Original subtitles

Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.

You Ax Parsons?

What do you want?

Well, don't you recognize your own wagon?

Jim Barker hired me in Santa Fe.

Yeah, Jim is my agent in Santa Fe.

He'd better be.

Hired me to drive this wagon to Dodge,

said you'd pay me on arrival... $100.

Well, that's a lot of money.

I got a note from him right here.

Well, now...

Old Jim, now, he shouldn't have promised you that much money.

Well, he did.

And I'm here.

And I want my money.

Well, the wagon ain't unloaded yet.

Well, now, looky here, mister, I'm a cowboy, not a freighter.

I only took this job 'cause I was broke.

Now, I drove your blasted wagon to Dodge and that's enough.

Yeah, well, you must be a cowboy,

'cause anybody knows a driver unloads his own wagon.

Hey, wait a minute!

Look, you just, you just take that around in the back.

That's where I store the stuff.

Pretty hard work for a fella your age, ain't it?

I take my time.

For Ax Parsons?

Yep.

Here, let me help you with that saw, huh?

All right.

Here, I'll get that load of wood.

I'll carry one in for you, come on.

Wait a minute.

Thank you kindly, mister.

Uh-huh.

What are you doing?

Just helping out that poor old bum

you got working for you, that's all.

Pheeters.

Yeah, he's a bum.

And a drunk, to boot.

I guess you figure I'm not much better, huh?

I ain't arguing with you.

I just want my money; your wagon's unloaded.

Have a drink.

I don't need no drink, I need my money.

Man don't drink, well...

nothing in life's worth anything.

Well, there's something in life for me, and it's $100.

Now, come on, Parsons, quit stalling!

I'm not stalling.

I just don't have the money, that's all.

You listen to me, Parsons.

I didn't drive that wagonload of goods all the way from Santa Fe

just for the scenery!

I did it for $100, and I'm gonna get it from you

if I have to kill you for it!

You're not gonna kill anybody!

Mister.

Dover.

Pruit Dover.

All right, Pruit Dover,

don't you threaten me, because I don't like it.

All I'm saying is the truth.

I-I finish.

Can I have the drink now?

All right, you'll get your money.

First, I got to sell some of that stuff you brought in today.

If it ain't one thing with you, it's another.

You come back about 8:00, 9:00 tonight.

I promise you, you'll have your money.

All right, Parsons.

But you better have that money,

or I'll take you and this whole place apart.

Can I have the drink now?

All right.

All right, all right, all right!

I never saw such a hog in my life.

Don't forget what I said, Parsons!

So that's your pay, huh?

A long pull on the jug?

It keeps me going.

For awhile, anyway.

You really gonna kill him, Mr. Dover?

Well, if he don't pay me off, I'll sure be of a mind to.

You know why he wants you back this evening?

Well, to give me my money, I reckon.

He drinks heavy in the evening.

He likes somebody to drink with him.

I used to, but he got tired of having me around.

I guess I ain't very entertaining.

Well, he sure better have more than entertainment in mind

when I come back.

Oh, he'll pay you, all right.

But later, after you been drinking with him

for a few hours.

I'll smash his ugly head in.

I ain't sure he'd really care.

He's a sad man.

He's a powerful sad man.

Poor old Ax Parsons.

He got a heavy heart, all right.

Poor fella. Poor fella.

Yeah, when I was young, I had money and...

nice house and pretty wife.

Had all those things.

What ever happened to your pretty wife?

She left me.

She went up north.

Can't say as I blame her.

What would a pretty woman want with a filthy old hog like you?

Well, that is insulting!

I don't like you to talk like that.

Oh, put that thing away, will you?!

Well, you talk like that, and I'm gonna open you up wide.

Shut your mouth!

Here.

Have a, have a drink.

I don't want any more of that.

I don't know how you got me started in the first place!

Now, I came here for my money, and I've waited long enough!

Now, give it to me!

J-Just sit down for a few minutes, will you?

