Original subtitles

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Staring James Arness as Matt Dillon.

I'm glad you stopped by. We can use the business.

You mean I'm gonna have to pay for this stuff?

Yeah, I think it'd be nice for a change.

Huh.

Howdy, Doc. Sit down and have a cup of coffee.

No. No thanks.

Do you know who's back in town?

Oh, I don't even know who's left.

Belle.

Belle?

Yes. Old man Ainsley's daughter.

Oh, no.

Well, she'll liven things up around here for you.

Is anybody with her?

Nope. No, she went in town alone just now.

I was kind of hoping Jess Kreiger was along.

Jess Kreiger? Thought you were well rid of him three years ago.

Rid of him? I'd like to get my hands on him.

He's wanted for about six counts...

Armed robbery, holding up a bank, murder.

But anything you can think of.

I didn't know about that.

See you later.

Well, Belle, I heard you were back.

News still gets around fast in Dodge.

There was no one at your office, so I took a chance on the next most likely spot.

Uh, you remember Kitty, don't you?

Hello, Belle.

How are you?

Three years older, Matt, and ten years harder.

Would you like to sit down?

No, thanks, I won't be a minute.

Where's Jess Kreiger?

I don't know, and I don't care.

I left him in Durango months ago.

I'm through with him for good, Matt.

I've come back to stay if the town will let me.

My father's getting old, and my kid sister Phyllis...

Well, she's grown into a woman since I left.

Yeah. A pretty bitter one, too, the way I hear it.

She'll get over it. Everybody will if you'll help me.

Help you?

I came once, if you remember.

Three months after I left,

the good people of Dodge had already tried and condemned me.

What could I do but to go back to Jess? Nobody wanted me here.

Well, you left with him of your own free will, didn't you?

Did I? Who knew whether I did or not?

Who even bothered to ask?

What do you mean?

I rode out of Dodge thrown across the back of Jess Kreiger's saddle

with a gag in my mouth and my hands tied.

Well, now, why didn't you tell somebody that?

Who'd believed it? You? Anybody?

What do you want me to do, Belle?

Just tell people the truth, that's all.

Maybe they'll believe it if they hear it from you.

Just tell them how it happened...

if you believe me.

Goodbye, Matt.

He didn't keep her tied and gagged for three years.

All right, get out.

I'd like a room, please.

For the two of you?

No, for my sister.

How long is she staying?

Indefinitely.

22 is a nice room. It's just down the hall.

I'll be glad to show it to you.

It won't be necessary. Come on.

It isn't much, but it's clean.

Anyway, you're better off here than out at the ranch.

You're treating me like I was a child.

And you're behaving like one. Now go ahead and unpack.

Will you please tell me why I have to stay here?

Because I say so, that's why.

Because you say so. Look, Belle, I'm not your little sister anymore.

I've grown up in the last few years while you've been gone.

Maybe you have, but you're not much smarter.

What's Pa gonna think about all this?

I don't much care what Pa thinks. It’s got nothing to do with him.

Belle's back, so Belle's running everybody's life again.

You're still my younger sister. I think I know what's best for you.

I doubt that.

You'll stay here in the hotel until I say you can come home.

We'll see.

You'll eat your meals here, and you won't leave the room.

You don't fool me for one minute, Belle. Not one minute.

What're you talking about?

I'm sick and tired of you running around having all the fun

while I stay at home like a scullery maid.

You just wait until the marshal finds out what...

Now stop talking like a fool, and stop acting like one.

You'll keep your mouth shut.

And you'll stay here till I say you can leave, understand?

You'll pay for this.

You'll pay good.

You just be quiet and do as your told.

Yeah. Chester, look. I think that's just about enough.

Well, I took quite a bit off there, Mr. Dillon,

but you ought to see what you got left back here.

Yeah. I just... All wanted was just down along the ears there, you know?

Well, my daddy used to say, "If there's anything worth doing,

it's worth doing good."

Yeah. But he didn't mean to cut down to the bone, you know?

Well now, Mr. Dillon, the only time that I nicked you

is when you moved your head.

Well...

Well, there you done it again. You moved your head.

