战争与和平(上)-第90章

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The　fog　had　become　so　thick　that　though　it　was　growing　light；　they　could　not　see　ten　steps　in　front　of　them。　Bushes　looked　like　huge　trees；　level　places　looked　like　ravines　and　slopes。　Anywhere；　on　any　side；　they　might　stumble　upon　unseen　enemies　ten　paces　from　them。　But　for　a　long　while　the　columns　marched　on　in　the　same　fog；　going　downhill　and　uphill；　passing　gardens　and　fences；　in　new　and　unknown　country；　without　coming　upon　the　enemy　anywhere。　On　the　contrary；　the　soldiers　became　aware　that　in　front；　behind；　on　all　sides；　were　the　Russian　columns　moving　in　the　same　direction。　Every　soldier　felt　cheered　at　heart　by　knowing　that　where　he　was　going；　to　that　unknown　spot　were　going　also　many；　many　more　of　our　men。
“I　say；　the　Kurskies　have　gone　on；”　they　were　saying　in　the　ranks。
“Stupendous；　my　lad；　the　forces　of　our　men　that　are　met　together！　Last　night　I　looked　at　the　fires　burning；　no　end　of　them。　A　regular　Moscow！”
Though　not　one　of　the　officers　in　command　of　the　columns　rode　up　to　the　ranks　nor　talked　to　the　soldiers　（the　commanding　officers；　as　we　have　seen　at　the　council　of　war；　were　out　of　humour；　and　displeased　with　the　plans　that　had　been　adopted；　and　so　they　simply　carried　out　their　orders　without　exerting　themselves　to　encourage　the　soldiers）；　yet　the　soldiers　marched　on　in　good　spirits；　as　they　always　do　when　advancing　into　action；　especially　when　on　the　offensive。
But　after　they　had　been　marching　on　for　about　an　hour　in　the　thick　fog；　a　great　part　of　the　troops　had　to　halt；　and　an　unpleasant　impression　of　mismanagement　and　misunderstanding　spread　through　the　ranks。　In　what　way　that　impression　reached　them　it　is　very　difficult　to　define。　But　there　is　no　doubt　that　it　did　reach　them；　and　with　extraordinary　correctness　and　rapidity；　and　spread　imperceptibly　and　irresistibly；　like　water　flowing　over　a　valley。　Had　the　Russian　army　been　acting　alone；　without　allies；　possibly　it　would　have　taken　a　long　time　for　this　impression　of　mismanagement　to　become　a　general　conviction。　But　as　it　was；　it　was　so　particularly　pleasant　and　natural　to　ascribe　the　mismanagement　to　the　senseless　Germans；　and　all　believed　that　there　was　some　dangerous　muddle　due　to　a　blunder　on　the　part　of　the　sausage…makers。
“What　are　they　stopping　for？　Blocked　up　the　way；　eh？　Or　hit　upon　the　French　at　last？”
“No；　not　heard　so。　There’d　have　been　firing。　After　hurrying　us　to　march　off；　and　we’ve　marched　off—to　stand　in　the　middle　of　a　field　for　no　sense—all　the　damned　Germans　making　a　muddle　of　it。　The　senseless　devils！　I’d　have　sent　them　on　in　front。　But　no　fear；　they　crowd　to　the　rear。　And　now　one’s　to　stand　with　nothing　to　eat。”
“I　say；　will　they　be　quick　there？”
“The　cavalry　is　blocking　up　the　road；　they　say；”　said　an　officer。
“Ah；　these　damned　Germans；　they　don’t　know　their　own　country；”　said　another。
“Which　division　are　you？”　shouted　an　adjutant；　riding　up。
“Eighteenth。”
“Then　why　are　you　here？　You　ought　to　have　been　in　front　long　ago；　you　won’t　get　there　now　before　evening。”
“The　silly　fools’　arrangements；　they　don’t　know　themselves　what　they’re　about；”　said　the　officer；　and　he　galloped　away。　Then　a　general　trotted　up；　and　shouted　something　angrily　in　a　foreign　tongue。
“Ta…fa…la…fa；　and　no　making　out　what　he’s　jabbering；”　said　a　soldier；　mimicking　the　retreating　general。　“I’d　like　to　shoot　the　lot　of　them；　the　blackguards！”
“Our　orders　were　to　be　on　the　spot　before　ten　o’clock；　and　we’re　not　halfway　there。　That’s　a　nice　way　of　managing　things！”　was　repeated　on　different　sides；　and　the　feeling　of　energy　with　which　the　troops　had　started　began　to　turn　to　vexation　and　anger　against　the　muddled　arrangements　and　the　Germans。
The　muddle　originated　in　the　fact　that　while　the　Austrian　cavalry　were　in　movement；　going　to　the　left　flank；　the　chief　authorities　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　our　centre　was　too　far　from　the　right　flank；　and　all　the　cavalry　had　received　orders　to　cross　over　to　the　right。　Several　thousands　of　mounted　troops　had　to　cross　in　front　of　the　infantry；　and　the　infantry　had　to　wait　till　they　had　gone　by。
