Chapter 6 Summary

Nector Kashpaw has always enjoyed a steady stream of luck. When he is a young man, the offers pour in - for jobs, political appointments and even movie roles. A film crew comes through South Dakota, and the talent scout handpicks Nector out of all the extras. His part is the biggest, even though his character dies in the scene. Another time, while working a threshing job in Kansas, Nector catches the eye of an old, rich woman driving past. She asks Nector to pose for her masterpiece. Later on, after agreeing, he finds out that she wants to paint him in the nude. Nector refuses on principle, but he finally relents after she offers a ridiculous sum of money.

The finished painted is called Plunge of the Brave, and it features a naked Nector leaping off a clip to his death in...