War and Peace

Chapter 8

Kotusov stood at the door of the office, the expression on his face froze for a while, then a wrinkle swept across his face like a wave, he opened his eyes wide, bowed his head respectfully, pointed with his finger, Silently let Mark go first, and then closed the door with him.

The news about the disastrous defeat of the Austrian army and the complete surrender under the city of Ulm that circulated a few days ago seems to be true.Half an hour later, the adjutants went to various places to convey orders. At this point, the Russian army, which has been on standby here so far, is about to go into battle.

There are only a very small number of officers in the headquarters who are very concerned about the entire process of the battle, and the Duke of Andrele is one of them.Seeing Mark and hearing the details of the annihilation of Mark's troops, Duke Andrele knew in his heart that half of the battle had been lost, and the situation of the Russian troops was also very dangerous.He also vividly imagined what difficulties the army would encounter and how he would play a central role.He could not help feeling a thrill of joy at the thought of the bitter defeat of the proud Austrian army, and of the prospect of seeing and participating in the first Russo-French war after Suvorov in a short time.However, he was afraid of Napoleon's military genius, which was much stronger than the Russian army. Besides, seeing his hero lose face was something he didn't want to see.

Distraught and bewildered by these thoughts, Duke Andrele went to his room to write a letter to his father.He writes a letter to his father every day.

[Four]

The Paulograd Hussars were stationed two kilometers from Bugat.Malal Lowstaff was a cadet in a company of hussars.This company was stationed in a Tuman village called Zarzenek, and left the largest house in the village to the cavalry company commander Jackoff. The entire cavalry company knew this Locke Jackoff.After catching up with the team in Poland, Malal Rostaff had been living with the cavalry company.

On a day when everyone in the headquarters was disturbed by the news of Mark's failure, the order of life in the company was unusually peaceful.When Rustaff bought fodder for the army horses early in the morning, Jackoff went out to gamble all night, and he hasn't come back yet.

A short while later, the shorter, red-faced, black-haired Jackoff returned, having had bad luck all night, throwing a tantrum at the orderly Lavrushka before he had even entered the door.

"Unlucky! I lost badly last night!" he said to Rosettaver.At this moment, iron applause on leather boots came from outside the door.Jackoff quickly handed the money bag to Rostaff: "Honey, order some, there are still a few pennies left, and then put the money under the mattress." Then, he walked out the door.

Lieutenant Jack Ka came into the house. He was short and thick, and he was also an officer of the cavalry company.

Rostaff tucked the purse under the mattress and shook Jackka's wet little hand.Jackka was transferred from the Guards for unknown reasons before departure.He performed very well in the regiment, but everyone didn't get close to him, and Lostaff couldn't accept it, and couldn't hide his unfounded dislike for this officer.

After Jackka left, Jackoff came back, and he asked Lostaff where the money bag was, and he wanted to use the money to pay off the chief secretary's gambling debt.But the two of them rummaged with the orderly for a long time, but they couldn't find the purse that Rostaff had just put under the mattress.Suddenly, Rostaff felt a rush of blood rushing to his brain. "I know who took it." He said with a trembling voice, and Jack, who understood everything after pushing away, quickly ran to the place where Jack was staying.Jackka was not at the place of residence and went to a tavern in the headquarters.Lostaff chased to the tavern and saw the lieutenant drinking.While the lieutenant was paying the bill, Rosetaff grabbed his purse. "This is Jackoff's money, you took it..." He whispered in Jackka's ear. "What?... What international joke are you talking about?... How dare you..." But this sounded like a cry for help and a miserable plea for mercy, and Rosettaver had just woken up from a dream, and the heavy stone of doubt came out of him. His heart tumbled.

"I know this, I want to testify." The muscles on Jack's pale face were trembling, and he was too scared to look up at Rostav, and then he let out a sob.

"Count!...Please spare me...I will give you all this bad money..." He threw the money bag on the table, "I have elderly parents!..."

Lostav avoided Jackka's eyes, picked up the purse, and walked back to the residence without saying a word.But he stopped again at the door and turned back. "My God," he said with tears in his eyes, "how can you do such a thing?" "Count," said Jackka, approaching the cadet.

"Stay away from me," said Lostaff, stepping aside, "if you need money, take it." He threw the purse to Jackka, and ran back from the tavern.

[five]

That night, at Jackoff's residence, the officers of the cavalry company sat and talked together.An old cavalry captain was persuading Lostaff to apologize to the regiment commander, because Lostaf accused Jackka in front of all the officers, and the regiment commander accused Lostaf of lying in order to protect the reputation of the whole regiment. Stafford thinks it's the captain who should apologize to him.

