All language subtitles for Gunsmoke.S19E19.The.Iron.Blood.Of.Courage.720p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-DarkSaber_iris2_track3_[und]

NARRATOR: Gunsmoke.

With Milburn Stone as Doc.

Amanda Blake as Kitty.

Ken Curtis as Festus.

Buck Taylor as Newly.

And starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

Hello, Talley.

Hutch.

Ain't the day just polished
fine for playing school, now?

Seems they don't have too
much confidence in your house.

Oh, I'd rather
have done it alone,

and I reckon you know that.

I know.

You want to take
him first, I'll wait.

If I'm still standing, Hutch,
you won't be any problem.

Any man who can't look another
man straight in the face

can't be too sure
of himself, can he?

The way I see it, too.

Wondered how long
it'd be before you

and me come up
against one another.

Bound to happen someday, Hutch.

You're always hiring
out to the wrong side.

All these people have
legal water rights.

Mr. Rickaw don't
feel it that way.

Guess I'm going to have
to kill you, Talley.

But you always
was mule stubborn.

[gunfire]

Mr. Talley, you are
as good as they say.

It won't solve
anything, Mr. Morris.

Bullets never do.

Papa.

Papa, you're back.

I always come back, don't I?

Yes, but-- well,
I miss you a lot.

Mama wanted me to
come right on home.

We've got packin' to do.

You womenfolk
got packing to do.

You see, a man can put
his fixings in a shoebox.

What's Dodge City
going to be like, Papa?

Just bigger and busier.

Is it a town that's got roots?

You know what?

Down to the middle of the Earth

Oh, Mr. Talley?

May I see you for a
moment, please, sir?

It's my teacher, Papa.

I'll see you at home.

You run along.

I'm George Nichols, sir.

Hello, Mr. Nichols.

My manners are lacking.

Ronilou has talked
a lot about you.

Ronilous is a very
exceptional young lady.

Well, it seems
that the womenfolk

on both sides of the family
take a lot of sunrise with you.

And the men, sir?

I beg your pardon?

Mr. Talley, your line of
work is not well known.

Specially appointed sheriff is
the kindest title I've heard,

and that depends on the
side one hears it from.

Well, now, Mr. Nichols,
any work I get involved in

has a legal statute
as its birthright.

Which is often.

Orphaned at an early
age, by a six gun.

I've heard.

Oh, we live in strange
times, Mr. Talley.

I struggle to improve minds,
and you blow them apart.

But I suppose it's according
to one's viewpoint.

Mr. Nichols, that is
according to whether the point

has a view at all.

Is that what you
came to tell me?

Mr. Talley, we're
both cultured men.

I can tell that of you, which I
confess confuses me more than a

little.

Culture and weapons
aren't exactly a marriage.

Opposites make the best
marriage, Mr. Nichols.

Now, my respects
to you for showing

so much concern for Ronilou.

Now you-- you, sir, have
the physical requirements

that I lack to make
this a purposeful land,

if you wish to do so.

Your daughter wrote this as
a going away present to me.

She asked me to
show it to no one.

I said I wouldn't, but I feel
in this case that betraying

her confidence has
a virtue that far

outweighs the transgression.

Read it.

Aloud, if you will.

Please.

Stay with me, God.

The night is dark,
the night is cold.

My little spark of courage dies.

The night is long.

Be with me, God,
and make me strong.

I am but the daughter
my father wrought,

my mother bore, and a simple
girl, and nothing more.

But God of strength
and gentleness,

be pleased to make
me nothing less.

That is simple
beauty, Mr. Talley.

A beauty of a depth
this land needs.

A beauty that came from a
daughter my father wrought.

I thought you'd
like to know that.

Good luck to you, sir.

What we need's a gunfighter.

Yeah!

The only thing that sings the
right prayers for the likes

of Anderson, that cabby and
the quarter-bred baboons of his

is a six gun and a Winchester
in the hands of a man

knows how to use 'em.

Right!

I like this Talley fella.

Them boys had him
up [inaudible].

The way I hear it, Rickaw had
him two men with reputations

high enough to hide a stork
behind, and this Talley,

he tagged them flat as
frogs in a cow gather.

