The Man Behind The Badge
SAM IS REMOVED FROM OFFICE AND FRAMED FOR MURDER BY THE MAN WHO KILLED HIS WIFE...
Ghosts from Marshall Sam Cain's past return and Emma learns of the death of his first wife, Jennifer, at the hands of hired guns. Sam tells Emma he and his wife were married only three months when the range war broke out. Sam took the side of the poor farmers against the rich cattle ranchers. He never told Emma about it because of what happened afterwards, what Sam did afterwards. Bent on revenge he confronted each member of the gang responsible for his wife's death and forced them to draws. He killed every last one of them... except the leader. Sam knew who the man was but told Emma "he lost the stomach for it." Sam's recollections are prompted by the fires the town had been having for the last week. Sam said the recent incidents reminded him of that time not so long ago.
Sam
returns to his office where Barnett, his deputy, and a solitary prisoner
are having supper. The prisoner is a drunk who was formerly a well-respected
lawyer. The stillness of the night is disturbed by gunshots. Sam and his
deputies come out to find men on horseback setting fire on one of the stores.
The next day, Teaspoon, Emma and the riders go into town and find Sam surrounded by beleaguered townsfolk. He promises to catch the bad guys but tells the men to keep watch of their properties at night. Sam tells his friends he is worried. After setting fire on Tompkins' store, the men on horseback ransacked the barber shop and beat up the tailor. Their talk is once again disturbed by gunshots, this time coming from the Wild Horse saloon where, according to Barnett, the new owner was buying. Sam goes over to check it out.
When Sam walks in he finds out that the new owner of the saloon is no other than the man he thinks killed his wife. Sam realizes that Van Dorn is the one responsible for the troubles of the town. Sam warns Van Dorn but the man says Cain had nothing on him since he was a "respectable businessman" now. Frustrated, Sam tips Van Dorn's lunch onto his lap, drawing the ire of Van Dorn's men. Before Sam left, Van Dorn told him he couldn't hide behind the badge any longer because the territorial governor swore in Thomas Craven -- one of Van Dorn's bullies -- as Sweetwater's new Marshall.
Forced to move out of his office, Sam Cain trashes the place first. He tells Emma he tried to make sense out of all that was happening. He feels quite bitter that he risked his life and limb for three years with nothing to show for it except his abrupt dismissal. Emma invites him to come home with her and the boys, but Sam declines accepting an invitation to supper only instead.
The rest of the riders help out Tompkins clean up his store after the fire. He thanks them and even shakes Buck's hand. Later, the new Marshall and his cronies visit Tompkins and advise him to pay some "protection money" to keep his newly-renovated store safe from other accidents. They ask for $10 a week. As Sam leaves his office, he notices some of Sweetwater's citizens leaving town. The barber talks to Sam, telling him about Craven's extortion scheme.
Frustrated by what's happening, Sam takes to drinking. That night, he arrives at Emma's place late and drunk. Emma scolds him about feeling sorry for himself. She invites him to stay again but he said there were a few things he needs to pick up in town. When Emma looks at him suspiciously, Sam assures her he was not looking for trouble.
In
town, Van Dorn sees Sam arriving and he tells one of his men to hide and
kill Cain. Van Dorn tries to provoke Sam into fighting him, telling Sam
that if he wasn't so busy trying to protect "those pathetic farmer"
he would have been home protecting his wife. Sam hears a sound from behind
the safe and calls out. Van Dorn's man pops up and tries to shoot Sam but
he was fast enough to drop him first. A gunfight follows and Sam was shot
but he escaped. The woman who brought dinner to the Marshall's Office every
night saw the whole thing.
That night, Van Dorn offers a reward for those who can capture Sam Cain. None of the townsfolk wanted to but when Van Dorn upped the price to $10 for every man who comes along and $20 for the man who captures Sam. The drunken lawyer Benjamin hears this and heads for the stationhouse where he tells Emma, Jimmy and Cody about Sam's predicament. Craven's posse heads out to find Sam at dawn the next day. The riders also try to find their friend but they have the advantage. Kid knows where to find Sam -- in Painted Ridge.
Meanwhile, Teaspoon, Buck and Ike ride out to meet with the Territorial Governor who turns out to be a very good friend of his. Teaspoon tells the governor about the trouble in Sweetwater and asks Phelan to give Sam his old job back. Corliss T. Phelan tells the stationmaster that it isn't as simple as that since Van Dorn is very influential. Teaspoon sees an opportunity to change Phelan's mind when the governor mentions the suspended signing of a peace treaty with the Indians. It turns out Teaspoon knows the chief, Standing Bear. The riders find Sam and ask him what he'll do. He says he'll go after Van Dorn. They tell him about Teaspoon's plan to get his job back but Sam says the governor won't appoint a man wanted for murder. He asks the riders to tell Emma that he needs to see her.
Teaspoon talks to Standing Bear and finally gets him to sign the peace treaty. In return, Phelan agrees to re-appoint Sam as Sweetwater's Marshall. Emma goes to see Sam but Van Dorn's men follow her and they capture the former Marshall.
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