We had been running in the forest for a short time when we were blocked by a swamp. As soon as I saw the swamp, my heart couldn't help but sink, thinking that the group of prisoner of war officers who escaped last night were recaptured by the Germans because they didn't know the way and fell into the swamp. If the Germans had caught up at this time, we would have had to tie our hands and take them.

Just when I was in a hurry to get angry, Vaskov drew a dagger stuck in his boot, cut two branches from a tree next to him, and carefully scraped them. Seeing him unhurriedly peeling the branches and leaves on the branches, I asked him strangely, "Fija, what are you doing?" ”

Vaskov stopped what he was doing, looked up at me blankly, and said puzzledly: "Lida, don't you see it?" I'm cutting branches. ”

"My warrant officer, don't cut branches. Let's find our way out of here, and maybe the Germans will soon catch up. As soon as I was in a hurry, I inadvertently changed my address to "Uncle Warrant Officer" from an intimate "Fija".

Vaskov began to continue cutting the branches again, and said as he did: "Lida, don't worry, the way to leave is ready-made." When I have sharpened these two sticks, we will set off. ”

"Where's the road?" I looked around to see where I could get around the swamp.

Vaskov pointed at the swamp with his hand holding the dagger and said: "Here it is." ”

I frowned at the ocean in front of me, dissatisfied with Vaskov's vague answer, and said, "No, Uncle warrant officer, did you say we were going to pass through the middle of the swamp?" ”

Vaskov handed me a sharpened stick, then pointed to the swamp ahead with another stick and said, "Lida, we'll walk over here now." Seeing that I was still a little hesitant, he reminded me, "Have you forgotten that when we went after the Germans who had infiltrated our rear, we also passed through the swamp in order to cut corners?" ”

Hearing him say this, I remembered that there was indeed a plot in the novel where he crossed the swamp in order to take a shortcut, so I didn't say anything more, and obediently followed him into the swamp.

With a wooden stick in his hand, Vaskov stepped into the waist-deep muddy water, and kept telling as he went: "Lida, be careful, you must follow me, one step is steady, and then the next step." You can't make a mistake in half a step, or you'll lose your life. ”

A few days ago, I led my troops to break through the siege, and in order to go around behind the German position, I once followed the guide of the partisans through the swamp, so today I am much more skillful in walking.

He looked back and saw me following him closely, smiled and nodded, and said appreciatively, "Well done, Leda." At this rate, we would be able to walk through the swamp and reach the forest ahead in a maximum of ten minutes. Out of the forest, there was a small village, and as I passed by last night, I saw that our troops were stationed in the village. ”

When I heard that I couldn't go far, I would be able to find my troops, and the big stone in my heart was put down. I walked forward in the muddy water with a wooden stick in my hand, and at the same time chatted with Vaskov: "Fija, I just heard you say that you are a partisan of Sotnikov, where is Sotnikov now, and has he also broken out of the encirclement?" ”

Vaskov shook his head without looking back, and said, "I don't know where he is." Ten days earlier, on his orders, I had gone to find another guerrilla unit and consulted with the commander of that unit to cooperate with the 2nd Assault Army to break through the encirclement. When I arrived at the place, I realized that the guerrillas in Ludao had been wiped out, and I hurried back to resume my life, only to find that they had all been transferred. Later, I wandered around the forest for a few days, but I couldn't find Sotnikov and them. ”

"I met Sotnikov the other day, and he led his troops to assist the 327th Division in breaking through. As our offensive was thwarted, he also sent a guide who led my troops through the forests and swamps to the rear of the Germans, taking them by surprise and successfully breaking through the enemy's lines. ”

"Through forests and swamps?!" Vaskov stopped, stood still and repeated my words to himself. I didn't expect him to stop all of a sudden, slam into him, and the huge recoil made me shake and fall backwards. Luckily, he reacted quickly and grabbed me, otherwise I would have fallen into the water again.

When I regained my footing, he did not let go of my arm, but anxiously asked: "Is the guerrilla who led you through the swamp at that time named Mikolin?" ”

I nodded vigorously and replied, "Yes, the young partisan is called Mikolin." ”

"Where is he now?" Vaskov asked again.

