Line Trouble

Originally Aired: June 26, 1960 Gunsmoke #429, "Line Trouble," begins when Jasper Foss reports to Marshal Matt Dillon that the new telegraph line west of Dodge has been cut. Matt and Chester investigate and discover Army soldiers repairing the damage and holding a Kiowa man named Smallhawk under guard. The Indian admits to cutting the wire, believing it to be bad magic that carries evil sounds across his people's land. Matt, who knows Smallhawk as no troublemaker, convinces Colonel Hooper to release the prisoner into his custody, promising to take responsibility and show Smallhawk that the telegraph can be good magic instead of bad. To prove his point, Matt takes Smallhawk to the telegraph office and sends a message to the Indian encampment, instructing Smallhawk's son Brown Wing to bring a horse to meet his father outside town. The demonstration aims to change Smallhawk's fear of the wire and prevent future trouble. Meanwhile, the bitter Jasper Foss, recently fired from his job for being too old, lurks in the background with cryptic warnings about Matt needing to watch out and do a good job.