战争与和平(上)-第244节

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every　Russian。
And　learning　that　to…morrow　we　were　to　attack　the　enemy；　hearing　from　the　higher　spheres　of　the　army　the　confirmation　of　what　they　wanted　to　believe；　the　worn…out；　wavering　men　took　comfort　and　courage　again。


Chapter　36
PRINCE　ANDREY’S　REGIMENT　was　in　the　reserves；　which　were　until　two　o’clock　stationed　behind　Semyonovskoye　in　complete　inaction；　under　a　hot　artillery　fire。　Before　two　o’clock　the　regiment；　which　had　already　lost　over　two　hundred　men；　was　moved　forward　into　the　trampled　oat…field；　in　that　space　between　Semyonovskoye　and　the　battery　redoubt；　on　which　thousands　of　men　were　killed　that　day；　and　on　which；　about　two　o’clock；　there　was　directed　the　concentrated　fire　of　several　hundreds　of　the　enemy’s　cannons。
Not　leaving　that　spot；　nor　discharging　a　single　round　of　ammunition；　the　regiment　lost　here　another　third　of　its　men。　In　front；　and　especially　on　the　right　side；　the　cannons　kept　booming　in　the　smoke　that　never　lifted；　and　from　the　mysterious　region　of　the　smoke　that　hid　all　the　country　in　front；　there　came　flying　swiftly　hissing　cannon　balls　and　slowly　whizzing　grenades。　Sometimes；　as　though　to　give　them　a　breathing　space；　for　a　whole　quarter　of　an　hour　all　the　cannon　balls　and　grenades　flew　over　them；　but　at　other　times；　in　the　course　of　a　single　minute；　several　men　out　of　the　regiment　would　be　swept　off；　and　they　were　busy　the　whole　time　dragging　away　the　dead　and　carrying　off　the　wounded。
With　every　fresh　stroke　the　chances　of　life　grew　less　and　less　for　those　who　were　not　yet　killed。　The　regiment　was　divided　into　battalions　three　hundred　paces　apart；　but　in　spite　of　that；　all　the　regiment　was　under　the　influence　of　the　same　mood。　All　the　men　of　the　regiment　were　alike　gloomy　and　silent。　At　rare　intervals　there　was　the　sound　of　talk　in　the　ranks；　but　that　sound　was　hushed　every　time　the　falling　thud　and　the　cry　of　“stretchers！”　was　heard。　For　the　greater　part　of　the　time；　by　command　of　the　officers；　the　men　sat　on　the　ground。　One；　taking　off　his　shako；　carefully　loosened　and　then　drew　up　the　folds　of　it；　another；　crumbling　the　dry　clay　in　his　hands；　rubbed　up　his　bayonet　with　it；　another　shifted　and　fastened　the　buckle　of　his　shoulder　straps；　while　another　carefully　undid；　and　did　up　again；　his　leg　bandages；　and　changed　his　boots。　Some　built　little　houses　of　clods　of　the　ploughed　field；　or　plaited　straws　of　stubble。　All　of　them　appeared　entirely　engrossed　in　these　pursuits。　When　men　were　killed　or　wounded；　when　the　stretchers　trailed　by；　when　our　troops　retreated；　when　immense　masses　of　the　enemy　came　into　view　through　the　smoke；　no　one　took　any　notice　of　these　circumstances。　When　our　artillery　or　cavalry　advanced；　when　our　infantry　could　be　seen　moving；　approving　observations　could　be　heard　on　all　sides。　But　quite　extraneous　incidents　that　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　battle　were　what　attracted　most　notice；　as　though　the　attention　of　these　morally　overstrained　men　found　a　rest　in　the　commonplace　incidents　of　everyday　life。　Some　batteries　of　artillery　passed　in　front　of　their　line。　In　one　of　the　ammunition　carriages　a　horse　had　put　its　legs　through　the　traces。
