There is a man interested in courting Marian and it's not Shane. Actually, the person doing the courting is quite shocking to everyone. Marian sees this new interest as a way to make Shane jealous and it works like a charm; but will her attempts backfire?
Frustrated by his inability to convince the homesteaders and Ryker of the need to fight the crazed, megalomaniac Major Hackett and his army, Shane decides to accept Hackett's offer and join his troop, in the hope of learning which ranchers they plan to attack next and warning them before more are killed.
A woman arrives in town and announces to Joey that she is an old acquaintance of Tom's. Tom soon has to reveal a deep dark secret from his past and the reason he left the bench. But the woman is out for revenge, and not even Shane may be able to stop it this time.
Shane agrees to work for Ryker for a month so he can buy a pony for Joey. However, things don't go as planned. The foreman isn't too fond of the new hired hand and makes life at Ryker's Ranch rather difficult for Shane.
A stranger, not happy with the changing times and unwilling to accept the fact that "sod busters" are moving into the land, resorts to taking a job with the Starrett's when things get rough. He doesn't last long because Ryker invites him to work at his ranch. But even Ryker's ways are too tame for this cowboy, and he's out for revenge.