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“Hoas the drive?” Seth Calder took the cigar out of his h to ask the question

“Fine” Benteen swirled the black coffee in the tinthis past winter?”

“By tally, it ca I found the carcasses of half that number,” his father admitted

“Did you check any of the Ten Bar herds to see if soht have strayed in with theirs?” Benteen didn’t want to coht out and voice his suspicions, not yet

“I did” It was a si the same track

“It sure would be easy to work over a Cee Bar brand into a Ten Bar It would be hard to spot” He eyed his father over the ri coffee

A dry smile twitched one corner of his father’s mouth “Not if somebody botched the job”

“Then it’s true?” Benteen lifted his head, regarding his father with narrowed surprise “I only guessed it yesterday How long have you suspected as going on?”

“I happened across a steer with a fresh Ten Bar brand over an old Cee Bar this fall,” he said through the cigar between his teeth

Benteen’s expression darkened with a narrowed look that was hard and unco when you found out? Go to the sheriff”

“How could I?” His father reray ash building on its tip “Whenmy cattle”

“I’es now” Benteen set his cup down on the table “You should have said so to me Told me what you found”

“You’d left for Wyo on the drive And I didn’t have any proof that it wasn’t the work of soe”

“Nothing goes on at that ranch that he don’t know about No order’s given without his knowledge,” Benteen stated

“That’s the way I figured it” But he seemed unmoved by it “He ain’t laid his hands on any more I’ve kept what’s left of the herd close in where I can keep an eye on ’e the , I’ll knoho to see”