Torture

"He stepped back and shot [the buffalo] through the right front knee. The animal did not make a sound. It went down hard, then got up again, and Rat took careful aim and shot off an ear. He shot it in the hindquarters and in the little hump at its back. He shot it twice in the flanks. It wasn't to kill; it was to hurt. He put the rifle muzzle up against the mouth and shot the mouth away. Nobody said much. The whole platoon stood there watching, feeling all kinds of things, but there wasn't a great deal of pity for the baby water buffalo. Curt Lemon was dead. Rat Kiley had lost his best friend in the world. Later in the week he would write a long personal letter to the guy's sister, who would not write back, but for now it was a question of pain. He shot off the tail. He shot away chunks of meat below the ribs...Rat went on automatic. He shot randomly, almost casually...All the while the baby buffalo was silent, or almost silent, just a light bubbling sound where the nose had been." Page 75 and 76

I found this passage extremely disturbing. Before this passage, I actually really like Rat. He was one of my favorite characters, but I just didn't get this passage. I didn't understand why he was doing it. Yes, he had lost his best friend but how does torturing an innocent baby buffalo help or bring comfort? And it almost seems that the other soldiers understood. They just watched with no pity for the poor animal. They condoned this outrageous behavior because of his recent loss. I just don't understand how anyone could watch that.