The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge Chapter 24: March 7, 1824 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • Glass is trying to dig a grave for Pig, but his two mates—Chapman and Red—have no interest in helping out. They decide to bury his body in a nearby cave instead, which takes several hours.
  • After a few days of monotonous travel, Glass beholds a wonderful sight: "a small herd of fifty or so buffalo" are about to stampede (2.24.36).
  • Glass caps one before realizing that the buffalo are stuck—the snow's too high for them to move around. That's when he gets an idea.
  • Glass brings Red and Chapman over and tells them to kill the bulls instead of the calves, despite the fact that they're far less tasty.
  • And why? Our dude is building a "bullboat" (2.24.44).
  • A bullboat, apparently, is a type of craft used by the Pawnee made of male buffalo hide and various other useful sinews and ligaments. It takes them a week to finish it.
  • Luckily, we don't have to wait so long to see the results. As the men push the bullboat into the river, Glass longingly fantasizes about finally getting his revenge.