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Overtaking the battalions that continued to advance, he stopped

the third division and convinced himself that there really were

no sharpshooters in front of our columns. The colonel at the head

of the regiment was much surprised at the commander in chief's

order to throw out skirmishers. He had felt perfectly sure that

there were other troops in front of him and that the enemy must

be at least six miles away. There was really nothing to be seen

in front except a barren descent hidden by dense mist. Having

given orders in the commander in chief's name to rectify this

omission, Prince Andrew galloped back. Kutuzov still in the same

place, his stout body resting heavily in the saddle with the

lassitude of age, sat yawning wearily with closed eyes. The

troops were no longer moving, but stood with the butts of their

muskets on the ground.