The Land of Little Rain · Chapter
The Mesa Trail explained
The chapter describes the mesa trail, its geography, flora, fauna, and the seasonal activities of the Paiute people and shepherds.
What happens
The chapter describes the mesa trail, its geography, flora, fauna, and the seasonal activities of the Paiute people and shepherds. It emphasizes the vastness and stillness of the landscape, the interdependence of life, and the subtle changes of light and wind.
Themes in this chapter
Beauty and Harshness of Nature
The mesa is depicted as both beautiful with its flowers and harsh with its wind, drought, and predators.
Interconnectedness of All Life
The chapter shows the relationships between plants, animals, and humans, such as the badger's digging attracting hawks and crows.
Solitude and Belonging
The mesa's vast silence and the solitary figures of shepherds and hunters evoke a sense of isolation and belonging to the land.
Characters to notice
- Seyavi
Mentioned as telling of the time when antelope ran on the mesa like sheep.
- Petite Pete
A shepherd who travels the mesa trail yearly, described as hardy and simple, dealing brotherly with his dogs.
- Naboth
His field marks the corner where the mesa trail begins at the campoodie.
Key passages
“The mesa trail begins in the campoodie at the corner of Naboth’s field, though one may drop into it from the wood road toward the canyon, or from any of the cattle paths that go up along the streamside; a clean, pale, smooth-trodden way between spiny shrubs, comfortably wide for a horse or an Indian.”
The mesa trail starts at the Paiute camp near Naboth's field, but you can also reach it from the wood road or cattle paths. It's a clear, pale path between thorny bushes, wide enough for a horse or a Native American.
Describes the trail's origin and accessibility.
“The larkspurs make the best showing, being tall and sweet, swaying a little above the shrubbery, scattering pollen dust which Navajo brides gather to fill their marriage baskets.”
The larkspurs are the most striking flowers, tall and fragrant, swaying above the bushes and releasing pollen that Navajo brides collect for their wedding baskets.
Highlights the cultural use of larkspur pollen.
“Between the coyote and the birds of carrion the mesa is kept clear of miserable dead. The wind, too, is a besom over the treeless spaces, whisking new sand over the litter of the scant-leaved shrubs, and the little doorways of the burrowers are as trim as city fronts.”
Coyotes and scavenging birds keep the mesa free of carcasses, and the wind sweeps sand over debris, making animal burrows look as neat as city doorways.
Illustrates natural cleanup and order on the mesa.