Mark Dillon Goes To Gough Eye {Howard Culver} | Gunsmoke (07-13-49)

Summary

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Episode Overview

Podcast: Old Time Radio Westerns
Host: Andrew Rhynes
Episode: Mark Dillon Goes to Gough Eye {Howard Culver} | Gunsmoke (07-13-49)
Release Date: February 5, 2026

This episode transports listeners to the rugged world of 1949’s “Gunsmoke,” following Marshal Mark Dillon as he navigates the dangerous and duplicitous landscape of Gao Jai, a sister town to Dodge City. Called upon to resolve the case of a potentially crooked roulette wheel—and soon, a murder—Dillon becomes embroiled in an intricate web of deceit, crime, and betrayal, encountering lost souls, desperate gamblers, and double-crossers vying for survival in the Old West.

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Key Discussion Points & Plot Progression

1. Arrival in Dodge City & The Mission

• Marshal Mark Dillon introduces Dodge as a tough frontier town, with its mix of lawlessness and new beginnings.
• [02:44] Tamar Contuarius, a schoolteacher and the wife of renowned gambler Rafael Contruarius, asks Dillon to investigate crooked dealings at her husband's casino, the White Buffalo, in Gao Jai.

“These towns could use more people like you.”
— Mark Dillon to Tamar [04:03]

2. The Call to Gao Jai & Threats Begin

• Dillon agrees to check out the situation in Gao Jai. He is ambushed upon arrival—threatened and pistol-whipped by a man known as Booth (the man in the beaded jacket) and his mute associate Harold.
• Gao Jai is depicted as even grittier than Dodge City, described as a “painted, skinny hag.”
• Dillon regains consciousness and enters the White Buffalo, meeting Tamar, a seductive guitar-strumming woman with a mysterious past.

“If Dodge City had a sister, this was it.”
— Mark Dillon [04:27]

3. Inside the White Buffalo: The Crooked Wheel

• Dillon confronts Rafael Contruarius about rumors of cheating. Contruarius denies involvement, blaming losses on somebody else controlling the wheel.
• Dillon meets Greg Hagen, the slick croupier, and observes suspicious behavior at the roulette table involving Booth and Harold—using a planted blue chip to cheat the casino.
• Dillon follows Booth, nearly getting killed in a gunfight. He is wounded and passes out.

4. The Murder & The Suspects

• [12:00 – 13:28] Dillon wakes up in a cottonwood clearing, cared for by Tamar. Contruarius, her husband, has been murdered with a shot to the forehead.
• Tamar insists she did not kill her husband, claiming someone shot him in the chaos after Dillon was wounded.
• Suspicion swirls around all central players: Tamar, Booth, Greg Hagen, and even Mrs. Contruarius.

5. Wagon Ride & Small Town Funeral

• Mrs. Contruarius discovers her husband’s body and stages a small, deeply emotional funeral, using black ostrich plumes and solemn fanfare for the benefit of the Indian children she serves.
• Dillon realizes during the funeral that the gunshot wound on Contruarius’ forehead bears powder burns—a sign of a close-range killing.

“Somewhere on that long wagon ride back to town, Mrs. Contruarius squeezed a tear onto her cheek. Just one tear. But for her it was a major emotion.”
— Mark Dillon [18:37]

6. The Doctor’s Visit & Further Discoveries

• Dillon receives medical help from Greg Hagen, discovering Greg’s past as a doctor disbarred for malpractice—hinting at deeper connections and possible motivations.
• Dillon confronts Mrs. Contruarius and reveals his suspicions, stating his determination to bring the killer to justice.

7. Exposing the Crooked Game

• [24:36 – 26:16] In the White Buffalo, Tamar and Greg are observed running the rigged roulette wheel and working as a team, cheating patrons for huge sums.
• Booth, the beaded-jacketed killer, is also drawn into their circle as they plan one final explosive spin of the wheel.

8. Showdown: Betrayals & Justice

• During the dramatic final spin, Booth betrays Greg, shooting him after a double-cross at the roulette table.
• Booth flees with Tamar but is hunted down by Dillon, despite the marshal’s wounded shooting arm.
• In the dawn showdown, Dillon, using his left hand, outdraws Booth and ends the threat.

