Wagon Show | Gunsmoke (05-24-59)

Summary

Wagon Show | Gunsmoke (05-24-59)

Host: Andrew Rhynes
Release Date: November 23, 2024
Platform: OTRWesterns.com

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Introduction

In the "Wagon Show" episode of Gunsmoke, listeners are transported to Dodge City, Kansas, where U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon (voiced by William Conrad) confronts unexpected turmoil brought about by the arrival of the Bannock Circus. Hosted by Andrew Rhynes, this episode delves deep into themes of tradition, conflict, and the struggle to maintain peace in a rapidly changing frontier town.

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Arrival of the Bannock Circus

The episode kicks off with Matt Dillon expressing his weariness of the monotonous heat in Dodge City. His conversation with Maggie Bannock (a strong-willed circus partner) sets the stage for the impending conflict. At [03:00], Dillon attempts to foster camaraderie by offering to buy Maggie a beer, highlighting his approachable nature despite the challenges of his role.

Quote:
Matt Dillon: “I thought maybe I could buy you a beer.” [02:58]

Conflict Over the Circus Permit

The tension escalates when Matt discovers that the Bannock Circus intends to perform in Dodge City without the necessary permits, a decision influenced by past violent incidents in towns like Hays City. At [05:53], Dillon firmly states his refusal to grant permission, citing safety concerns:

Quote:
Matt Dillon: “Mr. Conger, I'm responsible for the peace in Dodge City. And I'm not going to sign a permit for this circus to play here.” [05:53]

Maggie Bannock’s resilience surfaces as she defies Matt’s authority, emphasizing her strength and determination to bring entertainment to the town despite previous troubles.

Quote:
Maggie Bannock: “We take care of ourselves, Marshall. How?” [18:31]

Escalation of Tensions

As the circus sets up, the atmosphere in Dodge City becomes increasingly charged. Matt observes suspicious activities and decides to take proactive measures. At [19:36], Maggie suggests deputizing men to maintain order, but Dillon hesitates, aware of the potential for misuse of authority.

Quote:
Maggie Bannock: “Matt, why don't you deputize 10 or 15 men and take them out there to the circus? Stop the trouble before it starts.” [19:40]

Matt’s internal conflict is palpable as he grapples with maintaining peace without escalating the situation. His dialogue with Chester, a loyal associate, reflects his strategic approach to conflict resolution.

Quote:
Matt Dillon: “Doc, I like a circus as much as anybody.” **[16:20]

Climactic Confrontation

The episode reaches its peak when Maggie Bannock parades a Confederate flag, reigniting old tensions and symbolizing unresolved war traumas. At [17:17], Matt identifies the flag as the catalyst for impending trouble:

Quote:
Matt Dillon: “So that's it. That's where the trouble starts.” [17:17]

A dramatic showdown ensues as Maggie attempts to maintain her stance, leading to a tragic confrontation between her and Chester. The emotional weight of their dialogue underscores the personal costs of unhealed wounds from the past.

Quote:
Maggie Bannock: “I lost the last of my boys, Marshall. Jim was the last of them. Would you lay him out gently?” [26:35]

Resolution and Themes

In the aftermath, Matt reflects on the complexities of enforcing the law in a town fraught with emotional and historical baggage. The resolution sees Matt grappling with the loss of Chester, highlighting the theme of sacrifice inherent in his role as a marshal.

Quote:
Matt Dillon: “I will never put a flag of a kid, Jim.” [25:19]

The episode concludes with Matt burying the Confederate flag alongside Chester, symbolizing a tentative closure to the lingering conflicts and a hopeful step towards healing for Dodge City.

Quote:
Maggie Bannock: “You can bury the flag with him.” [26:37]

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Conclusion

"Wagon Show" masterfully blends tension, character depth, and moral dilemmas, illustrating the intricate balance Matt Dillon must maintain to uphold peace in Dodge City. Through engaging dialogue and poignant moments, the episode offers listeners a profound exploration of duty, loss, and the enduring spirit of the American West.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Matt Dillon: “I thought maybe I could buy you a beer.” [02:58]
• Matt Dillon: “Mr. Conger, I'm responsible for the peace in Dodge City. And I'm not going to sign a permit for this circus to play here.” [05:53]
• Maggie Bannock: “We take care of ourselves, Marshall. How?” [18:31]
• Maggie Bannock: “Matt, why don't you deputize 10 or 15 men and take them out there to the circus? Stop the trouble before it starts.” [19:40]
• Matt Dillon: “So that's it. That's where the trouble starts.” [17:17]
• Maggie Bannock: “I lost the last of my boys, Marshall. Jim was the last of them. Would you lay him out gently?” [26:35]
• Matt Dillon: “I will never put a flag of a kid, Jim.” [25:19]
• Maggie Bannock: “You can bury the flag with him.” [26:37]

