The crew stumbles on a ghost town with a prospector and his three daughters. The prospector tries to keep some of the men there for his daughters by salting a claim but it soon mushrooms out of control.
The herd is close to Abilene with another herd a few days behind and few buyers in Abilene. When the second herd discovers tick fever, the trail boss is murdered and Favor takes over not knowing the sick cattle are now in his herd.