Deliver Us from Evil (1973) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Cowboy kills the skyjacker because the man attempts to flee when discovered in the woods. The group had been searching for the jumper after hearing the radio report about the skyjacker, and when they locate him, Cowboy ends the pursuit with a final shot rather than allowing him to escape.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, the radio broadcast mentioned a skyjacker who bailed out of a plane, creating tension among the hikers.

• cowboy
• skyjacker
• killed
• fleeing
• pursuit

After burying the skyjacker's body, the group discovers $600,000 in his sleeping bag. They argue about keeping it, with Dixie and Nick resisting on moral grounds, but ultimately decide to split the cash because they realize the authorities don't know the precise location where the skyjacker landed.

Foreshadowing: The radio broadcast only reported the skyjacker bailed out 'somewhere in their vicinity' without exact coordinates.

• money
• keep
• skyjacker
• cash
• authorities
• split

Dixie loses his grip on a perilous precipice trail and falls to his death. His death is a natural accident caused by the dangerous mountain terrain, but it dramatically shifts the group's dynamics by removing the strongest moral voice among them.

Foreshadowing: The trail was described as precarious, with the path being unpredictable throughout their journey.

• dixie
• fall
• death
• precipice
• trail
• mountain

Zabrocki dies from a heart attack while pursuing the others. After most of the party heads ahead, he becomes paranoid that they've stolen his share of the money and chases after them, but his aging body and heavy burden prove too much, leading to his collapse and death.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, the narrative notes Zabrocki is aging and overweight, and his strain while hauling gear and money becomes increasingly apparent.

• al zabrocki
• heart attack
• die
• money
• pursuit
• share

Arnold Fleming loses his footing while crossing raging rapids. Despite shedding his backpack to lighten his load as Cowboy suggests, Arnold still loses his balance at the final step and is swept away by the powerful current.

Foreshadowing: The rapids are described as raging, and the crossing tests both nerve and balance of everyone who attempts it.

• arnold fleming
• death
• rapids
• swept away
• backpack

Nick suspects Cowboy of rifling through Arnold's pack to steal his share of the money. The accusation reflects how suspicion and distrust have consumed the group, with each survivor questioning the others' motives regarding the loot.

Foreshadowing: Tensions over the money have been escalating since they found the stash, with each death heightening the survivors' paranoia.

• nick
• cowboy
• accused
• greed
• money
• arnold pack

Cowboy dies from exposure during the fierce snowstorm. While Nick searches for Steven and takes him to shelter, Cowboy presses on alone. Unable to ignite his money to keep warm in the freezing wind and snow, he succumbs to the cold.

Foreshadowing: The group had redistributed the ransom so Steven could travel ahead and light a fire, leaving Cowboy and Nick to carry the remaining packs.

• cowboy
• death
• snowstorm
• exposure
• cold
• money
• fire

Nick sacrifices his own backpack to lighten Steven's burden so he can transport him to a sheltered spot. This act of desperation ensures Steven survives the night, though Nick loses everything in the process, including his pack containing the money.

Foreshadowing: The group had earlier redistributed weight so Steven could travel lighter and warm his frostbitten feet.

• nick
• backpack
• sacrifice
• steven
• save
• fire
• warmth

The money is lost in the snowstorm. After Cowboy dies trying to use the cash to keep warm and Nick sacrifices his pack to save Steven, the money disappears. When Nick reaches safety the next morning, he finds no trace of his backpack or the remaining cash.

Foreshadowing: The storm forces the trio apart, and Cowboy's failed attempt to burn the money for warmth signals its ultimate fate.

• money
• lost
• gone
• snowstorm
• backpack
• final

The promise of $600,000 in easy wealth corrupts the six friends. After killing the injured skyjacker, the money becomes the source of every conflict. Each death, from Dixie to Zabrocki to Arnold to Cowboy, escalates suspicion and betrayal, with the wilderness acting as a catalyst for their moral undoing.

Foreshadowing: The story explicitly shows how curiosity shifts to cautious interest after finding the skyjacker, then quickly turns to conflict over the cash.

• greed
• money
• conflict
• betrayal
• group
• descent
• corruption

Nick reluctantly accepts his share of the money after Cowboy threatens to throw it into the river if Nick won't claim it. Despite his moral objections throughout the journey, Nick complies because Cowboy insists the money isn't something he truly desires, but won't let it go to waste.

Foreshadowing: Nick had been the most principled along with Dixie, recently divorced after financial trouble and constantly weighing the consequences.

• nick
• money
• accept
• share
• cowboy
• reluctant

Nick and Steven survive because they help each other through the final crisis. While Cowboy perishes alone in the storm, Nick finds Steven and starts a fire to keep him alive through the night. Their survival represents a slight moral redemption amid the group's complete destruction.

Foreshadowing: The group had been fragmenting throughout the journey, with the final storm separating them completely.

• survive
• nick
• steven
• cowboy
• died
• final