第534章

第534章tattered,hungry,andexhausted,astheywere,anddwindledtoone-thirdtheiroriginalnumbers,thefrenchsoldiersyetenteredmoscowingooddiscipline.itwasaharassedandexhausted,yetstillactiveandmenacingarmy.butitwasanarmyonlyuptothemomentwhenthesoldiersofthearmydispersedalloverthetown.assoonasthesoldiersbegantodisperseaboutthewealthy,desertedhouses,thearmywaslostforever,andinitsplacewasamultitudeofmen,neithercitizensnorsoldiers,butsomethingnondescriptbetween,knownasmarauders.whenfiveweekslaterthesesamemensetoutfrommoscow,theynolongermadeupanarmy.theywereamobofmarauders,eachofwhomcarriedoredalongwithhimamassofobjectsheregardedaspreciousanduseful.theaimofeachofthesemenonleavingmoscowwasnot,asithadbeen,tofightasasoldier,butsimplytokeepthebootyhehadobtained.liketheape,whoslippinghishandintothenarrowneckofapitcher,andsnatchingupahandfulofnutsinsideit,willnotopenhisfistforfearoflosinghisprize,eventohisownruin,thefrenchonleavingmoscowwereinevitablyboundtocometoruin,becausetheyedtheirplunderalongwiththem,anditseemedasimpossibletothemtoflingawaytheirbootyasitseemstotheapetoletgoofthenuts.tenminutesaftertheseveralfrenchregimentshaddispersedaboutthevariousquartersofmoscow,notasoldiernoranofficerwasleftamongthem.atthewindowsofthehousesmencouldbeseeninmilitarycoatsandhessianboots,laughingandstrollingthroughtherooms.inthecellars,inthestoreroomssimilarmenwerebusilylookingaftertheprovisions;inthecourtyardstheywereunlockingorbreakingopenthedoorsofshedsandstables;inthekitchenstheyweremakingupfires,andwithbarearmsmixing,kneading,andbaking,andfrightening,ortryingtocoaxandamuse,womenandchildren.mentherewereinplentyeverywhere,inalltheshopsandhouses;butthearmywasnomore.

thatdayoneorderafteranotherwasissuedbythefrenchcommandersforbiddingthetroopstodisperseaboutthetown,sternlyforbiddingviolencetotheinhabitants,andpillaging,andproclaimingthatageneralroll-callwastotakeplacethatevening.butinspiteofallsuchmeasuresthemen,whohadmadeupanarmy,flowedaboutthewealthy,desertedcity,sorichlyprovidedwithluxuriesandcomforts.likeastarvedherd,thatkeepstogethercrossingabarrenplain,butatonceonreachingrichpasturesinevitablystraysapartandscattersoverthem,thearmywasirresistiblyluredintoscatteringoverthewealthytown.