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"The devil only knows what they're about!" muttered Denisov. "Ah,

Wostov," he cried noticing the cadet's bright face, "you've got

it at last."

And he smiled approvingly, evidently pleased with the cadet.

Rostov felt perfectly happy. Just then the commander appeared on

the bridge. Denisov galloped up to him.

"Your excellency! Let us attack them! I'll dwive them off."

"Attack indeed!" said the colonel in a bored voice, puckering up

his face as if driving off a troublesome fly. "And why are you

stopping here? Don't you see the skirmishers are retreating? Lead

the squadron back."

The squadron crossed the bridge and drew out of range of fire

without having lost a single man. The second squadron that had

been in the front line followed them across and the last Cossacks

quitted the farther side of the river.