6. An Encounter

Maroussia had not time enough to recover herself or to collect her thoughts, before the detachment had disappeared in a cloud of dust. They had flown away like wild birds. But the old soldier who had talked with her and had spoken of his little girl, had turned around, she had seen him, and cast a look of farewell upon her.

Ah! why, instead of remaining, was he among those to go away?

Maroussia remained alone with Ivan, who had received the order to conduct her wagon to Knich’s house, and to arrange the affair.

“Very well! Let us start, little drop of honey!” Ivan said to her, lighting his pipe.

Maroussia looked at Ivan and thought to herself that he resembled a hedge-hog.

“Go on! Go on!” he repeated in a sterner voice.

Maroussia spoke to her oxen. On the sudden departure of their escort, they had judged it suitable to stop, such sudden starts do not affect wise oxen. At the command of Maroussia they hastened to obey.

The wagon began again its measured movement; Maroussia, under the pretext of being tired, perched herself on its top, and while climbing up, managed secretly to press the hand

of her good friend, whose calm and confident face was to be seen in the bottom of the hole which he had made for himself among the bundles of hay. Ivan, of course, was far from suspecting anything. He let her climb up to her place, while he rode by the side of the oxen smoking his pipe and looking before him.

You could see that war had been about them. For one green field with a prospect of harvest, there were ten, entirely devastated.

The volleys of musketry were repeated at less intervals of time, and the shots became more and more distinct.

The wagon was going up one of those small hills which are common in this country and in which are buried the dead of ancient battles.

When they reached the top of the knoll, Maroussia saw many tents in the valley, half veiled by clouds of black smoke, lightened here and there by tongues of red flames. It was the spot upon which the battle was taking place, whence the noise of the musketry had reached their ears.

From time to time, they could hear the shouting and groaning of human beings, and the neighing of horses; the cries of children also came across the fresh morning air, and Maroussia had before her eyes the terrible spectacle of a burning village, the large houses still in flames, while the cottages were in ashes.