- While bringing in sheepherder John Chess (Martin Landau) who twelve years prior had murdered more than a dozen people and ravaged a town out of revenge for his wife's death, Tate is forced to kill two sons of cattle rancher Abel Towey, who then wants his own revenge and tracks down Tate and Chess.—Ron Perkins
- Tate (David McLean) is looking for John Chess (Martin Landau). The show opens in a field with sheep and a herding dog. Tate is on horseback talking to a young boy Juan (Fosforito). Tate asks if Juan has seen John Chess, Juan says he has not and Tate says he will wait. While they wait Juan takes out his rock flinging sling and hurls a stone at a hanging makeshift target, hitting it. Tate tries out the sling but apparently is not as good as he says he once was and misses the target. Tate is going to take another stone from Juan when John Chess comes out of the brush wielding a rifle. At first John appears friendly, approaches Tate and asks if Tate is looking for him. Once Tate replies with the question are you John Chess, John gets a more serious look on his face and he and Juan back away from Tate. John mutters "12 years" and admits that he is John Chess and, while the men stare at each other, Juan slings a stone at Tate's temple semi-felling him. Tate regains his composure and keeps his gun aimed at John. John orders Juan to keep tending the sheep and he and Tate ride off. (As the story unfolds, we find out more about John being wanted, he killed a number of cowboys and their women after his wife was killed). They ride through a town and John convinces Tate to stop at a cantina cuz the hangin's gonna be dry. The both go into the bar. John's wrists are tied so the bar's denizens know something's going on. At the bar they order from the bartender (Harry Swoger). John orders a beer and Tate orders a cider. The bartenders sneers that they have sweet cider for the ladies (as an aside it is my understanding that cider was always hard untill Prohibition when they made what would be considered the sweet cider). Tate accepts the sweet cider. Jim Potter (Ron Starr) gets up from a table where he is sitting with others, sniffs and says, "Whew, its this one," pointing to John Chess. Bill Towey (Ted Markland) from the table tells Jimmy to come and sit down. Jimmy keeps saying John stinks of sheep. Finally Jimmy asks John what he's done. John turns ans say that he shot a nosey cowboy. Now Bill tells John and Tate to get out. John and Tate argue about it a bit but they start to move out of the bar. As John walks by "Frank" (sitting at the table but not in the credits) Frank says, "By glory, he is strong" whereupon John swivels and bats Frank off his chair to the floor. Bill jumps up posing but Tate tells him not to make him kill him. (sorry about the pronouns) Bill doesn't think anyone is faster than himself. Bill asks who John is and John replies that he is John Chess and apparently that strikes a chord. Bill says John either killed a ten men and a half a dozen women or the other way around. Tate warns Bill off but Bill draws his gun and dies from Tates faster draw but Tate got it in the leg. The bartender ties a bandana around Tates leg and let's them know where the closest doctor is. They go to the doctor's (Ben Wright) house and Tate gets treated. The Dr. says he doesn't much care for the Toweys as they thing of themselves as little princes and Dr. is Irish (not liking royalty of any kind). Tate gets fixed up and he and John move on. Abel Towey (Robert Brubaker) and gang come the Dr.'s house. The Dr. says he treats all who come to his house. The gang doesn't kill the Dr. but sets fire to his house. A ways away, Tate and John see the fire at the Dr.'s house. They talk about why John is wanted. He says his wife was killed first because the sheep ate the grass too short. They ride on. The meet up with a shepherd (Lalo Rios) and find a bit of refuge. Tate drinks some offered sheep's milk from a wineskin. The shepherd tells them the fire was at the Dr.'s house (John confirms that all the shepherds around there are part Indian and they communicate via smoke signals, thus the shepherd would know that). Tate now wants to go and erase and signs that they came this way to protect the shepherd. Next scene we see Mannen Towey (Warren Vanders) aiming a gun at the shepherd's dog. The dog is shot. The shepherd grabs his rifle to avenge the dog but Frank knocks it to the ground. Abel tells Frank to let the Shepherd have his gun and once he gets it again he is shot dead by Mannen. Tate and John have been watching the killing from some bushes. John wants to be allowed to go get his rifle and Tate says, "In Mexico they have a saying, always look behind you when you are hunting a Tigrero." They bury the shepherd's body. Tate wants to move on but John causes some temporary interference that Tate takes care of. They move on. The Toweys are following. Mannen gets off his horse to inspect the trail and Tate comes out, cold cocks him apparently killing him. Abel eventually sees his dead other brother Mannen and complains about not having two dead brothers. Apparently Tate killed Mannen because Mannen killed the shepherd. We find this out while Tate and John are talking around a campfire where John admits to killing 18 people and salting their land because some drunken cowboys kill his wife, though it took her two days to die of "shame." Tate and John move on and Tate has untied John. At a certain point, the following vigilantes are spotted. John wants to attack the followers but Tate tells him to hide. Abel and 3 others ride up. Abel asks, "Why are animals like you born?" and draws his killed only to by out drawn by Tate. John comes running up, grabs the fallen Abel's gun and shoots an uncredited lacky whereas another uncredited lacky shoots John and is dispatched by Tate leaving Tate, John and Jim Potter. Tate goes over to John and turns him over. John says, "Take me out of this stinking valley" and dies. The scene shifts to Tate riding up on Juan. Juan thanks Tate for bringing John home as John did not like the flatlands (sheep are apparently raised more in the hills). Juan and Tate once again show each other that Juan has the better skill with the sling maybe somehow implying that Juan will be fine in that crazy adult cowboy sheepherder world. The end.
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