Chapter Three Summary and Analysis

The story returns to the moments following Rowe's capture. He says that he fears for his life but grows more hopeful when he isn't shot immediately. He is forced to walk by guards with bayonets and encounters Dan who says that he might have a broken ankle. Rowe and the others are fed rice though his hands remain tied. As night approaches, Rowe is still alive though he is marched farther into enemy territory. He is hit in the face by one of his captors but is otherwise unharmed. At one point he is questioned but knows too little Vietnamese to communicate effectively.

They walk until well after dark and stop near some huts. When Rowe is taken inside, he discovers that Rocky is there, that his leg is troubling him but that he is alive and conscious. They...