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Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Summary

Jake comes back to town sulking, filthy with branding dust, and takes Lorena upstairs before washing. Afterwards he complains that Call and Gus expect him to drive cattle to Montana simply because he mentioned the place, and mentions — half testing her — that Gus thinks he should marry her, or bring her on the drive. Lorena tells him outright that Augustus offered fifty dollars, that they cut the cards, and that he cheated and won. Jake slaps her once, lightly, as if it were the rule of a game, then admits that with any other man he would have shot her. She refuses to lend him twenty of the fifty. When he suggests San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth — anywhere easier than San Francisco — she says she is leaving when he leaves, herd or no herd. Jake gives in: they will ride alongside the outfit and camp apart. Lorena lies awake, already gone from the room, waiting only for morning.

Analysis

Lorena's will overrides Jake's, and that decides the plot. The slap delivered "as if it were the rule of a game" defines their arrangement exactly. Her fever to be out of that room is what carries her onto the trail and into Blue Duck's hands.

Plates

Jake Spoon steps in the door of the Dry Bean in a sulk, filthy with branding dust, and goes straight to the bar for a bottle and two glasses.
00 Jake Spoon steps in the door of the Dry Bean in a sulk, filthy with branding dust, and goes straight to the bar for a bottle and two glasses.
Jake sits down at Lorena's table and sets a glass in front of her; she watches him closely to see whether she is the cause of his sulk.
01 Jake sits down at Lorena's table and sets a glass in front of her; she watches him closely to see whether she is the cause of his sulk.
Lippy sits down at the table uninvited, pushing his dirty bowler back off his wrinkled forehead — "Well, you've come in by yourself, I see."
02 Lippy sits down at the table uninvited, pushing his dirty bowler back off his wrinkled forehead — "Well, you've come in by yourself, I see."
Jake takes his bottle and glass to the stairs without another word; Lorena rises and gives Lippy a cool look that drops his lip.
03 Jake takes his bottle and glass to the stairs without another word; Lorena rises and gives Lippy a cool look that drops his lip.
In the hot upstairs room Jake tries to kiss her with his dusty hat still on; the dust gets in her nose and makes her sneeze.
04 In the hot upstairs room Jake tries to kiss her with his dusty hat still on; the dust gets in her nose and makes her sneeze.
"Dern, I'm sandy" — Jake sits back against the wall with his whiskey, complaining that Call and Gus expect him to drive cattle to Montana.
05 "Dern, I'm sandy" — Jake sits back against the wall with his whiskey, complaining that Call and Gus expect him to drive cattle to Montana.
Lorena tells him Gus offered fifty dollars and that she turned him down; Jake gives her a quick slap on the cheek, with no real anger in it.
06 Lorena tells him Gus offered fifty dollars and that she turned him down; Jake gives her a quick slap on the cheek, with no real anger in it.
Lorena strips the gritty sheet off the bed in her shift and tells him she is leaving when he leaves, herd or no herd; Jake looks around from the window.
07 Lorena strips the gritty sheet off the bed in her shift and tells him she is leaving when he leaves, herd or no herd; Jake looks around from the window.
Jake washes off as best he can in the little washbasin while Lorena puts her one spare sheet on the bed — "Let's leave tomorrow."
08 Jake washes off as best he can in the little washbasin while Lorena puts her one spare sheet on the bed — "Let's leave tomorrow."
The lamp is blown out and a shaft of moonlight cuts across their bodies; Jake sleeps, and Lorena lies awake looking out the window, waiting for it to be time to leave.
09 The lamp is blown out and a shaft of moonlight cuts across their bodies; Jake sleeps, and Lorena lies awake looking out the window, waiting for it to be time to leave.