"If it wasn't Tom Beck I'd say that they'd got his goat. It's hard to believe of him."
"It can't be that." Oliver was loyal. "It's somethin' else, but it seems like somethin' worse than a man bein' sick of his job. Still, he said twice today that he wouldn't be here long an' the way he said long made me think it'd be a mighty short time."
Silence for a time.
"Mebby," said Riley, "it's her."
"Mebby you're right," the other replied. "Tom didn't used to give a damn whether school kept or not. Then, after she come he changed, got to takin' things seriously and anybody could see he was gone on her. Now....
"Well, he ain't afraid of men. There ain't bad men enough in this country to drive Tom Beck out.... But women.... They'll put a crimp in th' best of us!"
It was the following evening that news of the destruction of Cathedral Tank was brought to Tom Beck. Riley had ridden the far circle himself and had found no cattle at the waterhole which the HC foreman had visited only a few days before. That is, no live cattle. He found four steer carcasses, already ravaged by coyotes and buzzards, found the fresh gash in the rock basin and had ridden back to help those cowboys who were on shorter circles, holding explanation of the fact that he returned empty handed until he could give it first to Beck.
Tom received the news silently.
"I expect you can fix up the basin with some concrete so it'll hold next winter," Riley said.
"It's likely," the other responded, "but next winter's plans for this outfit ain't worryin' me, Riley."