“You laugh too easy, Booth, like you kill too easy.”
— Mark Dillon [28:29]

9. The Truth About Tamar & Resolution

• Dillon confronts Tamar with the evidence: powder burns prove she killed Contruarius at close range.
• He gives her a choice: face trial or be left to Mrs. Contruarius’ justice.
• Tamar, desperate and defeated, resorts to angry pleading and curses Dillon in multiple languages, but the marshal remains resolute.

“You murdered a man, Tamar. You killed Contwarius.”
— Mark Dillon [30:18]

• Dillon reflects on the dust of the country and the bitter, lonely duty of lawmen, as he prepares to return to Dodge City.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Character Insight & Atmosphere

• On Dodge City:
  “It’s a place to stop and take the kind of pleasure you need. It’s a place to pass through. And sometimes it’s a place to die.”
  — Mark Dillon [02:06]

• On Gao Jai:
  “If Dodge City had a sister, this was it. I rode up to the White Buffalo, started to tie my horse to a hitching post whittled to the shape of a Pawnee girl. When suddenly the gun in my back told me I wasn't alone.”
  — Mark Dillon [04:27]

Key Interactions

• Tamar’s Motive:
  “Money don’t just mean money to me. It means books for Indian kids and writin stuff. Slates and all.”
  — Tamar Contuarius [03:45]

• Dillon’s Disillusionment:
  “You know, it would grieve me if… I had to part with it.”
  — Rafael Contuarius [07:37]

• Tamar’s Seduction and Betrayal:
  “She put her arms around my neck and her lips close to my ear… In English, then in Spanish, then in Cherokee and in a language I couldn’t recognize, she whispered at me every foul name in the book. She was talented. She didn’t repeat herself once.”
  — Mark Dillon [30:52]

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Content / Event | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:06 | Dillon Arrives | Describes Dodge City, sets atmosphere | | 02:44 | Tamar’s Appeal | Tamar Contuarius seeks Dillon’s help | | 04:27 | Dillon Arrives at Gao Jai | Ambushed by Booth and Harold, deserted town description | | 06:32 | Meeting Tamar | First encounter at the White Buffalo | | 08:07 | Suspecting Greg Hagen | Discussion about cheating wheel | | 10:46 | Gunfight with Booth | Dillon is ambushed, wounded, and blacks out | | 13:28 | Wakes up, Discovers Murder | Contruarius is revealed dead; suspicion turns to Tamar | | 18:37 | Emotional Funeral Scene | Mrs. Contruarius’s unique grieving process | | 24:36 | Confronting the Crooked Wheel | Dillon catches Tamar and Greg cheating | | 26:16 | The Final Scheme | Tamar, Booth, and Greg plan one last spin—tension peaks | | 27:04 | Double-cross and Gunplay | Booth shoots Greg, flees with Tamar | | 28:29 | Dillon Confronts Booth (Shootout) | Dramatic left-handed duel at dawn | | 30:18 | Dillon Accuses Tamar | Reveals the powder burns; Tamar’s final curses | | 32:24 | Reflective Denouement | Dillon rides home, concludes his thoughts on duty and justice |

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Closing Tone & Thematic Resonance

The episode’s original writing, soundscape, and performances create a vivid, tense, and emotionally complex Western drama. It examines the clash between law and chaos, the corrupting lure of easy money, and the melancholy resolve of a solitary marshal. Dillon’s encounters reveal both the beauty and brutality of the “untamed frontier,” while his refusal to compromise justice resonates with a bittersweet, world-weary tone befitting the golden age of radio.

“On the way back to Dodge City, I came across a cottonwood clearing I'd never noticed before... For a long time after that, I thought about Tamar... They’d given her her guitar, but I knew she wouldn’t be singing much longer. The rest of the way home, the country was dust.”
— Mark Dillon [30:52–32:24]

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This episode of Old Time Radio Westerns offers a gripping, immersive story of cunning, betrayal, and hard-won justice, beautifully restored and told for today’s listeners.

Transcript

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[Andrew Rines]

Welcome to the Old Time Radio Westerns. I'm your host, Andrew Rines and I'm excited to bring you another episode. This is one of over 80 episodes released monthly. For your enjoyment, you can find more western shows at our website by going to otrwesterns.com now let's get into this episode.

