第621章

第621章“therearetwomencoming—anofficerandacossack.onlyiwouldn’tbeprepositivethatisthecolonelhimself,”saidtheesaul,wholovedtousewordsthatwereunfamiliartothecossacks.thetwofigures,ridingdownhill,disappearedfromsight,andcameintoviewagainafewminuteslater.theforemostwasanofficer,dishevelledlooking,andsoakedthrough,withhistrouserstuckedupabovehisknees;hewaslashinghishorseintoawearygallop.behindhimacossacktrottedalong,standingupinhisstirrups.thisofficer,aquiteyoungboy,withabroad,rosyfaceandkeen,merryeyes,gallopeduptodenisov,andhandedhimasoppingpacket.

“fromthegeneral,”hesaid.“imustapologiseforitsnotbeingquitedry.…”

denisov,frowning,tookthepacketandbrokeitopen.

“why,theykepttellingusitwassodangerous,”saidtheofficer,turningtotheesaulwhiledenisovwasreadingtheletter.“butkomarov”—andheindicatedthecossack—“andiwereprepared.wehavebothtwopisto…butwhat’sthis？”heasked,seeingthefrenchdrummer-boy.“aprisoner？youhavehadabattlealready？mayitalktohim？”

“rostov！petya！”denisovcriedatthatmoment,runningthroughthepacketthathadbeengivenhim.“why,howwasityoudidn’tsaywhoyouwere？”anddenisov,turningwithasmile,heldouthishandtotheofficer.thisofficerwaspetyarostov.

petyahadbeenallthewaypreparinghimselftobehavewithdenisovasagrown-uppersonandanofficershoulddo,makingnoreferencetotheirpreviousacquaintance.butassoonasdenisovsmiledathim,petyabeamedatonce,blushedwithdelight,andforgettingalltheformaldemeanourhehadbeenintendingtopreserve,hebegantellinghimhowhehadriddenbythefrench,andhowgladhewashehadbeengiventhiscommission,andhowhehadalreadybeeninabattleatvyazma,andhowacertainhussarhaddistinguishedhimselfinit.

“well,iamgladtoseeyou,”denisovinterruptedhim,andhisfacelookedanxiousagain.

“mihailfeoklititch,”hesaidtotheesaul,“thisisfromthegermanagain,youknow.he”（petya）“isinhissuite.”anddenisovtoldtheesaulthattheletter,whichhadjustbeenbrought,repeatedthegermangeneral’srequestthattheywouldjoinhiminattackingthetransport.“ifwedon’tcatchthembyto-morrow,he’llsnatchthemfromunderournoses,”heconcluded.

whiledenisovwastalkingtotheesaul,petya,disconcertedbydenisov’scoldtone,andimaginingthatthattonemightbeduetotheconditionofhistrousers,furtivelypulledthemdownunderhiscloak,tryingtodosounobserved,andtomaintainasmartialanairaspossible.

“willyourhonourhaveanyinstructionstogiveme？”hesaidtodenisov,puttinghishandtothepeakofhiscap,andgoingbacktothecomedyofadjutantandgeneral,whichhehadpreparedhimselftoperform,“orshouldiremainwithyourhonour？”

“instructions？…”saiddenisovabsently.“well,canyoustaytilltomorrow？”

“oh,please…mayistaywithyou？”criedpetya.

“well,whatwereyourinstructionsfromyourgeneral—togobackatonce？”askeddenisov.

petyablushed.

“oh,hegavemenoinstructions.ithinkimay？”hesaidinterrogatively.

“allright,then,”saiddenisov.andturningtohisfollowers,hedirectedapartyofthemtogotothehutinthewood,whichtheyhadfixedonasaresting-place,andtheofficeronthekirghizhorse（thisofficerperformedthedutiesofanadjutant）togoandlookfordolohov,tofindoutwherehewas,andwhetherhewerecomingintheevening.

denisovhimself,withtheesaulandpetya,intendedtoridetotheedgeofthewoodnearshamshevotohavealookatthepositionofthefrench,wheretheirattacknextdaywastotakeplace.

“come,myman,”hesaidtotheirpeasantguide,“takeustoshamshevo.”

denisov,petya,andtheesaul,accompaniedbyafewcossacksandthehussarwiththeprisoner,turnedtotheleftandcrossedaravinetowardstheedgeofthewood.