第472章

第472章thechiefactionofthebattleofborodinowasfoughtonthespaceseventhousandfeetinwidthbetweenborodinoandbagration’sflèches.outsidethatregion，ononesidetherewastheactiononthepartofuvarov’scavalryinthemiddleoftheday；ontheotherside，behindutitsa，therewastheskirmishbetweenponiatovskyandtutchkov；butthosetwoactionsweredetachedandoflittleimportanceincomparisonwithwhattookplaceinthecentreofthebattlefield.thechiefactionofthedaywasfoughtinthesimplestandthemostartlessfashionontheopenspace，visiblefrombothsides，betweenborodinoandtheflèchesbythecopse.

thebattlebeganwithacannonadefromseveralhundredsofgunsonbothsides.then，whenthewholeplainwascoveredwithsmoke，onthefrenchsidethetwodivisionsofdesaixandcompansadvancedontherightupontheflèches，andonthelefttheviceroy’sregimentsadvanceduponborodino.theflècheswereaverstfromtheshevardinoredoubt，wherenapoleonwasstanding；butborodinowasmorethantwoverstsfurther，inastraightline，andthereforenapoleoncouldnotseewhatwaspassingthere，especiallyasthesmoke，minglingwiththefog，completelyhidthewholeofthatpartoftheplain.thesoldiersofdesaix’sdivision，advancingupontheflèches，wereinsighttilltheydisappearedfromviewinthehollowthatlaybetweenthemandtheflèches.assoonastheydroppeddownintothehollow，thesmokeofthecannonandmusketsontheflèchesbecamesothickthatitconcealedthewholeslopeofthatsideofthehollow.throughthesmokecouldbecaughtglimpsesofsomethingblack，probablymen，andsometimesthegleamofbayonets.butwhethertheywerestationaryormoving，whethertheywerefrenchorrussian，couldnotbeseenfromshevardino.

thesunhadrisenbrightly，anditsslantingraysshonestraightinnapoleon’sfaceashelookedfromunderhishandtowardstheflèches.thesmokehungovertheflèches，andatonemomentitseemedasthoughitwerethesmokethatwasmoving，atthenext，thetroopsmovinginthesmoke.sometimescriescouldbeheardthroughthefiring；butitwasimpossibletotellwhatwasbeingdonethere.

napoleon，standingontheredoubt，waslookingthroughafield-glass，andinthetinycircleoftheglasssawsmokeandmen，sometimeshisown，sometimesrussians.butwherewhathehadseenwas，hecouldnottellwhenhelookedagainwiththenakedeye.

hecamedownfromtheredoubt，andbeganwalkingupanddownbeforeit.

atintervalshestoodstill，listeningtothefiringandlookingintentlyatthebattlefield.

itwasnotsimplyimpossiblefrombelow，wherehewasstanding，andfromtheredoubtabove，whereseveralofhisgeneralswerestanding，tomakeoutwhatwaspassingattheflèches；butontheflèchesthemselves，occupiednowtogether，nowalternatelybyfrenchandrussians，living，dead，andwounded，thefrightenedandfranticsoldiershadnoideawhattheyweredoing.forseveralhourstogether，inthemidstofincessantcannonandmusketfire，russiansandfrench，infantryandcavalry，hadcapturedtheplaceinturn；theyrusheduponit，fell，fired，cameintocollision，didnotknowwhattodowitheachother，screamed，andranbackagain.