Page "Lonesome Dove" Paragraph 8

The story begins in the small town of Lonesome Dove, as Jake Spoon, a former comrade of Call's and McCrae's, shows up after an absence of more than ten years.

He is a man on the run, having accidentally shot the dentist of Fort Smith in Arkansas.

The dentist's brother happens to be the sheriff, July Johnson.

Reunited with Gus and Call, Jake's breath-taking description of Montana inspires Call to gather a herd of cattle and drive them there, to begin the first cattle ranch in the frontier territory.

Call is attracted to the romantic notion of settling pristine country.

Gus is less enthusiastic, pointing out that they are getting old and that they are Rangers and traders, not cowboys.

But he changes his mind when Jake reminds him that Gus ' old sweetheart, Clara, lives on the Platte, 20 miles from Ogallala, Nebraska, which is on their route to Montana.

Captain Call prevails.

They make preparations for their adventure north, including stealing horses in Mexico and recruiting almost all the male citizens of Lonesome Dove.