p ins , ▁is ▁the ▁char ism atic ▁leader ▁of ▁a ▁special ▁squad , ▁many ▁from ▁military ▁pr isons , ▁who ▁ra id ▁enemy ▁lines ▁at ▁night ▁taking ▁no ▁prisoners . ▁Des pis ing ▁career ▁soldiers , ▁his ▁only ▁friend ▁is ▁the ▁young ▁academic ▁Nor bert . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁Arm ist ice ▁with ▁Bulg aria ▁is ▁signed ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁his ▁unit ▁is ▁sent ▁to ▁Buch ar est , ▁capital ▁of ▁France ' s ▁al ly ▁Roman ia , ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Al lied ▁inter vention ▁in ▁the ▁Russian ▁Civil ▁War . ▁Ne ither ▁fighting ▁nor ▁dem obil ised , ▁mor ale ▁pl umm ets ▁and ▁courts - mart ial ▁begin . ▁After ▁a ▁successful ▁defence , ▁ ▁Nor bert ▁is ▁co er ced ▁into ▁becoming ▁the ▁pro sec utor ▁by ▁the ▁threat ▁that , ▁if ▁he ▁does ▁not , ▁Con an ▁will ▁be ▁charged . ▁In ▁a ▁brut al ▁ra id ▁on ▁a ▁crow ded ▁night club , ▁some ▁of ▁Con an ' s ▁men ▁seized ▁the ▁tak ings , ▁cri pp ling ▁a ▁female ▁singer ▁and ▁killing ▁the ▁female ▁c ash ier . ▁With ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ian ▁police ▁and ▁a ▁French ▁prost itute , ▁Nor bert ▁finds ▁the ▁men ▁but ▁gets ▁them ▁light ▁sentences . ▁ ▁A ▁wid ow ▁arriv es ▁from ▁France ▁looking ▁for ▁her ▁son , ▁whom ▁she ▁finds ▁await ing ▁trial ▁for ▁desert ion . ▁After ▁listening ▁to ▁her ▁story , ▁Nor bert ▁thinks ▁that ▁the ▁boy ▁may