Original subtitles

♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪

- Hyah! -♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪

♪ Keep movin', movin', movin' ♪

♪ Though they're disapprovin' ♪

♪ Keep them dogies movin' ♪

♪ Rawhide ♪

♪ Don't try to understand them ♪

♪ Just rope and throw and brand 'em ♪

♪ Soon we'll be livin' high and wide ♪

♪ My heart's calculatin' ♪

♪ My true love will be waitin' ♪

♪ Be waiting at the end of my ride ♪

♪ Move 'em on, head 'em up, head 'em up, move 'em on ♪

♪ Move 'em on, head 'em up, Rawhide ♪

-(whip cracks) -♪ Cut 'em out, ride 'em in ♪

♪ Ride 'em in, let 'em out, cut 'em out, ride 'em in ♪

-♪ Rawhide...! ♪ -♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪

♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪

- Hyah! -♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin'. ♪

(whip cracks twice)

[MEN YELLING]

Look.

They're coming. Favor's trail drive is coming.

They're coming.

Gil Favor's herd?

It's the Lord's truth, they lost the whole herd?

Yes, Mr. Simmons. All except maybe a dozen head.

The whole dang herd. I don't believe it.

Gil Favor, huh?

Come on.

Well, we made up our minds, Rowdy, so don't argue with us.

Not if you know what's good for you.

Don't get your fur up at me, Jenson, or I'll comb it down for you.

Now, just take it easy. We're all a little bit edgy now.

Look, you want me to tell him?

FAVOR: All right, what's holding things up?

Well, the men, boss, they've been talking.

I'll say it for him.

We're hired on to drive cattle, not get laughed at.

Yeah, so?

So if you want this herd driven smack through town to them holding pens,

you better do it yourself. We sure ain't gonna.

That right, Quince?

Well, I figure he's speaking for all of us, Mr. Favor.

You see, this whole town's turning out to see us in

and, well, there's no sensible need

for 20 men to be pushing nine heads of steer.

Yeah, that's true enough. Two men can handle it.

Rowdy.

Why is everyone so mad at Mr. Favor?

Oh, shut up, Mushy.

Just for once, will you keep your big mouth shut?

Now, where do you think you're going?

Saloon. Where else?

To wash the taste of your cooking out of our mouths.

I never lost a chuck wagon before.

Never before.

Well, you tried, Mr. Wishbone.

Them cattle almost went over you along with that wagon.

Yeah, but it's the cook's responsibility, boy.

The wagon and the supplies are his responsibility.

[MAN WHISTLES AND CROWD GUFFAWS]

Yeah, there they are. Come on, come on.

A man just can't hardly hold his head up

after something like that.

You're mad at Mr. Favor too?

Oh, I don't know what I think.

But I'll tell you one thing, though, I'm sure not gonna thank Mr. Favor.

Not for what happened back at the Devil's Patch Quilt.

[CROWD CONTINUES LAUGHING]

Hey, hey.

What I fear most is a stampede.

[ALL LAUGHING]

A herd like that is liable to wipe out an entire town.

[CROWD CONTINUES LAUGHING]

Hey, Favor, with a drive that size,

you could've saved money shipping them by a stagecoach.

[LAUGHING CONTINUES]

MAN: Hey!

You should've put stamps on them and sent them by United States mail.

Well...

Well, 12 lonely eagles.

That's all I got. I guess out on a drive that seemed like a lot of money, huh?

Well, I'm flat busted myself.

Well, I guess we can count ourselves mighty lucky, nobody got killed.

Darn fool Favor.

Had no right turning us into that Patch Quilt.

He was the trail boss, wasn't he?

Well, what I would like to know is when do we collect wages now?

What makes you think you're gonna get paid?

Well, we must get paid.

Sure we will. Just as soon as Favor collects for a herd he didn't deliver.

[ROWDY SIGHS]

Well, you find out anything about our pay yet?

Nope.

I'll tell you one thing. If we don't get paid,

some of us gonna treat Mr. Trail-boss to a Texas knuckle-dance.

I think the boss has got more to worry about

than your Texas knuckle-dance.

Yeah? What is that?

Well, he's taking the tally sheet down to the association right now.