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Themes and Insights

• Duty vs. Compassion: Matt Dillon’s unwavering commitment to maintaining order often puts him at odds with individuals like Maggie Bannock, highlighting the personal sacrifices made in service.
• Legacy of War: The Confederate flag symbolizes unresolved conflicts and the lingering impact of war on individuals and communities.
• Resilience and Change: Maggie Bannock embodies the spirit of resilience, striving to bring joy and tradition through her circus despite past tragedies.

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Gunsmoke serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities faced by those who serve on the frontier. Through rich storytelling and compelling character interactions, "Wagon Show" captures the essence of life in Dodge City and the perpetual struggle to balance law, order, and humanity.

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Thank you for joining us for this detailed summary of the "Wagon Show" episode of Gunsmoke. For more engaging Western dramas and old-time radio stories, visit OTRWesterns.com.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Matt Dillon]

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[Narrator]

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[Matt Dillon]

It even arrives with custom packaging and.

[Narrator]

A free gift shop.

[Matt Dillon]

The exclusive special edition [e-mail] bo6 that's mvmt.com bo6. Welcome to the Old Time Radio Westerns. I'm your host, Andrew Rines, and I'm excited to bring you another episode absolutely free. This episode is just one of over 80 episodes we release monthly. Now let's get into this episode. Around Dodge City and in the territory on west, there's just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers, and that's with a U.S. marshal and the smell of gun smoke. Guns for Starring William Conrad. The story of the violence that moved west with young America. And the story of a man who moved with it. I'm that man. Matt Dillon, United States Marshal, the first man they look for and the last they want to meet. It's a chancey job, and it makes a man watchful and a little lonely.

[Narrator]

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[Maggie Bannock]

Hi, Matt. Sam said you were waiting to see me.

[Matt Dillon]

Yeah, I thought maybe I could buy you a beer.

[Maggie Bannock]

Kitty, on a hot day like this, that'd go pretty good. You sit still, Matt. I'll get it.

[Matt Dillon]

All right.

[Maggie Bannock]

Where's Jesse?

[Matt Dillon]

Oh, he's hanging around down at Moss Grimmick's.

[Maggie Bannock]

I brought a picture full for you, just in case.

[Matt Dillon]

Well, thank you.

[Maggie Bannock]

Dog days, Matt. It's days like this I wish I was back in Kansas City.

[Matt Dillon]

Just as bad there.

[Maggie Bannock]

Well, at least there's something happening to keep your mind off it.

[Chester]

Mr. Dillon. Quick, come here.

[Matt Dillon]

Well, what is it, Chester?

[Chester]

There's an elephant out here in the street.

[Matt Dillon]

Oh. Oh, all right, Chester.

[Maggie Bannock]

Elephant right here on the plaza. I could use an elephant in the street today.

[Chester]

Ma'am, you already see it, Mr. Luton, doing tricks and everything.

[Matt Dillon]

Chester, will you get in out of the sun?

[Maggie Bannock]

He's gone.

[Matt Dillon]

You know, Chester sees things even on a Good day.

[Chester]

Oh. Hey, Matt, you in here?

[Matt Dillon]

Yeah, Doc, I'm in here.

[Chester]

That sun's so bright out there I can hardly see you, Matt.

[Matt Dillon]

Well, I'm in here, Doc. Now what do you want?

[Chester]

Well, I thought there's marsh around here. You'd be interested in knowing that there's an elephant out in the street.

[Matt Dillon]

Yeah, so I heard.

[Chester]

But it's true, Matt. It's really true.

[Maggie Bannock]

Well, I can't stand it any longer, Matt.

[Matt Dillon]

Neither can I, Kenny. All right, Doc. What's it really all about?

[Chester]

Heather. You'll see, Matt. You'll see.

[Matt Dillon]

Oh, well, I'll be. By golly, you're right, Doc. There is an elephant out here.

[Chester]

Yeah, he's advertising a circus. There. See him, Mr. Dillon? Right. Right over there.

