The young senior lieutenant Galtsev, the interim battalion commander, was awakened in the middle of the night. Near the coast a boy of about twelve was detained, all wet and trembling from the cold. To the strict questions of Galtsev, the boy only answers that his name is Bondarev, and demands that he immediately report his arrival to headquarters. But Galtsev, not immediately believing, reports about the boy only when he correctly names the names of staff officers. Lieutenant Colonel Gryaznov really confirms: “This is our guy”, he needs to “create all conditions” and “treat more kindly”. As ordered, Galtsev gives the boy paper and ink. He pours out onto the table and intently counts grains and conifer needles. Received data is immediately sent to headquarters. Galtsev feels guilty for shouting at the boy, now he is ready to look after him.
Comes Choline, a tall handsome man and a joker about twenty-seven years old. Ivan (the boy’s name) tells a friend about how he couldn’t get to the boat waiting for him because of the Germans and how he could hardly cross the cold Dnieper on a log. On the form brought to Ivan Holin, the Order of the Patriotic War and the medal "For Courage". After a meal, Choline and the boy leave.
After some time, Galtsev again meets with Ivan. First, a quiet and modest foreman Katasononych appears in the battalion. From the observation posts he “watches the German”, spending a whole day at the stereo pipe. Then Choline, together with Galtsev, inspects the terrain and trenches. The Germans on the other side of the Dnieper constantly keep our coast under guns. Galtsev should "render all possible assistance" to Choline, but he does not want to "run" after him. Galtsev goes about his business, checks the work of the new medical assistant, trying not to pay attention to the fact that he is facing a beautiful young woman.
Arriving Ivan is unexpectedly friendly and talkative. Tonight he will be transported to the German rear, but he does not even think of sleeping, but reads magazines, eats lollipops. The boy admires Finnish Galtsev, but he cannot give Ivan a knife - after all, this is the memory of his deceased best friend. Finally, Galtsev learns in more detail about the fate of Ivan Buslov (this is the real name of the boy). He comes from Gomel. His father and sister died in the war. Ivan had to go through a lot: he was in the partisans, and in Trostyants - in the death camp. Lieutenant Colonel Gryaznov persuaded Ivan to go to the Suvorov School, but he only wants to fight and take revenge. Choline "didn’t even think that the child could hate so ...". And when they decided not to send Ivan on a mission, he left himself. What this boy can do, and adult scouts rarely succeed. It was decided that if Ivan’s mother was not found after the war, he would be adopted by Katasononych or a lieutenant colonel.
Kholin says that Katasonych was unexpectedly called into the division. Ivan is offended childishly: why didn’t he come to say goodbye? In fact, Katasononych has just been killed. Now the third will be Galtsev. Of course, this is a violation, but Galtsev, even before asking to take him in intelligence, is being decided. Having carefully prepared, Kholin, Ivan and Galtsev go for surgery. Having crossed the river, they hide the boat. Now the boy has a difficult and very risky task: to imperceptibly pass fifty kilometers behind the Germans. Just in case, he is dressed as a “homeless scum”. Insuring Ivan, Kholin and Galtsev spend about an hour in ambush, and then return back.
Galtsev orders exactly the same Finnish for Ivan as the one he liked. After some time, meeting with Gryaznov, Galtsev, already approved as the battalion commander, asks to hand over the knife to the boy. But it turns out that when they finally decided to send Ivan to school, he left without permission. Gryaznov reluctantly speaks of the boy: the fewer people know about the “muzzle”, the longer they live.
But Galtsev cannot forget about the little scout. After a serious wound, he goes to Berlin to seize the German archives. In the documents of the secret field police, Galtsev suddenly discovers a photo with a familiar cheeky face and eyes wide apart. The report said that in December 1943, after fierce resistance, Ivan was detained, who observed the movement of German echelons in the restricted area. After interrogations, on which the boy “held defiantly”, he was shot.