Now, that's the kind of man to
have Anderson standing straight

as 12 o'clock, and
singing any song

you want his lips to pucker.

Yes, sir.

What I hear it this, uh, Talley
ain't no ordinary gun pointer.

He got himself tight ways,
and ideals, and such.

Might be he won't find our
doings ideal to his ideals.

What do you say, Mr. Burdette?

Well--

Aw, let him talk.

Gentlemen, we're all under
the same tent of survival.

The very reason for our
meeting here, the very reason

for this little grain of history
transpiring at this point

in time is survival.

Now, survival sometimes
demands the shedding of blood.

If we must shed it, at least
we know we are in the right.

Now, I've checked out
each of your land titals.

Your water rights are legal.

The point is, Mr.
Burdette, Shaw Anderson

don't give a boot in a
barrell about what's legal,

and what ain't.

And he ain't got just
one or two gun pointers

out there at his spread.

Every man he's got working for
him is married to a Winchester.

Every one of 'em can thread
a needle with a bullet, cause

that's the way he hires 'em.

You ain't even
seen Talley shoot--

And you-- I already told you--

All right, all right.

Look, I ain't saying that a
fast gunslinger in first ice

won't make a difference,
but this Talley--

how do we know he ain't choosing
sides with Anderson right now?

Why, that Anderson's
a ravenous-- Talley's

a Confederate war hero.

Because Talley fights
on what he believes

to be just principle, and
only a man who fights on just

principle would have
conducted himself the way

he did in the Civil--
in the late war.

Well, if it was just principle,
and not cows and water

we were talking
about, maybe I'd buy

it sack and saddle, Burdette.

This Anderson brands with
lead along with iron,

and that's a principle
worth considering, ain't it?

[grumbling]

And like I said, how do we
know he'll even choose our side?

Because I sent him a wire,
and I've received this reply.

If conditions prevail
as you state it,

you may consider
me at your service.

Signed, William E. Talley.

[cheering]

Whoa.

Now, you womenfolk do
what you have to do.

I'll tend to business.

All right?

All right.

Oh, I'm dead sorry.

I had to come in looking.

If me and General hadn't been
so deep in conversation here--

My fault, ma'am.

Well, if that don't hop a hill.

How's that?

Gentleman tipped his hat.

Most of the whiteys around
here act like they was born

with them tacked to their ears.

I'm Mignon Anderson.

I'm Ellie Talley.

This is my daughter, Ronilou.

Oh, I wouldn't.

I'm most pleased, ma'am.

Oh, well, if somebody told
me that, I'd call them a liar

and lost a friend.

I've never seen General take
to a stranger, lest I tell him.

You new hereabouts?

Yes, we just arrived.

Well, then come on.

We'll all go shopping.

Haven't been shopping with
ladies for a long, long time.

General, stay.

I seem him.

He just rode in, plain
as a barrel on a skyline.

-Who's that?
-Talley.

That William E.
Talley, that's who.

I thought he was
up in Ellsworth?

No, he's where the
money is, and the money

is where the trouble is.

And seeing's he's sure,
it's sure as wings to a bird

that they's trouble
around someplace.

And was he alone?

No.

His wife and his
daughter appeared like.

Now, Festus, that
doesn't exactly sound

like a hunting party, does it?

Well, Matthew, I don't give
a hoot if he rode into town

on a wagon load of Bibles.

You know what his reputation is.

Well, sometimes a man's
reputation and the facts

don't jive.

You know what I mean, Matthew.

Bad apples.

I know what you mean, but if
I hazed everybody out of Dodge

with a bad reputation,
I'd have half

of Kansas standing out there.

I'll check in on him later.

Right now, I want you to
mail these letters for me.

Still, and all,
Matthew, bad apples.

Now, you're just gonna
keep fiddling around,

it'll be-- bad apples.

I don't know, Burdette.

How can you be so sure
he'll even show up?

He might have had
second thoughts.

Because I'm told William
Talley's a man of honor.

Honor?

These days that and a penny
will get your kid a gumball.

[knocking]
-Come in.

Mr. Talley.

Yes, sir.

