第42章 How the Brigadier Rode to Minsk(5)

Poor Violette, looking as miserable as her master, was led round and I was told to mount her.My left arm was tied with a thong which was fastened to the stirrup- iron of a sergeant of Dragoons.So in most sorry plight I and the remnant of my men set forth from Minsk.

Never have I met such a brute as this man Sergine, who commanded the escort.The Russian army contains the best and the worst in the world, but a worse than Major Sergine of the Dragoons of Kieff I have never seen in any force outside of the guerillas of the Peninsula.

He was a man of great stature, with a fierce, hard face and a bristling black beard, which fell over his cuirass.

I have been told since that he was noted for his strength and his bravery, and I could answer for it that he had the grip of a bear, for I had felt it when he tore me from my saddle.He was a wit, too, in his way,and made continual remarks in Russian at our expense which set all his Dragoons and Cossacks laughing.Twice he beat my comrades with his riding-whip, and once he approached me with the lash swung over his shoulder, but there was something in my eyes which prevented it from falling.

So in misery and humiliation, cold and starving, we rode in a disconsolate column across the vast snow-plain.The sun had sunk, but still in the long northern twilight we pursued our weary journey.Numbed and frozen, with my head aching from the blows it had received, I was borne onward by Violette, hardly conscious of where I was or whither I was going.The little mare walked with a sunken head, only raising it to snort her contempt for the mangy Cossack ponies who were round her.

But suddenly the escort stopped, and I found that we had halted in the single street of a small Russian village.

There was a church on one side, and on the other was a large stone house, the outline of which seemed to me to be familiar.I looked around me in the twilight, and then I saw that we had been led back to Dobrova, and that this house at the door of which we were waiting was the same house of the priest at which we had stopped in the morning.Here it was that my charming Sophie in her innocence had translated the unlucky message which had in some strange way led us to our ruin.To think that only a few hours before we had left this very spot with such high hopes and all fair prospects for our mission, and now the remnants of us waited as beaten and humiliated men for whatever lot a brutal enemy might ordain! But such is the fate of the soldier, my friends --kisses to-day, blows to-morrow.Tokay in a palace, ditch-water in a hovel, furs or rags, a full purse or an empty pocket, ever swaying from the best to the worst, with only his courage and his honour unchanging.

The Russian horsemen dismounted, and my poor fellows were ordered to do the same.It was already late, and it was clearly their intention to spend the night in this village.There were great cheering and joy amongst the peasants when they understood that we had all been taken, and they flocked out of their houses with flaming torches, the womencarrying out tea and brandy for the Cossacks.Amongst others the old priest came forth-- the same whom we had seen in the morning.He was all smiles now, and he bore with him some hot punch on a salver, the reek of which I can remember still.Behind her father was Sophie.With horror I saw her clasp Major Sergine's hand as she congratulated him upon the victory he had won and the prisoners he had made.The old priest, her father, looked at me with an insolent face and made insulting remarks at my expense, pointing at me with his lean and grimy hand.His fair daughter Sophie looked at me also, but she said nothing, and I could read her tender pity in her dark eyes.At last she turned to Major Sergine and said something to him in Russian, on which he frowned and shook his head impatiently.

She appeared to plead with him, standing there in the flood of light which shone from the open door of her father's house.My eyes were fixed upon the two faces, that of the beautiful girl and of the dark, fierce man, for my instinct told me that it was my own fate which was under debate.For a long time the soldier shook his head, and then, at last softening before her pleadings, he appeared to give way.He turned to where I stood with my guardian sergeant beside me.

"These good people offer you the shelter of their roof for the night," said he to me, looking me up and down with vindictive eyes."I find it hard to refuse them, but I tell you straight that for my part I had rather see you on the snow.It would cool your hot blood, you rascal of a Frenchman!"I looked at him with the contempt that I felt.

"You were born a savage and you will die one," said I.

My words stung him, for he broke into an oath, raising his whip as if he would strike me.

"Silence, you crop-eared dog!" he cried."Had I my way some of the insolence would be frozen out of you before morning." Mastering his passion, he turned upon Sophie with what he meant to be a gallant manner."If you have a cellar with a good lock," said he, "the fellow may lie in it for the night, since you have done him the honour to take an interest in his comfort.I must have his parole that he will not attempt to play us anytricks, as I am answerable for him until I hand him over to the Hetman Platoff to-morrow."His supercilious manner was more than I could endure.

He had evidently spoken French to the lady in order that I might understand the humiliating way in which he referred to me.

"I will take no favour from you," said I."You may do what you like, but I will never give you my parole."The Russian shrugged his great shoulders, and turned away as if the matter were ended.