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STORY SUMMARY: Four prisoners are made to draw straws for the order they stand in a row. Their prison guard plans to push his bayonet into the first person and see how far back it goes in the line of men. The first man in line panics, runs, and is shot. The narrator talks to the man in front of him and tries to convince him not to run so he might slow down the thrust. The heavy set man in the back thinks he is safe, but the guard changes his mind and stabs him instead. In the end, only the narrator survives.

DISCUSSION: Story focuses on morality, game theory, value theory, and infinite game theory. Should the heavy set man have volunteered to be first in line to slow down the blade for everyone else? Is it selfish to run and, thus, cause those behind you to be more likely to die? Should the four men have simply tried to rush the guard? Does everyone find God when they are about to die? Game theory seems to only work when dealing with large numbers, not individuals. Value theory seems to state that, at the end of the day, nothing is worth more than your own life. This is an infinite, not a finite, game. The guard seems like an arm-chair philosopher.

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