him, Marshal.

Huh. It's a pretty tall order going after a man

that's got that much of a head start with a blizzard coming on.

Well, that's what I'm trying to tell you, I know who he is.

Thought you said he had a bandana over his face.

I can tell from his voice, it is Clint Dodie.

Dodie?

Yeah, that homesteader up river.

Clint Dodie? Well, he's not the kind that would rob anybody.

Well, he robbed me, Marshal.

Look, I know it was him, I'm 100% certain. You go get him.

Well, all right, we'll ride out in the morning and have a talk with him.

In the morning?

Now, Mr. Jonas, if you think I'm gonna ride 20 miles up a river bottom

with a blizzard coming on for $68...

- Marshal, he took... - Come on, Chester, let's go.

Boy, this town sure is deserted tonight, isn't it?

Well, they probably went home to go to bed to keep warm.

Say, they got a good stove going over at the Long Branch.

Let's head on over there and use it, shall we?

- That's a good idea. Yeah. - Okay.

♪♪

How much farther do we got to go, Mr. Dillon?

Just beyond those trees there, Chester.

I don't know whether I can stand much more of this. I'm froze.

Well, listen, we came out here to arrest a man, you know, not move in with him.

What do you mean by that?

Well, it's as long a ride back as it was out.

Never thought of that.

Dodie probably seen us ride up, Mr. Dillon.

You reckon he's hold up in there just waiting to shoot it out with us?

No, no, he's not that kind, Chester.

Well, nobody thought he was the kind to hold up Mr. Jonas, neither.

Well, can't argue that with you.

Hello!

Howdy.

Come on in!

Just tie them up on the fence there.

- Good morning, Marshal. - Howdy.

- Chester. - Yeah.

Well, come on in out of the weather.

Got a couple of pots of hot coffee on the stove.

- All right. - Sure could warm my hands up a little.

Medora, we got company.

Come on over here and warm yourselves a little.

That fire sure looks good, I'll tell you. Looks like it's gonna blow up a real storm.

Yeah, we're in for a spell of cold weather, all right.

Oh, hello there, Marshal, Chester. Well, this is a surprise.

- Howdy, ma'am. - Listen, if you're hungry,

I can rustle up some eggs and side meat.

No, we ate before we came out, thanks.

Oh, well, I got lots of hot coffee cooking.

Well, what brings you out this way, Marshal?

You, Dodie.

What do you mean?

Came out here to arrest you. Take you back to Dodge.

What for?

Armed robbery.

You don't mean that holdup at Jonas' general store last evening, do you?

That's right. How'd you know about it?

- Well... - Coffee's ready.

Come on while it's hot.

Did I hear you say something about a robbery, Marshal?

Yes, ma'am.

I got the feeling you was accusing Clint of it.

Well, it's more a matter of Mr. Jonas accusing him.

Oh, when did this robbery take place?

Last night.

Clint hasn't left the house for two days.

Now, Medora.

Well, I'm afraid a wife's word won't mean much in a case like this, ma'am.

Well, you calling me a liar?

It's no use, Medora.

There's people seen me in town yesterday evening.

Well, Jonas swears he did.

Well, I hear the man that done it was wearing a mask.

He said he recognized your voice.

Oh, well, Jonas couldn't recognize sour apples if he had a mouth full of them.

Well, I'm afraid that will be up to the judge to decide.

Then you're gonna take me jail.

Unless you can prove you were somewhere else last night.

Well, might be kind of hard to do.

Well, you better go get your horse saddled.

All right.

Wait a minute. I can't leave Medora like this, not with the storm coming up.

Ain't enough firewood in the house to last her a day and a half.

I was aiming to get some laid in today.

No, sir. I ain't leaving here, not in her condition.

Oh, Clint.

Under her condition, what are you talking about?

Medora's gonna have a baby.

What?

Hard on a woman having her man took off to jail.

