The Russian soldier stumbled into their laager one evening just as they were getting ready for sleep. He dropped his rifle in his surprise and then held his hands up high because the Frenchman was groping for his bayonet. They stood for a while looking at each other until the Frenchman put his weapon down and the Russian's arms fell slowly to his sides. He watched them for a few minutes, then he saw a fishtail lying on the ground and picked it up and began to gnaw it. The Tommy glanced at his companions and crawled to the hole in the rocks behind them where they kept their supplies and gave the Russian a whole fish. The Russian grinned and took it, and while he was eating it he sat down and gradually wriggled his way closer to them. They showed him another fish and he said 'da' and they gave it to him. "First time I knew a flipping Ivan could say yes too," the Tommy said. To their amazement, the stranger spoke to the Russian with the same ease with which he spoke English and French. The Russian spent the night with them, and in the morning, after more fish, he wandered off. He came back dragging mounds of branches with which he built a shelter for the wounded men under one tree, and another one for the stranger. He grinned all over his broad face, pointed to the fish, to them, to himself and to the shelters. Then he shook hands all round. That afternoon a Russian fighting patrol passed close by. The officer heard their voices, crept up behind them and threw a hand grenade among them. The stranger threw himself on top of it just as it went off. The Englishman shot the officer through the head before the dust and smoke had cleared, and the remainder of the patrol withdrew. * * * * * When they turned the stranger over, the ants were already swarming in his blood. At first they tried to brush them off with twigs, but more and more ants came. The Russian pointed to the river and gestured that it would be kindest to throw the body in. The Frenchman shook his head, and the Englishman started to drag the body to the hole in the rocks. They laid the stranger inside and rolled a rock against the entrance and sealed the gaps with clay. They missed him a great deal. Not only because of the fish and water. Next day the Russian left them. Before going, he banged them on the back and shook hands with them several times and tears left streaks on his dirty face. * * * * * She was overjoyed to have her son back with her. She could not stop looking at him for the sheer joy of it. "Was it very terrible"? she asked. "No", he smiled at her. "In a way it was wonderful". "But the suffering and the killing", she said. "I saw more than that", he said. "Did you tell him all of it"? she asked. "All of it". He picked up his knife and whittled away at the wood. "And"? she insisted.