How would you like to be the one to tell Brock Dillman

that we only brought in...?

Nine head.

Afraid that's it, all right.

You know how much you cost me, Favor?

I get 20 cents a head every steer goes through this office.

On account of you, I lost something like $400.

Okay.

How did it happen?

Where were you when you got Teisner's wire?

A half day below Desert City.

It was the first I heard of this railroad car shortage.

That I'd have to beat Tom Bickle into Great Bend

to take bottom dollar for the herd.

- So? - So we ran the legs off of them.

By the time we'd crossed the Fairley, we'd picked up two days on Bickle.

Bickle was still ahead of you, huh?

About a half a day.

Then I figured, best bet to push past him

and go up the west side of Table Ridge.

That was a hard 16-hour drive without water.

But when we hit the main trail again--

Bickle was still ahead?

About an hour's drive.

That left only one more chance to beat him into Great Bend.

Devil's Patch Quilt.

You know how dangerous that pass is this time of the year.

Ah. We almost made it.

Just another half hour.

Almost.

You gambled, Favor, and you lost.

And you try to explain that to Mr. Teisner any way as you like.

Teisner is coming in here himself?

I wired him.

Coming down on the next train.

Eight dollars and 10 cents?

How am I supposed to pay off my crew with that?

That's the way the contract reads, 2 and a half percent.

Two and a half percent of nine heads, $8.10.

If can't pay off your crew with that, that's your sweat, trail boss.

Yeah, yeah. I know.

I was hoping I might be able to get a cash advance on my next drive.

I don't figure you'll be making any more drives for us, Favor.

And nobody else for that matter.

Something fishy here.

You're too good.

- I don't believe you. - Okay, Dillman.

You remember Charlie Mayes?

Yeah.

No advance.

Favor.

Charlie Mayes only lost 200 head.

You lost a whole herd.

One difference.

Charlie Mayes was drunk.

I wasn't.

[DOOR CLOSES]

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

- Mm. - Mr. Favor, I forgot something.

Now what?

We've got this new rule.

Payment in advance.

What are you talking about?

We can settle up like always when I check out.

Mr. Favor.

We've got this new rule and...

Oh...

Oh, I see.

You're worried this time you ain't gonna get paid, is that it?

Oh, no. You see, it's just that I--

Yeah, well, you never mind. Here.

Now, you run along, you get me some hot water.

That is, if you're not afraid I'm gonna steal the jug.

[SIGHS]

[COWS BELLOWING]

[THUNDER CRASHING]

[MEN YELLING AND WHISTLING]

[MAN YELLING]

[YELLING]

[YELLING AND WHISTLING]

Mr. Clayton, don't you realize

I have 19 hands that haven't even got a partial draw on their pay yet?

They're hungry, they're tired, they're dirty, they're thirsty.

Worst of all, they are broke.

Yes, yes, I-- I understand.

No, sir, I don't think you really do.

Most comforting thing they've known in the last couple of months

is a hard saddle and a dirty bedroll.

Now, they're just liable to turn mean, try to take this town apart.

Have you ever seen a crew of sober trail hands bust loose?

Well, I-- I have nothing to do with that.

However, this personal draft of yours for $500.

I can't possibly cash it without first checking.

Checking with my bank back east. I know, I know. I heard.

Yes, that shouldn't take more than a day or two.

My. Clayton, after all the business I've done with this bank,

all of a sudden I'm inconvenienced for a day or two.

Yes.

Let's face a few facts, Mr. Favor.

Prior to this, you've been what we call a "good credit risk".

On this occasion, however,

not only are no monies due you for the delivery of this last herd,

there also seems to be a question

as to whether there will be any more contracts for you as a trail boss.

Under those conditions, I can't just hand you $500.

All right.

Here's my reserve.

It's gold dust.

I'll take a hundred silver dollars for it.

It ain't nearly enough, but that and $40 is all I got.

Beer. And me with a wild whiskey thirst.

Hey!

That ain't gonna help none. We gotta sleep here.

I tell you, I've just about had a gut full.

MAN 1: Hey. - Hey!

It's about time you got here.

All right, all right. Settle down.

