Cheyenne Bodie is court-martialed at the instigation of a hard-nosed army captain who resents the scout's refusal to follow orders when Bodie knows that doing so would have endangered the lives of the entire regiment. The army needs horses, but every time they get a line on a herd, cutthroat rustlers get there first. How that happens is a mystery, so through a series of planned altercations, Cheyenne manages to infiltrate the ruthless gang of raiders and becomes a pariah determined to solve it.
As it turns out, the leader of the gang is Colonel Wilson, the very army officer in charge of securing horses for the garrison. He turned criminal because his lovely wife yearns to return to the civilized life they had when they started out back east, and pleasing her becomes his priority, more important than loyalty to his oath of office. Since the army won't give him a transfer, he plots a way to give his wife the kind of life she craves anyway, and that involves being in league with thieves and killers. However, thanks to Cheyenne and the captain who started out accusing Bodie of dereliction of duty, the colonel's plans are thwarted and his gang members captured or killed. He winds up being taken into custody, to stand trial as a traitor and a murderer, gaining nothing but reproach, prison, and possibly, a firing squad. His wife will return to the "civilized society" of the east, but alone and humiliated.
All the players in this army drama are excellent. Noteworthy is Mickey Simpson, a regular bad guy in the series who, though always playing pretty much the same character, does a believable job of it. Another actor who doesn't get the credit he deserves is I. Stanford Jolley, perennial old codger who sometimes ends up helping the hero, albeit unintentionally. From the start, Clint Walker endowed Cheyenne Bodie with a capacity to be as quick with his wits as he is with his gun, and he makes a convincing spy in this episode. We're never disappointed when he's onscreen, and in this episode he delivers exactly what we've come to expect-a captivating experience.
As it turns out, the leader of the gang is Colonel Wilson, the very army officer in charge of securing horses for the garrison. He turned criminal because his lovely wife yearns to return to the civilized life they had when they started out back east, and pleasing her becomes his priority, more important than loyalty to his oath of office. Since the army won't give him a transfer, he plots a way to give his wife the kind of life she craves anyway, and that involves being in league with thieves and killers. However, thanks to Cheyenne and the captain who started out accusing Bodie of dereliction of duty, the colonel's plans are thwarted and his gang members captured or killed. He winds up being taken into custody, to stand trial as a traitor and a murderer, gaining nothing but reproach, prison, and possibly, a firing squad. His wife will return to the "civilized society" of the east, but alone and humiliated.
All the players in this army drama are excellent. Noteworthy is Mickey Simpson, a regular bad guy in the series who, though always playing pretty much the same character, does a believable job of it. Another actor who doesn't get the credit he deserves is I. Stanford Jolley, perennial old codger who sometimes ends up helping the hero, albeit unintentionally. From the start, Clint Walker endowed Cheyenne Bodie with a capacity to be as quick with his wits as he is with his gun, and he makes a convincing spy in this episode. We're never disappointed when he's onscreen, and in this episode he delivers exactly what we've come to expect-a captivating experience.
