Strona 578 z 3800

The French had been repulsed for the last time. And again and

again in the complete darkness Tushin's guns moved forward,

surrounded by the humming infantry as by a frame.

In the darkness, it seemed as though a gloomy unseen river was

flowing always in one direction, humming with whispers and talk

and the sound of hoofs and wheels. Amid the general rumble, the

groans and voices of the wounded were more distinctly heard than

any other sound in the darkness of the night. The gloom that

enveloped the army was filled with their groans, which seemed to

melt into one with the darkness of the night. After a while the

moving mass became agitated, someone rode past on a white horse

followed by his suite, and said something in passing: "What did

he say? Where to, now? Halt, is it? Did he thank us?" came eager

questions from all sides. The whole moving mass began pressing

closer together and a report spread that they were ordered to

halt: evidently those in front had halted. All remained where

they were in the middle of the muddy road.