I'm Cally Burdette.

This is George Chandler,
Arnold Rolfing.

Talley.

Gentlemen.

I hope you'll find these
accommodations satisfactory?

Just fine.

Now, Mr. Chandler
and Mr. Rolfing

were selected by the other
ranchers to represent them,

and I represent
the legal aspects.

How many ranchers are there?

Three short of 100, and
nothing less than a section

for a ranch.

And all legally
filed on water holes?

Central, everyone.

All legally valid.

And each and every rancher
is willing to contribute

$50 to keep it valid.

That makes a fee
just short of $4,900.

That's a lot of money.

Was that your idea?

Well, the west is
changing, Mr. Talley.

It's the day of the little man
seeking his place in the sun,

and our government has
proclaimed his right to do so.

Ranchers today must be prepared
to defend themselves legally.

Then what am I doing
here, Mr. Burdette?

Well, the west
hasn't changed quite

that much yet, Mr. Talley.

This is Shaw Anderson territory.

So I've heard.

Not quite like Rickaw and
his [inaudible] spread.

This is the lazy W. Anderson
hires his men for the working

of the livers of Winchesters
just as much as a rope,

or a ride in a rough stream.

So I've been told.

We've got boys
who can shoot, too.

George here, Arnold,
Charlie Sovaleski.

And some others.

I appreciate your
thought, gentlemen,

but I don't need anybody.

I get the work
done if it's legal.

Oh, it's legal, all right.

Sound as a gold bar.

Then I can go to the courthouse
and check the filings?

Why yes, of course.

If you want to go
to that trouble.

A good conscience is no
trouble at all, Mr. Burdette.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Well, thank you, Mr. Talley.

Mr. Burdette.

Do you collect a fee for
helping out these folks?

A small one.

You can check that out, too.

Now, these are decent pioneer
folk, just trying to get

their wedge of the wilderness.

You know, Mr. Talley, I
think I'd have hated to have

been under your command.

But you are, Mr. Burdette.

You are now.

Well, I can tell
you one thing--

you could wear it to Hell,
and wouldn't be noticed.

Oh, Roarke, I aim to go to
St. Louis, or New Orleans.

Maybe even Fresco.

I need something to
make this old trap

and trash look like a lady.

Now, we gotta do
some more hunting.

Well, you've seen most
of the little I have.

This?

Why, Ellie, I'm just a
breed [inaudible] girl.

One quarter bow and arrow.

What are the likes of
me in finery like this?

Nothing of the sort, Mignon.

You have a-- a natural beauty,
which would be most fitting.

That's a fact, Mrs. Anderson.

I was saying the same
thing myself, ladies.

Well, Ellie, you're high bred.

Easy to tell.

And I always trust you.

But you're Irish, and
I wouldn't trust you

if you had the Blarney Stone
gift-wrapped in the back room

in a gold bucket.

Think it don't look too toney?

Oh, no, not at all.

It's quite continental.

See for yourself.

A stitch here, and a tuck
there, and I have some jewelry.

You could honor it.

You'd go to those three cities,
and the eyebrows wouldn't

lower for a calendar year.

Think so?

I guarantee it.

You got a way of
puttin' things.

And you'll have a
way of wearing 'em.

Well, some days
it's meant to happen.

And meeting the
Talleys is one of 'em.

All right, stone heart.

Thanks, too, ladies.

You done sold the dress you
done ordered by mistake.

I'm so glad we
talked you into it.

Can I take you anywhere?

No thanks.

We're staying at the Dodge
house until we get settled.

Uh, and what line of work did
you say your husband was in?

Uh, he's, uh, what you might
call a business advisor.

Ah.

Well, there ain't a lot
of businesses hereabouts,

but I suppose any door
can use a better handle.

Well, when you get settled, you
gotta come out to the ranch.

It's the Lazy W.
Anybody will tell you.

We'd be delighted, Mignon.

Yes, I'll say it again.

Somedays is meant to happen,
and meeting the Talleys

was one of them.

It was lovely meeting you.

Bye bye.

Bye bye.

Talley?

We haven't met before.

But my guess is Matt Dillon.

That's right.

Heard a lot about you, marshal.

