Water symbolizes both passion and death in Cather's writing. In the first chapter, "Hidden Springs," the underground river rises to the surface to give life to the thirsty priest. In the cave, the power, passion, and life-giving force remains unseen and, thus, secret and terrible.
Latour's admiration for the Indian's love of tradition reflects Cather's personal feeling both for the Indians and the Catholic religion. Orchard sums up religious faith when he comments on the Indian religion: "Their priests have their own kind of mysteries. I don't know how much of it is real and how much is made up." What matters, he emphasizes, is that they believe in the mysteries.
