Chapter 11

           

           FromPrinceShcherbátov’shousetheprisonerswereledstraightdowntheVirgin’sField,totheleftofthenunnery,asfarasakitchengardeninwhichaposthadbeensetup.Beyondthatpostafreshpithadbeendugintheground,andnearthepostandthepitalargecrowdstoodinasemicircle.ThecrowdconsistedofafewRussiansandmanyofNapoleon’ssoldierswhowerenotonduty—Germans,Italians,andFrenchmen,inavarietyofuniforms.TotherightandleftofthepoststoodrowsofFrenchtroopsinblueuniformswithredepauletsandhighbootsandshakos.

           Theprisonerswereplacedinacertainorder,accordingtothelist(Pierrewassixth),andwereledtothepost.Severaldrumssuddenlybegantobeatonbothsidesofthem,andatthatsoundPierrefeltasifpartofhissoulhadbeentornaway.Helostthepowerofthinkingorunderstanding.Hecouldonlyhearandsee.Andhehadonlyonewish—thatthefrightfulthingthathadtohappenshouldhappenquickly.Pierrelookedroundathisfellowprisonersandscrutinizedthem.

           Thetwofirstwereconvictswithshavenheads.Onewastallandthin,theotherdark,shaggy,andsinewy,withaflatnose.Thethirdwasadomesticserf,aboutforty-fiveyearsold,withgrizzledhairandaplump,well-nourishedbody.Thefourthwasapeasant,averyhandsomemanwithabroad,light-brownbeardandblackeyes.Thefifthwasafactoryhand,athin,sallow-facedladofeighteeninaloosecoat.

           PierreheardtheFrenchconsultingwhethertoshootthemseparatelyortwoatatime.“Incouples,”repliedtheofficerincommandinacalmvoice.

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