What do you say you and
I have a little talk?

Warm enough for a beer?

Believe it is.

I think I understand what
you're doing in this, Talley.

It's Cally Burdette and
his ranchers, isn't it?

Squatters, some
people call them.

As far as I can see, every
inch of land is legally filed.

Yeah, and all
selected by Burdette.

Meaning what, marshal?

I guess there are
some men who like

to push others around for
supposedly unselfish reasons.

I just find it a little bit
hard to believe that Burdette

is that kind of man.

Well, I had similar thoughts,
marshal, but you know,

I think I see him
pretty clearly, now.

Been in the military
long enough to know when

to walk out of a door backward.

You know, Talley, there's not
much I can do about a man that

comes to town with a set of
law books and a line of talk,

but gunfighters are my business.

Well, they're
not mine, marshal.

That's not the way I hear it.

The Hayward Valley feud,
Wallace war, the [inaudible],

and now this Alton?

That's a lot of front sights
looking at you, Talley.

None that I wanted.

I came home from the war in a
prison without a cent, marshal.

The Yankee who owned my land
couldn't even read or write.

Reclamation, they called it.

The print was still wet with the
blood of the people who thought

they had died for a principle.

I came home to a wife
who thought I was dead,

and a daughter I didn't
even know was born.

No one wanted to
hire a Confederate,

if they heard a
Yankee once or twice.

So I simply did what I
know best-- a gun has

been part of me all my life.

And you're getting
yourself a large reputation,

and the word comes from men
that I know and respect.

You know what that means?

The short ones
come and try you.

Hill, Gully, Bed,
Bath-- even Church.

That's one of the
reasons I'm asking

you to step out of this thing.

What's the other
reason, marshal?

Shaw Anderson.

What about him?

Well, in the first,
second, and third place,

he's a long cut from the others.

Not from what I've heard.

They tell me that
every man he hired

is practically
married to his gun.

That's just on the surface.

His grandfather was
with Lewis and Clark.

His father was one of the
first cow men Kansas ever saw.

Shaw Anderson knows this
country better than anybody

that's ever crossed.

In the big die up of
'69, half of this country

had to start over from new seed.

Not Anderson.

He didn't lose more than
a third of his herd.

In fact, it was him
that provided the seed

for most of them to start over.

Memories are short.

Let me tell you this,
marshal, this is going to be

the last thing I'm going to do.

I think I've saved enough
money to start again somewhere.

I'll tell you something else-- I
aim to meet this man, Anderson,

before any dust kicks up.

When a man becomes my
enemy, I like to know him.

Good.

If you talk to Anderson,
you'll see what I mean.

Marshal, nice to meet you.

Talley.

I wanted to introduce
you to him, Kitty.

Oh, I-- men's talk.

If you can call two wolves
sizing each other up

men's talk.

Well, he's going on to
have a talk with Anderson.

You know, two honest men talking
can save a lot of spade work.

The only trouble
with that is, uh,

two honest men can give
you two different answers

to the same question.

Yeah, I'll see you later.

Oh, Bill, she was the
sweetest woman you can imagine.

Just the sweetest.

-She certainly was, Papa.
-Well, that's nice.

We helped her pick
out a dress, and she's

our first friend in Dodge.

We've been invited to their
ranch when we get settled.

That's really nice.

What's their name, Ellie?

Wouldn't you know, here
I go-- I can't remember.

What was it, Ronilou?

Mignon Anderson.

Anderson?

Where?

Some place called the Lazy W.

Well, I'll be in
their vicinity.

Might be I pay my respects.

Oh, do that.

She was so pleasant.

I think I've got everything.

All right, my [inaudible].

Give me a kiss.

Do you have to go?

I have to go.

And possibly I'll
be back tonight.

Take care.

Don't worry.

That'd be a decency seed,
for your father to pay

respects to the Andersons.

Yes.

That'd be a nice decency.

Mr. Talley.

Mr. Burdette.

That has the
appearance of travel.

Well, it serves that function.

Well, it's worth the
trouble to see the country.

The prairie this time
of year, day or night's

like-- like Heaven unfolded.