- Take it easy. WAN 2: Boy, this I can use.

- A good hot bath, huh? MAN 3: Yeah.

FAVOR: First off,

- I can't pay you your full wages. MEN: Oh.

FAVOR: All right, I know how you feel.

But that's the way it is for now.

I'll split everything I do have with you.

And when I get more, then you'll get more.

All right, first man.

- Right here. - Six dollars.

Six dollars?

Well, that ain't enough to:

[SPITS THEN COIN CLATTERS]

- Rowdy. ROWDY: Huh?

Pay the men off.

They can take the money and, well, they can do what they want to with it.

I'll be in my room.

ROWDY: All right.

All right, line up.

Rowdy, the way I look at it, any man can make a mistake.

Well, you just ain't human unless you make one mistake, right?

- Yeah. Here, get your big 6. - Well, thank you.

Well, I ain't never heard of a man that didn't once do something wrong.

What I mean is-- Well, take me for instance.

One time we was pushing a big herd of cattle past Amarillo

and this ramrod--

Well, he wasn't much older than you.

Well, anyway, he sends me back to the tail end of the herd and...

But to lose a whole herd.

I'd never seen that before.

Yeah, Quince, you mind stepping aside now

and let the other boys have a crack at this big money?

Oh, yeah, sure.

I'll bet even old George Washington made one mistake.

[KNOCKS ON DOOR]

Yeah?

GUSTAUF: Mr. Favor, it is I, Gustauf.

Come on in.

Thank you.

Thank you.

What is it?

I-- I do not like to bother you at a time like this,

but ...

Spit it out, man.

What's on your mind?

Well, it's--

It's just a matter of our wages.

You see, I have--

I have a small ranch

and a large mortgage.

Mr. Favor, I'm a family man.

Seven hungry mouths to feed.

I-- I only took this job to--

To buy winter food.

Mr. Favor, my-- My little ones...

In here, I-

- I'm-- I'm deeply concerned for them. - Yeah.

I know, Gustauf.

Oh, don't worry, I'll get your wages.

Yeah, that sounds good.

I've got some coming in a couple of days.

One way or the other, I'll get the rest of it.

I knew it would be all right.

- Thank you. Thank you. - Yeah.

[KNOCKS ON DOOR]

Oh, the door is open.

MUSHY: Mr. Favor, it's me, Mushy.

Well, now. I can see that, Mushy.

I just wanted to tell you, Mr. Favor.

I don't blame you for what happened, like everyone else does.

Well, I know it wasn't your fault, Mr. Favor.

Oh, you know that, do you, Mushy?

Sure I do.

Mushy, what if I told you it was my fault?

What if I swore to you on a stack of Bibles

that it was my stupidity that lost the herd, huh?

I wouldn't believe that, Mr. Favor.

- What's that? - That's $37 I saved.

Mr. Wishbone doesn't even know I got it.

Oh, Mushy, I...

- I know how you need the money. - No. No, Mushy, look.

- I don't need it really. - Well, you keep it, Mr. Favor.

Look, Mushy, you hang on to your money now. Come on.

- No, you keep it, Mr. Favor. - Take your money.

I don't need it. I don't want it.

All I want is to be left alone.

- But, Mr. Favor. - Come on, you get out of here.

Right now. Scat!

You. What do you want?

- Well, I just-- - Oh, I'm sorry.

Throw them-- Throw them anywhere.

Bickle's crew just rode in.

Yeah?

I guess it'll take their men an hour or so to get them in the pens.

What's on your mind, anyways?

Uh, nothing.

Well, I was wondering what you're gonna tell Mr. Teisner.

About losing the herd and all.

Huh?

Well, up there on the Patch Quilt, you were a little steamed up

about the whole thing.

Yeah, so I was.

You said that the drag was split.

And when the herd turned,

if the drag was pulled around in front of them,

they wouldn't have gotten near the cliffs.

I was in charge of drag.

Yeah. Yeah, well, the herd's gone.

What difference does it make?

Quite a bit.

Huh?

Oh, I'm beginning to see the light.

Maybe it's you thinking of trail bossing for the association, huh?

Maybe. But that's not the reason I came up here.

