Luke arrives at the family homestead near the Platte River in western Nebraska and tells his mother Kate not only about Tim's death, but also that he is now an Army deserter as well as an outlaw in Missouri and must leave and be on the run. The pilot episode ends with Luke riding off. The series continues when after a period of relative quiet, a bounty hunter named Captain Grey, an Army Provost Marshal pursuing Union soldiers accused of desertion, arrives at the homestead to arrest Luke.
Luke, having lost his friend Tim, reveals he's now an Army deserter and outlaw in Missouri. He must flee and is pursued by a bounty hunter named Captain Grey who seeks to capture him for desertion. The series continues after a period of peace when the bounty hunter arrives at Luke's homestead.