Original subtitles

Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.

Oh, Mr. Dillon.

Who's the telegram from?

It's from the sheriff down in Miami, Texas.

Miami, Texas?

Well, that there's a new name on me.

Well, it's down in the panhandle, Chester.

Last time I was through there

it wasn't even big enough to have a sheriff.

"Bringing in prisoner. Need help.

"Arriving Monday stage.

Ab Stringer, Sheriff of Miami, Texas."

That's funny.

It was sent from Dalhart.

Well, maybe that's where he picked up the prisoner.

It could be.

Anyway, it's Monday.

The stage ought to be in in about an hour.

Wonder what he wants help for?

I don't know.

Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough.

I mean, we-we're gonna meet the stage, ain't we?

Well, I'm gonna meet him, and I think

you ought to go somewhere and take yourself a nap.

Oh, no.

No, heavens.

I couldn't take a nap.

My conscience would clean destroy me.

Well, you look about half destroyed already to me.

Well, I mean, I-I-I'm just all spunked out

is what I've done.

I mean, it's... I need a tonic, you know.

Well, fine. Why don't you go up to the doc and get one?

Oh, yeah, go up to Doc's and get one.

They charge you a whole dollar for it.

Might be worth it.

Well, they aren't even no guarantee

that it's gonna do the job at all.

If-if...

Well, I declare.

Ain't that that nice Mrs. Curtin?

Yeah.

Well, what is she doing out there loading that wagon?

I wonder where Rob is,

letting his wife do a thing like that.

I just can't abide a woman doing a man's work.

Here now, Mrs. Curtin.

Don't bother with that.

Oh, hello, Chester.

You just take it easy now.

I'll load this here stuff for you.

Oh, Chester, there's no reason for you to...

This ain't no job for a woman.

Hello, Mrs. Curtin.

Well, hello, Marshal. How are you?

Fine. You're loading up pretty heavy here today.

Well, yes, we are.

Mr. Dillon, I-I could use a hand there on the other end.

Looks like you got enough here to last you all winter.

There you are.

I certainly do appreciate it.

Oh, Rob.

Look at what they've done for us.

You loaded all that stuff?

Well, I sure do thank you for it, Marshal.

You, too, Chester.

I was settling my bill in there.

I thought you was home sick or something.

Me?

Well, why'd you think that?

Well, I don't know.

Mrs. Curtin was trying to load the wagon and...

Ain't got time to get sick, Chester.

Too busy. Ready, Clara?

Marshal, how about you and Chester

coming out to the place for dinner sometime soon?

Fine, we'd like that.

Yeah, would be nice. Yeah.

Yes, Chester, any day.

Any day next week at all.

It's a long time since you been by the place.

We've got it all fixed up since you seen it.

Well, so long and, uh, thanks again for the help.

Don't mention it.

Well, I think it deserves a small mention.

- Oh, you must be Marshal Dillon. - Yes.

- Ab Stringer? - That's right.

Glad to know you, Marshal.

How do you do? This is Dr. Adams here.

Well, proud to meet you, Doc.

Well, thank you.

Well, where is he?

Where's who?

Well, the telegram said you were bringing in a prisoner.

No, it said I need help bringing in a prisoner.

They must have got it mixed up.

Oh, you mean you think the man's around Dodge somewhere?

Listen, Marshal, why don't we go

and have a drink, talk it over, huh?

I got 200 miles of dust just a clogging up my throat.

- How about it, Doc? - Oh, no thanks.

I'm waiting on a package. Thank you.

Well, I'll tell you, I better get back to the office.

Why don't you come on over when you get settled?

All right, I'll get a room, get kind of washed up

and, uh, be right over.

All right.

- I'll see you later, Doc. - Yes.

Well, I'm through with these, Chester.

Thank you.

He's not in there?

Nope.

That's all you got, huh?

Yeah, I'm afraid so.

Well, I sure ain't seen no Sam Fraser around Dodge.

Oh, changing your name

is just kind of like rolling over in bed, Chester.

Ain't a thing to it.

But changing your face,

well, that comes a might harder.

