第619章

第619章onthe22ndofoctober,denisov,whowasaleaderofabandofirregulars,waseagerlyengagedinatypicaloperationofthisirregularwarfare.fromearlymorninghehadbeenwithhismenmovingaboutthewoodsthatborderedthehighroad,watchingabigconvoyofcavalryageandrussianprisonersthathaddroppedbehindtheotherfrenchtroops,andunderstrongescort—ashelearnedfromhisscoutsandfromprisoners—wasmakingitswaytosmolensk.notonlydenisovanddolohov（whowasalsoaleaderofasmallbandactinginthesamedistrict）wereawareofthepresenceofthisconvoy.somegeneralsincommandofsomelargerdetachments,withstaff-officersalso,knewofthisconvoy,and,asdenisovsaid,theirmouthswerewateringforit.twoofthesegenerals—oneapole,theotheragerman—hadalmostatthesametimesenttodenisovaninvitationtojointheirrespectivedetachmentsinattackingtheconvoy.

“no,friend,iwasn’tbornyesterday！”saiddenisov,onreadingthesedocuments;andhewrotetothegermanthatinspiteofhisardentdesiretoserveundersobrilliantandrenownedageneral,hemustdeprivehimselfofthathappinessbecausehewasalreadyunderthecommandofthepolishgeneral.tothepolehewrotethesamething,informinghimthathewasalreadyservingunderthecommandofthegerman.

havingthusdisposedofthatdifficulty,denisov,withoutcommunicatingonthesubjecttothehigherauthorities,intendedwithdolohovtoattackandcarryoffthistransportwithhisownsmallforce.thetransportwas,onthe22ndofoctober,goingfromthevillageofmikulinotothevillageofshamshevo.ontheleftsideoftheroadbetweenmikulinoandshamshevothereweregreatwoods,whichinplacesborderedontheroad,andinplaceswereaverstormorefromtheroad.denisov,withasmallpartyoffollowers,hadbeenthewholedayridingaboutinthesewoods,sometimesplungingintotheircentre,andsometimescomingoutattheedge,butneverlosingsightofthemovingfrench.inthemorning,notfarfrommikulino,wherethewoodranclosetotheroad,thecossacksofdenisov’spartyhadpouncedontwofrenchonloadsofsaddles,stuckinthemud,andhadcarriedthemoffintothewood.fromthattimerightontoevening,theyhadbeenwatchingthemovementsofthefrenchwithoutattackingthem.theywantedtoavoidfrighteningthem,andtoletthemgoquietlyontoshamshevo,andthen,joiningdolohov（whowastocomethateveningtoatrysting-placeinthewood,averstfromshamshevo,toconcertmeasureswiththem）,fromtwosidestofallatdawnlikeanavalancheofsnowontheirheads,andtoovercomeandcaptureallofthematablow.

sixcossackshadbeenleftbehind,twoverstsfrommikulino,wherethewoodborderedtheroad.theyweretobringwordatonceassoonasanyfreshcolumnsoffrenchcameintosight.

infrontofshamshevo,dolohovwasinthesamewaytowatchtheroadtoknowatwhatdistancetherewereotherfrenchtroops.withthetransportthereweresupposedtobefifteenhundredmen.denisovhadtwohundredmen,anddolohovmighthaveasmanymore.butsuperiorityinnumberswasnoobstacletodenisov.therewasonlyonethingthathestillneededtoknow,andthatwaswhattroopsthesewere;andforthatobjectdenisovneededtotakea“tongue”（thatis,somemanbelongingtothatcolumnoftheenemy）.theattackontheonsinthemorningwasalldonewithsuchhastethattheykilledallthefrenchsoldiersinchargeoftheons,andcapturedaliveonlyalittledrummer-boy,whohadledawayfromhisownregiment,andcouldtellthemnothingcertainaboutthetroopsformingthecolumn.

tomakeanotherdescentuponthem,denisovthought,wouldbetoriskalarmingthewholecolumn,andsohesentonaheadtoshamshevoapeasant,tihonshtcherbatov,totryifhecouldcaptureatleastoneofthefrenchquartermastersfromthevanguard.