How he died hadn't been funny, Newt thought. It's all right, though, Augustus said. It's mostly bones we're riding over anyway. Why, think of all the buffalo that have died on these plains. Buffalo and other critters too. And the Indians have been here forever; their bones are down there in the earth. I'm told that over in the Old Country you can't dig six feet without uncovering skulls and leg bones and such. People have been living there since the beginning, and their bones have kinda filled up the ground. It's interesting to think about, all the bones in the ground. But it's just fellow creatures, it's nothing to shy from.
In the story, Newt reflects on the concept of death, feeling that the way someone has passed is not amusing. Augustus offers a different perspective, suggesting that the land is figuratively filled with bones from various creatures that have lived and died there, including buffalo and even the indigenous people. He points out the natural cycle of life and death that fills the earth with remnants of life.
Augustus's thoughts extend...
