第75章

第75章“devilknowswhatthey’reabout！”growleddenisov.“ah,rostov！”hecalledtotheensign,noticinghisbeamingface.“well,you’venothadlongtowait.”andhesmiledapprovingly,unmistakablypleasedatthesightoftheensign.rostovfeltperfectlyblissful.atthatmomentthecolonelappearedatthebridge.denisovgallopeduptohim.

“yourexcellency,letusattack！we’llsettlethem.”

“attack,indeed！”saidthecolonelinaboredvoice,puckeringhisfaceupasthoughatateasingfly.“andwhatareyoustoppingherefor？youseetheflanksareretreating.leadthesquadronback.”

thesquadroncrossedthebridgeandpassedoutofrangeoftheenemy’sgunswithoutlosingasingleman.itwasfollowedbythesecondsquadron,andthecossackslastofallcrossed,leavingthefurthersideoftheriverclear.

thetwosquadronsofthepavlogradregiment,aftercrossingthebridge,rodeoneaftertheotherupthehill.theircolonel,karlbogdanitchschubert,hadjoineddenisov’ssquadron,andwasridingatawalkingpacenotfarfromrostov,takingnonoticeofhim,thoughthiswasthefirsttimetheyhadmetsincetheincidentinconnectionwithtelyanin.rostov,feelinghimselfatthefrontinthepowerofthemantowardswhombenowadmittedthathehadbeentoblame,nevertookhiseyesofftheathleticback,andflaxenheadandredneckofthecolonel.itseemedtorostovatonetimethatbogdanitchwasonlyfeigninginattention,andthathiswholeaimwasnowtotesttheensign’spluck;andhedrewhimselfupandlookedabouthimgaily.thenhefanciedthatbogdanitchwasridingclosebyhimonpurposetoshowoffhisownvalour.thenthethoughtstruckhimthathisenemywasnowsendingthesquadrontoahopelessattackonpurposetopunishhim,rostov.thenhedreamedofhowaftertheattackhewouldgouptohimashelaywounded,andmagnanimouslyholdouthishandinreconciliation.thehigh-shoulderedfigureofzherkov,whowasknowntothepavlogradhussars,ashehadnotlongbeforelefttheirregiment,rodeuptothecolonel.afterzherkovhadbeendismissedfromthestaffofthecommander-in-chief,hehadnotremainedintheregiment,sayingthathewasnotsuchafoolastogotohardlabouratthefrontwhenhecouldgetmorepayfordoingnothingonthestaff,andhehadeededingettingappointedanorderlyonthestaffofprincebagration.herodeuptohisoldcolonelwithanorderfromthecommanderoftherearguard.

“colonel,”hesaid,withhisgloomyseriousness,addressingrostov’senemy,andlookingroundathiscomrades,“there’sanordertogobackandburnthebridge.”

“anorder,whoto？”askedthecolonelgrimly.

“well,idon’tknow,colonel,whoto,”answeredthecornet,seriously,“onlytheprincecommandedme：‘rideandtellthecolonelthehussarsaretomakehastebackandburnthebridge.’”

zherkovwasfollowedbyanofficerofthesuite,whorodeuptothecolonelwiththesamecommand.aftertheofficerofthesuitethestoutfigureofnesvitskywasseenridinguponacossack’shorse,whichhadsometroubletogallopwithhim.

“why,colonel,”heshouted,whilestillgallopingtowardshim,“itoldyoutoburnthebridge,andnowsomeone’sgotitwrong;they’reallfranticoverthere,there’snomakingoutanything.”

thecolonelinaleisurelywaystoppedtheregimentandturnedtonesvitsky.

“youtoldmeaboutburningmaterials,”hesaid;“butaboutburningit,youneversaidaword.”

“why,mygoodman,”saidnesvitsky,ashehalted,takingoffhisforage-capandpassinghisplumphandoverhishair,whichwasdrenchedwithsweat,“whatneedtosaythebridgewastobeburntwhenyouputburningmaterialstoit？”

“i’mnotyour‘goodman,’m.lestaff-officer,andyounevertoldmetosetfiretothebridge！iknowmyduty,andit’smyhabittocarryoutmyordersstrictly.yousaidthebridgewillbeburnt,butwhowasgoingtoburniticouldn’ttell.”

“well,that’salwaystheway,”saidnesvitsky,withawaveofhisarm.“howdoyoucomehere？”headded,addressingzherkov.

“why,aboutthesameorder.you’resoppingthough,youwanttoberubbeddown.”

“yousaid,m.lestaff-officer…”pursuedthecolonelinanaggrievedtone.

“colonel,”interposedtheofficerofthesuite,“thereisneedofhaste,ortheenemywillhavemoveduptheirgrape-shotguns.”

thecolonellookeddumblyattheofficerofthesuite,atthestoutstaff-officer,atzherkov,andscowled.

“iwillburnthebridge,”hesaidinasolemntone,asthoughhewouldexpressthatinspiteofeverythingtheymightdotoannoyhim,hewouldstilldowhatheought.

beatinghislongmuscularlegsagainsthishorse,asthoughheweretoblameforitall,thecolonelmovedforwardandcommandedthesecondsquadron,theoneunderdenisov’scommand,inwhichrostovwasserving,toturnbacktothebridge.

“yes,itreallyisso,”thoughtrostov,“hewantstotestme！”hisheartthrobbedandthebloodrushedtohisface.“lethimseewhetheri’macoward！”hethought.

againallthelight-heartedfacesofthemenofthesquadronworethatgraveline,whichhadcomeuponthemwhentheywereunderfire.rostovlookedsteadilyathisenemy,thecolonel,tryingtofindconfirmationofhissuppositionsonhisface.butthecolonelneveronceglancedatrostov,andlooked,ashealwaysdidatthefront,sternandsolemn.thewordofcommandwasgiven.

“looksharp！looksharp！”severalvoicesrepeatedaroundhim.

theirswordscatchinginthereinsandtheirspursjingling,thehussarsdismountedinhaste,notknowingthemselveswhattheyweretodo.thesoldierscrossedthemselves.rostovdidnotlookatthecolonelnow;hehadnotime.hedreaded,withasinkinghearthedreaded,beingleftbehindbythehussars.hishandtrembledashegavehishorsetoanorderly,andhefeltthatthebloodwasrushingtohisheartwithathud.denisov,rollingbackwards,andshoutingsomething,rodebyhim.rostovsawnothingbutthehussarsrunningaroundhim,clinkingspursandjinglingswords.