Chapter 1 Section 1 Summary

This section introduces the "gunslinger" and his mission. The gunslinger, a self-possessed and resolute man with a high degree of fortitude, heads into an unwelcoming desert, barren and ominous. He is described in great detail in this section. He wears two guns with sandalwood stocks across his hips. His attire is that of a cowboy. The author mentions that the world has "moved on" and things are different from some previous time and place not yet revealed to the reader.

The gunslinger has been in pursuit of the man in black for two months. The trail seems to be cold because the desert wipes away all traces of life. Initially, the man in black does not leave behind much to track him with. The gunslinger comes upon cold campfires made with devil-grass, but no other sign can be found. The gunslinger...