第654章

第654章the5thofnovemberwasthefirstdayoftheso-calledbattleofkrasnoe.

manyhadbeentheblundersanddisputesamongthegenerals,whohadnotreachedtheirproperplaces,manythecontradictoryorderscarriedtothembyadjutants,buttowardseveningitwasclearthattheenemywereeverywhereinflight,andthattherewouldnotandcouldnotbeabattle.intheeveningkutuzovsetoutfromkrasnoetowardsdobroe,towhichplacetheheadquartershadthatdaybeenremoved.

ithadbeenaclear,frostyday.kutuzov,mountedonhisfat,whitelittlehorse,wasridingtowardsdobroe,followedbyanimmensesuiteofgenerals,whisperingtheirdissatisfactionbehindhisback.seventhousandfrenchprisonershadbeentakenthatday,andallalongtheroadtheymetpartiesofthem,crowdingtowarmthemselvesroundthecamp-fires.notfarfromdobroetheyheardaloudhumoftalkfromanimmensecrowdoftatteredprisoners,bandagedandwrappedupinragsofallsorts,standingintheroadnearalongrowofunharnessedfrenchcannons.attheapproachofthecommander-in-chiefthebuzzoftalkdiedaway,andalleyeswerefixeduponkutuzov,whomovedslowlyalongtheroad,wearingawhitecapwitharedband,andawaddedovercoat,thatsetinahunchonhisroundshoulders.oneofthegeneralsbeganexplainingtokutuzovwheretheprisonersandthegunshadbeentaken.

kutuzovseemedabsorbedinanxiousthought,anddidnothearthegeneral’swords.hescreweduphiseyeswithanairofdispleasure,andgazedintentlyatthefiguresoftheprisoners,whopresentedaparticularlypitiableappearance.themajorityofthefrenchsoldiersweredisfiguredbyfrost-bittencheeksandnoses,andalmostallofthemhadred,swollen,andstreamingeyes.

onegroupoffrenchmenwasstandingclosebytheroad,andtwosoldiers,onewithhisfacecoveredwithsores,weretearingatapieceofrawmeatwiththeirhands.therewassomethingbestialandhorribleinthecursoryglancetheycastontheapproachinggenerals,andthefrenziedexpressionwithwhichthesoldierwiththesoreface,afteraglanceatkutuzov,turnedawayandwentonwithwhathewasdoing.

kutuzovlookedalongwhileintentlyatthesetwosoldiers;frowningmorethanbefore,hehalf-closedhiseyelids,andshookhisheadthoughtfully.furtheron,henoticedarussiansoldier,whowassayingsomethingfriendlytoafrenchprisoner,laughingandclappinghimontheshoulder.kutuzovshookhisheadagainwiththesameexpression.

“whatdoyousay？”heaskedthegeneral,whowastryingtodrawthecommander-in-chief’sattentiontothefrenchflags,thatweresetupinfrontofthepreobrazhenskyregiment.

“ah,theflags！”saidkutuzov,rousinghimselfwithevidentdifficultyfromthesubjectabsorbinghisthoughts.helookedabouthimabsently.thousandsofeyesweregazingathimfromallsides,waitingforhiswords.