Scared Boy

Originally Aired: May 17, 1959 Gunsmoke #371, "Scared Boy," begins when a violent confrontation erupts in the kitchen of Cora Meadows and her young son Tad. A desperate man bursts into their home seeking refuge, only to be shot down in cold blood by his pursuer. The killer warns both Cora and the boy to forget what they witnessed, threatening that young Tad will get his throat cut if he talks. The terrified widow promises their silence, but when she comes to Marshal Matt Dillon's office, she reveals that her son has gone missing and she fears he may have gone after the murderer. Matt and Chester investigate the scene, finding the victim's body carelessly discarded in the bushes and identifying him as a gambler named Rourke. Meanwhile, Doc Adams sends an urgent message to Matt about a young boy he found beaten on the road. The child has been brutally attacked and, strangely, refuses to speak at all despite being conscious. As Matt examines the injured boy, the pieces of this dangerous puzzle begin coming together, with a cold-blooded killer still at large and a frightened child caught in the crossfire.