Three Day Road: Nipiwin: Dying Summary & Analysis

Xavier and Elijah are given orders to advance across the field again, but there is a machine gun and “plenty of whiz bangs” firing across “no man’s land.” Xavier wants to “force” the C.O “at gunpoint to go across first.” He angrily rips the military identification tags from his neck, leaving only the medicine bundle. “That alone is who I am,” Xavier says.

“Let’s go, gentlemen, shall we?” the lieutenant says coming up behind Xavier. As he walks ahead, there is a loud “thunk,” and the lieutenant’s body flies across the field. Xavier trips over his legs and falls to the ground, narrowly missing gunfire to his head. Elijah appears, firing his revolver. He is “in command now.” 

“We can’t stay here forever, boys,” Elijah yells to the men. “[Xavier], you come with me.” He tells the men to start firing. “Ashtum,” he says to Xavier. “Come.” They break out and run down the line, and Xavier’s arms begins to burn. He has taken a bullet at some point. “Is this not beautiful?” Elijah yells over the shellfire.

Xavier finds cover and sits down, and Elijah hands him a cigarette. “You always were the better shot,” Elijah says to Xavier. Xavier can see Elijah’s lips moving, but he can’t hear him. “We have to get out of here,” Xavier shouts. “This bombardment’s too heavy.” Elijah says something but Xavier can’t make it out “We both can’t…” Elijah’s voice trails off. “Are we not best friends, Xavier?” Elijah asks. “Are we not best friends and great hunters?” He looks at Xavier. “It has gone too far,” Elijah says as he puts his hands around Xavier’s throat. “I have gone too far, haven’t I?”

“He is killing me,” Xavier thinks to himself as Elijah strangles him. He hears Niska’s voice: “Do what you have to do.” Xavier picks up his Mauser and places it at Elijah’s throat. He pushes Elijah over until he is sitting on his chest. “Elijah,” he whispers through tears and pushes down on the Mauser. Tears spring to Elijah’s eyes and he tries to speak. “I must finish this,” Xavier thinks. “I have become what you are, Niska.” Xavier grabs the identification tags from Elijah’s neck and leaves his body behind.

Xavier wakes in a hospital bed with only a stump for a leg. He had taken fire after grabbing Elijah’s tags, and now they think he is Elijah. Xavier doesn’t know how to tell them he isn’t, so he says nothing. To the nurses, he is Elijah Whiskeyjack, and they bring him all the morphine he wants. Two officers come and “salute” Xavier. They say he is “decorated soldier” and will be given “comfortable passage” home. The nurse gives him some morphine vials. “Use these carefully,” she says. “Only take a little when you need it, when the pain is too much.”