[Narrator]

Gunsmoke. Gunsmoke. The story of the violence that moved westward with young America. The story of one man who moved with it. Mark Dillon, United States Marshal.

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[Mark Dillon]

They all drifted here to Dodge City one time or another. The buffalo killers. The saddle bums. The spoilers. It's the end of the track and the start of the wilderness. The dumping ground of odds and ends and beginnings and leftovers. It's a place to stop and take the kind of pleasure you need. It's a place to pass through. And sometimes it's a place to die. My part of it was a sun baked shack, rent paid by the United States government and a marshal's badge furnished free. I was at the window watching the heat plump itself with Kansas dust and roll in towards the town when the door opened.

[Tamar Contuarius]

My name Dylan. You the United States Marshal?

[Mark Dillon]

She was about 50. Poke bonnet green and dress, beaded Indian moccasins for shoes.

[Tamar Contuarius]

He said there was a steady marshal here in Dodge City. Been living for six months running.

[Mark Dillon]

They've been lying to you. Four months.

[Tamar Contuarius]

They say you and your gun can break a man's heart at 50 yards.

[Mark Dillon]

What's on your mind?

[Tamar Contuarius]

Want you to saddle up and get down to Gao Jai.

[Mark Dillon]

Why?

[Tamar Contuarius]

My husband, he owns the White Buffalo there. Roulette music, drinks. They say the roulette wheel's crooked.

[Mark Dillon]

I tell you what to do. There's a fella here in Dodge City named Sin Killer Stokes. Saves souls by the bushel. Trumpet playing and everything. You tell Sin Killer about your husband, Gouge I.

[Tamar Contuarius]

They kill a man who runs a crooked wheel. I don't want my husband dead.

[Mark Dillon]

Well, look, ma', am, I don't even know Contrarius.

[Tamar Contuarius]

That's my name.

[Mark Dillon]

Yeah, well, Mrs. Contuirius, you don't need a marshal. You need an honest husband.

[Tamar Contuarius]

He's no more crooked than you are. He was. I wouldn't take none of his money.

[Mark Dillon]

Sure.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Don't sure me, Marshall. Money don't just mean money to me. It means books for Indian kids and writin stuff. Slates and all.

[Mark Dillon]

Oh, a missionary, me, with a gambler.

[Tamar Contuarius]

And a philanderer and a toper for her husband. Teach Indian kids. Teach them to behave. And a little learning, that's all.

[Mark Dillon]

That's good work, ma'. Am. These towns could use more people like you.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Don't sniff around me. Marshals are supposed to mean law and order and the rights of decent people. Gaje could use some of that. You coming? Or do I have to ride my mule some more?

[Mark Dillon]

Ride it back to Gao Jai. I'll be along.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Make it soon, Marshal. There'll be a convulsion down there if you don't.

[Mark Dillon]

It was night when the town of Gao Jai loomed out of the wilderness and beckoned to me like a painted skinny hag. If Dodge City had a sister, this was it. I rode up to the white buffalo, started to tie my horse to a hitching post, whittled to the shape of a Pawnee girl. When suddenly the gun in my back told me I wasn't alone. You won't like it here in Gao Jai, Marshal. Pretty as it is. You won't like it. No, no. Don't turn around, Marshall. I'm shy. Immodest. I embarrass easy. Isn't that so, Harold? See, Harold thinks it so. Harold had his tongue clipped. Apaches. Maybe it was too long. That's not a genteel thing to say to Harold Marshall. He takes offense easy. I'm new here. Back in Dodge City, the etiquette's a little more formal. And go back to Dodge. We're happy here in Gao Jai. Like little birds. You could spoil it. I was invited. Special invitation. Yeah. Well, the dance is over now, Harold. Now. I told you you wouldn't like it in Gao Jai, Marsh. When I opened my eyes, I was in gouge eyes. Dirt. I knew I'd never forget that voice and that crazy giggle. I picked myself up and waited till the town stopped its dizzy dance. On its third time around, I spotted a horse trough and stuck my head in it to get Rid of the blood on my face, I finally pushed my bones through the swinging doors of the White Buffalo. A girl leaned against the bar, strumming a guitar. Black hair, slender. Something profane and exquisite was distilled into her features. She watched me across the room and when she spoke, it was as if she hadn't put singing.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Buenos marches, chico.

