20x13 - The Colonel

[bunniefuu]

(theme music)

(announcer)

With Milburn Stone as Doc...

Ken Curtis as Festus...

Buck Taylor as Newly...

And starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

(stately brass music)

Corporal, wanna get
your head blown off?

Man can't keep his head
down is askin' for a b*llet.

(boy) Yes, sir, Colonel, sir.

You know, in a w*r, I trained
my men to do the impossible.

What's the use of having a
brilliantly planned campaign

if the men don't know their job?

(woman) Jimmy? Dinner Jimmy!

That's my ma, sir.

Yeah.

Well, an army
marches on its stomach.

Don't wanna be late for mess.

Troop, attention!

Dismissed!

Marshal, Festus.

- Hello, Colonel.
- Howdy, Colonel!

(Josiah) Looks like
you had a hard ride.

(Matt) You bet it was.

Take him inside,
will you, Festus?

You betcha, Matthew.

(Bill) Y'all think you're
gonna keep me locked up?

Look, sonny, we'll
keep you locked up

and cost Pappy a mule.

One of the Higgins g*ng?

Jeff Higgins' brother.

So young.

I commanded boys his age.

Ah, but they were
a different breed.

They were that, Colonel.

Uh, Matt, I've got
some free time,

if you want your horse groomed.

That'd be fine. I appreciate it.

Whoever made up this
game could have sure

saved himself a heap of trouble.

Oh, I suppose you
think you can improve

on a game of checkers now.

- How would you do it?
- Course I could!

- Yeah, well...
- Why don't a feller

just have to make one move,

instead of a whole mess of 'em?

Well you only get
one move at time.

Well of course,
for heaven's sake.

Well, but how does a feller know

that it's a good
move he's making?

Why don't you move?

Just go on and move
something, move!

All right, all right.

Matt, your horse's
coat's as shiny

as the seat of a
cavalry sergeant's pants.

(Matt) Thank you, Colonel.

Oh.

(Matt) Yeah.

Festus, you know the best att*ck

is a wedge between
enemy strong points.

He's right.

Of course, I know he's right.

Well, move! Go on!

All right, I'm fixin to.

Let me see here.

Well now...

you don't have to make
that move if you don't want to.

I'll let ya take it
back if you want to.

Well of course I ain't
gonna take it back.

That there is my
move, and I'll stay by it!

Wait a minute!

How many of you am I
gonna have to play anyway?

Onlyest one you're
playing is me.

Newly ain't did a thing

- to help me.
- Oh no, all he's doing

is standing there and nodding
and shaking, and you too!

Say, you know what these are?

You see whisky glasses,
and you're right, of course.

I see a g*n emplacement
here and here, and...

these are trenches...

glistening with r*fles.

It was a beautiful bright day.

I was up on the ridge
line with the staff,

and General Williams
rode up to me.

Said, "Colonel,
Bentonburg must be taken!"

I caught the looks on
the other officers' faces.

They thought it was impossible.

That was January '65.

I read about it, Colonel.

We all did.

It was a great victory.

Well, go on, move.

Just hush a minute!
I'm gonna move.

There.

- No, that's not it!
- (Festus stammers)

You done took
your finger off it!

You can't change it!

You're too late, Doc.

Well, I didn't wanna do that.

Appears like old Matthew
and the Colonel and me's

got your old hide
nailed to the barn door.

Heh!

Here, jump that.

All right, now jump that.

(Festus laughing)

Hah, ha, ha!

What do you think of that?

I'll tell you what
I think of that!

I think I've been victimized

by the most
unscrupulous conspiracy...

- I've ever seen in my life!
- (men laughing)

Hello, Carl.

Doc.

Oh, did you get that letter
you were looking for, Carl?

She said, yes.

- Well congratulations.
- Thank you, thank you.

Me too, Carl.

Congratulations.

Uh... (clears throat)
would it be all right

if I bought everybody a drink?

Does a mule got ears?

