第78章

第78章pursuedbythefrencharmyofahundredthousandmenunderthecommandofbonaparte，receivedwithhostilitybytheinhabitants，losingconfidenceintheirallies，sufferingfromshortnessofsupplies，andforcedtoactundercircumstancesunlikeanythingthathadbeenforeseen，therussianarmyofthirty-fivethousandmen，underthecommandofkutuzov，beatahastyretreattothelowergroundaboutthedanube.theretheyhalted，andwereovertakenbytheenemy，andfoughtafewrear-guardskirmishes，avoidinganengagement，exceptinsofarasitwasnecessarytosecurearetreatwithoutthelossoftheirageandguns.therewereactionsatlambach，atamsteten，andatmelk；butinspiteofthecourageandstubbornness—acknowledgedevenbytheenemy—withwhichtherussiansfought，theonlyconsequenceoftheseengagementswasastillmorerapidretreat.theaustriantroopsthathadescapedbeingtakenatulm，andhadjoinedkutuzov’sforcesatbraunau，nowpartedfromtherussianarmy，andkutuzovwasleftunsupportedwithhisweakandexhaustedforces.thedefenceofviennacouldnolongerbedreamedof.insteadoftheelaboratelyplannedcampaignofattack，inaccordancewiththeprinciplesofthemodernscienceofstrategy，theplanofwhichhadbeencommunicatedtokutuzovduringhissojourninviennabytheaustrianhofkriegsrath，thesoleaim—almostahopelessone—thatremainednowforkutuzovwastoavoidlosinghisarmy，likemackatulm，andtoeffectajunctionwiththefreshtroopsmarchingfromrussia.

onthe28thofoctober，kutuzovtookhisarmyacrosstotheleftbankofthedanube，andthenforthefirsttimehalted，leavingthedanubebetweenhisarmyandthegreaterpartoftheenemy’sforces.onthe30thheattackedmortier’sdivision，whichwasontheleftbankofthedanube，anddefeatedit.inthisactionforthefirsttimetrophiesweretaken—aflag，cannons，andtwooftheenemy’sgenerals.forthefirsttime，afterretreatingforafortnight，therussiantroopshadhalted，andafterfightinghadnotmerelykeptthefieldofbattle，buthaddriventhefrenchoffit.althoughthetroopswerewithoutclothingandexhausted，andhadlostathirdoftheirstrengthinwounded，killed，andmissing；althoughtheyhadlefttheirsickandwoundedbehindontheothersideofthedanube，withaletterfromkutuzovcommendingthemtothehumanityoftheenemy；althoughthegreathospitalsandhousesinkremscouldnotcontainallthesickandwounded，—inspiteofallthat，thehaltbeforekremsandthevictoryovermortierhadgreatlyraisedthespiritsofthetroops.throughoutthewholearmy，andalsoatheadquarters，therewerethemostcheerfulbutgroundlessrumoursofthenearapproachofthecolumnsfromrussia，ofsomevictorygainedbytheaustrians，andoftheretreatofbonapartepanic-stricken.

princeandreyhadbeenduringtheengagementinattendanceontheaustriangeneralschmidt，whowaskilledinthebattle.hishorsehadbeenwoundedunderhim，andhehadhimselfreceivedaslightwoundonhisarmfromabullet.asamarkofspecialfavouronthepartofthecommander-in-chief，hewassentwiththenewsofthisvictorytotheaustriancourt，nowatbrunn，asviennawasthreatenedbythefrench.onthenightofthebattle，excited，butnotweary（thoughprinceandreydidnotlookrobustlybuilt，hecouldbearfatiguebetterthanverystrongmen），hehadriddenwithadespatchfromdohturovtokremstokutuzov.thesamenighthehadbeensentonwithaspecialdespatchtobrunn.thiscommission，apartfromitsreward，meantanimportantstepinpromotion.

thenightwasdarkandstarlit；theroadlookedblackinthewhitesnowthathadfallenonthedayofthebattle.withhismindfilledwithimpressionsofthebattle，joyfulanticipationsoftheeffectthatwouldbeproducedbythenewsofthevictory，andrecollectionsofthefarewellsofthecommander-in-chiefandhiscomrades，princeandreytrottedalonginalightpostingcart，withthesensationsofamanwho，afterlongwaiting，hasatlastattainedthefirstinstalmentofsomecovetedhappiness.assoonasheclosedhiseyes，thefiringofgunsandcannonswasechoinginhisears，andthatsoundblendedwiththerattleofthewheelsandthesensationofvictory.atonemomenthewouldbegintodreamthattherussianswereflying，thathewashimselfslain；buthewakedupinhaste，andwithfreshhappinessrealisedanewthatthatwasallunreal，andthatitwasthefrench，onthecontrary，whowereputtoflight.herecalledagainallthedetailsofthevictory，hisowncalmmanlinessduringthebattle，and，reassured，hebegantodoze.…thedark，starlitnightwasfollowedbyabrightandsunnymorning.thesnowwasthawinginthesun，thehorsesgallopedquickly，andnewanddifferent-lookingforests，fields，andtreesflewbyonbothsidesoftheroadalike.

atoneofthestationsheovertookaconvoyofrussianwounded.therussianofficerinchargeofthetransportlaylollingbackintheforemostcart，andwasshoutingcoarseabuseatasoldier.ineachofthelonggermanvorspannssixormorepale，bandaged，anddirtywoundedmenwerebeingjoltedoverthestonyroads.someofthemweretalking（hecaughtthesoundofrussianwords），otherswereeatingbread；themostseverelywoundedgazeddumblyatthepostingcarttrottingby，withthelanguidinterestofsickchildren.