Favor loses the whole herd except nine, taking a shortcut thru Devil's Patch Quilt trying to beat another herd in. He must face Mr. Teisner of the cattleman's association.

Rowdy quits and gets his own herd and races Favor to the railhead.

Gil Favor's cattlemen arrive at a town after a long,hard cattle drive and find that the town isn't receptive to cattle drivers.

Emma Teall and her sister Betsy are following the herd. Ryan an his forty buffalo hunters won't let the herd through to needed grazing, until he pens the buffalo up. Rowdy gives him three days. Wish tells Mushy to take two calves and kill them. Emma relieves Mushy of the calves. He says there may be three more later. Wish reports the milk cows are gone. They followed the calves to Emma's camp. The drovers tip over her wagon. Emma fires a warning shot. Billy Wallace a buffalo hunter calls on Betsy and gets rough with a protesting Emma.

Sam Jefferson aids Rowdy after his horse takes a spill. Sam is a wanted man. He asks Rowdy to turn him in and give the $5000 to his wife.

Major Cantwell can't wait to retire from the army. He was demoted from colonel for ""irregularities in records"". He says the charge was unfounded. He steals the $32,000 camp payroll and wraps it in a package. He asks Favor to mail it for him. Kaster, the major's aid, drummed out for drinking, sees Favor take the package. Cantwell's replacement arrives and says his demotion was reversed and he's being promoted to brigadier general. He goes after Favor and the package. Kaster steals the package from favor's saddle bag.

Favor and another trail boss are forced to go to meet Rian Powers. Powers has assembled a group of outlaws. He has a plan to take over the beef industry, buy scaring off legitimate buyers so the trail bosses must sell to his men at low prices.

When Fred Grant slugs Favor he hits him back. Fred falls hitting his head against a fencepost and dies. There is an inquest. Favor has to deal with the widow and her three kids.

Seventy year old Josh Breeden's pride won't let him admit he's too old to be a drover. He blames Favor for all his problems.

Pete Nolan (Sheb Wooley), who'd been out scouting for the Army for the last couple of years, is back working for Favor starting in this episode, only to find himself falsely accused of rustling and murder. The local sheriff and some cattlemen, who've been victimized by the rustlers, are too willing to hang him quickly without any real trial. Favor and Rowdy try to find the real rustlers and save Pete from the gallows, though the trail may lead too close to a friendly rancher Favor respects.

Clete Bonner and his grandson Will, posing as Jonas and Duke Williams, join the drive, to see if Will's Dad, Adam, is suitable to take Will. Adam, known as Cable now, is scheming with two others to steal 1500 head and sell to the army.

Rowdy's ex-commanding officer, Jeff McKeever, is part of a band of confederates not willing to admit the war is over. They have stolen $50,000. Wish shoots one of them in the holdup, Decker. Decker stumbles into Favor's camp with the strongbox and dies. McKeever posing as a deputy sheriff along with Jim Newton come for the money. Wish recognizes McKeever as one of the robbers. Newton escapes. The rebel leader Colonel Reed, poisons steers, shoots one of Favor's men, poison the water hole, stampedes the herd with blasting powder, and captures Hey Soos in an attempt to get Favor to give up the money and McKeever.

When a officer dies, Cpl. Dasovik is forced to take over the mission but he has no control over the men. The men pick up Favor when they take some of his cattle. Dasovik soon learns he is alone but he is determined to carry out his orders.

Mace and Gorman the new drovers have more than cows on thier minds. Mace shows Favor a reward poster for $10,000 for a white girl captured by the Apaches. Rowdy visits the grave of his sister killed the the indians. Rowdy refuses to sell twelve head to Yuma, the Apache chief.

Wish buries Tod Murdoch, his friend, who 500 head he is to take to tie up with Favor's herd at horsehead crossing. Tod's foreman Jerry and Milt and Pitts plan to steal the cattle once they get the ownership paper from Wish. Wish has hidden it plain sight. He won't tell where and they try to beat it out of him.

Tom Cowan lost an arm in the war. He had a friend in the hospital write his wife, Jenny, that he died. Tom reluctantly returns to his hometown when the herd needs salt. Sam Butler, the banker, made a deal with Tom when he was caught robbing the bank. Tom enlisted under Sam's son's name, Will. Tom is shot by the sheriff and brought into town. Sam wants him snuck out. Will tells Jenny the whole story.

Wish is tired of trail cooking. He quits the drive and befriends a mother and her three boys. She is married to an abusive drunk, Fred Harmon who beats her. At the hotel, Fred tries to beat Wish to within an inch of his life. Mrs. Harmon shoots her husband. Wish takes the blame. Charlie Peg the hotel clerk knows the Mrs. did it and blackmails Wish.

Favor hears Piney Kinney wants to join the herd thinking it will solve his need for drovers. However, Piney who lost his herd and most of his ranch, is working with a gang to rob the bank and use Favor's herd as cover for their escape.

The spring that feeds a creek, has been dammed by Dr. John Merritt and his friend Phinn Harper and their men. They are looking for the remains of a 200 year old Spanish expedition, and their treasure chest. Merritt has three to four months to live and has nothing to leave his wife and kids. He quit practicing medicine, but is teaching Phinn. The cattle need the water.

Gurd Canliss an aging hired gun, has Don Miguel as his next target. Gurd's wife Augusta and Favor try to stop it.

Sheriff Royal K. Shaw plans are making a name for himself by delivering popular Robin Hoodesque outlaw, Reed McClulley. He ties up with the herd. Reed's little brother rallies the farmers to free Reed.

Favor and Pete recommend to Kurtz, who has been traveling with the herd with his daughter, a shortcut to the San Luis crossing. Lt. Whitley gets a message to warn the ranchers of Comanches. Winter soldier, Hap Johnson deserts. He trades his army gear for cheap indian trading goods at Watson's. He asks Watson, Wish's name. Hap strides into camp telling Wish he is his old friend from Nachodoches. Favor won't hire Hap. Hap has overheard Kurtz has money. He rides after them and takes them on a ""shortcut"" up into the hills. The lieutenant arrests Watson, Favor and Hey Soos for having army goods. Rowdy and Quince go after Hap. They find him with Kurtz. Rowdy sends Quince to get the army and the drover.

A photograher leads an unsuspecting Rowdy into a den of thieves.

On his way to Fort Mason Rowdy is chased by indians. Rowdy testified against Captain George Ballinger at his trial, even though they are friends. He asks Rowdy to stay until he is hung. .

Favor brings five of his men, sick from either food or water, into a ghost town to the Gray Rock Hotel. Lottie was on the way to Fort McCloud when her horse went lame. Favor asks Lottie to help care for the five. Favor sends Quince to Gold Ridge for a doctor. Four guys are looking for Lottie. She tries to create dissension among the drovers. Lottie tells Favor she is on the run. Mushy defends Lottie from Marty's advances. Quince falls off his horse. The four find him. Lottie asks Favor to teach her to use a gun.