From the "is this story anti - war?" comments above I get the impression that the life of Ambrose Bierce is as mysterious to some as was his disappearance. Bierce was a contentious man,cynical and misanthropic. He wasn't anti-war-he enlisted in the Union Army and served in the Civil War,seeing action at Rich Mountain,Shiloh,Pickett's Mill,Chickamunga and Kennesaw Mountain. He knew the horror of war firsthand and his stories ring with that grim knowledge and unsentimental experience. I don't believe those who served condemn or celebrate. They acknowledge,respect and survive.