He had made a long shot when he spoke so confidently of the brand on the calf being worked over.

For, of course, the calf might not have been branded at all when the Tailholt Mountain men caught it.

But Joe's manner, as well as his warning answer, told that the shot had gone home.

The fact that the brand had been worked over established also the fact that it was the Cross-Triangle brand that had been changed, because the Cross-Triangle was the only brand in that part of the country that could be changed into the Four-Bar-M.
Patches, dropping his easy manner, and speaking straight to the point, said, "Look here, Joe, you and I might as well get down to cases.

You know I am your friend, and I don't want to see you in trouble, but you can take it from me that you are in mighty serious trouble right now.