Rawhide (1959–1965): Season 4, Episode 3 - The Long Shakedown - full transcript

Hyah!

Rollin', rollin', rollin'

Rollin', rollin', rollin'

Keep movin', movin', movin'

Though they're disapprovin'

Keep them dogies movin'

Rawhide

Don't try to understand 'em

Just rope and throw and brand 'em

Soon we'll be living 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

Set 'em out, ride 'em in,
ride 'em in, let 'em out

Cut 'em out, ride 'em in

Rawhide

Hyahl

When she...

When she jumped in your lap
and that chair broke,

I'll never forget the look on your face!

Oh, Lordy, what a town!

- I've never seen such a town.
- I've never seen such women.



Sure must be one whale of a joke.

Maybe I'd better ought to hear it.

No, we were just remembering those girls
the night before we left town.

Whew, that was quite a night.

But now it's another day.

This ain't Laredo. Back on the open trail.

Ain't no dance halls, just scrub and dirt.

Ain't no dance girls, just beeves,
none of 'em knowin' a two-step.

Yeah, well,
we were just gassing it up a little.

That is exactly the point,

so let's get something straight right now.

Every drive starts from scratch,
and so does every drover,

and I won't stand for no bellyaching.

Either you two knuckle down to work,

or so help me, I'll send you back to Laredo,

and you can ride herd
and all the dance hall cows you want.

Only three days out.

Yep.

Moving along nice and easy, Jim.

You bet, boss. Real rocking-chair job.

Mm, but it usually takes a few days
to break a herd to trail anyway.

Still gotta watch 'em a little bit.

I'll tell you, Mr. Favor,
been pushing cattle as long as I have,

you get so you read the signs.

No, them cattle ain't gonna cut out on me.

No?

What do you suppose those are doing
over there, going out to pick flowers?

Holy smoke.

Now, get out of that rocking chair
and get 'em!

Mr. Wishbone.

L-A-C-E... that spells lace don't it?
That frilly stuff?

Yep, sure does.

What's P-A-N-T-l-E-S?

Panties? Say what kind of trash
are you reading there?

- Oh, it ain't trash, Mr. Wishbone.
- Don't tell me.

Any book that talks about lace panties
isn't fit for decent people.

- But, Mr. Wishbone.
- Unless a young boy like you.

Now, give me that.

Now, you drive.
It's your turn anyway.

All right, Mr. Wishbone.

- It ain't what you're thinking.
- Never mind what I'm thinking.

You just mind your own business.

Mother Perkins' Cookbook?

That's what I've been trying to tell you,
Mr. Wishbone.

What's lace panties
got to do in a cookbook?

Well, it tells about serving lamb chops
and chicken legs in a real fancy way.

You cut out little pieces of paper
and frill 'em up

and then roll 'em around the bone
so they look fancy-like.

Like lace panties. Oh, horsefeathers.

Give me that.

Wishbone, hold up.

Ho...

Dry, Wishbone.
Let's have another canteen.

Hey, it's getting kind of late.

I'd like to set up camp
over in those cottonwoods.

All right by you?

Nope. Till I tell you, keep rolling.

Well, you better tell me pretty quick.

I gotta get my fires going and supper cooked.

I don't want to run any short-order house.

No cooking.
Just time for coffee and sandwiches.

- We'll push on ahead.
- All night?

Eh, it'll be a full moon.

Country's easy up ahead.
Won't have any trouble.

Maybe not from the beeves,

but wait'll the men hear about this.

Oh, yeah, that's all I'll be waitin' to hear.

Oh, that's it, huh?

The big prod, build 'em or bust 'em.

The man ain't that much different
from the cattle.

They've got to be shaken down,
trail broke, too.

Now, you know these men better than that.

Sure, the old hands.

These new drovers
gotta be sweated out,

gotta find out which ones can stand up

and last all the way to Abilene.

And in the meantime, we gotta sweat, too.

Well, now, that won't gonna hurt you.

You can afford to lose
a little of that town fat.

Lace panties.

All right, come on, come on.
We haven't got all night.

Grab it, swaller it.

What do you expect me to do,
eat it for you?

