War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 248 The First Bucket of Water
Riding on a three-wheeled motorcycle, the three of them followed the message on the wreckage of the fighter jet and headed all the way due east. After crossing the sand dunes, they saw from a distance that on the side of a stone pile less than two meters high, there was a A broken parachute fixed to the surface is blowing in the wind.

Parking the tricycle next to the parachute that was no different from rags, the three jumped out of the car in no particular order, and started digging around the root of the parachute.

However, more than half an hour later, the hole dug by the three of them was already nearly one meter deep, but the parachute cord seemed to have no end, and it was still firmly buried under the dry yellow sand. Do not move.

"It's too slow to dig with your hands alone." Wei Ran shook his fingers, "Carlo, go and pick up some useful things near the wreckage of the plane, even if it's just a piece of iron, it's much more useful than just digging with your hands."

"I'll give you the gun?" Carlo said, about to take off the submachine gun on his shoulder.

Wei Ran glanced at Harry who was still digging the sand with his head down, and refused with a smile, "Forget it, you can take it away."

Carlo also glanced at Harry, reminded Wei Ran with his eyes indiscriminately, and then returned the same way on the three-wheeled motorcycle with a submachine gun on his back.

It wasn't until the car was far away that Harry said sullenly, "Thank you, thank you for your trust."

"I believe you won't do stupid things, the most important thing now is to survive, isn't it?"

While Wei Ran was speaking, he also rejoined the ranks of digging.However, if the two of them dug up a bucket of sand, at least half of the bucket would slide down the edge again.In order to dig deeper, they had to expand the excavation area. Invisibly, the workload also increased a lot.

Fortunately, not long after, Carlo ran back driving a three-wheeled motorcycle, and brought back two propeller blades and a large piece of gleaming iron sheet polished by sand.

With this little assistance, the excavation progress was greatly improved. From noon until the sun set again, the wooden paddle in Wei Ran's hand finally poked the hard material under the yellow sand!

Hearing the sound, the three of them stopped in unison, Wei Ran dropped the paddle in his hand, tried to tug on the still dry paracord, and then pulled out an oil barrel from under the yellow sand!
What is even more unexpected is that, in addition to the paracord tied to the handle of the oil drum, there is actually a steel wire rope as thick as chopsticks!
Anyway, after half a month of learning how to fly a fixed-wing aircraft in Inta, Wei Ran guessed at a glance that the wire rope was probably taken out of that fighter jet!
Not daring to pull the wire rope easily, Wei Ran sat down in the center of the conical bunker that had been dug nearly two meters deep, and first shook the lid of the 20-liter oil drum imitated from the German army in his hand.After hearing the sound of splashing liquid coming from inside, the three of them also showed surprise on their faces.

"Victor, open it!" Carlo urged.

Hearing this, Wei Ran didn't delay any longer, and lifted the buckle of the barrel lid, and then the three of them smelled the strong smell of gasoline.

"What is gasoline?" Carlo sat on the sand in disappointment.

"No, not gasoline"

Wei Ran surprised and gave another answer, "It's just that the oil barrel was not cleaned before filling it with water, look!"

While speaking, Wei Ran poured some liquid from the bucket into his hands. Under the last ray of the setting sun, although the surface of this small handful of water reflected a layer of oily light, it was indeed water!

"But such a small amount of water is not enough for the seven of us to drink," Carlo said, frowning.

“It’s really not enough for the seven of us to drink”

Wei Ran poured the little water in his hand back into the oil drum, closed the lid and said, "But this bucket of water is enough to fill up the water tank of that truck, allowing Panetone and the others to drive the truck over."

As he said that, Wei Ran lightly flicked the tight rusty steel wire rope, "The other end of it can't be tied to the British teapot, right?"

Carlo was not stupid, and instantly understood Wei Ran's meaning, "You mean there is a well on the other side?"

"Then we will only find out when Panetone and the others come over and help dig together."

Wei Ran flicked the wire rope again, "The rope is so tight, it may take a long time to dig it out with just the three of us."

"The three of us going back together?"

Carlo looked at Wei Ran and Harry in a dilemma. It was not appropriate for them to take anyone away. Only Wei Ran was taken away. It was difficult to guarantee whether Harry would run away with a jerk or dig out before they came back. That thing on the other end of the wire, and wreak havoc.Only take Harry away, not only do we have to beware of him on the way, but once the three-wheeled motorcycle is snatched away, it will be even more dangerous. At that time, it will be difficult for Panetone and others who stayed behind to survive.

"Carlo, are you sure you can go back by yourself?"