Well, there's a few of them will try that too, you know.

Yeah, and you know, they'll get away with it now and again, too.

I found out a long time ago that if a man sets out to fool you,

and he's half bright about it, well, he can get the job done.

Now, this Sam Fraser, you know him,

and you'd recognize him on sight, huh?

Yeah, and he'll know me, too, Marshal.

Fact is, he'll probably try to kill me soon as he sees me.

Well, if you think he's around Dodge,

you better get out and look for him.

Well, I know he's around Dodge somewhere,

and I want him.

He robbed a bank, and he killed a man, Marshal.

Well, that makes him worth finding.

It sure does, and I might as well get started.

Well, Marshal, I want to thank you for all your help.

- Sure. - By the way,

them credentials I gave you, I might have need of them.

Oh, yeah.

Thanks.

Well, I'll be getting to work now.

Let me know if there's anything I can do to help you.

I will, Marshal. I sure will.

Thanks to both of you.

- Good luck. - See you later.

♪♪

Oh, thanks, Fred.

I sure need that.

You're kind of thirsty, huh?

No, I just don't want to get thirsty.

Hello, Matt.

- Hi, Kitty. - Oh, Matt.

- Care to join us? - No, no thanks.

I tell ya, I'm looking for Ab Stringer.

I got a couple more pictures I found.

I thought he might want to take a look at them. You seen him?

Well, he was here last night.

He was here until closing time, as a matter of fact.

He gets paid for doing that.

He's looking for a murderer.

I know it.

Hello, Marshal.

Clara asked me to drop this by for you, Miss Kitty,

and to thank you kindly for her.

Oh, is that the dress I sent out to her?

Well, she's mighty grateful, but it's just not right for her.

You're different sizes, I guess.

Oh, I'm sure sorry.

She'd have come by herself,

but she's got too much to do today.

I'm leaving her here and riding back alone as it is.

Got a cow about ready to calf.

That so?

Say, you're kind of busy, ain't you?

Sure am today, Doc.

Really am sure glad I'm a doctor.

We're all glad you are, Doc.

Well, thank you, Rob.

Clara's still expecting you and Chester

for dinner sometime this week, Marshal.

Well, good. Tell her we'll be over tomorrow.

I'll do that.

Well, good afternoon to you.

- Rob. - Bye, Rob.

Fred, would you put this in the back for me?

They're sure nice folks, those two.

Oh, I don't know about that.

What?

Well, they didn't invite me to dinner.

I got some letters to write.

See you tonight, Matt.

Right.

Oh, you must be a fighter, hey, Ab?

Oh, I'd be a fool to try that, wouldn't I?

Nope, that's the truth.

You just ask the Marshal.

He's been to Miami, Texas.

Well, let's just sit down here.

All right.

You mean to tell me that-that all the buildings there

are just them dugouts, just storm cellars?

Chester, there's only two buildings in that whole town

standing above the ground.

Did you know if a man went through that town at night,

he'd swear there was no town there at all?

And riding through by the light of day, he'd be sure of it.

Well, it makes for cool living, all right.

I mean, living down underneath the ground like that.

Oh, but that ain't the main reason, Chester.

It's them winds.

Them big old cyclones.

That's how come they live underground.

Well, the cyclones can't blow down nothing

that ain't standing there in the first place.

I mean, I can see that.

You know, some folks say

that's why you can't never talk a Texan down,

'cause he learned to talk against the wind.

Oh.

Well, you got too many of them doggone stories.

I ain't even half started yet, Chester.

Well, I don't believe no part of none of that.

Well, that don't bother you none, does it?

Well, not hardly.

You ain't getting any closer to that Sam Fraser, are you?

Well, I sure enough ain't found him yet, Chester,

but with all this looking behind me,

well, I must be getting closer, now, wouldn't you say?

Well, I'd say you have a way

of looking at the brighter side of things.

What is it?

- You know the lady, Chester? - Yeah,

I think I better go down and give her a hand there, Ab.

I'll go along with you if you don't mind.

Oh, no, be glad to have you.