I'm not going to see the
country, Mr. Burdette.

I'm on the way to see Anderson.

Ander-- what in God's
name could that do?

Well, anything in God's
name could do something.

Now, if you'll excuse me?

Mr. Talley.

I'm only a lawyer with
a dream of the future,

but I have an ear and an eye.

Shaw Anderson's a man
cold as polar ice.

Well, he'll be cordial enough,
and he'll have heard of you,

there can be no mistake.

You go there alone,
you'll be dry ghost.

Shot from cover, Talley.

It's his way.

It's won him this
country, that way.

A smile, a promise--
then before you know it,

lead coming like it was--
like it was raining rocks.

But let me get you
some men to ride

flank if your mind's made fast.

That, at least.

Thank you, Mr. Burdette.

I'd best travel alone.

Good day.

Talley's going to see Anderson.

I want the three of you
out there this afternoon

on the Hammel wash.

[inaudible] to the road.

If Talley doesn't stop
to water, come back.

He'll cross slow.

I want you to graze him.

Just a little surface meat.

Left arm.

The rest of you, start
the fourth of July.

That'll change his thinking.

But why?

He's our man, ain't he?

He's ours, and I aim
to keep him that way.

He'll think Anderson
ambushed him.

Get yourselves a jug.

It'll be cold out
there, just waiting.

See me when you get back.

Mr. Anderson?

Mm-hm?

There's someone
here to see you.

Who is it?

He says his name is Talley.

Talley?

Yeah.

Well, ain't that somethin'?

You want me to send him away?

No.

No, I want to get a look at him.

And Leonard?

Speak soft to the man.

Talley.

Anderson.

Johnny Reb himself?

The grave, and beyond.

Can't tell it by
the sound of it.

Didn't know it was a sound.

I thought it was a way of life?

Somehow, heroes never do look
just like you expected 'em to.

More than likely because they
weren't heroes to begin with.

Naw.

That ain't the way
I heard it, Talley.

Battle of Lookout Mountain?

Wilderness?

The stories I heard
your name wrapped around

made you sound more
like a giant than a man.

Stories get twisted
in the telling.

I guess you know why I'm here.

Cally Burdette?

Wanted to talk to you first.

Hear your side of it, Anderson.

Educated.

A hero.

Modest.

And honorable, to boot.

Almost too much
to ask of any man.

You want to talk, or not?

You might.
But not for long.

The water titles are
legal, and the men are

all prepared and determined.

Prepared, huh?

So all fired, prepared,
they sent for a hired gun?

You got any idea how many men
we got on this spread, Talley?

100.

Maybe 150.

And there ain't a one of
'em couldn't hit a thin dot

sailing through a fog.

How many men's Burdette got?

40 or 50, maybe.

That can hold a gun, that is.

Then that's no war.

That's a turkey shoot.

A turkey shoot in
which 100 men could die.

Now, if there were
but just two men.

Just two men?

Now, what's that
supposed to mean?

You and me, Anderson.

I've heard of you, too.

Oh, I didn't know.

Oh, Mr. Talley.

What a pleasure.

How are you?

Uh, Shaw?

This is the man whose
family I told you about.

Oh, it's such a sweet wife
you've got, Mr. Talley.

Thank you.

And that daughter?

Like the moon and the
sun in the same basket.

They helped me to pick
out this gown, Shaw.

All right, go on, now, Mignon.

What?

I got short talkin', Mignon.

I told your wife
and daughter we'll

expect you down here for a
visit, once you're settled.

Thank you, Mrs. Anderson.

You ain't playing poker with
a hollow headed man, Talley.

I don't know how to
play poker, Anderson.

In fact, I don't know
how to play anything.

Well, you're sure drawn to it.

One man representing cow
pushing carpetbaggers

expects me to meet
him head on when I got

enough men to march on hell?

Your skull's been out in
the sun too long, Talley.

So the answer is no?

The answer, Talley, is that
the water rights on this land

belong to them that
was right on 'em.

And them's Kiowa.

My wife's half Kiowa, daughter
to the Chief [inaudible],

and that's every drop of water,
and every blade of grass,

from the Dakotas all the way
to the Rockies, and back.