Ahead　of　the　troops　a　dispute　had　arisen　between　the　Austrian　officer　and　the　Russian　general。　The　Russian　general　shouted　a　request　that　the　cavalry　should　stop。　The　Austrian　tried　to　explain　that　he　was　not　responsible；　but　the　higher　authorities。　The　troops　meanwhile　stood；　growing　listless　and　dispirited。　After　an　hour’s　delay　the　troops　moved　on　at　last；　and　began　going　downhill。　The　fog；　that　overspread　the　hill；　lay　even　more　densely　on　the　low　ground　to　which　the　troops　were　descending。　Ahead　in　the　fog　they　heard　one　shot；　and　another；　at　first　at　random；　at　irregular　intervals；　tratta…tat；　then　growing　more　regular　and　frequent；　and　the　skirmish　of　the　little　stream；　the　Holdbach；　began。
Not　having　reckoned　on　meeting　the　enemy　at　the　stream；　and　coming　upon　them　unexpectedly　in　the　fog；　not　hearing　a　word　of　encouragement　from　their　commanding　officers；　with　a　general　sense　of　being　too　late；　and　seeing　nothing　before　or　about　them　in　the　fog；　the　Russians　fired　slowly　and　languidly　at　the　enemy；　never　receiving　a　command　in　time　from　the　officers　and　adjutants；　who　wandered　about　in　the　fog　in　an　unknown　country；　unable　to　find　their　own　divisions。　This　was　how　the　battle　began　for　the　first；　the　second；　and　the　third　columns；　who　had　gone　down　into　the　low…lying　ground。　The　fourth　column；　with　which　Kutuzov　was；　was　still　on　the　plateau　of　Pratzen。
The　thick　fog　still　hung　over　the　low　ground　where　the　action　was　beginning；　higher　up　it　was　beginning　to　clear；　but　still　nothing　could　be　seen　of　what　was　going　on　in　front。　Whether　all　the　enemy’s　forces　were；　as　we　had　assumed；　ten　versts　away　from　us；　or　whether　they　were　close　by　in　that　stretch　of　fog；　no　one　knew　till　nine　o’clock。
Nine　o’clock　came。　The　fog　lay　stretched　in　an　unbroken　sea　over　the　plain；　but　at　the　village　of　Schlapanitz　on　the　high　ground　where　Napoleon　was；　surrounded　by　his　marshals；　it　was　now　perfectly　clear。　There　was　bright　blue　sky　over　his　head；　and　the　vast　orb　of　the　sun；　like　a　huge；　hollow；　purple　float；　quivered　on　the　surface　of　the　milky　sea　of　fog。　Not　the　French　troops　only；　but　Napoleon　himself　with　his　staff　were　not　on　the　further　side　of　the　streams；　and　the　villages　of　Sokolnitz　and　Schlapanitz；　beyond　which　we　had　intended　to　take　up　our　position　and　begin　the　attack；　but　were　on　the　nearer　side；　so　close　indeed　to　our　forces　that　Napoleon　could　distinguish　a　cavalry　man　from　a　foot　soldier　in　our　army　with　the　naked　eye。　Napoleon　was　standing　a　little　in　front　of　his　marshals；　on　a　little　grey　Arab　horse；　wearing　the　same　blue　overcoat　he　had　worn　through　the　Italian　campaign。　He　was　looking　intently　and　silently　at　the　hills；　which　stood　up　out　of　the　sea　of　mist；　and　the　Russian　troops　moving　across　them　in　the　distance；　and　he　listened　to　the　sounds　of　firing　in　the　valley。　His　face—still　thin　in　those　days—did　not　stir　a　single　muscle；　his　gleaming　eyes　were　fixed　intently　on　one　spot。　His　forecasts　were　turning　out　correct。　Part　of　the　Russian　forces　were　going　down　into　the　valley　towards　the　ponds　and　lakes；　while　part　were　evacuating　the　heights　of　Pratzen；　which　he　regarded　as　the　key　of　the　position；　and　had　intended　to　take。　He　saw　through　the　fog；　in　the　dip　between　two　hills　near　the　village　of　Pratzen；　Russian　columns　with　glittering　bayonets　moving　always　in　one　direction　towards　the　valleys；　and　vanishing　one　after　another　into　the　mist。　From　information　he　had　received　over　night；　from　the　sounds　of　wheels　and　footsteps　he　had　heard　in　the　night　at　the　outposts；　from　the　loose　order　of　the　march　of　the　Russian　columns；　from　all　the　evidence；　he　saw　clearly　that　the　allies　believed　him　to　be　a　long　way　in　front　of　them；　that　the　columns　moving　close　to　Pratzen　constituted　the　centre　of　the　Russian　army；　and　that　the　centre　was　by　this　time　too　much　weakened　to　be　able　to　attack　him　successfully。　But　still　he　delayed　beginning　the　battle。
That　day　was　for　him　a　day　of　triumph—the　anniversary　of　his　coronation。　He　had　slept　for　a　few　hours　in　the　early　morning；　and　feeling　fresh；　and　in　good　health　and　spirits；　in　that　happy　frame　of　mind　in　which　eve