I get lonesome here.

Well, it's easy to see why!

Well, stay just a half an hour.

Half an hour, I'll give you your money.

But sit down, Dover.

Have another drink, please.

Please sit down for a little while, Dover.

Go ahead. Go ahead.

It's good whiskey.

Oh.

Life is a mean thing.

Terrible, awful, mean thing.

You make me sick.

Got no woman, no house.

Lonesome old man.

Well, I'm a broke young man.

Parsons... please give me my money.

Don't... don't talk to me anymore.

Just give me my money.

Got no money.

You what?

Didn't sell anything.

I got no money.

Why, you dirty old goat.

You been leading me on.

I warned you, Parsons.

I warned you good.

You thief!

You liar!

♪♪

Hey, Parsons.

Hey.

Parsons.

Come on, hey, wake up.

I killed him.

♪♪

Chester.

- Hello, Doc. - Howdy, Doc.

How are you?

Sit down.

Thank you.

Could I have some coffee over here, Chester?

Yeah, sure.

Just sit there and make yourself nice and comfortable.

I'll bring it right over to you.

Thank you. That'd be very kind of you.

Well, it ain't that it's so kind of me,

but after you get used to doing a thing one way all the time,

it's awful hard to change.

It gets to be a habit, you know.

Well, I don't care much what it is,

long as I get waited on in the customary fashion.

You ain't got no shame at all, have you?

Absolutely shameless.

You looking for Pruit Dover, huh?

Yeah. I'm not having much luck either, Doc.

I guess he's not wanted anywhere.

Well, maybe Louie Pheeters just dreamed the whole thing.

Yeah, it's possible, the way he drinks.

Got to remember though, knowing something nobody else knows

makes Louie an awful big man.

Yeah.

Except, I'll tell you something, Doc,

I think he's telling the truth.

- Hello, Doc. - Hello, Milt.

Hi, Chester.

Got a telegram for you, Marshal.

Thought I'd better get it over here to you myself.

Thanks, Milt.

Kind of interesting, ain't it?

Well, say, now, that is interesting.

What is it?

It's from the sheriff up in Elkader.

He's got word I'm looking for Pruit Dover,

and, by golly, he's found him right up there.

He's holding him in jail.

All right, tell you what, Milt.

If you'll send him a telegram... Signed by me...

And tell him I'm on my way to pick up the prisoner.

Sure thing, Marshal. Sure thing.

Well, Marshal, he's all yours.

Well, thank you for finding him, Sheriff.

There was nothing to it.

Wasn't even trying to hide.

I didn't think anybody had seen me.

You should've gone out the back door.

Well, I'll remember that next time, Marshal.

Some joker, ain't he?

Pruit, I got to hand it to you.

For a man with a rope around his neck, you show spirit.

Sheriff, you got the key to those handcuffs?

Oh, sure. I plumb forgot. Here.

But, uh, I'd leave them on until you got him to Dodge.

How about that? You gonna run away?

All the way to Mexico if I get the chance, Marshal.

What'd I tell you?

Turn around.

What are you doing, Marshal?

Two days in the saddle with your hands tied behind your back

makes a pretty rough ride out of it, Sheriff.

Well, he's just a murderer.

I'll get him there.

Thanks a lot.

Let's go.

I guess you know what you're doing.

Have a good trip.

So long, Pruit.

See you around, Sheriff.

♪♪

Meat's about ready, Marshal.

Good.

Nothing like a day in the saddle to give a man an appetite.

You a cowboy, are you, Pruit?

Always was.

Till I drove that fool wagon from Santa Fe.

Thanks.

You claim you never got your hundred dollars, huh?

I didn't kill Parsons 'cause he paid me off, that's for sure.

You figure a hundred dollars is a reason to kill a man, do you?

I guess it ain't, Marshal.

Truth is, I was so danged drunk, I hardly remember any of it.

I remember the lamp being smashed, and that's about all.

