战争与和平(上)-第352章

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And　at　a　shot　…”
“It　won’t　do　to　go　by　the　hollow；　it’s　a　bog；”　said　the　esaul。　“The　horses　will　sink　in；　you　must　skirt　round　more　to　the　left。…”
While　they　were　talking　in　undertones；　there　was　the　crack　of　a　shot　and　a　puff　of　white　smoke　in　the　hollow　below　near　the　pond；　and　the　voices　of　hundreds　of　Frenchmen　halfway　up　the　hill　rose　in　a　ringing　shout；　as　though　in　merry　chorus。　At　the　first　minute　both　Denisov　and　the　esaul　darted　back。　They　were　so　near　that　they　fancied　they　were　the　cause　of　that　shot　and　those　shouts。　But　they　had　nothing　to　do　with　them。　A　man　in　something　red　was　running　through　the　marshes　below。　The　French　were　evidently　firing　and　shouting　at　him。
“Why；　it’s　our　Tihon；”　said　the　esaul。
“It’s　he！　it’s　he！”
“The　rogue；”　said　Denisov。
“He’ll　get　away！”　said　the　esaul；　screwing　up　his　eyes。
The　man　they　called　Tihon；　running　up　to　the　little　river；　splashed　into　it；　so　that　the　water　spurted　up　round　him；　and　disappearing　for　an　instant；　scrambled　out　on　all　fours；　looking　dark　from　the　water；　and　ran　on。　The　French；　who　had　been　pursuing　him；　stopped。
“Well；　he’s　a　smart　fellow；”　said　the　esaul。
“The　beast；”　said　Denisov；　with　the　same　expression　of　vexation。　“And　what　has　he　been　about　all　this　time？”
“Who　is　he？”　asked　Petya。
“It’s　our　scout。　I　sent　him　to　catch　a　‘tongue’　for　us。”
“Ah；　to　be　sure；”　said　Petya；　nodding　at　Denisov’s　first　word；　as　though　he　knew　all　about　it；　though　he　did　not　understand　a　word。
Tihon　Shtcherbatov　was　one　of　the　most　useful　men　among　Denisov’s　followers。　He　was　a　peasant　of　the　village　of　Pokrovskoe；　near　Gzhat。　Denisov　had　come　to　Pokrovskoe　early　in　his　operations　as　a　guerilla　leader；　and　sending；　as　he　always　did；　for　the　village　elder；　asked　him　what　he　knew　about　the　French。
The　village　elder　had　answered；　as　all　village　elders　always　did　answer；　that　he　knew　nothing　about　them；　and　had　seen　nothing　of　them。　But　when　Denisov　explained　to　him　that　his　object　was　to　kill　the　French；　and　inquired　whether　no　French　had　strayed　into　his　village；　the　village　elder　replied　that　there　had　been　some　miroders　certainly；　but　that　the　only　person　who　took　any　heed　of　such　things　was　Tishka　Shtcherbatov。　Denisov　ordered　Tihon　to　be　brought　before　him；　and　praising　his　activity；　said　in　the　presence　of　the　elder　a　few　words　about　the　devotion　to　the　Tsar　and　the　Fatherland　and　the　hatred　of　the　French　that　all　sons　of　the　Fatherland　must　cherish　in　their　hearts。
“We　don’t　do　any　harm　to　the　French；”　said　Tihon；　evidently　scared　at　Denisov’s　words。　“It’s　only；　you　know；　just　a　bit　of　fun　for　the　lads　and　me。　The　miroders　now—we　have　killed　a　dozen　or　so　of　them；　but　we　have　done　no　harm　else　…”
Next　day；　when　Denisov　was　leaving　Pokrovskoe；　having　forgotten　all　about　this　peasant；　he　was　told　that　Tihon　was　with　his　followers；　and　asked　to　be　allowed　to　remain　with　them。　Denisov　bade　them　let　him　stay。
At　first　Tihon　undertook　the　rough　work　of　making　fires；　fetching　water；　skinning　horses；　and　so　on；　but　he　soon　showed　great　zeal　and　capacity　for　guerilla　warfare。　He　would　go　after　booty　at　night；　and　never　failed　to　bring　back　French　clothes　and　weapons；　and　when　he　was　bidden；　he　would　bring　back　prisoners　too。　Denisov　took　Tihon　from　his　menial　work；　and　began　to　employ　him　on　expeditions；　and　to　reckon　him　among　the　Cossacks。
Tihon　did　not　like　riding；　and　always　went　on　foot；　yet　never　lagged　behind　the　cavalry。　His　weapons　were　a　musket；　which　he　carried　rather　as　a　joke；　a　pike；　and　an　axe；　which　he　used　as　skilfully　as　a　wolf　does　its　teeth—catching　fleas　in　its　coat　and　crunching　thick　bones　with　them　equally　easily。　With　equal　precision　Tihon　swinging　his　axe　split　logs；　or；　taking　it　by　the　head；　cut　thin　skewers　or　carved　spoons。　Among　Denisov’s　followers；　Tihon　was　on　a　special　footing　of　his　own。　When　anything　particularly　disagreeable　or　revolting　had　to　be　done—to　put　one’s　shoulder　to　a　waggon　stuck　in　the　mud；　to　drag　a　horse　out　of　a　bog　by　the　tail；　to　flay　a　horse；　to　creep　into　the　midst　of　the　French；　to　walk　fifty　versts　in　a　day—every　one　laughed；　and　looked　to　Tihon　to　do　it。
