Incident of the Deserters Patrol

S4 E18: Gil Favor and Pete Nolan join the U. S. Army, temporarily, to negotiate a trade of six Army deserters for one Crow Indian chief. Trying to forestall an attack on undermanned Fort Brace by warring Crow Indians, Col. Hiller, the fort's commander, asks his old friend Gil Favor to rejoin the Army as a captain on temporary duty and to negotiate a trade for six soldiers captured by the Crows. Drover Pete Nolan, who knows the Crows well, also rejoins. The Army has agreed to release Crow chief Ogalla, who had given himself up voluntarily at Nolan's request, in exchange for the six men. Favor knows that three of the six hate him enough to kill him because of a court-martial during the Civil War, but he doesn't realize until after the exchange has taken place that the men have deserted and have no intention of returning to the fort. On the way back, one deserter makes a break and Nolan is sent to capture him. (TV-PG)