The earnest persuasion of the old captain did not change Rosettaver's firm attitude.Finally, Rose Tapher said in a pleading voice:

"Guys, let me do anything, I will never say another word. But I really can't apologize, I just can't do it, I can't do what you expect!"

"Well, whatever you want," said the captain. "So, what to do with that kid?" the captain asked Jackoff.

"He called in sick and the order to fire him comes down tomorrow."

At this moment, Makov, who was formerly an adjutant at the headquarters and was driven back to the cavalry regiment for mocking the defeated General Mark at the headquarters, came into the room.

"How did you come?" the officers asked the people who had entered the house. "There's a war coming, my colleagues. Mark and his troops have lost the battle."

"There's going to be a war! For the news, give him a bottle of wine to calm him down."

The regimental adjutant came in and confirmed the news that Markov had brought.The order has been conveyed, and we will start tomorrow.

"There's a war coming, comrades!" "Thank God, it's time to rest."

[six]

Kotusov was retreating towards Austria and blew up the bridge behind the column.On October 23, the Russian army crossed the Enns River. The Russian army's train, artillery and various columns crossed the bridge in two ways this morning and crossed the city of Enns.

From the position held by the Russian bridge artillery company, you can clearly see the town at the bottom of the mountain and the Russian army crossing the bridge, as well as the confluence of the Danube and Enns rivers.On the mountain on the other side of the Enns River, the German post can also be seen.

Between the two cannons on the field stood a general of the rearguard, observing the terrain with a telescope.Amici sat at the rear of the carriage, having been sent by the Commander-in-Chief to the rearguard.He sat around with other officers, eating biscuits and drinking liquor, while talking about the current situation.

"Things are not good," the general said, taking the binoculars from his eyes. "Our troops are moving too slowly."

"Shall I go back, my lord?" said Amici. "Very well, go at once," said the general, repeating the detailed order just issued, "tell the hussars to be the last to cross the river, and to do as I order, to burn the bridge immediately after crossing, Also check the firelight on the bridge again."

"That's good." Amici's bulky body easily got on the horse's back, and then he rode down the mountain along the winding path.

[seven]

Two enemy shells had already flown over the bridge, and the bridge began to congest.Amici dismounted and stood in the middle of the bridge, leaning his broad body against the railing.Just as he was about to move, the soldiers and the luggage cart pushed him back to the bridge railing. He smiled helplessly, and there was nothing he could do.

Soldiers rushed across the bridge shoulder to shoulder, bayonet to bayonet.Amici leaned on the railing and looked into the river, and saw that although the waves of the Enns River were not big, the current was fast-moving.He looked at the bridge and saw waves of soldiers—high military caps, rucksacks, bayonets, long guns, and tired faces under the caps. , one foot in the mud.

Amici kept commanding while moving forward.The soldiers squeezed to make way for him, but immediately crowded towards him again and trampled on his shoes.He couldn't blame the soldiers closest to him, because others were jostling them harder.

"Amici! Amici! You old fellow!" A hoarse voice came from behind.

Amici looked back and saw Loko Jackoff who was blocked by the crowd fifteen paces away. He had a red face, black and messy hair, a military cap pulled back on his head, and a shawl draped heroically.

"Loco!" Amici yelled happily. "Hurry up?" Hack you!" He literally drew his commander's knife and started waving it, and the soldiers swarmed in fear, so that Jackoff and Amici were able to rendezvous.

"You did a great job today!" said Amici, looking at Jackoff's new coat and saddle pads.

Jackoff smiled, took out a fragrant towel from the map backpack, and stretched it towards Amici's nose.

"The war is about to start! I shaved, brushed my teeth, and put on perfume."

The massive stature of Amici with the Cossack guards, combined with the unwavering look of Jackoff, brandishing his command knife and yelling like hell, produced results, and the two of them finally squeezed across the bridge.Amici found the head of the group who was supposed to carry out the order at the bridgehead, and after completing the task, he returned.

[eight]

The soldiers gathered at the head of the bridge and quickly crossed the bridge in a funnel shape.The carts had already passed, and the degree of congestion was slightly reduced. The last battalion had also arrived on the bridge, and only a part of Jackoff's cavalry company remained to stop the devils on the other side.From the mountain here, you can see the devil from a distance.Ahead was a wasteland, and occasionally small groups of enemy scouts were active on the wasteland.Suddenly, troops in blue uniforms and heavy weapons appeared on the road on the opposite hillside. They were French.Although every officer and soldier of Jackoff's cavalry company was discussing some irrelevant words and looking around, they were all thinking about the battle on the opposite mountain in their hearts, and watched intently what appeared on the prairie. clues.They knew that it was a devil.In the afternoon, the sky began to clear, and the sun shone brilliantly on the Danube and on the surrounding verdant mountains.There was silence everywhere, except for the occasional sound of enemy horns and shouts on the wind from the hills beyond.In the section between the cavalry company and the devils, there was no one to be seen except a few scouts.The distance between the two sides is about 3000 meters.The enemy's firing ceased, and this brought into sharper focus the still more formidable and impenetrable line separating the two armies.

