e to "hog
tie" the creature, others headed off the frantic cow-mother. Then a
fire was made of greasewood twigs, and the branding iron, which one of
the cowboys carried at his saddle, was put in the flames to heat. When
hot enough it was pressed on the flank of the calf, burning into the
hair and slightly into the hide, the diamond with the X in the
centre--the mark of Bud's father's cattle.

As the men released the calf, it staggered to its feet, uttered a
feeble bawl or two, and ran to its mother, who at once began to lick
with her tongue the branded place.

"Where you headin', Bud?" asked Yellin' Kid Watson, one of the cowboys
who had been engaged in the impromptu branding operations.

"Headin' home," answered the rancher's son.

"Then you haven't heard the news?" asked Snake Purdee.

"What news?" asked Bud, while Nort and Dick listened eagerly.

"Bad business," went on Yellin' Kid. "A lot of your dad's choice stock
was run off from the far range a while ago. Tar Blake just rode in and
give notice. Bad business!"

"I should say so!" agreed Bud. "Who did it; Greasers or some of that
outfit?" and he motioned back to the camp he and his cousins had just
left.

CHAPTER XII

RIDING HERD

Yellin' Kid, Snake and the other cowboys stamped out the brands of the
grease-wood fire, coiled their lariats and mounted their ponies before
anyone answered Bud's question. He did not repeat it, knowing the
character of the men to whom he was speaking. Then, as Old Billie
Dobb, who might have been a foreman a dozen times over if he had only
proved more reliable, spoke up and said:

"We don't know who did it, Bud; an' your paw don't neither! Tar just
rid in with th' news, as we rid out to do some fence mendin'. We
wanted to stop an' hear th' particulars, but your paw said for us to
mosey over this way, an' we done so. He said if we seen you boys to
send you home."

"We're heading that way," Bud answered. "We were just over to the camp
where they had trouble the other night, but they've vamoosed."

"Can't see what they ever come here for," spoke Yellin' Kid. "An' it
wouldn't s'prise me a bit if them fellers proved to be the cattle
rustlers."

"Nor me," declared Nort, impulsively, thus drawing attention to himself.

"Well, you know all we do, Bud," spoke Billie Dobb. "Maybe your paw'll
have more news by th' time you get there. Tell him you met us an' that
we'll be back as soon as we find th' break an