55 Miles to the Gas Pump

“Rancher Croom in handmade boots and filthy hat, that walleyed cattleman, stray hairs like the curling fiddle string ends […]”

The opening words introduce Rancher Croom as the first of the story’s two characters. The description begins to paint a picture of a bedraggled man unconcerned with appearances, which hints that he is dangerous and not to be trifled with. The stream-of-consciousness narrative style plunges into the story with no preamble or introduction. Such a style is in keeping with Croom’s impulsive nature and take-no-prisoners stance toward life.

“[H]is own strange beer, yeasty, cloudy, bursting out in garlands of foam […]”

The long sentence comprising the first paragraph moves from Croom’s physical appearance to his actions. The detail of the home-brewed beer in his cellar shooting out of the bottles “in garlands of foam” serves as a metaphor for Croom’s volatile, explosive personality. It also affirms him as a habitual drinker, calling his judgment into question.

“Rancher Croom at night galloping drunk over the dark plain […]”

This phrase builds upon the previous detail about the beer’s bursting “garlands of foam.” Croom unleashes his pent-up energy in impetuous, fast-paced actions. The “dark plain” contributes to the story’s gothic setting by evoking the remoteness of the Croom ranch and hinting at The Dangerous Effects of Isolation, thus foreshadowing the dark deeds