Summary

Noble and Bonaparte guard two English soldiers named Belcher and Hawkins. The two prisoners are very friendly and they seem to have no desire to escape. Hawkins, however, is very prone to argumentation. One night, after a card game, their commanding officer Jeremiah tells Bonaparte that Belcher and Hawkins are being kept as hostages, and that if the English execute the Irish soldiers they are holding, Belcher and Hawkins will be executed in response. This happens the very next day, and Jeremiah comes to collect the Englishmen. Bonaparte and Jeremiah take them out into a swamp where they meet with Noble. Bonaparte wants them to try to escape, because he knows no one would shoot them if they ran, but they don’t run and Jeremiah kills both of the prisoners.

Analysis

This is a brief but very emotional story about enemy soldiers...