It is unclear at first whether Nenna or Man-Man will be the story's protagonist; each plays an important role in the action on their farm. Man-Man is the more experienced of the two, and knows what to watch for, how to hide from thieves, and how to use a gun.

Nenna proves to have a sharp mind as she quickly adapts to watching for thieves in the dark. Once the action on the farm is over, the story focuses on Nenna and her experiences with BigWalk. She is a clearly drawn figure who is given depth by her fallibility, her intelligence, and eye for detail.

When she sees Big-Walk, she makes the same interpretive mistakes the village adults have made in their encounters with him: The tall, ragged man with knotted beard and matted-looking hair was there. His black mongrel dog sat alertly at...