Large associations, with their enormous herds of cattle, have their own peculiar brands by which their stock is stamped with their sign of ownership.

All these brands are registered, and the cattleman who uses the same, or is found in possession of cattle with the brand of another, is subject to a severe penalty.
Comparatively slight friction, therefore, takes place in those sections.
It is a stirring time when the wonderful horsemen are engaged for days in branding the calves that have been added to their herds during the previous months.

Sometimes some of the branded cattle wander off while grazing, but if a cattleman from Central Wyoming came upon an animal hundreds of miles north in Montana, bearing his brand, he would promptly cut out the brute from another herd, whose owner would not think of making objection.
It happens now and then that some of the cattle stray off before they are branded.

The difficulty of their owners identifying them will be understood.

Such cattle are mavericks, and whoever comes upon them loses little time in scorching his brand into their shoulders or hips, after which no one cares to dispute their ownership.
The cowmen whose duty it was to look after the large herd browsing over the thousands of acres composing Bowman's ranch had two annoyances to guard against.