Joe Sleet

Originally Aired: February 26, 1961 Gunsmoke #464, "Joe Sleet," presents a tense story of a bullying gunfighter brought low by circumstance. Joe Sleet arrives in Dodge City as the typical hard-talking gunman, showing off his fast draw and provoking confrontations in the Long Branch Saloon. His bragging drives even mild-mannered Chester to practice his draw, and he pushes everyone around him to the breaking point. When Sleet finally provokes the wrong man, a fellow named Meeker shoots him twice without warning, leaving the gunfighter wounded and fighting for his life. Doc Adams saves Sleet's life, but the injury to his right arm proves devastating. Despite weeks of healing, Sleet loses the use of his gun hand, and no amount of pleading or money can fix the nerve damage. The once-fearsome gunfighter becomes a desperate shell of himself, haunting Doc's office daily and begging for a miracle. As Sleet struggles to accept his new reality, Kitty mentions needing a handyman at the Long Branch, and Doc gets an idea that might give the broken man a chance at redemption.