This was the pilot episode. We meet Kid first, he gets into a fist fight to get his horse, Katy. Later he joins the Pony Express where we are introduced to Emma Shannon the station mistress, Teaspoon Hunter the shaggy station master, Buck, Jimmy, Ike, Cody, and Lou. Later in the episode we also meet the continuing character Sam Cain, the marshal of Sweetwater.
Hickok projects the demons of his childhood onto a bullying hired gun and decides only a showdown with the gunslinger will exorcise them.
When the Kiowa begin to attack white settlements and civilians, Buck must decide between loyalty to his Kiowa brother and to the obligations and friendships he has found with the Pony Express. In the meantime, Lou, Hickok and Cody get into a fight with Tompkins and his men because of the shopkeeper's insults against Buck.
While on an Express run, Ike witnesses a terrible stagecoach massacre and finds himself unable to take the life of the gang's leader. The man is apprehended, however, and it is up to the Riders to ensure Ike's safe passage to the courthouse where he can testify.
Lou returns to the orphanage to retrieve her younger brother and sister, but her estranged father, a gunrunner, gets to them first.
The riders stand up for a runaway slave who is pursued by Missouri state militiamen committed to bringing down the fugitive.
A dime novelist creates the legendary gunslinger Wild Bill Hickok, and Hickok faces the consequences when a gunfighter arrives for a showdown with the fastest gun in the West.
Kid enjoys a reunion with his brother Jed, who seems to have found a niche in the Army, but is really leading a gang that is posing as cavalry to steal gold for the budding Confederacy.
Kid finds a young warrior at the scene of a way-station massacre, and although the warrior denies any wrongdoing, Kid hauls him back through Indian territory to face justice in Sweetwater.
Hickok discovers hidden feelings for Emma on a venture to an Army outpost commanded by a captain with a passion for cruelty.
Hickok's heart is lassoed by a mysterious woman, but he is caught in a dangerous tangle when he discovers that she is bound to another man.
Teaspoon is given claim to a small fortune, but he may lose it to a young woman he thinks is his lost daughter, and to a crooked gambler willing to kill for the cash.
Hickok has a falling-out with Teaspoon, and he falls in with a gang of outlaws who are after a store of Army guns and ammunition.
Kid is sentenced to hard time on a trumped-up charge by a small-town sheriff carrying out the policies of the sadistic man who keeps the town under a cloud of fear.
Dressed as a lady for a night, Lou meets a vicious brute who develops an obsession for her, while he masterminds a series of heists in the territory.
After surviving a massacre of wealthy settlers near Sal Lake, Emma's estranged husband arrives in Sweetwater looking for shelter from Emma, and raising the suspicions of Sam and the riders.
On a wild ride to deliver a top-secret Government message, Cody helps a mortally wounded mountain man, who asks Cody to care for his pet bear. Meanwhile, back in Sweetwater, the other riders look after an abandoned baby.
A new girl in town has Buck in her sights, but he is caught in the cross-fire between her, her tyrannical father and her cruel suitor.
An Eastern college boy arrives with dreams of meeting his Western idol, Hickok, but he is used as an unwitting accomplice in a scheme that endangers all the riders.
Hickok helps a friendly rival search for their gunfighting mentor's kidnapped daughter, who actually has escaped with evidence of her dad's corruption.
Sam finds himself on the wrong side of the law in his own town when the man responsible for the murder of Sam's wife takes over Sweetwater.
Teaspoon sets out for Texas with an old comrade in arms to warn three other veterans that someone has been murdering the last men who truly remember the Alamo.
The tension between the North and the South reaches crisis proportions, and Kid is recruited to infiltrate a band of Southern guerrillas led by a charismatic Robin Hood called the Hawk.
Kid escapes the noose, but Hawk's raiders are still on the loose, so Hickok works his way into the gang, which hangs any pretense of civility to pursue its violent purpose.
The riders try to recapture gold stolen from Stagecoach Sally, a woman spearheading a venture to send escaped slaves to Africa.
The ""ghost"" of one of Teaspoon's victims returns for revenge.
Hickok sets out to catch a vicious gunman impersonating him.
Fear of a cholera outbreak turns the citizens of Sweetwater into a mob intent on lynching a deaf-mute boy suspected of being the carrier.
Buck finds Tompkins' long-missing wife and child assimilated into the Sioux tribe which took them.
Ike, bitter after being beaten by men who take advantage of his handicap, befriends Arthur, a terminally ill boy.
The Kid catches Dyson, a would-be horse thief, who apparently hangs himself while in the custody of a corrupt marshal.
Cody meets and learns from his doomed Old West hero Hezekiah Horn.
Hickok leaves to become sheriff of the lawless town of Regrets, haoping to meet death quickly as retribution for accidentally killing a young woman during a gunfight.
At Chrismastime the riders believe they own half a gold mine as repayment for Hickok's kindness to old prospector Cyrus.
Cody considers joining a theater troupe, and unknowingly enters a plot to assassinate a U.S. General.
Still affected by Hezekiah Horn's death, Cody seeks guidance from a preacher-vigilante.
Noah is taken into slavery when he tries to free his former teacher Calvin (Roundtree).
Hickok falls for Alice, a woman from an ostracized religious group, and settles an old score with a gunfighter named Tyler.
