Along the way, Inman finds a preacher named John. John is a drunk, but he goes with Inman. However, they are caught by the Home Guard, a group of men who try to find deserters and round them up. They are put in chains with a bunch of other people and are forced to march for a few days. However, the Home Guard gets tired of moving them and decides to shoot them all. Inman manages to not get hit and soon breaks free.