On the way to a cattle purchase, The Virginian meets up with Ben Hunter and his group when they interrupt a holdup attempt on him. He finds that Hunter is leading a protection racket that now covers a number of towns on the way between Medicine Bow and Billings, and that the people in these towns are cowed into paying him outrageous fees to keep their homes and businesses safe. When The Virginian is forced to kill one of Hunter's men the citizens of one town are ordered to turn him over to be killed, and except for the daughter of one man are too willing to do so. (thetvdb.com)