第226章

第226章“adogastrideafence,adogastrideafencetothelife！”denisovcalledafterhim—thebitterestinsultacavalrymancanpayaninfantrymanonhorseback;andridinguptorostovhebrokeintoaguffaw.

“carriedoffthetransports,carriedthemofffromtheinfantrybyforce！”hesaid.“why,amitoletthemendieofhunger？”

thestorescarriedoffbythehussarshadbeenintendedforaninfantryregiment,butlearningfromlavrushkathatthetransportwasunescorted,denisovandhishussarshadcarriedoffthestoresbyforce.biscuitsweredealtoutfreelytothesoldiers;theyevensharedthemwiththeothersquadrons.

nextdaythecolonelsentfordenisov,andputtinghisfingersheldapartbeforehiseyes,hesaidtohim：“ilookatthematterlikethis;see,iknownothing,andwilltakenosteps;butiadviseyoutorideovertothestaff,andthere,inthecommissariatdepartment,tosmooththethingover,andifpossiblegiveareceiptforsomuchstores.ifnot,andaclaimisenteredfortheinfantryregiments,therewillbeafuss,anditmayendunpleasantly.”

denisovwentstraightfromthecoloneltothestaffwithasinceredesiretofollowhisadvice.

intheeveninghecamebacktohishutinaconditionsuchasrostovhadneverseenhisfriendinbefore.denisovcouldnotspeak,andwasgaspingforbreath.whenrostovaskedhimwhatwaswrongwithhim,hecouldonlyinafaintandhuskyvoiceutterincoherentoathsandthreats.

alarmedatdenisov’scondition,rostovestedheshouldundress,drinksomewater,andsentforthedoctor.

“metobecourt-martialledforbrigandage—oh！somemorewater！—letthemcourt-martialme;iwill,ialwayswill,beatblackguards,andi’lltelltheemperor.—ice,”hekeptsaying.

theregimentaldoctorsaiditwasnecessarytobleedhim.adeepsaucerofblackbloodwasdrawnfromdenisov’shairyarm,andonlythendidherecoverhimselfsufficientlytorelatewhathadhappened.

“igotthere,”denisovsaid.“‘well,whereareyourchief’squarters？’iasked.theyshowedme.‘willyoupleasetowait？’‘ihavecomeonbusiness,andihavecomeoverthirtyversts,ihaven’ttimetowait;announceme.’verygood;buttheover-thiefappears;he,too,thoughtfittolectureme.‘thisisrobbery！’sayshe.‘therobber,’saidi,‘isnotthemanwhotakesthestorestofeedhissoldiers,butthemanwhotakesthemtofillhispockets.’‘willyoupleasetobesilent？’verygood.‘giveareceipt,’sayshe,‘tothecommissioner,buttheaffairwillbereportedatheadquarters.’igobeforethecommissioner.igoin.sittingatthetable…who？no,thinkofit！…whoisitthat’sstarvingustodeath？”roareddenisov,bringingthefistofhislancedarmdownsoviolentlythatthetablealmostfellover,andtheglassesjumpedonit“telyanin！…‘what,it’syouthat’sstarvingustodeath？’saidi,andigavehimoneonthesnout,andwellitwenthome,andthenanother,so…‘ah！…youso-and-so…’andigavehimathrashing.butididhaveabitoffun,though,icansaythat,”crieddenisov,hiswhiteteethshowinginasmileofmalignantgleeunderhisblackmoustaches.“ishouldhavekilledhim,iftheyhadn’tpulledmeoff.”

“butwhyareyoushouting;keepquiet,”saidrostov;“it’sbleedingagain.stay,itmustbeboundup.”

denisovwasbandagedupandputtobed.nextdayhewakedupcalmandingoodspirits.

butatmiddaytheadjutantoftheregimentcamewithagraveandgloomyfacetothehutsharedbydenisovandrostov,andregretfullyshowedthemaformalcommunicationtomajordenisovfromthecolonel,inwhichinquiriesweremadeabouttheincidentsofthepreviousday.theadjutantinformedthemthattheaffairseemedlikelytotakeaverydisastrousturn;thatacourt-martialwastobeheld;andthat,withthestrictnessnowprevailingasregardspillagingandbreachofdiscipline,itwouldbealuckychanceifitendedinbeingdegradedtotheranks.

thecase,aspresentedbytheoffendedparties,wasthatmajordenisov,aftercarryingoffthetransports,hadwithoutanyprovocationcomeinadrunkenconditiontothechiefcommissionerofthecommissariat,hadcalledhimathief,threatenedtobeathim;and,whenhewasledout,hadrushedintotheoffice,attackedtwoofficials,andsprainedthearmofoneofthem.

inresponsetofurtherinquiriesfromrostov,denisovsaid,laughing,thatitdidseemcertainlyasthoughsomeotherfellowhadbeenmixedupinit,butthatitwasallstuffandnonsense;thathewouldneverdreamofbeingafraidofcourtsofanysort,andthatifthescoundrelsdaredtopickaquarrelwithhim,hewouldgivethemananswertheywouldn’tsoonforget.

denisovspokeinthiscarelesswayofthewholeaffair.butrostovknewhimtoowellnottodetectthatinhisheart（thoughhehiditfromothers）hewasafraidofacourt-martial,andwasworryingoverthematter,whichwasobviouslycertaintohavedisastrousconsequences.documentsbegantocomeeveryday,andnoticesfromthecourt,anddenisovreceivedasummonstoputhissquadronunderthecommandoftheofficernextinseniority,andonthefirstofmaytoappearbeforethestaffofthedivisionforaninvestigationintotherowinthecommissariatoffice.onthepreviousdayplatovundertookareconnaissanceoftheenemywithtworegimentsofcossacksandtwosquadronsofhussars.denisov,withhisusualeringgallantry,rodeinthefrontoftheline.oneofthebulletsfiredbythefrenchsharpshootersstruckhiminthefleshyupperpartoftheleg.possiblyatanyothertimedenisovwouldnothavelefttheregimentforsoslightawound,butnowhetookadvantageofittoexcusehimselffromappearingbeforethestaff,andwentintothehospital.