Hal and Mr. Mitchell take Moon to their mobile home outside a town called Union. On the way, Hal relates how he followed the creek out of the woods to a road and got a ride with a man who was “pretty jumpy about all those dogs crammed in his car” (178). They stop the truck to have Spam sandwiches for lunch. Once at the trailer, Moon showers and Hal shaves Moon’s hair off due to bugs and, as Moon says, “[s]pring’s about here anyway” (180). Moon asks about going for Pap’s rifle and calling Kit at the hospital. Hal says he should wait on both counts. Moon admits to being afraid and feeling bad about Kit getting sick, but Hal says it was not Moon’s fault.

Hal tapes black garbage bags over the glassless window holes of the truck and takes Moon “muddin’” (182). This consists of speeding and fishtailing the truck around in the muddy bottom of the clay pit near the trailer. Moon says it is “the most fun” he ever experienced (183). When Mr. Mitchell awakes from his daily afternoon nap, he allows the boys to see his machine gun from Vietnam. He also allows Moon to fire it at bottles: “Make ‘em pay, Moon” (184).