Rawhide (1959–1965): Season 3, Episode 3 - Incident at Dragoon Crossing - full transcript
Battling a drought, Gil Favor turns the drive off the trail onto badlands, to save time. But his drovers doubt Gil's judgment, especially after a more experienced trail boss John Cord who's passing by, advises against the rougher route. Gil, thinking he is suffering brain fever from an old Civil War injury, seeks the help of the stern, older boss, who is fleeing back home from an unnamed danger. Cord agrees to take over the herd to save the cattle but with no word from Favor about the change, the men and especially Rowdy question Cord's motives. The men quickly admit that Cord's strategy for moving the cattle is letting them make better time while easier on the cattle and men. However, when Rowdy learns Cord's plans for crossing the river, he suspects Cord is working with the Bates gang who want them to pay tribute to cross. In reality Cord has killed the leader of the Bates gang and they want revenge. The Bates gang spots Cord's ramrod in town who leads them to the sick Favor. The ramrod is killed and Favor has to warn Cord and his men to save the herd after accidentally letting slip his herd is coming through.
Hyah!
(whip cracks)
♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
♪ Keep movin', movin', movin' ♪
♪ Though they're disapprovin' ♪
♪ Keep them dogies movin' ♪
♪ Rawhide! ♪
♪ Don't try To understand 'em ♪
♪ Just rope, 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 ♪
♪ Let 'em out, ride 'em in
Ride 'em in, let 'em out ♪
♪ Cut 'em out Ride 'em in ♪
♪ Rawhide! ♪
♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
Hyah!
(whip cracks)
Hyah!
(whip cracks)
♪ Rawhide! ♪
Hyah!
(whip cracks)
(whip cracks)
(majestic theme playing)
(cows lowing)
FAVOR: Taking a herd north,
you have to trail across
nearly a thousand miles
of the wrinkled skin of Earth.
Over terrain that's
strange and different
as paradise above
from the hot place below.
Mostly it's too
rough or too steep,
too wet or dry, too hot or cold,
too windy, too lonely.
But you take what comes
and find a way to move
the beeves on through.
At least you try.
My name's Gil Favor, trail boss.
What kind of fool, Jose,
is leading that herd?
He will never get
through them alpine.
Not that way.
He'd lose half his
beeves, maybe more.
Señor, we had
better get a move on.
In a minute, Jose.
Wonder where he's from.
The trail boss down there?
Not from this
country, that is certain.
Somebody ought to warn him.
Ah, señor...
It would only be a few
miles out of our way.
But you do not know
who they might be.
You said it yourself:
Nobody from around here.
Señor, an hour lost.
I'm just riding home. I'm not
running away from anybody.
They want to catch
me, let them come.
(majestic theme playing)
This ground's awful. You
sure we're on the right trail?
You know a better one?
Well, I didn't say that.
It's just this is the worst
cattle country I've ever seen.
We're getting through it
just as quick as we can.
Do your job. Stop complaining.
Look, I'm only
trying to point out
that this lava rock is cutting
their hooves something fierce.
I know it only too well. You
just let me do the worrying.
Come on, let's get moving.
I don't know how much further
this wagon's gonna go in this.
Keep moving till
I tell you to stop.
What's eating him?
Ain't any harder on him
than it is the rest of us.
Maybe he's tired, Mr. Wishbone.
Meaning you and me ain't?
I ain't a bit tired.
Then you be the one to get
down and check that hamstring.
Go on.
Well?
There ought to be a way through,
but I wouldn't guarantee it.
We might get so
tangled up in that Malapie
we never find our
way out. I don't know.
You don't know?
Aren't you supposed to be scout?
But I'm not gonna
take the responsibility,
you won't take my advice.
What's your advice?
Go back to the main trail.
We know we can
get through there.
Four days dry when we can
make it to the river in two days
this way. Yeah, maybe.
We might spend a lot more
than four days dry in this stuff.
I said we gotta make it
to the river in two days.
You just find a
way, that's all...
What's the matter?
Move out.
You sick?
What do you expect
me to be doing,
singing and telling snappy
jokes in a place like this?
Well, no, but I don't expect you
to act like a hammerheaded
coyote with colic, either.
If you just did your job...
We're all doing
our best, Mr. Favor.
It's your orders that
brought us this way,
so don't blame somebody
else if it's too tough for you.
Pete,
now, listen to me.
[CANTEENS CLANGING]
This is Mr. Favor.
Howdy. Who are you?
My name's Cord.
John Cord?
CORD: That's right.
This is my ramrod, Jose Becerra.
Uh, this is Pete
Nolan, my scout.
Glad to meet you. You
driving a herd near here?
I took my herd up to
Abilene earlier this year.
I'm headed way back home.
Wish we'd could have
come this way earlier.
Probably a lot easier.
Must have been more water.
More water, yes. I wouldn't
say it was easier even then.
Somebody told you to
come through this way?
No, why?
Then can I ask
why you're doing it?
I figures it'd save
two days to water.
Your scout give you
any argument on that?
One has got to decide the route.
Maybe you got another way.
I was surprised to find out
you were bossing this herd.
Why? I always heard
you were a good cowman.
Got some complaint against me?
Yeah.
You're killing good beef.
Now, wait a minute, mister.
FAVOR: Keep out of it, Rowdy.
Go on.
You take a herd that
size into that Malapie,
there goes the best part
of them if not all of them.
Hurt them, cripple them.
Maybe you'll lose some
men and horses too.
Shouldn't concern you.
It ought to concern you.
You won't save any
time in that maze.
You might never reach water.
The regular trail's Malapie too.
Not any better than this,
and the long way around.
But it's a trail and
it goes through.
It's poor judgment to go
wandering off into the badlands
without even knowing
if there's a way through.
What is it? You
trying to pick a fight?
I'm only trying to tell you
you're making a bad mistake.
Look, mister, we
don't need your advice.
It's bad manners
to come in here...
I'm not interested in manners.
I'm interested in the beeves.
I don't like to see them
led into this kind of torture.
Well, this herd's my worry.
I'm the one who has to
decide what to do with it.
So let's get back to it.
All right, then.
I'm sorry for the rest of you.
(ominous theme playing)
Rowdy, keep 'em moving.
Back to work.
(dramatic theme playing)
(cows lowing)
What do you think?
Joe, I just don't figure it's
time for anybody to think.
You know, them beeves
are mighty footsore already.
Still a good ways to water.
Never seen any
place as bad as this.
Almost like some other world.
Some dead place.
Pete,
you think maybe this
fellow, Cord, might be right?
Well, you heard what
he said as well as I did.
Who is he? You know him?
No, but I've heard
of him often enough.
He's bossed a lot of drives.
Mostly over on the
Goodnight-Loving Trail.
I never heard
anything bad about him.
But then I never did
about Mr. Favor, either.
I wonder what's gnawing at him.
Well, he's scared,
for one thing.
And he's got a right to be.
Well, then, why don't
he ask for some help?
Why don't he take advice?
Why don't you ask
him? He's the boss.
Here's some coffee
to warm you up.
Ought to have something
in your stomach.
Why, thanks, Wish.
Say, look, I didn't mean
to jump at you today.
Oh, that's all right.
Everybody's kind of jumpy.
(coughs)
You call that coffee?
Well, go ahead and
drink it. It'll do you good.
What'd you put in that?
Just a tonic.
Something for what ails you.
What do you mean "what ails me"?
Well, something does.