You were hot under the collar then. I just wanted to know--

What I said still goes.

Now, let me get this straight.

Let's see, since I'm going down the drain anyways,

no sense in you being on the hook too.

- I didn't say that. - Is that it?

But that's about the way you see it, huh?

Al right, that's the way I see it.

Well...

Well, uh...

I'll keep that in mind when I talk to Mr. Teisner.

I feel I got the right to know what you're gonna say.

You've got a right to nothing!

Absolutely nothing.

Now, get out of here.

Or you'll throw me out?

That's right.

You don't mean that.

Try me.

You better get some rest. You look a little tired.

Well, there sure ain't no big decision about spending the $6.

Either you drink for an hour or you eat for a week.

Mushy, I just wanna say,

I know it didn't seem like it, but I did appreciate your offer.

- Great. Anytime, Mr. Favor. - Oh, no, Mushy, it's all right.

Honest. Honest.

- I'm glad to know that, Mr. Favor. - Yeah, Mushy.

[ALL SQUEALING AND YELLING]

I'm so all-fired thirsty, I feel like I'm come up in spikes like a cactus.

Yo Yo, I got a bit of suspicion your father was a cactus.

I think you're right, Mr. Bickle. I think you're right.

Hey, it looks like Favor and his crew are holed up in the Dry Well Saloon.

Now, what say we go over there

and congratulate them on beating us to Great Bend?

Of course, they had to lose a few cattle to do it. Ha, ha.

Yo Yo, them fellas are in no mood for you and your fooling.

Why, Mr. Bickle, I wouldn't think of funning them boys.

Over there, amongst that despair and heartache,

I just thought I might find a few friends to say hello to. Ha-ha-ha.

[SNICKERING]

[LAUGHING]

Hey, Quince.

Well, I ain't seen you since Wyoming--

[MAN YELLS]

Oh, it's hardly fitting a boy like you watching a thing like this.

Think we ought to leave, Mr. Wishbone?

No, wait till it gets a good start.

Hey, you Bickle men, fight!

TOM: Gil.

Hello, Tom.

[WOMAN SCREAMING]

- Care to join me? - Well, thanks.

Never seen you drink out of a bottle since you've been trail bossing, Gil.

Well, I guess it's sort of like riding a horse.

Once you learn, you never quite forget how.

Sure sorry to hear what happened to you up in the Patch Quilt.

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

I can't say I'm sorry you didn't beat us in for the top money, though.

The ranchers I work for can't afford to practically give away a herd

like the association can.

That's the way it goes. You win some, you lose some.

Anything I can do to help, Gil?

No, no. Thanks, anyway.

The only really bad trouble I'm having is with the bank in town.

- How's that? - For just $500 on a personal draft,

I've got to wait two days to get my money.

You told them you could cover it?

Like the man said:

"We are not making loans on personal pledges today, Mr. Favor."

That bank's gonna give you that $500 if I have to co-sign the note with you.

Oh, no, Tom, I couldn't let you do that.

Gil, let me ask you one question.

If you were in my shoes, I in yours, what would the answer be?

Tom, you know I would appreciate this.

Well, what are we waiting for, Gil?

Mr. Clayton, we've got some business to discuss.

CLAYTON: Certainly, Mr. Bickle.

Have a seat, gentlemen.

Now, what can I do for you?

It's amazing how hot hot water can be when you're not used to it.

I was gonna scald myself.

- You bet. Sure felt good, didn't it? - Yeah.

- What are you gonna do now? - Looking fine, Rowdy.

You know, a fresh shave, fresh bath, money in my pocket,

I feel like I might even go to church or something.

Yeah, well, I'm gonna get myself something to eat.

Gee, that's a good idea.

You know, if I stop and have one drink, I may never eat again.

I know what you mean.

Yeah, great. Ha-ha-ha.

Whoa.

Hey, where you fellas been, huh?

Hey, you didn't clean up at all?

What for? And talking about absolute necessities, have a shot.

He don't drink.

Hey, come on. Come back here with that.

What are you doing?

They're sure a lot of happier than they were two hours ago.

Oh, yeah, it seems like.

Say, Tom.

There's something I'd like to ask you.

