第358章

第358章onthe13thofjunenapoleonmountedasmallthoroughbredarabhorseandgallopedtowardsoneofthebridgesovertheniemen，deafenedallthewhilebyshoutsofenthusiasm，whichheobviouslyenduredsimplybecausetheycouldnotbepreventedfromexpressinginsuchshoutstheirloveforhim.butthoseshouts，invariablyaccompanyinghimeverywhere，weariedhimandhinderedhisattendingtothemilitaryproblemswhichbesethimfromthetimehejoinedthearmy.herodeoveraswayingbridgeofboatstotheothersideoftheriver，turnedsharplytotheleft，andgallopedinthedirectionofkovno，precededbyhorseguards，whowerebreathlesswithdelightandenthusiasm，astheyclearedthewaybeforehim.onreachingthebroadriverniemen，hepulledupbesidearegimentofpolishuhlansonthebank.

“vivel’empereur！”thepolesshoutedwiththesameenthusiasm，breakingtheirlineandsqueezingagainsteachothertogetaviewofhim.napoleonlookedupanddowntheriver，gotoffhishorse，andsatdownonalogthatlayonthebank.atamutesignfromhim，theyhandedhimthefield-glass.heproppeditonthebackofapagewhoranupdelighted.hebeganlookingattheotherside，then，withabsorbedattention，scrutinisedthemapthatwasunfoldedonthelogs.withoutraisinghisheadhesaidsomething，andtwoofhisadjutantsgallopedofftothepolishuhlans.

“what？whatdidhesay？”washeardintheranksofthepolishuhlansasanadjutantgallopeduptothem.theywerecommandedtolookforafording-placeandtocrosstotheotherside.thecolonelofthepolishuhlans，ahandsomeoldman，flushingredandstammeringfromexcitement，askedtheadjutantwhetherhewouldbepermittedtoswimacrosstheriverwithhismeninsteadofseekingforaford.inobviousdreadofarefusal，likeaboyaskingpermissiontogetonahorse，heaskedtobeallowedtoswimacrosstheriverbeforetheemperor’seyes.theadjutantrepliedthatprobablytheemperorwouldnotbedispleasedatthisexcessofzeal.

nosoonerhadtheadjutantsaidthisthantheoldwhiskeredofficer，withhappyfaceandsparklingeyes，brandishedhissabreintheairshouting“vivel’empereur！”andcommandinghismentofollowhim，hesetspurstohishorseandgallopeddowntotheriver.hegaveaviciousthrusttohishorse，thatflounderedunderhim，andplungedintothewater，makingforthemostrapidpartofthecurrent.hundredsofuhlansgallopedinafterhim.itwascoldanddangerousinthemiddleintherapidcurrent.theuhlansclungtooneanother，fallingofftheirhorses.someofthehorsesweredrowned，some，too，ofthemen；theothersledtoswimacross，someinthesaddle，othersclingingtotheirhorse’smanes.theytriedtoswimstraightacross，andalthoughtherewasafordhalfaverstawaytheywereproudtobeswimminganddrowningintheriverbeforetheeyesofthatmansittingonthelogandnotevenlookingatwhattheyweredoing.whentheadjutant，ongoingback，choseafavourablemomentandventuredtocalltheemperor’sattentiontothedevotionofthepolestohisperson，thelittlemaninthegreyovercoatgotup，andsummoningberthier，hebeganwalkingupanddownthebankwithhim，givinghiminstructions，andcastingnowandthenaglanceofdispleasureatthedrowninguhlanswhohadinterruptedhisthoughts.

itwasnonewconvictionforhimthathispresenceinanyquarteroftheearth，fromafricatothesteppesofmoscow，wasenoughtoimpressmenandimpelthemtosenselessactsofself-sacrifice.hesentforhishorseandrodebacktohisbivouac.

fortyuhlansweredrownedintheriverinspiteoftheboatssenttotheirassistance.themajorityledbacktothebankfromwhichtheyhadstarted.thecolonel，withseveralofhismen，swamacrosstheriverandwithdifficultyclambereduptheotherbank.butassoonastheyclamberedoutindrenchedandstreamingclothestheyshouted“vivel’empereur！”lookingecstaticallyattheplacewherenapoleonhadstood，thoughhewasnolongerthere，andatthatmomentthoughtthemselveshappy.

intheeveningbetweengivingtwoorders—oneforhasteningthearrivalofthecounterfeitroublenotesthathadbeenpreparedforcirculationinrussia，andtheotherforshootingasaxonwhohadbeencaughtwithalettercontainingareportonthedispositionofthefrencharmy—napoleongaveathirdorderforpresentingthecolonel，whohadquiteunnecessarilyflunghimselfintheriver，theorderofthelégiond’honneur，ofwhichhewashimselfthehead.quosvultperdere，dementat.