Pt.1: Hondo Lane is released from prison and assigned a position as indian relations agent. Meanwhile the indians threaten war and a mining operation.

Pt. 2: Gallagher fights to keep his mine working, while Hondo attempts to make peace with the indians.

Hondo, Buffalo and Sam are attacked by four renegade Pemas, fierce enemies of the Apache. Buffalo is wounded and cannot help Hondo guide a surveyor and his wife, Frank and Mary Davis. Davis is checking the Apache's land for gold, hoping to find none and dispel any gold rush notions. When Davis arrives on the stage Hondo recognizes him as the man who lead the massacre that killed his wife, attacks him and beats him severely. Hondo is ordered to guide the surveyor and eventually learns Davis' side of the story and how he is tortured by the ghosts of those they killed. Hondo and the Davises are captured by the Pemas and Hondo stalls for time in the hopes Sam can bring back help.

When Sand and Dink try to take a wild horse away from Apache leader Ponce Hondo steps in to help Ponce. When he arrives back at the fort he discovers visiting General Rutledge is there to make suggestions for better operations, although he has no knowledge of the Indian wars. Rutledge is a by-the-book officer and has Ponce unjustly whipped for supposedly attacking him during a fight with Sand and Dink, who are drunk and still angry about the wild horse. The General then leads a patrol deep into Apache territory with Hondo who advises against it. Ponce and a superior force attack and have them pinned down. Ponce talks with Hondo and says he does not desire to kill the soldiers but only wants to exact apache revenge on Rutledge. Hondo forces the general to send the soldiers back to the fort and Rutledge goes off with the Apaches for 4 days, Ponce promises Hondo the General will not be killed. The General is humiliated by Apache women and children but receives a drink of water from

Hondo receives a letter to meet in the ghost town of New Caanan signed with a Q. While on his way three cowboys recognize him and trail him waiting their chance to take him, thinking the reward for him is still good. When he arrives in New Caanan he is greeted by his former confederate commanding officer Colonel William Quantrill, who he thought was dead. Soon Jesse and Frank James arrive accompanied by Cole and Jim Younger and Charley and Bob Ford. The last of old army unit, Johnny Reno, rides in and Quantrill announces he has assembled them for two reasons. The first is two rob a $200,000 U.S. Army payroll shipment and the second is to find out who the Judas is that shot him in the back and left him for dead. Hondo decides he doesn't want any part of it and while riding out stops to water his horse where he is ambushed by the three cowboys but saved by Quantrill, who followed him. Quantrill later forces the Judas' hand in a saloon showdown. The results, however, force them t