Chapter 12 Piercing the Sands

"Always obey!" replied the regular meeting. In front of Hu Tuli, it was inconvenient for Master Su to give him any more advice. He will follow the routine and let them explain everything about themselves and hand it over to the cloud garrison for the record......

The two of them often took horses to send the old man and his granddaughter back to the clouds, taking the shortcut they passed. This shortcut is a second march for horses, and it is found that there are more than 20 miles of difficult places to enter the mountains at both ends, and it is a rugged sheep intestine path that appears and disappears from time to time, and the middle is facing inward, and gradually becomes a road that can be carried out by beating horses. This is also a hidden place for the Qijia mountain people to engage in for their own safety.

It only took them five days to go back and forth, and on the sixth day, they caught up with Su Wu and his party. The further north you go, the more you enter the desert realm, where the sand dunes stretch infinitely like carved prints, boundless and stunning.

Su Wu discussed with the guide, they rested for a long time, prepared ten days of dried naan and water for everyone, and each of them marched forward.

In the morning, the team trekked along a sand ridge and stepped on golden grains of sand, although it was very tiring, but the sun was mild and the breeze was blowing, which was quite pleasant. It was almost noon, and the heavens were angry, and the wind was fierce, and the sand was flying all over the world, covering the sky and the sun. People and animals can't open their eyes, they can't move their feet, they can't walk.

Hu Tuli checked the direction of the wind and ordered everyone: "Everyone, hold hands and retreat flat to the right against the wind!"

Su Wu then shouted: "Everyone obeys the command of the guide! The sergeants, each in charge of their own affairs, will help everyone to retreat to the right side together!"

Su Wu took the hands of the people on the left and right, everyone pulled each other, pulled the reins of horses and camels, retreated against the wind and sand, and more than 30 zhang away from the sand ridge, Hu Tuli shouted: "Everyone, face the wind and sand and lie down with your head in your arms!"

The people listened to the command and fell down, the camels fell to the ground when they saw the people lying down, and the horses also fell down one after another. Su Wu wiped the sand all over his face, covered his forehead with his hands and blindfolded his eyes, checked the situation of the team, and a sandstorm pounced, Hu Tuli dragged him and fell down next to the camel.

After about half an hour, the wind finally got tired and the sand couldn't fly. When people opened their eyes, they struggled to get up from the sand nest and found that the sand ridge not far behind them had been filled by flying sand. Everyone gasped: Thank God, thank you, Guide Hutuli! Otherwise, these many people would have died in the desert.

Su Wu gave Hu Tuli a hu: "Thank you!"

"It's a matter of business. You're welcome!" Hu Tuli said, "When walking in the desert and encountering wind and sand, you must first go to flat ground and lie down with your head in the face of wind and sand, so that you can protect yourself." ”

Su Wu looked at the weather and discussed with Hu Tuli and said, "Mr. Hu, did you say that you should let everyone be here, drink water, eat something and then leave." ”

"Okay!"

Su Wu said to everyone: "Listen, everyone: everyone rest on the spot, drink saliva, eat something and then move forward!"

Everyone sat on the spot and ate. Camels can endure many days without food when they are full, but horses can't, so they have to add some forage every day. This is no exception in the desert, otherwise they would not be able to walk.

The horsemen gave each horse a small amount of black beans to carry, but the camel watched the horses eat and moved their mouths. Su Wu asked them to give the camels some to eat as well.

After the team started, Su Wu and Hu Tuli walked in the front, and Su Wu asked, "Mr. Hu, you let the team leave the sand ridge and go to the flat ground." I think this is the truth, because the flat ground can't stop the wind and sand, but it can protect life!"

"That's right!" he said happily, "Readers are good and can tell the root of the problem!"

"Have you read a book?"

"When it's time for me to study, I'm running around on horseback with my parents. Later, when I got older, I had time to study and was very busy, so I just studied with the Han people for a year. ”

"Do you know Chinese characters?"

"I will write a few more. ”

Su Wu thought, this person is not like the ordinary people of the Hu people. But I couldn't ask anything more, just asked: "Mr. Hu, how many days are there before our group can get out of the desert?"

"At this rate, I'm afraid it will take seven or eight days!"

"Is the road easy?" he asked deliberately.

"The most difficult thing to walk is that there is a sand ravine in front of you, and if the weather is good and you are lucky, you will beat the horses. ”

The days are long, and the nights are still bright, and the nights are short, and the days are bright. As soon as the team enters the desert, under the arrangement of the guide, they generally set up tents and rest in the open area next to the sand road.

On the day when I was going to walk the sand ravine, the day was just dawn, and the guide Hu Tuli walked out of the tent to check the weather conditions, the sky was starry, and there were no clouds, which was good weather. After crossing this sandy ravine, you can cross the horse for an hour and a half. But it took a day for these many people to walk with their camels and bags.

As a guide, he had to be optimistic about the weather and lead the team to set off as soon as possible to avoid the disturbance of the wind and sand. Huotoujun had already boiled water, Zhang Sheng woke everyone up, and after eating and drinking, he set off. The most frightening thing about walking in the desert is walking in a deserted ravine.

The team had been walking for a whole day, and when the sun was about to fall into the sand nest, suddenly, a strong wind struck behind them, and suddenly the wind and sand were filled, roaring in the ditch and urging the whole team and livestock to fall forward. "Climb to both sides, and stand with your backs against the sand walls on both sides!"

This is called the storm through the hall, and Hu Tuli often crosses this road and encounters it once. It was also summer, and he was passing by alone, but he was dismounted by the wind, and the horse was frightened and leaned against the sand ditch wall to escape, but he was caught in the wind and sand and ran for more than a mile, and finally his body hit the sand wall, and he fell to the root of the sand wall and was not swept away.

Everyone followed the guide's example, helped each other, and pulled the weak one with strength. Those who did not fall dragged them down, and everyone climbed with their backs to the outside, and their elbows and heads against the sand wall. The escort was carried by young and vigorous soldiers, pulling cattle and camels carrying heavy loads to the sides.

Su Wu commanded the soldiers against the sand wall, risked his life, toured to take care of the infirm, and loudly told everyone: "Everyone, you must listen to the command of the guide and don't act without authorization!"

Suddenly, with the sound of wind and sand raging, a 50-year-old escort named Wei Or trembled and shouted, "I, cold, cold!"

The soldiers immediately surrounded him and warmed him. Su Wu said loudly to everyone: "You are close to each other, huddle together to withstand the cold!"

Although everyone stood in a row against the sand wall, the line was much shorter. After an hour, it was dark, the wind was getting lighter, and the sand could not reach it. People breathed a sigh of relief. Under the command of Su Wu, everyone slammed the sand on their bodies, and each team set off.

Summer nights in the north, under the polar light, the night is not too dark. The team walked out of the sand road through the hall in a sleepy manner, and looked at the front of them, and as far as the eye could see, there was still a long sandy field. Su Wu asked the guide, "Mr. Hu, can you rest here?"