In the story Peyton is a Alabamian dedicated to the southern cause. Because of this, he is taken to the bridge to pay the ultimate price for his position. Bierce hints to the readers that Peyton has died , but is still within a dream state, or limo if you will. " As Peyton Farguhar fell straight downward through the bridge, he lost consciousness and was for one already dead". In this part of the story, Bierce portrays Peyton's dream state journey that credits all sensations and aspects of life. Peyton's Neuse had broken and he was now flowing downstream fighting to live, and at the same time crediting life around him. Such deep description indicates a vivid dream. " He looked at the forest on the bank of the stream, saw the individual trees, the leaves and the veining of each leaf----saw the very insects upon them: the locusts, the brilliant bodied flies, the gray spiders stretching their webs from twig to twig. He noted the prismatic colors in all the dewdrops upon a million blades of grass. The humming of the gnats that danced above the eddies of the steam , the beating of the dragon flies" wings the strokes of water spiders legs, like oars which had lifted their boat--- all these made audible music. A fish slid a long beneath his eyes and he heard the rush of its body parting the water." .
The next part of the story is a masterpiece. Bierce does a miraculous job keeping the reader hooked, and getting their hopes extremely up to fact that Peyton just might make it. Still flowing down stream the officers miss several shots to his head and body. He makes it to shore where he immediately heads to the woods to start his journey back to reunite with his wife and children. When he arrives to his residence, something happens in the story that chokes you just like the rope on his neck. Symbolically analyzing the end, it is clear that his dream state between life and death ends when he reaches what is most important to him, his wife and kids.
