Trama

Coltrane may be the fastest gun alive, and all he wants to do is live a quiet life with his beautiful wife, but so many men are out to make a reputation by trying to kill him.

Scott Coltrane's nickname (the title of this episode) is well-earned; he is one of the fastest guns in the West. But Coltrane is honest and has no desire to get in a non-legitimate fight; furthermore, he has recently married and learns he will soon become a father. When he comes to Dodge to settle, three men take him on at the same time (he drops all three in their tracks, though only after trying as hard as he can to persuade them to quit). Before long, another hired gun comes after him. Coltrane has a Hobson's choice of fighting until he gets killed or not fighting and getting killed anyway. Matt tries to figure out another route Coltrane can take.—Peter Harris

Scott Coltrane (Steve Forest), is an aging gunfighter that is still the fastest gun around. Coltrane has come to Dodge City with the hopes of settling down with his wife, Teresa (Barra Grant) and having a family and a farm. He is tired of living the life of a gunfighter, having to face down and kill every new young gunfighter that wants to be the one to out gun him. At the beginning of this episode he is called out by a trio of gunslingers that have found out he is in Dodge. He tries to talk them out of a gunfight. He doesn't want to be forced to kill them. Festus (Ken Curtis) shows up and tells all the men that the first one to touch his gun is going to be sorry. Coltrane even suggests that Festus might put him under the protection of the law. The three won't listen though. They all start to draw and Coltrane draws and shoots them all. Later when Festus is telling Matt Dillon (James Arness) what happened, he tells him it was the clearest case of self-defense, no question! Matt rides out to the Coltrane farm to have a talk with him. Coltrane tells him he had no choice but to kill those men. He also tells Matt that he tried everything he could to stop them from forcing him into the fight. Later, Matt and Kitty (Amanda Blake) are sitting in the Long Branch and Kitty asks Matt who Coltrane is, what is going on and what or who is Coltrane to Matt. Matt explains the situation to her. He tells her that he respects a man that is trying so hard to change and he will do whatever he can to help him. In the meantime, another gunfighter comes to down and Coltrane is forced to kill him as well. At this point, Matt calls Coltrane into the Sheriff's office. Most of the town ends up congregated outside to see what is going on. They argue loud enough so everyone can hear what is going on. Matt tells Coltrane he wants him out of Dodge. He doesn't want a never-ending parade of gunslingers coming to Dodge to fight him and that because of his reputation Coltrane would have to keep killing until he, himself, is killed. Coltrane tells Matt he is not leaving. Matt tells him if he won't go voluntarily, he will throw him out. They begin to fight, which again can be overheard by half the town. The door to the sheriff's office opens up and Matt physically throws Coltrane out the door. Coltrane tells Matt he will be back later to call him out. True to his word, Coltrane comes back later and calls Matt out into the street. When Coltrane goes for his gun Matt shoots him. Doc (Milburn Stone) goes over and checks Coltrane's pulse and tells Matt he is dead. After the funeral Matt goes out to one of the local farms to deliver some paperwork. Teresa Coltrane answers the door and, low and behold, Scott Coltrane is standing just inside. It turns out that Matt and Coltrane, with a little assistance from Doc, had staged the argument, the fight in the sheriff's office, the subsequent gunfight in the street and Coltrane's death. The only way Scott and Teresa could settle down and have a quiet ilfe was for everyone to believe he had been killed. Coltrane thanked Matt for everything and asked him to thank Doc for him too. Matt told him that Doc was more than glad to do it. As Matt turns to head back to Dodge, he wishes "Mr. & Mrs. Taylor", the Coltrane's new name, the best of luck.