Be better off if you did.

You know something, Wish?

Yeah, a lot of things,
but what in particular?

If you slice this meat any thinner,
I could write a letter on it.

And I s'pose you've got
something real clever to say, too?

Oh, shoot, I'm too tired for it.

What, ain't you hungry?

I'm too tired to even chew that stuff.

I didn't ask for this garbage!

I got a right to a decent feed.

Isn't anybody getting any different.

I don't care about nobody else!

I put in my time all day,
and now I'm getting what's coming to me.

- You got it.
- Like time, I have.

And no dog-robbing, slop-dealing cook's
gonna put one over on me!

Dog-robbing slop-dealing?

- Why you...
- Wish!

Cut it out!

Haskell, those were my orders,
just sandwiches.

We got not time for a hot meal tonight.

What do you mean, there's no time?

Just that. We're pushing on.

As soon as you finish eating,
get back to the herd.

Hey, you can't make me work
all day and all night, too.

I didn't sign on...

You signed on to take orders!

If you can't take 'em,
cut your horse out of the string and get out.

I sure will...

and I got two days' pay coming...

You got sign-on money.
You're lucky I'm letting you keep that.

You dirt...

Now, anybody else object
to the way I run a drive?

I signed on with Haskell, Favor.

I guess I better take him back to Laredo.

Well...

guess you better.

Well, if you've finished eatin', come on.

Quit standing around.
Get back to work.

You, too, Wish, pack it in.

All right, you heard him.

I gotta say one thing.

Maybe you don't build 'em up,
but you sure bust 'em down.

Yeah.

That's what you were aiming to do, wasn't it?

I suppose.

Come on, Quince.

Little ol' Quince.

I'll bet he's glad it's about over.

Over? What do you mean?

Well, you're gonna let up now, aren't you?

You found out what you wanted to know.

And maybe finding out some things
I didn't want to know, too.

We'll keep pushing
till I get all the answers.

Thought you'd like to know
that Wiley and Jacobs took off last night.

Probably be a few more today.

We can manage.

Not the way these beeves are acting up,
we can't.

Wantin' to cut back to home range.

We'll be having this trouble
till we're well out of this territory,

so we'll push 'em hard and keep pushin' 'em

till they're too tired
to even want to turn back.

Yeah, but the rate we're pushing them,

we're going to wear out the men
long before the beeves.

I've noticed.

Look, boss, I know this drive's important,

but it takes time to shake town dust.

We been through this before.

Only it's never shaped up like this before.

Shaped up like what?

- What's going on?
- It's all right. I've been expecting them.

They're just a little wilder
and a little dumber than I thought.

But who are they?

We need replacements, don't we?

Hey, boss, let's get in behind them jaspers,
give 'em some crossfire.

Never mind, Pete.

Quince, you better get up to the herd
and get the men on those beeves.

They're gonna be a little spooky
after this ruckus.

- Yeah, but...
- Never mind. Get moving!

What's going on here.
You know them or something?

Mr. Favor does. They're new drovers.

Drovers? They come rushing up
to a herd like that?

Good morning.

Hey, any of you fellas might be
the trail boss of this herd, Mr. Favor?

I'm Favor.

Howdy. Jess Clayton.

A Mr. Wilson, down Laredo way,
sent me a telegraph...

said you'd be coming through here,
you might be looking for some drovers?

We always expect to lose a few hands
when we first start out.

Well, I sure hope you lost enough
to take us on.

If you're willing to stick
all the way to Abilene,

put in a day's sweat for a day's pay.

Now, Mr. Favor, this here is the sweatinest
bunch of fellers you ever did see.

Why, when we rode with Jeb Stuart,

we put in twice as much saddle time
as the whole troop combined.

Cavalry's one thing. Herding's another.

How much experience you had?

Don't you worry none.
We know what we're about.

We'll find out soon enough.

All right, standard pay, the usual bonus if
the market's good when we reach Abilene.

That's fair enough.

I'll sign your papers later.
You can get to work right now.

Now, I thank you, Mr. Favor.

Oh, say, by the way,

you wouldn't be needing a ramrod?

No, he wouldn't.

