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

Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Summary

Part III opens with the hanging of Jake Spoon. Following the horsethieves, the party buries what the buzzards have left of Wilbarger's men, then finds the two burned settlers still hanging from their tree. Deets reads Jake's sideways seat in the tracks and knows he is riding with the killers. They surprise the Suggs brothers drunk beside a murdered drummer's wagon; Deets shoots little Eddie in the shoulder and Dan is taken without firing a shot. Jake, too drunk to argue well, pleads that he only fell in with them to cross the Territory; Augustus answers that a man who goes along with six killings has made his escape too slow — ride with an outlaw, die with him. Dan Suggs is hanged snarling and left with a sign pinned to his shirt. Jake, given his moment, wills his pacing horse to Newt, tells them to divide his money, says adios, and spurs the horse out from under himself.

Analysis

Part III opens with the book's moral crisis: the code is applied to a friend and holds. Nobody argues, which is the horror. Jake spurs his own horse out from under himself — recovering, in one gesture, the dash he spent the whole novel losing.

Plates

Riding toward the buzzard knoll, the party passes a fat old badger carrying a human hand away across the grass, and no one but Newt thinks it worth stopping for.
00 Riding toward the buzzard knoll, the party passes a fat old badger carrying a human hand away across the grass, and no one but Newt thinks it worth stopping for.
On the knoll, Augustus rides in among the feeding buzzards and shoots two with his pistol — "You like to eat, see how you like being eaten."
01 On the knoll, Augustus rides in among the feeding buzzards and shoots two with his pistol — "You like to eat, see how you like being eaten."
Deets points out one horse track among the thieves' — Jake rides slightly sideways, and the track shows it. "Mr. Jake is with them."
02 Deets points out one horse track among the thieves' — Jake rides slightly sideways, and the track shows it. "Mr. Jake is with them."
A few hours on, they come upon the two burned settlers still hanging in their tree, a coyote tugging at a foot to pull one down.
03 A few hours on, they come upon the two burned settlers still hanging in their tree, a coyote tugging at a foot to pull one down.
From the crest of the ridge the three of them watch the Suggs camp below — the drummer's wagon, the corpse, four men on their saddle blankets shooting at buzzards.
04 From the crest of the ridge the three of them watch the Suggs camp below — the drummer's wagon, the corpse, four men on their saddle blankets shooting at buzzards.
The surprise at the creek — three rifles level on the bank with the sun blinding behind them, and Deets's shot knocks little Eddie back off his saddle blanket.
05 The surprise at the creek — three rifles level on the bank with the sun blinding behind them, and Deets's shot knocks little Eddie back off his saddle blanket.
Augustus jams the big dragoon Colt into Dan Suggs's stomach while Deets comes forward with the rawhide strings — "You can keep your socks, if you're that refined."
06 Augustus jams the big dragoon Colt into Dan Suggs's stomach while Deets comes forward with the rawhide strings — "You can keep your socks, if you're that refined."
Told that Jake will hang with the rest, Newt puts his cheek against the warm neck of the horse he has just saddled, and the warmth makes him want to cry.
07 Told that Jake will hang with the rest, Newt puts his cheek against the warm neck of the horse he has just saddled, and the warmth makes him want to cry.
Under the limb at dusk, the two Suggs brothers gone before him, Jake wills his pacing horse to Newt, says adios, and touches the spurs himself.
08 Under the limb at dusk, the two Suggs brothers gone before him, Jake wills his pacing horse to Newt, says adios, and touches the spurs himself.
By moonlight and the drummer's lantern, Call hammers a marker made from the wagon's tailgate into Jake's grave; out in the dark, Dan Suggs is left hanging with a circular pinned to his shirt.
09 By moonlight and the drummer's lantern, Call hammers a marker made from the wagon's tailgate into Jake's grave; out in the dark, Dan Suggs is left hanging with a circular pinned to his shirt.