The old ranch hand, Slim Jessup, runs away from the Idaho law after he kills a man in self-defense. Meanwhile, The Virginian is charged with the task of driving 2000 head of cattle to Moose Jaw, Canada to meet a contract deadline the Judge needs to keep Shiloh solvent due to a US financial crisis. The time is short and The Virginian has no experienced trail hands. Slim an old friend of The Virginian trails the herd and when confronted asks for a job which The Virginian is glad to offer. Along the trail a farmer's 16 year old stepson, James Cafferty, sees the herd and decides to ask to join the drive as a trail hand to escape the dull farm life. Slim counters The Virginian's objections and takes James under his wing and the two become close friends. At Moose Jaw the Idaho law has arrived with extradition papers for Slim forcing Slim to confront the issue.
—Anonymous