Pagina 244 de 439

"No. The duty of a Texas Ranger is to enforce the law against

desperadoes. We prevent crime if we can. When we can't do that,

we hunt down the criminals."

Arlie looked at him in a startled silence.

"You are an officer of the law--a sort of sheriff?" she said, at

last.

"Yes, in Texas. This is Wyoming." He made his distinction,

knowing it was a false one. Somehow he had the feeling of a

whipped cur.

"I wish I had known. If you had only told me earlier," she said,

so low as to be almost a whisper.

"I'm sorry. If you like, I'll go away again," he offered.

"No, no. I'm only thinking that it gives Jed a hold, gives him

something to stir up his friends with, you know. That is, it

would if he knew. He mustn't find out."

"Be frank. Don't make any secret of it. That's the best way," he

advised.

She shook her head. "You don't know Jed's crowd. They'd be

suspicious of any officer, no matter where he came from."