You sure ain't
been yourself lately.
Bitin' everybody's head off.
Maybe you're coming
down with ague
is what I think.
Just keep your
thinkin' to yourself.
I'm all right.
No, you ain't,
and it's time you admitted it.
Look, Mr. Favor,
you ain't alone here.
You got friends.
Nobody's fightin' you, you know.
You oughta take some advice.
Look, you wanna
take over the job?
Well, you ain't
thinkin' very good,
and the way things are
goin', ain't none of us,
man nor beast, gonna get
out of these badlands alive.
(melancholy theme playing)
(horse hoofbeats)
Señor?
I hear it.
I told you we
should not risk a fire.
I told you I'm not hiding
from anybody. Let them come.
They have no honor. They
will shoot you in the back.
Not with you facing me, Joe.
Besides, there's only one.
And he's making too much noise.
I've got a hunch who it is.
Hello there.
CORD: Come on in, Mr. Favor.
(grunts)
(sighs)
Sit down, Mr. Favor.
Coffee?
Ahem. You got anything stronger?
Mm-hm. I have
a bottle of tequila.
Good. The stronger the better.
You look hot enough.
(groans)
(coughs)
Thanks.
That what you came for?
(sighs): Look,
you think you could get
my herd through the river?
Now you got 'em
deep in the Malapies
you want somebody
to pull you out.
I'm asking you, do
you think you could?
How about losing some beeves?
You've cost two
extra days already.
You could do it?
I could.
All right, then do it.
What do you mean?
FAVOR: Just what I said.
Take 'em through to the river.
All the way, if you have to.
I got a tenth coming.
You can have a third of it,
half if you have
to go all the way.
Why can't you give it
to one of your own men
and save the money?
It's a trail that's new to us,
and it's a tough one.
I never heard of
a trail boss quittin'
in the middle of drive,
as long as he
could sit a saddle.
Especially if he was in trouble.
CORD: I'd like to know why.
Just take 'em through.
Well, what do you say?
No.
You want more?
No, I've made my
year's wages already.
Well, what do you want, then?
Nothing.
I'd do it as a good turn
for somebody I respected,
but you couldn't pay me.
I'm not asking
you to do it for me.
What about all of your
fine talk about the beef?
I said those steers
were your concern.
Now you're asking
me to pull you out.
I'm offering you a
business proposition.
And I'm refusing it.
(grunts)
(dramatic theme playing)
Thought there was
something wrong with him.
He's got a fever.
Texas fever? Pox? Cholera?
I don't know. It's strange.
What is it, Mr. Favor?
It's nothing to worry
about. It's nothing catching.
What's wrong?
Come on. Tell us, man.
I took a hit in the
war, a skull fracture,
and they warned me it
might bother me someday.
Could mean brain fever,
blindness, maybe worse.
Anyway, a man can't push
a trail herd with half a mind.
How do you know
that's what this is?
It's like they told me.
Bad headaches,
everything blurry.
It's hard to think.
Could be just a bad fever.
No, I can't take the
chance it'll get worse.
I need your help.
I'll have to be boss
in complete charge.
Oh, all right.
More, with you around,
the men won't accept me.
That's not the important thing.
You've got to see a doctor.
Yeah, maybe it'll help.
Joe here will take
you into Webberville.
There's a doctor there.
When you get well,
you can catch up.
(tense theme playing)
Señor, do you
think this is wise?
Maybe enough.
You'll be going right
back to where they are.
I like that much better than
waiting for them to catch me.
But I must be with you.
No, you take him
into Webberville.
He'd never make it alone.
And stay around and
see if he gets well or...
Then you can catch up.
Do you think these men
will accept you as boss?
I've got to see
to it that they do.
(tense theme swells)
By the way, thanks.
Why? I'm doing
it for the beeves.
(tense theme playing)
(ominous theme playing)
(yawns)
WISHBONE: Rowdy, what
are you doing up at this hour?
This ain't your watch.
Well, if you're gonna
be up before breakfast,
you can give me a hand.
PETE: What's going
on here, Rowdy?
Mr. Favor ain't back yet?
It's almost morning.
He ain't showed up yet.
That ain't like him,
riding off like that.
He's probably out
with a nighthawker.
No, none of the nighthawkers
have seen him all night.
That's ain't like him. But
then, he wasn't himself.
I didn't say anything about
this, but I think he's sick.
Well, maybe he just went
out to check the nighthawkers
and got lost.
Yeah, maybe he had an accident,
and he's out there
hurt somewhere.
Well, now, wait a minute.
No use going off half-cocked.
Rush out in these
Malapies in the dark,
break a horse's
leg, get ourselves...
Sh. Wait a minute.
(hooves clopping)
That ain't a nighthawker
coming from that direction.
Morning, men. Glad
to see you're up early.
What are you doing here?
Better wake everybody
up. I want an early start.
What are you talking about?
Just as I'm saying.
I'm taking over the herd.
(stammers)
Where's Mr. Favor?
He said you better do as
good a job of ramrodding for me
as you did for him. And
that goes for you too, Pete.
Nolan's the name.
CORD: I was going
to fire you first thing,
until he told me how
you argued with him
about going back and
taking the regular trail.
You better get ready to ride.
You would, huh?
Well, let me tell you,
you is going a
little too fast for me.
You better tell me
where Mr. Favor is.
We're 20 miles on
toward Webberville.
You trying to say
Mr. Favor left us
and turned the herd over to you?
That's right.
I don't believe that.
Wait. He was sick, wasn't he?
Yeah.
What do you mean,
sick? Sick with what?
I don't know with what.
But sick enough he had to
get to a doctor pretty quick.
That ain't like Mr. Favor.
He didn't hold
much with doctors.
He never got so sick
I couldn't fix him up
with a salt, a paregoric
or tonic or something.
Nah, it don't seem like
him to leave the herd.
Yeah, without telling anybody.
Maybe he thought he
had something catchy.
To turn the head over
to a plumb stranger.
No, I don't savvy.
I don't believe it. He could
turn the herd over to me
or Pete maybe.
But what reason would he
have to turn it over to you?
I guess it's reason enough for
him, because that's what he did.
You want to see the
papers he gave me?
The transit orders, the
bills of sale, all the rest?
Yeah, I'd like to see 'em.
You coulda taken
these papers off of him.
There's a lot of money
in being a trail boss.
Not unless you get
the cattle through.
And that's what we have to do.
Wait a minute, Cord.
Mr. Favor didn't even like you.
In fact, you came in
here and insulted him,
and now you're gonna
take the herd over?
You're crazy, mister.
You think fighting me is
going to prove anything?
Even if you lick me?
There's maybe 40, maybe
$50,000 worth of beef out there.
And somebody's got
to take the responsibility
of getting it out of
the death trap it's in
and across a good many
more miles of the same to water.
And more than that, over
hundreds of miles more,
for who knows
what kind of country,
what kind of weather.
You want to accept
that responsibility?
Any of the rest of you?
Well, Mr. Favor accepted it.
That's why you took his orders.
And that's why you'll take mine.
Where's the cook?
Right here.
Feed everybody
as fast as you can.
I want to get
out by first light.
Your wagon in the lead.
WISHBONE: One thing, mister.
Is he coming back?
Is he gonna be all right?
I don't know.
(ominous theme playing)
CORD: Move straight
out and take the lead.
Set the pace as fast
as the terrain will allow.
Do you mind telling
us where we're going?
I don't mind telling you,
so long as it's
understood I don't have to.
