The joy of Loretta's homecoming was overshadowed by Henry's rage. Friends with a murderin' savage, was she? A Comanche slut, that's what, kissin' on him in broad daylight, comin' home to shame them all with her Injun horse and heathen necklace. His land looked like a bloomin' pincushion with all them heathen lances pokin' up. He was gonna get shut of 'em, just like he had those horses. Half of 'em stole from white folks! Some trade that was! Loretta listened to his tirade in stony silence.
The excitement of Loretta's return was tainted by Henry's fury. He felt betrayed, seeing her association with someone he considered a savage. His anger further intensified at the sight of her Comanche heritage and the embrace she had shared in public. To him, her actions were a disgrace, taunting their values and space with symbols of what he deemed primitive. Henry's property now looked like a battlefield to him, filled with reminders of those he despised.
As Henry raged against Loretta, she remained unresponsive, absorbing his accusations without protest. He was determined to rid himself of anyone associated with what he viewed as theft and insult. Henry harbored deep-seated prejudices that he felt justified his actions against the Comanche people, unable to see the person Loretta truly was beyond his narrow worldview. His focus was solely on his feelings of betrayal and the dishonor he associated with her return.
