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Chapter 73

Chapter 73

Summary

Dish, left in charge of both the herd and Lorena, carries her meals to the tent and can find none of the speeches he rehearses all night. She takes the plate, asks only whether Gus will come back, and closes the flaps. Lippy lets slip the story of Gus cutting cards for a poke and paying fifty dollars anyway — a sum Dish can hardly credit, remembering the two dollars Gus once lent him for the same purpose. Riding beside the wagon the next day, Lorena eats wild plums Po Campo has gathered and learns that the cold creek is snow water off mountains too far west to see. Gus does not return that night either. Dish keeps watch a few yards from her tent, lying awake with his head on his saddle, feeling that the short distance between them may as well be the distance to the Kansas stars.

Analysis

Dish gets everything he wanted — proximity, responsibility, her attention — and it yields nothing. The chapter exists to prove that his love is structurally hopeless rather than merely unlucky. Lippy's leaked story of the fifty dollars tells him what he is competing against and cannot match.

Plates

Dish holds up the supper line at the chuck wagon, picking out the best piece of beef for Lorena while Jasper jeers at him.
00 Dish holds up the supper line at the chuck wagon, picking out the best piece of beef for Lorena while Jasper jeers at him.
Dish mounts awkwardly with the plate of beefsteak in one hand, nobody offering to help, and rides the short distance to the tent rather than walk it.
01 Dish mounts awkwardly with the plate of beefsteak in one hand, nobody offering to help, and rides the short distance to the tent rather than walk it.
Dish, still mounted outside the open tent flaps, tells Lorena he has come with some food and that Gus may not be back for a day or two.
02 Dish, still mounted outside the open tent flaps, tells Lorena he has come with some food and that Gus may not be back for a day or two.
Lorena steps out of the tent and takes the plate; Dish, dismounted, is paralysed at being so close to her after months.
03 Lorena steps out of the tent and takes the plate; Dish, dismounted, is paralysed at being so close to her after months.
Lippy walks out to Dish in the dark and lets slip that Gus cut the cards for a poke, won, and paid Lorena fifty dollars anyway.
04 Lippy walks out to Dish in the dark and lets slip that Gus cut the cards for a poke, won, and paid Lorena fifty dollars anyway.
Dish lies awake all night on his blanket with his head on his saddle, thinking of Lorie, the herd bedded and the Irishman singing.
05 Dish lies awake all night on his blanket with his head on his saddle, thinking of Lorie, the herd bedded and the Irishman singing.
Morning at the tent — Lorena is already outside buttoning her shirt when Dish walks up with her breakfast, and every speech he practised in the night leaves him.
06 Morning at the tent — Lorena is already outside buttoning her shirt when Dish walks up with her breakfast, and every speech he practised in the night leaves him.
Lorena rides beside the wagon through the day watching the shimmering horizon for Gus, while Lippy turns on the box and tips his filthy hat at her again and again.
07 Lorena rides beside the wagon through the day watching the shimmering horizon for Gus, while Lippy turns on the box and tips his filthy hat at her again and again.
At the creek about noon Po Campo brings Lorena wild plums from his half-full sack and points west at mountains she cannot see, where the cold green water comes from.
08 At the creek about noon Po Campo brings Lorena wild plums from his half-full sack and points west at mountains she cannot see, where the cold green water comes from.
Gus has still not returned; Lorena lies awake in the shut tent while Dish keeps watch a few yards off, his head on his saddle, feeling those few yards may as well be the distance to the Kansas stars.
09 Gus has still not returned; Lorena lies awake in the shut tent while Dish keeps watch a few yards off, his head on his saddle, feeling those few yards may as well be the distance to the Kansas stars.