Short Fiction · Chapter
An Afternoon Miracle explained
On a sweltering afternoon, Lieutenant Bob Buckley of the Texas Rangers, secretly a physical coward who forces himself into danger, investigates a disturbance caused by Leandro Garcia, who has crossed the border disguised as a woman after be
What happens
On a sweltering afternoon, Lieutenant Bob Buckley of the Texas Rangers, secretly a physical coward who forces himself into danger, investigates a disturbance caused by Leandro Garcia, who has crossed the border disguised as a woman after being ejected from a saloon. Meanwhile, Alvarita, a snake charmer traveling with her mother, searches for her escaped python Kuku near a creek outside town.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
Bob Buckley appears courageous to his comrades but is secretly a physical coward; Garcia disguises himself as a woman to cross the border.
Humor and Irony
The rangers' banter about Buckley's fighting style and the irony of his hidden cowardice provide ironic humor.
Crime and Consequence
Garcia's threat of retribution after being ejected from the saloon and the rangers' duty to prevent violence highlight crime and its consequences.
Characters to notice
- Buck Patterson
Mentioned as 'Captain McNulty' of the ranger company, though the canonical ID is Buck Patterson; he details Lieutenant Bob Buckley and three men to guard the bridge.
- The Captain
Referred to as 'Captain McNulty' who assigns Lieutenant Bob Buckley to bridge duty.
- Unknown Narrator
The third-person omniscient narrator describes the scene, characters' thoughts, and events.
Key passages
“How well Bob Buckley had kept his secret, since these men, for two years his side comrades in countless border raids and dangers, thus spake of him, not knowing that he was the most arrant physical coward in all that Rio Bravo country!”
Bob Buckley had successfully hidden his extreme cowardice from his fellow rangers, who had fought alongside him for two years without suspecting the truth.
Reveals the central irony of Buckley's character.
“Scourging himself always, as a monk whips his besetting sin, Buckley threw himself with apparent recklessness into every danger, with the hope of some day ridding himself of the despised affliction.”
Buckley constantly forced himself into dangerous situations, like a monk punishing his own sin, hoping to overcome his cowardice.
Explains Buckley's motivation for his reckless behavior.
“I never saw anything I was afraid of yet, ma. 'Specially people. And men in particular.”
Alvarita claims she has never been afraid of anything, especially not people or men.
Highlights Alvarita's bold and fearless personality.