第606章

第606章“filez,filez！”thecaptainwassaying,frowningsternly,andlookingattheprisonerscrowdingbyhim.

pierreknewhiseffortwouldbeinvain,yethewentuptohim.

“well,whatisit？”saidtheofficer,scanninghimcoldly,asthoughhedidnotrecognisehim.pierrespokeofthesickprisoner.

“hecanwalk,damnhim！”saidthecaptain.

“filez,filez！”hewenton,withoutlookingatpierre.

“well,no,heisinagony…！”pierrewasbeginning.

“voulez-vousbien？”…shoutedthecaptain,scowlingmalignantly.

“dram-da-da-dam,dam-dam,”rattledthedrums,andpierreknewthatthemysteriousforcehadalreadycompletepossessionofthosemen,andthattosayanythingmorenowwasuseless.

theofficersamongtheprisonerswereseparatedfromthesoldiersandorderedtomarchinfront.

theofficers,amongwhomwaspierre,werethirtyinnumber;thesoldiersthreehundred.

theseofficers,whohadcomeoutofothersheds,wereallstrangerstopierre,andmuchbetterdressedthanhewas.theylookedathiminhisqueerfoot-gearwithaloofandmistrustfuleyes.notfarfrompierrewalkedastoutmajor,withafat,sallow,irasciblecountenance.hewasdressedinakazangown,girtwithalinenband,andobviouslyenjoyedthegeneralrespectofhiscompanionprisoners.heheldhiso-pouchinonehandthrustintohisbosom;withtheotherhepressedthestemofhispipe.thismajor,pantingandpuffing,grumbledangrilyateveryoneforpushingagainsthim,ashefancied,andforhurryingwhentherewasnoneedofhurry,andforwonderingwhentherewasnothingtowonderat.another,athin,littleofficer,addressedremarkstoeveryone,makingconjectureswheretheywerebeingtakennow,andhowfartheywouldgothatday.anofficial,infelthighbootsandacommissariatuniform,ranfromsidetosidetogetagoodviewoftheresultsofthefireinmoscow,makingloudobservationsonwhatwasburnt,andsayingwhatthisorthatdistrictofthetownwasasitcameintoview.athirdofficer,ofpolishextractionbyhisaccent,wasarguingwiththecommissariatofficial,tryingtoprovetohimthathewasmistakeninhisidentificationofthevariousquartersofmoscow.

“whydispute？”saidthemajorangrily.“whetherit’sst.nikolaorst.vlas,it’snomatter.youseethatit’sallburnt,andthat’sallaboutit.…whyareyoupushing,isn’ttheroadwideenough？”hesaid,angrilyaddressingamanwhohadpassedbehindhimandhadnotpushedagainsthimatall.

“aie,aie,aie,whathavetheybeendoing？”thevoicesoftheprisonerscouldbeheardcryingononesideandonanotherastheylookedattheburntdistricts.“zamoskvoryetche,too,andzubovo,andinthekremlin.…look,there’snothalfleft.why,didn’titellyouallzamoskvoryetchewasgone,andsoitis.”

“well,youknowitisburnt,well,whyargueaboutit？”saidthemajor.

passingthroughhamovniky（oneofthefewquartersofmoscowthathadnotbeenburnt）bythechurch,thewholecrowdofprisonershuddledsuddenlyononeside,andexclamationsofhorrorandaversionwereheard.

“thewretches！theheathens！yes;adeadman;adeadman;itis…theyhavesmeareditwithsomething.”

pierre,too,drewnearthechurch,wherewastheobjectthathadcalledforththeseexclamations,andhedimlydiscernedsomethingleaningagainstthefenceofthechurchenclosure.fromthewordsofhiscompanions,whosawbetterthanhedid,helearntthatitwasthedeadbodyofaman,proppedupinastandingposturebythefence,withthefacesmearedwithsoot.

“moveon,damnyou！goon,thirtythousanddevils！”…theyheardtheescortswearing,andthefrenchsoldiers,withfreshvindictiveness,usedtheflatsidesoftheirswordstodriveontheprisoners,whohadlingeredtolookatthedeadman.