Dolgushov’s death by Isaac Babel. Short summary

5 seconds

During the battle, the telephonist Dolgushov is seriously wounded. He asks to be shot. The narrator refuses. However, Afonka Bida comes to the rescue.

1 minute

Radziwillow and Brody are on fire. They say that the nachdiv is about to be removed. Regimental commander Vytyagaychenko orders the retreat. The Cossacks are left alone. Very close they hear the shots of Polish machine guns. Bullets whistle over their heads.

The narrator and Grischuk have been pacing between the walls of fire all evening. Suddenly they saw a man by the roadside. When they drove closer, they recognized the telephonist Dolgushov.

The telephonist was dying from his wounds. Dolgushov asked them to kill him: «I must have a bullet on me. The narrator refused. At that time Afonka Bida arrived. He talked to the telephonist, then hid his book in his boot and fired.

Afonka was angry at the narrator for such a mawkishness: «You bespectacled lot, you pity our brother like a cat’s mouse…». Bida even wanted to shoot his buddy, but calmed down and went the other way.