Hickory is a killer, a war hero, and a drunk. After almost stabbing his co-worker, he now lives on the street where he can waste away and only cares about getting enough bits for his next drink. When a mare gives him water and a cheese sandwhich, his is only disappointed that it won’t cure his sobriety. But when he presents his only treasure, the mare puts bits on the table and demands his story. He takes her offer, and her bits, and starts telling how he survived the Great Patriotic War: what he saw, what he did, and both the griffions and ponies he killed to stay alive.