What's that?

Well, now, you passed the turn-off about an hour before we did.

You saw the same overcast hanging over the Patch Quilt.

Just supposing you was in the same spot with a run-out herd

and, you know, if you came in second at the railhead

that you practically have to give the herd away.

Now, I don't wanna put you on the spot, but...

Well, do you think that there's a chance

you might have tried to push them across the Patch Quilt?

I might have.

Gil, any trail boss might have made the same decision.

Thank you, good buddy.

I got to admit that's a load off my mind.

- Gil, I hear your drag let you down. - Oh?

Just make sure Teisner knows that.

Don't let him think that what happened was all your fault if it really wasn't.

- Favor. - Dillman.

Bickle's a friend of yours, huh?

More than that. He's a good friend.

I saw you coming out of the bank together. What's that all about?

- Oh, that's my business, fellow. - Is it?

You remember me asking you about Charlie Mayes?

I remember.

Remember [ killed him?

I remember that too.

Dillman, you are getting on my nerve.

Now, get your hands off me before I take them off.

Oh?

Oh, yeah.

You're getting awful sloppy, Dillman.

What are you doing drawing standing so close to someone, huh?

I can wait, trail boss.

Favor.

Yeah?

Teisner's come in, but he doesn't want to see you yet.

Oh?

A couple of other people he wants to talk to first.

All I can say about Gil Favor

is that Gil is one of the best trail bosses in the business.

That bars none, sir.

Good. I'm very pleased to hear you say that, Mr. Bickle.

You see, I find myself in a position of having to move one more herd

before winter sets in.

- A little late in the season, isn't it? - It is.

I imagine a drive this late will be touch-and-go in many respects.

That's why I need an exceptional man as trail boss.

At the moment, I'm considering three men for the job.

One of them is you, another is Gil Favor.

Gil's a good man.

You'll look a long time before you find a better one, sir.

Until his last drive, I would have agreed without question.

As it stands now, however...

Yeah.

You drive for small, independent ranchers, Mr. Bickle.

How many head of cattle do you move in a good year?

Sixteen hundred?

Eighteen hundred at the most?

That's about it.

An association drover,

Mr. Favor, for instance,

last year he moved upwards of 6000 head.

At 2 and a half percent, that is a fairly comfortable income.

It sure is.

I assume you have no prejudices against working for the association?

Do you honestly intend to move another herd this fall?

Mr. Bickle, I am known as a rather remorseless businessman.

However, I never stoop to small tricks under any circumstances.

You haven't answered my question.

Well, as a matter of fact, I'd be happy to work for the association.

- But you see, sir, I-- - Good.

Perhaps you'd be good enough

to give me the benefit of your professional opinion

regarding the unfortunate loss of Mr. Favor's last herd.

Your answers may even give me some insight

into your own professional judgment.

Now, your herd was barely in advance of Mr. Favor's.

You faced approximately the same situation he faced.

Why didn't you turn your drive into that shortcut?

Well, I...

I figured the odds were against me getting through, I--

I'm not saying that Favor was wrong,

but, sir, I wouldn't have pushed my herd through there

for all the tea in China.

Now, let me get this straight,

you're planning on bringing another herd through this year?

Precisely, Mr. Yates.

It's being formed at this very moment.

Twenty-two hundred head.

And you're considering three men as your trail boss.

Tom Bickle, Mr. Favor and me?

You recall what you told me the last time we met,

about hoping to work your way up?

Yeah. Yeah, I remember.

This may be a very rare opportunity, Mr. Yates.

- Mr. Wishbone? - What?

Ain't this what we call eavesdropping?

No. Oh, yeah.

Well, you ain't supposed to.

Will you shut up?

As bad as I want a herd of my own,

I don't plan on running down Mr. Favor just to get it.

All I want is the truth. Good or bad.

I've worked for Gil Favor a long time.

As far as I'm concerned, he's a top trail boss

all the way down the line.

Then you feel he was right turning into the Devil's Patch Quilt?

Mr. Teisner, I'm just his ramrod.

I'm supposed to do a job,

not pass judgment on whether he was right or wrong.

You would have made the same choice he's made?

Well, I didn't say that.

