From this it was but a step for unscrupulous punchers, or those with a shrewd eye for business, to drive off unbranded cattle and ship them independently to market, or to mark them with a private brand of their own. All this was before the introduction of brand inspectors at the stockyards of Omaha, Kansas City, or Chicago. Therefore, among the men at this rendezvous Larkin noted types of cowmen equal to any on the range for horsemanship and ability to handle cattle. With his naturally quick eye, the sheepman observed them closely, but failed to recognize any of them. His case came up quickly. By various papers in his possession he proved his identity. "What were you doing out on the range last night?" asked Joe. Bud hesitated for a minute and then, deciding that his safest and quickest course would be to make a clean breast of things, replied: "I was driving two thousand head of sheep north on the Bar T." "Then you're not a cattleman?" "No." Larkin produced his bills of sale for the sheep and these were handed gravely about from one to another, although it was certain that some of the men could not read them. "How long are you going to stay in this country?" "Just as long as it takes to get my sheep north. I come from Montana." Joe beckoned a number of the men aside out of Larkin's hearing. "We're plumb lucky," he announced. "If I know my book, old Bissell will forget all about a few missin' calves when he knows this feller has sent sheep up his range. Now we've got to run off about a hundred more head to that railroad camp north of here, and I think we can use this Larkin." A dark, sullen-looking puncher shook his head slowly. "It's takin' chances," he growled. "String him up, I say. He knows us all now, and I'd sooner he'd look through a rope than me." "You shore are ornery, Pete," said a third, "an' plumb set on stretchin' yore neck. Cain't yuh see that if yuh hang this feller we'll have both the sheep and cattlemen ag'in us?" "Shore, that's sense," broke in another. "Less hear Joe's scheme." "'Tain't so blame much, boys," countered the chief modestly. "We'll make this Larkin swear never to give word agin us if we don't kill him. Then we'll run him off into the hills for four or five days with a guard, finish our own drive, and clear out, lettin' him go. What d'ye think of that?" "It's a reg'lar hum-dinger, Joe," said one man, and the others concurred in the laudatory opinion. But at the first sentence to Larkin, that young man upset their well-laid plans. "Larkin," said Joe, "we allow as how we'd like to make a bargain with yuh?" "If you are going to bargain with me to break the law, you had better not say anything about it," was the reply. "I was jest about startin' one of them mutual protective, benefit and literary sassieties," suggested Joe tactfully as a feeler, while his comrades grinned.