Chapter 15 Chapter fifteen

At three o'clock in the afternoon Prince Andrei made a firm request to Kutuzov, and having been granted permission, he went to Grund and paid homage to Bagration.Bonaparte's aide-de-camp had not yet arrived at Murat's troops, so the battle had not yet begun.Nothing in Bagration's ranks knew what was going on, everyone was talking about peace, but no one believed in its possibility.Everyone was talking about a battle, but they didn't believe it was imminent. Bagration regarded Bolkonsky as a popular and reliable aide-de-camp, and so he received him as a chief favored his subordinates.He announced to him that in a day or two there would be a battle, during which he gave him complete freedom to decide for himself: either to remain with him, or to remain in the rear guard to monitor the order of the retreat, "this It’s also extremely important.”

"But there will probably be no battle at the moment," said Bagration, as if to comfort Prince Andrew. "If he's an ordinary rich boy sent to the headquarters to get the Cross, he'll get his reward in the Guards. If he'll stay with me, let him do it. . . If he's a brave officer. , that would be very useful." Bagration thought for a while.Prince Andrei made no answer, but asked permission to go and inspect the position, to see where the troops were stationed, in order to get acquainted with where they were going when they received their mission.Prince Andrew was volunteered to be accompanied by an officer on duty in the army, a fine-looking man, well dressed, with a diamond ring on his forefinger, who spoke poor French, but willingly.

From all sides, we could see sad-faced, drenched officers looking for something, and soldiers dragging door panels, benches, and bars from the village. "Duke, look, we can't get rid of these common people," said the colonel, pointing to these people, "the commander indulges them. Look at this place," he pointed to the tents set up by the army traders, "all together Sit down. They were all thrown out this morning, and lo and behold, they are crowded again. Duke, you must go up front and frighten them. Wait a minute?" "Let's go together, I must also ask him for cheese and challah," said Prince Andrey, who had no time to eat.

"Duke, why don't you tell? I would like to entertain you." They dismounted and went into the camp of the merchants.Several officers looked exhausted, blushed, and sat at the table eating and drinking. "Ah, gentlemen, what's going on here!" said the colonel reproachfully, as if someone had repeated the same sentence several times, "You know, it's not permissible to leave casually. The duke has given orders not to Let anyone come. Well, sir, look at you," he said, turning his face to the small, filthy, bony artillery officer, who had no boots (which he gave to the trooper dry), wearing only a pair of stockings, stood up before anyone who came in, and smiled unnaturally.

"Hey, Captain Tushin, don't you feel ashamed?" continued the colonel, "you artilleryman seems to be setting an example, and you don't wear boots. It would be very nice if you didn't wear boots if the alarm was sounded." (The school officer smiles slightly) Everyone, everyone, everyone, please return to your original position." He added politely. Prince Andrew looked at the captain and could not help smiling.Tushin was silent, smiling, shifting his weight from one bare foot to the other as he stood, looking from time to time with his large, wise, kind eyes in a suspicious manner. looked at Prince Andrew, and now at the colonel.

"Soldiers say it's more convenient not to wear boots," said Captain Tushin, smiling sheepishly, and looking as if he wanted to get out of his embarrassment with a humorous tone. "All of you go back to your original positions," said the school officer, trying to maintain a serious demeanor. Once again Prince Andrew looked at the figure of the artilleryman.There was something peculiarly absurd about him which was not at all inherent in the military, and yet wonderfully alluring. Both the colonel and Prince Andrew mounted their horses and went on. They walked outside the village, kept chasing and meeting officers and soldiers of various teams marching, and saw the fortifications being built, and the soil just dug up on the left side of the fortifications was red.The wind was bitter, and the soldiers of several battalions were all wearing a shirt, squirming like termites on the fortifications.Unseen people shoveled spade after spade of red earth behind the earthen wall.They rode up to the fortifications, looked at them, and went on.Behind the fortifications, they encountered dozens of soldiers who were constantly changing and running down from the fortifications.They had no choice but to cover their noses, drive their horses to gallop, and leave this poisonous atmosphere.

"Voilaagrementdescamps, monsieurleprince." said the school officer on duty. ① French: Duke, this is the fun of the barracks. They rode to the opposite mountain.French officers and soldiers can be seen from this hill.Prince Andrew stopped and began to observe carefully. "Look, here's our battery," said the officer, pointing to the vantage point, "that's run by that queer man who sits in a tent without boots, and can see everything from there. Let's go together, duke. .” "I am most grateful, I will go alone now," said Prince Andrew, trying to avoid the officer, "please don't bother."

The further he drives and the closer he gets to the enemy, the more airy and cheerful our officers and soldiers appear.Tsnaim was ten versts from the French, and Prince Andrew had to bypass Znaim that morning; the baggage convoy that was driving ahead of Znaim was in great disorder and demoralized.A certain air of fear and panic could be detected in Grunt.The closer Prince Andrew came to the French skirmisher line, the more confident our officers and men appeared.Soldiers in military greatcoats stood in a line, and the sergeant and company commander, counting the number, poked their fingers in the chest of the soldier standing at the side of the squad and ordered him to raise his hand.Soldiers scattered throughout the open space dragged firewood and dry branches, built temporary sheds, talked and laughed happily.Clothed and naked soldiers were sitting around the campfires, drying shirts and foot-bindings, or mending boots and overcoats, all clustered around the pots and cooks.One company had its lunch ready, and the soldiers looked greedily at the steaming rice cooker, waiting for something to taste, and the quartermaster kept the food in a wooden bowl and brought it to the officer sitting on the log opposite the shed .