Near as I can figure it, you took his knife away from him

in the dark and stabbed him with it.

Kind of looks that way, don't it?

Did you ever kill a man before?

Not like that, Marshal.

I mean, I ain't that kind of a killer.

Least, I never was.

Where you from?

They tell me I was born in the Sweetwater Mountains...

Southern Arizona, down near the Mexican border.

But you don't know?

Never did see my pa.

My ma died when I was two.

I was raised by a bear hunter.

But he run me off when I was 12.

You ever do much gambling?

With my luck?

I'm a sorry gambler, Marshal.

Sure wish we had a coffee pot.

Well, we ought to be in Dodge tomorrow.

Better get yourself some rest.

We'll be leaving first thing in the morning.

You gonna sleep there? Like that?

I'm gonna rest.

I don't sleep much when I'm out here like this.

You ain't gonna tie me up for the night?

I wouldn't rest any easier if you're tied up.

You done a lot of this, ain't you?

I mean, bringing men in.

I done my share.

You always get back with them, do you?

Well, I'll tell you, Pruit, I can close my eyes,

but I can't close my ears.

You better just hope some animal doesn't run in between us here.

When I come up, I come up shooting.

Well, one thing about being a prisoner,

I can sleep as hard as I want.

Yep.

Yeah, that's your privilege, all right.

Course, you get to snoring and wake me up,

things might go different.

I'll remember that.

- Morning. - Morning.

I slept hard, after all.

Coffee?

Yeah.

Yeah, I had the coffee in my saddlebags.

I found this can down by the stream.

- Ah. - Here.

That's the best coffee I ever tasted.

Well, guess I'll go and wash up.

Good idea.

Wish I had a hook and some line;

we could have some fish for breakfast.

Oh, yeah.

Course, we could build a cabin and stay here all summer, too.

Well, it don't hurt a traveling man

to eat once in awhile, Marshal.

We'll eat.

We'll eat while we're riding.

Oh, I'll bet you brought some jerky along, huh?

You win.

That's the only kind of bet I ever win.

Drop that gun belt!

You do what I say, or I'll blow you wide open!

How come you're not wearing a gun?

I'm a prisoner.

Oh, I... I see it now.

You're some kind of a lawman.

What's going on around here?

What do you want?

I don't want nobody messing around here...

Building fires and polluting the water.

What are you talking about?

We're not doing any harm here.

Your being here's enough!

You own this land?

I've got the gun.

And I'm gonna use it.

But not for you.

You ain't here on your own accord,

so you can saddle up and leave.

And take his horse with you.

I don't want it around!

You're not just gonna... Get out of here!

And don't come back.

Not ever.

♪♪

If you're wondering whether I'm gonna use this on you, I am.

That bullet didn't get through your shoulder.

Where's our friend?

It's his blood I just washed off this knife.

You killed him?

I was lucky.

That man was half animal.

Yeah.

He was crazy.

He'd been living out on this prairie too long.

Most of his life, I reckon.

Pruit... you saved my life.

I thank you.

You ought to keep me around, Marshal.

I might make a good lawman.

Good doctor, too.

Anyway, I'm sure gonna try.

Did you ever take a bullet out of a man?

No, had them dug out of me though.

Kind of remember what it was like and how it was done.

So, uh, I'll go as easy on you as I can.

Once you start, just...

keep digging till you get it out.

Pruit, tell me something.

Why you doing this?

You got a bullet in your shoulder.

Somebody got to get it out.

You took a big chance jumping that man like that.

You could've ridden off of here and forgotten all about it.

You could've tied me up for this ride, too.

I could've rode off, all right,

but I'd have had a hard time forgetting about it.

All right.

Well, if I start hollering,

just hit me with a piece of wood or something.

♪♪

Now, you had a good, long, hard sleep, Marshal.

How you feeling?

Well... I think I'm feeling all right.

I thought you'd left.

This rabbit didn't just walk in here and hop onto this spit.

