Chester's Choice

Originally Aired: July 6, 1958 In Gunsmoke #326, "Chester's Choice," Chester stumbles into a deadly dilemma while fishing outside Dodge City. Dozing in the brush, he overhears three outlaws planning to rob the bank at three o'clock that afternoon. When the gang discovers him, their ruthless leader Milt gives Chester an impossible ultimatum: get Marshal Matt Dillon out of town during the robbery, or watch Doc Adams and Kitty Russell die. Threatened with the blood of his friends on his hands, Chester reluctantly agrees to the outlaws' demands. Back in Dodge, Chester desperately tries to lure Matt out of town without revealing the truth. He awkwardly attempts to convince Kitty to go riding with the marshal, then tries persuading Doc Adams to take Matt on a medical call to the country. When both efforts fail, Chester makes increasingly frantic attempts to get Matt interested in a fishing trip to Reed Creek. As the clock ticks toward three o'clock, Chester must decide between his loyalty to the marshal and the safety of the people he cares about most, knowing that any choice he makes could have fatal consequences.