"Father's orders," he said. "He wants us to ride Seeping Springs
last because he'll be with us then, and Snap too. We're going to
have trouble over there."
"How's this branding stock going to help the matter any, I'd
like to know?" inquired George. "We Mormons never needed it."
"Father says we'll all have to come to it. Holderness's stock is
branded. Perhaps he's marked a good many steers of ours. We can't
tell. But if we have our own branded we'll know what's ours. If he
drives our stock we'll know it; if Dene steals, it can be proved
that he steals."
"Well, what then? Do you think he'll care for that, or
Holderness either?"
"No, only it makes this difference: both things will then be
barefaced robbery. We've never been able to prove anything, though
we boys know; we don't n