[Mark Dillon]

Evening.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Oh, a marshal. A marshal with a cut face and a muddy bed. You buy girls drinks, Marshall.

[Mark Dillon]

Here's a buck. Buy yourself one. Where can I find the owner?

[Tamar Contuarius]

Over there by the poker table.

[Mark Dillon]

Which one?

[Tamar Contuarius]

The goatee in Pompadour.

[Mark Dillon]

Thanks.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Come back to me, chico. They call me Tamar.

[Mark Dillon]

Tamar, huh? Maybe I will. Your name? Contwarius. Oh, the marshal from Dodge City. You already have the look of a large headache, senor. Yeah. Someone else besides you and your wife was expecting me. Muy mal. Too bad it wasn't good. So I see. But I am glad you have come, Senor Marco. Come look around. See my place. I have a magnificent establishment here.

[Tamar Contuarius]

No.

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Mark Dillon]

No.

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Mark Dillon]

You know, it would grieve me if.

[Narrator]

I had to part with it.

[Mark Dillon]

It'd grieve Mrs. Contuarius more and for a better reason. Senora Contuarius hates it how I get my money. But she takes it for the Indian children. Looks like that takes plenty, no. Every day my wheel loses money. Somebody is swindling me. This somebody I swear it, I will kill dead. If your wife hinted it might be you who'd be killed dead. No one has killed me yet. This I tell myself and it makes me happy. Yeah. Well, let's have a look at this wheelie. Ors.

[Narrator]

Of course.

[Mark Dillon]

Follow me. You see, I have also Pharaoh dies girl, dancing girl and the finest little west of the Mississippi. I will introduce you to him. Greg.

[Narrator]

Senor.

[Mark Dillon]

Una momento. William will take your place. Yes. Mr. Greg Hagen, the best couper in the territory. Greg, I want you to meet Mark Dillon, Marshal of the United States of America. I've heard your name Dylan. You're from Dodge City lately? From there. Go count your chips. Contarius. Hagen and I want to talk. Yes. I leave you gentlemen alone. We want to talk. Marshall. Yeah. Rumor has it the wheel's rigged. Mrs. Contouirs tell you to ask? Maybe. Well, is it? Look, Marshal Contwarius is my friend. Still a croupier's in a mighty good spot to double cross the house. Marshall, I already told you. Contouirious is my friend. Sorry, I made a mistake. No hard feelings? Plenty hard feelings. I think I like it. Better back at the table. Look around yourself, Marshall. So I did. Mostly I hang around the roulette table. As far as I could see, the wheel was given the house and the customers an even break. Just about the time I was ready to go out and find Contreras again. Two new players wandered up to the crowded table. One in a beaded jacket, the other a silent hulk of a man. They didn't seem to be together or even know each other. On the next spin, the ball fell into 29, bounced out, rolled around 13. And finally settled in double O. Just as it did, Beaded Jacket reached out and put a hundred dollar bill on double oh. Greg Hagen, the croupier, looked up. I'm sorry, mister. You placed your bet after the ball settled. The house can't accept. I had that hundred dollars down before you started to spin. Ask anybody. I had it down. I want to chat the people. I'm telling you, I had it down. Look, mister, your bet wasn't legitimate. The house recommends you take your money and get out. He did. Fast. Too fast. In another second, I knew the reason why. When Beaded Jacket picked up the bill, there was a blue chip under it on double O. And the house paid off to the silent hulk. I knew I'd heard Be Jacket's voice before when I first hit town. So I moved fast. I got out of the casino just in time to see Be Jacket disappear around the corner. I took it easy, polite and easy. The bullet nubbed the dust at my feet. I ducked into the shadows and whipped out my guns. The flash had come from a narrow passageway between two buildings. I'm in this alley. Marshall, run in and get me. Wait right there.

[Tamar Contuarius]

I'm waiting.

