Border trilogy started with tragedies and the second part is also not providing the youth with any sort of romantic mood. Cormac McCarthy makes Billy cross the border three times in this novel. The first time Billy crosses the border when the family finally catches the female wolf that has been eating up their sheep. Boyd and Billy’s father wanted to get rid of the wolf forever but Billy developed a special attachment to it so he decided to take it to its home.
To take the wolf where it belonged Billy crosses the border after which he meets several strange people on his way. The mission remains successful but when the boy returns home he sees his house in a mess. Someone has stolen their horses for which Billy and Boyd are forced to go on a quest together. Boyd is not the sort of person Billy wanted to travel with but he was unable to allow his brother to go out alone in front of danger. Boyd also never liked Billy but when he is taken care of in critical condition by his brother he develops feelings for him.
These feelings however remained short-lived because soon Boyd runs away with a girl and is shot again for good this time. Richard Poe narrates the tragic ending just like The Road and No Country for Old Men in which the main character mourns in the end for his losses. Billy just wanted to get the remains of his brother to the home town but he faces a lot of resistance and in the end, fails to accomplish this one final goal.
