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"I don't myself know 'to who,'" replied the cornet in a serious

tone, "but the prince told me to 'go and tell the colonel that

the hussars must return quickly and fire the bridge.'"

Zherkov was followed by an officer of the suite who rode up to

the colonel of hussars with the same order. After him the stout

Nesvitski came galloping up on a Cossack horse that could

scarcely carry his weight.

"How's this, Colonel?" he shouted as he approached. "I told you

to fire the bridge, and now someone has gone and blundered; they

are all beside themselves over there and one can't make anything

out."

The colonel deliberately stopped the regiment and turned to

Nesvitski.

"You spoke to me of inflammable material," said he, "but you said

nothing about firing it."

"But, my dear sir," said Nesvitski as he drew up, taking off his

cap and smoothing his hair wet with perspiration with his plump

hand, "wasn't I telling you to fire the bridge, when inflammable

material had been put in position?"