Napoleon And The Cossacks (Paperback)

NAPOLEON AND THE COSSACKS by PETER NICOLAEVTTCH KRASSNOFF - 1 - Translated from the Russian by OLGA VITALI DUFFBELD GREEN NEW YORK CITY MCMXXXI COPYRIGHT, 1931, BY DUFFIELD AND GREEN PRINTED AND BOUND BY THE CORNWALL PRESS, INC. PRINTED IN THE U S. A. Contents PART ONE 1 PART TWO 49 PART THREE 255 PART FOUR 373 PART FIVE 459 PART ONE I. IN the region of St. Petersburg, in the spring, there is hardly any night. Daylight seems still to be shining when the clock stands at twelve. For hours the sky throbs with a diffused crimson light, gradually fading, in the west, to the sober blue of day, and kindling, in the east, to the conflagration of dawn. At such an hour, a kibitka, or hooded carriage without springs, came rattling and clattering through the green ap proaches to the city. The great golden bowl of the sun had just come tilting over the earths rim, pouring its flood into silver space. It hurt ones eyes to look. The yamstchik driving the vehicle, turned round to his pas senger, who, wrapped in the wide folds of a Caucasian bourka, sat awkwardly on the edge of the kibitka. There I he said, thrusting out a gnarled finger, Thats St. Petersburg The Cossack colonel Ivan Kouzmitch Minaieff looked in the direction indicated by the driver. All was flat and green, neither marsh nor meadow, and bespattered with yellow dandelions. A grove of young birches, still downy with the foliage of May, stood transparent in the sun, throwing a blue lace of shadow on the ground. The road, running straight between rows of pollarded willows, dwindled away into the distance ahead and there where it seemed to end, against hazy curtains of cloud white buildings stood out spires thrust skywards needles of gold, chimney-tops, dark roofs, and domes appeared. Blurred spots became more distinct and emerged as gardens and islands of verdure. Then beyond them, a silver mirror, the bay gleamed in a malachite frame. Is that the sea Minaieff asked in a voice that sounded hoarse after a night spent without sleep. Aye, the sea it is. Thats where the Neva goes to. The 2 NAPOLEON AND driver stopped his team, climbed down from his box and re adjusted the harness on one of the horses. Then, having lit a short pipe, he inquired Doesnt your Honor allow yourself a smoke at times No, Minaieff answered drily. Hereabouts we have all taken to it. The Tchaukhny taught us. Its all Tchoukhny, as they call the Finnish peas ants, around here now. The Russians will settle only close beside the highroads The sea the Colonel mused, theres not much to say for it. He had seen many things in his life so much better than that The blue, blue sea at Kinburn, and at Varna, and those fine rivers, the White Bug and the blue Danube. Had he not, only last autumn, come down from the heights of the St. Gothard descending from the very skies, as it were, with the great Souvoroff himself. . . But Petersburg, no, he had not seen it as yet. So that was what it looked like Minaieff got out to straighten his cramped limbs. He gave a look under the hood of the kibitka. There, on a bedding of last years hay, covered with a sheepskin and peacefully asleep, lay two boys, his sons. Kouzma, 1 the elder, slept on his side with his face in the shade. His heavy chestnut locks had spread out like a crown on the leather pillow. The younger, Ivan, had hair of a lighter shade. He slept lying on his back in the gilding sunlight his chin looked as soft andround as a childs. Shall we go on asked the driver. You might drive slowly. Ill walk alongside. My legs are numb. Thats because you were not comfortably seated. Youd better stretch out for a while. I have been lying more than enough. Lie down all the same. Its the truth I say. You jtot look at these youngsters. How they sleep, bless my heart I Your sons, I dare say Yes, they are my sons, Minaieff s voice rang with pride, Taking them to school, may be 1 Russian for Cosmo. THE COSSACKS 3 Yes, to school. Thats fine ... only. . . ...