I get kind of fidgety. I like to keep moving around.

Howdy there, ma'am.

Oh, well, Chester. How are you?

We come down her to give you a hand.

Oh, well, don't bother.

Oh, no, no, it ain't no bother at all.

As long as Rob don't show up, you know,

after all the work is done.

Rob's gone on back to the ranch.

Oh, this is Ab Stringer, Mrs. Curtin.

It was very nice of you to help, Mr. Stringer.

Right pleased to meet you, ma'am.

Mrs. Curtin, was it?

Yes, that's right. I'm Rob Curtin's wife.

Maybe you know him.

Rob Curtain?

Yes.

No, I'm afraid I don't, ma'am.

Well, see Ab ain't been in town long enough to know everybody.

Oh, you will.

It don't take long to know folks here.

I'd like to meet everybody, ma'am.

Well, that's right friendly of you.

I've got to get back to the ranch.

My goodness, Rob will be worrying

I don't get home.

Don't forget you're coming out to dinner soon.

Oh, don't you worry none about that.

I ain't gonna forget.

You're welcome, too, Mr. Stringer,

seeing as you're a stranger here and all.

Thank you, ma'am.

By golly, she sure is a nice lady, isn't she?

She's mighty hospitable, I'll say that.

Yeah. Well, I got to be moseying

over to the post office to pick up the mail.

You want to go with me?

Uh, no, I think I'll go

over to the stable for a spell, Chester.

You ain't figuring on leaving us now, are you?

Now if was to tell you,

you wouldn't believe a word of it.

Well, I reckon not.

I'll see you later, Ab.

Sure.

Marshal?

Yeah.

Um, can I talk to you for a minute?

Yeah, come on in.

What can I do for you?

Well, I was... I was over at the Long Branch a while ago.

I-I heard you talking.

You said you were looking for Ab Stringer?

Yeah.

You ain't never gonna find him.

What do you mean?

Well, he's dead.

Dead?

Yeah, he got killed about... two weeks ago

down near Miami, Texas.

Who are you?

Oh, I'm... I'm Harve Peters.

I just rode up from Texas.

I'm going to work for Jake Worth.

- You know him? - Yeah, I know him.

Well, someone's fooling you real good, Marshal.

Ab Stringer got killed about two weeks ago,

bringing in a prisoner.

They tell me the man robbed his badge and robbed his papers.

Someone's fooling you real good, Marshal.

Why didn't you tell me about this down at the Long Branch?

Well, I-I don't like messing in business that ain't mine.

I got to thinking...

I do you a favor, maybe, uh,

when I get my first month's pay from Jake Worth

and come into town, why, you'll go a little slow on me

if I get to hollering too loud.

If what you say is true, cowboy,

you can do all the hollering you want to around here.

- Oh, thanks a lot, Marshal. - You bet.

- Who was that? - Chester, you seen Ab Stringer?

Yeah, I was with him just before I went down to get the mail.

Where is he now?

Well, he said he was going down to the stable.

- Something wrong? - I'll be back in a bit.

There's a couple things I got to find out.

♪♪

♪♪

- Hello! - I made it.

I knew you would.

I'm sure glad to see you.

So you were worried about me.

I don't like leaving you alone like that.

- How's the calf? - The calf's fine.

Come on, you can see him. I'll unhitch the horses later.

It was rough going, but he's gonna be a fine calf.

Just wait till you see him, Clara.

That's as fine a calf as we've ever had.

Oh, Rob,

it's a beauty!

Oh, say, you got much to unload out there?

You'd think, but I think we can carry them up to the house.

Oh! -Back! Back!

Oh, Rob... Rob, I'm scared.

You just stay still.

We'll be all right.

Who is he? What's he shooting for?

I don't know, but I wish I had my rifle.

I thought you kept it down here.

Took it up to the house yesterday.

I was gonna clean it.

You crawl back there, Clara.

- Go out the back. - Oh, I can't leave you.

He won't come in here; he don't know I ain't armed.

Maybe I can go get help.

You hide back there.

Sam?

