Jubal

Jubal Troop is found lying on the road, weakened and without a horse. Shep Horgan takes him to his ranch to recover. Pinky, one of Horgan's workers, accuses Jubal of smelling of sheep dip and burns Jubal's clothes after Jubal falls asleep in a bunk.

Horgan is impressed when he sees Jubal ride an unbroken horse and offers him a job on the ranch. Jubal accepts and steps into the ranch's fold. His arrival marks the beginning of a fragile dynamic with the other hands.

Pinky forces Mae to kiss him, claiming they used to do this when Horgan was away. Mae is reluctant and unsettled by Pinky's aggression. The incident foreshadows growing tensions between Pinky and Jubal.

Horgan is impressed with Jubal's work ethic and promotes him to foreman over the other cowhands. Pinky resents Jubal and distrusts him, setting up a personal rivalry. The ranch atmosphere grows tenser as authority shifts.

Jubal fends off Mae's advances while developing an interest in Naomi, a young woman from a traveling wagon train. Reb, a drifter attached to the wagon train, is recommended by Jubal to help at the ranch. Reb is hired to assist Jubal on Jubal's recommendation.

Pinky and the other cowhands attempt to drive the wagon train of rawhiders away. Jubal argues that they cause no trouble and should be allowed to stay. Tension grows as the two groups coexist uneasily.

One night Mae rides out with a message for Horgan. Because a mountain lion has been seen nearby, Horgan asks Jubal to ride back with Mae. The escort becomes a pivot for later suspicions about their relationship.

Reb quietly leaves camp; Pinky wakes and tells Horgan that Mae and Jubal might be together. Horgan rides home, tension mounting. Mae and Jubal's alleged affair becomes a central rumor fueling distrust.

Horgan rides to town and confronts Jubal in the saloon, firing at him. Reb quickly passes Jubal a gun, enabling him to shoot Horgan dead. The town's mood shifts from suspicion to violent action.

Reb rides to the camp and tells the men what happened. One of the cowhands accuses Pinky of having a hand in the death, but Pinky denies involvement. The mood shifts to a hunt rather than a simple grievance.

Pinky makes another play for Mae, then savagely beats her. He rallies the town to go after Jubal, claiming Jubal stole Horgan's wife and murdered Horgan with help from Reb. Jubal becomes a hunted man.

Jubal receives shelter from Naomi and the raw-hiders as the wagon train splits into two groups. Half the wagons move away to hide Jubal; the other half goes a different route. The division buys Jubal time but deepens the conflict.

The town posse finds the wrong half of the wagon trail, allowing Jubal to recover. This mistake buys Jubal crucial moments to plan his next move. The pursuit continues as Mae's truth remains unresolved.

The posse arrives at the ranch and gets the truth from a dying Mae. Her testimony confirms Jubal's innocence of murder and clarifies Mae's relationship with Jubal. The posse closes in on Pinky as the principal villain.

The posse circles Pinky and prepares to hang him. Naomi arrives with Jubal; Jubal rides away with her and Reb. The story ends with Jubal seeking a path beyond the feud.