Drinks is on Carl!

(patrons cheering)

I'm going to Wichita on
Thursday to bring her back.

We're gonna have
the biggest wedding

this town's ever seen, so
everybody can meet her.

- That's wonderful.
- That's good, Carl.

Uh, could you run my store
Thursday and Friday, Festus?

Pays a dollar a day.

Well, I'd sure like to,

but Matthew here's got
me going to Dry Creek.

I gotta get someone,
someone honest.

My whole future's
sitting on those shelves.

- Newly, I don't suppose
you'd - Oh I'm sorry, Carl.

I'm way behind on
my amm*nit*on orders.

I've been loading shelves
since four o'clock this morning.

Matter of fact, I oughta
be getting back right now.

I'll see you all.

Yeah, I gotta go too, Carl.

I gotta spell old
Burke at the jailhouse.

Don't forget, Floyd, you
got me a drink comin'!

(Floyd) All right, Festus.

Carl...

What about him?

(Carl) Why not?

Colonel?

Carl wants to ask
you a question.

He needs somebody to look
after his store for him for a while.

(Colonel stammering)

I haven't had any
training as a storekeeper.

You could learn what's needed.

You know, I've never been
able to hold down a job.

I don't know why.

The fault is mine.

But I thought it's
fair you should know.

Two days only,
Thursday and Friday.

Oh, just while he's fetching
the girl he's gonna marry.

(Carl) Pays a dollar a day.

(Matt) Colonel, he's got
to have somebody honest.

Well, uh...

my best wishes to
you and your bride, I...

You're invited to the wedding.

Well, if I can be of any help.

Good!

I'll count on ya.

Thursday morning.

Thanks, Marshal.

Hey, Marshal!

Look, you got no call to
keep me locked up in here.

I mean, you can't
prove nothing I did.

Not in a court!

If I can't, then you got
nothing to worry about.

Well, you see, my brother Jeff,

he made me go along,
but I didn't do nothing.

Jeff's gonna bust me outta here,

and he's gonna get you too!

I wouldn't count on that, sonny.

Remember, shelves want filled
as soon as something's sold.

People don't see what they
want, they forget they want it.

Oh yeah.

There's extra stock in the
storeroom off the kitchen.

I probably should have
brought you in here a day ahead.

There's a lot to learn.

You think you'll be all right?

I'll be fine, I'll be fine.

I'm clucking like a mother hen.

What, with leaving the
store for the first time

and going for my intended, I
don't know where my head's at.

You think she'll like it?

Oh, be a rare kind of
girl that didn't appreciate

a husband with a
good, solid business,

his feet on the ground,
head on his neck,

instead of in the clouds.

Anne Ludley is
not just any girl.

(ominous music)

She's special.

Carl, wait.

I, um...

just remembered.

You better get someone
else to run the store for you.

Don't make jokes.

The stagecoach will
be here any minute.

Oh no, no, no, I mean it.

- I can't do it.
- You'll be fine.

I just remembered,
I promised a fellow.

There's a w*r starting
south of the border.

I'm supposed to train troops!

You promised me!

Gave me your word!

I did give you my word.

You'll be all right.

Goodbye.

(Festus humming)

- Howdy, Colonel.
- Festus (groans).

Thought you were out of town.

Oh, I was, but I got back
quicker than I figured.

You know, Carl's
gonna be plum tickled

with what you're doing there.

Well, bringing his bride back.

She's gonna see the
store for the first time.

Wouldn't wanna spoil it for him.

That there's mighty
thoughtful-some of you, Colonel.

Everything all right, is it?

Oh yeah, it's fine, thank you.

You know, I ain't
never heard you say

that everything
wasn't all right.

Well, a man who looked ahead

might see trouble.

But one whose got his
eyes on the back of his head

sees only happy times.

Yeah, but a feller looking
backwards all the time

is liable to stumble, ain't he?

Well that's a small price to pay

for trading today
in on yesterday.

