Whose Business Is to Live revolves around two Americans who help the woman they both love get away from the vengeful Mexican mob...During the wartime, a "catlike and tense" young man, though alert to any possible death-dealing bullets, is unfortunately shot to death by several alien invaders. War tells us that even the slim hope of "looking to live, not die" could be an illusion in time of war. An Old Soldier's Story is said to be about a real incident which occurred in the life of the writer's father. It justifies the fact that "the front was not the only place to have adventures."

《以活下去为职责的人》以战乱年代为大背景，描述了两个美国男人带着他们共同喜欢的女人——德雷克赛尔小姐——从墨西哥的坦皮科冲破重重阻隔活着逃回美国的故事。《战争》中的主人公对周围环境有猫一样的警觉，然而最后却倒在了几个不起眼的人枪下。文章中没有描写枪林弹雨，读者却依然能感觉到战争的紧张氛围。《一个老兵的故事》在开篇抛出悬念——战争前线并不是唯一冒险的地方。主人公意外超过规定休假期，被黑心的宪兵司令当作逃兵。为捍卫荣誉，他历尽艰险终于成功躲过追捕。全文高潮迭起，带给读者紧张刺激之感，并辛辣讽刺了宪兵司令的丑恶嘴脸。