第478章

第478章princeandrey’sregimentwasinthereserves,whichwereuntiltwoo’clockstationedbehindsemyonovskoyeincompleteinaction,underahotartilleryfire.beforetwoo’clocktheregiment,whichhadalreadylostovertwohundredmen,wasmovedforwardintothetrampledoat-field,inthatspacebetweensemyonovskoyeandthebatteryredoubt,onwhichthousandsofmenwerekilledthatday,andonwhich,abouttwoo’clock,therewasdirectedtheconcentratedfireofseveralhundredsoftheenemy’scannons.

notleavingthatspot,nordischargingasingleroundofammunition,theregimentlosthereanotherthirdofitsmen.infront,andespeciallyontherightside,thecannonskeptboominginthesmokethatneverlifted,andfromthemysteriousregionofthesmokethathidallthecountryinfront,therecameflyingswiftlyhissingcannonballsandslowlywhizzinggrenades.sometimes,asthoughtogivethemabreathingspace,forawholequarterofanhourallthecannonballsandgrenadesflewoverthem,butatothertimes,inthecourseofasingleminute,severalmenoutoftheregimentwouldbesweptoff,andtheywerebusythewholetimeingawaythedeadandcarryingoffthewounded.

witheveryfreshstrokethechancesoflifegrewlessandlessforthosewhowerenotyetkilled.theregimentwasdividedintobattalionsthreehundredpacesapart;butinspiteofthat,alltheregimentwasundertheinfluenceofthesamemood.allthemenoftheregimentwerealikegloomyandsilent.atrareintervalstherewasthesoundoftalkintheranks,butthatsoundwashushedeverytimethefallingthudandthecryof“stretchers！”washeard.forthegreaterpartofthetime,bycommandoftheofficers,themensatontheground.one,takingoffhisshako,carefullyloosenedandthendrewupthefoldsofit;another,crumblingthedryclayinhishands,rubbeduphisbayonetwithit;anothershiftedandfastenedthebuckleofhisshoulderstraps;whileanothercarefullyundid,anddidupagain,hislegbandages,andchangedhisboots.somebuiltlittlehousesofclodsoftheploughedfield,orplaitedstrawsofstubble.allofthemappearedentirelyengrossedinthesepursuits.whenmenwerekilledorwounded,whenthestretcherstrailedby,whenourtroopsretreated,whenimmensemassesoftheenemycameintoviewthroughthesmoke,noonetookanynoticeofthesecircumstances.whenourartilleryorcavalryadvanced,whenourinfantrycouldbeseenmoving,approvingobservationscouldbeheardonallsides.butquiteextraneousincidentsthathadnothingtodowiththebattlewerewhatattractedmostnotice;asthoughtheattentionofthesemorallyoverstrainedmenfoundarestinthecommonplaceincidentsofeverydaylife.somebatteriesofartillerypassedinfrontoftheirline.inoneoftheammunitioncarriagesahorsehadputitslegsthroughthetraces.

“hey！lookatthetrace-horse！…takeherlegout！she’llfall！…hey！theydon’tsee！…”shoutsrosefromtheranksallthroughtheregiment.

anothertimetheattentionofallwasattractedbyalittlebrowndog,withitstailintheair,whohadcomenooneknewfromwhere,andwasrunningaboutfussilyinfrontoftheranks.allatonceacannonballfellnearit,anditsquealedanddashedawaywithitstailbetweenitslegs！roarsandshrieksoflaughterrangoutfromthewholeregiment.butdistractionsofthiskinddidnotlastmorethanaminute,andthemenhadbeeneighthourswithoutfoodoroccupation,withtheterrorofdeathneverrelaxingforaninstant,andtheirpaleandardfacesgrewpalerandmoreard.

princeandrey,paleandardlikeeveryoneelseintheregiment,walkedtoandfrointhemeadownexttotheoat-fieldfromoneboundary-linetotheother,withhishandsclaspedbehindhisback,andhiseyesfixedontheground.therewasnoneedforhimtogiveorders,andnothingforhimtodo.everythingwasdoneofitself.thekilledwereedbehindtheline;thewoundedwereremoved,andtheranksclosedup.ifanysoldiersranaway,theymadehastetoreturnatonce.atfirstprinceandrey,thinkingithisdutytokeepupthespiritsofthemen,andsetthemanexample,hadwalkedaboutamongtheranks.butsoonhefeltthattherewasnothinghecouldteachthem.allhisenergies,likethoseofeverysoldier,wereunconsciouslydirectedtorestraininghimselffromcontemplatingthehorrorofhisposition.hewalkedaboutthemeadow,ingonelegaftertheother,makingthegrassrustle,andwatchingthedust,whichcoveredhisboots.thenhestrodealong,tryingtosteponthetracesofthefootstepsofthemowersonthemeadow;orcountinghissteps,calculatedhowmanytimeshewouldhavetowalkfromoneboundaryruttoanothertomakeaverst;orcutofftheflowersofwormwoodgrowingintherut,andcrushingtheminhishands,sniffedatthebitter-sweet,pungentodour.ofallthethoughtsofthepreviousdaynotatraceremained.hethoughtofnothingatall.helistenedwearilytothesoundsthatwereeverthesame,thewhizoftheshellsabovetheboomingofthecannon,lookedatthefacesofthemenofthefirstbattalion,whichhehadgazedattowearinessalready,andwaited.“hereitcomes…thisone’sforusagain！”hethought,listeningtothewhizofsomethingflyingoutoftheregionofsmoke.“one,another！more！fallen”…hestoppedshortandlookedtowardstheranks.“no;ithasflownover.butthatonehasfallen！”andhefelltopacingupanddownagain,tryingtoreachthenextboundaryinsixteensteps.