Wei Ran offered the fourth option, "If you are sure to go back by yourself, and if you are also sure to bring them back, Harry and I will stay here and wait for you."

"At least it's not a big problem to go back to the stone mountain where we rested last night." Carlo said confidently, "I've always remembered the way, but..."

"Three people sit on that three-wheeled motorcycle, and there are so many things, it can't run fast at all."

Wei Ran continued without waiting for the other party to finish speaking, "If you are sure to go back with this bucket of water alone, this is the fastest way."

"or."

"I slept in the car this morning." Wei Ran blocked the other party's thoughts again, "I don't even know how to get back to the place where I rested last night."

Carlo let out a heavy breath when he heard the words, "Then I'm leaving now! Try to come back before noon tomorrow."

Now that the other party had made a decision, Wei Ran stopped talking nonsense, took out the pliers from the toolbox of the three-wheeled motorcycle, and cut off the wire rope connected to the oil drum.

After he sent the oil barrel full of fresh water to Carlo's already started three-wheeled motorcycle, the latter also took Harry, unloaded the canvas tent and some food and drink in the cargo box, and only took the barrel Fresh water, half a barrel of fuel and two bottles of wine to quench your thirst.

After watching Carlo disappear into the sand dunes with his tricycle, Wei Ran and the captive Harry exchanged a glance, and then each sat on a wooden box.

"After you find enough fresh water, you, no, what are you going to do with me?" Harry asked a little nervously.

"At least you won't be sent to a concentration camp for the Germans"

Wei Ran opened a bottle of red wine, took a big gulp in his mouth, and handed it to the other party, "Of course, I don't care about these things. Among us, Carlo has the highest military rank. Your problem may eventually be solved. It will be up to him to make the decision.”

"What an inexplicable war"

Harry took a sip of the red wine, and muttered to himself, "Whether it's you, Carlo, or even that German guy Pell, you're all different from the Phaxes depicted in the newspapers. If there was no war , we might become good friends."

"When the war is over, we can continue to be friends." Wei Ran paused and added, "Of course, the premise is that we can all survive the war."

Harry smiled, and returned the wine bottle to Wei Ran, "If we are still alive after the war, you can come to my house as guests and taste the Scotch whiskey brewed in my wine cellar, which is definitely better than this French red wine Much better to drink."

"Are you Scottish?" Wei Ran asked curiously.

"Of course!"

Harry said with some pride, "My home is on the edge of Loch Ness, and I run a not-so-big winery and a not-so-big silverware workshop. Use the silver jug ​​made by my home to fill us Home-brewed whiskey is the best gift for friends.”

"Loch Ness? Is it the Loch Ness with the monster?" Wei Ran asked curiously. When he was young, there were many legends about the Loch Ness monster in literature and toilet books at various street stalls.

"You know all of this?" Harry looked at Wei Ran in surprise, "What else do you know?"

"I also know men in Scotland wear kilts"

"Haha! You're right, it is! Scottish men do wear kilts"

Harry smiled and confirmed Wei Ran's knowledge, "But I have never seen the Loch Ness Monster, although there are indeed such legends in our local area. After the war is over, you may be able to go to Loch Ness to see for yourself."

"If there is a chance, I will go." Wei Ran agreed ambiguously.

On the other hand, Harry made a very serious promise, "I will give you a silver jug ​​full of whiskey when the time comes."

"I hope we can all live until the end of the war!" Wei Ran sat up after speaking, "Okay, before it's completely dark, let's set up the tent first, and then get some food."

"I'm already hungry"

Harry got up quickly when he heard the words, "Italian canned food is much more delicious than British ones, and you actually call this thing Mussolini's ass."

While the two of them were building a tent in the sandpit and setting up a bonfire to prepare dinner, Carlo had already raised the speed of the three-wheeled motorcycle to the highest speed.

As Wei Ran said before, without the extra load, the three-wheeled motorcycle was much faster than when it came. When he rushed back to the short mountain where he camped last night, it was only late at night. Around 12 o'clock.

Finding the place where he rested last night, re-igniting the sand mixed with fuel, Carlo rested briefly for more than an hour to warm up his body, and then climbed up the short hill, quietly waiting for the artillery fire to guide him in the direction.

Not long after, an imperceptible flame exploded in the night sky at the end of his field of vision. Seeing this, Carlo immediately ran down the short hill, followed the direction of the flame, and rushed over on his three-wheeled motorcycle.

At four o'clock in the morning, when the night sky lit up with fire again, he could even faintly hear the sound of anti-aircraft guns firing.

(End of this chapter)