But you got to admit it'd be a mean thing to leave her

without enough firewood to keep her warm.

Well, Medora, I'm real happy to hear that you're gonna have a baby.

I think that's fine.

Now, look, Dodie, you just tell me that you

didn't have anything to do with that robbery,

and I'll go back into town and get the whole thing straightened out.

Well, I guess I don't have any choice.

I'm sorry, ma'am. But don't you worry now.

Because we'll get you somebody out here to give you a hand just as soon as we can.

We sure will.

Well, it wouldn't take us no time at all to get that firewood split first

if the three of us was to pitch in together.

All right, let's get at it.

Mr. Dillon, you mean we're gonna stay here and chop wood?

Well, just soon as we get the horses put away.

Yeah.

I'm sorry, ma'am.

What's the matter, Chester?

Oh, well, that derned ol' piece of wood hit me right in the leg.

That ax, it just... it just needs sharpening.

Ain't too good a steel. The marshal there has got the best one.

Well, you couldn't prove it by me, I'll tell you that.

It just won't hold no edge at all.

I'll touch it up on the stone for you, Chester.

Well, look at all the wood that we got cut there already.

It's enough to last the whole winter and half of the next one.

Well, that fireplace uses it up mighty fast, Chester.

Yeah, well, I'm getting used up pretty fast myself. Ain't we got enough?

Got to use some to cook with, you know?

Well, what is she gonna cook? A whole buffalo?

Another lick or two, and I'll have a real fine edge for you, Chester.

Yeah. I'm just as grateful to you as I can be.

Chester's right, Dodie. We've chopped up enough firewood here.

Let's get headed back for Dodge before this storm really hits.

Well, whatever you say, Marshal.

Well, I say it's about time, myself.

Oh, my, look at all this wood.

I'm right obliged to you men.

You've been working nearly two hours. You feel like some nice hot vittles?

I got a stew cooking on the stove.

Did you say stew?

Now, we have to get headed back to Dodge, ma'am.

Well, uh, Mr. Dillon, couldn't we, I mean, just taste it?

It'll make the trail shorter, Marshal.

I fixed it just for you.

Well, all right.

I get the table laid.

You wouldn't mind carrying a few sticks of this into the house, would you?

It ain't good for a woman in Medora's condition

to be toting heavy loads, you know?

Well, we cut it, might as well carry it in for him.

By golly, Mrs. Dodie, that's about the best stew I ever ate.

Oh, Chester, you just come to the table with a big appetite.

All that work you've done.

Well, I was a might hungry, I will say that.

I kind have noticed you been eating more, too, Medora.

Oh, Clint. Ain't he the one, Marshal?

Now, I'll have some coffee for you in just a minute.

Oh, look at all that firewood. Reckon I'll need every stick of it, too.

Soon the snow starts, that wind will blow right through the north wall.

Gol-dang it! I clean forgot.

Forgot what?

- The bats. - What bats?

That whole north wall needs new bats nailed up.

I was aiming to fix it today.

Come on, I'll show you.

See what I mean?

I was aiming to fix it today, but I got a lot of wood bats cut.

They're just laying out back in the barn.

Dodie, it's getting late. We got to get back to Dodge.

Well, it wouldn't take no time at all.

You got to admit it would be a mean thing,

a woman in Medora's condition, with the snow and sleet blowing in on her.

Let's get our coats, Chester.

- Chester. - Yeah.

Hold this for me a minute, will you?

Well, all right.

What's the matter? Can't you hold it?

Well, my hand is so froze, I just can't hardly hold nothing.

- Here, I'll hold it. - Never mind. I got it.

- You got it? - Yeah.

That ought to keep the wind off your wife, Dodie.

Looks, fine, Marshal. Just fine.

Sure am obliged to you men.

Both of you.

Well, that's all right, Dodie. That's quite all right.

Want you to know, Marshal,

I sure appreciate the way you've been so decent.

I wouldn't have asked just for myself.