[Maggie Bannock]

See him?

[Chester]

See him? See him? There.

[Matt Dillon]

See him?

[Chester]

Come on. I can't hardly wait, Mr. Dillon. That man with Jenny dared give me this hand. That's the elephant, Jenny.

[Matt Dillon]

Let me see the hand. Belt. Bannock's Grand International Circus and Menagerie. Bannock.

[Chester]

The show's going to be here tomorrow, Mr. Dillon. 2:00.

[Matt Dillon]

I'll be back in a minute.

[Chester]

Yeah, but Mr. Dillon. What's the matter with him? Miss Kitty.

[Matt Dillon]

Hey, mister, I'd like to talk to you.

[Chester]

Me?

[Matt Dillon]

Uh huh.

[Chester]

Oh, it's law, Jenny. Salute the marshal. Trunk up. That's the girl.

[Matt Dillon]

Ah, that's very fine. Very good.

[Chester]

I'm Jim Conger, Marshall. Maybe you heard of me. I used to be billed as a human fly. I could climb anything anywhere. But I got too old for it. Now I'm the best bull man There is.

[Matt Dillon]

Mr. Conger, are you with the Bannock show?

[Chester]

Yes, sir.

[Matt Dillon]

Now, you're planning to play here in Dodge?

[Chester]

Yep. Tomorrow. Rate at 10, show at 2. Of course, there no tickets needed for the law.

[Matt Dillon]

You have to have a permit to play in Dodge.

[Chester]

Well, we know that, Marshall. You wasn't in your office when I came looking for one.

[Matt Dillon]

Mr. Conger, I'm responsible for the peace in Dodge City. And I'm not going to sign a permit for this circus to play here.

[Chester]

Why is that, Marshall?

[Matt Dillon]

You know as well as I do. Why, for what happened in Hays City and a few other towns where that show is played, I don't want any riots here in Dodge.

[Chester]

Oh, you know about them things.

[Matt Dillon]

Two people were killed in Hays, weren't they?

[Chester]

Well, I reckon so. But Marshall, that don't say it would happen here.

[Matt Dillon]

I can't take that chance. Now you go on back to your boss and you tell him that I won't let you play Dodge.

[Chester]

Oh, I can't do that, Marshall.

[Matt Dillon]

Why not?

[Chester]

She wouldn't listen to me. She's a strong woman.

[Matt Dillon]

She?

[Chester]

Yeah. Maggie Bannock. She's my wife. Maggie is. She used to be known as Dainty Margarita, the strongest woman in the world.

[Matt Dillon]

Where?

[Chester]

Marshall, she could lift five men at one time when she was younger. Look, Mr. Conger, I'd rather not have to tell her what you said.

[Matt Dillon]

All right, Mr. Conger, you show me where I can find Maggie Bannock. Then I'll tell her.

[Narrator]

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[Chester]

You know, Mr. Dillon, when I was back in Texas and the weather got extra dry and it was hot and people begun getting on each other's touchbones more than usual, you know what happened now?

[Matt Dillon]

What?

[Chester]

Well, sir, just when it seemed like everything else had gone wrong, the circus had come to town.

[Matt Dillon]

Oh, Chester, what are you trying to say?

[Chester]

Well, back in Texas, after the circus had came and went, everything was different.

[Matt Dillon]

It was.

[Chester]

Oh, yes, sir. Somehow it didn't seem near so hot, nor so dry. And you even forgot what you was fighting with your friends about.

[Matt Dillon]

That's the way it worked in Texas, huh?

[Chester]

Yes, sir, it did.

[Matt Dillon]

Chester, I know it's been hot and Dodge has been Pretty dull. But this particular circus isn't going to help any.

[Chester]

Well, why?

[Matt Dillon]

Because there's trouble connected with this show.

[Chester]

What kind of trouble?

[Matt Dillon]

I don't really know, Chester, but two people got killed over in Hays and there's been trouble in other places.

[Chester]

Yes, sir.

[Matt Dillon]

Oh, there they are down by the creek.

[Chester]

Oh, Mr. Dillon, just look at that string of wagon, will you with it. Hey, looks to me like one of them is stuck in the creek bed.

[Matt Dillon]

Now come on, let's get down there.

[Maggie Bannock]

Come on, you Probate coy, will you all ain't going to use that. Another tea for the quieter.

