Gunsmoke – Cholera. 541204

Out West, there’s just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers, and that’s with the smell of gunsmoke.

In the jail, Matt and Chester watch people passing on the street when a suspicious man catches their attention. Some investigation turns up a feud starting to build between a local rancher, and a homesteader. Will Mat be able to nip it in the bud?

While accompanying the homesteader, Gabriel, home Matt overhears the rancher, MacCreedy making schemes against his neighbor, and spoils the plot.

Later as Matt and Doc talk, word comes in that there’s more trouble with the homesteader and rancher. Is it poisoning, or possibly a cholera outbreak? The folks in Dodge City are taking no chances, and prepare for an epidemic. When Doc rides out to check on things, the rancher takes him captive.

He has to admit what he has done when his own son falls sick of the cholera, and lets doc go free. There’s plenty of blaming, finger pointing, and guilt to go around.

Doc does all he can, but will it be enough? Will the feuding stop? It will probably take some hard lessons learned before people can come to their senses.