Indian

Originally Aired: March 23, 1958 In Gunsmoke #311, "Indian," Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester discover a Pawnee man who has been brutally murdered, shot in both knees and left to crawl before being killed. When the victim's stoic widow appears at the scene, Matt is disturbed by the cruelty of the killing. Back in Dodge, a bitter frontiersman named Eggard overhears Matt discussing the murder and openly admits to a sixteen-year campaign of killing Indians. Consumed by hatred since Pawnees killed his wife and kidnapped his infant son years ago, Eggard shows no remorse and insists no badge will stop his vendetta. The widow and her brother soon arrive in Dodge, having tracked Eggard to town. They demand Matt either arrest and execute the killer or hand him over for Indian justice. Though Matt suspects Eggard is guilty, he lacks the legal proof needed for a conviction. Faced with an impossible situation where the law cannot act but justice demands satisfaction, Matt finds himself caught between his duty as a marshal and the reality of frontier justice. The Pawnees make clear they will wait and take matters into their own hands, setting up a dangerous standoff in Dodge City.