Simon feels he has succumbed to the temptations of an immoral life. Advised by both his mentors, Tay Prescott and Walks Fast he had decided to go into the mountains of Idaho to see if he can regain some sense of worth. He accidentally killed a bartender in Wyoming and then denigrated his life-long friend by suggesting that he himself had slipped to the low station of his friend. His friend left without a word, their friendship seemingly broken. To complete his disaffection with his life, his letter to a lost love elicits what he sees as another final rejection and he fails to see the double meaning in the letter. He immediately starts to learn about life as a matter of give and take. His trip to Slate Creek introduces him to several examples of plain ordinary people. But Simon, always naive and trusting, opens himself to trouble when he teams up with Justin Reed, a self-serving muleskinner who offers to help. The offer's made with ulterior motives that Simon discovers later.