Mind, I don't recommend
my way for anyone else.

There are times when I don't
even recommend it for myself.

Still, a man is what he is.

Would you believe I was once
in the rail shipping business?

Is that right?

In six months, goods
intended for Illinois

ended up in Alabama.

Most of the rest
stalled on its side

between New York and Virginia.

I don't wanna brag,
but if I'd stayed on,

I might have bankrupted

the entire Eastern
seaboard single-handed.

(Festus laughs)

You know something, Colonel?

That's the onlyest time
that I've ever heard you

talk about what you
did outside the Army.

Onlyest time.

Shows you the kind
of business man I am.

Here I am gabbing
with a customer.

I didn't ask you
what you wanted.

Can I interest you in a
few hundred pounds of oats,

or a plow or...?

I'll have to study
on that, Colonel.

I'll tell ya, I got to
thinking about old Carl

leaving in such a
tizzy the way he done.

He might not have thought
to leave you vittles to eat.

This here's some
stew from Delmonico's.

Of course, it'll take a little
hottin' up 'fore ya eat it.

Festus...

Oh fiddle, Colonel. You
don't have to say nothing.

(wood snaps)

(bell dinging)

(fire crackling)

All right, Corporal.

Corporal Clancy
reporting for duty, sir.

At ease.

(fire explodes)

Troops waiting.

Well, I'm afraid we...

we can't drill today, Corporal.

Gosh, you promised.

Did I?

(dramatic brass music)

Well, uh, that poses a problem.

Please?

Well, Josiah Johnson
didn't make his reputation

as a strategist by shriveling

in the face of problem, did he?

No, you march the
troops from the drill field.

We'll as*ault a
fortified position.

This one.

Yeah, that way I
can keep my eye out

in case a customer shows up.

Yes, sir, Colonel, sir!

(staccato drumming)

(dramatic marching music)

(man) Fire, fire!
Bucket brigade!

- Where?
- In the store!

(man) Fire, fire,
the store's on fire!

(dramatic brass music)

(Josiah) Oh my god.

(stately brass music)

Carl.

Matt.

This is Anne Ludley.

Anne, meet Marshal Dillon.

How do, Miss Ludley?

Carl's talked a lot about you.

Well, I'd hope so.

I'd hate to think I
was on his mind

only when he visited Wichita.

Carl, there's been an accident.

There was a fire at your store.

Oh!

Excuse me.

(ominous music)

How'd it happen?

How?

Spark from the stove.

You're making excuses.

Well, it was my fault.

I left the stove door open.

- Can't tell ya how sorry I...
- Sorry?

Does sorry pay for
the years I've spent

getting this store in shape?

Look at it! Look!

Can I bring a wife to live here?

I feel like I've been
hit over the head!

I can't think straight!

Do you realize what you've done?

You have every
right to feel as you do.

(dramatic music)

Get out.

(ominous instrumental music)

Pa?

Pa! Here.

(somber brass music)

What a fine young
woman you've become.

Oh, Pa.

Are you all right, Pa?

Oh, couldn't be better.

Heard about you and Carl.

Good man.

He doesn't know
you're my father.

I understand (laughs).

Pa, I'm not a very
strong person.

Nonsense.

You're your mother's daughter.

Never was a stronger woman
in all the world (laughing).

(men laughing)

I didn't even know
you were in Dodge City.

This is no place to talk.

(somber music)

I...

I sleep here sometimes,
when the weather's fine.

(somber flute music)

Nothing's changed, has it, Pa?

Why, I'm gonna see my girl

marry a fine young man.

What's gonna happen to you?

Well, after the wedding,
I'll be leaving Dodge City.

To spare me?

You know, I hear your
mother's voice in you.

She was a wonderful woman.

But she couldn't
understand that a man who...

was somebody...

and didn't take easily to...

being nobody.

But you are somebody.

Or you could be.

Sweet Anne.

Yeah.

You know, the U.S. Army

still has too many
colonels and...

