History in Books the world's story, told by its literature

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Summary

Blue Duck arrives. Augustus, sitting in his underwear after a swim, spots the rider at a distance and asks for his gun belt: an Indian on a pacing horse with Mexican silver on the saddle. The man waters his horse, names himself, and says he was told to kill both Rangers if he killed either, but cannot wait all day for the chance at two worn-out old men; if Augustus ever brings his tongue north of the Canadian he will feed it to his wolf pups. He rides off. Augustus explains that Blue Duck is a Comanchero who butchered settlers and traded stolen children to the Comanches, and that they never caught him. Before that, he and Lorena talk: he tells her she is shrunk up from wanting nothing, offers to be her whore if she wins a hand, and refuses to take her to California because he is bound for Ogallala and a woman named Clara. He promises her a train ticket from Denver instead. She refuses to move camp and asks that Deets, not Dish, be sent to guard her.

Analysis

The antagonist finally arrives, and the encounter is all talk — two men declining to fight, which makes the later violence worse. Augustus's failure to shoot on suspicion is the mistake the novel charges him for repeatedly. He also names Ogallala aloud, and Lorena hears it.

Plates

Lorena alone at the water-hole camp on the second wearisome day since Jake rode off, discouraged enough to have thought about drowning herself in the little pool.
00 Lorena alone at the water-hole camp on the second wearisome day since Jake rode off, discouraged enough to have thought about drowning herself in the little pool.
Lorena washes her hair in the cool pool, having put her head under and opened her eyes and decided that to die in such an element would only be ridiculous.
01 Lorena washes her hair in the cool pool, having put her head under and opened her eyes and decided that to die in such an element would only be ridiculous.
"Lorie, you look downcast" — Augustus sits down opposite her with a deck of cards, she chooses blackjack because she is luckier at it, and he offers to be her whore if she wins the hand.
02 "Lorie, you look downcast" — Augustus sits down opposite her with a deck of cards, she chooses blackjack because she is luckier at it, and he offers to be her whore if she wins the hand.
Gus strokes her cheek, she puts her head down on her knees, and he rubs the back of her neck under her wet hair — "you're shrunk up from not wanting nothing" — then holds her hand in the still morning while the horses swish their tails.
03 Gus strokes her cheek, she puts her head down on her knees, and he rubs the back of her neck under her wet hair — "you're shrunk up from not wanting nothing" — then holds her hand in the still morning while the horses swish their tails.
Gus strips to his old pink flannel underwear and wades straight into the cold water hole, splashing off across the pool and ducking his head under, while Lorena watches from the bank.
04 Gus strips to his old pink flannel underwear and wades straight into the cold water hole, splashing off across the pool and ducking his head under, while Lorena watches from the bank.
Sitting wet on the big rock, Gus sees a rider a long way west and asks for his gun belt; Lorena needs both hands to lift the old pistol across to him, and can make out only a speck with the sun flashing on silver.
05 Sitting wet on the big rock, Gus sees a rider a long way west and asks for his gun belt; Lorena needs both hands to lift the old pistol across to him, and can make out only a speck with the sun flashing on silver.
The stranger rides past them to the pool, dismounts and squats to drink out of a cupped hand while the bay stallion wades in and drinks deeply — "now that's a graceful skill".
06 The stranger rides past them to the pool, dismounts and squats to drink out of a cupped hand while the bay stallion wades in and drinks deeply — "now that's a graceful skill".
He names himself Blue Duck and stands over the seated Gus with the rifle in the crook of his arm — he was told to kill both Rangers if he killed either, and it is his bad luck Call is gone.
07 He names himself Blue Duck and stands over the seated Gus with the rifle in the crook of his arm — he was told to kill both Rangers if he killed either, and it is his bad luck Call is gone.
Blue Duck rides out of camp without another look, and Gus pushes his hat brim up and watches him go instead of shooting him.
08 Blue Duck rides out of camp without another look, and Gus pushes his hat brim up and watches him go instead of shooting him.
She refuses to talk any more and will not move camp; Gus is nearly out of sight before she looks up, and she still feels the anger.
09 She refuses to talk any more and will not move camp; Gus is nearly out of sight before she looks up, and she still feels the anger.