Winter In The Blood

Lame Bull drives the narrator to Dodson so that he can catch the bus to Malta and look for Agnes. A storm has just begun, so they leave early, before the rain can make the road impassable. One of the truck’s windows has been missing for a year and the windshield wipers struggle to keep up with the rain; Lame Bull says they may need to buy a new truck. As they drive, they see a man shoveling an irrigation drain in his fields and pity him for having to work in the nasty weather. In town, Lame Bull gives the narrator $30 and they have a drink together. The narrator goes to the post office to see if there’s any mail, finds a letter from the priest to Teresa, and decides to take it. He has another drink with Lame Bull and thinks about all of the time his father spent in the bar joking with the white men. After saying goodbye to Lame Bull, he goes to the café to wait for the bus. He realizes he forgot his toothbrush and buys one before the bus comes.