“Hey！　look　at　the　trace…horse！…　Take　her　leg　out！　She’ll　fall！…　Hey！　they　don’t　see！…”　Shouts　rose　from　the　ranks　all　through　the　regiment。
Another　time　the　attention　of　all　was　attracted　by　a　little　brown　dog；　with　its　tail　in　the　air；　who　had　come　no　one　knew　from　where；　and　was　running　about　fussily　in　front　of　the　ranks。　All　at　once　a　cannon　ball　fell　near　it；　and　it　squealed　and　dashed　away　with　its　tail　between　its　legs！　Roars　and　shrieks　of　laughter　rang　out　from　the　whole　regiment。　But　distractions　of　this　kind　did　not　last　more　than　a　minute；　and　the　men　had　been　eight　hours　without　food　or　occupation；　with　the　terror　of　death　never　relaxing　for　an　instant；　and　their　pale　and　haggard　faces　grew　paler　and　more　haggard。
Prince　Andrey；　pale　and　haggard　like　every　one　else　in　the　regiment；　walked　to　and　fro　in　the　meadow　next　to　the　oat…field　from　one　boundary…line　to　the　other；　with　his　hands　clasped　behind　his　back；　and　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　ground。　There　was　no　need　for　him　to　give　orders；　and　nothing　for　him　to　do。　Everything　was　done　of　itself。　The　killed　were　dragged　behind　the　line；　the　wounded　were　removed；　and　the　ranks　closed　up。　If　any　soldiers　ran　away；　they　made　haste　to　return　at　once。　At　first　Prince　Andrey；　thinking　it　his　duty　to　keep　up　the　spirits　of　the　men；　and　set　them　an　example；　had　walked　about　among　the　ranks。　But　soon　he　felt　that　there　was　nothing　he　could　teach　them。　All　his　energies；　like　those　of　every　soldier；　were　unconsciously　directed　to　restraining　himself　from　contemplating　the　horror　of　his　position。　He　walked　about　the　meadow；　dragging　one　leg　after　the　other；　making　the　grass　rustle；　and　watching　the　dust；　which　covered　his　boots。　Then　he　strode　along；　trying　to　step　on　the　traces　of　the　footsteps　of　the　mowers　on　the　meadow；　or　counting　his　steps；　calculated　how　many　times　he　would　have　to　walk　from　one　boundary　rut　to　another　to　make　a　verst；　or　cut　off　the　flowers　of　wormwood　growing　in　the　rut；　and　crushing　them　in　his　hands；　sniffed　at　the　bitter…sweet；　pungent　odour。　Of　all　the　thoughts　of　the　previous　day　not　a　trace　remained。　He　thought　of　nothing　at　all。　He　listened　wearily　to　the　sounds　that　were　ever　the　same；　the　whiz　of　the　shells　above　the　booming　of　the　cannon；　looked　at　the　faces　of　the　men　of　the　first　battalion；　which　he　had　gazed　at　to　weariness　already；　and　waited。　“Here　it　comes　…　this　one’s　for　us　again！”　he　thought；　listening　to　the　whiz　of　something　flying　out　of　the　region　of　smoke。　“One；　another！　More！　Fallen”　…　He　stopped　short　and　looked　towards　the　ranks。　“No；　it　has　flown　over。　But　that　one　has　fallen！”　And　he　fell　to　pacing　up　and　down　again；　trying　to　reach　the　next　boundary　in　sixteen　steps。
A　whiz　and　a　thud！　Five　paces　from　him　the　dry　soil　was　thrown　up；　as　a　cannon　ball　sank　into　the　earth。　A　chill　ran　down　his　back。　He　looked　at　the　ranks。　Probably　a　number　had　been　struck：　the　men　had　gathered　in　a　crowd　in　the　second　battalion。
