第156章

第156章ontherightflankinbagration’sdetachment,atnineo’clockthebattlehadnotyetbegun.notcaringtoassenttodolgorukov’srequestthatheshouldadvanceintoaction,andanxioustoberidofallresponsibility,princebagrationproposedtodolgorukovtosendtoinquireofthecommander-in-chief.bagrationwasawarethatasthedistancebetweenoneflankandtheotherwasalmosteightmiles,ifthemessengersentwerenotkilled（whichwashighlyprobable）,andifheweretoeedinfindingthecommander-in-chief（whichwouldbeverydifficult）,hewouldhardlyeedinmakinghiswaybackbeforetheevening.

bagrationlookedupanddownhissuitewithhislarge,expressionless,sleepyeyes,andthechildishfaceofrostov,unconsciouslyalla-quiverwithexcitementandhope,wasthefirstthatcaughthiseye.andhesenthim.

“andifimeethismajestybeforethecommander-in-chief,yourexcellency？”saidrostov,withhishandtothepeakofhiscap.

“youcangivethemessagetohismajesty,”saiddolgorukov,hurriedlyinterposingbeforebagration.

onbeingrelievedfrompicketduty,rostovhadmanagedtogetafewhours’sleepbeforemorning,andfeltcheerful,bold,andresolute,withapeculiarspringinessinhismovements,andconfidenceinhisluck,andinthatframeofmindinwhicheverythingseemseasyandpossible.

allhishopeshadbeenfulfilledthatmorning：therewastobeageneralengagement,hewastakingpartinit;morethanthat,hewasinattendanceonthebravestgeneral;morethanthat,hewasbeingsentonacommissiontokutuzov,perhapseventothetsarhimself.itwasafinemorning,hehadagoodhorseunderhim,hisheartwasfullofjoyandhappiness.onreceivinghisorders,hespurredhishorseandgallopedalongtheline.atfirstherodealongthelineofbagration’stroopswhichhadnotyetadvancedintoaction,andwerestandingmotionless,thenherodeintotheregionoccupiedbyuvarov’scavalry,andherehebegantoobserveactivityandsignsofpreparationforbattle.afterhehadpasseduvarov’scavalry,hecoulddistinctlyhearthesoundofmusket-fireandtheboomingofcannonsaheadofhim.thefiringgrewlouderandmoreintense.

thesoundthatreachedhiminthefreshmorningairwasnotnow,asbefore,thereportoftwoorthreeshotsatirregularintervals,andthenoneortwocannonsbooming.downtheslopesofthehillsidesbeforepratzen,hecouldhearvolleysofmusketry,interspersedwithsuchfrequentshotsofcannonthatsometimesseveralboomingshotscouldnotbedistinguishedfromoneanother,butmeltedintoonemingledroarofsound.

hecouldseethepuffsofmusketsmokeflyingdownthehillsides,asthoughracingoneanother,whilethecannonsmokehunginclouds,thatfloatedalongandmeltedintooneanother.hecouldsee,fromthegleamofbayonetsinthesmoke,thatmassesofinfantryweremovingdown,andnarrowlinesofartillerywithgreencaissons.

onahillockrostovstoppedhishorsetotryandmakeoutwhatwasgoingon.buthowevermuchhestrainedhisattention,hecouldnotmakeoutandunderstandwhathesaw;thereweremenofsomesortmovingaboutthereinthesmoke,linesoftroopsweremovingbothbackwardsandforwards;butwhatfor？who？whereweretheygoing？itwasimpossibletomakeout.thissight,andthesesounds,sofarfromexcitinganyfeelingofdepressionortimidityinhim,onlyincreasedhisenergyanddetermination.

“come,fireaway,atthemagain！”washismentalresponsetothesoundsheheard.againhegallopedalongtheline,penetratingfurtherandfurtherintothepartwherethetroopswerealreadyinaction.

“howitwillbethere,idon’tknow,butitwillallbeallright！”thoughtrostov.

afterpassingaustriantroopsofsomesort,rostovnoticedthatthenextpartoftheforces（theyweretheguards）hadalreadyadvancedintoaction.

“somuchthebetter！ishallseeitclose,”hethought.

hewasridingalmostalongthefrontline.abodyofhorsemencamegallopingtowardshim.theywereatroopofouruhlansreturningindisorderfromtheattack.rostov,ashepassedthem,couldnothelpnoticingoneofthemcoveredwithblood,buthegallopedon.

“that’snoaffairofmine！”hethought.

hehadnotriddenonmanyhundredpacesfurtherwhentherecameintosight,onhisleft,acrossthewholeextentofthefield,animmensemassofcavalryonblackhorses,indazzlingwhiteuniforms,trottingstraighttowardshim,cuttingoffhisadvance.rostovputhishorsetohisutmostspeedtogetoutofthewayofthesecavalrymen,andhewouldhaveclearedthemhadtheybeenadvancingatthesamerate,buttheykeptincreasingtheirpace,sothatseveralhorsesbrokeintoagallop.moreandmoreloudlyrostovcouldhearthethudoftheirhorses’hoofs,andthejingleoftheirweapons,andmoreandmoredistinctlyhecouldseetheirhorses,theirfigures,andeventheirfaces.thesewereourhorse-guards,chargingtoattackthefrenchcavalry,whowereadvancingtomeetthem.

thecavalryguardsweregalloping,thoughstillholdingintheirhorses.rostovcouldseetheirfacesnow,andhearthewordofcommand,“charge！”utteredbyanofficer,ashelethisthoroughbredgoatfullspeed.rostov,indangerofbeingtrampledunderfootorcarriedawaytoattackthefrench,gallopedalongbeforetheirlineasfastashishorsecouldgo,andstillhewasnotintimetoescapethem.