Three Day Road: Onatopaniwiw: Fighter Summary & Analysis

For the short time that Xavier lived on the reservation, he was always with Elijah. “He protected me and I protected him,” Xavier says. Elijah and Xavier often made plans to run away. “One of the nuns keeps a rifle,” Elijah said “She keeps a good rifle and lots of bullets. I have seen it in her room.” But Elijah couldn’t get anywhere near it. He “was not good enough at sneaking,” and they were “forbidden” to go in the room. Niska hums softly from the front of the canoe, and Xavier begins to fall asleep.

It is early spring on the frontlines, and Xavier has been suffering a “miserable thing called depression.” To make matters worse, he can’t stop thinking about Lisette. Elijah and Xavier find “what promises to be a good nest,” but Xavier can’t “focus in the field.” Elijah suggests they play a game and a keep a “running tally of hits and misses.” Xavier’s Mauser will be the prize, Elijah suggests. “After two weeks we tally our scores and the winner takes the prize.” Xavier smiles. Elijah is always trying to get his Mauser.

After Xavier’s first kill, he had, for the first time, “felt like an ancestor, an awawatuk raider and warrior.” Xavier prayed to Gitchi Manitou and thanked him for allowing him to live. He can shoot now, knowing that it is for survival, “as long as [he] prays to Gitchi Manitou.” Gitchi Manitou “understands,” Xavier says. Xavier’s enemies probably don’t understand when he sends them “on the three-day road,” but they might understand when he “finally meets [them] again.” 

In early April, McCaan tells Xavier and Elijah about an upcoming “offensive.” He talks fast and Xavier doesn’t understand. Not because of his English—his English has improved, and he understands most of what is said to him—but because his ears constantly ring. Elijah explains. They are to scout out a place in “no man’s land,” as close to the German line as possible, and take out the machine-gun nests during the attack. “You are going deaf,” Elijah concludes.

The night before the offensive, Elijah and Xavier blacken their faces and crawl out into “no man’s land.” They spot a good place, close to the Germans as ordered, and wait until morning. McCaan said there will be “intense” shellfire as the men storm “no man’s land” and to be prepared. The sun rises, and the shellfire begins, and Xavier hears “the desperate roar of men scrambling their way over the top.” He looks through his scope at the German line. Their trenches have been blown to pieces and there is no sign of movement. 

Suddenly, Xavier notices movement on the German line, and men begin to climb out of the blown trenches. “Look at them all!” Elijah yells. Xavier puts his crosshairs on one of the soldiers and fires. The Canadian artillery begins to strike, and “the whole earth is on fire in front of [Xavier].” He shoots again as German machine guns cut down the advancing Canadians. Xavier catches some movement and sees what appears to be a machine-gun nest. He steadies himself and pulls the trigger.

Xavier is thrown back, and he can see the Canadian soldiers more clearly now. They are close—so close to the Germans that the men begin to use their bayonets, stabbing and slicing as they run. Gilberto runs up to Xavier and offers his hand. Just as Xavier grabs for it, Gilberto’s “face blooms into a red flower,” and he falls onto Xavier. He screams and jumps up, pushing Gilberto’s body to the side.

Xavier jumps into a German trench and looks around. A young German charges him with a rifle. Xavier “sidesteps” him and thrusts his bayonet deep into the German’s belly. Xavier turns, to keep from “throwing up,” and a second German, a large man with red hair, charges him. Xavier buries his bayonet in the man’s back and falls as he pulls it out. The man staggers over to him and wraps his large hands around Xavier’s throat. “He is no monster, just a man,” Xavier thinks as he runs out of air. McCaan appears and places his revolver to the man’s temple. He pulls the trigger and “calmly” moves to the next trench, firing as he goes.