No Indians

Originally Aired: March 26, 1961 In Gunsmoke #468, "No Indians," Marshal Matt Dillon investigates a series of brutal attacks on settler families near the Smoky Hill River that are being blamed on Pawnee raiders. When frightened homesteader Sam Butler arrives in Dodge City, abandoning his land and accusing the law of hiding while families are slaughtered, Matt decides to ride out with Chester to examine the scene. What they discover alongside young Captain Starr and his cavalry troop is deeply troubling: the murdered families show none of the typical signs of Indian attacks. The victims were shot with rifles rather than arrows, tracks have been deliberately obscured, and tellingly, a boy old enough to be trained as a brave has been killed rather than taken captive. Matt realizes these massacres are the work of white men disguised as Indians, stealing horses and supplies while stirring up fear and hatred. With no time to track down the killers before they strike again, Matt devises a dangerous plan: he and Chester will use cavalry horses as bait in an abandoned corral, with only themselves to face whatever gang of murderers comes calling. As smoke rises from their campfire to draw the thieves in, the two lawmen wait to spring their trap.