Oh.

You went hunting.

Beats jerky.

Yeah.

Yeah, it sure does.

You hungry?

Yeah.

I think right now I could...

I could just about eat a handful of grass.

Well, this ought to be ready in a minute.

Say, I... I think I got some salt

in one of my saddlebags here.

Meat without salt's like whiskey without a drinking partner.

Must be pretty handy with a six-gun

to go out and shoot a rabbit like that.

I'm a better shot by rights than I should be.

What do you mean?

Since it ain't my profession, so to speak.

There we are.

Oh, forgot to make gravy.

Doggone it, that's right.

You didn't make any biscuits, either, huh?

Plumb slipped my mind.

♪♪

Hey, you, uh, seem to be doing pretty good

this morning, Marshal.

Yeah, I think I'm gonna make it all right.

Make it where?

Back to Dodge.

I'd sure appreciate it

if you could get the horses saddled, though.

Both horses, Marshal?

Yeah, both horses.

I didn't figure you'd be up so soon.

I'd have ridden out of here before this.

I'd have just had to ride after you, Pruit.

Maybe I'd have stopped you.

How? Kill me in cold blood, the way that old man...

All right, maybe I wouldn't have!

But I'd have had a two-day start, maybe more,

seeing as you ain't in full strength!

Me and my dang luck!

Pruit, now, look, I know how you feel,

and believe me, I don't blame you.

If you wanted to ride out of here right now

I don't know if I could stop you.

Don't you know that if you do that,

why, it's just a matter of time

till me or some other lawman'll be out after you?

The only freedom you'd ever have

would be the freedom to run and hide.

Now, that's no good; you can do better than that.

Pruit, you've saved my life...

and don't think I'm ever gonna forget that.

I'll tell you what I'd like to do.

I'd like for you to ride into Dodge with me,

and we'll go to that trial together.

We'll get up in front of Judge Brooking,

and I'll do everything in the world I can

to get you out of this.

Now, believe me, Pruit.

I'll, uh...

get the horses saddled, Marshal.

♪♪

♪♪

Well, Pruit, it'll be dinnertime before long.

I'll go down to Delmonico's and get you something to eat.

- How about steak? - Biscuits?

All the trimmings, everything they got.

Well, if I knew you gave this kind of service

I'd have come here before.

I'll, uh, see if I can get some coffee going.

Well, we'll talk about it tomorrow.

You better get back to work.

Well, I hope there's something you can do about it, Miss Kitty.

I'll have to quit otherwise; quit and starve.

What's the matter, you having a little trouble

with the help, Kitty?

No.

She's just tired of getting her feet stomped on,

elbows jabbed into her ribs.

Last night she got slugged with a bottle.

It was a mistake, of course.

Yeah, and when her head stops aching

she'll take a brighter view of things.

I hope so. She's a good girl.

How about a drink?

No, I don't think so, Kitty. Thanks.

How's Pruit Dover?

Well, he's all right.

The trial's tomorrow, you know.

Judge Brooking get into town yet?

Well, that's the worst part of it, Kitty.

Judge Brooking is sick back in Wichita,

and they sent somebody else.

- Who? - Judge Henry.

Judge Henry?

Yeah, he used to be the circuit judge here

about six years ago... he's a real stickler for the law.

Oh. That's not too good, huh?

Well, let's just say that, uh, he goes by the book

a lot more than Brooking ever did.

He and I don't quite see eye to eye sometimes.

He's been here all day, and he's working on the case.

Well, I sure hope it goes all right.

Yeah.

So do I.

All right, Mr. Pheeters, you can sit down.

Thank you.

All right, Pruit Dover, stand up.

All right, come forward.

Now, you claim you never killed a man before?

No, sir, I said only in self-defense.

Well, are you claiming self-defense here?

I was drunk, Your Honor.

I'm... just not sure how it did happen.

Well, being drunk is no excuse in this court.

Sit down, Dover.

