Now, can't you see how, supposing I were Nick, and this calf were branded with the Cross-Triangle, I could work the iron over into my brand ?" Patches nodded.

"But is there no way to detect such a fraud ?" "It's a mighty hard thing to prove that an iron has bees worked over," Phil answered slowly.

"About the only sure way is to catch the thief in the act." "But there are the earmarks," said Patches, a few moments later, when Phil had released the branded and marked calf--"the earmarks and the brand wouldn't agree." "They would if I were Nick," said the cowboy.

Then he added quickly, as if regretting his remark, "Our earmark is an under-bit right and a split left, you said.

Well, the Four-Bar-M earmark is a crop and an under-bit right and a swallow-fork left." With the point of his iron now he again marked in the dirt.