Gil Favor is trail boss of a continuous cattle drive. He is assisted by Rowdy Yates. The crew runs into characters and adventures along the way.
Genre: Western
Cast:Clint Eastwood , Paul Brinegar , Steve Raines , Eric Fleming , James Murdock , Rocky Shahan , Robert Cabal , Sheb Wooley , William R. Thompkins , John Cole , Charles H. Gray , Milan Smith , John Erwin , John Hart , Don C. Harvey , Raymond St. Jacques , Harry Lauter , George Hickman
Rowdy scouts for water as the herd moves into desert. He finds a man who signs on as a drover that says the direction they are headed has water but Rowdy doubts it. When Favor is hurt, Rowdy takes over but there is friction between them.
Rowdy hires a Comanche who "supposedly" returns their remuda. Favor returns with Colonel Macklin who wiped out the Comanches. Macklin and Clanton, a drover, have problems with any Comanche leading to bigger issues for Favor and the drovers
With a barbed wire fence in their path, Rowdy learns the hard way that Rose Cornilius and her many brothers are a bigger problem. Events enable Rowdy to have Favor declared Sheriff to fight Rose but Favor prefers romance.
Gil orders his drovers to haul Bolivar Jagger out of a river, even though the sick man's wearing leg irons. Despite the mush-mouthed Jagger's far-fetched story and the fact that he pulled an ax on the crew, Gil decides to take him along to the next town and let a Marshal sort out the truth. But then the Harger brothers show up, throwing down a rope to lynch Jagger, claiming he beat their father and killed a Sheriff.
Rowdy rescues a nester from a rancher's men as the nester refuses to fight. The drovers are drawn into the conflict with the rancher deciding to block Favor's herd as well. However, high water threatens everyone in the valley.
Elizabeth Farragut forces Favor to take son Billy on as a drover hoping he can make a responsible man out of Billy. Billy is making no friends with the drovers but his attention to Mushy gains him one friend but will he learn anything.
Rowdy decides to help a prize fighter who threw a fight to him when the town decides to tar and feather him. He is carrying a heavy mystery package heading into dangerous Indian Territory where he leaves the drive with Rowdy following.
While scouting Rowdy stumbles on rawhiders. After Rowdy refuses to kill Brock in a fight, the leader forces Brock to give Rowdy his intended bride in return for his life. Rowdy is allowed to escape leading the rawhiders to the herd.
Rowdy and Rabbit are shooting a school bell to make noise when a citizen notices a man is dead. He is a gunslinger while his brother is a preacher. The men are urged to leave town as the preacher puts a death curse on them.
A con artist and assistant steal the ownership papers for the herd at Confidence Creek and sell the herd to the local bank. The drovers are arrested but Rowdy is bailed out to recover the money by the assistant when she is scammed as well.
Quince and Mushy are returning from town when they hear what they think is a puma. Mushy wanders away and is knocked out by the cat and rescued by a stranger. The man tells them it is not a puma but an African lion he is hunting.
While Rowdy and Wishbone buy supplies in town the ailing Mushy is persuaded to play poker. He chooses seven card stud deuces wild. He wins over $1500 in the game. People are after his money and the consequences cause everyone headaches.
Hey Soos makes a series of mistakes. When a limb knocks him off his horse and out, he is found by Nami, a Japanese servant girl. She surprises the drovers with her ideas and methods. The Kiowa think she is a mythical princess and want her.
The drovers hear an owl at night - the human type. As they search around the camp Favor finds a young woman. Although dirty, they soon discover she is white but out of her mind. The Cheyenne want to kill as they believe she is a witch.
After a stampede Mushy and Wishbone go to town for fresh supplies. When Wishbone is able to stop Amie Claybank from harassing a vendor, her brothers decide he is the man for her. Back at camp, Mushy says Wishbone disappeared.
Wishbone develops a mysterious blindness after a scary encounter with a dangerous cliff and an innocuous fall. A doctor finds no physical reason for the blindness. A psychological reaction to childhood trauma is suspected as the cause.
Rowdy and Jim looking for strays, return with five - four bulls and a lost Scottish lady returning to Scotland. She says her husband stole her inheritance so she is taking her remaining items home with her plus a surprise for all.
The drovers find a Sergeant carrying a dead soldier in Apache country. They send for the Army learning the Apaches are due 200 cattle to keep a treaty. A renegade stands in the way. Favor, Jim, and Wishbone help try to deliver the cattle.
After a tornado scatters the herd, they are a 100 head short. They learn a man running an orphanage sold them to the local banker. Realizing the banker is the guilty party, Favor decides to teach him a lesson and recover some of his money.
Straw Coleman is caught trying to steal a horse and saddle while in chains. The drovers are shocked when Wishbone pulls a gun on them and helps Coleman escape. Favor and Mushy go after them to find why Wishbone has strayed.
During a rainstorm the men see a man who disappears but eventually comes into camp - dry. His name is Michob - the same as the wanderer in a book of legends owned by Wishbone. When bad things occur, some of the men think he is a jinx.
A Zebulon vigilante group takes Johnny Larkin away for murder. Favor follows to protect Johnny. However, Johnny is hanged and Favor is horsewhipped. Favor returns there alone with revenge on his mind looking for the man called the Major.
Favor visits an Army camp building a dam to ask for a delay to move the herd. He finds a childhood friend who asks him to stay for dinner with her and her husband who is in charge. He gets the meal and a charge of murder for killing a Lt.
The drovers are becoming disgruntled as Favor is pushing hard to outrun hoof and mouth disease. Pan, an ex-circus performer, searching for a lady he heard singing eleven years earlier.
After a rain storm wipes out the wagons, Favor goes to town to cash a bank draft and buy supplies. Favor's friend the banker wants to prove he is a man so he tricks Favor into trading jobs so he can prove to his overbearing wife his point.
The town's richest and most popular man is convicted and sentenced to be hung for the revenge murder of his son's killer. He is undaunted by this because he is counting on no one in town be willing to act as executioner.
When Wishbone and Mushy realize Hannibal is not safe they try to help. They are brought back tied up while Hannibal is tarred and feathered. Hannibal returns to Deadhorse and the men want to help him against Favor's better judgment.
An attractive woman collapses near camp due to exhaustion. After recovering she and Rowdy recognize each other. She is happy to see him but Rowdy is not so happy to see her. She eventually reveals she is on the run for killing a sheriff.
Sgt Turner (William Marshall) is a fugitive from the Army. On the lam, he meets Rowdy and steals his horse. But because he spared Rowdy's life, when Rowdy captures him, Rowdy gives him work in the trail drive. Eventually, the solders pursuing Turner finally capture him. The Sergeant is one of the black "Buffalo Soldiers," who are keen on proving their worth to the skeptical army. The white Captain son of a General has been guilty of certain past offenses, and so is put in charge of the black outfit to prove his worth as well. The problem had been that the Captain has been suffering from blackouts from an old war injury. If the Army knows of the blackouts, the Captain's career is over. Sgt. Turner is a loyal subordinate of the General, so he volunteered to go West with the Captain (the General's son) to keep an eye on him and keep the blackout problem hidden. In a battle against the Indians, Sgt, Turner leaves his post to tend the Captain's blackout. After the battle he accepts the false charge of cowardice in action rather than admit that he was tending the captain. That is why he was a fugitive from the Army. Favor investigates the charges.
Hey Soos is forced to drink Peyote juice by Indians. He has hallucinations but before they harm him further an Indian girl takes him to the camp where he recovers. Drover Mister Brothers has been looking for this band of Indians for years.