—— Red Army Sniper ——128lion’. Zagid always strove to be side by side with his friend. In the
intervals between engagements, he told Dobrik: ‘You’re a daring
fighter, Ivan. Boldness is a good thing. But it’s not worth losing
your head; it may come in useful!’ Ivan frowned in response and,
interrupting Zagid, declared impatiently in Ukrainian: ‘I can’t do
otherwise, friend, you know that! You’ve got your folk at home but
mine are under the Nazis! I’m mad at the Nazis.. .’
One time the commander of Rakhmatullin’s 4th Company was
seriously wounded in battle. Zagid loaded him on his back and
dragged him towards their trenches. The Germans had resolved
to take both of them prisoner and charged towards them. Then
Zagid laid the commander on the grass and began to fight off the
Nazis with grenades, and then to target them with his sniper’s rifle.
And, having beaten them off, he continued on his way, hauling
his commander after him. Having got there, he took him to the
medical section and immediately went back to the trenches, and
again dashed into battle.
One day Zagid was escorting a Nazi major whom he had
personally taken prisoner. A motorcyclist stopped by him along
the way.
‘Where are you taking him?’ asked the captain on the
motorbike, his eyes darting warily from side to side.
‘I’m taking a prisoner to the divisional staff,’ Zagid answered.
‘Well, I’ve been looking for him... so, go back, soldier and I’ll
take the prisoner myself – I came specially for him.’
‘No, I’m not giving the prisoner up. I have been ordered to
deliver him and I’ll do it myself.’
‘Quiet! I order you to hand the prisoner over, or else I’ll shoot
you for not obeying an order!’
‘But I don’t know you!’ replied Zagid, feeling that something
was not quite right. And, just in case, he placed his own rifle at the
ready.
Zagid nevertheless handed over the prisoner to the captain; he
was accustomed to obeying officers. But when he returned to the
regiment and reported what had happened, his own commander