User Reviews

The prologue has Matt Dillon wandering through boot hill cemetery, as the prologue often does, with him talking about hate is what really kills a man and makes him useless.

Then we cut to Matt and Chester bringing murderer Hob Cannon (Gene Nelson) back to Dodge City for trial, riding across the prairie. all the way Hob is taunting Matt and Chester, telling them that they will die of thirst before they get to Dodge. Along the way they meet up with the cavalry, looking for the Indian brave Blue Horse who has left the reservation.

Afterwards, Matt breaks his leg. Chester has to leave Matt alone with Cannon while he goes to Dodge for help. Hob continues to taunt Dillon, and then finally Matt can't keep his eyes open and drops off to sleep. Hob jumps Matt and takes his gun. Now nothing has been said about the circumstances of the murder, but you get a feel for how mean Hob is as he could, at this point, just take off. But no. He has to empty Matt's canteen so that he will die of thirst even though this does nothing to improve Cannon's chances of escaping.

Before he can leave, Blue Horse shows up with his family. They hold Cannon for Matt, properly splint his leg, and tell him to get some sleep. It turns out Matt saved Blue Horse from being lynched once, and Blue Horse is returning the favor. As for his escape? Blue Horse just wants to go north to where he was originally from to hunt as his tribe traditionally did.

Blue Horse leaves once Chester and Doc return, and along the way Matt's group meets up with the cavalry, still in hot pursuit of Blue Horse. Now all along the way Hob Cannon has been taunting Dillon about how he must tell the law about where Blue Horse is headed or else lose his job. If he doesn't say something, he will. Cannon doesn't dislike Indians anymore than the rest of the human race. Again, he's just mean. Blue Horse's capture wouldn't make him free, but it would torment Dillon, and that seems to be what Cannon is all about - meanness.

What will Matt, Chester, and Doc do? Watch and find out.

Given the prologue I think the episode was just pointing out that Hob Cannon was a ruined human being, even if he had technically never killed anybody. He was good for nothing because he just hated without rhyme nor reason. Blue Horse, feared by society at the time, probably more so than Cannon, actually was a compassionate person who just wanted to live like his ancestors did, risking capture to help a friend.

This was a good episode of Gunsmoke, squeezing a lot of plot into a 30 minute episode.

Lol i think it's so funny (and cool!) that when a reviewer talks poop about the episode, almost no one finds their comments "to be useful"! HAA! WE LOVE GUNSMOKE! Don't F with our show! ... Well actually i have nothing useful to say either. Since i'm already here though ... check this out! i've never seen this episode before! In 54 years! Very exciting! i was missing a GEM! Usually i have respect for Dillon as a marshal, this story made me also appreciate the man. That's all. Great episode. Great dialogue (love the funny banter btw Matt and Doc!) Great characters. And just imho but really GREAT ENDING!

While bringing in an outlaw, Hob Cannon, Matt and Chester run into a Cavalry Unit that is looking for some escaped Indians from a reservation with the leader of the group called Blue Horse. As Matt Chester and the prisoner head out, Matt takes a fall from his horse breaking his leg. Matt sends Chester for help while he guards the prisoner.

Later with a fever taking control of Matt, the prisoner is able to get the gun away and attempt an escape. But before he leaves a group of Indians, headed by Blue Horse intervenes. It seems that Marshal Dillon had helped Blue Horse years ago and now Blue Horse wants to return the favor. But the rub here is that Matt is a lawman and knows that he is sworn to tell the Cavalry about Blue Horse.

A nice story that shows the human side of Marshal Dillon. Nothing really stands out about this show other than the nice portrayal by Michale Pate of the Blue Horse the escape Indian plus William Murphy that played the Cavalry Lieutenant that was new to the western prairie. An entertaining episode that was filmed completely outdoors instead of the near regular sound stage.

Strong story points are weakened by several implausibles. Matt and Chester are returning an escaped killer (former song & dance man, Gene Nelson) to Dodge. Along the way, Matt's horse stumbles breaking Matt's leg in the process. Now Chester has to fetch Doc which will take a couple of days. Meanwhile, the trio has encountered a cavalry detachment in pursuit of a small Indian band that has jumped reservation.

Implausibles come from not securing Nelson in some way while Chester rides for help. Though armed with a gun, Matt's immobilized and can't be expected to keep Nelson captive for days. Why not tie him up, or failing that, shoot him in the leg. Anyway, I found this passage unusually improbable. There're some good location shots of long natural vistas that are uncommon to the early series. Though the meet-up with Blue Horse, an old friend, is another difficult swallow, it does lead to some interesting developments with the cavalry and the talkative Nelson. Nonetheless, a rather uneven episode in my book that could have been made memorable with more thought.

(*Marshal Dillon quote*) - "Good luck to you."

The US Cavalry is searching for a group of Cheyenne Indians who have recently escaped from the reservation.

Meanwhile - Marshal Dillon is 2 days out of Dodge, escorting a prisoner back to town.

When Dillon is injured he is left alone with his prisoner and this is when this episode's story-line really starts to take shape.