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"When I saw, your excellency, that their first battalion was

disorganized, I stopped in the road and thought: 'I'll let them

come on and will meet them with the fire of the whole

battalion'-and that's what I did."

The general had so wished to do this and was so sorry he had not

managed to do it that it seemed to him as if it had really

happened. Perhaps it might really have been so? Could one

possibly make out amid all that confusion what did or did not

happen?

"By the way, your excellency, I should inform you," he

continued-remembering Dolokhov's conversation with Kutuzov and

his last interview with the gentleman-ranker-"that Private

Dolokhov, who was reduced to the ranks, took a French officer

prisoner in my presence and particularly distinguished himself."