第73章

第73章“takeit,ifyoulike,”saidtheofficer,givingthegirlanapple.thegirlsmiledandtookit.nesvitsky,likeallthemenonthebridge,nevertookhiseyesoffthewomentilltheyhadpassedby.whentheyhadpassedby,againtheremovedbythesamesoldiers,withthesametalk,andatlastallcametoastandstill.asoftenhappens,thehorsesinaconvoy-onbecameunmanageableattheendofthebridge,andthewholecrowdhadtowait.

“whataretheystandingstillfor？there’snoorderkept！”saidthesoldiers.“whereareyoushoving？”“damnit！”“can’tyouwaitalittle？”“it’llbeabadlook-outifhesetslighttothebridge.”

“look,there’sanofficerjammedintoo,”thesoldierssaidindifferentpartsofthestationarycrowd,astheylookedaboutthemandkeptpressingforwardtotheendofthebridge.lookingroundatthewatersoftheennsunderthebridge,nesvitskysuddenlyheardasoundnewtohim,thesoundofsomethingrapidlycomingnearer…somethingbig,andthenasplashinthewater.

“lookwhereitreachesto！”asoldierstandingnearsaidsternly,lookingroundatthesound.

“he’sencouragingustogetonquicker,”saidanotheruneasily.thecrowdmovedagain.nesvitskygraspedthatitwasacannonball.

“hey,cossack,givememyhorse！”hesaid.“nowthen,standaside！standaside！makeway！”

withamightyeffortheeededingettingtohishorse.shoutingcontinually,hemovedforward.thesoldierspressedtogethertomakewayforhim,butjammeduponhimagain,sothattheysqueezedhisleg,andthosenearesthimwerenottoblame,fortheywerepressedforwardevenmoreviolentlyfrombehind.

“nesvitsky！nesvitsky！you,oldchap！”heheardahuskyvoiceshoutingfrombehindatthatinstant.

nesvitskylookedroundandsaw,fifteenpacesaway,separatedfromhimbyalivingmassofmovinginfantry,theredandblackandtousledfaceofvaskadenisovwithaforage-caponthebackofhishead,andapelisseswungjauntilyoverhisshoulder.

“tellthemtomakeway,thedamneddevils！”roareddenisov,whowasevidentlyinagreatstateofexcitement.herolledhisflashing,coal-blackeyes,showingthebloodshotwhites,andwavedasheathedsword,whichheheldinabarehandasredashisface.

“eh！vaska！”nesvitskyrespondedjoyfully.“butwhatareyouabout？”

“thesquadroncan’tadvance！”roaredvaskadenisov,viciouslyshowinghiswhiteteeth,andspurringhishandsome,raventhoroughbred“bedouin,”which,twitchingitsearsatthebayonetsagainstwhichitprickeditself,snortingandshootingfrothfromitsbit,trampedwithmetallicclangontheboardsofthebridge,andseemedreadytoleapovertherailings,ifitsriderwouldletit.

“whatnext！likesheep！foralltheworldlikesheep;back…makeway！…standthere！gotothedevilwiththeon！i’llcutyoudownwithmysword！”heroared,actuallydrawinghisswordoutofthesheathandbeginningtobrandishit.

thesoldiers,withterrifiedfaces,squeezedtogether,anddenisovjoinednesvitsky.

“howisityou’renotdrunkto-day？”saidnesvitsky,whenhecameup.

“theydon’tevengiveustimetodrink！”answeredvaskadenisov.“they’vebeeningtheregimenttoandfrothewholeday.fighting’sallverywell,butwhothedevil’stoknowwhatthisis！”

“howsmartyouareto-day！”saidnesvitsky,lookingathisnewpelisseandfursaddle-cloth.

denisovsmiled,pulledoutofhissabretacheahandkerchiefthatdiffusedasmellofscent,andputittonesvitsky’snose.

“tobesure,i’mgoingintoaction！i’veshaved,andcleanedmyteethandscentedmyself！”

nesvitsky’simposingfigure,accompaniedbyhiscossack,andthedeterminationofdenisov,wavinghisswordandshoutingdesperately,producedsomucheffectthattheystoppedtheinfantryandgottotheotherendofthebridge.nesvitskyfoundattheentrythecolonel,towhomhehadtodeliverthecommand,andhavingexecutedhiscommissionherodeback.

havingclearedthewayforhim,denisovstoppedattheentranceofthebridge.carelesslyholdinginhishorse,whoneighedtogettohiscompanions,andstampedwithitsfoot,helookedatthesquadronmovingtowardshim.theclangofthehoofsontheboardsofthebridgesoundedasthoughseveralhorsesweregalloping,andthesquadron,withtheofficersinfront,drewoutfourmenabreastacrossthebridgeandbeganemergingontheotherside.

theinfantrysoldiers,whohadbeenforcedtostop,crowdinginthetrampledmudofthebridge,lookedattheclean,smarthussars,passingthemingoodorder,withthatspecialfeelingofaloofnessandironywithwhichdifferentbranchesoftheserviceusuallymeet.

“they’reasmartlot！theyoughttobeonthepodnovinsky！”

“they’reagreatdealofuse！they’reonlyforshow！”saidanother.

“infantry,don’tyoukickupadust！”jestedahussar,whosehorse,prancing,sentaspurtofmudonaninfantrysoldier.

“ishouldliketoseeyouaftertwolongmarcheswiththeknapsackonyourshoulder.yourfrogswouldbeabitshabby,”saidthefoot-soldier,rubbingthemudoffhisfacewithhissleeve;“perchedupthereyou’remorelikeabirdthanaman！”

“wouldn’tyouliketobepoppedonahorse,zikin;you’dmakeanelegantrider,”jestedacorporalatathinsoldier,boweddownbytheweightofhisknapsack.

“putastickbetweenyourlegsandyou’dhaveahorsetosuityou,”respondedthehussar.