Horned critters look alike to you, but even in a country supportin' a good many thousand head, a man used to the business can recognise most every individual as far as he can see him.

Some is better than others at it.

I suppose you really have to be brought up to it.

So we boys at the Lazy Y noted all the cattle with the new T 0, and could estimate pretty close that the Hahn outfit might own, maybe, thirty-five head all told.
That was all very well, and nobody had any kick comin'.

Then one day in the spring, we came across our first "sleeper." What's a sleeper?
A sleeper is a calf that has been ear-marked, but not branded.