But south of the border,

a man with my
record is highly valued.

You're highly valued by me.

I'll be so proud

when I see you at
the altar with Carl.

I only wish...

Well, a man ought to
give his one child some

fine gift when she's
getting married.

Doesn't matter.

Doesn't matter.

(knocking on door)

Come in.

What do you want?

Well, I'm the cause of all this.

I'm responsible, I,

I owe you what it
will cost to fix it up.

Are you saying you
wanna pay for the repairs?

That is no more than right.

That's nice of you, Josiah.

I want to get you a
suitable wedding present.

You needn't worry about that.

I'm better off than I figured

if you pay even
part of the damage.

It came to $87.

Oh no, no, no, not part.

All.

And an extra week,
even two weeks,

as a wedding present.

I can start tomorrow.

Start what?

Well, I meant?

I mean to work for
nothing, nothing...

But, look...

You're just plain
bad luck to me.

Please, Josiah...
just stay away.

Please, stay away.

(hammer banging)

(Anne) Pa?

She walks in beauty,
like the night...

(Anne) Oh, Pa.

Lord Byron wrote that.

He didn't even know you.

(chuckles)

I got your note.

Is something wrong?

I just asked to see you.

Must something be wrong?

It always has been.

Beauty like the night,
not gloom of night.

Cheer up!

Pa, every time you've
tried to make me cheerful,

it's been to hide bad news.

Ah.

This time is gonna be different.

Remember my telling
you about their interest

in the south of the border?

Well...

it's better than I
even hoped for.

Full command...

of all strategic operations

with a rank of Major general.

When did this happen?

Well, the courier
arrived not an hour ago.

Oh, now I'll be
able to buy my girl

the wedding present she deserves

with my first month's salary.

Won't you smile?

Does it please you?

Where will you be stationed?

Well now, that's
not settled yet.

The headquarters' moving about.

I'll write ya.

I'll write ya.

Well, it's wonderful.

You've got the
kind of job you want.

Yeah.

There is one thing, though.

What?

They need me right away.

I have to leave in the morning.

You know what that means.

Oh, Pa.

I'm being married at
two in the afternoon.

Can't you just wait a few hours?

I would if it was possible.

You've...

You have no idea
how I've dreamed and...

Well.

It's what comes
of being a soldier.

When they call you, you go.

You understand, don't you?

You're not angry?

I've been angry at you
ever since I was old enough

to know how much I love you.

Annie.

Annie, you're a loving,

dream of a girl.

Man couldn't wish for a more...

wonderful daughter.

Oh, another goodbye.

How many does this make?

Oh, it's the last one.

When I come back,
I'll be rich, famous.

You'll be proud.

You take care of yourself, Pa.

God bless, Annie.

- Oh no.
- Oh please!

Annie.

(melancholic music)

♪ Gather ye rosebuds
while ye may ♪

♪ Time is still a'flying ♪

♪ And the same flower
that smiles today ♪

♪ Tomorrow will be dying ♪

Farewell... celebration calls
for wine women and song.

Mm, no.

At my age...

Well, two outta three...

Wine and song.

Ah, well.

Wine and song, wine and song.

Yeah.

Mm.

I think I have a
surplus of funds.

Here... Drinks for everybody.

Drinks for everybody!

(patrons murmuring)

Especially my friend...

my friends, the marshal
and the good doctor.

Sure fixing to hang
on a beauty tonight.

That's for sure.

I think the only question is,

what's gonna happen first?

Is he gonna pass
out or raise a ruckus?

Well now, you know the
strategy is two-thirds...

knowledge, knowledge...

and then one half...

one half timing, timing.

And then there's a fourth,
three-fourths, four-thirds...

Instinct, instinct!

And I just went,
went to a bank...

And I said to my flag corporal,

"Raise the banner!

High and charge.

Charge!

Charge!

Charge!"

I think the answer to
your question is ruckus.

(Doc chuckling)

(Colonel groaning)

All right, all right.