Kid asks Lou to marry him (AGAIN!) When she refuses they break up. Meanwhile... a friend of Rachel's arrives with his daughter.
A new school teacher arrives in town on the heels of the breakup between Kid and Lou. Ever a man in search of a fair maiden in distress, Kid takes a liking to the school teacher and Lou takes it hard. While Jimmy tries to cheer Lou up while they are on an assignment together a figure from his past takes his pain out on Lou in hopes of luring Jimmy into a trap. Back in Sweet-water, Kid is falling... into trouble. Standing up for his new love has resulted in her old Beau challenging Kid to a duel. Teaspoon tries to stop the madness, but things do not work out for the best
Ike recognizes one of the men responsible for his families death. But it turns out the man has a family of his own. Second story: The riders try to find a mysterious beast.
A band of outlaws terrorizes a small town looking for its supply of silver. Father Riley sends one of the young men to Teaspoon to call in an old favor. While Teaspoon and the other boys are gone, Buck is left to help out as a deputy. A mysterious man is stalking a lone woman outside of town. Who could be doing such a thing?
Jimmy Hickok and Jake Colter are after the same thing... or rather the same person. Lon Chase is a wanted man and the trick is to keep him in your custody.
The army is having problems with the 'Indians' and Buck runs afowl of both Army and Indians alike. Can the riders sort out the mess before Sweetwater ends up in the middle of the conflict. Rachel befriends a young Army soldier who wants to write to his wife when he hears of the birth of his son.
A murderous bank robber is sentenced to hang, but delivering him to justice gets complicated when his equally ruthless brother takes a hostage: Amanda O'Connel, the woman who is like a daughter to Teaspoon
Teaspoon, the riders, and their new acquaintances continue to race against the clock to find Amanda, although the loyalties of some become unclear. Then the stakes are raised when the kidnappers gain another hostage.
Pony Express's rider move to Rockcreek.
The riders befriend a young man named Jesse, who seeks vengeance against a gang of outlaws that kills his guardian.
Lou, Hickok, and Kid are to deliver a long-sought outlaw to his hanging, but en route discover the man's more honorable than ornery.
Noah meets Quinn and his sister Casey, the only other black people in the town. At the same time he fights with an army recruiter. When the recruiter turns up dead, Noah is suspected.
Ike meets and falls hard in love with Emily Metcalfe (Kelly Williams). Emily's father is murdered by a card cheat, Neville. Emily seeks to avenge her father's murder. Ike goes after Emily to save her and takes the bullet meant for her himself. As the riders bid a tearful farewell to their friend, Buck seeks ultimate vengeance against Neville.
Buck is still suffering over Ike's death when he runs into a pregnant woman whose husband has been killed by thieves. At the same time Cody falls for a widow with a young son. Unfortunately she has troubles of her own.
Jimmy captures Jesse's brother Frank James after a bank robbery. Jesse feels that he owes his brother his loyalty and so he breaks him out of jail forcing Teaspoon and Jimmy to track them.
Kid's childhood sweetheart comes to town. Lou is a bit jealous, but she can see that her arrival is bringing back bad memories.
Rachel falls for Mike Stadler, a man with a drinking problem. Rachel falls off the wagon as it is revealed that she once had a drinking problem too.
Jesse sends Lou and love letter, but Lou thinks the letter was from Kid. Meanwhile, Cody and Noah have many adventures trying to get a tiger all the way to St. Joseph Missouri
An old friend of Lou's arrives in town stirring up secrets of a man who attacked her. She pulls away from Kid when she needs him the most
Jimmy gets caught up with vigilante abolitionists when he goes to visit his sister.
The Kid's kindness to a woman results in him and the other riders becoming part of an elaborate scheme to track down a shipment of gold
Jimmy tries to track down the men responsible for a young boy's death
A man returns to Rock Creek after serving time for murder. When Jesse's boss is killed, Jesse is quick to assume the new arrival is guilty.
A young woman who was once promised to Buck comes to town with her fiance for the purpose of a visit, but while she is there, she is taken over by an evil spirit. Buck turns to mysterious old Indian, who insists he can drive the spirit from her, but because her fiance refuses to allow his help, Buck must kidnap her and take her away town.
The riders find out that Cody has published a story about them.... and they aren't exactly thrilled. Meanwhile Jimmy goes after a killer with Jesse hot on his trail.
Kid and Lou are interrupted in their getaway weekend when they must guard a prisoner in an unwelcoming town. Jimmy and Teaspoon meet an escaped slave who had been lynched, they argue about their sides in the coming war
One of Teaspoon's ex-wives, Polly, moves to town... and she's got love on the menu when she buys the saloon. There's gunslinger in town. His conviction was overturned and now he's after the men who put him in jail. Too bad for Polly, she ends up in the gunslinger's sights because of her connection to Teaspoon
A new rider is hired to replace Lou when she gets married. When the new rider dissappears on his first ride Lou and Jimmy ride out to check on him. No one in the town is willing to talk about what happened
Lou and Kid prepare for their wedding. Meanwhile the army comes to town to recruit scouts. Teaspoon is especially upset when Cody agrees to join the army.
Jesse must decide between his brother and his friends in the pony express. Noah tries to join the army but is turned down. When a disaster occurs with Frank's raiders, one of the riders is killed.
