战争与和平(上)-第271章

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ill　twitching　convulsively；　but　they　did　not　carry　him　away。
Pierre　ran　down　the　slope。
“Oh；　now　they　will　stop　it；　now　they　will　be　horrified　at　what　they　have　done！”　thought　Pierre；　aimlessly　following　the　crowds　of　stretchers　moving　off　the　battlefield。
But　the　sun　still　stood　high　behind　the　veil　of　smoke；　and　in　front；　and　even　more　so　to　the　left；　about　Semyonovskoye；　there　was　still　a　turmoil　seething　in　the　smoke；　and　the　roar　of　cannon　and　musketry；　far　from　slackening；　grew　louder　and　more　desperate；　like　a　man　putting　all　his　force　into　one　deafening　outcry　as　a　last　despairing　effort。


Chapter　33
THE　CHIEF　ACTION　of　the　battle　of　Borodino　was　fought　on　the　space　seven　thousand　feet　in　width　between　Borodino　and　Bagration’s　flèches。　Outside　that　region；　on　one　side　there　was　the　action　on　the　part　of　Uvarov’s　cavalry　in　the　middle　of　the　day；　on　the　other　side；　behind　Utitsa；　there　was　the　skirmish　between　Poniatovsky　and　Tutchkov；　but　those　two　actions　were　detached　and　of　little　importance　in　comparison　with　what　took　place　in　the　centre　of　the　battlefield。　The　chief　action　of　the　day　was　fought　in　the　simplest　and　the　most　artless　fashion　on　the　open　space；　visible　from　both　sides；　between　Borodino　and　the　flèches　by　the　copse。
The　battle　began　with　a　cannonade　from　several　hundreds　of　guns　on　both　sides。　Then；　when　the　whole　plain　was　covered　with　smoke；　on　the　French　side　the　two　divisions　of　Desaix　and　Compans　advanced　on　the　right　upon　the　flèches；　and　on　the　left　the　viceroy’s　regiments　advanced　upon　Borodino。　The　flèches　were　a　verst　from　the　Shevardino　redoubt；　where　Napoleon　was　standing；　but　Borodino　was　more　than　two　versts　further；　in　a　straight　line；　and　therefore　Napoleon　could　not　see　what　was　passing　there；　especially　as　the　smoke；　mingling　with　the　fog；　completely　hid　the　whole　of　that　part　of　the　plain。　The　soldiers　of　Desaix’s　division；　advancing　upon　the　flèches；　were　in　sight　till　they　disappeared　from　view　in　the　hollow　that　lay　between　them　and　the　flèches。　As　soon　as　they　dropped　down　into　the　hollow；　the　smoke　of　the　cannon　and　muskets　on　the　flèches　became　so　thick　that　it　concealed　the　whole　slope　of　that　side　of　the　hollow。　Through　the　smoke　could　be　caught　glimpses　of　something　black；　probably　men；　and　sometimes　the　gleam　of　bayonets。　But　whether　they　were　stationary　or　moving；　whether　they　were　French　or　Russian；　could　not　be　seen　from　Shevardino。
The　sun　had　risen　brightly；　and　its　slanting　rays　shone　straight　in　Napoleon’s　face　as　he　looked　from　under　his　hand　towards　the　flèches。　The　smoke　hung　over　the　flèches；　and　at　one　moment　it　seemed　as　though　it　were　the　smoke　that　was　moving；　at　the　next；　the　troops　moving　in　the　smoke。　Sometimes　cries　could　be　heard　through　the　firing；　but　it　was　impossible　to　tell　what　was　being　done　there。
Napoleon；　standing　on　the　redoubt；　was　looking　through　a　field…glass；　and　in　the　tiny　circle　of　the　glass　saw　smoke　and　men；　sometimes　his　own；　sometimes　Russians。　But　where　what　he　had　seen　was；　he　could　not　tell　when　he　looked　again　with　the　naked　eye。
He　came　down　from　the　redoubt；　and　began　walking　up　and　down　before　it。
At　intervals　he　stood　still；　listening　to　the　firing　and　looking　intently　at　the　battlefield。
It　was　not　simply　impossible　from　below；　where　he　was　standing；　and　from　the　redoubt　above；　where　several　of　his　generals　were　standing；　to　make　out　what　was　passing　at　the　flèches；　but　on　the　flèches　themselves；　occupied　now　together；　now　alternately　by　French　and　Russians；　living；　dead；　and　wounded；　the　frightened　and　frantic　soldiers　had　no　idea　what　they　were　doing。　For　several　hours　together；　in　the　midst　of　incessant　cannon　and　musket　fire；　Russians　and　French；　infantry　and　cavalry；　had　captured　the　place　in　turn；　they　rushed　upon　it；　fell；　fired；　came　into　collision；　did　not　know　what　to　do　with　each　other；　screamed；　and　ran　back　again。
