Milan Maryška

Engineer Jan Sebek (Jan Kacer) is undergoing treatment in a mental home after his unsuccessful attempt to commit suicide. His therapist, via discussions both with the patient and with people who know him, tries to find out what made the young and seemingly satisfied man decide to end his own life. Jan's pretty wife Jana (Jana Brejchová) claims not to know about anything but she is conducting an affair with a family friend, almost publicly and with the blessing of her parents.

In the frontier village Vetrov boys from the children's home called Indians lead a bitter "war" with the local Símáks. Before a battle the Indians have a meeting in the sandpit with a smoke signaling. The smoke brings to the sandpit a frontier guard Tomás with a police dog Ranek. The children learn from Tomás that Rank served out and that it shall be destroyed. The nine-year old Fanda writes a letter to the "minister of the frontier guards" in which he asks to let Ranek live. To save Ranek's life he also visits the local frontier guard commander. In the end it is decided that children from the children's home may keep Ranek.