When Amy Sloate shows up to start a school, Rufe Ryker gives orders to burn down the barn that would house the school. Miss. Sloate doesn't like the raw wilderness and violence she sees and is advised by Shane to leave. Marion is adamant that there will be a school, no matter how much Ryker is against it so she starts a school in the saloon. When Shane hears Ryker still caused trouble, he goes to Plan B.

What starts out as a day filled with the hope of borrowing the needed money for buying pigs the Staretts will need to get through the winter turns out to be a day of truths. After Ryker threatens to burn down the winter wheat, it's suddenly stampeded by a herd of Ryker's cattle. Shane sees no other way for the family to survive except to take a job with a group of gunfighters he's worked with before. Marian begs him not to take the job. She doesn't want blood money. We see a tougher side of Shane, and a surprising ending to this story.

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.

While out riding one day, Shane and Marian come upon a sick couple. It's not long before they realize that the couple have contracted a deadly disease. When Marian comes down with the disease, Shane does everything possible to get the quinine they need. He'll do anything - even kill anybody who tries to stand in his way! The drummer that arrives in town decides to make a little profit on the panic that soon erupts.

Shane feels he's lost the battle for Marian's heart when she receives a letter from back East from an old boyfriend, Warren Eliot. Then when Warren pops the question, Marian finds herself having to decide rather she and Joey should stay or go back East with Warren, leaving behind Shane and her father-in-law.

A gang of outlaws ride into town and cause so much ruckus that Grafton sends for Ryker, but that's before Shane begs him to let the men have their fun for two days, pay for the damages, then ride out. It turns out that Shane and the head outlaw go way back, and a declaration was made that they would end up killing each other someday. After Ryker arrives, words are exchanged, and Ryker and his men go to have a showdown with the gang. The end results are not pleasant. Since Shane didn't hold up his end of the bargain, the leader of the gang decide to take revenge. There's only one thing that could make Shane face this man head on, and that one thing has happened.

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.

After one of Ryker's hands is shot, Shane is blamed. They find him guilty in a mock jury trial where Ryker's the judge and his men are the jury. Ben sneaks away to warn Tom and Marian about what's going on, and the whole family fights to save Shane's life. Shane and Joey make a decision that may complicate things even more. But somebody's guilty, and Shane must get to the truth before Ryker kills him!

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?