Pierresteppedoutofhiscarriageand, passingthetoilingmilitiamen, ascendedtheknollfromwhich, accordingtothedoctor, thebattlefieldcouldbeseen.
Itwasabouteleveno', risinglikeanamphitheater, extendedbeforehimintheclearrarefiedatmosphere.
Fromaboveontheleft, bisectingthatamphitheater, woundtheSmolenskhighroad, , windingdownandup, rosehigherandhighertothevillageofValuevovisibleaboutfourmilesaway, , , torightandleftoftheforestandtheroad, smokingcampfirescouldbeseenandindefinitemassesoftroops—oursandtheenemy'—alongthecourseoftheKolochaandMoskvarivers—; therewerefieldsofgrain, andthesmokingruinsofSemenovsk, whichhadbeenburneddown, couldbeseen.
, butonlyfields, meadows, troops, woods, thesmokeofcampfires, villages, mounds, andstreams; andtryashewouldhecoulddescrynomilitary "position" inthisplacewhichteemedwithlife, norcouldheevendistinguishourtroopsfromtheenemy's.
"Imustasksomeonewhoknows," hethought, andaddressedanofficerwhowaslookingwithcuriosityathishugeunmilitaryfigure.
"MayIaskyou," saidPierre, "whatvillagethatisinfront?"
"Burdino, isn'tit?" saidtheofficer, turningtohiscompanion.
"Borodino," theothercorrectedhim.
Theofficer, evidentlygladofanopportunityforatalk, moveduptoPierre.
"Arethoseourmenthere?" Pierreinquired.
"Yes, andthere, furtheron, aretheFrench," saidtheofficer."Theretheyare, there...youcanseethem."
"Where? Where?" askedPierre.
"Onecanseethemwiththenakedeye...Why, there!"