Rowdy Yates, our ramrod...

Nice to know you, Mr. Yates.

- Mr. Nolan, our scout.
- Mr. Nolan.

Well, call it, Mr. Yates.
Where'll you be wanting us?

You two men gonna ride left flank

You three can ride drag.

Drag?

Well now, Mr. Yates,
we're not exactly tenderfeet.

It's been a long time since we rode drag.

Look, you'll ride where I tell you to ride.

Well, all right, whatever you say.

All right, fellers, light out...

Looks like we're going to have
more trouble

riding herd on the new drovers
than the beeves.

Maybe, but it's still good
to have some new blood in this outfit.

Keep them bunched up there!

It's all right, Mr. Quince!

We'll round 'em up for you!

Just coffee, Wish.

Well, you look about ready
to join the rest of the corpses.

Oh, yeah, they do look pretty bad,
don't they?

You haven't been giving them
any rest cure, you know.

We were just taking
a quick breather, Mr. Favor.

You boys feeling all right?

- Sure, sure.
- Well, you can get a little rest tonight.

We're making good time.
Herd's shaking down nice.

We'll pitch a camp,
and you can get a few hours' rest tonight.

Rest? What is that?

I wouldn't know.

Don't come riding in here like that!

- Howdy, Mr. Favor!
- Clayton.

How we doing?

You boys seem to know your job all right.

Just wait till we shake down a bit.

We're gonna get them beeves to Abilene
before they know they've left Texas.

If we was the army,
I'd say he's bucking for sergeant.

Maybe, but I'd say
you owe it to him and his boys

for the rest you're getting tonight.

Be rolling in a minute, Mr. Favor,

just as soon as I wash down
some of this dust.

Oh, no hurry.

You've earned yourself a rest.

Why, thank you.

Yeah, I've got to hand it to you
and your boys.

Well, how's that?

The way you buckled down to work.

I'm willing to admit it.

I didn't have too much hopes
when you signed on.

I figured you'd be in-and-outers and fold up
as soon as the going got rough.

Well, you've been putting out twice
as much work as my men.

You're only half as tired.

I guess it's all in what's eatin' at you,
Mr. Favor.

You take Mr. Nolan,
Mr. Yates, all the others.

They're hard-working drovers,

but it's their regular job,
what they're cut out to be.

I guess they just plain do it
till they get tired.

Now, take us.
We can't afford to get tired.

What do you mean?

We ain't got no place yet.

Well, you see Frank over there and Lobey?

Now, their familes owned big spreads
down here in Texas before the war.

Matty was a foreman's boy
on a ranch over near Fort Worth.

Stacey... he already put some money down
on a place all his own.

Well, we all joined up together.

Rode the war out together.

When we come back, there just
wasn't nothing to come back to.

So we all stuck together,
decided to shuck it all and start all over.

In doing what?

Well, that's just it.
We don't know, exactly.

We've done some trail herding,

some wranglin',
job here and there, whatever we can find,

sometimes together, sometimes separately,

but until we settle on something,

till we latch onto something,

we just plain gotta be twice as good
and work twice as hard as anybody else.

That make any sense?

Plenty.

I wish you luck, all of you.

Why, thank you.

Well, talking about work
ain't getting it done.

I'll see you later, Mr. Favor.

Come on!

Come on, Lobey!

Hey, get him, Lobey!

Come on! Get him. Get up!

Come on, Lobey boy! Thatta boy.

Get 'im! Hey!

Get 'im, Lobey. Get up! Come on!

Get 'im, Lobey.
You got 'im. Come on, move it.

Thatta-boy.

Got him pinned down.
Why doesn't he stay there?

Beats me.

Look at Clayton.

He's shaving.

Think he's got him a girl
out there somewhere?

A girl? Huh.

Come on! Get 'im! Get 'im, Lobey!

Come on! Aw!

Aw, you rascal.

Next time. Whew.

It's the bottom of the pot.
You want it?

No, thanks.

Yuck. Don't blame ya.

Well, you want to stay up and talk?

I'll stay up and listen.

- Talk?
- You got something in your craw.

I don't know the signs after all these years?

How many years has it been, Wish?