In another, more fortunate company, not everyone had vodka, and the soldiers huddled together around the pockmarked, broad-shouldered sergeant, who, with the keg on his side, placed the Pour from the lid of the military jug that is handy.The soldiers put the military jug to their mouths with reverent looks, poured the wine down, rinsed their mouths, wiped their mouths with the sleeves of their greatcoats, and left the sergeant with cheerful faces.Everyone's faces were very calm, as if these things were not happening before the eyes of the enemy, nor before the battle in which at least half of the army would be dedicated to the battlefield, but as if they were waiting for a safe camp somewhere in the motherland.Prince Andrei passed the Chasseurs, among the ranks of the Kyiv grenadiers, among the gallant men engaged in peaceful labor, not far from the tall and distinctive hut of the regimental commander , came across a platoon of grenadiers, and a naked man lay in front of them.Two soldiers seized him, two others waved soft sticks and rhythmically licked his bare back, and the punished man roared unnaturally.A fat major, pacing up and down at the head of the queue, ignored his shouts and kept saying:

"It's shameful for a soldier to steal. A soldier should be honest, noble and brave. If he steals from a brother, he will lose his personality and be a villain. Fight again! Fight again!" The rattling of the soft branches and the desperate, but feigned, roar could be heard incessantly. The young officer walked away from the punished man with a look of perplexity and pain, and regarded the adjutant riding past with questioning eyes. Having entered the forward position, Prince Andrew galloped along the front of the line.The skirmish lines of our army and the enemy's flanks were far apart, but in the central region, where the envoys passed in the morning, the skirmish lines of the two armies were so close that they could see each other's faces and talk to each other. A few words.In addition to the soldiers who occupied the skirmish line at this place, there were also many curious people standing on both sides of the front line. They satirized and looked at the strange enemy they found strange.

From early in the morning, although people were forbidden to approach the skirmisher line, the chiefs could not drive away those curious people.Soldiers with skirmishers, like those who show off their treasures, no longer look at the French officers and soldiers, but watch the people coming towards them, waiting lonely and bored for their successors.Prince Andrew stopped to watch the French officers and soldiers carefully. "Look, look," said a soldier to his comrades, pointing to the Russian musketeers, who accompanied the officer to the front of the skirmisher line, and he and the French grenadiers had a quick and lively discussion, "look, He babbles so fluently! Even the French can't match him. Hey, Sidorov, give me a word!" "Wait a minute, listen, you see, how fluent!" replied Sidorov, who was considered good at speaking French. The soldier whom the two smiling figures pointed out was Dolokhov.Prince Andrew recognized him, and began to listen to him.Dolokhov and his company commander came to the skirmish line from the left flank where their corps was stationed. "Well, say a few more words, say a few more words," the captain urged him on, stooping, trying not to miss anything he didn't understand. "Speak more quickly, please. What did he say?" Dolokhov did not answer the company commander, who was involved in a bitter argument with the French grenadiers.Of course they were talking about campaign issues.The Frenchman confused the Austrians with the Russians, and he even proved that the Russians surrendered and fled from Ulm.Dolokhov proved that, far from surrendering, the Russians had beaten the French. "We were ordered to drive you out here, and we will be able to drive you out," said Dolokhov. "It's just that you have to work hard, don't let others take you and your Cossacks away." The French grenadier said. The French audience and audience laughed. "You will be forced to turn around, just as Suvorov forced you to turn around (onvousferadanser)," said Dolokhov. "Quest—cequilchante?" said a Frenchman. "Delhistoire ancienne," said another Frenchman, guessing that the subject was of former wars, "LempereurvaluifairevoiravotreSouvara, commeauxautres..."④ "Bonaparte..." Dolokhov was about to speak, but the Frenchman interrupted him. "It's not Bonaparte, it's the Emperor! Sacremon...⑤" he shouted angrily. "Go to hell with your emperor!" ①French: I want to force you to turn around. ② French: What is he singing there? ③French: Ancient History. ④French: The emperor treats your Suvara a lesson just like everyone else... (Suvara refers to Suvorov.) ⑤French: to hell... Dolokhov cursed roughly in Russian like a soldier, picked up his gun, and went away. "Ivan Lukić, let's go," he said to the company commander. "Look how good the French language is," said the soldier in the skirmisher line. "Hey, Sidorov, tell me something." Sidorov cast a wink, turned to the Frenchman, and began to mumble something incomprehensible hastily. "Kari, Ulla, Taffa, Safi, Mutel, Kaska," he murmured, trying to make his tone expressive. "Hey, hey, hey! Ha, ha, ha, ha! Yo! Yo!" There was a cheerful roar of laughter among the soldiers, which inadvertently infected the French through the skirmish line, and it seemed that in this After a good laugh it's time to unload the bullets, blow up the propellant, and scatter and go home. But the musket was still loaded.The loopholes in the houses and fortifications still stared majestically ahead as before, and the cannons of the unloaded vehicles were still pointed at the enemy.