第607章

第607章throughthelanesofhamovniky,theprisonersmarchedalonewiththeirescort,atrainofcartsandons,belongingtothesoldiersoftheescort,followingbehindthem.butastheycameouttotheprovisionshopstheyfoundthemselvesinthemiddleofahugetrainofartillery,movingwithdifficulty,andmixedupwithprivateage-ons.

atthebridgeitselfthewholemasshalted,waitingfortheforemosttogetacross.fromthebridgetheprisonersgotaviewofendlesstrainsofage-onsinfrontandbehind.ontheright,wherethekalugaroadturnsbyneskutchnygardens,endlessfilesoftroopsandonsstretchedawayintothedistance.thesewerethetroopsofbeauharnais’scorps,whichhadsetoffbeforealltherest.behind,alongtheriverside,andacrosskamennybridge,stretchedthetroopsandtransportofney’scorps.

davoust’stroops,towhichtheprisonersbelonged,werecrossingbythecrimeanford,andparthadalreadyenteredkalugastreet.buttheage-trainsweresolongthatthelastonsofbeauharnais’scorpshadnotyetgotoutofmoscowintokalugastreet,whilethevanguardofney’stroopshadalreadyemergedfrombolshayaordynka.

aftercrossingthecrimeanford,theprisonersmovedafewstepsatatimeandthenhalted,andagainmovedforward,andthecrowdofvehiclesandpeoplegrewgreaterandgreateronallsides.aftertakingoveranhourincrossingthefewhundredstepswhichseparatesthebridgefromkalugastreetandgettingasfarasthesquarewherethezamoskvoryetchestreetsrunintokalugastreet,theprisonerswerejammedinacloseblockandkeptstandingforseveralhoursatthecrossroads.onallsidestherewasanunceasingsound,liketheroarofthesea,ofrumblingwheels,andtrampingtroops,andincessantshoutsofangerandloudabuse.pierrestoodsqueezedagainstthewallofacharredhouse,listeningtothatsound,whichinhisimaginationmeltedoffintotherollofdrums.

severaloftherussianofficersclamberedupontothewalloftheburnthousebywhichpierrestoodsoastogetabetterview.

“thecrowds！whatcrowds！…theyhaveevenloadedgoodsonthecannons！lookatthefurs！…”theykeptsaying.“isay,thevermin,theyhavebeenpillaging.…lookatwhatthatonehasgotbehind,onthecart.…why,theyareholypictures,bygod！…thosemustbegermans.andarussianpeasant;bygod！…ah;thewretches！…see,howhe’sloaded;hecanhardlymove！look,isay,chaises;theyhavegotholdofthem,too！…see,hehasperchedontheboxes.heavens！…theyhavestartedfighting！…that’sright;hithimintheface！weshan’tgetbybeforeeveninglikethis.look,look！…why,thatmustsurelybenapoleonhimself.doyouseethehorses！withthemonogramsandacrown！that’saportablehouse.hehasdroppedhissack,anddoesn’tseeit.fightingagain.…awomanwithababy,andgood-looking,too！yes,idaresay;that’sthewaytheywillletyoupass.…look;why,there’snoendtoit.russianwenches,idodeclaretheyare.seehowcomfortabletheyareinthecarriages！”

againawaveofgeneralcuriosity,asatthechurchinhamovniky,carriedalltheprisonersforwardtowardstheroad,andpierre,thankstohisheight,sawovertheheadsoftheotherswhatattractedtheprisoners’curiosity.threecarriageswereblockedbetweencaissons,andinthemanumberofwomenwithrougedfaces,deckedoutinflaringcolours,weresittingcloselypackedtogether,shoutingsomethinginshrillvoices.

fromthemomentwhenpierrehadrecognisedthemanifestationofthatmysteriousforce,nothingseemedtohimstrangeorterrible;notthecorpsewithitsfaceblackedforajest,northesewomenhurryingaway,northeburntruinsofmoscow.allthatpierresawnowmadehardlyanyimpressiononhim—asthoughhissoul,inpreparationforahardle,refusedtoreceiveanyimpressionthatmightweakenit.

thecarriagesofwomendroveby.theywerefollowedagainbycarts,soldiers,ons,soldiers,carriages,soldiers,caissons,andagainsoldiers,andatrareintervalswomen.

pierredidnotseethepeopleseparately;hesawonlytheirmovement.

allthesemenandhorsesseemed,asitwere,drivenalongbysomeunseenforce.duringthehourinwhichpierrewatchedthemtheyallweresweptoutofthedifferentstreetswiththesameonedesiretogetonasquicklyaspossible.allofthem,alikehinderedbytherest,begantogetangryandtofight.thesameoathswerebandiedtoandfro,andwhiteteethflashed,andeveryfrowningfaceworethesamelookofrecklessdeterminationandcoldcruelty,whichhadstruckpierreinthemorninginthecorporal’sface,whilethedrumswerebeating.

itwasalmosteveningwhentheofficerincommandoftheirescortralliedhismen,andwithshoutsandoathsforcedhiswayinamongtheage-trains;andtheprisoners,surroundedonallsides,cameoutonthekalugaroad.