Old Marshal Torrance faces an unexplained inner struggle when Lucas and Mark find a dying man and bring him to North Fork. Lucas gives his blood to help save the man, but the formerly reliable Marshal curses the wounded man and begins drinking heavily; he even resorts to taking off his marshal's badge. Further complicating the problems, a group of vigilantes ride in from a neighboring town and demand that the wounded man be turned over to them. Lucas, getting no help from the Marshal, has to stand up to the vigilantes alone.