How It All Goes Down
- The next five days of travel are brisk. On the morning of the fifth day, however, Red rushes back into camp and says that he saw a native on horseback—and he thinks he was Arikara.
- Glass isn't so convinced (they had chosen this route specifically to avoid Arikara-heavy territory), so he tells them to press on regardless.
- After about two more days, the men reach a tricky bend in the river that's partially blocked by a downed tree. Glass narrowly avoids it.
- That's when he sees them–"two dozen teepees" about fifty yards away (2.25.22). There are a bunch of people outside, too, and Glass can tell that they're Arikara.
- Before they men can react, Red is shot dead. Chapman meets his end a few moments later by means of tomahawk-lobotomy.
- Glass leaps into the water and swims desperately for the opposite bank. He sees an embankment he can take cover behind about forty yard ahead and makes a break for it.
- In the cover, Glass realizes that he has an arrow stuck in his leg. Fancy that.
- When the Arikara's horses freak out when commanded to cross the river, Glass runs away down a small, ice-covered stream. That slows the horses down, too.
- The Arikara warriors are still close behind, however. With no other options (and no gun) Glass climbs a tree and hides, waiting.
- One of the warriors enters the clearing and stands right below Glass. Glass considers leaping down and getting all stabby but thinks better of it after another approaches.
- Glass stays in "the cottonwood for more than two hours" (2.25.51). He leaves some fake tracks heading in the opposite direction and wades through the water to avoid leaving real ones.