[Mark Dillon]

I'll strike a match. I want to see your face when it happens to you. Try me. No, no, you shoot first. You'll miss, you know that, Marshal? But I won't. Because your gun flash will tell me where you are. Real clever. That was clever what you did back at the White Buffalo. Honest injured. Tell me about it. You and your friend. That was Harold, huh? The giggle with a talent for pistol whipping. Tell me all about it. You throw down a hundred dollar bill with a blue chip underneath it. After the ball drops, you get yourself thrown out. Harold, who never made a bet at all, collects 35 to 1. Oh, did Harold do that? Did you do that, Harold? And there he was, framed in the entrance of the alley. I was caught between him, Beaded Jacket, and a mute called Harold. The big guns in Harold's hands turned over and over his face held all the evil in the world. You're right, Harold. Take him. He was shooting waist high along the wall, and he was getting close. There was only one thing to do, and I couldn't miss. You shot Harold Marshall. That was your mistake. I opened my eyes. I was in a place I'd never been before. Kind of Cottonwood clearing. I eased the wound in my shoulder. From across a smoldering campfire, I saw her. Tamar. The morning sun lighted up the features of a man at her feet. Senor Rafael Ramon Jose Contuarius. The bullet hole in his forehead gave him an extra flourish. Now it was Senor Rafael Ramon Jose Contuirius, deceased. And the girl named Tamar was singing a love song.

[Narrator]

Back to gun smoke in just a Moment.

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[Mark Dillon]

Get that AMEX Gold Card ready. I'm too tired to cook.

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[Narrator]

Combining modern detective methods with secrets of the mysterious east, the Green Llama offers CBS listeners a new thrill. Now on Sundays, once he has heard of a crime or an injustice, Jethro Dumont, a wealthy young American just returned from 10 years in Tibet, brings into play his quick wit and knowledge of illusion to thwart the evildoers. Join him Sundays as he continues his fight against crime on this side of the Pacific. Wearing green the color of Tibetan justice. Aided by Tulku, his trusted lieutenant, the Green Llama is a feature presentation of most of these same CBS station. Now back to Mark Dillon, United States Marshal and Gunsmoke.

[Mark Dillon]

When they pinned a marshal's badge on me, they said I had a job to do. This morning my job was a man with a bullet hole in his forehead and a marshal with a wound in his shoulder. The dead man was Rafael Ramon Jose Contuarius. And the marshal was me. And there was a girl named Tamar.

[Tamar Contuarius]

You have slept long, chico, without dreams.

[Mark Dillon]

How do you know there were no dreams, Tamar?

[Tamar Contuarius]

Because I saw death give you a little piece of himself any other way. I need to.

[Mark Dillon]

Yeah. I'm lucky. How did I get here?

[Tamar Contuarius]

Brought you here. The wagon over there in the borough. You are muy lakhicu. The bullet was for your heart, but it spent itself in your shoulder. It was not your time to die.

[Mark Dillon]

But it was Contuarius time to die, huh?

[Tamar Contuarius]

Perhaps his grave has been empty too long.

[Mark Dillon]

And you knew him well, see? You knew him well enough to kill him.

[Tamar Contuarius]

I did not kill him in your. Contus was my protection.

[Mark Dillon]

What did he protect you from? Himself.

[Tamar Contuarius]

I like your mouth better when it is gentle, Cho.

[Mark Dillon]

Then who did kill him?

[Tamar Contuarius]

I do not know. While we were here trying to help you, a bullet came out of the darkness and found cons.

[Mark Dillon]

How come you picked this place?

[Tamar Contuarius]

It is a place in your contew.

[Mark Dillon]

Ah, like that, huh?

[Tamar Contuarius]

It is a place where Senor Booth would not look for you if he knew you were still alive.

[Mark Dillon]

Booth. So that's his name. The man in the beaded jacket. How come he didn't finish me?

[Tamar Contuarius]

When we heard the shots, Senor Contuarius and I ran out of the white buffalo. I persuaded Senor Booth.

[Mark Dillon]

Booth persuades easy.

[Tamar Contuarius]

He persuades dizzy. For Tomas, the shots were heard. People came. General Booth does not like too much attention.

[Mark Dillon]

Well, he's gonna get all a mind tomorrow, undivided.

[Tamar Contuarius]

I don't advise it, chico. If you live, go back to Dodge City. If you die, die in Dodge City. Oh, wait. The senior contrary is in the burro car. Where is he? Where is he? Answer me, woman. Answer me. There, senor, behind the marshal. The marshal. Hello, marshal. They said you'd been killed. Get up, C.W. get up.