[Chester]

All right, Maggie.

[Maggie Bannock]

Where many doors got visitors. Howdy, stranger.

[Matt Dillon]

Hello, ma'am.

[Maggie Bannock]

I'm Maggie Bannock, partner.

[Matt Dillon]

I'm Matt Dillon from Dodge City.

[Maggie Bannock]

Glad to know you, Dylan. You look like that other team we've been needing to move this wagon. You'll oblige, won't you?

[Matt Dillon]

Sure.

[Maggie Bannock]

How about Falstaff there, Chester?

[Matt Dillon]

Sure. Come on, give us a hand, Chester.

[Chester]

Mr. Dillon, you see what's in that Wiser.

[Maggie Bannock]

Oh, don't let that lion worry you, that's all. Terrible, Tom. He hasn't got a tooth in his head. Say, what are you, Dylan, a marshal?

[Matt Dillon]

Yes, ma'am. That's right, boys.

[Maggie Bannock]

We made the big time. I told you we would. Come on, Marshall, let's get that poor old cat out of that water.

[Matt Dillon]

All right, ma'am. Come on, Chester.

[Maggie Bannock]

All right, lamb. White bend horses now.

[Chester]

I got them, Maggie.

[Maggie Bannock]

Come on, boys, get your shoulders into it. All right now. Whistle up, lamb.

[Matt Dillon]

Here we go.

[Maggie Bannock]

I thought we could do it.

[Matt Dillon]

We can, ma'am. Chester, let me have that corner, huh?

[Chester]

That old lion Tory is watching me.

[Matt Dillon]

Yeah, he'll be more help where you can't see him. Get over there. That's it. All right, Maggie, here we go again.

[Maggie Bannock]

Well, I never thought I'd meet a Yankee, Marshall. But I guess you can't help being what you are.

[Matt Dillon]

Thanks, Maggie.

[Maggie Bannock]

You aren't leaving Dodge, are you? We're going to put on a show there tomorrow.

[Matt Dillon]

Well, that's what I came to talk to you about.

[Maggie Bannock]

Well, then talk, Maggie.

[Matt Dillon]

You can't bring your show to Dodge City.

[Maggie Bannock]

Say, you are a big time Marshall, aren't you?

[Matt Dillon]

Your performance in Hays left two people dead.

[Maggie Bannock]

They came looking for trouble and they got it, Marshall. Now get out of my way. I'm heading for dark.

[Matt Dillon]

Who started the trouble, Maggie?

[Maggie Bannock]

I told you who started it?

[Matt Dillon]

Over in Kinsley, too. And Atchison. Seems like trouble follows your show, Maggie.

[Maggie Bannock]

Now, why you got a big badge on you, Marshall? Why don't you figure it out for yourself? Let's go, boys.

[Matt Dillon]

Maggie, you're not gonna play dodge?

[Maggie Bannock]

All right, Marshall, we won't play dodge. That make you feel better? Move out, Lamb.

[Chester]

Seems like an awful determined lady, Mr. Dylan.

[Matt Dillon]

Yeah, well, I guess you have to be to run a circus, Justin. All right, come on, let's get back to town.

[Chester]

Yes, sir. Am I this way, mister? Don't. See, he's just afraid. I swear he'll just have his cellphit on my.

[Maggie Bannock]

Chester. Hello, Chester. Where's Matt, Miss Kitty?

[Chester]

He slept in this morning. I just ain't got the heart to wake him to this parade. I swear he's gonna have a conniption fit when he sees that lady's plan to go ahead with her circus.

[Maggie Bannock]

Well, that ought to wake him up if nothing else does.

[Chester]

Good morning, Kidd. Chester, where's the killjoy this morning?

[Maggie Bannock]

What you mean Matt? Chester says he's still sleeping.

[Matt Dillon]

Sleeping?

[Chester]

With this parade going by under his nose. Oh, and ain't it fine, Doc? Ain't it just fine?

[Matt Dillon]

Oh, look at the three of you. You look like three grubby little kids.

[Chester]

Mr. Dillman, I didn't know you was up.

[Matt Dillon]

When did it start, chester?

[Chester]

Oh, about 15 minutes ago. Jenny just went by with a big sign on her back saying circus had 2:00.

[Matt Dillon]

Why didn't you come and wake me up?

[Chester]

Well, I just don't know, Ms. Dylan.

