"
It was half a verst to the artillery commander's, the whole road ran
between the tents. As soon as I rode away from our fire, it became so
black that I could not see even the horse's ears, but only the watch-
fires, now seeming very near, now very far off, as they gleamed into my
eyes. After I had ridden some distance, trusting to the intelligence of
the horse whom I allowed free rein, I began to distinguish the white
four-cornered tents and then the black tracks of the road. After a half-
hour, having asked my way three times, and twice stumbled over the tent-
stakes, causing each time a volley of curses from the tents, and twice
been detained by the sentinels, I reached the artillery commander's.
While I was on the way, I heard two more cannon shot in the direction of
our camp; but the projectiles did not reach to the place where the
headquarters were. The artillery commander ordered not to reply to the
firing, the more as the enemy did not remain in the same place; and I
went back, leading the horse by the bridle, making my way on foot
between the infantry tents. More than once I delayed my steps, as I went
by some soldier's tent where a light was shining, and some merry-andrew
was telling a story; or I listened to some educated soldier reading from
some book while the whole division overflowed the tent, or hung around
it, sometimes interrupting the reading with various remarks; or I simply
listened to the talk about the expedition, about the fatherland, or
about their chiefs.
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