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Prince Bagration turned to the officer and with his dull eyes

looked at him in silence. It seemed to Prince Andrew that the

officer's remark was just and that really no answer could be made

to it. But at that moment an adjutant galloped up with a message

from the commander of the regiment in the hollow and news that

immense masses of the French were coming down upon them and that

his regiment was in disorder and was retreating upon the Kiev

grenadiers. Prince Bagration bowed his head in sign of assent and

approval. He rode off at a walk to the right and sent an adjutant

to the dragoons with orders to attack the French. But this

adjutant returned half an hour later with the news that the

commander of the dragoons had already retreated beyond the dip in

the ground, as a heavy fire had been opened on him and he was

losing men uselessly, and so had hastened to throw some

sharpshooters into the wood.

"Very good!" said Bagration.