Rostaff rode on his horse and stood on the left, looking like a schoolboy who has been called in for a test and is confident that he will get it right.He looked round all the people with great joy, as if to tell them how calm it was to observe the enemy's approach and the enemy's shells.But on his face, a serious expression that was different from usual was beyond his imagination, hanging on his lips.

"Ah, Rostaff!" Jackoff called to the cadets. "Yes! You've waited."

Jackoff rode his horse and ran to the commander. "My lord! Let's start the battle! I will resolutely repel them." "Why do you still stay here?" The commander frowned as if trying to drive away an annoying fly, "What are you attacking? Take the team over to the river."

The cavalry company began to cross the river without losing a single man.The second company that followed also crossed the bridge, and the last few Cossack cavalry scouts also withdrew.The cavalry regiment all withdrew to the mountain.At this time, the fat Amici galloped towards him on horseback.

"What's the matter, Captain," he cried out from afar, "I told you to burn the bridge."

"You told me about the fire starter," the regiment leader stopped the troops unhurriedly, "but you didn't say who was going to burn the bridge. I'm used to strictly following orders..."

"Oh, always," said Amici, waving his hand.The head of the regiment looked at the soldiers around him, and his face sank. "I will definitely burn the bridge," he said in a solemn tone, as if to show that despite these difficulties, he still insisted on completing the task.He turned the horse's head and ordered the second company where Rose Tafu was located to go back to the bridge to burn the bridge.

The soldiers of the second company jumped off their horses in a hurry, crossed themselves, and ran to the bridge.

Rostaff also ran, trying to stay ahead of them all, but on the bridge he stepped on a puddle of mud, slipped and fell, and the soldiers ran ahead of him.

The French army on the other side set up gun mounts, and several bombs fell on the bridge, and some soldiers fell.But soon, thick smoke rose from the bridge, and the soldiers managed to set the bridge on fire.

Rostaff stood on the bridge, not knowing what to do.There was no target to be slashed in front of him (he imagined fighting was slashing), and he couldn't help others burn the bridge, because he didn't have grass primers in his hands like the soldiers.He stood there looking around, and suddenly, there was a sound like walnuts falling from the bridge, and a soldier not far from him fell on the bridge railing with an "oops".Rostaff ran to him with the warriors.Someone was shouting: "Get the stretcher!" Four people picked up the soldier and tried to lift him up.

"Oh-oh-oh! . . . Put me down, for God's sake!" cried the wounded man, but they carried him firmly on the stretcher.

Lostav turned his back and looked at the water of the Danube, the sky and the sun.What a sky, what a blue, vast sky!How dazzling the setting sun is!The water of the Danube in the distance is so gentle and lovely!What is even more beautiful are the green hills, monasteries, mysterious canyons and misty pine forests on the other side of the river, where there is peace and happiness. "I don't want anything, I don't want anything, I just want to get there," Lostaff's thoughts soared, "In my heart, under the sun, there is so much happiness, but here... Wandering, pain, terror and confusion... Someone is shouting, everyone is running back in a hurry, and I run with them, this is reality, it is death, it is on top of my head, beside me... In a blink of an eye, I Then you will see nothing, never see the sun, the river, the canyon..."

At this time, the sun gradually entered the dark clouds, and several other stretchers appeared in front of Rosettaver.Fear of death, love of life—all these merged into one painful, one stark contrast.

"God! Lord of heaven, save me, forgive me, protect me!" Rose Tapher said to himself.

The soldiers began to return to their positions. "It seems that the soldiers didn't notice." Lostaff thought to himself.Indeed, no one noticed, because the cadet's first experience, which had never been in combat, was something everyone had.

[Nine]

Under the pursuit of Napoleon's [-] French troops, the [-] Russian troops commanded by Kotusov hurriedly retreated to the lower reaches of the Danube, encountering hostility from the local people along the way.Disillusioned with the Allies, the Russian army endured insufficient supplies, was forced to march under unexpected and difficult conditions, and stopped only after the enemy had overtaken them, in order not to lose heavy weapons during the retreat. , Another defense battle has to be fought.There were sporadic battles at Lambach, Amstetten, Melk, etc.Although even the enemy admitted that the Russians fought bravely, the result of the battle was always that the Russians retreated more quickly.

(End of this chapter)