[Matt Dillon]

You kind of go to pieces around the circus, don't you?

[Maggie Bannock]

Ch most people do. Matt.

[Chester]

It looks to me like you didn't.

[Maggie Bannock]

Scare that circus owner too bad, Matt.

[Chester]

And I don't mind admitting that I'm glad not enjoy a little innocent entertainment for change.

[Matt Dillon]

Innocent document, Circus takes. All the entertainment you're gonna get will be mending heads.

[Maggie Bannock]

Oh man, look at all the people on the street. Word spread all over the county. I bet people come from miles around for this. Why would they make trouble?

[Matt Dillon]

I don't know, Kitty, but there must be something that sets them off. It's happened too many times. Doc, Doc, look at that clown.

[Chester]

He jumping right under the heels of them horses.

[Maggie Bannock]

Yeah, but look.

[Chester]

Watch all on the horses. Ever seen anything like that in pink tights before?

[Matt Dillon]

Oh my.

[Chester]

Well, I do. And you should too. It's good red blooded fun. Oh, look at those pink human.

[Matt Dillon]

Doc, I have to admit there's something mighty fine about hearing the music and seeing those animals and the clowns.

[Maggie Bannock]

Are you sure it's the clowns?

[Chester]

Man, look at that man, Miss. Standing on four horses at one time. I'M going to try that.

[Maggie Bannock]

Hey, you have enough trouble with one horse.

[Chester]

Well, I declare, I feel like I could do it, Miss. Kidding. They are mad. You see, there's the magic of the circus. A country boy like Kirsty can suddenly ride four horses and whether he ever does or not doesn't make any difference at all.

[Matt Dillon]

Yeah, sure, Doc.

[Chester]

Now you're going to take that away from the hard working people of this county.

[Matt Dillon]

Doc, I like a circus as much as anybody.

[Chester]

Well, improve it. Don't try to stop it.

[Matt Dillon]

You're not changing my mind.

[Chester]

Oh, stubborn, that's what you are.

[Matt Dillon]

I may be.

[Chester]

The way I see it, Matt, you will have a riot on your hands if you do stuff. Mr. Dillon, look coming around the corner. Ms. Bannock riding a big white horse and. Oh, looky there. What she's got. She's carrying a Confederate flag.

[Matt Dillon]

So that's it. That's where the trouble starts.

[Maggie Bannock]

Well, what are you gonna do, Matt? Good morning, Marshall.

[Matt Dillon]

Dylan.

[Maggie Bannock]

It's a fine day for a circus, isn't it?

[Matt Dillon]

Hold up, Maggie. I want to talk to you. I said hold up.

[Maggie Bannock]

Let go that bridal Marshal. There's no law says we can't have the circus outside the town limits.

[Matt Dillon]

That's not what's bothering me now, Maggie. It's that flag.

[Maggie Bannock]

Oh, that even bothers the law, don't it?

[Matt Dillon]

That's not what I mean.

[Maggie Bannock]

This flag is all I got left, Marshall. My son's died holding it high since then. I swore I'd hold it for them. No Yankee yet has told me I had to burn it. Are you going to?

[Matt Dillon]

I'm not telling you to burn it. I'm just saying you shouldn't parade it through Kansas.

[Maggie Bannock]

I do what I want, Marshal. Whether it be Dodge City, Kansas or Atlanta, Georgia. Let go of that bridle.

[Matt Dillon]

All right. But if you keep showing that flag, I can't be responsible for what happens to you or your men.

[Maggie Bannock]

We take care of ourselves, Marshall. How?

[Chester]

What are you going to do about it, Mr. Dylan?

[Matt Dillon]

Hope I'm wrong? Chester, that's about all I can do right now.

[Narrator]

How do you feel when you switch to Geico and save on your car insurance? It's like going to work on one Thursday morning and thinking to yourself, just one more day until Friday. But then somebody in the elevator says, happy Friday. Then you check your phone quickly and discover today is actually Friday. So yes, Happy Friday. Random stranger in the elevator. Happy Friday indeed. Yep, switching and saving with Geico feels just like that. Get more with Geico.

[Maggie Bannock]

Well, another hour and the circus will be starting. Matt.

[Matt Dillon]

Yeah?

[Chester]

There's one thing in your favor, Matt.

[Matt Dillon]

I'm glad to hear that, Doc. What is it?

[Chester]

Yeah. We've been in the long branch almost an hour, and I don't think more than 10 or 12 men have been in for a drink.