(Josiah) Charge!

I can, I can make it.

Just, uh...

I think I can (door open)

take care of my
troops, you know.

(Colonel mumbling)

Hey, how long am I
gonna rot in this hole?

Can't that old drunk
sleep it off someplace else?

Hey now, Marshal,
wait a minute now.

I might make a deal.

I mean, I tell ya where
my brother's g*ng hides out

and you let me go.

It'll be up to the judge.

I'll talk to him about
it in the morning.

You think I'm fool enough
to sell out my own brother

without a guarantee I go free?

God!

- (Colonel singing indistinctly)
- Shut up!

Going loco in here!

(Matt) Here we go, easy.

(man) I didn't think I was
gonna make it, Marshal.

There was an ambush.

(Matt) Come on, we'll get
you over to Doc Adams.

You're lucky, son, here.

It's not bad.

I'll just clean it up a little.

How'd it happen?

There was four of us
driving the herd north.

About 20 miles from here,

there's a dry stream bed
cuts a gully below a ridge.

- Arroyo Seco?
- Yeah.

It was an ambush.

I tell you, you never
seen nothing like it.

One minute we was
riding along just like usual,

and the next thing, there
was b*ll*ts slamming into us.

They thought I was dead.

Mike and Pegas
and Shorty, they was.

I played possum.

You get a look at their faces?

Two of 'em.

There's a big fella with
a scar over his right eye.

He seemed like the boss man.

Other fella could've
been anybody.

I mean, it's a face
I'm gonna remember,

but wasn't nothing
you could latch onto

for me trying to tell
you what it was like.

You ever hear of a
man named Jeff Higgins?

I heard plenty about him.

He's a bad one.

You just had a run-in with him.

I tell ya, I thought
I was lucky,

but I didn't know how lucky.

Yeah, he's a bad one.

(Colonel grumbling)

Hour of glory! (grumbling)

(Bill) Oh, shut up!

(Obie) Bill!

Bill!

Obie.

(Colonel grumbling
and talking incoherently)

Obie, it's all right.

He's just old drunk.

Hey, what took you so long?

I was figuring I was gonna have
to break out of here all by myself.

Keep watch, anybody comes in.

- (Colonel grumbling)
- Ain't nobody out front. I checked.

Get me out.

- Tomorrow night.
- No, right now.

Where's Jeff? He'll get me out.

You ain't gonna bust nothing
staying here one more day.

- Obie.
- Besides, they got it fixed.

Marshal ain't gonna
be nowhere around.

(Bill) Obie, you listen to me!

- Shh!
- Huh?

Huh?

Don't worry none
about him. He's drunk.

Tomorrow night.

No! Obie, wait!

There's no need
to wait until night.

Now listen, at two
o'clock tomorrow,

there's gonna be a wedding.

I've been hearing
the talk about it.

And every man in town is gonna
be all together in that church,

all bunched up like in a cage.

And if anybody tries to stop ya,

y'all can pick 'em off

like they's lined up for
target practice, huh?

All right.

Then plus getting
you out tomorrow...

we'll take the bank and
everything else in this town we want.

(ominous music)

(stately brass music)

(Bill whistling)

(Colonel groans)

(Bill continues whistling)

Hey!

If snores were sheep,

you could make wool
overcoats for the whole army.

(laughs)

I don't know what
I was dreaming of.

Something I can't remember.

Hey well, uh, how's about
you get some coffee for me?

The sun is high.

Didn't he give you any?

Oh yeah, (sniffs) Dillon,
before he went out.

That was hours ago.

You was rattling the
walls with nose music.

Yeah, well.

All right.

(Bill whistling)

Hey, uh, how come the Marshal

leaves your cell door
unlocked and locks me in?

You think he don't
trust me? (laughs)

You know, when I was
commanding troops,

I always kept a
sharp look out...

(sighs)

for any man who...

started to act
different for no reason.

