第656章

第656章itwasgettingduskonthe8thofnovember,thelastdayofthebattleofkrasnoe,whenthesoldiersreachedtheirhalting-placeforthenight.thewholedayhadbeenstillandfrosty,withnowandthenafewlightflakesofsnow.towardseveningtheskybegantogrowclearer.throughthesnowflakescouldbeseenadark,purplish,starlitsky,andthefrostwasgrowingmoreintense.

aregimentofmusketeers,whichhadlefttarutinothreethousandstrong,buthadnowdwindledtoninehundred,wasamongthefirsttoreachthehalting-place,avillageonthehighroad.thequartermasters,onmeetingtheregiment,reportedthatallthecottageswerefullofsickanddeadfrenchmen,cavalrymen,andstaff-officers.therewasonlyonecottageleftforthecoloneloftheregiment.

thecolonelwentontohiscottage.theregimentpassedthroughthevillage,andstackedtheirgunsupatthefurthestcottagesalongtheroad.

likeahuge,many-edmonster,theregimentsettoworkpreparingitsfoodandlodgingforthenight.onepartyofsoldierstrudgedoff,knee-deepinthesnow,intothebirchcopse,ontherightofthevillage,andtheringofaxesandcutlasses,thecrashofbreakingbranches,andthesoundsofmerryvoiceswereimmediatelyheardcomingthence.anothergroupwerebusilyatworkallroundtheregimentalage-ons,whichweredrawnupalltogether.somefedthehorses,whileothersgotoutcooking-potsandbiscuits.athirdsectiondispersedaboutthevillage,gettingthecottagesreadyforthestaff-officers,carryingoutthedeadbodiesofthefrenchlyinginthehuts,andingawayboards,drywood,andstrawfromthethatchroofs,tofurnishfuelfortheirfiresandmaterialsfortheshelterstheyedup.

behindthehutsattheendofthevillagefifteensoldiersweretryingwithmerryshoutstopulldownthehighwattlewallofabarnfromwhichtheyhadalreadyremovedtheroof.

“nowthen,astrongpull,alltogether！”shoutedthevoices;andinthedarkthehuge,snow-sprinkledboardsofthewallbegantogive.thelowerstakesofthewattlecrackedmoreandmoreoften,andatlastthewattlewallheavedover,togetherwiththesoldiers,whowerehangingontoit.aloudshoutandtheroarofcoarsemerrimentfollowed.

“workatitintwos！giveusaleverhere！that’sit.whereareyoucomingto？”

“now,alltogether.…butwait,lads！…withashout！”…

allweresilent,andalowvoiceofvelvetysweetnessbegansingingasong.attheendofthethirdverse,asthelastnotediedaway,twentyvoicesroaredoutinchorus,“o-o-o-o-o！it’scoming！pullaway！heaveaway,lads！…”butinspiteoftheirunitedeffortsthewallhardlymoved,andinthesilencethatfollowedthemencouldbeheardpantingforbreath.

“hi,youthere,ofthesixthcompany！youdevils,you！lendusahand…we’lldoyouagoodturnoneday！”

twentymenofthesixthcompany,whowerepassing,joinedthem,andthewattlewall,thirty-fivefeetinlength,andsevenfeetinbreadth,wasedalongthevillagestreet,fallingover,andcuttingtheshouldersofthepantingsoldiers.

“goon,do.…heaveaway,youthere.…whatareyoustoppingfor？eh,there？”…

themerryshoutsofunseemlyabuseneverceased.

“whatareyouabout？”criedaperemptoryvoice,asasergeantranuptotheparty.“therearegentryhere;thegeneralhimself’sinthehuthere,andyoudevils,youcurs,you！i’llteachyou！”shoutedthesergeant,andsentaswingingblowatthebackofthefirstsoldierhecouldcomeacross.“can’tyougoquietly？”

thesoldierswerequiet.thesoldierwhohadreceivedtheblowbegangrumbling,asherubbedhisbleedingface,whichhadbeenscratchedbyhisbeingknockedforwardagainstthewattle.

“ay,thedevil;howhedoeshitafellow！why,hehassetallmyfacebleeding,”hesaidinatimidwhisper,asthesergeantwalkedaway.“andyoudon’tenjoyit,eh？”saidalaughingvoice;andthesoldiers,moderatingtheirvoices,movedon.astheygotoutofthevillage,theybegantalkingasloudlyagain,interspersingtheirtalkwiththesamemeaninglessoaths.

inthehutbywhichthesoldiershadpassedtherewereassembledthechiefofficersincommand,andaneagerconversationwasgoingonovertheirteaaboutthatday’sdoingsandtheman？uvresproposedforthenight.theplanwastoexecuteaflankmovementtotheleft,cutoffandcapturetheviceroy.

bythetimethesoldiershadedthefencetoitsplacetheyfoundblazingfires,cookingsupperonallsides.thefirewoodwascrackling,thesnowwasmelting,andtheblackshadowsofsoldierswereflittingtoandfroalloverthespacebetweentrampleddowninthesnow.

axesandcutlasseswereatworkonallsides.everythingwasdonewithoutawordofcommandbeinggiven.woodwaspiledupforasupplyoffuelthroughthenight,shantieswerebeingedupfortheofficers,potswerebeingboiled,andarmsandaccoutrementssettorights.

thewattlewallwassetupinasemicircletogiveshelterfromthenorth,proppedupbystakes,andbeforeitwasbuiltacamp-fire.theybeatthetattoo-call,countedovertheirnumber,hadsupper,andsettledthemselvesroundthefires—somerepairingtheirfoot-gear,somesmokingpipes,othersstrippednakedtryingtosteamtheliceoutoftheirclothes.