You know, Chester, I think maybe we've taken off just about enough.

Well, I hate to stop, Mr. Dillon, just when I've got a good start on it.

I hate to do just a halfway job.

Well, no. Listen, I think this is gonna just be fine, Chester. Thank you.

Well.

Evening, Miss Kitty.

Hey, Chester. What are you doing, Matt, getting your tonsils out?

No, but I almost did.

You don't want to get your hair cut, do you?

No, no. If I did, I'd go up the street

and spend a quarter at Mr. Teater's Barber Parlor.

Well, so would I, except he happened to be out of town for three weeks.

By golly, you know, I think I done a pretty good job

for as little time as I had to work on you.

You did just fine, Chester.

I think so, too, Chester, considering what you had to work with.

Huh?

- Matt. - Yeah.

Have you talked to Belle Ainsley?

Well, no, not since she got into town the other day. Why?

Well, after she moved back in at the ranch,

as I understand it, things got a little rough out there.

Old man Ainsley always did work them after to death.

Can't say I blame them for wanting to leave.

Well, that's exactly what's happened.

Only this time it's the younger girl, Phyllis, that's left home.

She's got a room over here at the Dodge House.

- She does? - Yeah.

You know, she hit the roof when Belle came back.

She's been pretty bitter, you know?

Well, I can't blame her for that, either.

She's having a pretty tough time living down her sister's reputation.

How about a cup of coffee?

Yeah, I'd love one. Thanks.

I know you're gonna say "This is none of your business."

Well now, Kitty, that's exactly what I'm gonna say.

Thank you.

Matt, if Belle's telling the truth and she really was dragged off by force,

then this town owes her and the whole family something

for the way they've been treated.

Well, maybe so. But what's that got to do with me?

I know it's not the law's business,

but it seems to me that if there's something to be done

and nobody's gonna do it, then it is your business.

Now, Kitty, listen... Matt, wait a minute.

Maybe what I'm trying to say is this.

I would have given anything in the world

if somebody like you had talked to me when I was Phyllis' age.

Now, you know what's gonna happen to her if she stays at the Dodge House.

Will you talk to her, please?

All right, I'll talk to her.

Thank you.

But I don't see what good it's gonna do.

Well, good evening, Marshall.

Mr. Dobie.

Some of my guest been kicking up their heels, have they?

The youngest Ainsley, Phyllis, I understand she took a room here.

She sure did.

Would you mind telling her I'd like to speak to her?

Well, I'm afraid I can't do that, Marshall.

Why not?

She up and left this evening.

Left?

Yes.

Said she was leaving the country and not coming back.

I've already rent her room to a fella by the name of...

Now, wait just a minute. Did you see her go?

Yes.

Well, did she go alone.

She walked out here alone.

But I kind of had the impression

there was a man hanging around outside waiting for her.

And you just let her leave?

There's nothing I could do about it.

Oh, well, you could have told somebody. Her family or me.

That girl's only 17, you know?

Well, 17 is grown up, the way I look at it.

Well, I don't like the way you look at it.

Well, I don't see no reason to get all het up about it.

The way I figure, she's just like her sister.

Can't wait to pick up some low-down, no-good...

Come on, Chester.

Well, it ain't none of my responsibility!

More coffee, Matt?

No, thanks, Belle.

We probably ought to be going.

Well, Mr. Dillon...

Thanks very much for the hospitality.

It was nice of you to ride out.

Well, I already had business out in the neighborhood.

Thought it would be a chance to stop by.

- I'm glad you did. - Bye, Mr. Ainsley.

Uh, Marshal, there's something you ought to...

The marshal said good night, Pa.

Yeah, well, good night, Marshal.

I'll walk out with you.

Good night, Mr. Ainsley.

You know, you're the only visitors I've had since I came back.

Nobody else from town has been near the place.

People are kind of slow to change, Belle.

I suppose.

Take them a while to get used to you again.

It's not just the outsiders.

What do you mean?

I guess you wondered where Phyllis was.

Yeah, as a matter of fact, I did.

She wouldn't have anything to do with me. Moved out.

Took a room in town.

