advance against Moscow, which was in a position to offer a
long and determined resistance, until he had driven off the Russian
army. At Kalouga they could at any moment advance on to his line of
communication, cut off all his supplies, and isolate him from France.

The advice was excellent, but Kutusow, who was even more unfitted than
Barclay for the post of commander-in-chief, refused to adopt this
course, and fell back towards Moscow, followed by the French. The
sufferings of the latter had already become severe--the nights were
getting very cold, the scarcity of food was considerable, the greater
part of the army was already subsisting on horse-flesh, the warm
clothing, which was becoming more and more necessary, was far in the
rear, their shoes were worn out, and it was only the thought that they
would have a long period of rest and comfort in Moscow, that animated
them to press forward along the fifty miles of road between Borodino and
that city.

Julian had passed through the terrible battle unscathed. It seemed to
him, when fighting had ceased for the day, that it was almost miraculous
a single man should have survived that storm of fire. While the fight
had actually been going on, the excitement and the ardour of battle had
rendered him almost insensible to the danger. With the soldiers as with
their generals the capture of the three small redoubts became, as the
day went on, a matter on which every thought was bent, every energy
concentrated; it was no longer a battle between French and Russians, but
a struggle in which each man felt that his personal honour was
concerned. Each time that, with loud cheering, they stormed the
blood-stained works, they felt the pride of victory; each time that,
foot by foot, they were again forced backwards, there was rage in every
heart and a fierce determination to return and conquer.

In such a struggle as this, when men's passions are once involved,
death loses its terror; thickly as comrades may fall around, those who
are still erect heed not the gaps, but with eyes fixed on the enemy in
front of him, with lips set tightly together, with head bent somewhat
down as men who struggle through a storm of rain, each man presses on
until a shot strikes him, or he reaches the goal he aims at. At such a
time the fire slackens, for each man strives to decide the struggle,
with bayonet or clubbed musket. Four times did Julian's regiment climb
the side of the ravine in front of the re