noon
Among the bunch one could find the T Anchor brand , the Circle Cross , the Diamond Tail , and the X-Z , scattered among the cows burned with the D Bar Lazy R , which was the original brand of the owner , Emerson Crawford . The sun rose and filled the sky . In a heavy cloud of dust the cattle trailed steadily toward the distant hills . Near noon Buck , passing Dave where he rode as drag driver in the wake of the herd , shouted a greeting at the young man . `` Tur ` ble hot . I 'm spittin ' cotton . '' Dave nodded .