That's before the people were
moving out west, Anderson.

Bringing the white
man's law with them,

a law that respects the
masses, and no morality.

The tides are
coming in, Anderson,

and there's nothing that
you can do about it.

And they go back out again.

Not these tides.

They're here to stay,
with more behind them.

You give up a piece
of your empire,

or they'll swallow it whole.

And choke on my Winchesters.

TALLEY: On both sides.

Now, if it was
just the two of us,

meeting at any point
you choose, it's

going to be a simple death.

A matter settled neatly.

If I'm going to kill something,
Talley, it's the killin' I care

about, and not how it's done.

And I've done it
enough different

ways to sprain an owl's head.

Besides, how do you
know you're going

to be seeing me face to face?

Because I trust you, Anderson.

You're a damn fool.

I've been damned half my
life, but I'm not a fool.

Neither am I. You've lived this
long, Talley, because you're

one of the best with a handgun.

But I'm one of the
best with a Winchester,

and I figure that'll
even the odds up some.

Fair enough.

All right.

You choose the place and time.

Tomorrow at sun up.

The long mesa at the
fork of the Hammel.

Goodbye, Talley.

I don't have to go to
St. Louis, or New Orleans.

No, you go ahead.

It'll do you good, Mignon.

Don't bother you I might meet
some sweetly handsome man?

Not unless he's got
nails like cavalry sabres,

and fights like a burnt bear
in a cave full of hornets.

I thought-- I thought maybe
if I got me something pretty

to wear, I could take your
mind off all this destruction,

until you get
yourself leveled some?

Shaw?

Shaw, we could start
Christmas tomorrow,

or you could go with me, and
we'd pull down New Orleans

nail by nail, like we used to.

What I'm looking at now is
just a plain, honest man,

who just turned himself
into a plain fool.

What are you gettin' at, woman?

You and Talley, like
two little boys sassing

each other in a sandbox.

I done told you to
take your trip, Mignon.

And what for?

Water rights?

Whose water rights?

Yours?

Theirs?

Those rights are Kiowa
rights, and before them they

was Pawnee rights,
and before them

they was [inaudible] rights.

You think I don't
know that, woman?

Well, maybe I don't know
what you know, Shaw Anderson,

but what's important
is what I'm saying

ain't coming through your ears.

It's their time, all
them folks moving

west with dreams in their eyes.

There's no stopping them,
Shaw, and those that are coming

got Talley to stand for 'em.

Them little apple
nosed plow pushers?

They ain't this land.

They make as much
sense in this land

as an elk wearing a corset.

They can learn, if they
got the sand to 'em.

And you'll find they do.

But the point is the
two of you aiming

to go out there and
trade lives like they was

leaves-- I won't hear of it!

Mignon!

Now, I ain't never told
you before to stay out

of my business, cause you
ain't never needed to be told,

but I'm telling you now.

Don't get no fancy
notions into that head.

Now, do you hear me?

I hear you, but I ain't
necessarily listening.

Tell me, woman.

I can't tell you anything I
haven't already said, Shaw!

Except maybe no.

Tommy?

Yes, ma'am?

Hitch up my buggy and
bring it around to the back.

Yes, ma'am.

And tell Mr. Anderson I
forgot something in Dodge.

Yes, ma'am, Mrs. Anderson.

Two men, could
have been brothers.

And fixing to kill each other.

Land's going mad.

[gunfire]

Mr. Talley.

You took me by surprise.

Anderson and I are going to
meet tomorrow by the Hammel.

Just the two of us.

Make sure you tell your men.

You're shot, Mr. Talley.

Just buck.

How'd it happen?

Quickly, Mr. Burdette.

He bushwhacked
you, like I said.

He bushwhacked you, didn't he?

Make sure you tell
your men about it.

Goodnight.

Help us be yours, O
God, when death is near.

To mock the haggard face
of fear, that when we fall,

yes, fall we must, our souls
shall triumph in the dust.

And then, and perhaps then
only may we ask, where

was the iron blood of courage?

You know something?

I swear that the
summers in Dodge

are getting longer and hotter.

Don't you think so, Kitty?

No.

