Cities of the Plain

John Grady waits for Magdalena in a hotel, but she does not come. Eventually, he leaves the hotel. In the lobby, he passes the one-eyed maid. Neither recognizes the other. John Grady exits the hotel, and the old maid goes upstairs to knock on the door of the now-empty room.

John Grady returns to the ranch and lays on his bunk. Billy returns from a dance, slightly drunk, and they talk about horses and women. John Grady reveals to his friend that he has a girl, though admits that the situation is “kind of a mess” (59).

The following week, John Grady returns to the White Lake but does not have enough money to solicit Magdalena. As he is about to leave, a waiter passes a message from Magdalena, telling John Grady not to forget her. The next night, John Grady meets the blind piano player. They sit together, drink, and listen to music.

Billy, John Grady, and the other cowboys sit around a fire beside a rock bluff, high up on the plain. They have taken the dogs to hunt a mountain lion. They listen to the dogs chase the lion through the night and discuss their experiences in Mexico and around the border.