Rupert Bear is on vacation with his parents. At the park it is possible for children to ride horses. Rupert does this too. But he gets a special horse. Once the bear is riding he travels back in time. Rupert ends up in the Wild west of 1870. He quietly rides on until he comes into an unknown town.
Just outside of town he sees a nice herd of cows standing and he rides towards it. The cowboy who is in control of the herd is Gil Favor who notices the little bear quite soon.
“Come over here for a second lad”, he calls to the bear who comes at once.
“Hello little bear. Can I help you?”, asks Favor.
“I am just looking at the herd. They are beautiful. I am Rupert Bear”, tells Rupert.
“I am Gil Favor. I must bring this herd to another town. Do you feel like coming along? It can be dangerous”, warns Favor.
“I don't mind Mr. Favor. I would love to come along”, replies Rupert.
“Go and get something to drink at the saloon. I shall send someone to pick you up when we leave”, Favor says kind-hearted.
Rupert rides ahead to the town. Arrived there he decides to scout the town in expect ion of his new adventure with Gil Favor and the cattle drivers.
Walking passed the saloon Rupert hears saying, "That herd won't come very far."
He keeps standing and faces a difficult question, what must he do now? At the moment he wants to go into the saloon Rowdy Yates comes to meet him.
"You must be Rupert Bear after the description which Mr. Favor gave me. I am Rowdy Yates. Get your horse", Rowdy says to Rupert who walks to his horse.
Rowdy helps the bear on his horse and guides him to the camp.
Quite soon Rowdy Yates and Rupert Bear reach the camp of the cattle drivers. Favor gives his newest cattle driver a quick wink. Everybody looks with great interest at Rupert who clearly becomes shy of it.
"What are you looking at him? This is Rupert Bear, our newest acquisition", the trial boss says who noticed the situation.
He takes the bear along.
In front of the herd Favor says, "This is just for a little while."
"Mr. Favor, I have something to say to you", says Rupert.
"And that is........?", Favor wants to know.
He looks at the bear questionable..
"In the saloon I heard a cowboy saying, "That herd won't come very far." Then Rowdy came to get me to go away", tells the bear calm.
Favor looks ahead of him for a second and replies then, "Good that you have told me this now. So we can keep it in mind ."
With loud voice he calls out then, “Head ‘em up! Move ‘em out!”
Soon the herd is on its way. A long heavy journey has begun. Nobody knows what might or can happen. They can only hope that both men and herd survive the journey in one piece. The life of a cattle driver is never one hundred percent sure. Pretty soon Rupert learns of Joe Scarlet and Jim Quince how he must ride next to the herd.
The whole day in the open air has given Rupert also a big appetite just like the others. In the evening they make camp. The field cook Wishbone and his helper Mushy take care of the meal. Like usual there is a lot of comments about the food. Wishbone gives grumbling comments in return. Rupert looks questionable at Favor and Rowdy.
The latter says, "Rupert, that happens always. Don't let it get to you. Wishbone is not so bad."
"He always looks so angry", reacts the bear.
Favor and Rowdy must laugh at this remark.
Favor says, "Don't let Wishbone hear it because then he is insulted."
"What must Wishbone not hear at all? I believe that I have missed something", Pete Nolan says who comes to sit with them.
"I said that he always looks so angry", says Rupert.
Pete must laugh about it too. Although Rupert doesn't like the stew he still eats it.
"Pete, is the food always so bad?", Rupert asks softly so that Wishbone and Mushy don't hear it.
The scout nods. The face of the bear says enough. Favor notices that Rupert is clearly tired.
That's why he says, "Rupert, you go to bed now. You are too little to walk guard."
"Alright Mr. Favor", says Rupert says yawning.
He looks for his sleeping gear and in no less than ten seconds he has left for the well known dreamland. Favor and his cattle drivers are very satisfied about their newest acquisition.
What nobody suspects at first sight is that another new cattle driver, Glen Grant, is an enemy. He has joined them to drive the group apart and to steal the cattle that way. Though he doesn’t know that Favor up to date that someone wants to steal the cattle. Only Favor and Rupert know that.
