“No,” Rock agreed. “And when they do, there is a reason. I am rather curious about the real reason. As a matter of fact, speaking of law, I heard something in Benton which may be news to you. Buck Walters must have known about it, too, which makes his move seem all the more hasty. They have organized county machinery. There is to be an election in about a month for a judge of the superior court, a sheriff, a treasurer, a clerk, and a board of county commissioners. There will be no good excuse for Judge Lynch after that.”
“I’m glad,” the girl said seriously. “It’s time we were getting civilized.”
Rock laughed.
“It will take more than a set of duly elected county officers to civilize this country the way you mean. Texas is well civilized in that way, but it is still not so tame that bad men eat out of an officer’s hand. Organized law isn’t always a guarantee of peace in a country where it’s a hundred miles between ranches, sometimes. As often as not, it’s some peaceful citizen instead of a sheriff that unlimbers his gun to pacify the bad actor. Ten or fifteen years from now—— Oh, well, what’s on the program as soon as Charlie gets home with his string?”
“We’ll bring in and brand what few calves still have to be marked,” she said. “Then I wonder if you’d mind haying for two or three weeks. Charlie takes a whirl at it for me.”
“I’d do pretty much anything for you because you’re a good game sport,” Rock said quite casually. “I’m not too proud to shovel hay. I may have to do it for myself some time. I reckon I have to earn my wages.”
An odd twinkle showed in Nona’s gray eyes.
“And perhaps you’ll be able to console Alice. She says she will never go back to the Maltese Cross while Buck Walters runs it.”
“She didn’t have to go there in the first place,” Rock said. “She is her own mistress, and she has a home in Texas.”
“Well, she’s going to stay here with me for a while,” Nona said, “until she makes up her mind what to do. So you and Charlie better be nice to her.”