User Reviews

Dillon respects the law, but not the kind of law that will take a man dead or alive. As Ben Goddard (Onslow Stevens, his only time on Gunsmoke) says to Dillon "Don't you have respect for the law." Dillon reply's "Not that kind of law". Dillon uses his smarts a lot in this episode. He gets Lee Prentice (Ed Nelson) friends together to intimidate Ben Goddard not to act on taking Prentice. It works as Goddard goes away without a fight.

Earlier, Dillon arrests Prentice for a made up charge so bounty hunter Jake Harbin (Mort Mills) can't take him in. It almost backfires. But Dillon gets him, his 81st confirmed kill on the show.

I liked this episode, well done from beginning to end. I love when Jake Harbin tells Dillon he's going to kill Prentice and he can't do nothing about it. Dillon just lays him out with one punch. I don't understand why Dillon gave back Harbin his gun. Harbin could have killed Dillon right there in the marshal's office. Not too smart on his part. The episode did have mostly smarts and suspense thru out it.

**SPOILERS** Okay, I liked it. Why, you ask? Cuzz, the guy Harbin didn't need to see Lee any more in the Long Branch. Why? He thought he'd already killed him; OR thought he could dry gulch him later. Either way, he was a back-shootin' coward, and Matt KNEW IT. It followed right along that he'd try to back shoot him again. Remember the bartender who back-shot the guy who befriended him? Same type of deal; warrant dead or alive? That fact also calls into question Baker City; were they all back shooters? When the Sheriff comes-callin', Matt's ready, and he makes it impossible for him to arrest Lee (probably to shoot him in the back for trying' to escape). Matt backs him down. It was good watching the sheriff's hand tremble as he thought about trying' it. Only thing - he'd heard about Matt, his deputy was dead (He didn't seem too concerned about him, did he?), and he decided he wasn't suicidal, after all.

Think the sheriff tried it again? what if he just took the stage back to Baker City, got a couple good horses from the rich creep that put out the contract on Lee, traveled right back up, and bumped off Lee later? Yeah.. just get three good horses; 2 pack animals. One for his trail supplies and one for Lee's body (include a nice canvas bag for it), and tend to business. Of course, better NEVER have business in Dodge in your life again. Ever.

More likely, the sheriff went back, got all his pay, packed up everything he had that mattered, and hightailed it for parts unknown. After all, he weren't no Bat Masterson, were he?