What if you had been trail boss, Mr. Yates?

Would you have taken that shortcut

knowing how risky it is, how dangerous it is this time of year?

Mr. Teisner,

a lot of things happened up there. It was kind of confusing.

We might have even made it if it hadn't been for a number of things.

Did you, by any chance, voice an opinion to Mr. Favor

concerning the advisability of taking the shortcut in the first place?

- Yeah. - What opinion?

Well, I'm afraid that's between Mr. Favor and me.

And circumstances have proven you right, haven't they?

Yeah. But I'm wrong a lot of the time.

Thank you, Mr. Yates.

I'll let you know what I decide by the end of the day.

What's that all about?

Hmm?

Nothing. Nothing that concerns you and me.

Miss Katherine, did you have any difficulty getting what I wanted?

Oh, no, sir.

When I told Mr. Clayton it was for you, he was most cooperative.

Thank you.

It would appear your suspicions are not altogether groundless.

Mr. Favor's personal draft for $500,

co-signed by Mr. Bickle.

I figured he was too friendly with that independent to suit my taste.

Would have been worth a considerable amount to Mr. Bickle

to guarantee that his herd reached Great Bend first.

What do you think?

I think we lost a whole herd.

I think anybody'd been a fool to turn into Patch Quilt this time of year.

And I think Gil Favor is no man's fool.

That weapon of yours,

you certainly keep it in magnificent condition.

It's a Navy special.

I think it is time that we had a talk with Mr. Favor.

[KNOCKS ON DOOR]

Mr. Teisner's ready to talk.

I don't like it.

No, sir, not one little bit.

Them association men,

they ain't exactly prone to forgive and forget.

Hey, Mr. Bickle.

Yo Yo, I'll buy you a drink.

Okay.

TEISNER: Sit down.

Mr. Favor,

you cost the association

a considerable amount of money, didn't you?

Yes, sir.

All right,

if you have any excuses or explanations,

I'm anxious to hear them.

Well, as you already know, Mr. Teisner,

the important thing seemed to be to beat Tom Bickle into the railroad.

I'll just wander over there and see what's going on.

- I'll tag along. - No, you better not.

The boss might not want us both pushing into his personal affairs.

TEISNER: It's difficult to believe this could have happened

to a man of your experience. Could it be--?

[DOOR OPENS]

Come in, Mr. Yates.

Could it be, Mr. Favor, that herd was as good as lost

the moment you turned into Devil's Patch Quilt?

Well, if you wanna put it that way,

you could say the herd was as good as lost

the first day I took it out on the trail.

Well, perhaps that's not as improbable as it sounds.

What do you mean?

TEISNER: I have here your personal draft co-signed by one Thomas Bickle.

What are you accusing me of, anyway?

- Well, perhaps you'd like to explain. - No.

Now, you get this straight.

I don't mind being accused of making a bad mistake.

- Even an association man can do that. - Mr. Favor--

I don't mind being accused of stupidity.

You can fire me, you can try to run me out of the territory.

But if you start spreading it around that I was paid to lose that herd,

you are gonna make me very unhappy.

Mr. Favor, you didn't let me finish.

I have a telegram here.

It says, in effect,

that you have ample funds in your bank account

to cover that personal draft.

I'm convinced there was no collusion between Bickle and you.

Oh, you see, there was no real need for your accusations or your anger.

However, it still leaves us with our basic problem.

Was the loss of that herd due to outright negligence?

Stupidity?

Or was it just one of those unavoidable things that happen?

I still have two questions.

I'll answer them best I can.

Mr. Yates here tells me that you said

quite forcibly, I believe, that the drag was at fault.

That, through proper action,

the drag could have saved most of the herd.

Is that correct?

Yes, sir. That's what I said, all right.

But that's not the whole of it.

You see, at the time, to see my whole herd go under,

I was more than a bit upset.

The truth of the matter is,

no one on the Lord's green earth,

Mr. Yates or any man, could have turned those beeves.

Second question:

Was there anyone to blame except yourself?

No, sir. Absolutely no one except myself.

That answers my question.

What's this?

That's a bank draft, Mr. Favor.

For $1500.

