o as well as dense
masses of soldiers, or green ammunition chests and ordnance. And all
this moved, or seemed to move, as the smoke and mist spread out over
the whole space. Just as in the mist-enveloped hollow near Borodino, so
along the entire line outside and above it and especially in the woods
and fields to the left, in the valleys and on the summits of the high
ground, clouds of powder smoke seemed continually to spring up out of
nothing, now singly, now several at a time, some translucent, others
dense, which, swelling, growing, rolling, and blending, extended over
the whole expanse.

These puffs of smoke and (strange to say) the sound of the firing
produced the chief beauty of the spectacle.

"Puff!"--suddenly a round compact cloud of smoke was seen merging from
violet into gray and milky white, and "boom!" came the report a second
later.

"Puff! puff!"--and two clouds arose pushing one another and blending
together; and "boom, boom!" came the sounds confirming what the eye had
seen.

Pierre glanced round at the first cloud, which he had seen as a round
compact ball, and in its place already were balloons of smoke floating
to one side, and--"puff" (with a pause)--"puff, puff!" three and
then four more appeared and then from each, with the same
interval--"boom--boom, boom!" came the fine, firm, precise sounds in
reply. It seemed as if those smoke clouds sometimes ran and sometimes
stood still while woods, fields, and glittering bayonets ran past them.
From the left, over fields and bushes, those large balls of smoke were
continually appearing followed by their solemn reports, while nearer
still, in the hollows and woods, there burst from the muskets small
cloudlets that had no time to become balls, but had their little echoes
in just the same way. "Trakh-ta-ta-takh!" came the frequent crackle of
musketry, but it was irregular and feeble in comparison with the reports
of the cannon.

Pierre wished to be there with that smoke, those shining bayonets, that
movement, and those sounds. He turned to look at Kutuzov and his suite,
to compare his impressions with those of others. They were all looking
at the field of battle as he was, and, as it seemed to him, with the
same feelings. All their faces were now shining with that latent warmth
of feeling Pierre had noticed the day before and had fully understood
after his talk with Prince Andrew.

"Go, my dear fellow, go... and Christ be with you!" Kutuzov was
sayin