Produced by Clare Graham & Marc D'Hooghe at Free Literature (Images generously made available by the Internet Archive.) THE INVADERS AND OTHER STORIES BY COUNT LYOF N. TOLSTOI _TRANSLATED FROM THE RUSSIAN_ BY NATHAN HASKELL DOLE NEW YORK THOMAS Y. CROWELL & CO. 13 ASTOR PLACE 1887 CONTENTS. THE INVADERS THE WOOD-CUTTING EXPEDITION AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE LOST ON THE STEPPE; OR, THE SNOWSTORM POLIKUSHKA KHOLSTOMÍR: A STORY OF A HORSE THE INVADERS.[1] _A VOLUNTEER'S NARRATIVE._ I. On the 24th of July, Captain Khlopof in epaulets and cap--a style of dress in which I had not seen him since my arrival in the Caucasus--entered the low door of my earth-hut. "I'm just from the colonel's," he said in reply to my questioning look; "to-morrow our battalion is to move." "Where?" I asked. "To N----. The troops have been ordered to muster at that place." "And probably some expedition will be made from there?" "Of course." "In what direction, think you?" "I don't think. I tell you all I know. Last night a Tatar from the general came galloping up,--brought orders for the battalion to march, taking two days' rations. But whither, why, how long, isn't for them to ask. Orders are to go--that's enough." "Still, if they are going to take only two days' rations, it's likely the army will not stay longer." "That's no argument at all." "And how is that?" I asked with astonishment. "This is the way of it: When they went against Dargi they took a week's rations, but they spent almost a month." "And can I go with you?" I asked, after a short silence. "Yes, you _can_ go; but my advice is--better not. Why run the risk?" "No, allow me to disregard your advice. I have been spending a whole month here for this very purpose,--of having a chance to see action,--and you want me to let it have the go-by!" "All right, come with us; only isn't it true that it would be better for you to stay behind? You could wait for us here, you could go hunting. But as to us,--God knows what will become of us!... And that would be first-rate," he said in such a convincing tone that it seemed to me at the first moment that it would actually be first-rate. Nevertheless, I said resolutely that I wouldn't stay behind for any thing. "And what have you to see there?" said the captain, still trying to dissuade me. "If you want to learn how battles are fought, read Mikhaïlovski Danilevski's 'Description of War,' a charming book; there it's all admirably described,--where every corps stands, and how battles are fought." "On the contrary, that does not interest me," I replied.