English Translation

"I'll bring you written orders from K. Da!" The SD. man picks up the lining of his skirt and holds a pack of papers for the boss who hastily grasps it. While reading, the boss once says, "Sina, give him our spoon." And after a while, the woman straightens up, grabs her skirt and throws a wooden spoon at the SD.-man's feet. "You live excellently, the SD.-man notices after the first taste, without forging a face. No one answers. Only when the boss pushes the papers into the pocket after a while, he says: "Today the food is exceptionally better, because the horse was not yet very old. Tomorrow there will be Hirsebrei again. What do you know back there in K., how we are in the forest. And now tell me how you got through." The SD.-man tells. He was lucky. Since he was a civilian, no one paid attention to him, and so he could escape unchallenged into the forest. That was during the advance of the Germans ... Whether the Germans were still so strong? "Yes! The distance between you and us has been extended again. The devil is supposed to get it! "From the devil do you speak? Say once, Alamnov, have you become religious?" The whole gang laughs, and everyone is now moving closer to the fire. The SD.-man has become the center of the whole mob. He was watched from all sides. Now he was not allowed to lose his nerves. A single false word could betray him, he has seen that now, and then not only he, but also his whole plan was done. "You of the staff are not real Bolsheviks, even much less protecting hedges. You should replace us once more." Again the whole mob laughs, and the woman cuddles at the boss. "But don't do anything about it," says the boss, grabbing into his pockets. "Look! This and this and house and yard, money, children, wife, if I could return to K.." He opened the fists — a Soviet order of government lies in one hand and the Order of the Red Flag in the other hand. Now they constantly tell their experiences, and the SD.-man learns everything he wants to know about the surrounding small neighboring camps. He is soon informed about location, strength, hope and mood. And now it was time for him. "When are you going back?" he asks the SD-man. "When you want." "Go early in the morning, or better now." Well, he has no hurry. He has a second assignment to carry out. He must also give orders to the camp. "But be careful not to get caught by the Germans!" warns the boss. "Many fresh troops are said to have arrived. Have you also seen them?" "I am at the front too short a time to be able to distinguish between old and fresh troops." "Oh, you're just an inexperienced, a beginner. Therefore pay twice as much attention and always seek protection from the comrades in the villages. They like to give you food." Whether they often fetched food from the companions in the village. Yes, yes — but voluntarily they wouldn't give anything, you have to take everything by force! "Look, boss — that's why I have to avoid the villages. I always go in cross-country or through the forest. But now listen — I want to sleep now." The woman throws the rest of the heating material into the glow. A green smoke rises. The SD.-man spreads out the horseskin in the moist place that has become vacant and stretches out. "Let me wake up an hour before sunrise, he still says. Then he closes his eyes, but listens to every word spoken by the squatting in front of the cauldron. Later the others also lie down. Only the boss is still sitting there with the woman. Her hot whisper is silent only after some time. — The biting smoke is still in the room when a bearded face bends over that of the SD. man. He jumps up and grabs the gun 87