Chapter summaries The Buffalo Hunter Hunter Stephen Graham Jones

Chapter 13 Summary: April 22, 1912

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The pastor’s journal entry for April 22, 1912 opens with the news that postmaster Livinius Clarkson has been found dead on the prairie, turned into a “hump” alongside another man likely from San Francisco. While inspecting the church rafters after hearing a noise from his cat Cordelia, the pastor discovers a hidden ventilation window that could allow someone to enter undetected. He falls from a rotting ladder but is unharmed. Realizing that Good Stab may have been secretly returning to the church, the pastor decides to retrieve the personal effects of the murdered Pinkerton agent Dove from the lodging house. With the help of the town’s Denizens (led by Sall Bertram), he obtains Dove’s papers and photographs. Among them is a family portrait of the Flowers: father Benjamin and sons Archibald, Milo, and Arthur—a name that gives the pastor pause. The pastor then sets a trap for Good Stab by giving Sheriff Doyle a tin cup smeared with yellow-and-black paint, claiming an Indian left it and will come to Sunday service. Good Stab does not appear. That evening, Good Stab returns to the church and catches a mole that Cordelia has brought in. He drinks the mole’s blood in front of the pastor, demonstrating his predatory nature. Their conversation reveals the pastor’s French heritage and missing toes, while Good Stab’s understanding of “Pikuni territory” deepens the pastor’s fear.

Key Events

  • Livinius Clarkson is discovered dead, adding a fourth hump on the prairie.
  • The pastor finds the hidden ventilation window in the church rafters and nearly falls from the ladder.
  • He retrieves Dove’s belongings from the lodging house with the Denizens’ assistance.
  • Photos of the Flowers family (Benjamin, Archibald, Milo, Arthur) are discovered.
  • The pastor gives Sheriff Doyle a painted cup to lure Good Stab; the ruse fails.
  • Good Stab returns at night, catches a mole, drinks its blood.
  • Good Stab questions the pastor about his limp and French name.

Character Development

  • The Pastor: Grows more calculating and desperate, willing to manipulate both lawmen and town outcasts. His fear of Good Stab intensifies, leading him to take greater risks.
  • Good Stab: Reveals supernatural speed and predatory instincts. His casual blood-drinking underscores the horror he represents. He also shows cunning by turning the pastor’s own interrogation techniques back on him.
  • Cordelia: Her presence as a cat who hunts moles faintly mirrors Good Stab’s own hunting, creating a parallel between animal and supernatural predator.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

  • The Hidden Window: Represents the unseen surveillance Good Stab has maintained over the pastor, turning the church from a sanctuary into a trap.
  • Humps and Trophy Heads: The buffalo heads mounted around town (“The Judges Three”) and the human humps on the prairie symbolize the commodification of death and the erasure of indigenous presence.
  • Blood Drinking: The ritual act of drinking a mole’s blood highlights Good Stab’s inhuman nature and the inversion of the hunter/hunted dynamic.
  • Photographs and Names: The “Flowers” surname introduces a personal connection for the pastor, suggesting that the story is drawing closer to his own hidden past.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 13 deepens the mystery of the Flowers family and solidifies the pastor’s complicity in attempting to trap Good Stab. The discovery of the hidden window reveals that Good Stab has been watching the pastor all along, undermining any illusion of control. The failed Sunday trap shows that Good Stab operates outside the pastor’s schemes. The blood-drinking scene marks a turning point in the power dynamic, forcing the pastor to acknowledge the supernatural threat he faces.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Why does the pastor steal Dove’s papers and photographs?
    He wants to control the narrative and avoid Pinkerton scrutiny. The photos of the Flowers family hint at a personal stake—the name Arthur matches his own, suggesting a hidden connection to the victims.

  2. What does the hidden ventilation window reveal about Good Stab’s movements?
    It confirms that Good Stab has been returning to the church unseen, using a camouflaged entrance to spy on the pastor. This explains how he appears and disappears at will.

  3. How does the mole-drinking scene affect the relationship between the pastor and Good Stab?
    It demonstrates Good Stab’s predatory dominance and inhuman appetite. The pastor is forced to witness a raw act of violence that strips away any pretense of civilized interaction, leaving him genuinely terrified.

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