Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven

Leaving Prince Shcherbatov's palace, the prisoners were led straight down, past the Marian Square, to the left of the Marian Monastery, and then led to a vegetable garden where a pillar was erected.Behind the pillar was a large pit dug, with newly piled soil on the edge, and a large group of people stood in a semicircle near the pit and the pillar.The crowd was half Russian, mostly Napoleon's off-duty soldiers: Germans, Italians, French, etc., in various uniforms.To the left and right of the column stood rows of French troops, wearing blue uniforms with red-branched epaulettes, leather boots, and round caps.

The criminals were lined up in the order of the list (Pierre was sixth) and led before the pillar.Several snare drums were suddenly sounded from both sides, and Pierre felt that with the sound of the drums, most of his soul seemed to fly away.He lost the ability to think and understand.He can only see and hear.And, he had only one wish left, the hope that the terrible things that should have happened would happen as soon as possible. Pierre looked towards his fellow sufferers, watching them one by one. The first two were prisoners with shaved heads.One was tall and thin; the other was dark, hairy, muscular, and had a flat nose.The third is a domestic slave, about forty-five years old. The addition of different things makes things; the addition of like things makes nothing.Han, his hair has started to gray, his body is fat, and he is well maintained.The fourth was a farmer, very handsome, with a big brown beard and dark eyes.The fifth is a factory boy, yellow skin, thin, eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing a coat.

Pierre heard the French discuss how to shoot: one or two at a time? "Two." The leading officer said indifferently and calmly.There was movement in the queue of soldiers, and it could be seen that everyone was busy, and everyone was busy, not busy doing something everyone understood, but busy completing a must-do, but unpleasant and incredible thing. A French officer wearing a ribbon approached to the right of the row of prisoners and read the verdict in Russian and French. Then, two pairs of French soldiers approached the prisoner, following the instructions of the officer.Take out the two prisoners standing at the front.The prisoner stopped in front of the pillar, and when the French soldiers went to get the bag, he silently looked at the surrounding traits, so he could integrate the inside and the outside, and control everything; sex is another major function of the heart, sex, like a wounded The beast looked at the approaching hunter.One kept making the sign of the sign of the cross, the other scratched his back and moved his lips like a smile.The soldiers hastily stretched out their hands and began to blindfold them, put sacks over their heads, and tie them to posts.

Twelve infantrymen with guns walked out of the formation with neat and vigorous steps, and stopped eight steps away from the pillar.Pierre turned away so as not to see what was about to happen.Suddenly there was a crackling and rumbling, which Pierre felt was louder than the terrible thunder, and turning his face, he saw the smoke, and at the same time, the pale Frenchman was doing something by the pit with trembling hands. .Brought two more.These two people still looked at everyone with the same eyes, and they looked at each other carefully, silent, seeking protection in vain, obviously not understanding and not believing what was about to happen.They cannot believe it, because only they know what life means to them, and because they do not understand and do not believe that their lives can be taken away.

Pierre tried not to look, but turned his head again; at the same time it seemed that a terrible explosion shook his ears again, and with this sound he saw the smoke of gunpowder, someone's blood, and a terrified man. The white French faces, and their trembling hands bumped into each other from time to time, doing something beside the pillar, Pierre breathed heavily, looked around, as if asking: What's the matter?The eyes of those who met Pierre's eyes also had the same question. In the faces of all Russians, in the faces of French soldiers and officers, without exception, he saw fright, fear and struggle. In the West, he also felt the same in his heart.Who did this?They all feel pain, and I feel the same, who is it?who is it? ’ The question flashed through Pierre’s mind.

"Trailleurs du 86—me, enavant" (Infantrymen of the 86th Regiment, step out!) Someone shouted the password.The fifth, standing with Pierre, was taken out,--just one person.Pierre did not understand that he was saved.Didn't understand that he and the rest of the rest were just brought in to accompany the shooting.His fear was growing, and he was neither happy nor relieved, just watching what was happening.The fifth is a workshop boy in a work shirt.As soon as the French approached him, he jumped away in terror and hugged Pierre (Pierre broke free with a shudder).The workshop boy couldn't move.He was being dragged away, and at the same time he was yelling something.When he was brought in front of the pillar, he suddenly stopped crying.He seemed to suddenly understand something.Did he understand the futility of shouting?Still understand that killing him is impossible?In short, he stood by the pillar, waiting to be blindfolded and formalized, and he looked around with shining eyes like a wounded animal.

Pierre was now unable to prevent himself from turning around and closing his eyes.The curiosity and excitement of him and the whole crowd reached the highest point when the fifth person was shot.Like the previous ones, this fifth one also appeared calm: he covered his shirt and scratched one bare foot with the other. While blindfolding him, he himself fixed the knot that was strangling the back of his head; then, letting him lean against the bloodstained pillar, he leaned back because he felt uncomfortable in the position he was standing at that time. suicide.His studies originated from Yangming's mind and Zen, but he regarded himself as a "heresy".Jian, then corrected his posture, put his feet in order, and leaned firmly.Pierre did not take his eyes off him, not missing the slightest movement.

The password should have been heard, followed by the sound of eight rifle shots.But Pierre, no matter how hard he tried to recall afterwards, could not recall even a single sound of shooting.All he saw was that, for some reason, the workshop boy suddenly fell on the rope, blood spurted from two places, the rope itself loosened under the weight of his drooping body, and the workshop boy bowed his head unnaturally The legs sat down.Pierre ran towards the pillar.No one hindered him.Around the workshop boy, frightened pale people were doing something.A bearded French veteran's jaw quivered as he untied the rope.The body was lowered.The soldier hastily and awkwardly dragged him behind the post and pushed him into the pit.

Everyone knew beyond doubt that they were criminals, criminals whose evidence had to be covered up as quickly as possible. Pierre glanced into the pit and saw the workshop boy lying on his knees, curled up with his knees on his head.One shoulder is high and the other is low.The taller shoulder heaves up and down spasmodically and evenly.But shovelfuls of dirt were falling on the corpse.One of the soldiers shouted at Pierre angrily, viciously and sickly, telling him to go back. But Pierre did not understand, and remained standing by the pillar, and no one drove him away. When the pit was filled, another command was heard.Pierre was brought back to his place, and the French troops lined up on both sides of the pillar made a semicircle and began to walk past the pillar in unison.The twenty-four infantrymen in the center of the circle, with empty guns, ran back to their ranks as soldiers from the companies passed them by.

Pierre watched blankly as the infantry ran out of the circle two by two.All but one returned to the ranks.The young soldier was deathly pale, his cap pushed back, his gun lowered, and he was still standing facing the pit where he had shot.He staggered like a drunk, took a few steps forward, and then a few steps back, supporting his body that was about to fall.An old sergeant ran out of the formation, grabbed the young soldier by the shoulders and dragged him back to the company line.The group of Russians and Frenchmen began to disperse.Everyone walked in silence, with their heads bowed. "Caleurapprendraaincendier." Said a Frenchman. Pierre looked at the speaker and saw that it was a soldier. He tried to comfort himself for what they did, but it was useless. The man didn't finish his sentence, he waved his hand walked away.

-------- ① This is the lesson they learned by setting fire.