Yeah, come on, let's get these tools put away.

It's gonna be dark before we get to Dodge.

Say, Marshal, I just thinking.

I might be gone for a long time, mightn't I?

Well, that's kind of hard to say.

All I'm responsible for is getting you to jail.

Well, there ain't many lawmen that would help me get the place here into shape,

Medora would be all right alone.

Oh, we're glad to do it.

She's gonna have enough problems as it is.

Ain't that the truth.

Her in her condition and all...

now with the sheep gone.

The sheep gone?

Well, I only had about 30 head.

But with me in prison, it might've been enough

to see her through while I was gone,

her and the little one.

What happened to them?

Had them in the meadow there, back of the barn.

They drifted off last night.

Well, when the storm hit, they probably just turn tail

and drifted along with the wind, didn't they?

That's what they usually do.

Well, it don't matter now anyhow.

Medora couldn't take care of them, not in her condition.

Unless maybe I had them in the corral here.

She can push the feed out of the loft at them.

Where do you suppose they went to?

Well, I...

I suppose they drifted about three miles downstream there to them bluffs.

That wouldn't help them none, though.

They just mill around there and freeze to death if this storm keeps up.

Three miles downstream, huh?

I was aiming to go fetch them today, of course.

Oh, sure, sure. Of course.

Well, should we get our horses?

Well, we're gonna need them.

We got 30 head of sheep to round up.

Some crankiest bunch of darn sheep I ever seen in my born days.

Well, it's that storm. It had them spooked.

Turned out to be more of a chore than I thought, Marshal.

I just wished I was getting paid for the work I've been doing today.

Well, I don't know how I'd have managed without you men.

I want you to know that we appreciate it, me and Medora both.

Now, we can head for town anytime you're ready to start, Marshal,

unless you'd like some hot coffee first.

We're not going to Dodge tonight, and you know that as well as I do.

It'll be dark in half a hour.

Thank goodness for that.

Now, come on, let's get these horses bedded down.

Well, dang it, Dodie. Where did you get all these chickens?

Oh, they always come in in the cold weather, all by theirselves.

Well, at least they got a place where they can keep warm.

Say, Marshal, I just thinking.

Yeah?

Since we ain't rushing off no place,

maybe you wouldn't mind helping me killing, dress a couple dozen of these hens.

We can hang them up on the ridge poll there to freeze.

A couple of dozen hens?

Well, that chicken broth is mighty good for a woman in Medora's condition.

Well, you wouldn't mind if we put up the horses first, would you?

If you'd rather not help me, I can do it by myself.

Oh, no, no. We'd be glad to help you.

I haven't plucked a chicken since I was 9 years old.

You know...

A man could sure get to love this kind of work.

- Huh. - Well, I mean, you know,

if he had his druthers between this

and rounding up a bunch of mean old sheep

in the middle of a near blizzard.

I know it ain't been an easy day for you, Chester,

but we're mighty grateful to you, me and Medora,

especially Medora.

Yeah, I know. In her condition.

Ain't that the truth.

You ain't sore at me, are you?

No, no. Heavens, no.

Why on earth would you think we'd be sore at you?

It's good for a man to do hard work. That's what everybody says.

You've been mighty decent, both of you.

Let me tell you something, Dodie.

Now, we've chopped your wood, and we've fixed up your house,

we've rounded up your sheep, we're plucking your chickens.

We'll make soap for you, we'll salt down pork,

anything you want up until midnight.

Then we're going to bed,

then we're gonna get up at sunrise,

and we're going to ride into Dodge,

and you're going to jail.

Chester.

- Chester. - Huh?

Wake up.

It's morning. The sun's up.

That storm's gone, too. We got to get headed back for Dodge.

Ohh... Ohh... Heck, you know,

I never felt so sore in I don't know when.

Uhh...

Oh, I feel like I'm plum out down in my back.

Oh, I swear I'm gonna have to be spoon-fed for a whole month.

