Wade McPhail is the Deputy US Marshal and has been working with US Marshal Calhoun for over nine years. He meets, falls in love with and marries Emily Anderson in San Francisco. Wade's job takes him to Virginia City to help transport a large deposit of currency from the mint in San Francisco to the bank in Virginia City. He finds out from his wife, Emily that an old flame is in town and she's not sure she can control herself if she meets him again. Wade tells her he'll make sure it doesn't happen. He loses his badge because of his narrow mindedness and his inability to see things the right way.