You hear me, Sam?

Don't think about running out the back.

You ain't got time.

I'm gonna set fire to your house

in a minute if you don't answer me, Sam.

I'll burn her down!

What do you want here?

You know what I want.

Get out of here and leave me alone!

All right.

You stay there.

Stay there and watch your house burn down.

If the money's in it, it'll burn, too.

Wait a minute!

Where's that money, Sam?

You better tell me quick.

Rob, what in heaven's name is it all about?

I got to get you out of here somehow.

I'm getting tired of waiting, Sam!

He keeps calling you Sam.

He's mistook you for somebody else.

Tell him you're not who he thinks you are, Rob. Tell him.

Time's up, Sam!

Wait, Lou!

I'll give you the money!

It's out here in the barn!

It's hid!

It'll take me a couple of minutes to dig it out!

Two minutes, and that's all.

Don't you try no tricks, or that pretty little wife of yours

is gonna get hurt for sure.

Rob... what's this all about?

What money have you got?

What's this Sam business?

It was Sam, Clara...

a long time ago.

Before you, it was Sam Fraser.

And this money...

well, it ain't mine.

Well, if it's his,

why does he have to come shooting to get it from you?

It ain't his, either.

But why?

Please tell me, Rob.

What is it?

The right time, Clara.

Later, maybe I can help you understand.

Now, you stay here out of the way.

There it is, Lou!

I got it!

Well, you bring it right up here, Sam.

Well...

you took your gun off.

That was smart.

I don't wear a gun no more.

Oh, is that why you didn't do no shooting?

Now, a man shouldn't ever try to change his habits,

now, should he, Sam?

It works sometimes.

Not this time, huh?

I thought you was dead, Lou.

Aw, now what kind of talk is that between old friends?

Course, I can see how you'd lot rather I was dead.

Then you could've kept all that money.

Most of it's there. Not all.

I been working hard, Lou.

I planned to send it all back.

Send it back?

To that bank we robbed?

I got a good life now.

I want to live it clean.

What, by calling yourself Curtin?

You know, that's your ma's name you're hiding behind, Sam.

That your idea of living clean?

There's blood on that money, Lou.

Oh, you've changed, Sam.

You really changed.

I'd kind of be a fool to trust you now, wouldn't I?

Minute I leave here, you go over to Dodge City

and to talk to that marshal over there

and tell him the whole story.

Thinking maybe they'll go easier on you about things.

They'll catch you without my help, Lou.

Maybe.

But I kind of got to do what I can, don't I, Sam?

We was friends, don't that mean nothin'?

Not if I'm on the end of a rope, it don't.

- But you got the money. - I'm sorry, Sam.

It's the only way. I'm gonna have to take care

of that pretty little wife of yours, too.

I can't leave no witnesses.

No.

You know, Sam, you really should've worn a gun.

Like I say, it don't pay for a man

to try to change his habits.

Rob!

Take care of her, Chester.

Ma'am...

how is he?

Chester, he's...

he...

♪♪

♪♪

Careful of that money, Marshal.

It's... got blood on it.

What your real name?

Lou Potter.

And Rob Curtin was the man you were after all the time?

Yeah.

You caught on real fast, Marshal.

Not fast enough.

Marshal...

you remember what I was telling you about...

a man sets out to fool you and he's...

halfway bright about it, he can get the job done?

Well, nothing works all the time, Marshal.

You all right, Mr. Dillon?

Yeah. Yeah, Chester.

How's Rob?

Well, he's... he's dead, too.

Oh. I'm sorry to hear that.

Well, maybe it's better this way, Mr. Dillon.

You know, he was really Sam Fraser.

- Yeah. - Miss Curtin told me the whole story.

- How's she taking it? - Well, not too good.

Poor thing, you can't hardly blame her none.

Yeah. She deserved better than this.

- They both did. - Yeah.

Well, are we gonna be riding back that way?

Yeah, as soon we get him buried, we'll head back.

- She's gonna be needing some help. - Yeah.

Maybe there's something we can do for her.

Yeah.

♪♪