Lily Merrill opens the Bird Cage Saloon after being thrown out of Billings, Montana by the sheriff. Dan hears she was involved in a theft/murder, she assumes he wants to be paid off. Dan, of course, refuses money. Both seem surprised that their opinions are wrong, but Dan is still suspicious. One of her dealers again causes trouble, and she looks guilty. There are several mistakes made by Dan (unusual for him) regarding her innocence until the very last scene, where they gain lasting respect for one another.

An alcoholic is identified by the man he supposedly robbed the night before, and can't deny it because he was drunk. Even though he is identified as the robber, Dan has ""a hunch"" that he is being set up.

While guarding a prison wagon, Johnny is attacked by a prisoner after the wagon is set upon and overturned. He shackles himself to the prisoner immediately, and then has to avoid being killed.

When Lily's estranged ex-con husband, Frank, comes to town she avoids telling Dan who the man is. Dan's suspicious of him- and with good cause. He's holding their son, Tommy, as a hostage to force Lily to help him rob the bank. She tries to handle the matter alone while keeping Dan from finding out anything, which only makes him more suspicious.

When an army officer comes to Laramie to try to establish an unfair treaty with the Indians, a white man who has been assimilated into the tribe tries to kill him.

Once again Johnny resigns, after being forced to kill an old friend. Dan hires another deputy, but he's no Johnny McKay. He is bombastic and cowardly, pushing people to throw his weight around, but not really wanting to have to fight. Finally, after the new deputy gets scared half to death, Johnny takes his job back.

When Beth, a girl who works in the Bird Cage, is murdered, the killer is seen by Oren, an old man with very thick glasses. The glasses are broken as the killer rushes out the door, leaving him dazed and nearly blind. Dan sets a trap, insisting that Oren saw the whole thing and can identify the killer as soon as he gets his new glasses.

Dan and Johnny help Timmo's estranged son to overcome years of bad association and feelings of neglect.

Lal Hoard gets out of prison and heads for Laramie. Dan had put him away, and he swore revenge. Now, Lily and Johnny are worried, but Hoard seems to have changed. He has bought the Laramie newspaper and wants to settle down. It doesn't take long to see that he is starting a smear campaign against Dan, and then tries to blackmail Lily.

Pa Jutes and his sons hold Lily Merrill and a young newsboy hostage in the marshall's office until the 9:05 train to North Platte comes through. It's carrying another of his sons who's being taken to justice by another lawman, and Pa wants to make a 'trade'.

Two grifters come to town claiming to be there to raise money to rebuild the church in Laramie after it burns down. In reality, they plan to take the money and run.

A nightime rainstorm forces Dan and Johnny, who are escorting a prisoner, to seek shelter in a cabin. It is lived in by Jack Brace, a thief and a murderer, and his slave, an Indian woman. She tries to warn Dan about Jack, who joins with the prisoner to overpower the two lawmen. The Indian woman helps them as they are being forced to dig their own graves.

Bill Jennings and his fiancee', Amie, are about to be married. But then Bill's stepson, Gabe, shows up, full of anger and vengeance over the fact that Bill deserted his mother and him years before. Even though Bill knows that in truth, his ex-wife left him - and Gabe is not really his son- he tries to protect the boy from the facts.

A gunman shows up wanting vengeance against Lance Creedy, a gunfighter who changed for the better when he married his wife. The gunman is convinced that Lance stole his 'woman' from him.

An older man comes to town to avenge his son's killing by Dan Troop. Although Dan was doing his duty, the father hears a local bigmouth talking about how his son was just a fun-loving boy and Dan Troop killed him without cause. In this episode, it's Johnny who has to come to the rescue as the man is determined to kill Dan.

Pike Reese, a wolfer, tells everyone he's caught a wolf who has been stalking and ravaging the area's livestock. He then tries to blackmail the town for $10,000, or he'll let the wolf go. After one of the townspeople kills the wolf to prevent that from happening, he is found dead. Dan goes after the wolfer.

Beth Denning, a somewhat wild girl, seems to stir up trouble wherever she goes. Raised by a lazy father in a filthy cabin, she can't seem to break out of the mold. Dan, knowing that a cattle drive is coming into town, lays down the law to both her father and to her, warning them to not cause any more trouble in Laramie. When Beth is found beat up and near death after a scene at the Bird Cage, the town is ready to lynch an innocent young man until Beth comes out of her coma to identify the real culprit.

Artist Frederick Jameson comes to town. Lily impresses him and he offers to paint her portrait. Meanwhile, a murderous gang is on his trail, and he and his Indian companion both seem to know why, although Dan and Johnny do not.

Lily is threatened in an alley at night by a man calling himself ""the ugly man"". He seems to know all about her and accuses her of deceit and lies (although she is sure she doesn't know him) and he promises to kill her at midnight on some night soon. Dan and Johnny begin a constant vigil, one or the other being with her 24 hours a day until they can track down a man with no name and no face. Finally, one of the girls who works in the saloon discloses a secret that unlocks the mystery.

Three kids ride into town, take a shot at Dan, and ride out. He and Johnny pursue them, catch them, and bring them in, in spite of being clawed and bitten in the process. Lily refuses to let him put the little girl, Dodie, in jail and takes her to the Bird Cage. None of the kids will tell Dan anything about who they are, but he soon learns that their father is a wanted outlaw, and they want to go live with him rather than their Uncle Lou.

A strange man, who is a thimblerigger, shows up at the Bird Cage Saloon one night and promises to ruin a man with his game.

Dan has to get a prisoner away from the posse that is after him and to safety in jail so the man can apply for a pardon from the governor, whose life he saved during the war.

Pianist Reed Smith drank to forget the war. He's conquered the drinking problem, but not the men who are trying to get him because of things he did that they can't forget. The reunion takes place at the Bird Cage Saloon in Laramie.

In this show, which really is about 30 minutes in the town's life, bad guy (really bad guy) Jake Wilson (Jack Elam) comes to town. At 2:30, he goes into the BirdCage and is soon recognized by a young man, whom he kills right before he shoots Johnny. Then, when Dan hears the shots, Jake engages in a hostage situation, telling Dan he's killed his deputy and will kill his girlfriend unless Dan clears the streets, gets him his horse, and lets him ride out. Shot twice, once by Johnny before he got hit, and once by Dan, Wilson is wounded, in pain, scared, and beligerent (Jack Elam at his best). He terrorizes Lily and the others before the final shootout, which takes place almost on the stroke of 3:00.

A man whose arm has been amputated because of a shootout with Marshall Troop some time back comes back to town, convinced his son will kill Dan for him. But his son is reluctant to do so.