I want my order obeyed without
argument and without question.
You've got yourselves deeper
into this mess than I expected.
There are only two things to do.
One is to move
back to last water.
That's two days.
Long ones.
And three more dry
after that. At least.
It's only a day from water
the way we're going now.
It'll be the longest
day you ever spent,
especially the way
you were going.
There is one other way
that'll only take two days,
if we can get through.
Yeah, and that's two
more days without water.
Four in all, about to rain.
You all know what that means.
Mr. Favor never had
any trouble with us.
And I don't expect to.
You said if we get through.
If we decide to go that way,
we'll just have to get through.
Well, when are you gonna decide?
I already have. We're not
moving back. Save your water.
All right, move out.
Head for those peaks over there.
I'll be there shortly
to lead the way.
Hyah! (dramatic theme playing)
MAN: Easy. Easy.
Now, look, we can't just
go off and leave Mr. Favor.
You wanna go chasing into
Webberville looking for him
and leave these
cattle to die of thirst?
Let's wake him up. No,
I don't want him pushed
off the bed ground.
Those 2-year-olds
have started it,
always a few
chuck wagon pullers.
The others can
fall in after him.
That way they're
gonna be all spread out.
Let 'em be a single file.
I don't want them
bunched in this stuff.
Nobody but the
wagon and Pete Nolan
with me on point.
Only three, maybe four on drag.
You figure the ones, Yates.
The rest of you,
including swing.
The right flank
strung out with them,
staggered on opposite sides.
It's up to you to
keep them moving
while I find a way, understand?
Yeah. All right, let's go.
(upbeat theme playing)
What do you think?
Well, I don't
know what to think.
There's one thing sure:
We're making better time today.
Oh, it's going good this way.
Yeah, they know
they're headed for water.
Well, maybe.
Lose steers this
way, no swing riders.
Better to lose a few strays
riding, than to get hung up.
(upbeat theme swells)
No water. I found that
bed ground like you said.
Pretty good grass, plenty of
room for them to spread out.
I figure it'll be two-four with
the way you're making time.
Looks like you're gonna
make it. We'll make it.
Have you ever been
over this way before?
Not exactly, but I
betted there once.
Well, did you go down
to the river from there?
Well, I don't see how,
because it sure looked
rugged to me, and dangerous.
You afraid of a little danger?
That would all
depend on the danger.
That wouldn't be Dragoon
Crossing, would it?
You've heard of it.
Yeah, but they want
us to stay away from it.
Said the Bates
Gang are holding it
and demanding tribute
for anybody trying to cross.
Taking 5 cents
a head for cattle.
They asked me ten.
Did you pay it? Would you?
Well, that also would depend.
On whether your men
are willing to back you?
Mine were.
You had to fight.
Didn't take a fight... then.
Had more men than this.
Had 'em outnumbered.
What about these men?
They'd have done
it for Mr. Favor.
I don't know about you.
(dramatic theme playing)
(somber theme playing)
Well, I tell you, I never
woulda believed it.
You bet. We came a long
way through that stuff today.
You gotta hand it to Cord.
He sure knows his
business, all right.
Why don't you keep
your ideas to yourself?
Now, look, Rowdy, I'm not
saying no bad against Mr. Favor.
He's a great boss
too. He's our boss.
Remember that, will you?
Well, of course. But
giving Cord his due
don't cost Mr. Favor nothing.
Ain't no good saying he
don't know his business.
You're forgetting how
Cord run 'em down.
That's true, he did.
Well, maybe he was right.
I mean Mr. Favor wasn't himself.
He was sick and
he made a mistake.
Sure. Anybody
can make a mistake.
What are you doing,
sticking up for that jasper?
He's getting the herd to water.
And he ain't so bad.
Ah, he ain't hard
to get along with...
for a while.
Sure, just till
Mr. Favor gets back.
How do you know
he's gonna get back?
How do you know Cord
didn't do something with him?
There's a lot of money
in being a trail boss.
Now, Rowdy, I don't
think Cord's that kind.
He wouldn't do that.
You don't know that. No
one around here knows that.
Pete, what do you think?
I'd say Cord's all right.
He's a good cowman
that's for certain.
So that makes him
my kind of people.
Sure settled a lot
of doubt in my mind.
Well, it ain't Cord
I'm worried about.
Then what?
Tomorrow we're
going down to the river,
over some of the roughest
trail we have ever been over.
That ain't all.
When we get there
it's Dragoon Crossing.
Oh.
That settles it.
That means either pay or fight.
And I'm not gonna
fight for Cord.
We'll let them graze here
for a while in the morning.
CORD: The grass is fresher,
probably even some moisture.
Wishbone will lead up and
we let them fall in themselves.
Just like this morning.
Only it's very important
we keep them strung out,
especially when they
got the smell of water.
You don't need to pretend
you didn't hear me, Cord.
I ain't gonna fight for you.
That so?
That's right.
You could of told us we were
going to the Dragoon Crossing.
You know what that means.
And what would you've done?
Gone back the other way?
Well, I ain't gonna
fight for you, mister.
At 10 cents a head that'll
come to around $300.
It'll have to come
out of your wages.
You figure you can raise
that much among you?
Buy yourselves out of a fight?
We can't do that, Rowdy.
Maybe they won't even be there.
Maybe there won't
even be a fight at all.
Maybe not, but if they are?
What would Mr. Favor have done?
Well, there must be
another crossing somewhere.
It's too late for that
and you know it.
You lead us right into a trap.
Anybody who doesn't want to go
down to the river
with me tomorrow,
you can get out right now.
Take your things and get out.
That goes for all of you.
But if you go you
don't come back.
And I think Mr. Favor'd
agree to that.
If you stay you
got to be prepared
to do whatever has to be done.
Oh, I meant to say
good work today.
All of you.
(light ominious theme playing)
Well, how am I gonna
feed those nighthawkers
if somebody don't
go relieve them?
(dramatic theme playing)
(ominous theme playing)
(groaning)
I am hurt.
Señor.
Señor.
Are you all right?
Uh, Jose.
You are feeling much better.
No, señor?
Must have been a nightmare.
The medicine the doctor
gave you is working fine.
By tomorrow you
will feel much better.
Medicine?
Hmm. It was not
what you told us.
It was not your head.
It was a fever that
made your head hurt.
Oh, a bad case.
But nothing to worry about now.
Good, I can get back to work.
No. 2 or 3 days maybe.
Better to rest first.
Señor Cord will
take care of cattle.
Now I fix you something
hot. All right amigo?
Yeah.
Uh...
(threatening theme playing)
Hey, wait.
That ain't Cord.
Hey, you.
Come on.
Where's Cord?
(groaning)
In the river.
Cord is where the herd is.
Who are you?
Nevermind.
That must be the herd we saw
in the Malaby, hey, Billy Joe?
Likely was.
Well, ain't that good news.
Let's go.
(groaning)
Served bacon...
(gun shots)
(dramatic theme playing)
Get...
to...
Cord.
They will shot him.
In the back.
Ugh.
(dramatic theme playing)
(peaceful theme playing)
Yates, we're gonna have
to watch them close today.
When they smell water, it
may be a job to hold them in.
Yates,
I admire your
loyalty to Mr. Favor.
I expect the same loyalty
from my own ramrod.
But a drover can have
only one first loyalty,
that is to the job he
has been trusted with.
Look, I don't need
any lesson from you.
