Tench talks about his estranged wife and two sons, one of whom is dead. The stranger asks if the boy has died in a Christian country. Tench answers the question positively but says it hardly mattered. The stranger asks if Tench keeps in touch with his family. Tench explains he has given up writing to them since he could not send any money nor help in any other way. The two men talk nostalgically about the past when the Red shirts had not yet taken over. The stranger comments that those were happier times because they had God.

While they sit and drink, a child, with two mules, comes to the door. He is looking for a doctor since his mother is sick. The stranger is reluctant to go, and Tench asks the child to leave. He feels if the woman is dying, no one can be of any help, but the stranger gets up and accompanies the child. Tench reminds him that he will miss the boat, and the stranger answers that perhaps he is meant to miss it. Tench tells him that the ship will be back again after a few days. Tench also comments that the stranger is lucky because he can escape; Tench does not think he'll get away. No matter how hard Tench tries to save money, it is never enough due to the constant devaluation of the peso. The stranger departs saying, "I will pray for you".

Far away, the stranger is riding a mule across the damp swamp towards the home of the child and the dying mother.. He hears the siren of the General Obregon and feels abandoned. He has tried to escape but failed. The chapter ends with his prayer, "Let me be caught soon, let me be caught".

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