How It All Goes Down
- The next day, Mattie is sick and she stays in bed two days. She finally gets her butt out of bed (she's got a father to avenge, after all) and heads down to dinner, where she meets a good-looking Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf (pronounced LaBeef), who's about thirty years old.
- Turns out he's hunting Chaney too, since Chaney killed a senator and there is a big reward for his capture. Oh, and he says Chaney's real name is Theron Chelmsford.
- LaBoeuf wants to go with Mattie and Rooster on their hunt, but Mattie's afraid that LaBoeuf will take Chaney alive and that some judge will let him go free.
- Ugh, judges.
- When LaBoeuf says he'll talk to Rooster about it, Mattie lies and says Rooster is out of town.
- LaBoeuf tells Mattie he wanted to kiss her earlier (uh … how about that 15-year age difference?), but now he wants to whip her with his belt.
- Nuh-huh, she says. She doesn't know how they do it in Texas, but Arkansas doesn't let men hit women.
- He says, "You push that saucy line too far" (4.74). She says, "I have no regard for you" (4.75).
- Basically, they're totally flirting, and LaBoeuf walks away mad.