"It's ready, your honor; you can split a Frenchman in half with it!"

Petya woke up.

"It's getting light, it's really getting light!" he exclaimed.

The horses that had previously been invisible could now be seen to their
very tails, and a watery light showed itself through the bare branches.
Petya shook himself, jumped up, took a ruble from his pocket and gave it
to Likhachev; then he flourished the saber, tested it, and sheathed
it. The Cossacks were untying their horses and tightening their saddle
girths.

"And here's the commander," said Likhachev.

Denisov came out of the watchman's hut and, having called Petya, gave
orders to get ready.

CHAPTER XI

The men rapidly picked out their horses in the semidarkness, tightened
their saddle girths, and formed companies. Denisov stood by the
watchman's hut giving final orders. The infantry of the detachment
passed along the road and quickly disappeared amid the trees in the mist
of early dawn, hundreds of feet splashing through the mud. The esaul
gave some orders to his men. Petya held his horse by the bridle,
impatiently awaiting the order to mount. His face, having been bathed
in cold water, was all aglow, and his eyes were particularly brilliant.
Cold shivers ran down his spine and his whole body pulsed rhythmically.

"Well, is ev'wything weady?" asked Denisov. "Bwing the horses."

The horses were brought. Denisov was angry with the Cossack because the
saddle girths were too slack, reproved him, and mounted. Petya put his
foot in the stirrup. His horse by habit made as if to nip his leg, but
Petya leaped quickly into the saddle unconscious of his own weight and,
turning to look at the hussars starting in the darkness behind him, rode
up to Denisov.

"Vasili Dmitrich, entrust me with some commission! Please... for God's
sake...!" said he.

Denisov seemed to have forgotten Petya's very existence. He turned to
glance at him.

"I ask one thing of you," he said sternly, "to obey me and not shove
yourself forward anywhere."

He did not say another word to Petya but rode in silence all the way.
When they had come to the edge of the forest it was noticeably growing
light over the field. Denisov talked in whispers with the esaul and
the Cossacks rode past Petya and Denisov. When they had all ridden by,
Denisov touched his horse and rode down the hill. Slipping onto their
haunches and sliding, the horses descended with their riders into the
ravine. P