[Mark Dillon]

He's. He's dead, man.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Oh. Shouldn't be lying here on the cold ground. I'll lift him up into the car. I will help you, Samira. If you so much as touch him, I'll kill you. Come along. Go, Clarisse.

[Mark Dillon]

You're pretty strong to lift him yourself. I've done it before.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Your head muscle.

[Mark Dillon]

I'll be all right.

[Tamar Contuarius]

You can come too, if you want. Take you back to town.

[Mark Dillon]

Look, ma', am, I'm sorry about.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Sorry? You should never have left Dodge City. All it got me was a dead husband.

[Mark Dillon]

Get in. Somewhere on that long wagon ride Back to town. Mrs. Kentuarius. We squeezed a tear onto her cheek. Just one tear. But for her it was a major emotion. The sun was doing its best to char the wood frame buildings when we hit Gao Jai. She drove past the White Buffalo to the far edge of town. Pulled up at a tar paper shack.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Here we are. Michael.

[Mark Dillon]

Why bring me here just so I could pick my own gutter? Why didn't you leave me in the cottonwoods to die?

[Tamar Contuarius]

That door. The shack door right over there. Try it.

[Mark Dillon]

All right, ma'.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Am.

[Mark Dillon]

Yeah. Well, Marshall, I heard you were dead. You're hurt. Come on in. Thanks. Who sent you here? Mrs. Contwarius. Better cut away that shirt. Why'd she send me here, Greg? Not neat, Marshall. Not neat at all. Lie here, Greg. Lie still. I'll get content. You haven't answered my question. I do things with my hands, Marshall. Spin roulette with you. They strike bullets between spins. You a doc? Yeah. My doc was at a shingle. Nice shiny one. And they said I couldn't have it anymore. Malpractice, they said it. What you looking at? That roulette wheel on the table over there. Don't you get enough practice at the White Buffalo? Don't strain yourself, Marshall. I won't. I'm not too much alive, but I once knew a croupier clever enough to spin the wheel so that the ball would drop in any slot he wanted. That could be pretty hard to prove, wouldn't it, Marshall? Yeah, it would. Now you want that wound fixed? Uh huh. I'll bite my lip real hard. Do that Marshall. It's a nice pose. I bit my lip, but all I got was a pain in my mouth. And I didn't need that. There was enough pain. It started when Greg put a scalpel against my shoulder. And it went on from there. It went on for a long time. Finally everything gathered into focus. Keep that bandage dry, Marshall. You'll be all right. Thanks doc. What's your fee? This bullet, the one I took out of you. I want it as a souvenir of the time I saved a marshal's life. You're welcome to it. Just tell me this. You know a girl named Tamar? Girl in the Bible had that name. Guntorious knew a girl named Tamar. Now he's dead. Why is dead? Well, I suppose somebody wanted him dead. Yeah, but stick around. I may want to talk to you again later. Always a pleasure, Marshall. I'll be around. What are your plans? I'm gonna take a killer. With your shooting arm and a sling? I don't think so. I'll gamble on it. Greg want odds. I got up and left Greg Shack, thinking the killer needed a little. Little preparation. And right now, preparation meant talking to Mrs. Contarius. But something stopped me. It was the funeral Mrs. Contarius was celebrating for her dearly departed. Somewhere she'd found a black ostrich plume and pinned it to the donkey's head. The cart she always used was draped in banners of black silk that looked suspiciously like the shreds of an elegant petticoat. Three grinning Indian kids, maybe eight years old, were beating the drum, clapping a cymbal, playing a flute. The rear of the parade was brought up by a bunch of other Indian kids looking solemn because their new shoes hurt. And on the cart, in an open pine box, lay Senor Contuarias. I looked inside. The senor was still very aristocratic. I looked again, closer. Then I knew I just had to talk to Mrs. Contwarius. It was maybe an hour later when she drove up to the White Buffalo alone, her cart empty and stripped of the banners. She looked uncomfortable in her black cotton.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Hand me your good arm, Marshall. I don't want to rip this dress.

[Mark Dillon]

Yes, ma'. Am. There you are. Nice funeral, ma'. Am.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Thanks, Marshall. Kids behaved real nice, didn't they?

[Mark Dillon]

Yeah. You've done a good job on a man.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Thank you. Haven't been very successful, have you, Marshall?

