Book Five: 1806-07 - Chapter XVI

by Leo Tolstoy

　　In April the troops were enlivened by news of the Emperor's arrival,but Rostov had no chance of being present at the review he held atBartenstein, as the Pavlograds were at the outposts far beyond thatplace.

　　They were bivouacking. Denisov and Rostov were living in an earthhut, dug out for them by the soldiers and roofed with branches andturf. The hut was made in the following manner, which had then comeinto vogue. A trench was dug three and a half feet wide, four feeteight inches deep, and eight feet long. At one end of the trench,steps were cut out and these formed the entrance and vestibule. Thetrench itself was the room, in which the lucky ones, such as thesquadron commander, had a board, lying on piles at the end oppositethe entrance, to serve as a table. On each side of the trench, theearth was cut out to a breadth of about two and a half feet, andthis did duty for bedsteads and couches. The roof was so constructedthat one could stand up in the middle of the trench and could even situp on the beds if one drew close to the table. Denisov, who was livingluxuriously because the soldiers of his squadron liked him, had also aboard in the roof at the farther end, with a piece of (broken butmended) glass in it for a window. When it was very cold, embers fromthe soldiers' campfire were placed on a bent sheet of iron on thesteps in the "reception room"- as Denisov called that part of the hut-and it was then so warm that the officers, of whom there were alwayssome with Denisov and Rostov, sat in their shirt sleeves.

　　In April, Rostov was on orderly duty. One morning, between seven andeight, returning after a sleepless night, he sent for embers,changed his rain-soaked underclothes, said his prayers, drank tea, gotwarm, then tidied up the things on the table and in his own corner,and, his face glowing from exposure to the wind and with nothing onbut his shirt, lay down on his back, putting his arms under hishead. He was pleasantly considering the probability of beingpromoted in a few days for his last reconnoitering expedition, and wasawaiting Denisov, who had gone out somewhere and with whom he wanted atalk.

　　Suddenly he heard Denisov shouting in a vibrating voice behind thehut, evidently much excited. Rostov moved to the window to see whom hewas speaking to, and saw the quartermaster, Topcheenko.

　　"I ordered you not to let them that Mashka woot stuff!" Denisovwas shouting. "And I saw with my own eyes how Lazarchuk bwought somefwom the fields."

　　"I have given the order again and again, your honor, but theydon't obey," answered the quartermaster.

　　Rostov lay down again on his bed and thought complacently: "Lethim fuss and bustle now, my job's done and I'm lying down- capitally!"He could hear that Lavrushka- that sly, bold orderly of Denisov's- wastalking, as well as the quartermaster. Lavrushka was sayingsomething about loaded wagons, biscuits, and oxen he had seen whenhe had gone out for provisions.

　　Then Denisov's voice was heard shouting farther and farther away."Saddle! Second platoon!"

　　"Where are they off to now?" thought Rostov.

　　Five minutes later, Denisov came into the hut, climbed with muddyboots on the bed, lit his pipe, furiously scattered his thingsabout, took his leaded whip, buckled on his saber, and went out again.In answer to Rostov's inquiry where he was going, he answeredvaguely and crossly that he had some business.

　　"Let God and our gweat monarch judge me afterwards!" said Denisovgoing out, and Rostov heard the hoofs of several horses splashingthrough the mud. He did not even trouble to find out where Denisov hadgone. Having got warm in his corner, he fell asleep and did notleave the hut till toward evening. Denisov had not yet returned. Theweather had cleared up, and near the next hut two officers and a cadetwere playing svayka, laughing as they threw their missiles whichburied themselves in the soft mud. Rostov joined them. In the middleof the game, the officers saw some wagons approaching with fifteenhussars on their skinny horses behind them. The wagons escorted by thehussars drew up to the picket ropes and a crowd of hussarssurrounded them.

　　"There now, Denisov has been worrying," said Rostov, "and here arethe provisions."

　　"So they are!" said the officers. "Won't the soldiers be glad!"

　　A little behind the hussars came Denisov, accompanied by twoinfantry officers with whom he was talking.

　　Rostov went to meet them.

　　"I warn you, Captain," one of the officers, a short thin man,evidently very angry, was saying.

　　"Haven't I told you I won't give them up?" replied Denisov.

　　"You will answer for it, Captain. It is mutiny- seizing thetransport of one's own army. Our men have had nothing to eat for twodays."

　　"And mine have had nothing for two weeks," said Denisov.

　　"It is robbery! You'll answer for it, sir!" said the infantryofficer, raising his voice.

　　"Now, what are you pestewing me for?" cried Denisov, suddenly losinghis temper. "I shall answer for it and not you, and you'd better notbuzz about here till you get hurt. Be off! Go!" he shouted at theofficers.

　　"Very well, then!" shouted the little officer, undaunted and notriding away. "If you are determined to rob, I'll..."

　　"Go to the devil! quick ma'ch, while you're safe and sound!" andDenisov turned his horse on the officer.

