Ex-Urbanites

Originally Aired: April 30, 1961 Gunsmoke #473, "Ex-Urbanites," finds Doc Adams and Chester returning to Dodge from Hays City when they discover a wounded wolfer named Nage Gillard near a remote water hole. Doc immediately sets to work to save the dying man, but Nage's partners—his brother Pitt and Jesse Turnbull—arrive with shocking orders: leave Nage to die. When Doc refuses, the confrontation turns violent. Chester manages to hold off the hostile partners, but not before Pitt stabs Doc in the side. Despite his own serious wound, Doc must perform surgery on Nage, only to have the man die anyway. Now stranded on the prairie miles from Dodge, Chester faces the daunting task of saving Doc's life. With Nage's vengeful brother likely to return and no medical training to guide him, Chester must extract the bullet from Doc himself while defending their makeshift camp. As Doc's fever rises and his condition deteriorates, Chester struggles to keep them both alive long enough to make it home, all while watching for Pitt Gillard's inevitable return.