You know,
you'll make somebody
a good ramrod.
Maybe Mr. Favor, but not me.
What's that mean,
you're firing me?
Not yet. I'll need you today.
After that we'll see.
Yeah, well, I'll quit first.
That's the thing
about you I don't like.
Now, you better ride
up ahead with Nolan
and see the trail
we have to take.
You'll be better
prepared to handle it.
(dramatic theme playing)
Giddap.
(dramatic theme playing)
Just looks impossible.
Yeah, well, we'll have to
herd 'em through single file
or they'll shove
themselves off the cliff.
Yeah, and with the smell
of water coming up to them,
they're really gonna be
pushing and crowding.
Cord's right, we'll
have to hold them back
and let a few down at a time.
Some trail boss,
leading us to this.
Well, he thinks it can be done.
Well, we'll see about that.
Just rest easy, mister,
and you'll be all right.
A fellow by the name
of Cord with your outfit?
All right.
I guess he must be or you
wouldn't mind saying "no".
And that's the
good news I'm after.
Yeah.
He must be one
of the Bates' gang.
And you hear what he
said about good news?
That must mean Cord's
mixed up with him,
working for him or something.
Now, Rowdy. Why not? It fits.
Look, he takes
Mr. Favor's herd over
and then leads us down
here to get wiped out.
It's as simple as that.
No, Rowdy, I don't believe that.
Cord's not that kind.
I don't know why
you can't see that.
Or maybe I do see.
Maybe it because
Mr. Favor trusted Cord
with the herd instead
of you. Is that it?
Well, I walked away
from Cord long enough.
(upbeat western theme playing)
When you get at
the top of the cliff,
pull aside and
help to turn them in.
Nolan or Yates will
be there to show you.
Looks like one of
'em coming now.
I wanna talk to you mister.
It'll have to wait.
Right now.
Rowdy, they're
getting the water smell.
They're getting hard to hold.
That's all right, let them go.
Better to lose them that
way than to the Bates' gang.
I don't intend to
lose them any way.
Oh, that's right. You don't
want to lose 'em, do you?
At least not your share of them.
Rowdy, what are
you accusing him of?
I'm accusing him of being
in partnership with Bates,
that's what.
Why, that's nonsense.
Yates, I'm ordering
you to get back to work.
And I have never had
to give an order twice.
Not until we know how
is giving the orders here.
I've never had to hit a man
to make my decisions stick.
And I'm not gonna start now.
You have as long as it
takes you to get in the saddle
and get back to work or get out.
MAN: Look out. They
are starting to run.
They're heading for the cliff.
(cattle mooing)
(suspenseful theme playing)
(cowboys jeering)
Whoa, whoa. Hold it.
CORD: Whoa.
Yeah! Yeah, whoa.
Whoa, whoa, yeah. Whoa, yeah.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
SEVERAL MAN: Whoa. Whoa.
Could have been killed.
Could of swept him
right off of that cliff.
Now, that ain't a man
who's thinking only
the money they'll bring.
Giddap.
All right, we can't hold them
here, let's start them down.
You start at the top turn them.
Right.
Nolan, get down there
and help Cord, will you.
Right.
Quin.
Get every man up here.
We'll need every man
to keep them in line.
Will do.
(western theme playing)
(peaceful theme playing)
(cattle mooing)
(threatening theme playing)
Hold them up here.
We can't hold them here long.
They smell that water.
Yates.
Yeah.
We're done now. You
want to go, you can go.
What, you're firing me?
You said you'd quit first.
This is more my herd
than it is yours, mister.
You didn't care much
about them back there.
Yeah, well, I ain't quitting.
You gonna take my orders?
That's right.
All right, here's my first:
You pick out the six
men least able to fight.
The seven of you stay
here and hold back that herd.
Stay here?
The rest of you go
down to the river with me.
Wait. Look. It's Mr. Favor.
(heroic theme playing)
Hi, boss, how are you?
Nice to see you again.
You all right?
Yeah, I'm all right.
You don't look so hot though.
What's wrong?
I'm glad you're back.
Rowdy thinks Cord's in
cahoots with the Bates' boys.
That so?
You all right?
Enough to be here.
Well, it wasn't
what you thought?
No.
Good news.
I got some bad news too though.
Jose's dead. Bates' boys.
Billy Joe. As a matter of fact,
the Bates' boys are
waiting to ambush you
in that big clump of sycamores
down by the river right now.
Guess I go down.
You men stay here.
You don't think you're going
down there alone, do you?
It's a private fight.
That's all right in a fair
fight but this sure ain't.
They got a whole gang
waiting for you down there.
Besides, it is my business.
They probably
wouldn't even be here
if I hadn't talked too much.
It's me they want.
They'll let the rest
of you through.
We'll all go down
there together.
The deal was I was to
take the herd to the river
or all the way if
you didn't show up.
I haven't handed you
back your beeves yet.
Well, I hate to take
my own orders but...
Mr. Cord is still in charge
till we get to the river.
Give me 10 minutes.
(ominious theme playing)
What's all this about?
Cord came through
earlier this year with a herd.
He refused to pay
tribute to the Bates' boys.
He didn't give them a fight
then because he had a full crew.
When he came back
through Webberville
he only had one man with him,
so they pushed him into a fight.
Uncle Bates died.
So the brothers ever since
have only had one
thing on their mind:
to get Cord.
Pete.
You take Quince and Scarlet.
Give them some
coverage over there.
All right. Hey, wait
a minute boss, ah,
let me do it, will you?
All right.
(dramatic theme playing)
(suspenseful theme playing)
(dramatic theme playing)
Cory.
First shot, I pull this trigger.
You might get me.
But I promise you not before I
get Cory right between the eyes.
All right. Put down your guns.
Cory, turn around.
Back up.
Back up, Cory.
Tell them to drop their guns.
Lay them down, all of you.
Billy Joe.
CORY: Tell them to
lay them down like I say.
Lay them down!
(suspenseful theme playing)
Now, get out.
Get on your horses and move out.
You too.
This time.
Thanks.
Go on. Get that team to water.
Probably, ah, lot of things
I should say, Mr. Cord.
Well, I'm...
I'll just say this: anytime
Mr. Favor decides to quit,
I'd sure try and
sign on with you.
I'm used to an older ramrod.
Well, now, I-I'd ride
anywhere you'd put me.
Well, I might just
do that myself.
That's right.
Thanks, boys.
Gotta remember.
(peaceful, western
theme playing)
Fine lot of beeves.
Better condition you'd expect,
after all they've been through.
Guess you could say
the same about you.
I guess you could.
Oh, where will I find you?
Find me?
For the money I owe you.
For the last two
days, I should pay you.
What a crazy business.
Just don't make sense.
I'm gonna quit and go
back east one of these days.
I swear.
Let me know when you do.
Hm?
I'd like to hire your
crew, every man.
You're showing even better
sense then I figured you'd have.
They're good.
I don't know why
they stay with you.
Matter of fact, I don't either.
I'll be going.
Well, thanks.
I got them all ready there.
Good beeves.
(sentimental, western
theme playing)
Head 'em up!
Move 'em out!
♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
♪ Rollin', rollin' Rollin' ♪
♪ Keep rollin',
rollin' Rollin' ♪
♪ Though the
streams Are swollen ♪
♪ Keep them dogies rollin' ♪
♪ Rawhide! ♪
♪ Through rain and
wind And weather ♪
♪ Hell-bent for leather ♪
♪ Wishin' my gal
Was by my side ♪
♪ All the things I'm missin' ♪
♪ Good vittles
Love and kissin' ♪
♪ Are 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 ♪
♪ Let 'em out, ride 'em in
Ride 'em in, let 'em out ♪
♪ Cut 'em out Ride 'em in ♪
♪ Rawhide! ♪
♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
Hyah!
(whip cracks)
Hyah!
(whip cracks)
♪ Rawhide! ♪
Hyah!
(whip cracks)
Hyah!
(whip cracks)
♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
(whip cracks)
♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
♪ Keep movin', movin', movin' ♪
♪ Though they're disapprovin' ♪
♪ Keep them dogies movin' ♪
♪ Rawhide! ♪
♪ Don't try To understand 'em ♪
♪ Just rope, 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 ♪
♪ Let 'em out, ride 'em in
Ride 'em in, let 'em out ♪
♪ Cut 'em out Ride 'em in ♪
♪ Rawhide! ♪
♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
Hyah!
(whip cracks)
Hyah!
(whip cracks)
♪ Rawhide! ♪
Hyah!
(whip cracks)
(whip cracks)
(majestic theme playing)
(cows lowing)
FAVOR: Taking a herd north,
you have to trail across
nearly a thousand miles
of the wrinkled skin of Earth.
Over terrain that's
strange and different
as paradise above
from the hot place below.
Mostly it's too
rough or too steep,
too wet or dry, too hot or cold,
too windy, too lonely.
But you take what comes
and find a way to move
the beeves on through.
At least you try.
My name's Gil Favor, trail boss.
What kind of fool, Jose,
is leading that herd?
He will never get
through them alpine.
Not that way.
He'd lose half his
beeves, maybe more.
Señor, we had
better get a move on.
In a minute, Jose.
Wonder where he's from.
The trail boss down there?
Not from this
country, that is certain.
Somebody ought to warn him.
Ah, señor...
It would only be a few
miles out of our way.
But you do not know
who they might be.
You said it yourself:
Nobody from around here.
Señor, an hour lost.
I'm just riding home. I'm not
running away from anybody.
They want to catch
me, let them come.
(majestic theme playing)
This ground's awful. You
sure we're on the right trail?
You know a better one?
Well, I didn't say that.
It's just this is the worst
cattle country I've ever seen.
We're getting through it
just as quick as we can.
Do your job. Stop complaining.
Look, I'm only
trying to point out
that this lava rock is cutting
their hooves something fierce.
I know it only too well. You
just let me do the worrying.
Come on, let's get moving.
I don't know how much further
this wagon's gonna go in this.
Keep moving till
I tell you to stop.
What's eating him?
Ain't any harder on him
than it is the rest of us.
Maybe he's tired, Mr. Wishbone.
Meaning you and me ain't?
I ain't a bit tired.
Then you be the one to get
down and check that hamstring.
Go on.
Well?
There ought to be a way through,
but I wouldn't guarantee it.
We might get so
tangled up in that Malapie
we never find our
way out. I don't know.
You don't know?
Aren't you supposed to be scout?
But I'm not gonna
take the responsibility,
you won't take my advice.
What's your advice?
Go back to the main trail.
We know we can
get through there.
Four days dry when we can
make it to the river in two days
this way. Yeah, maybe.
We might spend a lot more
than four days dry in this stuff.
I said we gotta make it
to the river in two days.
You just find a
way, that's all...
What's the matter?
Move out.
You sick?
What do you expect
me to be doing,
singing and telling snappy
jokes in a place like this?
Well, no, but I don't expect you
to act like a hammerheaded
coyote with colic, either.
If you just did your job...
We're all doing
our best, Mr. Favor.
It's your orders that
brought us this way,
so don't blame somebody
else if it's too tough for you.
Pete,
now, listen to me.
[CANTEENS CLANGING]
This is Mr. Favor.
Howdy. Who are you?
My name's Cord.
John Cord?
CORD: That's right.
This is my ramrod, Jose Becerra.
Uh, this is Pete
Nolan, my scout.
Glad to meet you. You
driving a herd near here?
I took my herd up to
Abilene earlier this year.
I'm headed way back home.
Wish we'd could have
come this way earlier.
Probably a lot easier.
Must have been more water.
More water, yes. I wouldn't
say it was easier even then.
Somebody told you to
come through this way?
No, why?
Then can I ask
why you're doing it?
I figures it'd save
two days to water.
Your scout give you
any argument on that?
One has got to decide the route.
Maybe you got another way.
I was surprised to find out
you were bossing this herd.
Why? I always heard
you were a good cowman.
Got some complaint against me?
Yeah.
You're killing good beef.
Now, wait a minute, mister.
FAVOR: Keep out of it, Rowdy.
Go on.
You take a herd that
size into that Malapie,
there goes the best part
of them if not all of them.
Hurt them, cripple them.
Maybe you'll lose some
men and horses too.
Shouldn't concern you.
It ought to concern you.
You won't save any
time in that maze.
You might never reach water.
The regular trail's Malapie too.
Not any better than this,
and the long way around.
But it's a trail and
it goes through.
It's poor judgment to go
wandering off into the badlands
without even knowing
if there's a way through.
What is it? You
trying to pick a fight?
I'm only trying to tell you
you're making a bad mistake.
Look, mister, we
don't need your advice.
It's bad manners
to come in here...
I'm not interested in manners.
I'm interested in the beeves.
I don't like to see them
led into this kind of torture.
Well, this herd's my worry.
I'm the one who has to
decide what to do with it.
So let's get back to it.
All right, then.
I'm sorry for the rest of you.
(ominous theme playing)
Rowdy, keep 'em moving.
Back to work.
(dramatic theme playing)
(cows lowing)
What do you think?
Joe, I just don't figure it's
time for anybody to think.
You know, them beeves
are mighty footsore already.
Still a good ways to water.
Never seen any
place as bad as this.
Almost like some other world.
Some dead place.
Pete,
you think maybe this
fellow, Cord, might be right?
Well, you heard what
he said as well as I did.
Who is he? You know him?
No, but I've heard
of him often enough.
He's bossed a lot of drives.
Mostly over on the
Goodnight-Loving Trail.
I never heard
anything bad about him.
But then I never did
about Mr. Favor, either.
I wonder what's gnawing at him.
Well, he's scared,
for one thing.
And he's got a right to be.
Well, then, why don't
he ask for some help?
Why don't he take advice?
Why don't you ask
him? He's the boss.
Here's some coffee
to warm you up.
Ought to have something
in your stomach.
Why, thanks, Wish.
Say, look, I didn't mean
to jump at you today.
Oh, that's all right.
Everybody's kind of jumpy.
(coughs)
You call that coffee?
Well, go ahead and
drink it. It'll do you good.
What'd you put in that?
Just a tonic.
Something for what ails you.
What do you mean "what ails me"?
Well, something does.
You sure ain't
been yourself lately.
Bitin' everybody's head off.
Maybe you're coming
down with ague
is what I think.
Just keep your
thinkin' to yourself.
I'm all right.
No, you ain't,
and it's time you admitted it.
Look, Mr. Favor,
you ain't alone here.
You got friends.
Nobody's fightin' you, you know.
You oughta take some advice.
Look, you wanna
take over the job?
Well, you ain't
thinkin' very good,
and the way things are
goin', ain't none of us,
man nor beast, gonna get
out of these badlands alive.
(melancholy theme playing)
(horse hoofbeats)
Señor?
