At the cave entrance, Juana noticed that Kino was removing his clean white clothes to put on dirty and torn ones. Despite being dirty, those clothes would be more visible in the dark night. Kino’s own brown skin provided better protection for him. Juana also saw him hang his Amulet neck-string on the horn handle of his large knife, allowing it to hang in front of him and leaving both his hands free. At this point, Juana had given up her prayers of magic and tradition, considering them to be pointless after everything she had experienced. However, she did quietly say her Hail Marys to protect herself from the black inhuman presence.
Peering over the edge of the cliff, she noticed the only thing visible was the man’s cigarette and the only sound she heard was the trickling water from the tiny spring. Eventually, her attention was caught by another noise originating from the ground close to the water. It turned out to be one of the men, which she deduced from overhearing their conversation. Although she couldn’t comprehend their words, she pondered if they were discussing Kino, who must have been quite a distance down the cliff by that moment.
Kino was steadily descending the cliff. He had been descending silently, only hearing the sound of his own footsteps and the increasing volume of the enemy’s music as he approached. He had positioned the knife at his back with his neck-string to avoid any noise from it hitting the rock. He understood that any unnatural sound would arouse the suspicions of the watchers and put them on alert.
Once he reached the bottom, it felt like an eternity for him to approach the men. He halted approximately twenty feet from them upon hearing their conversation and movements. While one man was still asleep, the other was engaged in discussion with the observer. Kino observed the watcher’s appearance. He was clad in brown leather pants and a stylish shirt, all concealed beneath a voluminous black duster. The lengthy black coat extended down to his black boots. With his cowboy hat pulled low over his eyes, Kino struggled to discern his facial features beyond his prominent mustache.
The man speaking to the watcher departed into the bushes, disappearing from view. While one man remained asleep, the watcher sat, gripping his rifle and gazing into the distance, anticipating the imminent rise of the moon. Kino understood that this could be his only opportunity to act before the moon ascended and he became visible to the vigilant watcher. Quietly, he pulled the string of the amulet over his shoulder and released it from the horn handle of his large knife. Unfortunately, he was too late, as he stood up from his squatting position, the silver edge of the moon emerged above the horizon. Kino realized that if the watcher turned his head even slightly, he would undoubtedly be spotted.
From above, a small cry was heard by the watcher. The watcher promptly stood up and attentively listened. The cry sounded once more, prompting the watcher to prepare and shoot the rifle. The person on the ground swiftly got up and Kino lunged forward like a wild animal. Just as he was about to pounce on the mysterious figure, the watcher heard Kino and quickly turned the gun, hitting Kino. Kino fell to the ground and as he struggled to rise, the watcher struck him once more using the butt end of the rifle.
Kino attempted to rise, but noticed the watchers’ rifle aimed directly at him. A commanding voice demanded that Kino surrender the valuable pearl. Although consumed by feelings of anger and defeat, Kino prepared to comply; however, the overpowering presence of the pearl’s allure changed his mind. In a swift motion, he drove his knife into the watcher as he collapsed. The fallen watcher’s rifle was then seized by one of the trackers, who proceeded to fire it.
Kino experienced a severe pain before collapsing. Despite being shot, Kino’s injuries were not fatal. While he lay on the ground, the first tracker took both the valuable knife and the pearl. Just as the tracker was about to shoot Kino, the second tracker emerged from the bushes and tackled the first tracker. Both men fiercely fought over the pearl, as neither was willing to settle for half its worth.
After the monuments were erected, a rifle went off, causing two men to fall in different ways. One man fell from the cliffs edge and the other fell to the ground, slowly dying from a stab wound inflicted by Kino’s great knife. The knife now rested at the bottom of the cliffs. Despite being shot in the shoulder, Kino took his pearl and hurried up the cliff towards the cave. The climb was difficult, but he managed to reach the cave where he discovered Coyotito in Juanas lifeless arms. Oblivious to Juana’s wrongful death, the baby started crying. Kino’s anger intensified until tears flooded his eyes, replacing his grief.
He descended the cliff with his son, retrieving his blood-stained great knife. As he put away his knife, he glanced at his pearl and contemplated the lives that had been lost for it, making the pearl appear repulsive. Eventually reaching the capital, Kino discovered the people there were to his liking. Doctors attended to his wound without charge upon seeing it. A hospitable family welcomed him when they witnessed him entering town with difficulty. The following day, he sold his pearl for fifty thousand. No amount of wealth could replace his wife or compensate for the hardships he endured, nor could it replicate the serene mornings in front of his hut, filled with the music of his family and the fragrance of freshly baked corncakes.
Kino’s son became a righteous and educated individual who heard countless tales about the pearl and Juana from his father. Over time, their bond grew stronger, and they frequently reminisced about Kino’s former life by visiting the gulf.
