第484章

第484章sometensofthousandsofmenlaysacrificedinvariousposturesanduniformsonthefieldsandmeadowsbelongingtothedavidovfamilyandthecrownserfs,onthosefieldsandmeadowswhereforhundredsofyearsthepeasantsofborodino,gorky,shevardino,andsemyonovskoyehadharvestedtheircropsandgrazedtheircattle.attheambulancestationsthegrassandearthweresoakedwithbloodfortwoacresround.crowdsofmen,woundedandunwounded,ofvariousarms,withpanic-strickenfaces,edthemselves,ononesidebacktomozhaisk,ontheothertovaluev.othercrowds,exhaustedandhungry,wereledforwardbytheirofficers.othersstillheldtheirground,andwentonfiring.

overalltheplain,atfirstsobrightandgaywithitsglitteringbayonetsandpuffsofsmokeinthemorningsunshine,therehungnowadarkcloudofdampmistandsmokeandastrange,soursmellofsaltpetreandblood.stormcloudshadgathered,andadrizzlingrainbegantofallonthedead,onthewounded,onthepanic-stricken,andexhausted,andhesitatingsoldiers.itseemedtosay：“enough,enough;cease.…consider.whatareyoudoing？”

tothemenonbothsides,alikeexhaustedfromwantoffoodandrest,thedoubtbegantocomewhethertheyshouldstillpersistinslaughteringoneanother;andineveryfacecouldbeseenhesitation,andineveryheartalikethererosethequestion：“forwhat,forwhomamitoslayandbeslain？slaywhomyouwill,dowhatyouwill,butihavehadenough！”thisthoughttookshapetowardseveningineveryheartalike.anyminuteallthosemenmightbehorror-strickenatwhattheyweredoing,mightthrowupeverythingandrunanywhere.

butthoughtowardstheendofthebattlethemenfeltallthehorroroftheiractions,thoughtheywouldhavebeengladtocease,someunfathomable,mysteriousforcestillledthemon,andtheartillerymen—thethirdofthemleft—soakedwithsweat,grimedwithpowderandblood,andpantingwithweariness,stillbroughtthecharges,loaded,aimed,andlightedthematch;andthecannonballsflewasswiftlyandcruellyfromeachsideandcrushedhumanflesh,andkeptupthefearfulwork,whichwasdonenotatthewillofmen,butatthewillofhimwhoswaysmenandworlds.

anyonelookingatthedisorderintherearoftherussianarmywouldhavesaidthatthefrenchhadbuttomakeoneslighteffortmoreandtherussianarmywouldhavebeenannihilated;andanyoneseeingtherearofthefrencharmywouldhavesaidthattherussiansneedbutmakeaslighteffortmoreandthefrenchwouldbeoverthrown.butneitherfrenchnorrussiansmadethateffort,andtheflameofthebattleburntslowlyout.