Chapter 17 Summary

Joanna Craig is hot, frustrated, deflated and feeling sorry for her self. She is sitting on a ledge part-way down a trail into the canyon, running short on water and abandoned by Billy Tuve. She had been walking down the trail in front of him and talking to him when he suddenly disappeared. He had made sure that she was past the most dangerous part of the trail and left his water bottle to add to her own supply. Storm clouds are building in an ominous way, increasing her anxiety and misery. Before Tuve left Joanna, he had spotted a man down on the canyon floor. Joanna is now watching him through her binoculars. She suspects the man is the Chandler that Sherman had named as Plymale's agent before she shot him. Joanna reflects on her situation, and then resolves to descend the...