The short film is the prologue of the book with the same name. It is set during 1917 in the trenches during World War 1. We find a young inexperienced soldier on duty in the front line; after mentoring by an experienced old soldier he is left alone to stand guard, but will he survive long enough for his relief to take his place? His relief arrives early, and after the exchange the post is brought under shell fire, the young soldier to his horror then realizes that if his relief had not been early it would have been him!