Jim writes to his mother about his time away from the front, in Barcelona. He was able to enjoy all the indulgences city life has to offer: a bath, a clean bed, good food. He assures her that it will be a long time before he sees any action. He mentions his close friends, John Murra (still convalescing from the Ebro Offensive, where he was shot through the shoulder) and Elman Service, two volunteers who write to Mrs. Lardner after Jim's disappearance.