"
"Ther fellers what hev been guardin' ther herd at night we picked up
around here when we drove ther herd up from ther South."
"True. They were all local cow-punchers. I realize that we have made a
mistake. One of us ought to have had charge of every night watch since
we have been on this range."
"Shore. It's a cinch they wouldn't attempt to run 'em off in ther
daytime."
"That's the idea. It would be as easy as shooting fish in a rain barrel
for a crooked night foreman to drift a few cattle away from the herd in
the dark, to be picked up by fellows waiting on the outside, and driven
into the hills until the brands and marks could be changed."
They were at the camp now, and Ted got out the brand book and turned its
leaves over in an attempt to find a brand similar to their own, the
Circle S, which was a circle with the letter S in the center.
In every Western State or Territory in which cattle-raising is a
business the law makes it imperative that every ranchman who uses the
open range shall select a brand for his cattle which is registered.
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