I hear it.
I told you we
should not risk a fire.
I told you I'm not hiding
from anybody. Let them come.
They have no honor. They
will shoot you in the back.
Not with you facing me, Joe.
Besides, there's only one.
And he's making too much noise.
I've got a hunch who it is.
Hello there.
CORD: Come on in, Mr. Favor.
(grunts)
(sighs)
Sit down, Mr. Favor.
Coffee?
Ahem. You got anything stronger?
Mm-hm. I have
a bottle of tequila.
Good. The stronger the better.
You look hot enough.
(groans)
(coughs)
Thanks.
That what you came for?
(sighs): Look,
you think you could get
my herd through the river?
Now you got 'em
deep in the Malapies
you want somebody
to pull you out.
I'm asking you, do
you think you could?
How about losing some beeves?
You've cost two
extra days already.
You could do it?
I could.
All right, then do it.
What do you mean?
FAVOR: Just what I said.
Take 'em through to the river.
All the way, if you have to.
I got a tenth coming.
You can have a third of it,
half if you have
to go all the way.
Why can't you give it
to one of your own men
and save the money?
It's a trail that's new to us,
and it's a tough one.
I never heard of
a trail boss quittin'
in the middle of drive,
as long as he
could sit a saddle.
Especially if he was in trouble.
CORD: I'd like to know why.
Just take 'em through.
Well, what do you say?
No.
You want more?
No, I've made my
year's wages already.
Well, what do you want, then?
Nothing.
I'd do it as a good turn
for somebody I respected,
but you couldn't pay me.
I'm not asking
you to do it for me.
What about all of your
fine talk about the beef?
I said those steers
were your concern.
Now you're asking
me to pull you out.
I'm offering you a
business proposition.
And I'm refusing it.
(grunts)
(dramatic theme playing)
Thought there was
something wrong with him.
He's got a fever.
Texas fever? Pox? Cholera?
I don't know. It's strange.
What is it, Mr. Favor?
It's nothing to worry
about. It's nothing catching.
What's wrong?
Come on. Tell us, man.
I took a hit in the
war, a skull fracture,
and they warned me it
might bother me someday.
Could mean brain fever,
blindness, maybe worse.
Anyway, a man can't push
a trail herd with half a mind.
How do you know
that's what this is?
It's like they told me.
Bad headaches,
everything blurry.
It's hard to think.
Could be just a bad fever.
No, I can't take the
chance it'll get worse.
I need your help.
I'll have to be boss
in complete charge.
Oh, all right.
More, with you around,
the men won't accept me.
That's not the important thing.
You've got to see a doctor.
Yeah, maybe it'll help.
Joe here will take
you into Webberville.
There's a doctor there.
When you get well,
you can catch up.
(tense theme playing)
Señor, do you
think this is wise?
Maybe enough.
You'll be going right
back to where they are.
I like that much better than
waiting for them to catch me.
But I must be with you.
No, you take him
into Webberville.
He'd never make it alone.
And stay around and
see if he gets well or...
Then you can catch up.
Do you think these men
will accept you as boss?
I've got to see
to it that they do.
(tense theme swells)
By the way, thanks.
Why? I'm doing
it for the beeves.
(tense theme playing)
(ominous theme playing)
(yawns)
WISHBONE: Rowdy, what
are you doing up at this hour?
This ain't your watch.
Well, if you're gonna
be up before breakfast,
you can give me a hand.
PETE: What's going
on here, Rowdy?
Mr. Favor ain't back yet?
It's almost morning.
He ain't showed up yet.
That ain't like him,
riding off like that.
He's probably out
with a nighthawker.
No, none of the nighthawkers
have seen him all night.
That's ain't like him. But
then, he wasn't himself.
I didn't say anything about
this, but I think he's sick.
Well, maybe he just went
out to check the nighthawkers
and got lost.
Yeah, maybe he had an accident,
and he's out there
hurt somewhere.
Well, now, wait a minute.
No use going off half-cocked.
Rush out in these
Malapies in the dark,
break a horse's
leg, get ourselves...
Sh. Wait a minute.
(hooves clopping)
That ain't a nighthawker
coming from that direction.
Morning, men. Glad
to see you're up early.
What are you doing here?
Better wake everybody
up. I want an early start.
What are you talking about?
Just as I'm saying.
I'm taking over the herd.
(stammers)
Where's Mr. Favor?
He said you better do as
good a job of ramrodding for me
as you did for him. And
that goes for you too, Pete.
Nolan's the name.
CORD: I was going
to fire you first thing,
until he told me how
you argued with him
about going back and
taking the regular trail.
You better get ready to ride.
You would, huh?
Well, let me tell you,
you is going a
little too fast for me.
You better tell me
where Mr. Favor is.
We're 20 miles on
toward Webberville.
You trying to say
Mr. Favor left us
and turned the herd over to you?
That's right.
I don't believe that.
Wait. He was sick, wasn't he?
Yeah.
What do you mean,
sick? Sick with what?
I don't know with what.
But sick enough he had to
get to a doctor pretty quick.
That ain't like Mr. Favor.
He didn't hold
much with doctors.
He never got so sick
I couldn't fix him up
with a salt, a paregoric
or tonic or something.
Nah, it don't seem like
him to leave the herd.
Yeah, without telling anybody.
Maybe he thought he
had something catchy.
To turn the head over
to a plumb stranger.
No, I don't savvy.
I don't believe it. He could
turn the herd over to me
or Pete maybe.
But what reason would he
have to turn it over to you?
I guess it's reason enough for
him, because that's what he did.
You want to see the
papers he gave me?
The transit orders, the
bills of sale, all the rest?
Yeah, I'd like to see 'em.
You coulda taken
these papers off of him.
There's a lot of money
in being a trail boss.
Not unless you get
the cattle through.
And that's what we have to do.
Wait a minute, Cord.
Mr. Favor didn't even like you.
In fact, you came in
here and insulted him,
and now you're gonna
take the herd over?
You're crazy, mister.
You think fighting me is
going to prove anything?
Even if you lick me?
There's maybe 40, maybe
$50,000 worth of beef out there.
And somebody's got
to take the responsibility
of getting it out of
the death trap it's in
and across a good many
more miles of the same to water.
And more than that, over
hundreds of miles more,
for who knows
what kind of country,
what kind of weather.
You want to accept
that responsibility?
Any of the rest of you?
Well, Mr. Favor accepted it.
That's why you took his orders.
And that's why you'll take mine.
Where's the cook?
Right here.
Feed everybody
as fast as you can.
I want to get
out by first light.
Your wagon in the lead.
WISHBONE: One thing, mister.
Is he coming back?
Is he gonna be all right?
I don't know.
(ominous theme playing)
CORD: Move straight
out and take the lead.
Set the pace as fast
as the terrain will allow.
Do you mind telling
us where we're going?
I don't mind telling you,
so long as it's
understood I don't have to.
I want my order obeyed without
argument and without question.
You've got yourselves deeper
into this mess than I expected.
There are only two things to do.
One is to move
back to last water.
That's two days.
Long ones.
And three more dry
after that. At least.
It's only a day from water
the way we're going now.
It'll be the longest
day you ever spent,
especially the way
you were going.
There is one other way
that'll only take two days,
if we can get through.
Yeah, and that's two
more days without water.
Four in all, about to rain.
You all know what that means.
Mr. Favor never had
any trouble with us.
And I don't expect to.
