He looked at the smoking revolver in his hand, and with an oath he hurled it to the roof at his
feet. Te revolver went off with a concussion and the bullet whizzed past the sniper’s head. He was frightened back to his senses by the shock. His nerves steadied. Te cloud of fear scattered from his mind and he laughed. Taking the whiskey flask from his pocket, he emptied it at a draught. He felt reckless under the influence of the spirit. He decided to leave the roof now and look for his company commander, to report. Everywhere around was quiet. Tere was not much danger in going through the streets. He picked up his revolver and put it in his pocket. Ten he crawled down through the skylight to the house underneath. When the sniper reached the laneway on the street level, he felt a sudden curiosity as to the identity of the enemy sniper whom he had killed. He decided that he was a good shot, whoever he was. He wondered did he know him. Perhaps he had been in his own company before the split in the army. He decided to risk going over to have a look at him. He peered around the corner into O’Connell Street. In the upper part of the street there was heavy firing, but around here all was quiet. Te sniper darted across the street. A machine gun tore up the ground around him with a hail of bullets, but he escaped. He threw himself face downward beside the corpse. Te machine gun stopped.
Ten the sniper turned over the dead body and looked into his brother’s face.
This story is notable for building suspense and tension from the early stages right until the end.
EXPLORE 1.
2. 3. 4. 5.
How does the first point of conflict come about for the protagonist?
Suspense n. Definition: A feeling of excitement or anxiety about what may happen next Synonyms: anxiety, tension, uncertainty, doubt
What words or phrases does the author use to show that this is a point of conflict? Choose three moments in the story where you felt suspense building. Identify any words or phrases that make you feel tense in one of these moments. Why do you think suspense is important in a story?
