A happy ending to this story. But the reality is that for a thief, cattle rustling makes a lot more sense than being a bank robber. The average bank robbery nets the robber $5,000-$10,000. For that you go into a business with lots of cameras, marked bills, and dye packs. Not to mention that bank robbery is a federal offence that is probably going to get a robber 10 years if he gets caught. So how many head of cattle does it take to make $10,000 these days? How many people have multiple cameras aimed at their cows and gates? And if they avoid the cattle with a brand it is difficult to prove ownership. Not to mention the fact that if they do get caught it will only be a slap on the wrist when compared to a federal bank robbery charge.
We are just lucky that most thieves don't realize this and/or have enough cattle knowledge to pull it off.