om a sidehill spring, and
there on the green bed of it a dozen cows with their calves grazed
undisturbed. For perhaps five minutes Harris lolled sidewise in the
saddle and watched them. Then a rider appeared on the ridge that
divided that draw from the next, dropped in below the cows and headed
them back over the ridge into the draw from which he had appeared.
Even at that distance she recognized this last man as Lanky Evans.
Harris resumed his way down the divide and she knew that he had
discovered some irregularity for which he had been seeking.

"Who was the man that overlooked those cows?" she asked. "Who worked
that draw?"

"Morrow," he said. "His eyesight is getting bad. That's the second
time this week--and the last. I've detailed Lanky to work the gulch
next to him every circle so that he could drop over the ridge and see
what was going on. That's why he's always late coming in--not because
he's lazy but because he's been working almost a double shift."

"Then Morrow is an inside man for Harper," she said. "Drawing Three
Bar pay and working against us too."

"Yes," he said. "Only he's an inside man for Slade."

"But how could his leaving those calves behind benefit Slade?" she
demanded.

"How could it benefit Harper?" he countered. "Can you tell me that?"

She could not and motioned for him to go on.

"None of Harper's men has a brand of his own," he said. "They're
living on the move. They can't wait for calves to grow up. The way
they work is to run a bunch of beef steers across into Idaho. They'll
pick up another bunch there and shove them across the Utah line and
repeat by moving a drove of some Utah brand up in here. Only beef
steers--quick turning stuff. You know about the reputation of the O V
and the Lazy H Four."

She knew all too well. There was a half-feud, a smoldering distrust
displayed between cowmen on each side of the three State lines, a
triangle of ill feeling. It was current rumor that the O V and the
Lazy H Four, ranging far southwest of the Three Bar, would traffic in
any steers that came from across either the Utah or Idaho line. In the
corner of those States were similar outfits that were receiving
stations for rustled stock from the opposite sides. But they were good
neighbors and kept hands off so far as brands on their home range were
concerned. It was part of the game, and as long as their own interests
were not disturbed the adjacent outfits were blind.