The man looked up. His eyes seemed strangely as though they were laughing, but his mouth never moved. “Now, wait a second, buddy. You don’t know what yore askin’. Me, I been a rustler fer years, an’ I don’t know nothin’ else. I can copy any brandin’ iron an’ I can work a brand over into another so you’d never know the difference. There ain’t nobody who can do that as well as me, if I do say it myself. Me, I ain’t a hoss thief. I’m a brand-iron artist.” He grinned widely. “But I’ll tell you what. You let me go, an’ I’ll tell you where yore broncs are and where all the cattle we stole from this section is hidden. An’ then I’ll promise--an’ I ain’t never went back on my word yet--that I’ll leave this state an’ never come back.” Roy stared him straight in the eyes. They stared back, unwavering, sincere. “I believe you,” the boy declared. “Spill it. You go free.” A broad smile came over the man’s face. He thrust out his hand, and the boys grasped it in turn. “Listen,” he said eagerly, “an’ listen good. Froud is plannin’ to raid yore father’s herd tonight. He’s goin’ to cut the fence on the north side an’ get as many Durhams as he can an’ drive ’em to Cottonwood Bowl, over near Harver’s Gully. That’s where yore broncs are. I was supposed to be in on this, ’cause I planned it. But he’ll go through with it all right. I know him. He’s money-mad! He held up a flivver the other night just ’cause he thought it was carryin’ jewelry. I didn’t want to have nothin’ to do with it, but I rode along to see there wouldn’t be no unnecessary shootin’. I ain’t no sneak thief--nor a murderer, neither. Maybe you know about the flivver? From the 8 X 8, it was.” Both boys nodded. “Go ahead!” Teddy exclaimed. “Just where is this Cottonwood Bowl?” The man chuckled. “You’d never find it in a million years if you didn’t know where to look,” Checkered Shirt went on. “I discovered it, an’ you couldn’t get a better place fer hidin’ cattle if you tried. First you head fer Harver’s Gully. You know where that is, hey? Well, there’s a hill on the other side. Don’t go up that. Foller the river to the left, and you’ll come to a big rock. Climb that. Then you’ll see soon enough where the Bowl is. Baby, it’s sweet, sweet!” “An’ you’ll find yore broncs with the short-horns from the 8 X 8. The brand ain’t been changed yet. The way I work, I make an iron just like the original. Then I teases the letters into somethin’ else till even the owner wouldn’t know his own brand. But I got to have the original exact to do it. That’s why I asked you if--” “Yes, but we haven’t time! What else about that raid on our ranch?” Teddy interrupted. “It’s tonight, like I told you! On the north side of the fence! An’, boys, I hope you get Froud! Go to it!” Teddy straightened up. “Roy, here’s our chance to get our horses back and capture Froud! We’ve got to get to dad! You--er--” “Call me Brand,” the man said, with a grin. “Brand, can you ride? Will you go with us?” Brand shook his head.