But some Britishers who own a couple of big ranches out there got smart all of a sudden an' strung wire all along their lines.

Punchers crossin' th' country would run plumb into a fence an' would have to ride a day an' a half, mebbe, afore they found th' corner.

Well, naturally, when a man has been used to ridin' where he blame pleases an' as straight as he pleases he ain't goin' to chase along a five-foot fence to Trisco when he wants to get to Waco.

So th' punchers got to totin' wire-snips, an' when they runs up agin a fence they cuts down half a mile or so.

Sometimes they'd tie their ropes to a strand an' pull off a couple of miles an' then go back after th' rest.