Jess's brother-in-law, an Army deserter, shows up looking for help to reach Canada via the Lola Pass. Slim is against Jess helping so he refuses to share his map of the trail. However, he relents under pressure against his better judgment.

A gunfighter comes to Laramie and picks up his mail in care of GENERAL DELIVERY to see who he has been hired to kill.Jess knows him and confronts him to see who he was hired to kill.He is injured on the Sherman ranch and Andy tries to reform him.

A drought and the end of the stage line force Slim and Jess to join a cattle drive run by a stranger with their own herd in order for the ranch to survive. Jess is impressed with the hard nosed trail boss but they soon become suspicious.