Jim Hardie is sent to Medicine River to help start a new branch office and stage line to Cameron City. When he arrives, he is greeted by a young Cheyenne brave, Running Horse, who is working at the office doing menial jobs. He asks Hardie if he remembers him as he knew Hardie when he was a young boy. He has gone to a mission school and is trying to live in the white world by the white man's laws. With employees hard to find due to the gold strike, Hardie accepts Fenton Hurley's offer of his employee Joe Bates as shotgun but decides to hire Running Horse as the driver of the stage. Hurley who is essentially the banker for the town is strongly against Running Horse. Running Horse has second thoughts about the job as well due to his brothers threats against the stage but Running Horse keeps it to himself.
—Anonymous