第449章

第449章afterdrivingfourversts,forthefirsttimehemetanacquaintance,andgreetedhimjoyfully.thiswasadoctor,oneoftheheadsofthemedicalstaff.hedrovetomeetpierreinacoveredgig,withayoungdoctorsittingbesidehim;andrecognisingpierre,hecalledtothecossack,whosatonthedriver’sseat,andtoldhimtostop.

“count,yourexcellency,howdoyoucomehere？”askedthedoctor.

“oh,iwantedtohavealook…”

“ohwell,therewillbesomethingtolookat…”pierregotoutofhiscarriage,andstoppedtohaveatalkwiththedoctor,explainingtohimhisplanfortakingpartinthebattle.

thedoctoradvisedbezuhovtogostraighttohishighness.

“why,youwouldbegodknowswhereduringthebattle,outofsight,”hesaid,withaglanceathisyoungcompanion;“andhishighnessknowsyouanyway,andwillgiveyouagraciousreception.that’swhatishoulddo,myfriend,”saidthedoctor.

thedoctorseemedtiredandhurried.

“soyouthink.…butonethingmoreiwantedtoaskyou,whereisthepositionexactly？”saidpierre.

“theposition？”saidthedoctor;“well,that’snotinmyline.driveontotatarinovo,there’sagreatdealofinggoingonthere.thereyou’llcomeoutonamound;fromthereyougetaview,”saidthedoctor.

“aviewfromit？…ifyouwould…”

butthedoctorinterrupted,andmovedtowardhisgig.

“iwouldhaveshownyoutheway,butbygod,yousee”（thedoctormadeasignificantgesture）,“i’mracingtothecommanderofthecorps.we’reinsuchafix,yousee…youknow,count,there’stobeabattletomorrow;withahundredthousandtroops,wemustreckonontwentythousandwoundedatleast;andwehaven’tthestretchers,norbeds,norattendants,nordoctorsforsixthousand.therearetenthousandcarts;butwewantotherthings;onemustmanageasonecan.”

thestrangeideathatofthosethousandsofmen,aliveandwell,youngandold,whohadbeenstaringwithsuchlight-heartedamusementathishat,twentythousandwereinevitablydoomedtowoundsanddeath（perhapstheverymenwhomhehadseen）madeagreatimpressiononpierre.

“theywilldie,perhaps,to-morrow;howcantheythinkofanythingbutdeath？”andsuddenly,bysomelatentconnectionofideas,hesawavividpictureofthehillsideofmozhaisk,thecartsofwoundedmen,thechimes,theslantingsunshine,andthesingingofthecavalryregiment.

“theyweregoingintobattle,andmeetingwoundedsoldiers,andneverforaminutepausedtothinkwhatwasinstoreforthem,butwentbyandwinkedattheirwoundedcomrades.andofallthose,twentythousandaredoomedtodeath,andtheycanwonderatmyhat！strange！”thoughtpierre,ashewentontowardstatarinovo.

carriages,ons,andcrowdsoforderliesandsentinelswerestandingaboutagentleman’shouseontheleftsideoftheroad.thecommander-in-chiefwasputtingupthere.butwhenpierrearrived,hefoundhishighnessandalmostallthestaffwereout.theyhadallgonetothechurchservice.pierrepushedonaheadtogorky;anddrivinguphillintoalittlevillagestreet,pierresawforthefirsttimethepeasantsofthemilitiainwhiteshirts,withcrossesontheircaps.withloudtalkandlaughter,eagerandperspiring,theywereworkingontherightoftheroadatahugemoundovergrownwithgrass.

someofthemwereingouttheearth,otherswerecarryingtheearthawayinwheelbarrows,whileathirdlotstooddoingnothing.

thereweretwoofficersontheknollgivingtheminstructions.seeingthesepeasants,whowereunmistakablyenjoyingthenoveltyoftheirpositionassoldiers,pierrethoughtagainofthewoundedsoldiersatmozhaisk,andheunderstoodwhatthesoldierhadtriedtoexpressbythewords“theywanttomassallthepeopletogether.”thesightofthesebeardedpeasantstoilingonthefieldofbattlewiththeirqueer,clumsyboots,withtheirperspiringnecks,andhereandtherewithshirtsunbuttonedshowingtheirsun-burntcollar-bones,impressedpierremorestronglythananythinghehadyetseenandheardwiththesolemnityandgravityofthemoment.