In this pilot episode, Dan Troop takes over in Laramie after the previous marshal is killed. His first job is to bring in the marshal's killer, and in the process he gains a fine deputy in Johnny McKay. (This is also the first of several episodes where veteran actors Jack Elam and Lee Van Cleef appeared.)

Dan and Johnny take a posse and go after a murderous thief who is called 'The Actor'. When a posse member is shot, Johnny takes him back to town, while Dan stays on the trail. Later, Dan is shot and left for dead. He's found by two sisters who take him back to their cabin to care for him. One of them is married to a circuit judge who happens to be 'The Actor'.