machine guns barking at once. The enemy falls silent. It seems they were just a few gunmen.
That was no real battle, but the trucks now drive faster, without stopping. Judging by the colorful rockets, we are now to the south of Iraq al-Manshiyya. We drive on for another hour. More trucks break down.
From the radio traffic it sounds as though we are near our goal. The Negev brigade suddenly joins the net. HQ asks where we are exactly, and the Palmach forces occupying the positions north of the road want to know if it is OK for them to withdraw.
From the front of the convoy comes a radio message that they have met the Negev people. The convoy halts. We drive forwards. A few half-track vehicles are waiting there. The commanders are deep in discussion. Both their and our soldiers have got out.
"Greetings Animal!"
"Greetings Fox!"
"What’s the news from the Land of Israel?" asks a bearded Negev man.
"What are your girls like?" asks a Fox.
Discussions take place but there is no easy conclusion: to return immediately or not? Two of the eight jeeps have to be towed. It is four o’clock in the morning with only ninety minutes till sunrise. The enemy might have found the abandoned trucks or heard from the Bedouins and set a trap for us.
On the other hand: if we don’t return straight away, this route will be of no more use to us. We would have to find another, and no one knows how long we would then have to stay in the Negev. We could forget about any leave.
We ask HQ. They leave the decision to Elieser. He is an old Haganah man and asks for our opinions. Two camps develop. I am convinced that we should return immediately. That would be a brave decision. But it is exactly that which gives us a chance. This opinion gains the upper hand. Now every minute counts. We set off.
* * *
This time we enjoy the drive. We are free of the heavy trucks and drive at full speed. Whenever Reuven slows for a moment, our jeep jumps. Our bodies have long been mashed to pulp. We laugh and swear. Suddenly Elieser halts. We have gone the wrong way. Hell. We