[Matt Dillon]

That'll help some.

[Maggie Bannock]

Where's Chester?

[Matt Dillon]

Oh, I imagine he's watering the elephant by now.

[Maggie Bannock]

Matt, why don't you deputize 10 or 15 men and take them out there to the circus? Stop the trouble before it starts.

[Matt Dillon]

I thought of that, Kitty, but it won't work.

[Maggie Bannock]

Why not?

[Matt Dillon]

Do I put guns in the hands of 15 Yankees or 15 Southerners?

[Chester]

This is it, boys. Last chance to weather your bathroom before.

[Matt Dillon]

Hey, Barky.

[Chester]

How about some service here?

[Matt Dillon]

We're in a hurry.

[Chester]

We got something to do, ain't we, boys?

[Matt Dillon]

You stay here, Kenny. I'll talk to him.

[Chester]

Yeah, boys, look at here.

[Matt Dillon]

The circus lover himself. Baxter, I want to know why you're dressed that way. His little old Confederate coat, Marshal. What do you care? I've never seen you wear any part of your uniform before.

[Chester]

Ain't had reason to wear it since the war ended.

[Matt Dillon]

Then why did they?

[Chester]

Ain't you heard? This is my passport to the circus.

[Matt Dillon]

All us Johnny Ribbs. Maggie lets us in free as long as we got a piece of old uniform on. A piece of uniform and a gun. Is that your ticket to the circus, Marshall? You're making a big thing out of this. We just come in for some drink. The long branches closed, Baxter. Since when? Since just now. Your boys have had enough to drink. Just drinking our way out to the circus, Marshall.

[Chester]

You ain't going to try to kill that one, too, are you?

[Matt Dillon]

And what is that supposed to mean? Why, the whole town knows how you tried to keep the circus from playing.

[Chester]

People are saying you're stepping outside your duties, Marshall. Ain't that right, boys?

[Matt Dillon]

You saying it, too, Baxter?

[Chester]

Yeah, I'm saying it, too. Only difference is I'm saying it this way.

[Matt Dillon]

Now, does anybody else want to try me?

[Chester]

Get him, boy. He's just another dank old Yankee. Come on, Yankee.

[Matt Dillon]

Now, the next man that makes a move, I'll shoot him in the leg. All right, start walking, all of you. Walking.

[Chester]

Where?

[Matt Dillon]

To? Jail.

[Chester]

Marshall, you can't lock us up. We're going to the circus.

[Matt Dillon]

No, you're not. You're going to jail.

[Maggie Bannock]

For what?

[Chester]

We ain't done nothing.

[Matt Dillon]

Doc, these men look drunk to me. What do you think?

[Chester]

Never seen anything worse. What are you talking about?

[Matt Dillon]

All right, you men. The doctor says you're drunk. Now start walking.

[Chester]

Hey, Jenny, you want a piece of this apple? There. You hear that, Jenny? That was my music from a climbing act back in the old days. Yes, sir. I'd go in there and climb that center pole faster than any man in the business. Jenny, you're the only woman I ever loved outside of Maggie here. That's more apple, huh? Come on.

[Matt Dillon]

Jim.

[Chester]

Oh, howdy, Marshall. Didn't know anyone was around. Suppose you heard me talking to Jenny here.

[Matt Dillon]

Yeah, I heard.

[Chester]

Jim, you probably think I'm kind of crazy.

[Matt Dillon]

I know. I thought. Jim, look, I need your help. That crowd's getting mean in there and I gotta slow him down.

[Chester]

I know, Marshall. He hangs that flag off the top of that tennis pole and then they fight the war all over again. Maybe if Maggie had had sons in the war, she would have let it end properly.

[Matt Dillon]

What? She told me her sons died.

[Chester]

No, no, no, Marshall. We never had no children. We always wanted some. When the war came along, Maggie went in as a nurse. She saw a lot of the boys die, and each one was just like her own. And she just never got over it.

[Matt Dillon]

So that's it.

[Chester]

Look, what can I do, Marshall? This thing's got to stop. I tried to tell Maggie, but she just won't listen to me.

[Matt Dillon]

Well, I'll tell you what you can do, Jim. You can find me six men that think the way you do and have them meet me by the main tent right away. Now, do you men understand what I want you to do?

[Chester]

Yeah. They got it, Marshall. They cut the rope when you give the word. That car is getting meaner every minute.

