Starting a new cattle drive, Trail Boss Favor seems to do everything wrong in "shaking down" the drovers. He disaffects everyone with his arduous, heartless, insulting orders and behavior towards the men, especially after he hires on some new young, enthusiastic, callow drovers. As he watches the men work Favor begins to realize that some of the older drivers may be beyond their prime for the job and could hurt or kill themselves or the herd. When Quince allows a group of cattle to wonder off because he fell asleep in the saddle, Favor decides it is time to let him go. The old drovers (except Wishbone, Mushy and Hey Soos) quit the drive as a result. With the old drovers gone, Favor sees the new drovers mismanage tasks resulting in the loss of cattle. When a cougar stalks the herd, one of the drovers fires a gun causing a stampede. Favor puts everyone in the saddle telling them to head the herd north but not knowing better they turn the herd - back home to where they came from. With the apparent loss of the herd, Favor with the three old timers head south alone - into the herd in the hands of the sorry old hands.
—chipe