第470章

第470章“ay,shealmostsnatched‘ourgentleman’s’hatoff,”thered-faced,jocosesoldierlaughed,showinghisteeth.“hey,awkwardhussy！”headdedreproachfullytoacannonballthathitawheelandaman’sleg.“now,youfoxesthere！”laughedanother,addressingthepeasantmilitiamen,whowerecreepinginandoutamongthegunsafterthewounded.“don’tyoucareforourporridge,hey？ah,thecrows！thatpullsthemup！”theyshoutedatthemilitiamen,whohesitatedatthesightofthesoldierwhoseleghadbeentornoff.“oo…oo…lad,”theycried,mimickingthepeasants,“wedon’tlikeitatall,wedon’t！”

pierrenoticedthataftereveryballthatfellintheirmidst,aftereveryloss,thegeneralelationbecamemoreandmoremarked.

thecloserthestormcloudswoopeddownuponthem,themorebrightandfrequentwerethegleamsoflatentfirethatglowedlikelightningflashesonthosemen’sfaces,calledup,asitwere,tomeetandresisttheirdanger.

pierredidnotlookinfrontatthefieldofbattle;hetooknomoreinterestinwhatwasgoingonthere.hewasentirelyengrossedinthecontemplationofthatgrowingfire,whichhefeltwasburninginhisownsoultoo.

atteno’clocktheinfantry,whohadbeeninadvanceofthebatteryinthebushesandaboutthestreamkamenka,retreated.fromthebatterytheycouldseethemrunningbackpastthem,bearingtheirwoundedontheirguns.ageneralwithasuitecameontotheredoubt,andaftertalkingtothecolonelandlookingangrilyatpierre,wentawayagain,orderingtheinfantrystandingbehindthebatteryguardingittoliedown,soastobelessexposedtofire.afterthatadrumwasheardintheranksoftheinfantry,moretotherightofthebattery,andshoutsgavethewordofcommand,andfromthebatterytheycouldseetheranksofinfantrymovingforward.

pierrelookedovertheearthwork.onefigureparticularlycaughthiseye.itwastheofficer,walkingbackwardswithapale,boyishface.heheldhissworddownwardsandkeptlookinguneasilyround.

therowsofinfantrysoldiersvanishedintothesmoke,buttheycouldhearaprolongedshoutfromthemandarapidmusketryfire.afewminuteslatercrowdsofwoundedmenandanumberofstretcherscamebackfromthatdirection.shellsfellmoreandmoreofteninthebattery.severalmenlayontheground,notpickedup.thesoldiersbustledmorebusilyandbrisklythaneveraboutthecannons.noonetookanynoticeofpierrenow.twicehewasshoutedatangrilyforbeingintheway.theseniorofficersstroderapidlyfromonecannontoanotherwithafrowningface.theofficer-boy,hischeeksevenmorecrimson,gavethesoldierstheirordersmorescrupulouslythanever.thesoldiersservedoutthecharges,turnedround,loaded,anddidalltheirworkwitheratedsmartness.theymovedasthoughworkedbysprings.

thestormcloudwasswoopingcloser;andmorebrightlythaneverglowedineveryfacethatfirewhichpierrewaswatching.hewasstandingneartheseniorofficer.thelittleofficer-boyranup,hishandtohisshako,salutinghissuperiorofficer.

“ihavethehonourtoinformyou,colonel,onlyeightchargesareleft;doyoucommandtocontinuefiring？”heasked.

“grapeshot！”theseniorofficershouted,lookingawayovertheearthwork.

suddenlysomethinghappened;theboy-officergroaned,andwhirlingroundsatdownontheground,likeabirdshotonthewing.allseemedstrange,indistinct,anddarkenedbeforepierre’seyes.

oneafteranotherthecannonballscamewhistling,strikingthebreastwork,thesoldiers,thecannons.pierre,whohadscarcelyheardthosesoundsbefore,nowcouldhearnothingelse.ontherightsideofthebattery,soldiers,withshoutsof“hurrah,”wererunning,notforward,itseemedtopierre,butback.

acannonballstrucktheveryedgeoftheearthwork,beforewhichpierrewassitting,andsenttheearthflying;adark,roundmassflashedjustbeforehiseyes,andatthesameinstantflewwithathudintosomething.themilitiamen,whohadbeencomingintothebattery,ranback.

“allwithgrapeshot！”shoutedtheofficer.

thesergeantranuptotheofficer,andinafrightenedwhisper（justasatadinnerthebutlerwillsometimestellthehostthatthereisnomoreofsomewineaskedfor）saidthattherewerenomorecharges.

“thescoundrels,whataretheyabout？”shoutedtheofficer,turningtopierre.theseniorofficer’sfacewasredandperspiring,hispiercingeyesglittered.“runtothereserves,bringtheammunition-boxes！”heshoutedangrily,avoidingpierrewithhiseyes,andaddressingthesoldier.

“i’llgo,”saidpierre.theofficer,makingnoreply,strodeacrosstotheotherside.

“ceasefiring…wait！”heshouted.

thesoldierwhohadbeencommandedtogofortheammunitionranagainstpierre.

“ah,sir,it’snoplaceforyouhere,”hesaid,asheranaway.

pierreranafterthesoldier,avoidingthespotwheretheboy-officerwassitting.

onecannonball,asecondandathirdflewoverhim,hittingthegroundinfront,oneachside,behindpierreasherandown.“whereamigoing？”hesuddenlywondered,justasheranuptothegreenammunition-boxes.hestoppedshortinuncertaintywhethertogobackorforward.suddenlyafearfulshocksenthimflyingbackwardsontotheground.atthesameinstantaflashofflamedazedhiseyes,andaroar,ahiss,andacrashsethisearsringing.

whenherecoveredhissenses,pierrefoundhimselfsittingonthegroundleaningonhishands.theammunition-box,nearwhichhehadbeen,hadgone;therewereafewcharredgreenboardsandragslyingscatteredaboutonthescorchedgrass.ahorsewasgallopingawaywithbrokenfragmentsoftheshaftsclatteringafterit;whileanotherhorselay,likepierre,ontheground,utteringaprolonged,piercingscream.