Th' ranch bosses sent out men to watch th' fences an' told 'em to shoot any festive puncher that monkeyed with th' hardware.

Well, yu know what happens when a puncher gets shot at." "When fences grow in Texas there'll be th' devil to pay," said Buck.

He hated to think that some day the freedom of the range would be annulled, for he knew that it would be the first blow against the cowboys' occupation.

When a man's cattle couldn't spread out all over the land he wouldn't have to keep so many men.

Farms would spring up and the sun of the free-and-easy cowboy would slowly set.
"I reckons th' cutters are classed th' same as rustlers," remarked Red with a gleam of temper.
"By th' owners, but not by th' punchers; an' it's th' punchers that count," replied Frenchy.
"Well, we'll give them a fight," interposed Hopalong, riding up.