# II: The Up-Stream Men explained — A Cycle of the West

> Chapter companion for A Cycle of the West by John G. Neihardt.

## What happens

Major Henry leads Ashley's band of a hundred men up the Missouri River, facing harsh labor, changing seasons, and encounters with the Rees. The chapter introduces the three friends—Will Carpenter, Mike Fink, and Frank Talbeau—and describes their journey, a horse raid, a burial, a sudden storm, and the eventual construction of a fort at the river junction.

## Themes in this chapter

### Heroic Individualism and Epic Scale

The chapter celebrates the strength, endurance, and camaraderie of the up-stream men, framing their journey as a heroic endeavor.

### Nature and the Wilderness

The changing seasons, the river, the prairie, and the storm are vividly depicted, emphasizing the power and indifference of the natural world.

### Loss and Nostalgia

Moments of remembrance for fallen comrades and longing for home contrast with the adventurous spirit, highlighting the cost of frontier life.

## Character check-ins

### Major Andrew Henry

Leads Ashley's band up the Missouri River.

### Will Carpenter

One of the three friends; a tall, lean, powerful man with a childlike smile.

### Mike Fink

One of the three friends; a jocular, pugnacious rogue with a love for jest and fight.

### Frank Talbeau

One of the three friends; part of the doughty trio.

### William H. Ashley

Organizer of the expedition; expected to come up with his band later.

## Key lines

> So through the days of thunder and of sun They pressed to northward. Now the river shrank, The grass turned yellow and the men were lank And gnarled with labor.

They pushed north through storms and heat, the river narrowing and the grass fading as the men grew gaunt and toughened from the work.

_Describes the physical toll of the journey._

> And whisky went hell-roaring through the nights Among the lodges of the fuddled Rees.

Whisky fueled wild, chaotic nights in the Rees' village, leaving them drunk and disorderly.

_Highlights the destructive impact of alcohol on the tribe._

> For O how many a lad Would see the face of Danger, and go mad With her weird vixen beauty; aye, forget This girl’s face, yearning upward now and wet, Half woman’s with the first vague guess at woe!

Many young men would become enamored with the thrill of danger, abandoning the tearful girls they left behind.

_Foreshadows the transformative and often tragic allure of the frontier._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_cycle_of_the_west_se/chapters/ii-the-up-stream-men
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_cycle_of_the_west_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_cycle_of_the_west_se/chapters