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I don't know what to do, he took us around behind the enemy's lines, and also participated in the battle to seize the position, and after the battle, I don't know where he went, maybe he died, maybe he jumped out of the encirclement with the 327th Division." At this point, I suddenly remembered that I had heard Mikolin say that his captain was a soldier who was particularly familiar with the forest swamps, and it was none other than Vaskov in front of me, so I asked tentatively: "Are you the captain that Mikolin said?" ”

Vaskov touched the back of his head with some embarrassment, smiled shyly and said, "Yes, I am his captain." In the Sotnikov partisans, he and I knew how to find a way through the vast swamps. ”

Before we knew it, we were on the edge of the swamp. As soon as Vaskov stepped on the hard ground of the island, he immediately turned around, stretched out his stick to me, and said, "Leda, hold on." ”

I grabbed the stick, matched his movements, and stepped on solid ground. I went limp, fell to the ground, hadn't eaten or drunk for more than a day, and walked so far, and it was good to be able to hold on until now. I rolled over and lay on my back exhausted, not even able to speak.

Vaskov came over, squatted down beside me, and asked with concern: "Lida, can you still walk?" ”

I waved my hand and said weakly: "Feijia, let me rest for a while, I haven't eaten for more than a day, and now I'm tired and hungry, and I really can't walk." ”

"Oh my God, look at how sloppy I am, I forgot to ask if you had eaten." As he spoke, Vaskov took out the bread wrapped in paper from his bosom, opened it, and handed it to me. I saw that the paper bag was the kind of black rusk that had been sliced, and I grabbed two slices and stuffed them into my mouth.

While I was eating, Vaskov sat quietly beside me, not saying a word. When I finished eating, he asked with some hesitation: "Lida, there is something I want to ask you, I wonder if it is appropriate?" ”

"Ask, Fija."

"I remember you shot yourself in the head with my pistol. I thought you were sacrificing, take that gun and go to the Germans desperately. I didn't expect to see you alive again today, it's incredible. ”

"Nothing strange, Fija." I had been preparing for a long time this reason for resurrection, but I didn't expect it to come in handy now, "When I pulled the trigger on my head, I was too injured and my hand was weak, and the recoil of the gun caused the bullet to shift its position and grazed my eyebrow bone. Maybe you saw me covered in blood and thought I was sacrificed, but I'm still alive. With that, I raised my hand to brush the hair from my forehead and showed him the scar on my eyebrow bone, "Look, there's another scar here." ”

Vaskov lowered his head, carefully examined the scar on my head, and said with conviction: "This is really the blessing of the Virgin Mary, so that you have survived such a serious injury." Where did you go then, and why did you now appear in the 2nd Shock Army and be captured by the Germans? ”

I sat up and began to tell him what had happened after I was hospitalized, and I told him about it in general terms. Even so, it took more than an hour.

Seeing that we had almost recovered our strength, we set off again to join up with the troops stationed in the small village.

When I was about to walk out of the forest, Vaskov suddenly stopped without warning and said to me with some embarrassment: "Lida, I didn't do what you asked me to do, and I apologize to you here." ”

"What did I entrust you with? What's the matter? Why am I not impressed at all? "When I said this, my heart was empty, and I really didn't know what Lu Dao Lida had entrusted him to do before his death.

Seeing my dazed look, Vaskov quickly explained: "Didn't you ask me to look for your mother and son Alik? After I was discharged from the hospital, the city was already occupied by the Germans. After several inquiries, it became clear that your mother escaped with her child and went to Leningrad when the city fell. ……”

Hearing this, I added: "I already know about my mother and son's trip to Leningrad. I went to their place to look for them, but they were evacuated to the rear shortly after the ice line was opened, and their whereabouts are unknown. ”

Unexpectedly, Vaskov continued: "I also went to the city to look for them, and I heard from the neighbors that they were evacuated, and a female soldier went to look for them. I guess that military woman is you, right? I nodded approvingly, and he continued: "I learned from a comrade-in-arms who was in charge of the evacuation that those evacuated residents were in the villages and settlements near here. However, I searched for a long time, but I still couldn't find out their whereabouts. ”

When I heard that Lida's mother and son were in a nearby village or settlement, I grabbed Vaskov's clothes and asked in surprise, "You said they were in the area around here, is this accurate?" "My voice was a little shaky and hoarse because of the excitement.

"Yes, Leda." Vaskov told me with certainty, "That's what my comrades-in-arms told me. ”