How It All Goes Down
- Since the family counsel Lawyer Daggett is away, Mattie takes the train with Yarnell to Fort Smith to take care of Papa's body.
- They've got company. The train is full of people headed to see a triple hanging. (Well, what else are you going to watch when The Bachelorette isn't on?)
- Mattie's got a long to-do list. She needs to see the sheriff, the undertaker, and the people at the Monarch boardinghouse where Papa was staying, but everybody is at the hanging. Slackers.
- Turns out, Yarnell wants to see it, too. So, off goes Mattie to the triple hanging.
- Two of the men on the platform with nooses around their necks are white and the other is Indian.
- First, a preacher leads the men to sing "Amazing Grace" and then each man says his final words.
- Mattie watches as trap doors open on the platform and the nooses tighten on the men's necks.
- The two white men die right away but it takes the Indian about half an hour to die. We feel like this might be symbolic.
- Great. Now that's taken care of, Mattie and Yarnell head off to the undertaker's to see about Papa's body.
- Mattie identifies the body and then pays the bill for the embalming, the coffin, and shipping back home. Yarnell wants her to haggle over the bill but she won't.
- Check. Next, they hit up the sheriff. There, Mattie learns that a man who sounds like Chaney, but is being identified as "Chambers" is in Indian Territory slash Oklahoma.
- Word is, he's with Lucky Ned Pepper and some other thugs who just robbed a mail carrier, which is a big no-no. They're wanted by federal agents.
- Mattie tells the sheriff Chaney's real name and says she'll go talk to the federal marshals. She also seems super interested in finding out who the best marshal is.
- (What's that? Need to brush up on your U.S. Marshall history? Marshalls are law enforcement officers who deal with anything federal—and back in the day, they were pretty much the only lawmen in town. You can read about them at their very own website.)
- After hearing that Rooster Cogburn is "[t]he meanest" marshal (2.37), Mattie decides to hunt him up to help her go after Chaney.
- The sheriff gives Mattie Papa's gun. By that time, it's about 5:30 in the afternoon and already dark.
- Mattie sees Yarnell off at the train station and informs him she's staying in Fort Smith for a couple of days. Yarnell is all, like, "Um, maybe that's not such a good idea …," but he can't exactly stop her. (Would you even try?)
- Mattie makes it to the Monarch boarding house in time for supper, where Mrs. Floyd gives her Papa's things. Since the rooms are all full because of the hanging, Mrs. Floyd rents Mattie the other half of Grandmother Turner's bed.
- Grandma Turner is a cover-stealer, of course. Mattie gives it a good fight but ultimately falls asleep cold, wrapped in her father's blanket and jacket.