Well, I didn't claim it as an excuse.

All right, sit down, Dover.

Marshal Dillon.

Marshal, you've heard everything that's been said here.

Anything been left out?

The only thing that's been left out, Your Honor,

is any proof that Pruit Dover is guilty

of cold-blooded murder.

You have any proof that he isn't?

Well, just that nobody saw it, nobody at all.

Well, Louie Pheeters, he just the same as saw it.

Louie Pheeters.

Your Honor, poor old Louie

has been known to see a lot of things,

including snakes, dragons and hellfire.

He's a pretty poor kind of a witness, Your Honor.

And even Louie doesn't claim to have seen any murder.

Well, I know what he claimed; I heard his testimony.

Well, and you also heard the testimony

about what kind of a worthless human being Ax Parsons was.

Now, Marshal, Ax Parsons is not on trial here.

Well, no, but the fact that he was a worthless drunk

and he owed Pruit money and that he was generally

an ill-tempered man, that's got something to do with it.

No, it has nothing to do with it, Marshal.

Judge...

nobody knows what happened in that storeroom.

I know... that Ax Parsons was killed with his own knife.

Now, that's what happened.

Yes, but you don't know how.

Maybe he drew it on Dover... It'd be just like him

and if he did, then Pruit killed him in self-defense.

But Pruit won't claim self-defense!

No, because he was drunk and he doesn't remember.

And he's too honest to say yes or no unless he did remember.

He was drunk and Ax Parsons was drunk.

Well, Pruit Dover has admitted killing before.

Yes, he admits killing before...

He said so, in self-defense, didn't you hear him?!

Marshal, I'm gonna have you up on contempt.

Now, this here's a court of law!

Then this court should recognize that this whole case

is based on nothing but circumstantial evidence,

and pretty flimsy at that.

Well, not to me, it isn't.

And I'm the judge here, not you!

Now, sit down, Marshal!

Now, Judge... I want you to hear me out,

and I want you to listen carefully to what I say.

Pruit Dover's not the kind of man

who could kill anybody in cold blood, drunk or sober.

Any man who'd offer his life for another one

the way he did for me

is incapable of killing intentionally,

any more than he could've left me out on that prairie to die.

Now, I'm asking you to temper justice with mercy.

You done real good, Marshal.

All right, I'm gonna make this brief.

Now, I've heard the evidence and I've heard the arguments,

and I've make up my mind.

Now, Pruit Dover, stand up.

Pruit Dover, you're accused of the murder of Ax Parsons,

and I find you guilty.

Quiet. Quiet in the court!

Pruit Dover, I sentence you

to be hanged by the neck until dead.

♪♪

You know, it sure didn't come as no surprise to me, Mr. Dillon.

I think Pruit would've had a better chance

if he'd have had a, well, a little better story,

but all he said was that he guessed that he done it.

To me, that's just like saying

that he done it for sure.

Chester, would you go get the horses?

We're just about ready to go.

Well, I sure don't envy you

having to take that trip up to Hays City.

♪♪

We'll camp here.

There's a stream over there... You want to water the horses?

♪♪

Kind of getting to be a habit, us traveling together, ain't it?

Yeah.

Well, I... never cared much for traveling alone.

Though I done it most of my life.

How come you never got married, Pruit?

Man like me, Marshal, I never could settle down long.

I like drifting and seeing new places

and meeting different kinds of people.

Life's a lot of fun like that.

Yeah.

Well, I can't complain.

I've seen quite a lot in my life.

It's like you said,

I guess your luck just never ran too good, huh?

That's the dang truth.

Well, maybe a man's luck can change.

I know, but, uh, whoever's in charge

of changing mine must've got awful busy someplace else.

Yeah.

Well, I'm getting kind of tired, Pruit, I'm gonna turn in.

- See you in the morning. - Good night, Marshal.

♪♪

Morning, Marshal.

Pruit.

Have a good sleep?

Yeah, fine.

