Preservation

Preservation is a recurring theme throughout the story as an array of characters fight to keep what they hold most dear. Early examples of this are the tiny creature who hopes that the largest of the dinosaurs won't step on her eggs. Later, it's the Indians who are seeking to save themselves from several threats. One of those is hunger. As it becomes more difficult for Lame Beaver and his people to feed themselves, he mounts a daring raid to steal horses from an enemy tribe. With these horses, Lame Beaver and his fellow hunters are able to forage farther for game in a brief time and to move their people as the herds of buffalo move.

Men like Potato Brumbaugh take visionary steps, such as his harnessing of the river to make crops grow in a land where little can flourish. When sheep arrive in Colorado, cattlemen...