[Matt Dillon]

Yeah. All right, then. You men go on before it's too late.

[Chester]

What do you want me to do?

[Matt Dillon]

You just follow me and do what I said.

[Chester]

Where are you going?

[Matt Dillon]

In there.

[Chester]

All right, I'll go, too, Marshall.

[Matt Dillon]

Well, that's the start of it. Come on, Chester. All right, listen to me. Just require a couple of rounds in the air. Now, everybody settle down. Quiet.

[Maggie Bannock]

Now, I'll show you. Keep out of this. Damn the IK start into trouble.

[Matt Dillon]

Listen, everybody. I've got men stationed around outside this tent. If any man leaves his seat before the show's over, I'll have him cut the ropes and drop the tent.

[Maggie Bannock]

Don't let him buffalo you. He wouldn't dare, Aggie.

[Matt Dillon]

I will if you make me keep.

[Chester]

That flag up there that's causing all his trouble. I'm going to bring you down.

[Maggie Bannock]

No, Jim. You fall.

[Matt Dillon]

Mr. Dillon.

[Maggie Bannock]

Mr. Dillon.

[Chester]

Looked at him climb that pole. Jim.

[Matt Dillon]

Jim, I'll try it. Jim.

[Maggie Bannock]

Please.

[Matt Dillon]

Please, Jim.

[Maggie Bannock]

You can't climb no more. I'm doing it.

[Matt Dillon]

Maggie.

[Chester]

Look here, Maggie.

[Maggie Bannock]

I got it. I got your flag, Maggie. War. The war's over.

[Matt Dillon]

Stand back, Justin. You take it easy, Jim. It's all right now.

[Maggie Bannock]

Jim. Jim. Oh, my poor Jim. Why did you try?

[Chester]

Maggie, darling, I. I had to. You wouldn't let the war end. But how will it?

[Maggie Bannock]

Jim, don't die. I will. I promise. I'll never put a flag of a kid, Jim.

[Chester]

Maggie. I'm sorry.

[Matt Dillon]

Maggie.

[Maggie Bannock]

I lost the last of my boys, Marshall. Jim was the last of them. Would you lay him out gently?

[Matt Dillon]

Yes, ma'am.

[Maggie Bannock]

Chester and Marshall. You can bury the flag with him.

[Narrator]

How do you feel when you switch to GEICO and save on your car insurance? It's like going to work on one Thursday morning and thinking to yourself, just one more day until Friday. But then somebody in the elevator says, happy Friday. Then you check your phone quickly and discover today is actually Friday. So, yes, Happy Friday. Random stranger in the elevator. Happy Friday, indeed. Yep, switching and saving with GEICO feels just like that. Get more with Geico.

[Matt Dillon]

Gun Smoke produced into directed by Norman McDonald stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, US Marshal. The story was specially written for Gunsmoke by Tom Hanley with editorial supervision by John Meston. CBS Radio is proud to announce that effective with today's programs, seven new stations have joined the network. They are stations WKMH Detroit, WKMF Flint, WKHM Jackson, WHLS Port Huron, WLEW Bad Axe and WSGW Saginaw, all in Michigan, and station WTOD in Toledo, Ohio. More listeners than ever in the Midwest are now able to enjoy the superior programming of CBS Radio. This is George Walsh inviting you to join us again next week for another story on gun Smoke.

[Chester]

Latest news follows.

[Matt Dillon]

Then Mitch Miller on the CBS Radio Network. This has been a presentation of OTRWesterns.com and we hope you enjoyed. Please take some time to like and rate our shows in your favorite podcast application. Follow us on Facebook by going to otrwesterns.com Facebook subscribe to our YouTube channel by going to otrwesterns.Com YouTube and send us an email podcasttrwesterns.com you can call and leave us a voicemail. 707-986-8739. This episode is copyright under the Attribution Non Commercial Sharelike Copyright. For more information go to otrwesterns.com copyright have a great day and thanks for listening.

[Narrator]

How do you feel when you switch to Geico and save on your car insurance. It's like going to work on one Thursday morning and thinking to yourself, just one more day until Friday. But then somebody in the elevator says, Happy Friday. Then you check your phone quickly and discover today is actually Friday. So yes, Happy Friday. Random stranger in the elevator. Happy Friday indeed. Yep, switching and saving with Geico feels just like that. Get more with Geico.