Chester's Dilemma

Busted-Up Guns

Originally Aired: July 17, 1960 Gunsmoke #432, "Busted-Up Guns," Matt Dillon and Chester head north to the Sioux reservation for a friendly visit with Indian Agent Whip and his wife Gladys, expecting a peaceful hunting trip and warm welcome. Instead, they're met on the trail by Big Feather and his braves, who conduct a suspicious search of their gear and cryptically direct all questions to the white agent. When they arrive at the agency, they find the once-thriving settlement eerily deserted, with lodges falling into disrepair and residents hiding inside. Inside the locked agency house, they discover a drastically changed Whip, armed with a shotgun, drinking heavily, and consumed by paranoia. He has confiscated all the Indians' weapons and keeps them locked in the storeroom under constant guard, forcing Gladys to stand watch when he cannot. Whip bitterly claims the Sioux are no longer human and cannot be trusted, while a distraught Gladys confides that her husband has become a stranger to her. As mysterious explosions like dynamite echo across the reservation, Matt and Chester realize something has gone terribly wrong on the agency.

Reluctant Violence

Originally Aired: July 10, 1960 Gunsmoke #431, "Reluctant Violence," presents a thought-provoking conflict when an elderly pacifist named Homer Lidley arrives in Dodge City on a dangerous mission. Homer travels from town to town advocating for citizens to voluntarily give up their guns, believing that mankind must abandon violence or face destruction. His passionate street preaching quickly provokes trouble when angry cowboys knock him down and kick him, outraged by his radical ideas. Marshal Matt Dillon intervenes and takes Homer to Doc Adams for treatment of his injuries. Despite his injuries and Matt's warnings, Homer remains committed to his cause, explaining he witnessed the horrors of the Siege of Atlanta and believes guns offer no real protection. Matt sympathizes with Homer's idealism but insists the frontier is still too raw and lawless for such ideas to take hold. Meanwhile, two suspicious men named Lou and Hare begin asking Chester questions about Homer's whereabouts, claiming to be friends wanting to visit him. Their interest in locating the pacifist and his sack of gold suggests Homer may face an even greater threat than simple frontier hostility.

Little Girl

Originally Aired: July 3, 1960 Gunsmoke #430, "Little Girl," Matt Dillon and Chester respond to a prairie fire and discover a grim scene at an isolated homestead. Inside the burned cabin, they find a man who died in the blaze, seemingly drunk and alone. As they investigate the desolate property with its starving horses and neglected buildings, a young girl emerges from the creek bed. Ten-year-old Charity Gill explains that the dead man was her stepfather, and she tried to pull him from the fire but couldn't move him. She matter-of-factly tells Matt she didn't like her stepfather and has been living in neglect since her mother's death three years ago. Doc examines Charity and finds her physically healthy but disturbingly mature for her age, shaped by years of isolation and hardship. As Matt tries to find proper placement for the orphaned girl, Charity insists she wants to live with him, putting the marshal in an uncomfortable position. The investigation raises unsettling questions about the fire and the little girl's peculiar detachment from the tragedy that has left her alone in the world.

Line Trouble

Originally Aired: June 26, 1960 Gunsmoke #429, "Line Trouble," begins when Jasper Foss reports to Marshal Matt Dillon that the new telegraph line west of Dodge has been cut. Matt and Chester investigate and discover Army soldiers repairing the damage and holding a Kiowa man named Smallhawk under guard. The Indian admits to cutting the wire, believing it to be bad magic that carries evil sounds across his people's land. Matt, who knows Smallhawk as no troublemaker, convinces Colonel Hooper to release the prisoner into his custody, promising to take responsibility and show Smallhawk that the telegraph can be good magic instead of bad. To prove his point, Matt takes Smallhawk to the telegraph office and sends a message to the Indian encampment, instructing Smallhawk's son Brown Wing to bring a horse to meet his father outside town. The demonstration aims to change Smallhawk's fear of the wire and prevent future trouble. Meanwhile, the bitter Jasper Foss, recently fired from his job for being too old, lurks in the background with cryptic warnings about Matt needing to watch out and do a good job.

Kitty Accused

Originally Aired: June 12, 1960 Gunsmoke #427, "Kitty Accused," finds Kitty Russell facing an unwelcome complication on what should be a simple stagecoach trip to Fort Learned. After a late night at the Long Branch, Kitty prepares to visit her friend Sally, who has just had a baby. Marshal Matt Dillon sees her off, but the journey takes a troubling turn when Arnie Grimes and his bitter wife Hattie board the same stage. Arnie has been making persistent unwanted advances toward Kitty around Dodge City, much to his wife's fury, and Hattie makes no secret of her resentment toward the saloon owner she sees as a threat to her marriage. As the uncomfortable journey progresses, tensions mount inside the cramped stagecoach. Arnie continues his inappropriate attention despite Kitty's clear rejections and Hattie's sharp rebukes. The situation grows increasingly volatile as Hattie's jealousy and Arnie's obsession collide, trapping Kitty in the middle of a dangerous domestic conflict with nowhere to escape on the long road to Fort Learned.