Theofficerpointedwithhishandtothesmokevisibleontheleftbeyondtheriver, andthesamesternandseriousexpressionthatPierrehadnoticedonmanyofthefaceshehadmetcameintohisface.
"Ah, thosearetheFrench! Andoverthere?..." Pierrepointedtoaknollontheleft, nearwhichsometroopscouldbeseen.
"Thoseareours."
"Ah, ours! Andthere?..." Pierrepointedtoanotherknollinthedistancewithabigtreeonit, nearavillagethatlayinahollowwherealsosomecampfiresweresmokingandsomethingblackwasvisible.
"That'shisagain," saidtheofficer.(ItwastheShevardinoRedoubt.) "Itwasoursyesterday, butnowitishis."
"Thenhowaboutourposition?"
"Ourposition?" repliedtheofficerwithasmileofsatisfaction."Icantellyouquiteclearly, , yousee? There'sourcenter, atBorodino, justthere," andhepointedtothevillageinfrontofthemwiththewhitechurch."That', there''"—hepointedsharplytotheright, farawayinthebrokenground—"That'swheretheMoskvaRiveris, andwehavethrownupthreeredoubtsthere, ..." heretheofficerpaused."Well, yousee, that'sdifficulttoexplain....YesterdayourleftflankwasthereatShevardino, yousee, wheretheoakis, butnowwehavewithdrawnourleftwing—nowitisoverthere, doyouseethatvillageandthesmoke? That'sSemenovsk, yes, there," hepointedtoRaevski'sknoll."; , manyamanwillbemissingtomorrow!" heremarked.
Anelderlysergeantwhohadapproachedtheofficerwhilehewasgivingtheseexplanationshadwaitedinsilenceforhimtofinishspeaking, butatthispoint, evidentlynotlikingtheofficer'sremark, interruptedhim.
"Gabionsmustbesentfor," saidhesternly.