You said if we get through.
If we decide to go that way,
we'll just have to get through.
Well, when are you gonna decide?
I already have. We're not
moving back. Save your water.
All right, move out.
Head for those peaks over there.
I'll be there shortly
to lead the way.
Hyah! (dramatic theme playing)
MAN: Easy. Easy.
Now, look, we can't just
go off and leave Mr. Favor.
You wanna go chasing into
Webberville looking for him
and leave these
cattle to die of thirst?
Let's wake him up. No,
I don't want him pushed
off the bed ground.
Those 2-year-olds
have started it,
always a few
chuck wagon pullers.
The others can
fall in after him.
That way they're
gonna be all spread out.
Let 'em be a single file.
I don't want them
bunched in this stuff.
Nobody but the
wagon and Pete Nolan
with me on point.
Only three, maybe four on drag.
You figure the ones, Yates.
The rest of you,
including swing.
The right flank
strung out with them,
staggered on opposite sides.
It's up to you to
keep them moving
while I find a way, understand?
Yeah. All right, let's go.
(upbeat theme playing)
What do you think?
Well, I don't
know what to think.
There's one thing sure:
We're making better time today.
Oh, it's going good this way.
Yeah, they know
they're headed for water.
Well, maybe.
Lose steers this
way, no swing riders.
Better to lose a few strays
riding, than to get hung up.
(upbeat theme swells)
No water. I found that
bed ground like you said.
Pretty good grass, plenty of
room for them to spread out.
I figure it'll be two-four with
the way you're making time.
Looks like you're gonna
make it. We'll make it.
Have you ever been
over this way before?
Not exactly, but I
betted there once.
Well, did you go down
to the river from there?
Well, I don't see how,
because it sure looked
rugged to me, and dangerous.
You afraid of a little danger?
That would all
depend on the danger.
That wouldn't be Dragoon
Crossing, would it?
You've heard of it.
Yeah, but they want
us to stay away from it.
Said the Bates
Gang are holding it
and demanding tribute
for anybody trying to cross.
Taking 5 cents
a head for cattle.
They asked me ten.
Did you pay it? Would you?
Well, that also would depend.
On whether your men
are willing to back you?
Mine were.
You had to fight.
Didn't take a fight... then.
Had more men than this.
Had 'em outnumbered.
What about these men?
They'd have done
it for Mr. Favor.
I don't know about you.
(dramatic theme playing)
(somber theme playing)
Well, I tell you, I never
woulda believed it.
You bet. We came a long
way through that stuff today.
You gotta hand it to Cord.
He sure knows his
business, all right.
Why don't you keep
your ideas to yourself?
Now, look, Rowdy, I'm not
saying no bad against Mr. Favor.
He's a great boss
too. He's our boss.
Remember that, will you?
Well, of course. But
giving Cord his due
don't cost Mr. Favor nothing.
Ain't no good saying he
don't know his business.
You're forgetting how
Cord run 'em down.
That's true, he did.
Well, maybe he was right.
I mean Mr. Favor wasn't himself.
He was sick and
he made a mistake.
Sure. Anybody
can make a mistake.
What are you doing,
sticking up for that jasper?
He's getting the herd to water.
And he ain't so bad.
Ah, he ain't hard
to get along with...
for a while.
Sure, just till
Mr. Favor gets back.
How do you know
he's gonna get back?
How do you know Cord
didn't do something with him?
There's a lot of money
in being a trail boss.
Now, Rowdy, I don't
think Cord's that kind.
He wouldn't do that.
You don't know that. No
one around here knows that.
Pete, what do you think?
I'd say Cord's all right.
He's a good cowman
that's for certain.
So that makes him
my kind of people.
Sure settled a lot
of doubt in my mind.
Well, it ain't Cord
I'm worried about.
Then what?
Tomorrow we're
going down to the river,
over some of the roughest
trail we have ever been over.
That ain't all.
When we get there
it's Dragoon Crossing.
Oh.
That settles it.
That means either pay or fight.
And I'm not gonna
fight for Cord.
We'll let them graze here
for a while in the morning.
CORD: The grass is fresher,
probably even some moisture.
Wishbone will lead up and
we let them fall in themselves.
Just like this morning.
Only it's very important
we keep them strung out,
especially when they
got the smell of water.
You don't need to pretend
you didn't hear me, Cord.
I ain't gonna fight for you.
That so?
That's right.
You could of told us we were
going to the Dragoon Crossing.
You know what that means.
And what would you've done?
Gone back the other way?
Well, I ain't gonna
fight for you, mister.
At 10 cents a head that'll
come to around $300.
It'll have to come
out of your wages.
You figure you can raise
that much among you?
Buy yourselves out of a fight?
We can't do that, Rowdy.
Maybe they won't even be there.
Maybe there won't
even be a fight at all.
Maybe not, but if they are?
What would Mr. Favor have done?
Well, there must be
another crossing somewhere.
It's too late for that
and you know it.
You lead us right into a trap.
Anybody who doesn't want to go
down to the river
with me tomorrow,
you can get out right now.
Take your things and get out.
That goes for all of you.
But if you go you
don't come back.
And I think Mr. Favor'd
agree to that.
If you stay you
got to be prepared
to do whatever has to be done.
Oh, I meant to say
good work today.
All of you.
(light ominious theme playing)
Well, how am I gonna
feed those nighthawkers
if somebody don't
go relieve them?
(dramatic theme playing)
(ominous theme playing)
(groaning)
I am hurt.
Señor.
Señor.
Are you all right?
Uh, Jose.
You are feeling much better.
No, señor?
Must have been a nightmare.
The medicine the doctor
gave you is working fine.
By tomorrow you
will feel much better.
Medicine?
Hmm. It was not
what you told us.
It was not your head.
It was a fever that
made your head hurt.
Oh, a bad case.
But nothing to worry about now.
Good, I can get back to work.
No. 2 or 3 days maybe.
Better to rest first.
Señor Cord will
take care of cattle.
Now I fix you something
hot. All right amigo?
Yeah.
Uh...
(threatening theme playing)
Hey, wait.
That ain't Cord.
Hey, you.
Come on.
Where's Cord?
(groaning)
In the river.
Cord is where the herd is.
Who are you?
Nevermind.
That must be the herd we saw
in the Malaby, hey, Billy Joe?
Likely was.
Well, ain't that good news.
Let's go.
(groaning)
Served bacon...
(gun shots)
(dramatic theme playing)
Get...
to...
Cord.
They will shot him.
In the back.
Ugh.
(dramatic theme playing)
(peaceful theme playing)
Yates, we're gonna have
to watch them close today.
When they smell water, it
may be a job to hold them in.
Yates,
I admire your
loyalty to Mr. Favor.
I expect the same loyalty
from my own ramrod.
But a drover can have
only one first loyalty,
that is to the job he
has been trusted with.
Look, I don't need
any lesson from you.
You know,
you'll make somebody
a good ramrod.
Maybe Mr. Favor, but not me.
What's that mean,
you're firing me?
Not yet. I'll need you today.
After that we'll see.
Yeah, well, I'll quit first.
That's the thing
about you I don't like.
Now, you better ride
up ahead with Nolan
and see the trail
we have to take.
You'll be better
prepared to handle it.
(dramatic theme playing)
Giddap.
(dramatic theme playing)
Just looks impossible.
Yeah, well, we'll have to
herd 'em through single file
or they'll shove
themselves off the cliff.