How many drives?

I don't believe much in countin'.

Just makes you feel that much older.

Yeah.

It's funny how the years can sneak up
on a man without his realizing it,

till one day it's just a little bit harder
to climb up in that saddle.

Yeah, well?

What can you do when a cattle horse
starts getting winded,

turns heavy on its feet?

Oh, we're talking about horses now.

Every year a trail boss
has to cull out his herd,

cut out the ones that aren't doing
tough work anymore,

turn 'em back to pasture,

or ridin' ranch.

Oh, then you are talking about the drovers.

I've been ducking it for days.

Now it's square in front of me,

showing up in this push.

Quince, Scarlet, Collins...

I'm afraid they're getting
too old for the work.

Old? Why, there isn't any one of them
that's more than...

It isn't just years, Wish.
It's spirit, drive.

They're just plodding along,
forcing their-selves.

Well, of course they're forcing themselves.
Who wouldn't?

Take an idiot to like
what you've been putting them through.

Then what happens
when it really gets rough, like it will?

Droughts, floods, stampedes.

Isn't anything
they haven't been through before.

Maybe when a man gets
a little bit too much time on him,

a hair slow in cutting,
he ends up with a horn in his gut,

doesn't think as fast,

slips in front of the herd...

I'd be taking a chance

on letting those men go out
and kill theirselves.

Oh, so you'd rather do it slow and easy
by turning them out to pasture.

There's plenty of other jobs, easier ones.

There's no job for a drover but droving.
You know that.

Now, these are your men, boss.
You've got to be loyal to them.

Think I want it to be like this?

When I started out,
I was just shaking down the new men,

not even thinking about the old hands.

I never figured on anything like this.

Anything like what?

Getting tired of being pushed around?

Now, you listen to me.

Maybe this outfit doesn't have
all the muscles you want,

but it's mighty well got
all the brains you'll ever need.

I don't care how fast this bunch
of bronco stompers can move a herd.

I'll bet on our men getting them there.

Can't you understand?

I'm bossing this outfit.

What else can I do?

Well, that's just it.

You're the boss.
You've got to do your own deciding,

but while you're at it,

if you think Quince or Scarlet or Collins

or any of the rest of them are over the hill,

what about me?

Or even you?

Don't forget.

We all take just about
the same amount of time to get old.

All right, boys, roll out.
Time to take over the night guard.

- Yeah, let's go and get...
- Come on.

What about Lobey?
He's the one who's always late.

Quiet down now, fellas.
These boys are trying to get a little sleep.

Yeah, they sure need it.

With all the hootin' and rassling,

a man'd have to be "deef"
to get any sleep in this camp.

Where's the coffee?

It's empty.

Ain't no coffee, Wishbone.

And there isn't gonna be

until I get ready to make some for breakfast.

I've done all the cooking I mean to
for the night.

Cook's supposed to have coffee ready
when the men want it.

You show me the book
says I gotta make you coffee

just 'cause you can't sleep.

I've never been on a trail drive

where they didn't have no coffee.

You're on one now.

Are you gonna make some coffee?

Are you gonna make me?

I just might do it.

You just might try gettin' back
to your bedroll.

Wishbone's not making
any more coffee tonight.

Well, he made some for the others.

For the men who are working.

You need some sleep, not some coffee.

All you men, you're half dead on your feet.

You try getting some rest instead of sitting
around talking all night and drinking coffee.

You might turn in
a decent day's work tomorrow.

It sure makes you wonder.

Hey! Hey, where you heading to?

I've had it.

I've rode most of five years with Mr. Favor,

and I've never seen him go so sour.

Well, hold on.
You can't quit the boss like that.

You know he's got a reason
for everything he does.

I know that.

I know about his shakedowns, too,

but, well, this is something different.

It's just like he's got it in
for everybody...

exceptin' maybe them new drovers.

Here, give me that.

You just gotta trust him.

You've been ridin' for him
long enough to know that.

Well, if he's so happy with them jaspers,

why don't the rest of us just let him
find out how he'll get along with him

without us there to back him up?

Look, Collins,
you ain't thinking too straight.

