Kite’s Reward: Justice Denied

Gunsmoke: Old West Stories

In this tragic episode of Gunsmoke, a drifter named Andy Travis finds himself at the mercy of Dodge City’s justice system after a self-defense killing in a saloon. Marshal Matt Dillon sees something in Andy—a young man who doesn’t want to live by the gun—and offers him a fresh start. Andy gives up his weapon and finds work at the stable, determined to leave his violent past behind.

But trouble soon arrives in the form of Joe Kite, a bounty hunter who claims that Andy isn’t just a drifting cowboy—he’s Andy Haycox, a wanted outlaw from Wyoming. When Kite guns Andy down in cold blood, he smugly demands his reward, believing himself to be justified in the killing.

As Andy lies dying, he reveals to Matt that he had indeed been part of an outlaw gang—but had left before they committed murder. He wanted to start over, but his past caught up with him too soon. In a final act of frontier justice, Matt ensures Kite never sees a dime of the bounty money, branding him as nothing more than a thief with blood on his hands.

This episode explores themes of redemption, fate, and the cruel consequences of a man trying to escape his past.

Keywords: "Gunsmoke Kite’s Reward episode," "March 1955 Gunsmoke radio," "Matt Dillon Andy Travis story," "Joe Kite bounty hunter injustice," "Western redemption and tragedy," "Dodge City outlaw bounty drama," "John Meston Gunsmoke scripts."

Cast: William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, Sam Edwards, Joe Duvall, John Dehner, Vic Perrin.