From　the　battlefield　adjutants　were　continually　galloping　up　to　Napoleon　with　reports　from　his　marshals　of　the　progress　of　the　action。　But　all　those　reports　were　deceptive；　both　because　in　the　heat　of　battle　it　is　impossible　to　say　what　is　happening　at　any　given　moment；　and　because　many　of　the　adjutants　never　reached　the　actual　battlefield；　but　simply　repeated　what　they　heard　from　others；　and　also　because；　while　the　adjutant　was　galloping　the　two　or　three　versts　to　Napoleon；　circumstances　had　changed；　and　the　news　he　brought　had　already　become　untrue。　Thus　an　adjutant　came　galloping　from　the　viceroy　with　the　news　that　Borodino　had　been　taken　and　the　bridge　on　the　Kolotcha　was　in　the　hands　of　the　French。　The　adjutant　asked　Napoleon　should　the　troops　cross　the　bridge。　Napoleon’s　command　was　to　form　on　the　further　side　and　wait；　but　long　before　he　gave　that　command；　when　the　adjutant　indeed　had　only　just　started　from　Borodino；　the　bridge　had　been　broken　down　and　burnt　by　the　Russians　in　the　very　skirmish　Pierre　had　taken　part　in　at　the　beginning　of　the　day。
An　adjutant；　galloping　up　from　the　flèches　with　a　pale　and　frightened　face；　brought　Napoleon　word　that　the　attack　had　been　repulsed；　and　Compans　wounded　and　Davoust　killed；　while　meantime　the　flèches　had　been　captured　by　another　division　of　the　troops；　and　Davoust　was　alive　and　well；　except　for　a　slight　bruise。　Upon　such　inevitably　misleading　reports　Napoleon　based　his　instructions；　which　had　mostly　been　carried　out　before　he　made　them；　or　else　were　never；　and　could　never；　be　carried　out　at　all。
The　marshals　and　generals　who　were　closer　to　the　scene　of　action；　but；　like　Napoleon；　not　actually　taking　part　in　it；　and　only　at　intervals　riding　within　bullet　range；　made　their　plans　without　asking　Napoleon；　and　gave　their　orders　from　where　and　in　what　direction　to　fire；　and　where　the　cavalry　were　to　gallop　and　the　infantry　to　run。　But　even　their　orders；　like　Napoleon’s；　were　but　rarely；　and　to　a　slight　extent；　carried　out。
For　the　most　part　what　happened　was　the　opposite　of　what　they　commanded　to　be　done。　The　soldiers　ordered　to　advance　found　themselves　under　grapeshot　fire；　and　ran　back。　The　soldiers　commanded　to　stand　still　in　one　place　seeing　the　Russians　appear　suddenly　before　them；　either　ran　away　or　rushed　upon　them；　and　the　cavalry　unbidden　galloped　in　after　the　flying　Russians。　In　this　way　two　cavalry　regiments　galloped　across　the　Semyonovskoye　hollow；　and　as　soon　as　they　reached　the　top　of　the　hill；　turned　and　galloped　headlong　back　again。　The　infantry；　in　the　same　way；　moved　sometimes　in　the　direction　opposite　to　that　in　which　they　were　commanded　to　move。
All　decisions　as　to　when　and　where　to　move　the　cannons；　when　to　send　infantry　to　fire；　when　to　send　cavalry　to　trample　down　the　Russian　infantry—all　such　decisions　were　made　by　the　nearest　officers　in　the　ranks；　without　any　reference　to　Ney；　Davoust；　and　Murat；　far　less　to　Napoleon　himself。　They　did　not　dread　getting　into　trouble　for　nonfulfilment　of　orders；　nor　for　assuming　responsibility；　because　in　battle　what　is　at　stake　is　what　is　most　precious　to　every　man—his　own　life；　and　at　one　time　it　seems　as　though　safety　is　to　be　found　in　flying　back；　sometimes　in　flying　forward；　and　these　men　placed　in　the　very　thick　of　the　fray　acted　in　accordance　with　the　temper　of　the　moment。
In　reality　all　these　movements　forward　and　back　again　hardly　improved　or　affected　the　position　of　the　troops。　All　their　onslaughts　on　one　another　did　little　harm；　the　harm；　the　death　and　disablement　was　the　work　of　the　cannon　balls　and　bullets；　that　were　flying　all　about　the　open　space；　where　those　men　ran　to　and　fro。　As　soon　as　they　got　out　of　that　exposed　space；　over　which　the　balls　and　bullets　were　flying；　their　superior　officer　promptly　formed　them　in　good　order；　and　restored　discipline；　and　under　the　influence　of　that　discipline　led　them　back　under　fire　again；　and　there　again；　under　the　influence　of　the　terror　of　death；　they　lost　all　discipline；　and　dashed　to　and　fro　at　the　chance　promptings　of　the　crowd。


Chapter　34
NAPOLEON’S　GENERALS；　Davoust；　Ney；　and　Murat；　who　were　close　to　that　region　of　fire；　and　sometimes　even　rode　into　it；　several　times　led　immense　masses　of　orderly　troops　into　that　region。　But　instead　of　what　had　invariably　happened　in　all　their　previous　battles；　ins