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

Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Summary

Jake's hanging sits on the outfit. Newt cannot let it go — nobody talked at the hanging, nobody has talked since — and finally says so to Deets, who tells him gently that the Captain and Mr. Gus are sorry, and that he should not worry about the sleepers. Call, riding alone, is nearly sick with the same thoughts, trying to move time backwards to a point where Jake could have been saved. Riding toward the Republican, Augustus tells him that facing your own mistakes daily keeps them no worse than a dry shave, and needles him for refusing to use women's names — Lorena's, Clara's — a point Call quietly connects to Maggie's old request. Meanwhile whoring dominates the crew's talk, and a delegation led by Jasper approaches Augustus about wages; he gets them half pay for Ogallala. Only Po Campo dissents, insisting the country ahead is going to be dry.

Analysis

Aftermath of the hanging, distributed across the outfit: Newt cannot let it go, Call cannot stop rewriting it. Augustus needles him about refusing to use women's names, and Call privately connects it to Maggie — the novel's clearest signal that he knows exactly what he is withholding.

Plates

Newt rides the drag on the nameless pacer Jake Spoon gave him at the hanging, unable to get Jake out of his mind.
00 Newt rides the drag on the nameless pacer Jake Spoon gave him at the hanging, unable to get Jake out of his mind.
Around the wagon the hands question Pea Eye about Jake and Dan Suggs — shot them, hung them, then burned them.
01 Around the wagon the hands question Pea Eye about Jake and Dan Suggs — shot them, hung them, then burned them.
Dish and Bert, gun belts off, grapple on the ground over what Bert said about Lorena while the outfit laughs.
02 Dish and Bert, gun belts off, grapple on the ground over what Bert said about Lorena while the outfit laughs.
Deets mends Newt's bridle by the fire and tells him Jake has gone to the peaceful place — don't worry about the sleepers.
03 Deets mends Newt's bridle by the fire and tells him Jake has gone to the peaceful place — don't worry about the sleepers.
Call, camped apart from the outfit, sits half sick with the thought of Jake Spoon and tries to move time backwards.
04 Call, camped apart from the outfit, sits half sick with the thought of Jake Spoon and tries to move time backwards.
Sighting the Republican with Gus alongside — the argument about Lorena's name, and facing your mistakes daily like a dry shave.
05 Sighting the Republican with Gus alongside — the argument about Lorena's name, and facing your mistakes daily like a dry shave.
That afternoon they swim the Republican without losing an animal.
06 That afternoon they swim the Republican without losing an animal.
Safe across the river he feared, Jasper Fant dances an impromptu jig at supper while Augustus watches, highly amused.
07 Safe across the river he feared, Jasper Fant dances an impromptu jig at supper while Augustus watches, highly amused.
Po Campo sits against a wagon wheel jingling his tambourine and says, against the good mood, that it is going to get dry.
08 Po Campo sits against a wagon wheel jingling his tambourine and says, against the good mood, that it is going to get dry.
Past the Stinking Water, the delegation headed by Jasper surrounds Augustus at breakfast over wages, and he laughs at them — while Po Campo, apart, still says it will be dry.
09 Past the Stinking Water, the delegation headed by Jasper surrounds Augustus at breakfast over wages, and he laughs at them — while Po Campo, apart, still says it will be dry.