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Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Summary

Elmira reaches Bent's Fort and finds it is not a town — a few ruined buildings, one crazy woman, a flea-ridden closet beside a warehouse of buffalo hides, and no stage out. She realises she has made a foolish move, but does not regret leaving Fort Smith. Big Zwey, the huge buffalo hunter who killed a man over her on the boat, sits thirty yards off watching her for hours and refuses to join a hunt rather than leave his post; when she once opens her door into him he flees at a trot, which makes her laugh aloud. Through Fowler she learns Zwey wants to marry her, and she strikes her own bargain instead: he will take her to Ogallala. He drags a wrecked hide wagon to the blacksmith, buys two mules, and takes on a weaselly partner named Luke. She drives the wagon herself, hides stinking in the back, pregnant and jolted, and takes to talking to the mules.

Analysis

Elmira learns that flight has bought her a worse cage. Bent's Fort is the anti-destination — she crossed the plains to reach a place with no road out — and her bargain with Zwey is the same trade she made with July, made knowingly this time.

Plates

The whiskey wagons hauling west across the plains toward Bent's Fort, Elmira riding on a load and Big Zwey's eyes never off her.
00 The whiskey wagons hauling west across the plains toward Bent's Fort, Elmira riding on a load and Big Zwey's eyes never off her.
Evening halt on the plains — Fowler brings Elmira the buffalo liver and tongue and tells her about Ogallala.
01 Evening halt on the plains — Fowler brings Elmira the buffalo liver and tongue and tells her about Ogallala.
Bent's Fort turns out to be no town at all — a few broken buildings, one silent woman in a chair, and a wagon track that runs out into nothing.
02 Bent's Fort turns out to be no town at all — a few broken buildings, one silent woman in a chair, and a wagon track that runs out into nothing.
The room Fowler got for her — a dirty closet against the hide warehouse, the fleas out of the skins, and a week of scratching.
03 The room Fowler got for her — a dirty closet against the hide warehouse, the fleas out of the skins, and a week of scratching.
Two Mexicans go at one another with knives in the yard, like butchers, while she watches from under her shed.
04 Two Mexicans go at one another with knives in the yard, like butchers, while she watches from under her shed.
Fowler brings the little plate of food under her shed and says, sheepishly, that Big Zwey wants to marry her.
05 Fowler brings the little plate of food under her shed and says, sheepishly, that Big Zwey wants to marry her.
The hunters ride out after a herd of buffalo and Big Zwey will not go — he sits thirty yards from her shade with the rifle across his lap, watching.
06 The hunters ride out after a herd of buffalo and Big Zwey will not go — he sits thirty yards from her shade with the rifle across his lap, watching.
She opens her door early one morning straight into Big Zwey, and the sight of that huge man trotting away makes her laugh out loud.
07 She opens her door early one morning straight into Big Zwey, and the sight of that huge man trotting away makes her laugh out loud.
She walks over and makes her own bargain — Ogallala for whatever it is worth — and Zwey, paralysed, points at the wrecked hide wagon.
08 She walks over and makes her own bargain — Ogallala for whatever it is worth — and Zwey, paralysed, points at the wrecked hide wagon.
North across the plains at last — Elmira driving the two scrawny mules herself, the bloody hides stinking behind her, talking to the team to make the day pass.
09 North across the plains at last — Elmira driving the two scrawny mules herself, the bloody hides stinking behind her, talking to the team to make the day pass.