Most people think that drovin' is an easy job, if also a dirty one. All ya do is push cattle along a well-beaten road, right? Wrong. You need tough men, reliable men on a cattle drive. Drovers who ride drag have gotta be able to bite that dust, 'cause weak lungs could be the death of a man. Flank and swing rider gotta have a quick mind and know how ta cut them beeves off before they can make a run for it. Point riders are the first to see what's comin' up directly ahead, it's them who need to make the quick decisions when the trail boss or ramrod aren't at hand. The scout, of course, rides ahead of the herd to size up the land and find the easiest way for the herd. He's gotta know to take care of himself, and he's got to know how to handle the Indians that so often cross paths with the trail. Without a scout, a drive would truly be walkin' right into the unknown. The cook is the person who nourishes the drovers. Without a good cook, all you have is a bunch of miserable, hungery men. The cooks louse, on the other hand, has to put up with whatever the cook throws at him, whether it be washin' dishes or gatherin' up wood for a fire. The ramrod is second in command. When the trail boss is away, he's gotta take over and mind the herd. Then there's the boss himself. He's the one who has to carry the responsibility of each steer, each drover, on his shoulders. Anything that goes wrong, even if not a thing on earth could have stopped it, is his fault in some way or another. That's me.
Name's Gil Favor, trail boss.