The Sniper

The story begins with a sniper sitting on a roof. He takes a drink and lights a cigarette, the match forcing him to dodge a bullet. Avoiding the other sniper, he sees an armored car come up the street toward him. An old woman informs the person inside the vehicle of the sniper's whereabouts, and as he looks out, the sniper shoots him, and the old woman. After offing both of them, he is hit as well, by the other sniper, and cannot hold his rifle any longer. As he lay on the roof nursing his broken arm, he planned and carried out a fake death, using his cap. He slipped down off the roof until he could see the other sniper, and using his revolver, shot and killed him. But killing the other man disgusted him, making him hate the war, and everything in it. So he threw down his revolver; as it hit the roof it went off, clearing his senses. Taking a drink of whiskey, he climbs down with sudden curiosity for the identity of the dead sniper. Crossing the street and avoiding a line of machine gun fire, the man looked down to discover it was his own brother he had killed.