Yeah, and with the smell
of water coming up to them,
they're really gonna be
pushing and crowding.
Cord's right, we'll
have to hold them back
and let a few down at a time.
Some trail boss,
leading us to this.
Well, he thinks it can be done.
Well, we'll see about that.
Just rest easy, mister,
and you'll be all right.
A fellow by the name
of Cord with your outfit?
All right.
I guess he must be or you
wouldn't mind saying "no".
And that's the
good news I'm after.
Yeah.
He must be one
of the Bates' gang.
And you hear what he
said about good news?
That must mean Cord's
mixed up with him,
working for him or something.
Now, Rowdy. Why not? It fits.
Look, he takes
Mr. Favor's herd over
and then leads us down
here to get wiped out.
It's as simple as that.
No, Rowdy, I don't believe that.
Cord's not that kind.
I don't know why
you can't see that.
Or maybe I do see.
Maybe it because
Mr. Favor trusted Cord
with the herd instead
of you. Is that it?
Well, I walked away
from Cord long enough.
(upbeat western theme playing)
When you get at
the top of the cliff,
pull aside and
help to turn them in.
Nolan or Yates will
be there to show you.
Looks like one of
'em coming now.
I wanna talk to you mister.
It'll have to wait.
Right now.
Rowdy, they're
getting the water smell.
They're getting hard to hold.
That's all right, let them go.
Better to lose them that
way than to the Bates' gang.
I don't intend to
lose them any way.
Oh, that's right. You don't
want to lose 'em, do you?
At least not your share of them.
Rowdy, what are
you accusing him of?
I'm accusing him of being
in partnership with Bates,
that's what.
Why, that's nonsense.
Yates, I'm ordering
you to get back to work.
And I have never had
to give an order twice.
Not until we know how
is giving the orders here.
I've never had to hit a man
to make my decisions stick.
And I'm not gonna start now.
You have as long as it
takes you to get in the saddle
and get back to work or get out.
MAN: Look out. They
are starting to run.
They're heading for the cliff.
(cattle mooing)
(suspenseful theme playing)
(cowboys jeering)
Whoa, whoa. Hold it.
CORD: Whoa.
Yeah! Yeah, whoa.
Whoa, whoa, yeah. Whoa, yeah.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
SEVERAL MAN: Whoa. Whoa.
Could have been killed.
Could of swept him
right off of that cliff.
Now, that ain't a man
who's thinking only
the money they'll bring.
Giddap.
All right, we can't hold them
here, let's start them down.
You start at the top turn them.
Right.
Nolan, get down there
and help Cord, will you.
Right.
Quin.
Get every man up here.
We'll need every man
to keep them in line.
Will do.
(western theme playing)
(peaceful theme playing)
(cattle mooing)
(threatening theme playing)
Hold them up here.
We can't hold them here long.
They smell that water.
Yates.
Yeah.
We're done now. You
want to go, you can go.
What, you're firing me?
You said you'd quit first.
This is more my herd
than it is yours, mister.
You didn't care much
about them back there.
Yeah, well, I ain't quitting.
You gonna take my orders?
That's right.
All right, here's my first:
You pick out the six
men least able to fight.
The seven of you stay
here and hold back that herd.
Stay here?
The rest of you go
down to the river with me.
Wait. Look. It's Mr. Favor.
(heroic theme playing)
Hi, boss, how are you?
Nice to see you again.
You all right?
Yeah, I'm all right.
You don't look so hot though.
What's wrong?
I'm glad you're back.
Rowdy thinks Cord's in
cahoots with the Bates' boys.
That so?
You all right?
Enough to be here.
Well, it wasn't
what you thought?
No.
Good news.
I got some bad news too though.
Jose's dead. Bates' boys.
Billy Joe. As a matter of fact,
the Bates' boys are
waiting to ambush you
in that big clump of sycamores
down by the river right now.
Guess I go down.
You men stay here.
You don't think you're going
down there alone, do you?
It's a private fight.
That's all right in a fair
fight but this sure ain't.
They got a whole gang
waiting for you down there.
Besides, it is my business.
They probably
wouldn't even be here
if I hadn't talked too much.
It's me they want.
They'll let the rest
of you through.
We'll all go down
there together.
The deal was I was to
take the herd to the river
or all the way if
you didn't show up.
I haven't handed you
back your beeves yet.
Well, I hate to take
my own orders but...
Mr. Cord is still in charge
till we get to the river.
Give me 10 minutes.
(ominious theme playing)
What's all this about?
Cord came through
earlier this year with a herd.
He refused to pay
tribute to the Bates' boys.
He didn't give them a fight
then because he had a full crew.
When he came back
through Webberville
he only had one man with him,
so they pushed him into a fight.
Uncle Bates died.
So the brothers ever since
have only had one
thing on their mind:
to get Cord.
Pete.
You take Quince and Scarlet.
Give them some
coverage over there.
All right. Hey, wait
a minute boss, ah,
let me do it, will you?
All right.
(dramatic theme playing)
(suspenseful theme playing)
(dramatic theme playing)
Cory.
First shot, I pull this trigger.
You might get me.
But I promise you not before I
get Cory right between the eyes.
All right. Put down your guns.
Cory, turn around.
Back up.
Back up, Cory.
Tell them to drop their guns.
Lay them down, all of you.
Billy Joe.
CORY: Tell them to
lay them down like I say.
Lay them down!
(suspenseful theme playing)
Now, get out.
Get on your horses and move out.
You too.
This time.
Thanks.
Go on. Get that team to water.
Probably, ah, lot of things
I should say, Mr. Cord.
Well, I'm...
I'll just say this: anytime
Mr. Favor decides to quit,
I'd sure try and
sign on with you.
I'm used to an older ramrod.
Well, now, I-I'd ride
anywhere you'd put me.
Well, I might just
do that myself.
That's right.
Thanks, boys.
Gotta remember.
(peaceful, western
theme playing)
Fine lot of beeves.
Better condition you'd expect,
after all they've been through.
Guess you could say
the same about you.
I guess you could.
Oh, where will I find you?
Find me?
For the money I owe you.
For the last two
days, I should pay you.
What a crazy business.
Just don't make sense.
I'm gonna quit and go
back east one of these days.
I swear.
Let me know when you do.
Hm?
I'd like to hire your
crew, every man.
You're showing even better
sense then I figured you'd have.
They're good.
I don't know why
they stay with you.
Matter of fact, I don't either.
I'll be going.
Well, thanks.
I got them all ready there.
Good beeves.
(sentimental, western
theme playing)
Head 'em up!
Move 'em out!
♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
♪ Rollin', rollin' Rollin' ♪
♪ Keep rollin',
rollin' Rollin' ♪
♪ Though the
streams Are swollen ♪
♪ Keep them dogies rollin' ♪
♪ Rawhide! ♪
♪ Through rain and
wind And weather ♪
♪ Hell-bent for leather ♪
♪ Wishin' my gal
Was by my side ♪
♪ All the things I'm missin' ♪
♪ Good vittles
Love and kissin' ♪
♪ Are 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 ♪
♪ Let 'em out, ride 'em in
Ride 'em in, let 'em out ♪
♪ Cut 'em out Ride 'em in ♪
♪ Rawhide! ♪
♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪
Hyah!
(whip cracks)
Hyah!
(whip cracks)
♪ Rawhide! ♪
Hyah!
(whip cracks)
Hyah!
(whip cracks)
♪ Rollin', rollin', rollin' ♪