told, or ought to. I respect the rights of every man posted on a trail
to cut it. If you want to see my inspection papers, you have a right
to demand them, and in turn I demand of you your credentials, showing
who you work for and the list of brands you represent; otherwise no
harm's done; nor do you cut any herd that I'm driving."

"Well," said one of the men, "I saw a couple of head in my own
individual brand as we rode up the herd. I'd like to see the man who
says that I haven't the right to claim my own brand, anywhere I find
it."

"If there's anything in our herd in your individual brand," said
Flood, "all you have to do is to give me the brand, and I'll cut it
for you. What's your brand?"

"The 'Window Sash.'"

"Have any of you boys seen such a brand in our herd?" inquired Flood,
turning to us as we all stood by our horses ready to start.

"I didn't recognize it by that name," replied Quince Forrest, who rode
in the swing on the branded side of the cattle and belonged to the
last guard, "but I remember seeing such a brand, though I would have
given it a different name. Yes, come to think, I'm sure I saw it, and
I'll tell you where: yesterday morning when I rode out to throw those
drifting cattle away from our herd, I saw that brand among the Ellison
cattle which had stampeded the night before. When Straw's outfit cut
theirs out yesterday, they must have left the 'Window Sash' cattle
with us; those were the range cattle which stampeded his herd. It
looked to me a little blotched, but if I'd been called on to name it,