第149章

第149章“thesillyfools’arrangements,theydon’tknowthemselveswhatthey’reabout,”saidtheofficer,andhegallopedaway.thenageneraltrottedup,andshoutedsomethingangrilyinaforeigntongue.

“ta-fa-la-fa,andnomakingoutwhathe’sjabbering,”saidasoldier,mimickingtheretreatinggeneral.“i’dliketoshootthelotofthem,theblackguards！”

“ourordersweretobeonthespotbeforeteno’clock,andwe’renothalfwaythere.that’sanicewayofmanagingthings！”wasrepeatedondifferentsides,andthefeelingofenergywithwhichthetroopshadstartedbegantoturntovexationandangeragainstthemuddledarrangementsandthegermans.

themuddleoriginatedinthefactthatwhiletheaustriancavalrywereinmovement,goingtotheleftflank,thechiefauthoritieshadcometotheconclusionthatourcentrewastoofarfromtherightflank,andallthecavalryhadreceivedorderstocrossovertotheright.severalthousandsofmountedtroopshadtocrossinfrontoftheinfantry,andtheinfantryhadtowaittilltheyhadgoneby.

aheadofthetroopsadisputehadarisenbetweentheaustrianofficerandtherussiangeneral.therussiangeneralshoutedarequestthatthecavalryshouldstop.theaustriantriedtoexplainthathewasnotresponsible,butthehigherauthorities.thetroopsmeanwhilestood,growinglistlessanddispirited.afteranhour’sdelaythetroopsmovedonatlast,andbegangoingdownhill.thefog,thatoverspreadthehill,layevenmoredenselyonthelowgroundtowhichthetroopsweredescending.aheadinthefogtheyheardoneshot,andanother,atfirstatrandom,atirregularintervals;tratta-tat,thengrowingmoreregularandfrequent,andtheskirmishofthelittlestream,theholdbach,began.

nothavingreckonedonmeetingtheenemyatthestream,andcominguponthemunexpectedlyinthefog,nothearingawordofencouragementfromtheircommandingofficers,withageneralsenseofbeingtoolate,andseeingnothingbeforeorabouttheminthefog,therussiansfiredslowlyandlanguidlyattheenemy,neverreceivingacommandintimefromtheofficersandadjutants,whowanderedaboutinthefoginanunknowncountry,unabletofindtheirowndivisions.thiswashowthebattlebeganforthefirst,thesecond,andthethirdcolumns,whohadgonedownintothelow-lyingground.thefourthcolumn,withwhichkutuzovwas,wasstillontheplateauofpratzen.

thethickfogstillhungoverthelowgroundwheretheactionwasbeginning;higherupitwasbeginningtoclear,butstillnothingcouldbeseenofwhatwasgoingoninfront.whetheralltheenemy’sforceswere,aswehadassumed,tenverstsawayfromus,orwhethertheywereclosebyinthatstretchoffog,nooneknewtillnineo’clock.