At the end of three hours Carter spoke to Sanderson, his voice hoarse
with rage:
"They're holdin' us up purposely. I'll be damned if I'm goin' to stand
for it!"
"Easy there!" cautioned Sanderson. "I've never seen a sheriff that was
long on speed. They'll be showin' their hand pretty soon."
Half an hour later the sheriff spurred his horse out of the press and
approached Sanderson. His face was grave. His men rode up also, and
halted their horses near him. The Double A men had advanced and stood
behind Sanderson and Carter.
"There's somethin' wrong here!" he declared, scowling at Sanderson.
"It ain't the first time this dodge has been worked. A man gets up a
brand that's mighty like the brand on the range he's goin' to drive
through, an' he picks up cattle an' claims they're his. You claim your
brand is the Double A." He dismounted and with a branch of chaparral
drew a design in the sand.
"This is the way you make your brand," he said, and he pointed out the
Double A brand:
[Illustration: Double A and Bar X brands.
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