“No　harm　will　come　to　him；　the　devil；　he’s　a　stalwart　beast；”　they　used　to　say　of　him。
One　day　a　Frenchman　he　had　captured　wounded　Tihon　with　a　pistol…shot　in　the　fleshy　part　of　the　back。　This　wound；　which　Tihon　treated　only　by　applications　of　vodka—internal　and　external—was　the　subject　of　the　liveliest　jokes　through　the　whole　party；　and　Tihon　lent　himself　readily　to　their　jests。
“Well；　old　chap；　you　won’t　do　that　again！　Are　you　crook…backed！”　laughed　the　Cossacks；　and　Tihon；　assuming　a　doleful　face；　and　grimacing　to　pretend　he　was　angry；　would　abuse　the　French　with　the　most　comical　oaths。　The　effect　of　the　incident　on　Tihon　was　that　he　rarely　afterwards　brought　prisoners　in。
Tihon　was　the　bravest　and　most　useful　man　of　the　lot。　No　one　discovered　so　many　opportunities　of　attack；　no　one　captured　or　killed　so　many　Frenchmen。　And　consequently　he　was　the　favourite　subject　of　all　the　gibes　of　the　Cossacks　and　the　hussars；　and　readily　fell　in　with　the　position。
Tihon　had　been　sent　overnight　by　Denisov　to　Shamshevo　to　capture　a　“tongue。”　But　either　because　he　was　not　satisfied　with　one　French　prisoner；　or　because　he　had　been　asleep　all　night；　he　had　crept　by　day　into　the　bushes　in　the　very　middle　of　the　French；　and；　as　Denisov　had　seen　from　the　hill；　had　been　discovered　by　them。


Chapter　6
AFTER　TALKING　a　little　while　longer　with　the　esaul　about　the　next　day’s　attack；　which　Denisov　seemed　to　have　finally　decided　upon　after　seeing　how　near　the　French　were；　he　turned　his　horse’s　head　and　rode　back。
“Now；　my　boy；　we　will　go　and　dry　ourselves；”　he　said　to　Petya。
As　he　came　near　the　forester’s　hut；　Denisov　stopped；　looking　into　the　wood　before　him。　A　man　in　a　short　jacket；　bast　shoes；　and　a　Kazan　hat；　with　a　gun　across　his　shoulder；　and　an　axe　in　his　belt；　was　striding　lightly　through　the　forest　with　long　legs　and　long　arms　swinging　at　his　side。　Catching　sight　of　Denisov；　he　hastily　flung　something　into　the　bushes；　and　taking　off　his　sopped　hat；　the　brim　of　which　drooped　limply；　he　walked　up　to　his　commanding　officer。
This　was　Tihon。　His　pock…marked　and　wrinkled　face；　with　little　slits　of　eyes；　beamed　with　self…satisfaction　and　merriment。　He　held　his　head　high；　and　looked　straight　at　Denisov　as　though　he　were　suppressing　a　laugh。
“Well；　where　have　you　been？”　said　Denisov。
“Where　have　I　been？　I　have　been　after　the　French；”　Tihon　answered　boldly　and　hastily；　in　a　husky；　but　mellow　bass。
“Why　did　you　creep　in　in　the　daytime？　Ass！　Well；　why　didn’t　you　catch　one？”
“Catch　one　I　did；”　said　Tihon。
“Where　is　he；　then？”
“I　caught　one　at　the　very　first　at　daybreak；”　Tihon　went　on；　setting　his　feet　down　wider　apart；　in　their　flat；　turned…up　bast　shoes；　“and　I　took　him　into　the　wood　too。　I　see　he’s　no　good。　So；　thinks　I；　better　go　and　get　another；　rather　more　the　proper　article。”
“Ay；　the　rogue；　so　that’s　how　it　is；”　said　Denisov　to　the　esaul。　“Why　didn’t　you　bring　that　one？”
“Why；　what　was　the　use　of　bringing　him　in？”　Tihon　broke　in；　hurriedly　and　angrily。　“A　worthless　fellow！　Don’t　I　know　what　sort　you　want？”
“Ah；　you　brute！　…　Well？”
“I　went　to　get　another；”　Tihon　went　on。　“I　crept　up　in　this　way　in　the　wood；　and　I　lay　down。”　With　a　sudden；　supple　movement；　Tihon　lay　down　on　his　stomach；　to　show　how　he　had　done　this。　“One　turned　up；”　he　went　on；　“I　seized　him　like　this；”　Tihon　jumped　up　swiftly　and　lightly。　“　‘Come　along　to　the　colonel；’　says　I。　He　set　up　such　a　shouting；　and　then　I　saw　four　of　them。　And　they　rushed　at　me　with　their　sabres。　I　went　at　them　like　this　with　my　axe。　‘What　are　you　about？’　says　I。　‘Christ　be　with　you；’　”　cried　Tihon；　waving　his　arms　and　squaring　his　chest　with　a　menacing　scowl。
“Oh　yes；　we　saw　from　the　hill　how　you　gave　them　the　slip；　through　the　pools；”　said　the　esaul；　screwing　up　his　sparkling　eyes。
Petya　had　a　great　longing　to　laugh；　but　he　saw　that　all　the　others　refrained　from　laughing。　He　kept　looking　rapidly　from　Tihon’s　face　to　the　face　of　the　esaul　and　Denisov；　not　knowing　what　to　make　of　it　all。
“Don’t　play