#5(1) The Plot Peculiarities

Having read the story for the fifth time, I understood, that it's time to think the plot over.

Firstly, I would like to point out that the structure of plot is not very typical. (one may not distinguish that type as classic exposition>climax>catastrophe) The greatest conflict's point  set by the author is situated just in the end of the story. Suprising ending, are you agree? Bierce holds the intrigue. That's why I am not sure, if there is any resolution or denouement in the text, because the plot is rising, and when it gets its higher point - the story quickly ends.

Mentioning all that peculiarities, let's work the plot over in order. The plot of the story runs as follows:

Exposition. Bierce begins with a very detalized description of the main place. He gives the reader a first impressions about the soldier. In the very beginning we don't know yet who is he, or why is he afraid to shoot the enemy and his horse. I'll talk later about his emotions. The author now draws the atmoshere - we can feel that green nature, early autumn, screaming people somewhere . The war is here, every moment is unpredictible. 

           Then, comes the second part of the story. The author makes a kind of flashback and here we can get acquainted with the main hero- Carter Druse and understand, why is he participating in this war, just from the dialogue with his father. Actually from this very moment there is the born of an external conflict - two men- a father and the son are now becoming enemies because of the Civil War. 

There we return to the present situation. Through his sleepy eyes a soldier saw a figure of a man on the horse. The internal conflict takes place here: the soldier is hasitating whether to shoot the enemy off or not, but a soldier stares at him for a long time. There is given a huge part of characterizing the horseman, then Birce gives the reader the mood, feelings and emotions of the soldier:

"The duty of the soldier was plain: the man must be shot dead from ambush--without warning, without a moment's spiritual preparation, with never so much as an unspoken prayer, he must be sent to his account. But no--there is a hope; he may have discovered nothing--perhaps he is but admiring the sublimity of the landscape. "

Then he gathered up his emotions and remembered his father's words:

"He was calm now. His teeth were firmly but not rigidly closed; his nerves were as tranquil as a sleeping babe's--not a tremor affected any muscle of his body; his breathing, until suspended in the act of taking aim, was regular and slow. Duty had conquered; the spirit had said to the body: "Peace, be still." He fired."

And, expectedly, there shiould be the end. He has done his duty, nothing special has happened, he has was even being ruled by his father's opinion, which was pretty convincing and legal. We can see the third chapter then, the soldier's emotions after the death of his enemy:

 "Filled with amazement and terror by this apparition of a horseman in the sky--half believing himself the chosen scribe of some new Apocalypse, the officer was overcome by the intensity of his emotions; his legs failed him and he fell."

Here comes a kind of resolution. Carter Druse saw a perfect warrior, as the author presents him to the reader. BUT something is hidden in this mesage:

"This officer was a wise man; he knew better than to tell an incredible truth. He said nothing of what he had seen. But when the commander asked him if in his scout he had learned anything of advantage to the expedition he answered:

"Yes, sir; there is no road leading down into this valley from the southward."

This means the author shows what happened when he returned to the camp and talk to the commander. Bierce playes here with time. It is not yet obvious that it happened approximately in half an hour.
However, the strongest moment hasn't come yet. In fourth chapter we are again here, where all started. Carter has a dialogue with a sergeant, and here the truth revealed itself:

"See here, Druse," he said, after a moment's silence, "it's no use making a mystery. I order you to report. Was there anybody on the horse?"

"Yes."

"Well?"

"My father."

The sergeant rose to his feet and walked away. "Good God!" he said." 

This part is actually a climax in the story and explains why he shoot the horse, not a rider. A sergeant found out the truth, and the story ends..
That was my vision of the plot. Next time I'll write about types of speech.