You know, being the boss of a trail drive

is about the loneliest spot there is,

and he can't be telling you and me
what he's thinking about all the time.

Nobody expects him to share his secrets,

but, Quince, how much longer are we
going to put up with this kind of thing?

Just as long as he dishes it out.

Now, look, we're both sleepy,

and let's bed down, like the boss says,
and who knows?

You might dream up a cup of coffee
if you try real hard, huh?

You know something?

I wouldn't blame Collins for pulling out.

Yeah.

Come on, Quince, shake it up.
You had some sleep last night.

Just enough to know how much I missed.

Dowse some water on your face.
You'll feel all right.

- Okay?
- Leave it.

Anything wrong?

Just shakin' the cobwebs out, Mr. Favor.

You feel all right?

Just a little tired, maybe, so...

Yeah.

Maybe you'd better take it easy.

I'll have Clayton finish your trick.

No, I'm all right, I tell ya.

You don't look it.

Well, I ain't never chased
any beeves with my looks.

He'll be all right,
soon as he gets some decent rest.

He gets as much rest as anybody else.

If it ain't enough...

- Hey, where's Pete?
- I don't know.

- You sent him up ahead, didn't you?
- That was over an hour ago.

He should've been back,
unless he decided he needed a rest, too.

- Well?
- I didn't see any sign of him.

- The Preston herd?
- I wrote old man Preston,

telling him exactly where and when
we'd be coming through,

and he had to be on time.

Got a telegraph from him
just before we left Laredo,

promising to be here with us,
200 head ready and waiting.

Say, did you look around at all?

Did you see if they were even close?

Yeah, I looked around,

but I figured I ought to come back
and check with you.

Wouldn't have taken that much more time.
I've got to do all your thinking for you?

The way I remembered,
I'm not supposed to do any thinking,

just take orders.

Good, then go out and find that herd.

Yeah, boss.

Kinda rough on him, weren't you?
He's tired.

Oh, Pete's tired?

Quince is tired.

Everybody's tired.

Maybe we ought to give up
the cattle business

and open up a rest home, huh?

What the... What in blazes?

What's the matter, Joe?

A bunch cut out on us, about 50 head.

I'm waiting for the boys to haze 'em back.

And give the rest of 'em a chance to break?

- Keep 'em movin'.
- Yeah, sure, boss.

Wait a minute.

How did it happen?
Where did they cut out?

On the flank,
near where Quince was working.

Move 'em out!

Move 'em out!

Hold still, will ya?

Quick fiddling around, will ya, Wishbone?
I'm all right.

- How is he?
- Oh, nothing, just a bump.

Did you find those strays?

Yeah, we got them all rounded up.
No harm done.

How'd it happen?

Well, I ain't sure.

Just riding along.
It was real quiet.

Then all of a once,
they just turned back on me.

You must've seen them start to break.

No, all of a sudden they were just going.

I tried to turn them,
but my horse hit a gopher hole

and stumbled and threw me.

You were lucky the beeves

didn't walk all over you.

Quince, did you fall asleep in the saddle?

No, I never...

Well, you're right, boss.
I might've for a minute or two.

Mighty sorry about that. Yep.

- Rowdy, you help me.
- What for?

Just take this.
Never mind what for.

Take it and help me.

Come on. Come on. Go on.

Here, take this.

Is that all you wanted?

Now, you just stay here.

I don't think Quince'll want us
over there right now.

What are you talking about?

Do I have to spell it out for you,

or do you like seeing a' execution?

Now, hold on, Mr. Favor.
You can't mean that.

I'm...

I'm afraid I mean it, Quince.

You mean, one mistake, and I get the sack,

after all the years
I've been working for you?

It's not just this one mistake.

It's the others that can happen,

the other one that can cost a lot more

than just a bump on the head.

Yeah, but that ain't about to happen again.

Look, Jim, we've all got to face it
some time.

Some things we just can't do anymore,

at least not as well as we used to.

Drovin's a tough job, one of the toughest.

Takes a hard man,

a man who can take
all the work that's thrown at him,

come back begging for more.

Just what are you trying to say, Mr. Favor?

We all slope along, never thinking about it.