You don't?

Hm.

Maybe I'm just getting
older and colder.

Say, uh, Matt, by the way, I
understand that, um, Anderson

tried to bushwhack Talley.

Yeah, I heard that.

Wait a minute.

You know, about two hours
ago, a couple of fellas

came up to the office,
with another fella

that had been shot.

I took care of him, and I
thought it'd be all right,

but before they left, I just
kind of inquired about a fee.

They said to she
Burdette about it.

-Burdette?
-Yeah.

You know something, ever since
that fella got in town, Matt,

everything's been all lopsided.

Matthew?

It's all over town, now.

What?

Well, Anderson and
Talley's fixing to shoot

it out betwixt themselves.

Where?

Ain't nobody knows?

Those two fellas you were
talking about now, uh, they

say where they were headed?
-Yeah.

The livery stable.

[knocking]

Just a minute.

[knocking]

I'm coming!

Who is it?

Mignon.

Mignon?

Come in.

Come in.

What are you doing here so late?

I didn't have time to
worry about the hour.

What is it?

Hello, dear.

What I gotta say
might sound harsh.

Well, Ronilou knows a sigh
more than her years, I'm afraid.

Ellie, you know what those two
hay heads of ours intend to do?

Hay heads?

Our husbands.

They're going to stand
on a lot of flat rock

and shoot at each other.
-Bill and--

And my Shaw.

Of course, I can
understand Shaw.

Onliest thing he likes better
than a fight's a fast horse.

And come sun up,
one of them's going

to be plain flat
deader than last week,

unless we do something.

But why?

Well, your Bill was hired by
the small ranchers' claim--

water rights-- to our land.

The law-- that is,
the army-- claims it's

both Kiowa land by treaty, and
free land by open range title.

We've gotta stop them,
Ellie, or one of us

is going to lose a husband.

I'll get dressed.

-I will too, Mama.
-No.

Ronilou--

Mama, Papa looked in on me
tonight, thinking I was asleep,

but I wasn't.

And then I looked in on him,
reading something I wrote.

I know what he's thinking.

I can't explain it, but I
just know what he's thinking.

I gotta go, Mama.

Is there room in the buggy?

We'll make room.

Out here, us girls
gotta stick together.

This is intimidation
and rank hearsay

of the most scurrilous order,
and I demanded a retraction.

Toey?

What's he, uh--

Your man confessed
everything, Burdette.

It wasn't hard when I
told him what Talley would

do to him if he found him.

The same thing goes for you.

You know, you were
right about one thing--

this country is changing.

But it's going to
be done legally.

I want you out of this state.

The next time I find you
here, I'll hang enough charges

on you to paper a barn.

Is that all?

Not quite.

I want to know where Talley
and Anderson are meeting.

I never lay my hand
down first, Talley.

You can now, at
any time you want.

Bill, turn back!

Don't do this!

Ellie, it won't
make any difference.

If it isn't here, it'll be
someplace else, some time else.

Papa?

Papa, don't do it.

Please?

The girl my father
wrought, my mother bore.

Oh God of strength
and gentleness,

be pleased to make
me nothing less.

Did I get it right?

Yes, Papa.

Come here.

I never figured it like this.

Any time you get
three women together,

two men just don't
know have a chance.

Shaw, it's about time
women stopped letting

men make fools of themselves.

Is that so?

Shaw, you might as
well get used to it.

Things are gonna be just
the way they used to be,

before all this bloodshed.

With a little
peace, for a change.

Is that so?

Is that so?

Oh, Mignon.

All right, marshal.

You're gonna have that
printed and posted.

All waters on my holdings
north of the Black Wolf Butte

will be declared open graze.

And south of my post
lines will be declared

the land of William E. Talley.

You know, my pa
told me, son, you

get a slippery man you can't
shake, make him a neighbor.

Then you can keep
your eye on him.

Well, that there worked
out for ya, didn't it?

But what would you have did
if they'd have shot, Matthew?

I mean, what would you
have did with the winner?

There wouldn't have
been one, Festus.

There never is.

NARRATOR: Stay tuned
for exciting scenes

from our next Gunsmoke.

[theme music]