Distant Drummer

Unloaded Gun

Originally Aired: March 13, 1960 Gunsmoke #414, "Unloaded Gun," finds Marshal Matt Dillon returning to Dodge City exhausted and feverish after a four-day manhunt. During the chase, Matt killed Red Lyme following a holdup, though the details of exactly what happened remain unclear. When Matt arrives back in town, he barely acknowledges Kitty and Doc Adams, stumbling straight to his office where he collapses without even removing his muddy boots. Doc diagnoses a fever and gives him sleeping powder, while his deputy Chester notices Matt's gun belt has been carelessly dropped in the corner, covered in mud—highly unusual for the normally meticulous marshal. As Matt sleeps off his fever, word reaches the Long Branch Saloon that Joe Lyme, Red's brother, has returned to Dodge City with vengeance on his mind. Joe is openly declaring his intention to kill Marshal Dillon for his brother's death. Meanwhile, Chester begins cleaning Matt's neglected gun, and a boy arrives claiming Doc needs Chester's help holding down an injured man. The stage is set for a deadly confrontation, but Matt remains unconscious in his office, unaware of the threat gathering against him.

Blood Money

Originally Aired: March 6, 1960 Gunsmoke #413, "Blood Money," finds Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester searching for water on the prairie when they encounter a wary stranger named Joe Harp holding them at gunpoint. Harp's suspicion quickly fades when he realizes he needs their help. He's discovered an injured man named Harry Spiner, whose horse has thrown him and broken his leg. Despite Spiner's ungrateful and surly attitude, Harp has dragged him to shade and stayed to help. Matt and Chester transport both men back to Dodge, where Doc tends to Spiner's injury. Over the following weeks, Harp lingers in town gambling but causing no trouble, while the recovered Spiner proves himself thoroughly unlikable to everyone he meets. When a wanted poster arrives identifying Joe Harp as a bank robber and murderer with a $500 reward, Matt reluctantly prepares to arrest the man who seemed decent enough. But Chester accidentally reveals the news to Spiner, who rushes off to warn Harp. What follows forces Matt to confront the ugly truth about gratitude, betrayal, and the real meaning of blood money when one man sees an opportunity to profit from another's kindness.

Prescribed Killing

Originally Aired: February 28, 1960 Gunsmoke #412, "Prescribed Killing," presents a chilling domestic drama on the Kansas prairie. Myra Kirby arrives in Dodge City with a disturbing message for Marshal Matt Dillon: her husband Luke is going to kill her. Living in isolation on their horse ranch, Myra has grown bitter and resentful of Luke's devotion to his horses and his visits to the Widow Holland, a neighbor woman whose husband recently died. The tension between the couple has escalated to the point where Myra tells Matt she simply wanted him to know what's coming, so he'll know what to do afterwards. Luke confirms the marital strife when Matt confronts him, cryptically saying his wife is living with devils and there's nobody who can help except him. The situation grows more ominous when Luke warns the Marshal that no one can stop what's happening, and that only he can deal with it. Just as Matt finishes speaking with Luke, Doc Adams arrives with grave news: he's already been out to the Kirby place that morning, and Myra has been badly hurt. The stage is set for Matt to uncover the dark truth behind this troubled marriage.

Mr.and Mrs Amber

Originally Aired: February 21, 1960 Gunsmoke #411, "Mr.and Mrs Amber," When Marshal Matt Dillon catches Neil Amber stealing seeds from Jonas' store, he takes pity on the desperate sodbuster and pays for the supplies himself. Amber and his wife are struggling to survive on their small patch of land near Pawnee Wells, plagued by one disaster after another. However, Dillon's mercy becomes complicated when cattleman Pete Fletcher arrives at the marshal's office demanding justice. Fletcher's rider has discovered a stolen, slaughtered calf in the Ambers' shed, killed while Neil was in town. Fletcher wants Mrs. Amber arrested immediately. When Dillon investigates, he finds Mrs. Amber distraught at being accused of theft, claiming she only discovered the calf in her shed by accident. Despite Fletcher's insistence and his rider Baird's testimony, Dillon refuses to make an arrest, citing insufficient evidence. Fletcher leaves with an ominous warning that next time, he and his men will handle the matter themselves without involving the law, leaving the marshal to worry about the escalating tension between the struggling homesteaders and the powerful cattleman.

Distant Drummer

Originally Aired: February 14, 1960 Gunsmoke #410, "Distant Drummer," features Raffi, a simple-minded Civil War veteran who wears his drum proudly around his neck, a gift from his captain at Antietam. When Raffi seeks refuge in the Long Branch from taunting townspeople, Miss Kitty shows him compassion and kindness, offering him work chopping wood while she watches over his precious drum. Doc Adams suggests that perhaps the drum is the last thing Raffi was ever proud of, though it makes him a constant target for the town's cruelty. When a concerned citizen named Dobie urges Marshal Dillon to take action against Raffi as a potential troublemaker, Matt refuses, pointing out that any trouble would come from those tormenting the harmless veteran. The situation escalates when Chester alerts Matt that some men have treed Raffi at the livery stable, dangling his beloved drum from a branch and forcing him to crawl out for it. Raffi falls and is injured, prompting Doc to treat him while Matt confronts the tormentors. As Raffi recovers, he speaks ominously about folks needing to learn different, leaving Matt concerned about what the traumatized drummer might do next.