Either he knew
something I didn't,

which is bad for a commander,

or he was getting
ready to cr*ck,

which is even worse.

Well what's that supposed
to mean, old man?

You have pretty high spirits,

whistling and all.

Well a guy stuck in this hole,

he ain't got much
to whistle about.

Food's lousy and coffee's slow.

But, well I reckon
all that might change.

Why?

Well Marshal's going
after my brother Jeff.

And... he never misses when
he goes after a man, right?

You're telling it.

Well it's 500 on Jeff's head.

Dillon's sure to use the
money for better food

for us poor prisoners,
now ain't he?

Huh?

That's something to
whistle about, ain't it?

They swallowed it just
like sugar candy, Jeff.

You sure they believe ya?

Sure, why shouldn't they?

I told 'em
practically the truth.

I was sh*t in the arm
with the Higgins g*ng

wrestling a herd of cattle.

Even got a b*llet
in my arm to prove it.

Sort of forgot to tell 'em I
was one of the wrestlers.

Well I remember that.

Come on along.

Takes a b*llet, proves
he's an honest man.

Colonel, sir!

Men will be ready
as soon as Tommy,

I mean, Private Bailey,
wipes his ma's dishes.

Corporal, I'm...

promoting you to Sergeant,

effective immediately.

Gosh, thanks!

I mean, thank you, Colonel, sir!

Yeah.

From now on,
you'll be in charge.

Me?

Troop is...

your responsibility.

Wow!

I'll make the kids,
I mean, the men,

so good at marching, you'll see.

We'll be the best ever.

Well now.

I won't be here.

How come?

Duty.

If I go back to corporal
from sergeant, will you stay?

(melancholic music)

All right.

And you're a... good soldier.

Hmm?

Please don't go.

You know, when a
solider is called, he...

You can't refuse.

Now can you?

Yes, sir, but... (sniffs)

You're gonna make
this troop the best ever...

Aren't you?

(stately staccato
marching music)

Sergeant, attention!

Dismissed.

(Festus) I sure do hate
to see you go, Colonel.

I did want to say
goodbye to Matt.

You know when he'll be back?

Well like I told ya, he
went after Jeff Higgins,

probably couple
days, maybe three.

Yeah.

If, uh...

If Matt was gunnin'
for your brother,

how would you feel?

(Festus chuckles)

I'd be plum glad I
ain't got no brothers.

Bill Higgins a happy man.

Happy?

Huh.

He's got less to be
happy about than a...

packed jack in a mud hole.

Last night...

I don't know, I may
have been dreaming,

but I thought I heard
Bill talking to someone.

There couldn't have
been no visitors, or...

Matthew, he'd have told me.

Is there some reason
why Matthew decided so...

suddenly to go
after Jeff Higgins?

Yeah.

See, this here
cowboy come into town,

been sh*t by Higgins.

Matthew figured out from
him where the g*ng would be.

You know, if I was
planning a jail break, I'd...

create some kind of diversion,

get Matt out of town.

Some kind of trick.

Oh, yeah, that
there'd be a good idea.

Could explain why...

he's been acting so
different, whistling...

I'll tell ya this,

he's a'whistlin' way
ahead of his-self,

'cause I'm gonna be here in town

and a lot of the
other folks in town.

It'd take a regular
army to pull a prisoner

right out of the middle of
Dodge City, don't ya see?

Well, if Higgins knows that,

he may be planning a
way to get around that.

Like what?

Oh I don't know, but
he's running around loose.

He must be some
kind of strategist.

Colonel?

If it was you was doin' it...

what would you do?

I don't know, I...

plan a...

night jail break, maybe.

All right, then.

Come night... I'll be waiting.

Doors barred and
my p*stol in my hand.

I could be wrong.

Higgins might be
planning something else.

Well just in case he is,

I'm fixin' to take them
cell keys with me.

Now the onlyest way they're
gonna get that door open

is to sh**t the lock off,

and ain't gonna be no
sh**t' that I don't hear,

I'll guarantee ya that.

