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Of course, the as coarse--so coarse as to reflect against his intelligence; but when brands are worked over and the culprit has been caught, the law is not too careful to give the prisoner credit for brains

Ward stared at the altered brands and wondered what he had best do He bethought him that perhaps it would be as well to put a little scenery between himself and that particular locality, and he started back up the hill Once he pulled up as if he would go back, but he thought better of it It was out of the question to turn those cattle loose He could not kill them and dispose of the bodies--not when there were seven of theo down and blotch the brands so that they would not read anything at all He had thought of that before and decided against it That would put those three on their guard and would probably not benefit hi run They could work the brands on other cattle

He hunched forward in the saddle and let Rattler choose his own trail up the hill Though he did not know it, trouble had caught Billy Louise in that sa shoulders and a ave no attention to her horse; but that ishe had to decide was far o straight to Seabeck and tell him what he had found out? He did not know Seabeck, except as he had reetings and a feords about the weather Besides, Seabeck would very soon find out-There it stood at his shoulder, grinning at him malevolently--his past It tied his hands Buck Olney he could deal with single-handed; for Olney had the fear of hiuilty conscience He could send Buck "over the road" whenever he chose to tell sos he knew; he could do it without any compunctions, too Buck Olney, the stock inspector, deserved no et none, if ever they met where Ward would have a chance at him

Olney he could deal with, alone But with the evidence of those rebranded cattle, and the testi testimony of his past! Ward lifted his head and stared heavily at the pine slope before hi In the black hour of that ride, he could not think of anything that he could do that would save him