- Gil Favor: In those eastern newspapers, they write about the lawlessness of the West. But they don't know what it really means to live that way. It means, in time of trouble, you've got no help but the quickness of your own right hand. No judge but your own good sense, especially on trail herd. Most of the time you're one hundred miles from anyone wearin' a lawman's star. So keepin' order is up to me. Name's Gil Favor, trail boss.
- Rowdy Yates: Maybe he got throwed or hurt or something.
- Andy Nye: No, no, he's dead.
- Rowdy Yates: What do you mean dead?
- Andy Nye: Look over there!
- Rowdy Yates: That must be the stray he was going after. What's that branding on the side?
- [Rowdy displays signs of short-sightedness as MURDER on the beast is clearly visible]
- Rowdy Yates: M-U, MURDER?
- Gil Favor: You said yourself, there's bad, marshy ground up ahead. We need a local man to get us through the bogs. And you said Andy Nye was the best man for the job, and he knows the country.
- Pete Nolan: I know but we can get by without him.
- Gil Favor: Sure. But then we'd never find out about the murder steer.
- Rowdy Yates: What are you trying to do? Play detective or something?
- Gil Favor: I hardly think so, but it'll show up sooner or later.
- Rowdy Yates: I'm hoping when it does, some of us will still be alive.
- Abner Carter: Then will you let us ride along with you, Mr Favor?
- Callie Carter: Just to humour a woman's weakness, Mr Favor?
- Abner Carter: I lead a very sheltered life, Mr Favor. I rarely go to town. I really can't help you.
- Gil Favor: It seems nobody can, or will.
- Jim Quince: I'm not afraid, Mr Favor, I'm not afraid to die when my time comes.
- Gil Favor: You seem to be pretty sure it isn't your time.
- Gil Favor: Isn't that nice. You want everybody in on your lynching. Just because a man goes to visit a friend, because he comes riding over the wrong hill at the wrong time, you wanna string him up. You wanna kill him out of fear, out of plain, superstitious fear. Oh, I got a bunch to be proud of here. How about it, Teddy? Are you proud of yourself? Hey Soos, Quince, Wishbone. Ain't you proud? Now get out of my sight, all of you!
- Jim Quince: He had a wild streak. You never can tell for certain what a person will do.
- Gil Favor: No, you can't, can you.
- Jim Quince: What does he say about me?
- Gil Favor: Nothing! He didn't even talk about you. Except to say it could be anyone behind the murder steer, even a woman.
- Jim Quince: ME?
- Gil Favor: Bad crowd, huh? Five of them dead, I wonder why.