e campfire.

No one replied a word to Dolokhov's laughter, and a French officer whom
they could not see (he lay wrapped in a greatcoat) rose and whispered
something to a companion. Dolokhov got up and called to the soldier who
was holding their horses.

"Will they bring our horses or not?" thought Petya, instinctively
drawing nearer to Dolokhov.

The horses were brought.

"Good evening, gentlemen," said Dolokhov.

Petya wished to say "Good night" but could not utter a word. The
officers were whispering together. Dolokhov was a long time mounting
his horse which would not stand still, then he rode out of the yard at a
footpace. Petya rode beside him, longing to look round to see whether or
not the French were running after them, but not daring to.

Coming out onto the road Dolokhov did not ride back across the open
country, but through the village. At one spot he stopped and listened.
"Do you hear?" he asked. Petya recognized the sound of Russian voices
and saw the dark figures of Russian prisoners round their campfires.
When they had descended to the bridge Petya and Dolokhov rode past the
sentinel, who without saying a word paced morosely up and down it, then
they descended into the hollow where the Cossacks awaited them.

"Well now, good-by. Tell Denisov, 'at the first shot at daybreak,'" said
Dolokhov and was about to ride away, but Petya seized hold of him.

"Really!" he cried, "you are such a hero! Oh, how fine, how splendid!
How I love you!"

"All right, all right!" said Dolokhov. But Petya did not let go of him
and Dolokhov saw through the gloom that Petya was bending toward him and
wanted to kiss him. Dolokhov kissed him, laughed, turned his horse, and
vanished into the darkness.

CHAPTER X

Having returned to the watchman's hut, Petya found Denisov in the
passage. He was awaiting Petya's return in a state of agitation,
anxiety, and self-reproach for having let him go.

"Thank God!" he exclaimed. "Yes, thank God!" he repeated, listening to
Petya's rapturous account. "But, devil take you, I haven't slept because
of you! Well, thank God. Now lie down. We can still get a nap before
morning."

"But... no," said Petya, "I don't want to sleep yet. Besides I know
myself, if I fall asleep it's finished. And then I am used to not
sleeping before a battle."

He sat awhile in the hut joyfully recalling the details of his
expedition and vividly picturing to himself what would happen next day.