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Among the field guns on the brow of the hill the general in

command of the rearguard stood with a staff officer, scanning the

country through his fieldglass. A little behind them Nesvitski,

who had been sent to the rearguard by the commander in chief, was

sitting on the trail of a gun carriage. A Cossack who accompanied

him had handed him a knapsack and a flask, and Nesvitski was

treating some officers to pies and real doppelkummel. The

officers gladly gathered round him, some on their knees, some

squatting Turkish fashion on the wet grass.

"Yes, the Austrian prince who built that castle was no fool. It's

a fine place! Why are you not eating anything, gentlemen?"

Nesvitski was saying.

"Thank you very much, Prince," answered one of the officers,

pleased to be talking to a staff officer of such importance.

"It's a lovely place! We passed close to the park and saw two

deer... and what a splendid house!"