- The Virginian hunting for lost Shiloh cattle finds the trail leads to the New Life commune. Not only is one of the leaders holding his cattle, it becomes clear he is holding two women hostage as well complicating the work of The Virginian.
- A young couple, Toby Wheeler and Belinda Ballard, are having a secret meeting when The Virginian rides by scaring them. Belinda is a member of the New Life commune but Toby is an outsider. Later, at his dad's house against the wishes of his father Seth, Toby tells The Virginian that the New Life commune is the only place in the area running cattle. The Virginian goes to the communal village of New Life, looking for a number of Shiloh cattle that have strayed. At the commune council meeting, the members agree to let him take his cattle back. After the Virginian leaves, however, the council makes another vote---to start "complex" or group marriage in the community, meaning that every woman will be considered married to every man. Given an unreasonably short time by the acting leader, August Gruber, to round up his cattle, the Virginian appeals to the widow of the commune's original leader for help, but when he learns of the new marriage rule he decides to help her and her daughter escape the commune as the widow realizes she has lost control to Gruber.—rbecker28
- When Shiloh cattle stray into the herd of a commune called New Life the Virginian approaches the council to organize the removal of the cattle.
The New Life council approves the moving of the cattle but after the Virginian leaves there is another vote to bring in a law that leaves a bad taste in the mind of the wife of the founding father of New Life.
With her daughter Belinda's happiness at stake, along with the honour and memory of her husband's wishes, Amelia Ballard is forced to reconsider her future and that of her daughter in the light of unsavoury developments and seek assistance from the Virginian.
However their plan to escape the situation is met with resistance that is as dangerous as the men who seem to have taken over the commune.
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