IX.
"Where are you going? Come back! Where are you going?" I cried to the recruit, who, having put his reserve linstock under his arm, and with a stick in his hand, was coolly following the vehicle in which the wounded soldier was lying.
But the recruit only looked lazily at me, muttered something, and went ahead, so that I had to send a soldier after him. He doffed his red cap, and, smiling stupidly, gazed at me.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"To the camp."
"What for?"
"Why, Velenchúk is wounded," he said, smiling again.
"What have you to do with that? You must remain here."
He looked at me in surprise, then coolly wheeled around, put on his cap, and went back to his place.
The engagement was favourable to us: it was reported that the Cossacks had made a fine attack and had taken three Tartar bodies; the infantry was provided with wood, and lost only six wounded, and in the artillery only Velenchúk and two horses were put out of action. To atone for these losses, they cut out about three versts of timber, and so cleared the place that it was impossible to recognize it: in place of the dense forest now was opened up an immense clearing, covered with smoking fires and with the cavalry and infantry moving toward the camp.
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