Would you lend me a r*fle?

Until Matt gets back?

Why, I thought you's...

going someplace so
important that you couldn't even

stay around for Carl's wedding.

Well, there are other
things that are important,

like what I owe Matt...

some other people in this town.

(stately brass music)

- Festus.
- Carl.

- Happy day for ya, ain't it?
- Sure is.

- If I could dance, I'd dance.
- See ya at the wedding.

We'll save a piece of
cake for Matt and Newly.

(Festus) Good.

(triumphant brass music)

(ominous flute music)

Billy, can you take care
of Barry and his men?

You going after Higgins alone?

This doesn't make
any sense to me at all.

What's that?

Supposed to be cattle rustlers.

They k*lled three men and
then don't take the cattle.

I'm going back to Dodge.

(foreboding brass music)

(bell tolling heavily)

(staccato drumming)

(suspenseful brass music)

(suspenseful music)

(Obie) Bill! Bill!

- All clear?
- Just the old bum.

(suspenseful music)

Ain't no keys out there.

(Bill) Well, sh**t out the lock.

Eh, in a minute.

What are you waitin' for?

You having a good time
watching me behind bars?

Well now, your being in there
don't tear me up all that much.

But that ain't why I'm waiting.

Well, you better
have a good reason,

or when I get outta here,
I'm gonna take ya apart!

(g*n cocks)

Just one sh*t...

and that whole town
comes outta that church.

Just giving Jeff
and the boys time

to get in position
to pick 'em off.

While that's going on...

you and me take the bank.

(Josiah) Drop that g*n.

(dramatic music)

Right now.

Obie, he won't sh**t!

He heard you tell
what'll happen at the town

when the sh*t's fired!

Hey!

(Bill) Just my luck.

Jeff's gonna k*ll you,

and I ain't even gonna
get my hands on ya!

(energetic, suspenseful music)

Ain't it about time Bill
and Obie got here?

Yeah, you better go
see what's happening.

Hey.

(man) Wait for that thing
gonna to get through.

Tell 'em to get that
wagon out of there.

(man) Hey, get that
wagon outta here!

Cobie!

(Colonel groans)

(man) Doc!

(Matt) Hold it, Higgins!

Hold it right there.

Go check on him, boys!

(Anne gasps)

- No, no, no, no!
- Anne, wait!

(Festus) Colonel?

Pa?

Oh, Pa!

Oh, Papa.

You make a beautiful bride.

Pa?

Don't blame her, Carl.

She didn't choose...

a failure for a father.

Pa, I love you.

(Josiah) There
were four of them,

plus the one I
knocked out at the...

at the jail.

We got three of 'em.

We're fixin' to
the other one too.

We already got him.

It's Jeff Higgins.

Colonel, ain't no way of tellin'

how many of us
they'd have k*lled

if it hadn't of been for you.

Well...

I was supposed to...

outthink the enemy.

Can't we move him, Doc?

My store's close
and theres' a bed.

It's a good idea. Let's do that.

Ah, no, Doc. I...

Just as comfortable here.

- (melancholic music)
- Matt, the boy in the cell

says there's a $500
reward on Jeff Higgins.

- Is that right?
- (Matt) That's right, and it's yours,

because we wouldn't
have captured him

if it hadn't been
for you, Colonel.

I promised you a
wedding present.

Pa, just get well.

That's all the present I want.

- (Anne crying)
- I never been...

better in my life.

(Anne crying)

(stately staccato music)

I know that...

words are not gonna wash
away the hurt you feel now,

but it might help for
you to remember that...

it's no small thing for
a man to die happy.

(Festus) One thing
I could do, Doc.

(Doc) What's that?

If you's to print it out for me,

I could carve on
his headboard that

he was a fine soldier.

Yeah, I think he'd
like that, Festus.

(upbeat music)

(announcer) Stay
tuned for exciting scenes

from our next Gunsmoke.

(theme music)