- Now, the moment we've all been waiting for: Kabuo's testimony.
- Before we can dig into that, however, we get details of how Kabuo passed the previous night given the cold and lack of electricity. Apparently, jail doesn't get any more pleasant when the heat is out.
- Overnight, he had pondered his mistake in initially failing to tell Art Moran anything about Carl's emergency and his role in helping him out of it.
- He'd also kept the truth from Nels at first, too, until Nels finally convinced him that the truth was better.
- Then, we get Kabuo's detailed memories of the night Carl had gone overboard. We've gotten most of the broad details in drips and drabs throughout the novel, but here we get the fleshed-out account.
- We learn that Carl cut his hand that night while using Kabuo's fishing gaff to wedge the new battery into place. The accident would explain why his blood was found on the "murder weapon."
- In a nice moment, we get Kabuo's memories of making the deal with Carl. They had cleared the air about the family "feud" Carl's mother had started, and Kabuo railed against the widespread anti-Japanese sentiment that seemed to have infected Carl, too.
- Then they arrived at a deal regarding the land and shook on it.