One day something like this jumps up

and bites us.

Realize we're running out of time.

I'm afraid you're too old for the job, Jim.

What do you mean, I'm too old?

Just this kind of work.

There's plenty of ranchers
who could use you,

make you ramrod even.

- I'll write to some people...
- Don't bother, Mr. Favor.

All right, all right.

Of course we'll send you your full share

once we get to Abilene.

All the money I want is what's due me,

and that's all I want

- You letting him go?
- Yeah, I'm letting him go.

What for? After all the drives we've been on,

he only made one mistake.

Because I don't want him
making another mistake

that could hurt him
or somebody else a lot more.

Don't you make a mistake now.

Here, here, now.
Simmer down.

There's no use arguing with him.

You find the herd?

Yeah, they're about 15 miles out
on the other side of that ridge.

It'll be a couple days
before they can get here.

Two days?

Well, according to your letter,

you wasn't supposed to meet Mr. Preston
until tomorrow.

He's still late.

He's only got his three boys
helping him with the herd.

If you'd send a crew out there,

he can shake them up a little.

Mr. Favor.

The point just asked me to tell you
we're almost up the creek.

You want me to start the herd across
or let them down?

You might as well bed them down.
We're gotta wait anyway.

No, push 'em across.

Look, you made a deal with him.

You said you were going to take his herd
north to Abilene.

My deal with him was for him to be on time.

I warned him I couldn't wait.

Only one day, boss.
We can help him.

That old man's got every sent he's got
tied up in that herd.

If you don't take it,
it's going to break him.

I said I warned him.

I told him he had to be here on time.

One day ain't going to make
that much difference.

I'll do the decidin'.
Get crackin'.

You've been deciding a lot lately,
haven't you?

What?

Like deciding we don't eat or sleep,
and running us ragged,

and firing Quince, too.

- Fire Quince?
- That's right.

Mr. Favor... he's a big cattle owner now.

He cares more about that herd
than he does the men.

All right, get on back to work.

Work's all you can talk about, ain't it?

Just 'cause you own
the big share of this herd,

you don't want to associate
with the rest of the drovers.

Now, that is enough!

No, that's not enough.

A man can only take so much,
and you've been dishing it out double.

- Now, I say we bed down right here.
- You say?

Yeah, I'm ramrod, and I got that right.

Well, you just lost that right, boy.

Jess, you're taking over ramrodding.

- Thank you kindly.
- Boss, listen.

Look, let's get something straight right now.

You either take orders from him,
or you cut out.

Now, which it'll be?

Come on, I want to know right now!

Scarlet?

Wishbone?

All right, big mouth,
you're speaking up for everybody.

What is it?

You knew the answer
when you busted me, trail boss.

All right, take those beeves
across the creek and keep 'em rolling.

Yes, sir.

- I'm mighty grateful...
- And I don't want any more speeches.

So you finally found
an excuse to get rid of him,

and a mighty poor one, too.

Where does that leave you, in or out?

I ain't never left a herd in hot water yet.

It looks to me like you're in over your head.

If that's your way of saying you're sticking,
quick gassing about it and get going.

We got some pay coming.

We're taking it out in supplies.
That all right with you?

It's no skin off my nose.

Looks to me like we expect to eat
kind of high off the hog.

Yeah, well, I ain't the only one taking off.

That figures.

You're leaving Mr. Favor
in real fine shape for the drive.

Shut up, Wishbone.

I don't feel in the mood
for any of your lectures.

I'm not going to waste any breath
on lectures.

I just think you ought to know
the straight facts.

Well, come on, what are they?
Let's have them.

Well, you're dead wrong about Mr. Favor
pushing you because it's his herd.

He's shaking you down extra hard

because he's afraid
some of you aren't up to it anymore,

like some of you are getting
too old for this kind of work.

Too old? Me?

Maybe he means me.

No, not you, but...

well, that's why he let Quince go

and, well, some of the others.

That's the craziest thing I've ever heard of.

Call it what you like.
He was worried about you.

Yeah, well, he's got a weird way
of showing it.

What about you, Pete?

He seems to think a greenhorn
can handle Rowdy's job.

