65 pages 2 hours read

Alistair MacLeod

No Great Mischief

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1999

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Chapters 37-39Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 37 Summary

Alexander works hard and sleeps little. He and Alex bond over movies and sports. One day, the hoist breaks, and work in the mine comes to a halt. Alex and his team begin to climb the ladders to exit the mine. When they reach the surface, rumors abound about how long the hoist will take to repair. Eventually, it emerges that the mine will have to be closed for a number of days.

Almost immediately, taxis begin to appear at the camp. They arrive to collect people, drop them off, or sell something. Unusually, everyone is above ground together, and a collective restlessness descends on the miners. After hours of boredom, Alexander decides to buy beer. Spotting the purchase, Fern Picard does the same, not wanting to be outdone by the young American.

After a few hours of drinking, Fern Picard approaches Calum and insults him. Behind Fern, men appear out of the shadows. Fern insults Calum again, so Calum attacks. A mass brawl breaks out. Alex fights as Alexander slips away into the trees. As Alex wrestles with an unknown man, Calum lands beside him. Fern falls on him immediately and begins to choke Calum. Grabbing a nearby wrench, Calum slams it into Fern Picard’s head and kills the man instantly.