I just never worked so hard in my whole life.

- Good morning. - Morning, Marshal.

- Ohh... - Chester.

- Yeah. Ohh... - What's the matter with him?

Oh, he's got growing pains.

Well, I'm just growing tired of being a ranch hand,

that's all I can tell you,

and I ain't gonna do another lick of work for you today, neither.

You'll feel better when you've had some hot coffee, Chester.

Anybody home?

- Well, who's that? - Well, it sounds like Doc.

By golly, it does.

It is Doc.

What in the world's he doing out here?

- Hello, Doc. - Hello, Matt.

Well, what are you doing out here this time of the day?

Well, I'd like to get warm. Hi, Chester.

- Well, that's... - Good morning, Doc.

Take off your coat and come here and get warm.

I'll do it. That fire looks good.

So this is where you've been hiding out, huh?

Yeah.

Well, morning, Doc.

- Medora, how you feeling? - Oh, fine. Never felt better.

That's good.

I'll have some coffee ready for you men, just a minute.

That's fine.

Doc, what brings you clear out here this time of the morning?

Well, the Murdock baby got a little touch of the croup yesterday afternoon,

and I had to run out there, and then the storm got worse,

and I decided to stay all night.

Then this morning I just figured I'd come by

and see how Clint and Medora was getting along.

What are you... What are you doing here?

Doc, if we was to tell you what we've been doing here,

you... you... you just wouldn't believe it no how.

What?

Well, they've been helping me out, Doc, me and Medora.

Oh. How's that?

Well, you see, the marshal come out to arrest me.

Arrest you? What for?

For holding up Jonas' store night before last.

Well, where in thunder did you get an idea like that?

What are you talking about? Jonas proffered charges against him.

Why, Jonas is crazy.

Well, they caught the fella who did it.

What are you talking about?

Sure. Sure. Some drifter came to town,

and he was playing poker with the boys the other night,

the way I heard it, and he got to throwing money around kind of loose,

and they got suspicious, and they jumped on him about it,

and he confessed the whole thing right there.

They got him tied up now, waiting for you to get back in town.

- Didn't you tell him? - Well, I...

Told me what?

Well, good gosh.

Clint was playing poker with me and Moss Grimmick at the time,

and we heard about the store being robbed,

and we heard that Jonas was blaming Clint for it,

and, well, he was sitting right there. We got a big laugh about it.

Well, you see, Marshal, uh...

when me and Medora seen you coming out,

we kind of figured what you was coming for,

and, uh, with all the chores around the place that needed doing and...

Well, I never actually lied to you.

I suppose that story about your wife having a baby and all...

That's the Gospel truth. Tell him, Doc.

Oh, sure it's the truth. Medora's going to have a baby

we figured in about six months, didn't we, Clint?

Mm-hmm.

Six months?

See, Doc, the marshal here is a mite put out with me.

I don't think him and Chester had done all those chores for me

if they'd knowed I was playing poker with you and Moss.

- Chores? What? - Never mind about the chores.

Oh, like splitting wood and rounding up sheep

and nailing up the bats and plucking chickens.

Plucking chickens?

What's so funny?

Well, I think the boys in Dodge are going to find this kind of amusing

when I tell them how you and Chester got hooked up like a pair of...

Wait a minute. Let me tell you something.

Both of you.

If this story ever gets past this room right here,

I'm gonna take the both of you and throw you in jail,

and I'm gonna throw away the key.

What's the charge?

I don't know, but I'll think of something.

Oh, don't get so steamed up, Marshal.

We might even name the baby after you,

if we can't think of nothing else.

Thank you very much.

I'll have breakfast ready in a few minutes.

Nothing fancy now. Just buttermilk, hot cakes, side meat with gravy,

fresh laid eggs, hot apple pie,

and you start the coffee, and I'll start breakfast.

Well, at least we get a good meal out of it.

Yeah.