　　"Very well, very well!" muttered the officer, threateningly, andturning his horse he trotted away, jolting in his saddle.

　　"A dog astwide a fence! A weal dog astwide a fence!" shouted Denisovafter him (the most insulting expression a cavalryman can address to amounted infantryman) and riding up to Rostov, he burst out laughing.

　　"I've taken twansports from the infantwy by force!" he said."After all, can't let our men starve."

　　The wagons that had reached the hussars had been consigned to aninfantry regiment, but learning from Lavrushka that the transportwas unescorted, Denisov with his hussars had seized it by force. Thesoldiers had biscuits dealt out to them freely, and they even sharedthem with the other squadrons.

　　The next day the regimental commander sent for Denisov, andholding his fingers spread out before his eyes said:

　　"This is how I look at this affair: I know nothing about it andwon't begin proceedings, but I advise you to ride over to the staffand settle the business there in the commissariat department and ifpossible sign a receipt for such and such stores received. If not,as the demand was booked against an infantry regiment, there will be arow and the affair may end badly."

　　From the regimental commander's, Denisov rode straight to thestaff with a sincere desire to act on this advice. In the evening hecame back to his dugout in a state such as Rostov had never yet seenhim in. Denisov could not speak and gasped for breath. When Rostovasked what was the matter, he only uttered some incoherent oaths andthreats in a hoarse, feeble voice.

　　Alarmed at Denisov's condition, Rostov suggested that he shouldundress, drink some water, and send for the doctor.

　　"Twy me for wobbewy... oh! Some more water... Let them twy me, butI'll always thwash scoundwels... and I'll tell the Empewo'...Ice..." he muttered.

　　The regimental doctor, when he came, said it was absolutelynecessary to bleed Denisov. A deep saucer of black blood was takenfrom his hairy arm and only then was he able to relate what hadhappened to him.

　　"I get there," began Denisov. "'Now then, where's your chief'squarters?' They were pointed out. 'Please to wait.' 'I've widdentwenty miles and have duties to attend to and no time to wait.Announce me.' Vewy well, so out comes their head chief- also took itinto his head to lecture me: 'It's wobbewy!'- 'Wobbewy,' I say, 'isnot done by man who seizes pwovisions to feed his soldiers, but by himwho takes them to fill his own pockets!' 'Will you please besilent?' 'Vewy good!' Then he says: 'Go and give a weceipt to thecommissioner, but your affair will be passed on to headquarters.' I goto the commissioner. I enter, and at the table... who do you think?No, but wait a bit!... Who is it that's starving us?" shouted Denisov,hitting the table with the fist of his newly bled arm so violentlythat the table nearly broke down and the tumblers on it jumpedabout. "Telyanin! 'What? So it's you who's starving us to death! Isit? Take this and this!' and I hit him so pat, stwaight on hissnout... 'Ah, what a... what...!' and I sta'ted fwashing him...Well, I've had a bit of fun I can tell you!" cried Denisov, gleefuland yet angry, his showing under his black mustache. "I'd havekilled him if they hadn't taken him away!"

　　"But what are you shouting for? Calm yourself," said Rostov. "You'veset your arm bleeding afresh. Wait, we must tie it up again."

　　Denisov was bandaged up again and put to bed. Next day he wokecalm and cheerful.

　　But at noon the adjutant of the regiment came into Rostov's andDenisov's dugout with a grave and serious face and regretfullyshowed them a paper addressed to Major Denisov from the regimentalcommander in which inquiries were made about yesterday's occurrence.The adjutant told them that the affair was likely to take a very badturn: that a court-martial had been appointed, and that in view of theseverity with which marauding and insubordination were now regarded,degradation to the ranks would be the best that could be hoped for.

　　The case, as represented by the offended parties, was that, afterseizing the transports, Major Denisov, being drunk, went to thechief quartermaster and without any provocation called him a thief,threatened to strike him, and on being led out had rushed into theoffice and given two officials a thrashing, and dislocated the armof one of them.

　　In answer to Rostov's renewed questions, Denisov said, laughing,that he thought he remembered that some other fellow had got mixedup in it, but that it was all nonsense and rubbish, and he did notin the least fear any kind of trial, and that if those scoundrelsdared attack him he would give them an answer that they would noteasily forget.

　　Denisov spoke contemptuously of the whole matter, but Rostov knewhim too well not to detect that (while hiding it from others) at hearthe feared a court-martial and was worried over the affair, which wasevidently taking a bad turn. Every day, letters of inquiry and noticesfrom the court arrived, and on the first of May, Denisov was orderedto hand the squadron over to the next in seniority and appear beforethe staff of his division to explain his violence at thecommissariat office. On the previous day Platov reconnoitered with twoCossack regiments and two squadrons of hussars. Denisov, as was hiswont, rode out in front of the outposts, parading his courage. Abullet fired by a French sharpshooter hit him in the fleshy part ofhis leg. Perhaps at another time Denisov would not have left theregiment for so slight a wound, but now he took advantage of it toexcuse himself from appearing at the staff and went into hospital.