 When she is gone, Carlson, the assistant foreman, abetted by the other ranch hands, begins harassing Candy to give up his old dog, whose smell is unbearable in the bunkhouse.Candy pitifully protests but is eventually overwhelmed by the shouted demands of the men.When Carlson shoots the dog offstage after a long, tense wait inside, the Ballad Singer, a young ranch hand returning late to the bunkhouse, bursts in, alarmed at having heard the shot.