The Rifles: An Excerpt

[jbor]

>> "Had we seen this Rifle first...?" Dixon, to appearance
>> forthrightly,
>> "we might be off with it instead,-- that is of course unless our Host,
>> the Sharper, be a particular Friend of thine...?"
>> Mason, his eyes protruding in alarm, tugs upon Dixon's Sleeve,
>> hissing, "Don't you see, there's a Curse upon it, for Heaven's Sake,
>> Dixon,-- ?" (430)

umberto
> The rifle is in Lepton Castle mainly because it's one of the devices
> that may be built with the steel Lepton produces. Lepton is a steel
> industrialist, and it's no wonder that Mr LeSpark is in his mansion.
> Being a weapon merchant, he must be one of his best customers.
> 
> But what I keep asking myself is why should a rich and successful fop
> leave the comfort of his house, which is half casinò, half brothel,
> and go west. Actually there's something said about people who might
> hunt for the thieves of the Tub:
> 
> "Then again," chuckles Wade LeSpark, "Lepton *is* an important
> Customer.... Maybe I should run right to him, with word of this Tub's
> Alienation. Maybe he'll send Dasp out with some Riders after you.
> Maybe this Rifle here'll belong to one of 'em." (430)
> 
> Ehhh... obviously P. never tells us straight away, LeSpark tells us
> that maybe the Rifle belongs to one of Dasp's Riders

Actually, the "he" LeSpark is referring to is Lord Lepton, and LeSpark
suggests that Lord Lepton might "send Dasp out with some Riders after you."
Both Dasp and the riders are in Lepton's employ, of course.

Regardless, I think LeSpark is merely joking around with M&D at this point.
He has already announced that the rifle is Lord Lepton's:

    "Lord Lepton hath an eye,-- Damme." (428)

> (White Horsemen, 
> like those at the Cape, like the Ku Kluxers?). Mightn't that be the
> Evil Man killed by Catfish? Much more likely than Lepton leaving
> gambling and bodices and going west!

Not at all. It's apparent that Lepton spends time enough away from Lady
Lepton for her to have affairs with other men, Captain Dasp included (414).
Lepton's back story (416-7) indicates that he has traveled widely in the
American frontier, and he tells M&D that "there's Coal out where you're
going" and insinuates that in past times he has had dealings with "the
Indians" (who he speaks of condescendingly, and as though he has hoodwinked
them) in that region as well (418). Lepton is portrayed as a much more
despicable character than Captain Dasp. I'm not sure where in the text
you're getting the KKK stuff from, but the narrator says that Lepton was one
to "drive the African slaves as basely as a Creature of his Sort might be
expected to do" (416).

While Pynchon's strategy of leaving ultimately inconclusive the identity of
Catfish's victim is an obvious one, in my opinion there's far less textual
support for the notion that M&D recognise the rifle and scalp as Dasp's or
one of Lord Lepton's other hired hands than there is to indicate that they
recognise them as Lord Lepton's.

best