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Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Summary

Jake and Lorena ride into the cow camp at supper, she in pants — a sight that freezes every hand over his plate and sends Dish Boggett straight out to the herd without a word. Call, silently furious with both Gus and Jake, touches his hat without looking at her and says only that they have not met. Augustus, enjoying himself, helps Lorena down and sees her fed. Jake, unable to find words under Call's silence, announces they are bound for Denver and will camp apart, easing along beside the herd. Sean O'Brien's night song drifts across the plain and brings Newt near tears; watching Lorena, he sees she is unhappy. After they ride off, Augustus tells Call that Jake can only be controlled up to a point and a woman not at all. Behind the wagon Call decides aloud that they will start tomorrow, and Newt asks how far it is up north — a question that shows him thinking of north as a place.

Analysis

Lorena enters the male world and the whole camp freezes. Call's refusal to look at her, and his refusal to use her name, are the same refusal he shows Newt for eight hundred pages — two withheld acknowledgments, one gesture, staged here side by side.

Plates

Late afternoon at Bolivar's cook fire, Augustus looks up from his plate and sees Jake and Lorena riding into camp on two good horses, leading a pack horse — and Lorena is wearing pants.
00 Late afternoon at Bolivar's cook fire, Augustus looks up from his plate and sees Jake and Lorena riding into camp on two good horses, leading a pack horse — and Lorena is wearing pants.
The sight of a woman in pants scares the hands so badly they don't know where to put their eyes; most of them concentrate heavily on the beans in their plates.
01 The sight of a woman in pants scares the hands so badly they don't know where to put their eyes; most of them concentrate heavily on the beans in their plates.
Dish Boggett turns white as a sheet, gets up without a word to anybody, catches his night horse and starts for the herd strung out up the valley.
02 Dish Boggett turns white as a sheet, gets up without a word to anybody, catches his night horse and starts for the herd strung out up the valley.
Dish's departure gets Call's attention; he turns, sees the couple coming, and says to Gus, "We got you to thank for this" — and Gus admits he was inspired.
03 Dish's departure gets Call's attention; he turns, sees the couple coming, and says to Gus, "We got you to thank for this" — and Gus admits he was inspired.
"Woodrow, you know Lorie, I reckon." — "We've not met," Call says, touching his hat but not looking at the woman, while the whole camp sits stiff as if in church and the only sound is the jingle of a bit.
04 "Woodrow, you know Lorie, I reckon." — "We've not met," Call says, touching his hat but not looking at the woman, while the whole camp sits stiff as if in church and the only sound is the jingle of a bit.
Augustus walks over to help Lorena down from the Pumphrey mare, talking casually about the mare's qualities, while Jake has not so much as looked at her since they rode in.
05 Augustus walks over to help Lorena down from the Pumphrey mare, talking casually about the mare's qualities, while Jake has not so much as looked at her since they rode in.
"Bol has learned to season but he forgot to learn to cook." — Bolivar rests against a wagon wheel and ignores the sally, wavering in his mind whether to stay or go home to Mexico and shoot his wife.
06 "Bol has learned to season but he forgot to learn to cook." — Bolivar rests against a wagon wheel and ignores the sally, wavering in his mind whether to stay or go home to Mexico and shoot his wife.
Sean O'Brien's night song drifts across the plain from the far side of the herd; Newt, sitting stiffly a few feet from Lorena, looks at her closely for the first time, sees she is not happy, and his eyes fill up.
07 Sean O'Brien's night song drifts across the plain from the far side of the herd; Newt, sitting stiffly a few feet from Lorena, looks at her closely for the first time, sees she is not happy, and his eyes fill up.
"Well, Jake, have you made your plans?" — Call, as formal as he can make himself, gets Denver for an answer from a man who will not raise his eyes, while Gus's irony about feather beds goes unnoticed.
08 "Well, Jake, have you made your plans?" — Call, as formal as he can make himself, gets Denver for an answer from a man who will not raise his eyes, while Gus's irony about feather beds goes unnoticed.
Behind the wagon, out of the circle of firelight, Call with his Henry says they will start tomorrow — and Newt asks how far it is, up north.
09 Behind the wagon, out of the circle of firelight, Call with his Henry says they will start tomorrow — and Newt asks how far it is, up north.