The little bear has stolen the heart of everyone and even Wishbone is nice to him. That is something what even Favor and Mushy amazes. Mushy is always the bitten dog by the field cook.
"Mr. Favor, why is Wishbone being nice to Rupert? Is he sick?", Mushy asks one day.
"I don't know, Mushy. Perhaps he is. He is never like that", replies Favor.
The reaction of the cook is, "He is smaller than us so I am nice to him. What is so strange about that?"
He looks very indignant by this.
"Nothing Wishbone, nothing at all. We were just wondering why", say Favor.
Glen behaves himself quite normal until he almost walks over Rupert.
"Can you not watch where you walk?", asks Glen.
The bear replies, "I better can ask you."
"Hm, back talking too! If you don't shut your mouth, I hit it shut", says the outlaw.
The conversation attracts the attention of Pete, Rowdy and Favor.
The trail boss says fierce to Glen, "We saw clearly how you walked Rupert. Leave him alone. Or you get me to deal with!"
The new hand slinks away and retreats himself.
Rupert says to the cattle drivers, "It isn't my fault, is it? He started with it."
"We know that and he does that too. Just stay away from him for the next few days. Tomorrow you ride with Pete. Then you surely will stay away from him", replies Favor.
Rupert agrees with it and so does Pete.
By the row between Rupert and Glen the latter is strongly being watched by Rowdy. The cattle driver doesn't trust him. This takes care of it that Glen lets the group down earlier. Favor cannot be very sorry about this. Glen was more quarreling than working. Though the trail boss keeps in mind they will get a lot of problems the next few days.
Favor says to Pete, "Go ahead to look for a good green grassland."
Rupert stands next to him on his horse. Favor and Pete look at him.
The trail boss asks, "Rupert, do you want to come with Pete?"
He nods.
"Come along then", says Pete.
Together they ride ahead. Favor watches them smiling. What he doesn't know or suspect is that Pete and Rupert will be missing soon. He turns his horse and rides back to the herd. Pete and Rupert ride ahead until they are being followed. They must stop because in front of them are two men with rifles pointed at the twosome.
"Stay calm Rupert", Pete whispers Rupert in the ear.
The bear does that then too.
The scout and his little helper are being held in a cave. The leader of the dangerous gang is Glen Grant.
He says, "Now you are in my hands. Don't think that you can get away because that is impossible. You leave only in one way and that is between six shelves."
The two hostages keep silent. Pete knows that when he is not back within a few hours Favor goes to look for him. Especially now Rupert Bear is with him.
Because Pete and Rupert are not back yet after hours the trail boss starts to get worried. Though he doesn't know yet that they are being held by Glen Grant and his gang.
Favor rides to Rowdy and asks, "Rowdy. Have you seen Pete and Rupert already?"
"I don't Mr. Favor. Do you suspect that they are being held hostage somewhere?", is the counter-question of Rowdy.
"That is indeed my suspicion. Say to Wishbone and the others that we make camp here. Then we are going to look for our missing ones", is the answer of his employer.
The cattle drivers make camp while Favor and Rowdy are going to look for Pete and Rupert.
In the cave the others see the little bear and they are very charmed of him right away.
"Just let that bear go. He is still very little and innocent", says Joey Smith.
"Shut up. Rupert stays. Period!", Glen shouts angry.
The next moment it is quiet. But a second later a shooting breaks out whereby every gang member inclusive Glen Grant gets killed. Pete keeps himself covered with Rupert who has discovered a way out. Because no one is paying attention to them they can get away very easily and unnoticed. Pete helps Rupert on the horse and mounts on his. When they ride back to the herd they run into Favor and Rowdy. The scout tells what has happened and they ride satisfied back to the herd.
After a few days Rupert mounts on his horse. When he comes at a certain place the rider and horse travel back again into the present. To his surprise Rupert is back at the vacation park. He brings the horse back nicely and goes then back to his parents. these were already very worried about where their son was hanging round. But when Rupert has told them everything they are relieved again. Father and mother Bear know what their son is like.