The narrator and his men work hard to get the base back on its feet. The narrator complains that he's thirsty and needs some rest. He asks the corporal to give him a hand, but the corporal won't listen to him. He tells the corporal that he is enjoying himself in the midst of a war. The corporal tells the narrator that he must be the "horniest bastard" in the entire company. He says that he doesn't understand why he keeps indulging in it, but he can't blame his little red dog for not understanding the source of his pleasure. He wonders how he could possibly last in this "hell hole" if he didn't do it. He adds that he does it because he likes the feeling of "escape from reality." The corporal asks the narrator why he has suddenly become interested in this area, and the narrator tells him that it must be because he has some progress with his fiance. He explains that he wants to ask the corporal if he can feel "lousy" doing it if his partner is not doing well or if he is physically ill. He also tells the captain that he recently spoke with an officer who had a scratch on his face. The captain says that the officer was from a dog that he met. The dog was "idiotic and cute," and the corporal was playing with it for a little, but it turned out that she was "a bit feisty."