When Ellwood returns to the trenches, he tells Hayes what happened to Gaunt. Hayes tries to get someone else to take the prisoner to the officers in the village, but Ellwood insists on doing it himself.

He enters a sitting room where the colonel and his men, including Burgoyne, sit and drink wine and smoke cigars. The colonel is dismissive of Ellwood, commenting on the fact that he came before them with unpolished buttons. Ellwood tells them that Gaunt died along with two others. He pushes down his anger after a warning from the colonel, thanks them, and leaves.

Burgoyne stops Ellwood in the hall. To Ellwood’s disbelief, he questions whether Gaunt is actually dead or if Ellwood is “pranking” him. Ellwood does not even have the will to engage, instead responding shortly to Burgoyne and walking away.

The next morning, the men receive their next orders. Ellwood learns that he has been promoted to captain in Gaunt’s place and assumes that Burgoyne did so to try to apologize. Ellwood leads the men into No Man’s Land for another attack. He watches as the men around him are killed.

Over the next few days, Ellwood receives several letters. The first is from Maud, who thanks him for sending all the details of Gaunt’s death.