Weasel

Nathan remembers that he hasn’t fed the animals back at home. Pa said that if animals work productively for a person, the person should be kind to them. A person who neglects or abuses an animal is a beast. The Fowlers have a horse, Job; a mule, Crabapple; chickens; and a pig, Miz Tizz, with piglets. Nathan claims that he can bring back Job and Crabapple, and Ezra draws Nathan a detailed picture that functions as a map.

Molly brings Nathan turkey stew and blue biscuits. The color of the biscuits makes Nathan wary, but he tries them, and they’re delicious. Molly gives him some biscuits for his journey, and Ezra gives Nathan a piece of wood. Ezra demonstrates how the wood serves as a weapon—a hunting stick. Nathan asks about Pa’s gun, and, nodding again, Ezra reveals that Weasel has it.

As Nathan journeys to his house through the chilly October air, he thinks of less stark autumns, where he helped Pa in the field or played catch with Molly. Nathan enters the forest where he and Pa hunt, and he spots the family’s cabin and fields. The farm used to make Nathan feel safe, but now it looks vulnerable, like a wooden toy.

Nathan plans to give the animals enough food and water to last for a few days. As he runs toward them, shouting their name, he sees no movement and doesn’t hear animal sounds. Nathan senses trouble, and he sees that there’s a bullet in Miz Tizz’s forehead, no piglets, and dead chickens. Nathan concludes that Weasel killed Mizz Tizz and the chickens. He also probably took some of the chickens, as well as Job and Crabapple.

The family farm has a tiny cemetery where they buried Mama, a horse, and a dog. Nathan buries Mizz Tizz and the chickens. He remembers asking his father why people call the Shawnees “savages” when they bury their dead like white people. Pa believes that white people call the Shawnees “savages” because it dehumanizes them, making the hateful, violent policies easier to accept.

Nathan pictures Ezra’s map drawing and heads home in the dwindling daylight. As night arrives, he hears nighthawks and owls. He also runs into a herd of turkeys. The moon gives Nathan some light, and when he’s an hour away from Ezra’s home, he hears a twig snap and rustling leaves. Nathan realizes that he’s where Ezra noticed Weasel, so Nathan hides behind a rock. Silence follows, and Nathan wonders if he’s imagining the danger when Weasel asks him if he’ll hide all night. Nathan doesn’t reply, and Weasel insults Ezra and orders Nathan to appear. Holding the hunting stick, Nathan jumps out from behind the rock and hurls it at Weasel. Nathan hears a gunshot and a scream. He wonders if the scream belongs to him or Weasel.

After losing consciousness, Nathan wakes up in Weasel’s dirty, smelly cabin. Weasel has tied Nathan’s hands and bound his ankles. Nathan isn’t hurt, but Weasel is injured. Weasel has been “fightin’” Indigenous people for 20 years without getting shot, yet Nathan—a “squirt of a boy” (50)—has made him shoot himself in the leg.

Weasel drinks whiskey and expounds upon his history with Ezra. The government sent Weasel and Ezra to “remove” the Shawnees, and Weasel and Ezra knew that “remove” meant kill. Ezra became remorseful. He believed that the Shawnees had a right to the land and that he and Ezra shouldn’t kill them. Ezra built a wigwam and married a Shawnee woman, and they were having a baby. Ezra claimed that he was ashamed of white people. Enraged, Weasel cut out Ezra’s tongue and made Ezra watch while Weasel killed Ezra’s pregnant Shawnee wife. Weasel could’ve killed Pa, but all he wanted was the rifle. He says that Nathan should be “grateful” that he let Pa live. Now, Weasel needs to decide what to do with Nathan.

Nathan imagines Weasel cutting his throat. He feels helpless and asks Weasel to use the “privy.” Weasel lampoons Nathan for using a highbrow word for bathroom, but he unties Nathan. As Nathan uses the bathroom outside, Weasel points a gun at him. Nathan surveys his surroundings and sees Job and Crabapple.

Using the tip of the rifle, Weasel pushes Nathan back inside and ties him to a chair. Making a bed out of old animal skins, Weasel sleeps in front of the door with Pa’s gun in his lap. Nathan concludes that he’s east of Ezra’s house and that Weasel came home to sleep when the sun rose.

Nathan escapes Weasel’s careless knots, but there are no windows, and the cracks between the logs are too small. Nathan easily grabs the gun from Weasel and points it at him. He threatens to kill Weasel and declares his intention to leave. He takes Job but leaves Crabapple. Weasel tries to catch up on Crabapple, but Crabapple is “old” and slow. As their distance grows, Nathan hears Weasel.

Job and Nathan move through the forest as fast as they can. Feeling safer, Nathan slows Job to a walk. Nathan hears the Ohio River, and they go to it for a rest and a drink. Ezra appears and pats Nathan on the back before escorting Nathan and Job home.

Molly gives Nathan an emphatic greeting. Pa feels better and calmly welcomes Nathan back. As Nathan eats his second bowl of stew, he recounts what happened. When he tells the part about Weasel shooting himself, Ezra laughs. As he describes taking Pa’s gun from Weasel, he admits that he hates Weasel. Nathan wishes he had killed Weasel. Pa is proud of Nathan. He had a “bad time,” but it’s over. Now, Nathan needs rest.

The Fowlers stay in Ezra’s wigwam as Pa recuperates. There are stories, games, and jokes. Pa and Molly act like nothing seismic has happened, but Nathan feels dramatically different, and Weasel haunts him. In Nathan’s dreams, Pa, Mama, and Molly are on the good side of the river, and Nathan, Ezra, and Weasel are on the other side, where there’s murder and hate.

In early November, the Fowlers prepare to leave Ezra. Weasel continues to preoccupy Nathan. He asks Pa about going back to Weasel’s house to get Crabapple. Nathan thinks that he, Pa, and Ezra could “sneak up on him” and kill him during the day when he sleeps (71). Pa vows to buy a new mule and try to be happy like Mama would want. Life contains sadness, but it has goodness too. Pa wants to focus on the latter. If Pa let Weasel take over his existence, he’d allow Weasel to do something terrible. Nathan believes that they must think about Weasel. Pa admits that he’ll think about him and the danger he poses, but he won’t “dwell” on Weasel.

Pa thanks Ezra for saving his life and looking after Nathan and Molly. He invites Ezra to visit them. Molly hugs Ezra’s legs, and Ezra gives Molly a string of blue beads. Nathan and Ezra shake hands. Nathan feels connected to Ezra due to their shared hate for Weasel.