It should be enough for you to pay up your crew

and to cover the initial expenditures for this new drive,

if you can get a crew together.

Oh, um...

No objections, Dillman?

I think Mr. Teisner knows what he's doing.

Yes.

This late in the season, every day counts.

We need a ready-formed crew,

men who are used to working together,

if they'll work for you again.

Where's the herd being formed up? How many head?

Roughly 2200. The Lazy Bar X, just outside of Victorville.

Frank Turley's place.

I'll need you there, full crew, ready to move within five days.

Means you gotta get started today.

Think you can raise a crew?

I don't know. But I'm certainly gonna try.

- He'll get one. - Rowdy, spread the word.

I want 20 men in front of the stable at 6:00 ready to ride.

All my men are welcome. If any of them can't make it or don't want to,

then any of Tom Bickle's men will do.

And if Wishbone and Mushy are interested,

we'll get a new chuck wagon in Victorville.

- I'll be over at the bank cashing this. - Oh, yeah.

I'll be right with you.

Well, Mr. Yates, I believe you heard my decision.

Yeah, I think that was a good one.

Except I have to admit I'm a little confused.

Mr. Yates,

I raise trotters back East.

The best horse in my stable is named Big Dan.

Two years ago, he lost a race that he should have won hands down.

Cost me $1200.

But he hasn't lost a race since,

and he's made me ten times that 1200.

Yeah, well, that's not quite the same thing, is it?

I mean, that's gambling.

Listen, son,

every time a cattleman turns around, he's gambling.

On whether to ship this year and break even,

or hold off a year and maybe make a big profit

or take a big loss.

He gambles on drought, flash floods, thunderstorms, Indians,

just about anything you can name.

But more than anything else,

he gambles on the man who drives his herd for him.

Man or horse,

I want my money on the best that's available.

Well, then, you knew all along you were gonna use Mr. Favor, right?

No, Mr. Yates.

There's another way that a horse and a man are alike.

They can both lose something almost overnight.

Pride or confidence or integrity

or whatever it is that it takes to win.

I didn't make up my mind about Gil Favor

until a few minutes ago.

Now, if you are still Mr. Favor's ramrod,

I imagine he's curious to find out whether he can raise that crew.

Yeah.

Thanks, Mr. Teisner.

You told them?

- I told you I told them. - Oh.

Well, what time is it, anyways?

Oh, I don't know. Can't be more than a few minutes after, though.

Hey.

- Ah. - Mm-hm.

Hey.

FAVOR: All right. You're late.

Let's get those bedrolls tied on. Double-check your gear.

[FAVOR SIGHS]

- Mr. Jensen. JENSON: Huh?

- I found your hat for you. - Oh, thanks.

One lousy night in town.

Besides, it's too late to bring another herd through this year.

Well, don't worry about Mr. Favor. He knows what he's doing.

[JENSON GRUNTS]

All right, horse.

We're gonna be together all the way to Victorville.

Now, if you're good to me, I'll turn you loose

when I get my new chuck wagon.

All right, let's stop milling around and mount up.

Better get them as far out of town as we can

before they change their minds tonight and decide to ride back in.

QUINCE: Hey, boss.

Yeah. Yup, take your feet up. Now, come on.

Now, what in the ever-loving would that be?

That extra hand I was telling you about.

I can sure vouch for him.

Do you think he's sober enough to even ride out of town?

Well, I admit he's a two-bit handy on the ground,

but once we get him on the fork saddle, he'll do.

FAVOR: All right, piece him together. Pitch him in the saddle.

Come on.

Well, gonna grab yourself a handful of horse?

- Not this time, Gil. TEISNER: Mr. Favor.

I have one more question.

Just out of curiosity, Mr. Favor.

Yes, sir, what's that?

What if you reach Devil's Patch Quilt with this new herd

and find yourself in the same position as last time?

What do you think you'll do?

One thing's certainly sure,

if those clouds are hanging low over the hills again,

I'm gonna sit there and think about it for a good five minutes more.

And then?

Then-- Then I just may try to push them through again.

Well, you ain't gonna get nothing done sitting around here like that. Let's go.

Head them up!

Move them out!

[MEN YELLING]