Mm-hmm.

Well, she's young. She'll get over that.

Uh, Mr. Dillon... Let's ride, Chester.

Thanks again for riding out.

Sure.

Good night.

So long.

Mr. Dillon, I just don't know what you're thinking about.

You know we sat there for a half an hour

drinking that bad coffee

and, uh, talking about the weather and the crops and all like that,

and you never mentioned one time about that girl being missing.

Didn't you notice how they were acting?

What do you mean?

Well, Old man Ainsley was scared to death,

and Belle was as jumpy as a cat.

Well, yeah, I noticed that they acted kind of funny, but, uh...

Just lay you 10 to 1 that Jess Kreiger's there.

- He's there? - That's right.

And we're going back to find out.

Come on.

We'll walk from here. Bring your rifle.

Yes, sir.

You think he was right there in the house all the time, huh?

No, I doubt it, Chester.

There's no place for him to hide there.

More than likely, he's in the barn.

Well, there... there's a light on there.

Yeah.

Come on.

Ranger. Quiet, boy.

Be quiet. What's the matter with you?

Come on, boy. Come on.

Come on into the house, huh?

Come on, Ranger. Come on.

You stay here and cover me. I'm going in.

It's all right, Chester. Come on in.

He's not here, huh?

No, but he has been. Look at that.

Well, I'll be doggoned.

All right, hold it right there.

Now drop your guns, both of you.

Drop 'em!

Jess! Jess!

I'm afraid he's too far away to hear you, Belle.

What do you mean?

You had two horses in there, didn't you?

They're gone.

What's happened to Jess? Where is he?

Well, what do you care?

You left him a long time ago.

I just told you that to throw you off.

He caught a bullet during a holdup in Elko.

It was bothering him. He had to have a place to stay for a while.

I think you made a mistake bringing him here.

Why?

That kid sister of yours had a long time to grow up while you were gone, Belle.

What do you mean?

When did you see him last?

Just before dark.

Your sister checked out of the Dodge House tonight, Belle.

Said she was leaving town for good.

There was a man outside waiting for her.

What?

He left here with two saddles, two horses, and two packs, didn't he?

I'll kill him. So help me, I'll put a bullet right through his head.

A little too late for that, Belle.

Anything else, yes.

I know what he is.

I never thought he'd do this.

Any idea where he's headed?

There's an abandoned shack

about a mile west of the junction of Little Deer Creek and the Arkansas.

That's where he'll be.

Get him, Matt. Kill him, anything.

Matt. Uh...

What I said about being taken away by force with my hands tied,

that part was true, Matt.

Well, I just don't understand it, Mr. Dillon.

A nice young girl like her.

She's carried her resentment for Belle for a long time, Chester.

I guess she figures this is the best way to get even.

Well, I guess I just don't understand women at all.

Huh? Who does?

You know, Mr. Dillon, it wouldn't be no chore at all

just to sneak up there in the bush there in the back.

Well, I want to keep her out of it if I can, Chester.

Maybe we'd better wait till he comes out.

Well, he might not come out before morning.

Well, no, they haven't been here long.

See, those horses are still lathered.

He'll be out before long and take the saddles off of them.

Well, I hope so.

Well, I sure wish that I was in there having a cup of that coffee

and he was out here smelling it.

Stay here.

Kreiger, put your hands up.

Jess!

Is he... dead?

He's dead.

Come on, Phyllis.

There's nothing anybody can do for him now.

What am I going to do?

There's only one thing you can do.

Go back home.

Not while Belle is there I can't.

Now, don't be too hard on Belle, Phyllis.

Maybe she can help you.

Maybe she can keep you from making some of the same mistakes she did.

It's too late. I can't go back now.

Phyllis, listen to me.

As far as I'm concerned, when I found Kreiger, he was out here alone.

Nobody in town knows that you were out here with him.

Let's just keep it that way.

No.

I'm not going back.

Now, you listen to me, young lady. You are going back.

Now you can either go back of your own accord,

or else I can throw you up on my horse and take you back.

- You wouldn't do that. - Wouldn't I?

You better go on in and get your things.