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Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Summary

July rides north alone through empty country, dreaming of Roscoe every night. A cactus thorn lames his horse; unable to work it out, he shoots the animal, leaves the saddle, and walks east with his rifle. Next day he weeps at the sight of buzzards circling the carcass. Out of water and food, he sits through a night considering the pistol, and finds the idea sensible rather than cowardly — his life ruined swiftly and inexplicably, three deaths on his account. What stops him is Elmira: she ought to be told her son is dead. He decides to find her first and then join his dead. Crows lead him to a spring and a stand of trees, where he shoots a badger and rests in shade. Days later he buys the worst horse in a passing outfit's remuda for forty dollars and rides bareback into Dodge City.

Analysis

July's lowest point, and the novel takes suicide seriously rather than gesturing at it. What stops him is an obligation to deliver bad news — duty as the only remaining structure. The spring, the trees and the badger form a small resurrection built entirely from shade and water.

Plates

July rides north for days without seeing a person, only hawks and buzzards turning in the empty prairie sky.
00 July rides north for days without seeing a person, only hawks and buzzards turning in the empty prairie sky.
July ties the horse down on the ground to dig the cactus thorn out of its hoof.
01 July ties the horse down on the ground to dig the cactus thorn out of its hoof.
July shoots the lamed horse, leaves his saddle in the grass, and takes only his rifle.
02 July shoots the lamed horse, leaves his saddle in the grass, and takes only his rifle.
From a ridge the next day, July sees the great cloud of buzzards over the place where the horse lies, and cries.
03 From a ridge the next day, July sees the great cloud of buzzards over the place where the horse lies, and cries.
The sleepless dry camp — July sits on his blanket all night watching the moon climb, the rifle barrel gleaming beside him.
04 The sleepless dry camp — July sits on his blanket all night watching the moon climb, the rifle barrel gleaming beside him.
He takes out the pistol and slowly turns the cylinder, listening to the heavy clicks, and does not raise it.
05 He takes out the pistol and slowly turns the cylinder, listening to the heavy clicks, and does not raise it.
Walking east through the brown wavy grass with his water gone, he tries a long shot at a deer and misses.
06 Walking east through the brown wavy grass with his water gone, he tries a long shot at a deer and misses.
The quarrelling crows lead him to a grove of low trees and a spring, where he drinks beside a black snake curled on a rock.
07 The quarrelling crows lead him to a grove of low trees and a spring, where he drinks beside a black snake curled on a rock.
The Johns outfit finds a man walking out of Texas toward them, and the old white-mustached trail boss sells him the worst horse in the remuda for forty dollars.
08 The Johns outfit finds a man walking out of Texas toward them, and the old white-mustached trail boss sells him the worst horse in the remuda for forty dollars.
Four days after buying the worst horse in the Johns outfit's remuda for forty dollars, July trots bareback into Dodge City.
09 Four days after buying the worst horse in the Johns outfit's remuda for forty dollars, July trots bareback into Dodge City.