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

Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Summary

While July is away, Blue Duck comes to the other camp. Roscoe, dozing with a cocked pistol, wakes to see Janey standing over him with a rock raised in both hands; she throws it, is knocked down with an ax, and crawls for the dropped pistol before she is killed. Roscoe, already knifed and unaware of it, feels only warm and sleepy, and dies wondering where Joe is. July returns to find all three dead among the flies and spends the night digging graves with his knife. Augustus and Lorena arrive at dawn. Augustus wraps the bodies — Roscoe castrated, Janey's head smashed, Joe killed with the butt of the rifle Gus gave him — and helps pile rocks. He refuses to chase Blue Duck on a worse horse, and tells July not to attempt vengeance: you cannot get even measures in this business, and sooner or later someone bigger and meaner will finish the man. July rides north to look for his wife.

Analysis

The cost of the rescue, collected offstage while it happens. Roscoe dies without ever understanding he is being killed — warm, sleepy, mid-thought — which is McMurtry's most merciful and most brutal death. Augustus's ruling against vengeance sets the terms Call will violate later.

Plates

The fireless camp in the canyon on the Canadian, Roscoe and Joe sitting up in the dark waiting to hear the fight, Janey off by herself.
00 The fireless camp in the canyon on the Canadian, Roscoe and Joe sitting up in the dark waiting to hear the fight, Janey off by herself.
Joe, more frightened than he has ever been, cocking the hammer of his new rifle and easing it back down, hoping the Indians will wait for daylight.
01 Joe, more frightened than he has ever been, cocking the hammer of his new rifle and easing it back down, hoping the Indians will wait for daylight.
Roscoe points out something in the moonlight that might be an Indian and Janey immediately runs off into the dark toward it; it was just a bush.
02 Roscoe points out something in the moonlight that might be an Indian and Janey immediately runs off into the dark toward it; it was just a bush.
Roscoe nods off sitting upright with his pistol still cocked, dreaming mildly about the wild pigs.
03 Roscoe nods off sitting upright with his pistol still cocked, dreaming mildly about the wild pigs.
Roscoe wakes to something incomprehensible — Janey standing a few feet in front of him with a big rock raised over her head in both hands, silent.
04 Roscoe wakes to something incomprehensible — Janey standing a few feet in front of him with a big rock raised over her head in both hands, silent.
Janey, knocked down, crawls across Roscoe's legs for the dropped pistol while the big shadow comes back and Roscoe, knifed and unaware of it, sits back feeling warm and sleepy.
05 Janey, knocked down, crawls across Roscoe's legs for the dropped pistol while the big shadow comes back and Roscoe, knifed and unaware of it, sits back feeling warm and sleepy.
July comes back to a camp with no whinny in it, sees the three forms lying as if asleep, and stands off from them listening to the flies because he cannot make himself go in.
06 July comes back to a camp with no whinny in it, sees the three forms lying as if asleep, and stands off from them listening to the flies because he cannot make himself go in.
Sunup on the open plain above the canyon — July still digging graves with his knife, throwing the loose dirt out with his hands, the holes pitifully shallow.
07 Sunup on the open plain above the canyon — July still digging graves with his knife, throwing the loose dirt out with his hands, the holes pitifully shallow.
Augustus goes down alone to tie the three bodies into blankets with saddle strings, having told July to stay up on the rim and sit with Lorena where she can watch him.
08 Augustus goes down alone to tie the three bodies into blankets with saddle strings, having told July to stay up on the rim and sit with Lorena where she can watch him.
Told to leave off vengeance and go find his wife, July rides north across the river and dwindles to a tiny speck on the plain while Augustus and Lorena watch from beside the three stone-piled graves.
09 Told to leave off vengeance and go find his wife, July rides north across the river and dwindles to a tiny speck on the plain while Augustus and Lorena watch from beside the three stone-piled graves.