Four Native American men travel through Texas to see Gavelston Bay; they have never seen the sea before and deeply want to discover it. They encounter animals such as antelope and rattlesnakes, and they see a massive cluster of animals escaping a brush fire. As they reach the top of a hill, they notice four wagons driven by white men crossing the plains. One character jokes that they had better not tell Sandman, another member of their party, because there is no telling how he would respond to the sight of white men in this gorgeous, isolated place. The party reaches a large body of water, but they know it is not the bay and they continue onwards. The men spot another Native American man from a different tribe kneeling near the edge of the lagoon. There is a language barrier, but they manage to communicate that they are friendly, they carry no weapons, and they are coming from up north. More men from the tribe appear with bows and arrows. The Native American man signals for them to follow him and they initiate a peaceful relationship. The rest of the tribe performs for the travelers with rituals they have never seen before. The next day, the traveling party and their new guide set out in canoes to sail to the bay. They finally reach it and are shocked by how large it is, larger than any body of water they have ever seen before. They venture into the water and eat a meal of seafood. One man, Old Bull, gives a knife to the man from the different tribe as a gift, and in return, he receives a tooth necklace. The travelers begin the weeklong journey back to their own tribe. A massive rainstorm blows in and causes extreme flooding. The men take shelter in an old adobe building that begins to crumble as it gets wet. As they attempt to cross an inlet on their horses, all of the men but Old Bull drown. He returns to his tribe with nothing but the tooth necklace to show for his journey.