You, uh... slept pretty hard.

I told you I was tired last night.

You're fooling, aint you?

I wasn't fooling.

You really meant it, huh?

Couldn't have made it much plainer.

Why, Marshal?

Uh, you sure hung on to me before.

I didn't figure things would turn out this way.

I thought maybe they'd...

let you off with a couple of years at the most.

Well... that's spilt milk, Marshal.

You did everything you could for me at the trial.

Uh... coffee's hot.

I'll... get the horse saddled up for you.

Pruit.

Get on your horse and ride.

You'd lose your badge, Marshal.

They might even put you in jail.

I can't take you in.

Now, go on, I said.

Ride.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

Thought I'd never catch up with you.

I changed my mind, Marshal.

I'm glad I caught up with you before you got back to Dodge,

otherwise it would look kind of funny, wouldn't it?

We don't have to say nothing about what happened, do we?

What brought you back?

Well, I got to thinking, and, uh,

I remember what you said before about how one lawman or another

would catch up with me someday, and...

well, just 'cause you set me loose

don't mean I ain't been tried and sentenced, Marshal.

I guess drifting just wouldn't be the same for me anymore.

Uh, running and hiding and running and hiding...

ain't no kind of life for nobody.

You knew that when you rode out of here this morning?

Well, yes, I did, but...

let's just say I thought about it harder later on.

Pruit, you got some other reason?

What other reason would I need?

You knew you could've ridden out last night.

Well, yes, I did.

And when you left this morning

you knew you were gonna catch up with, too, didn't you?

That's the truth, yeah.

Why, Pruit?

I've been talking about

what I've lost all this time, and...

me saving your life, well, that...

put me pretty heavy on your conscience, and...

you were willing to ruin your life to pay me back.

You let me go, Marshal.

Your debt's been paid.

Well, uh...

I guess we might as well get on to Hays, huh?

♪♪

- Sheriff Benson? - He went to Salina.

Won't be back for ten days.

I'm the United States Marshal from Dodge City.

Oh.

I've been expecting you.

Benson said you'd be along.

So, this is the man that's gonna swing, huh?

You Sheriff Benson's deputy?

Jud Gamer. At your service, Marshal.

Have a drink?

I'd like to get this man in a cell

and get him something to eat.

We've been in the saddle a long time.

Well, I'll tell you, Marshal,

the hangman's been here since yesterday.

Everything's all ready.

We should have him strung up

before breakfast tomorrow.

I said I'd like to get him something to eat.

But I just told you,

why waste money feeding him?

He'll be dead in 12 hours.

Gamer, I don't like anything about you,

particularly your mouth.

Now, suppose you get me that cell key.

Make it quick.

Don't get mad; I ain't done nothing'.

First cell on your right.

Well, uh, what can I get you to eat?

Most anything.

All right, I'll scout around and see what I can find.

All right. I would like to get cleaned up a bit,

if I could, after the ride?

All right. All right, I'll look around

and see if I can find a barber and get him over here.

Thank you.

So, you're gonna get yourself cleaned up for Mr. Peters.

He's our hangman.

And he doesn't like to hang a dirty neck.

♪♪

- Morning, Mr. Peters. - Good morning.

Nice day for a hanging, ain't it?

- You're Marshal Dillon? - That's right.

Pruit, are you still sure you don't want a preacher?

Preacher couldn't do me no good now, Marshal.

Shall we proceed, gentlemen?

Might as well get it over with.

Have the prisoner follow me, Marshal.

Uh, we, uh, better tie up his hands.

I don't want my hands tied.

Now, what you want's got nothing to do with it!

Now, come on, you lousy murderer!

That was for both of us.

There's a lot of things I'd like to say, Pruit.

It's all right, Marshal.

We both know what they are.

Well... so long.

So long, Pruit.

♪♪

What's in your craw, Marshal?

You're the one that brought him here!

Yeah.

I'm the one that brought him.

♪♪