Let him get one to fill mine.

It's up to you, I guess.

So long, Wish.

Gee, Mr. Wishbone, if they're too old,

why aren't you?

You ever hear of Methuselah, boy?

That's me, all over again.

- Frank.
- Yes, sir.

Don't let 'em bunch up like that.

Give 'em a little room to spread.

Yeah, but Jess says to keep them in tight
so they don't scatter or drift off.

Maybe, but at least
they won't be hooking each other

or crowding each other into stumbling.

- Well, Jess said...
- I said, spread them!

Yes, sir, Mr. Favor.

Hey! Don't run them in that!

It fell. Busted its leg, I think.

Busted, all right.

What in the blazes were you doing?

Well, they cut out.

Me and Lobey were just trying
to haze 'em back to the herd.

So you ran 'em?
Over this kind of ground?

You could've cut 'em somewhere else!

I'm sorry, Mr. Favor.
I just didn't want to let them get away.

Well, you might as well have.

All right, shoot him.
Get the others back to the herd.

Yes, sir.
Now, I'm very sorry.

Yep.

- Night guard's all set, Mr. Favor.
- Yeah?

Of course, we're going to have to work
double shifts till we get some more men.

That shouldn't be too hard, though.
The beeves are all wore out.

They shouldn't give us too much trouble.

Unless that panther does.

He's been carrying on like that
for a half an hour now,

and the herd don't seem to mind too much.

Fool beeves, you never can tell about them.

Sometimes they'll stand still
for a thunderstorm.

Then again, a sneeze will set them rolling.

He ain't moved too much.

He's staying pretty high up on that ridge.

Be a good idea if we kept him up there.

Have the night guard set a couple fires
between the herd and the ridge.

Maybe that'll change his mind
if he decides to come down.

Whatever you say, Mr. Favor.

I'll see if the men keep him
away from the herd.

Okay.

That your opinion about the supper,
or aren't you hungry?

I'm not hungry.

Say, when the boys left, they tell you
what they were going to do?

Nope.

Say where they were going?

Nope.

- Laredo, I suppose.
- I suppose.

Annoying kind of fella, isn't he?

Sure be nice if we had some old timers
who knew how to handle him.

Thanks, Wish. You're a big help.

Anytime, Mr. Favor.

Come around here, you varmint,

I'll slice you into cutlets.

- Hey Soos.
- Senor Boss?

Cut out, Butcher.
I'll take a turn around the herd.

La pantera... he is the restless one tonight.

- Yeah.
- La pantera.

This a bad omen, Senor.

As long as it just stays an omen.

Senor Favor, somebody shoot him!

The stupid fool!
It could set the herd.

The herd! It is stampeding!

Get after the herd! Everybody out!

Keep 'em headed north!

Hyah!

I'm sorry, Mr. Favor.
I just couldn't hold 'em.

Who fired that shot?

- Frank. I could've killed him.
- He'll be lucky if the herd doesn't.

No! Don't turn 'em!

Don't turn 'em! Let 'em run straight!

Keep 'em headed straight!
Head 'em north!

Don't turn them back!

Don't let them turn back!

Hyah!

Crazy fools.

Head them right back for the brush.

I tried, Mr. Wishbone. I tried my best.

I tried, but I guess it ain't good enough.

That's all I can try for.

I tried to tell Mr. Jess and the new men
that Mr. Favor didn't want his herd turned.

I couldn't catch him,
and I couldn't make him hear me.

Well, I guess
with the thunder of the stampede,

they didn't even hear Mr. Favor.

Well, it isn't their fault.

It isn't anybody's fault.

Everybody did the best he could.

Fools, you're heading them
back to home ground.

They'll never get them back now.

- We did our best, honest.
- I know, I know...

but I'm afraid it takes
more than brawn to be a drover.

Takes time, sweat... feel.

You mean, you're letting us go?

I'm... I'm afraid I can't use
any drovers without a herd.

Nothing you can do.

I'll let you have an extra week's pay,
tied you over.

Oh, no, Mr. Favor, now, that's not fair.

We don't want any pay at all.

No, you worked for it.

We lost your whole herd.