[Mark Dillon]

Maybe that's your fault. Maybe you haven't told me enough.

[Tamar Contuarius]

About what?

[Mark Dillon]

About Tamar and your husband, for instance.

[Tamar Contuarius]

What about tomorrow and my husband?

[Mark Dillon]

This about a man. They were real good friends. That could be a reason for you to kill your husband.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Could, Marshall? But it wasn't. Maybe he was killed because he found out who was cheating his wheel and you didn't.

[Mark Dillon]

But I did.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Then why don't you take them?

[Mark Dillon]

You want me to take Greg Hagen?

[Tamar Contuarius]

Greg Hagen? I don't believe it. It's an honest man. As honest as you are, Marshall. Can you prove what you're saying?

[Mark Dillon]

I don't know. But I'm sticking around to see if I can. And I'm sticking around to see if I can bring in a killer.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Who is it?

[Mark Dillon]

Maybe you, maybe Greg, maybe Booth. The man in the beaded jacket. Maybe even the girl named Tamar.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Then come on in and have a drink.

[Mark Dillon]

You look peaked. I followed her into the casino. In an hour, it began to fill up. I hid myself behind the stairs where I had a clear view of the roulette table and waited. About 8, she walked through the door. Tamar. Tamar. In a dresser, red Tamar buckled with silver. She Strolled over to the table and put some chips on the black. As Greg spun, there was no sign of recognition between them. 7 black. 7 pays black. Place your bets. On the next spin, Tamar won again. Then she lost. She doubled her bets and won more times than she lost. After a while, she stopped playing colors and switched to single numbers. 35 to 1. She kept on winning about one out of four. In an hour, there was roughly $20,000 stacked in front of her. And in an hour, there wasn't any doubt. They were a team. And Greg was spinning a crooked wheel. 13 black. 13 pays. Black pays.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Well, you're lucky. You're very lucky tonight, Tamar. Good night, senora. I am always lucky at your tables. No, not as lucky as tonight. Sorry, men, this is a private table. From now on, you all move over to the second floor.

[Mark Dillon]

Right over there.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Private table. Yes, yes. You and this gentleman.

[Mark Dillon]

Mrs. Cantarius was playing it smart. The man she thumbed at over her shoulder was Booth, in his beaded jacket. I could have made my move then, but I decided to wait for the piece to play itself out. Mrs. Contarius was getting them all together. And this show was too good to spoil Greg Booth and Tamar.

[Tamar Contuarius]

This is my last spin. That's all right, Emma. All Mr. Booth wants is just one spin. Right, Mr. Booth?

[Mark Dillon]

Yeah, just one spin, the little lady. But I was Mr. Booth. Yeah.

[Tamar Contuarius]

I suppose it is. All right. Spin the wheel, Greg.

[Mark Dillon]

Wheel. Spin once more way.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Not all of my money on number one.

[Mark Dillon]

Number one, huh? That's a good number. Number one. I'll take 10,000 in gold on number one. Free.

[Narrator]

Red.

[Mark Dillon]

Free pays. Red pays Greg.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Well, you double crossed me.

[Mark Dillon]

I double crossed you. It don't matter to my. Greg didn't have a chance. The knife he tried to draw was hammered back by the bullets from Booth's gun. They tore through his hand and across his chest. Suddenly his face changed. He looked young and hurt and ashamed of the blood that he couldn't hold back. Booth held his guns like they were dogs on a leash that could snap. Easy, Marshall. You can quit playing possum now. Make me real happy if you try to follow it. Pick up the money and let's go, Tamar. Nobody move. Nobody move.

[Tamar Contuarius]

You let him get away, Marshall?

[Mark Dillon]

I don't think so, ma'. Am. He'll be wanting to finish me off. I'm gonna give him his chance. I could have looked for him in a lot of places, but he was with Tamar. That narrowed it down. There was only one place to look. It Was dawn when I found him rest and easy in the cottonwood clearing. I knew you'd have to come after me, Marshall. You know, you're funnier than an actor I saw once in Dodge. You're much funnier. Maybe you laugh too easy, Booth. Like you kill too easy. Marshall with his gun arm and a sling chasing a killer.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Go away, Marshall. Go away while there is still time.

