Sitting in the pit due to the lack of special premises for the arrested in the partisan detachment, Styopka Tolkach went over the circumstances of the last days. Styopka was not lucky in this detachment; they did not trust him very much here and put him in the service platoon. And suddenly the Demoman Maslakov invited him to go on a mission. Styopka was delighted, despite his youth, he was still an experienced demoman. The four of us went - Maslakov, Styopka, Britvin, a former battalion commander, demoted for something and now trying to earn forgiveness, and Danil Shpak, who knew these places well. Assignment: to burn a wooden bridge near the village of Kruglyany. When they were in the right place, dusk was approaching and it was going to rain. “You need to go now,” Maslakov decided. - Near the bridge have not yet set up a night guard. Besides, if the rain rains, the bridge will not light up. Who is with me? ” Britvin and Shpak on various pretexts refused. “Come on,” ordered Maslakov to Styopka. When they left the forest, the road and the bridge seemed completely deserted. But already on the approach to the bridge in a rainy fog, a figure suddenly erupted. It was too late to hide, and they continued to move. A shot crashed from the bridge. Maslakov and Styopka darted off the road, Styopka one at a time, and Maslakov on the other side of the embankment. Holding a rifle in one hand and a canister in the other, Styopka ran along the embankment, which became lower, and finally saw the figure of the shooter. Styopka threw the canister and almost without aiming fired. I jumped across the road and came across Maslakov lying. Looks like he was dead. There was silence, no one shot. Styopka shouldered the body of the commander and dragged back. He all expected that Britvin and Shpak would come out to meet, but he met them only in the forest. Styopka almost cried from grief and despair: Maslakov was wounded, the canister remained near the bridge, and there would be no sense from her anymore - the Germans will now strengthen the guards and not get close to the bridge. “Go look for a wagon,” ordered Styopka Britvin, who took command of the group. Styopka quickly found a horse grazing in the forest. But his master, the fifteen-year-old teenager Mitya, rested: “I can’t give. I’ll bring milk to Kruglyany in the morning. ” “Okay,” Styopka suggested, “let's go together.” In the morning you will return home with the horse. ” Styopka met gloomily: "In vain I tried." Maslakov is dead. They decided to leave the boy until morning, Britvin did not like that Mitya was the son of a policeman. But Styopka felt that Britvin had some idea when he heard that tomorrow morning Mitya should be transporting milk across the bridge. Britvin immediately sent Shpak for explosives, and Mitya sent them home, agreeing that he would call in with milk in the morning. The ammonite brought by Shpak turned out to be very damp, and Britvin ordered it to dry directly on fire. Styopka and Shpak were dried, Britvin watched them from a distance. “Well,” when the explosives dried out, he said, “this is not some kind of gas canister for you. Explosives to me too than they wanted to destroy the bridge. Yes, even without the help of local residents. " “Or maybe Maslakov did not want to risk anyone,” objected Styopka. "To risk? Do you know what war is? This is a risk to people. Those who take more risks win. I can not stand the wiseacres who argue what is right and what is wrong. And no matter how innocent they were hurt. What does the innocent have to do with it - war! ” And Styopka thought that maybe Britvin understands the war better than Maslakov.

In the morning Mitya appeared with a cart and milk cans. From one can they poured milk and filled it with explosives, inserted a fuse and pulled the cord out. “The cord burns for fifty seconds. So, it will be necessary to set fire to the cord thirty meters from the bridge, and on the bridge throw off this can and whip the horses. Until the policemen come to their senses, there will be no bridge, ”Britvin explained to the boy. “And who will go?” Asked Styopka. “And you run fast to the bridge. Your place is there! ” - instead of answering Britvin shouted at Styopka. And Styopka went to the bridge. Styopka got close to him. The road was empty for a long time. And finally, a supply appeared on it. Mitya sat in the cart and clumsily smoked a cigarette. Razor and Shpak were not there. “Where are they?” - worried Mitya. One of the guards shouted something, and the boy stopped the cart and jumped to the ground some ten meters from the bridge. “That's it,” Styopka decided. - Now the policeman will come up and see the Bikford cord. Mitya disappeared. ” Styopka raised his gun and gave the line. The horse rushed forward, flew onto the bridge and suddenly, as if tripping over, fell to its knees. Mitya rushed to the bridge to the horse. On the other side, three policemen fled. Styopka took aim at those running, but did not have time to pull the trigger - a powerful blast wave threw him back. Half-muffled Styopka was already running towards the forest. Behind it burned, and in the middle of the bridge a huge gap gaped. Britvin and Shpak were waiting for him in the forest. "Great banged, ah!" - Britvin rejoiced. But Styopka still could not ask the question: where were they, why did they expose one Mitya? “Are you dissatisfied? Britvin finally asked him. - We blew up the bridge! And everything turned out as planned. When the supply was on the bridge, we shot the horse. ” “That's why Mitya rushed to the bridge,” Styopka understood. “He rushed to the wounded horse.” “Bastard! He shouted to Britvin. - You bastard!" “Hand over the weapons,” Britvin ordered firmly and went to Styopka, waiting for the usual obedience. But Styopka raised his gun and pulled the trigger. Razor bent over, clutching at his stomach ...

And now Styopka sits in a pit and awaits trial. He was visited by Shpak, he informed that Britvin was undergoing surgery, that he would survive and that Britvin was not angry with him, he only asked that Styopka did not tell anything about Mitya and about the whole story. Styopka sent Shpak away. No, he’s not afraid. He, of course, is to blame, and he will be punished. But first, he will tell how it all happened and call Mitya ...