the grand army in its progress through those silent and lifeless
streets. The ancient city of the czars seemed a body without a soul.

But if the people were gone, their dwellings remained. Moscow was taken,
with all its palaces and treasures. It was a signal conquest. Napoleon
hastened to the Kremlin, mounted to the top of the lofty tower of Ivan,
and from its height looked with eyes of pride on the far-extending city.
It was grand, that vision of palatial mansions, but it was mournful in
its silence and gloom, the tramp of soldiery its only sound, the flutter
of multitudes of birds--ravens and crows, which haunted the city in
thousands--its only sign of life. Two days before Moscow had been one of
the busiest cities in the world. Now it was the most silent. But the
conqueror had this satisfaction, that while abandoned like other Russian
towns, it was not burned like them, he might find here winter-quarters
for his army and by mild measures lure the frightened people back to
their homes again. Comforted with this hopeful view, Napoleon descended
the stairs again, filled with confidence and triumph.

His confidence was misplaced. Disaster lowered upon the devoted city. On
the day succeeding his entrance a column of flame suddenly appeared,
rising from a large building in which was stored an abundant supply of
spirits. The soldiers ran thither without thought of alarm, fancying
that this was due to some imprudence on the part of their own men. In a
short time the fire was mastered, and a feeling of confidence returned.

But immediately afterwards a new fire broke out in a great collection of
buildings called the Bazaar, in which were the richest shops of the
city, filled with costly goods, the beautiful fabrics of Persia and
India, and rare and precious commodities from all quarters of the world.
Here the flames spread with extraordinary rapidity, consuming the
inflammable goods with frightful haste, despite the frantic efforts of
the soldiers to arrest their progress. Despairing of success, they
strove to save something from the vast riches of the establishment,
carrying out furs, costly wines, valuable tissues, and other precious
treasures. Such as remained of the people of the town aided in these
efforts, in the natural desire to save something from the flames.

Until now all this seemed ordinary accident, and no one dreamed that
these fires were the result of hostile design. They were soon to learn
more of the unc