User Reviews

He may be short, stout and bald (under the wig), but Fred Myers (Harris) is one ruthless character. No wonder his comely wife (Van Zandt) wants to leave him. And when he plays a needless trick on Indian Tobeel (De Kova), he makes a formidable enemy, especially after Myers opens a dress shop with stolen money. Now there's trouble brewing.

The entry manages some suspense, but is more contrived than usual. Maybe I missed something, yet the logic of Myers's return to town in the climax appears murky to me. And why the needlessly insulting letter to the trail boss, which makes the clever Myers appear not just mean but stupidly mean. Anyway, de Kova makes a convincing Indian, as usual, while Van Zandt could pass as Amanda Blakes' younger sister.

Fred Myers and Harry Bent robbed a bank in Wichita. They went in different directions after the robbery with Bent taking the money they stole. They were supposed to meet at a designated location but Bent has planned a double-cross. He meets Myers's wife, Jennifer, who is waiting with a wagon. Bent and Jennifer Myers intend to run off together with the money. They are waiting for Tobeel, the Kiowa who lives near Dodge City. Bent is paying Tobeel four dollars to guide him and Jennifer to Dodge.

Bent is another in a protracted line of stupid crooks, though. Myers has followed him and finds Bent with his wife and the loot at the wagon. Myers kills Bent. Shortly after, Tobeel arrives. Myers tells Tobeel he is no longer needed, but the would-be guide is not so easy to deter.

Myers gives Tobeel a letter and tells him to give it to a trail boss, and the trail boss will give him a job. Tobeel takes Myers at his word, but the letter warns the recipient not to trust Tobeel. Since Tobeel cannot read English, he does not realize what is written in the letter.

Myers and his wife settle in Dodge where they open a dress shop. Myers knows they should avoid spending the stolen money to prevent any suspicion. When Tobeel realizes they are in Dodge, he begins to stalk them. The man spooks Mrs. Myers by constantly watching them.

The whole matter earns the attention of Matt Dillon when Myers goes to him to complain about Tobeel's stalking. The Marshal is dismissive of Myers's complaints, but when Jennifer Myers is found murdered in the dress shop, Tobeel is suspected because it was his knife that was used to kill Mrs. Myers.

Robert H. Harris appeared in two Gunsmoke episodes. Both were in Season 2, and he plays villains in both. Harris plays the sinister Fred Myers in this story. Almost any television drama series worth watching during the late 1950s and early 1960s features an episode where Harris guest stars.

Frank DeKova (credited as Frank de Kova) returns for a second appearance as the character Tobeel. DeKova played the character in one additional episode. In addition to the three appearances as Tobeel, DeKova played two other roles in the series.

Actor Paul Lambert makes a brief appearance as Harry Bent early in the episode. This was one of the first roles for Lambert, who would have an extended career as a character actor. Lambert's only other Gunsmoke appearance was earlier in Season 2's "Brush at Elkader" episode.

Julie Van Zandt plays Jennifer Myers in this story. Van Zandt's acting career lasted about ten years before she quit to pursue other interests. She was a noted artist and a prominent citizen of Malibu, California.

This is a simple, predictable story. There is not much in the way of mystery, because the viewer knows the Myers character is the villain from the beginning of the story. The viewer then becomes an observer of Marshal Dillon's sleuthing abilities.

There are some extremely odd, convoluted elements involved in the story that are impossible to discuss without using spoilers. Fred Myers does some things that do not make sense, especially for a man that had proven to be such a shrewd criminal.