Jim and Artie are on their way to Ft. Challenge about a letter one of the men, Sergeant Tobin, wrote to President Grant. They hear somebody ringing for diner, follow it and find an abandoned homestead. The horses run from the water trough and they find a dead body. A note is attached to the knife in his back, signed by the Pistoleros. Artie and Jim find themselves surrounded. The head Pistolero says to hang Jim and take Artie. Artie pulls an explosive out of his belt and sets it off. After a gunfight, the Pistoleros leave. Jim searches one of the wounded and finds a picture of Artie. Artie goes to find the maker of the photo and Jim rides on to the Fort. When he gets to the Fort, he learns that Sergeant Tobin has been put in the guardhouse. Jim "visits" Tobin, who says that Lt. Murray is a ringer for the Pistoleros. The guards arrive and knock Jim out. Tobin grabs Jim's gun and escapes.
Artie arrives at the photography shop. He asks the owner about the photo, who says that a man came in with a negative and wanted twelve copies. Artie "convinces" him to reveal the name and is taken into the back, when a man is having his portrait taken. The photographer, Sanchez, shoots Artie with a blow dart, and Artie passes out. He wakes up in the hacienda of the man having his photo taken (Galiano), tries to stand up and passes out again. Tobin is killed resisting recapture. Colonel Roper returns and tells Jim that he wants to discuss the Pistoleros with Colonel Vega, but they haven't gotten together yet. Col. Roper and Jim go to find Artie, who served with Lt. Murray. Jim goes to the photo shop and finds the owner killed by the Pistoleros. Artie arrives in town and vouches for Murray. Jim and Artie go to the hotel, and Sanchez kills Artie.
After Artie's funeral {sniff!}, Jim goes to Mexico to find Artie's killer. He finds Sanchez, who tells him Artie was killed to get Col. Roper into Mexico, then dies {hooray!}. Jim rushed to stop Col. Roper, who is on his way to meet with Col. Vega. Before Jim gets to him, an explosion blows him and Lt. Murray off their horses. Galiano kindly offers his hacienda for Col. Roper to recover in. Col. Roper tells Jim to ride to the Fort and tell Lt. Hudson to stay put. The Pistoleros take Roper and tie him up next to Artie. A Pistolero, surgically altered to look like Roper rides to Fr. Challenge with Lt. Murray. "Col. Roper" announces that Col. Vega is the head of the Pistoleros and that they attack at dawn. Jim is arrested, gets the prisoner to tell him Galiano is the real head, and breaks out of jail. Jim goes to the hacienda to stop Galiano. Galiano is about to shoot Jim, when Artie shoots Galiano. "General Redel" arrives before the battle and has "Roper" and Murray arrested.
The Ratings are:
Artie disguises: three stars Jim fights: six stars Jim's acting: ten stars Explosions: three stars Jim's underwear: three stars Pike appearances: three stars Total: twenty-eight stars