Matt pursues the Rawlins gang into Mexico to the village of Zavala. Here he meets Paco and his widowed mother. Paco's father had been killed when he stood up to outlaws intimidating the people of Zavala. In his whole life, the only strong willed people Paco had ever seen were outlaws. He first thinks of Matt as such a person, until Matt tells him that he's not there to kill the Rawlins' but to arrest them. "But only outlaws ever come to Zavala." Paco is fascinated with the fact that Matt is a US Marshal. In an unusual episode of Gunsmoke an unlikely relationship develops amongst the trio, Paco, his mother, and Matt. Paul Savage later adapted this episode into made for TV movie "Cutter's Trail" where Manuel Padilla Jr. reprises his role as Paco.

Will Geer plays an old mountain hunter that comes to Dodge to see his long time friend Matt Dillon. When the hunter is accused of attempted murder, it will be Matt that sets off to bring his friend to justice.