ussians; and yet thousands of waggons, laden with
the spoil of Moscow, attended and encumbered their march.

Kutusoff now perceived that he had to expect the attack of a greater
than Murat. The Russian general occupied a position at Taroutino, on the
old road to Kalouga (the central one of three nearly parallel routes),
so strong by nature, and so improved by art, that Napoleon judged it
hopeless to attack him there. He therefore made a lateral movement, and
pushed on by the western road--meaning, after he had passed Taroutino,
to strike back again into the central one, and so interpose himself
between Kutusoff and Kalouga. The old Russian, however, penetrated this
plan; and instantly, by a manoeuvre of precisely the same kind--marching
to the eastward, and thence back to the centre again,--baffled it. The
French van, having executed the first part of their orders, and regained
the middle road in the rear of Taroutino, advanced without opposition as
far as Malo-Yaraslovetz, and occupied that town. But at midnight they
were assaulted furiously within it, and driven back across the river
Louja, where the leading divisions of the army bivouacked. Early in the
morning the French retook Malo-Yaraslovetz at the point of the bayonet,
and the greater part of the day was spent in a succession of obstinate
contests, in the course of which the town five times changed masters. In
the evening, Napoleon came up with his main body. He found his troops,
indeed, in possession of the place; but beyond it, his generals informed
him, Kutusoff and his whole army were now posted, and this on a position
at least as strong as that of Taroutino, which he himself had considered
unassailable.

The Emperor's headquarters were in the wretched and filthy hut of a poor
weaver, and here an angry debate ensued between Murat and Davoust; the
former of whom urged the necessity of instantly attacking the Russian,
while the latter pronounced such an attempt to be worthy of a madman.
The Emperor heard them in gloomy silence, and declared that he would
judge for himself in the morning. He dismissed them all, and, if Segur
may be believed, spent the night in great agitation; now rising, now
lying down again--incessantly calling out--yet refusing to admit anyone
within a temporary screen of cloth which concealed his person from the
eyes of his attendants. This was the first occasion on which Buonaparte
betrayed in his demeanour that dark presentiment which had