第154章

第154章kutuzov,accompaniedbyhisadjutants,followedthecarabineersatawalkingpace.

aftergoingonforhalfamileatthetailofthecolumn,hestoppedatasolitary,desertedhouse（probablyonceaninn）,nearthebranchingoftworoads.bothroadsleddownhill,andtroopsweremarchingalongboth.

thefogwasbeginningtopart,andamileandahalfawaytheenemy’stroopscouldbeindistinctlyseenontheoppositeheights.ontheleftbelow,thefiringbecamemoredistinct.kutuzovstoodstillinconversationwithanaustriangeneral.princeandreystandingalittlebehindwatchedthemintently,andturnedtoanadjutant,meaningtoaskhimforafield-glass.

“look,look！”thisadjutantsaid,lookingnotatthetroopsinthedistance,butdownthehillbeforehim.“it’sthefrench！”

thetwogeneralsandtheadjutantbegansnatchingatthefield-glass,pullingitfromoneanother.alltheirfacessuddenlychanged,andhorrorwasapparentinthemall.theyhadsupposedthefrenchtobeoveramileandahalfaway,andheretheywereallofasuddenconfrontingus.

“isittheenemy？…no.…but,look,itis…forcertain.…whatdoesitmean？”voiceswereheardsaying.

withthenakedeyeprinceandreysawtotheright,belowthem,adensecolumnoffrenchsoldierscominguptowardstheapsheronregiment,notoverfivehundredpacesfromwherekutuzovwasstanding.

“hereitis,itiscoming,thedecisivemoment！mymomenthascome,”thoughtprinceandrey,andslashinghishorse,herodeuptokutuzov.

“wemuststoptheapsheronregiment,”heshouted,“yourmosthighexcellency.”

butatthatinstanteverythingwaslostinacloudofsmoke,therewasasoundoffiringcloseby,andavoiceinna？veterrorcriednottwopacesfromprinceandrey：“hey,mates,it’sallup！”andthisvoicewaslikeacommand.atthatvoicetherewasageneralrush,crowds,growinglargereverymoment,ranbackinconfusiontothespotwherefiveminutesbeforetheyhadmarchedbytheemperors.itwasnotsimplydifficulttocheckthisrushingcrowd,itwasimpossiblenottobecarriedbackwiththestreamoneself.bolkonskytriedonlynottobeleftbehindbyit,andlookedabouthiminbewilderment,unabletograspwhatwastakingplace.nesvitsky,withanexasperated,crimsonface,utterlyunlikehimself,wasshoutingtokutuzovthatifhedidn’tgetawayatoncehe’dbetakenprisonertoacertainty.kutuzovwasstandinginthesameplace：hewastakingouthishandkerchief,anddidnotanswer.thebloodwasflowingfromhischeek.princeandreyforcedhiswayuptohim.

“youarewounded？”heasked,hardlyabletocontrolthequiveringofhislowerjaw.

“thewound’snothere,butthere,see！”saidkutuzov,pressingthehandkerchieftohiswoundedcheek,andpointingtotherunningsoldiers.

“stopthem！”heshouted,andatthesametimeconvincedthatitwasimpossibletostopthem,helashedhishorseandrodetotheright.afreshrushofflyingcrowdscaughthimupwithitandcarriedhimback.

thetroopswererunninginsuchadensemultitude,thatoncegettingintothemidstofthecrowd,itwasahardmattertogetoutofit.onewasshouting：“geton！whatareyouingfor？”anotherwasturningroundtofireintheair;anotherstrikingtheveryhorseonwhichkutuzovwasmounted.gettingoutwithanimmenseeffortfromthestreamontheleft,kutuzov,withhissuitediminishedtoahalf,rodetowardsthesoundsofcannoncloseby.princeandrey,tryingnottobeleftbehindbykutuzov,saw,ashegotoutoftheracingmultitude,arussianbatterystillfiringinthesmokeonthehillsideandthefrenchrunningtowardsit.alittlehigherupstoodrussianinfantry,neithermovingforwardtothesupportofthebattery,norbackinthesamedirectionastherunaways.ageneralonhorsebackdetachedhimselffromtheinfantryandrodetowardskutuzov.ofkutuzov’ssuiteonlyfourmenwereleft.theywereallpaleandlookingatoneanotherdumbly.