[Mark Dillon]

I got nothing but time. I'll wait. That's where you're wrong, Marshall. You got no time at all. Yeah.

[Tamar Contuarius]

She called it. I don't believe it is impossible that someone could shoot faster than Senor Booth. With your left hand. You are so very quick with your gun. I like that about a man.

[Mark Dillon]

Take it easy to mind. Come on, let's go.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Go. Oh, not now, Marshall. Very kind. Sit here next to Tamale like this.

[Mark Dillon]

You know what I think? I think you had a great thing with Greg. He could put that ball in any number you bet on. Only that wasn't enough for you.

[Tamar Contuarius]

But it doesn't matter now. Kariba.

[Mark Dillon]

You thought you could double your profits by throwing in with booze. Maybe you were going to double cross him too. Like you double crossed Kenquarius. Dread.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Do not worry about it. She said the money is yours.

[Mark Dillon]

It belongs to Mrs. Contuirus and that's who's gonna get it.

[Tamar Contuarius]

What? What are you talking about?

[Mark Dillon]

Take your choice. Come back with me to the jail in Gaji or I'll turn you over to Mrs. Contuarius. And I don't think she could stand having you alive.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Why you. Surely, surely you are playing with me.

[Mark Dillon]

You murdered a man, Tamar. You killed Contwarius.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Chico, I told you the shot that killed warriors came from the woods in back of the clean.

[Mark Dillon]

Much closer than that from your gun. Tamar Kentuarius had powder burns on his forehead. So that shot was fired from up close. I saw that when I looked into his coffin. Powder burns from your gun. Tamar.

[Tamar Contuarius]

We were always together, you and I. Chico. Listen to me, Chico.

[Mark Dillon]

Antoirs found out you were double crossing him with Greg, didn't he?

[Tamar Contuarius]

Listen to me.

[Mark Dillon]

Let's go tomorrow.

[Tamar Contuarius]

There is plenty of money with yours and mine. Listen.

[Mark Dillon]

She put her arms around my neck and her lips close to my ear. For a long time. For a long, long time. First in English, then in Spanish, then in Cherokee and in a language I couldn't recognize. She whispered at me every foul name in the book. She was talented. She didn't repeat herself once. Kamar didn't understand that a marshal had a job to do and that the job. On the way back to Dodge City, I came across a cottonwood clearing I'd never noticed before. I rode down into it. Small animal scurried off a log and lost itself in the shadows. Then I was alone for a time after that. For a long time after that. I thought about Tamar. They'd given her her guitar, but I knew she wouldn't be singing much longer. The rest of the way home, the country was dust. It got inside of my mouth and it stayed there.

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[Narrator]

Gun Smoke featured Howard Culver as Mark Dillon, supported by June Foray, Gerald Moore, Vic Perrin, Jack Crucian, D.J. thompson and Jay Novello. Music was composed and conducted by Del Castillo. The original story by Morton Klein and David Friedkin was directed by Richard Sanville. This is Alan Botzer who Gun Smoked and another thrilling adventure with Mark Dillon, United States Marshal. This is cbs, the Columbia Broadcasting System.

[Tamar Contuarius]

Foreign.

[Andrew Rines]

This has been a presentation of otrwesterns.com and we hope you enjoyed. Please take some time to like and rate this episode within your favorite podcast application. Follow us on Facebook by going to otrwesterns.com Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel by going to otrwesterns.Com YouTube become one of our ranch hands and unlock some exclusive content. We want to thank our most recent ranch hands Steve who joined us recently. You too can join by going to otrwesterns.com donate send us an email podcast trwesterns.com and you can call and leave us a voicemail 707-986-8739. This episode is copyrighted under the Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Copyright. For more information go to otrwesterns.com copyright have a great day and thanks for listening.

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[Mark Dillon]

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[Tamar Contuarius]

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[Andrew Rines]

Back in the old west, folks didn't run to the pharmacy every time trouble hit. They relied on the know how and natural remedies kind of like how Tonto always seems to have a special mixture ready for whatever came next. If you want to learn how to do that today, check out the Beginner's Guide to Herbal Remedies. Easy Steps for Teas, Tinctures, and Salves. Even if you've never tried herbs before, visit otrwesterns.comherbs to learn more again, otrwesterns.com herbs.