Plot

Forrester notices a man trailing the herd for a few days but he's elusive. After one of the men stampedes the herd, the man drives in a few strays and asks for a job. The men are suspicious of his actions and they soon learn he has a past.

Favor is short hands so every mistake is magnified as he presses the men to do more. When young inexperienced Danny Clayton lets cattle stray, he and Scarlet are sent to work drag. Sinister old cowboy Simon tracks Favor's drive, spooking the drovers. When Danny shoots at a rabbit in brush, thinking it's the avenger, he causes a stampede. Danny lies that he was firing back at Simon. To join the cattle drive, Simon rounds up strays from the stampede and turns them in to Favor, so Favor hires him. Simon immediately begins grilling the drovers about their past. Favor is happy with the job he is doing but his manners irritate the drovers who want Favor to fire him. As the drive stops, the local Sheriff arrives looking for wanted men. He has a poster on Simon for killing his wife but Simon has proof he was cleared. He tells Favor that while he was in prison seven years for manslaughter his new bride left him for another man who deserted her and Simon is looking for him. She killed herself after Simon found her. As drovers prepare to go to town, Danny admits he met her. Mushy loses sight of Simon on night duty and Danny's horse drags him into camp dead. The men want to lynch Simon but Favor has other plans.—David Stevens