Summary

Urbain talks about the absurdity that accompanies their stay on the front, as one of the soldiers dresses in a pink tutu for the sake of entertainment but is then shot by the Germans. The man is eventually shot by one of his own to put him out of his misery. Urbain writes letters for the other soldiers and draws programs for small shows they put on, for which he is teased by his comrades. Due to the inactivity, Urbain notices the fatalism entering the demeanor of the soldiers, including him. He is tasked, along with eight men, to stealthily build a forward post with barbed wire, which, after a few close calls, comes to completion in three weeks. At the end, he is shot again and taken away, the date being August 18, 1915.

While lying in the hospital, Urbain is...