A Confederate soldier approaches and gives Farquhar news from the front. Farquhar learns that Union troops have repaired the railroad bridge over Owl Creek, and that any civilian caught tampering with the railroad or any of its bridges will be hanged. Farquhar asks how far away the bridge is and finds out how many soldiers are guarding it. The guard tells Farquhar that there is a pile of driftwood near the bridge that could easily be set on fire. Only after their conversation is over do we find out that this soldier was in fact in disguise. He was actually a scout from the Federal army.
Farquhar sits with his wife near the front of their property.
Farquhar is standing on the bridge
driftwood
Farquhar falls through the bridge and loses consciousness.
After some time, Farquhar regains consciousness, but has a horrible pain in his neck and body. He can't breathe or think and his body is engulfed in light. Everything goes dark and Farquhar is able to think again. He realizes that the rope tied to his neck is broken and that he has fallen into the stream. The rope around his neck has kept him from drowning and he manages to get his hands free. Having successfully removed the noose from around his neck, Farquhar pushes toward the surface.
Feeling horrible pain in his neck, Farquhar reaches up to discover that it is extremely swollen. His eyes are congested and his tongue is swollen, too. Farquhar reaches the gate of his property and sees his wife moving towards him
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He turns around and notices the soldiers on the bridge preparing to shoot at him. In fact, a few bullets narrowly miss him. Farquhar swims to the opposite shore as the soldiers continue to shoot at him. A cannonball also misses him and he assumes the soldiers will start using grape shot (just another way to kill a guy, no big deal). Swimming for his life, Farquhar gets caught in a vortex and is flung to shore. Protected from further shooting, he celebrates his good fortune.
Having made it to safety, Farquhar travels all day through the forest, following the sun. He marvels at the size and wildness of the forest he thought he knew well. By nighttime, he is tired and hungry. Thinking of his wife and children, he presses on and finds a familiar road. The road shows no sign of human life and the constellations above are unfamiliar. Farquhar hears strange noises and words whispered in a language he doesn't know.
.Just as he is about to reach her, he feels a horrible blow against the back of his neck and everything goes dark. Farquhar is dead. His neck is broken and his body swings back and forth beneath Owl Creek Bridge.