Let's just leave it be.

Whatever you say, Jess.

Well, good luck, Mr. Favor.

Oh, yeah, thanks.

Coffee. It's cold.

Soon as I hobble the horses,
I'll make us some breakfast.

Oh, no, thanks. I'm not hungry.

So what are you going to do,
just sit there and take root?

Wishing isn't going to get that herd back.

No, but I'm afraid
nothing else will, neither.

Oh, come on. It isn't that bad.

We'll find a way to round them up again.

No, Wish, herd's gone,

and everything else with it.

I'm finished.

I told you, it's all over, finished.

What are you tagging along for?

Last I heard, Mr. Favor,
this was free and open country.

A man could go anywhere he pleases,

so I might ask you,
what're you tagging along for?

Mr. Wishbone, Mr. Favor!

Whoa.

It's the herd.
You had 'em trail broke.

They just plain stopped themselves.

Maybe they're not all by themself.

I can see some men with them.

Let's hope our eyes
aren't playing tricks on us

and we're not just seeing
what we want to see.

There's only one way to find out.

Supposin' Mr. Jess and the men got the herd

to show Mr. Favor how sorry hey were?

- Hello, Mr. Favor.
- Rowdy.

Thought you'd be a long ways
from here by now.

Well, you know, I got to thinking.

Wasn't really too nice of me to run off
and leave you in a hole like that.

Least I could've done
was wait till you got some new hands.

Appreciate that.

Sure could've used
some more hands last night,

especially with experience.

Oh? Trouble?

Oh, a little.

Say, those beeves
didn't all just bunch themselves up.

Oh, no, you know how it is with drovers.

They like to keep a herd nice and tidy.

- Drovers?
- Yeah, they didn't get very far.

Age do slow a man down.

Well, Mr. Favor,
I guess you thought we ran out on you.

Well, I did sort of need you at the time.

Yeah, like we're a bunch of quitters.

Look, herd's back.
You're back.

No more needs to be said.

Now, wait a minute.

We figured out a dandy excuse
you ought to at least let us tell you.

Go on.

Well, it's like this.

Rowdy here, he's got a good set of brains
under that bushy head of his.

You give him 15, 20 years,

he might even make trail boss.

And the way Rowdy saw it,

we wasn't much use to you around the herd.

The way that Jess's boys
were doing the work of three men...

Yeah, well, we figured
the way they were going at it,

they were bound to collapse.

Just doesn't really matter
how young they were.

Yeah, once they fell flat on their face,

the herd's bound to stampede.

No, we didn't quit.

We did what you call in the Army,
a strategic retreat.

We just stayed back

and waited in case the herd stampeded
or in case they run the other way.

And you wanted to be there to stop them.

Beautiful.

That's the most beautiful flat-faced lie

I've ever heard in my life.

Well, thanks for letting us tell it.

Yeah, it made us feel better.

Oh, wait a minute.

Quince, I didn't think you made
a strategic retreat.

I thought you was fired.

Well, that's true, Mr. Favor.

I've been in jail, too, just as many times
as I've been on a trail ride.

I guess you know me well enough by now

that I ain't about to be locked up
or be fired any too long.

All right, that is if you're not too old and
feeble to make it back to the bed ground.

Oh, they'll beat you.

Figure we'd stay here three or four days.
Let the men have a rest

and the beeves graze.

Well, if I'm gonna get that Preston herd
by morning, I better get started.

Why don't you wait
and let a few of us go with you?

Oh, I passed him. I better get him.

Come and get it!

Come and get it!

What're we having, Wish?

Ooo, looks...

Hey, look. Turkeys.

Where in the world
did you get them, Wishbone?

Wild ones, winged them myself.

Now, let's let an artist carve.

What the heck is that?

Wouldn't be proper to tell you, Rowdy.

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

Count 'em out, ride 'em in,
ride 'em in, let 'em out

Count 'em out, ride 'em in

Rawhide

Rollin', rollin', rollin'

Rollin', rollin', rollin'

- Hyahl
- Rollin' rollin', rollin'

Hyahl

Rawhide

- Hyahl
- Rollin', rollin', rollin'

Hyahl