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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How does Jack's house regard Scratchy?
(a) Like a friend.
(b) Like a laughing face.
(c) Like a stone god.
(d) Like a tree.

2. Jack doesn't take Scratchy for a kid; he takes him for a what?
(a) An idiot.
(b) A fool.
(c) A threat.
(d) An old man.

3. What defining features do Scratchy's boots have?
(a) Gold buttons.
(b) Gilded imprints.
(c) Gold thread.
(d) Hand-sewn ribbon.

4. What does Scratchy accuse Jack of trying to do?
(a) Shoot him.
(b) Lie to him.
(c) Sneak up on him.
(d) Hide behind his wife.

5. How does the author describe Scratchy's reaction to Jack's marriage?
(a) Like a dog lost without his master.
(b) Like a creature allowed a glimpse of another world.
(c) Like a lost soul looking for a home.
(d) Like a man releaved.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who made the shirt?

2. What is the distance between Scratchy and Jack when they meet?

3. The knowledge of Jack's marriage reduces Scratchy to what?

4. Why does Jack tell Scratchy to shoot him now?

5. When does the dog break into a gallop?

Short Essay Questions

1. The author alludes to fighting 200 Mexicans. What does this tell us about the history of Yellow Sky?

2. What does Scratchy's attire tell the reader about him?

3. Does Jack Potter seem unafraid? Why? Does he know that Scratchy will not shoot him? Or does he feel he is ready if he is shot? Does Jack understand that Scratchy will have some ethics involved here?

4. Does Scratchy introduce himself to Jack's new wife? Why? Why not? How does he feel when he realizes that he is confronted with Jack's wife?

5. When Jack encounters Scratchy, does he show fear? Why do you think that?

6. Scratchy is described as a "wonder" with a gun, and, even drunk, seems to have amazing command of his weapons. What do you think Scratchy would shoot like sober? Does this tell the reader something about the kind of gun-fighter he used to be?

7. What is the dog a symbol of? What is the dog supposed to be in this story?

8. Do you think the dog has been shot before? Why did he not move when he heard Scratchy coming up the street?

9. What is the significance of the funnel-shaped tracks left by Scratchy's feet as he walks away from Jack and his wife?

10. What is Apache scalp music? Why does Scratchy walk to Jack's house humming this music?

(see the answer keys)

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