“M。　l’aide…de…camp；”　he　shouted；　“tell　the　men　not　to　crowd　together。”
The　adjutant；　having　obeyed　this　instruction；　was　approaching　Prince　Andrey。　From　the　other　side　the　major　in　command　of　the　battalion　came　riding　up。
“Look　out！”　rang　out　a　frightened　cry　from　a　soldier；　and　like　a　bird；　with　swift；　whirring　wings　alighting　on　the　earth；　a　grenade　dropped　with　a　dull　thud　a　couple　of　paces　from　Prince　Andrey；　near　the　major’s　horse。　The　horse；　with　no　question　of　whether　it　were　right　or　wrong　to　show　fear；　snorted；　reared；　almost　throwing　the　major；　and　galloped　away。　The　horse’s　terror　infected　the　men。
“Lie　down！”　shouted　the　adjutant；　throwing　himself　on　the　ground。　Prince　Andrey　stood　in　uncertainty。　The　shell　was　smoking　and　rotating　like　a　top　between　him　and　the　recumbent　adjutant；　near　a　bush　of　wormwood　in　the　rut　between　the　meadow　and　the　field。
“Can　this　be　death？”　Prince　Andrey　wondered；　with　an　utterly　new；　wistful　feeling；　looking　at　the　grass；　at　the　wormwood　and　at　the　thread　of　smoke　coiling　from　the　rotating　top。　“I　can’t　die；　I　don’t　want　to　die；　I　love　life；　I　love　this　grass　and　earth　and　air　…”
He　thought　this；　and　yet　at　the　same　time　he　did　not　forget　that　people　were　looking　at　him。
“For　shame；　M。　l’aide…de…camp！”　he　said　to　the　adjutant；　“what　sort　of　…”　He　did　not　finish。　Simultaneously　there　was　a　tearing；　crashing　sound；　like　the　smash　of　broken　crockery；　a　puff　of　stifling　fumes；　and　Prince　Andrey　was　sent　spinning　over；　and　flinging　up　one　arm；　fell　on　his　face。
Several　officers　ran　up　to　him。　A　great　stain　of　blood　was　spreading　over　the　grass　from　the　right　side　of　his　stomach。
The　militiamen　stood　with　the　stretchers　behind　the　officers。　Prince　Andrey　lay　on　his　chest；　with　his　face　sunk　in　the　grass；　he　was　still　breathing　in　hard；　hoarse　gasps。
“Well；　why　are　you　waiting；　come　along！”
The　peasants　went　up　and　took　him　by　the　shoulders　and　legs；　but　he　moaned　piteously；　and　they　looked　at　one　another；　and　laid　him　down　again。
“Pick　him　up；　lay　him　on；　it’s　all　the　same！”　shouted　some　one。　They　lifted　him　by　the　shoulders　again　and　laid　him　on　the　stretcher。
“Ah；　my　God！　my　God！　what　is　it？…The　stomach！　It’s　all　over　then！　Ah；　my　God！”　could　be　heard　among　the　officers。　“It　almost　grazed　my　ear；”　the　adjutant　was　saying。　The　peasants；　with　the　stretcher　across　their　shoulders；　hurried　along　the　path　they　had　trodden　to　the　ambulance　station。
“Keep　step！…Aie！…these　peasants！”　cried　an　officer；　seizing　them　by　the　shoulders；　as　they　jogged　along；　jolting　the　stretcher。
“Drop　into　it；　Fyodor；　eh？”　said　the　foremost　peasant。
“That’s　it；　first…rate；”　said　the　hindmost；　falling　into　step。
“Your　excellency？　Eh；　prince？”　said　the　trembling　voice　of　Timohin；　as　he　ran　up　and　peeped　over　the　stretcher。
Prince　Andrey　opened　his　eyes；　and　looked　at　the　speaker　from　the　stretcher；　through　which　his　head　had　dropped；　and　closed　his　eyelids　again。
The　militiamen　carried　Prince　Andrey　to　the　copse；　where　there　were　vans　and　an　ambulance　station。　The　ambulance　station　consisted　of　three　tents；　pitched　at　the　edge　of　a　birch