The triangular
feud had been fostered to a point where the thieves were immune. Even
if a direct complaint should be brought against them they had but to
ride across into another State and a sheriff following them would be
helpless, the inhabitants resenting this intrusion into their affairs
by an officer from another State, truly having no right there, and
refusing to aid him even if they did not actually oppose his passage.

"But how would it benefit Slade?" she repeated.

"Why, suppose that Morrow overlooked a nice bunch of Three Bar calves
all along this first strip next to Slade's range," Harris said. "Then
some Slade rider happens to drop along after our wagon has moved on and
he hazes them off south. Later another picks them up and shoves them
along another half-day's drive--way beyond where our boys ever work,
even beyond the strip covered by Slade's north wagon, the only one that
carries a Three Bar rep; what then?"

"The calves would still be with mothers wearing the Three Bar mark,"
she said. "After they leave the cows they're slicks, fair game for the
first man that puts his rope on them--and Slade wouldn't risk running
one of his own brands on them before they left the cows."

"Not one of his own, no," Harris said; "only one that's going to be his
later on. Did it ever strike you as queer that Slade, whose way is to
crush every new outfit, should suffer a soft-hearted streak every year
or so and befriend some party that had elected to start up for himself
right in the middle of Slade's range? And later buy him out? That's
the way he came into nearly every brand he runs."

"He's impulsive in his friendships," she defended. "He has always been
like that."

"And his impulses embrace some right queer folks," Harris remarked.
"Several of those dinky little owners have moved out right sudden with
a dozen riders from some other outfit fanning along close behind;
McArthur didn't even get moved, for the Brandons went on the war trail
before he had time to start. But it transpired that he was all set to
go because Slade showed bill of sale for Mac's holdings, dated only the
day before. That's how he came to own every one of those brands that
match up so close with those of every outfit that overlaps his range."

"But if he actually dealt with so many as you believe, some one of them
would be sure to have trouble later on and tell of it," she argued.

"And it would be the word of a self-confessed th