"We knew at last where the Russians stood. But they were three
companies strong, and we were only one, so we couldn't well attack
them. Besides, they stood near a little wood and had machine guns. But
we had to get ahead. They were across our path, and there were other
reasons which my lieutenant explained to me, but which I couldn't
understand.
"So we decided to try to take them by surprise. But that is very
difficult, for on this accursed snow in the Carpathians you can see
everything. It would be almost necessary to dip one's self into a
barrel of flour. Fortunately, a mist came in the mountains, and that
night we resolved to make the attempt.
"We knew exactly the direction; the first lieutenant had made a drawing
on which everything was clear and plain. Two men were to be chosen
who should steal ahead and overpower the sentinels. Many volunteered.
Ignatz and I were selected.
"Everything depended on our not being discovered. The company crawled
behind us. It was compelled to stop behind the last snow ridge;
otherwise its presence would have been detected. It was a bold enough
stroke to have gone that far; and except for the fog and the snow even
this could not have been accomplished. Two hundred men always make
some noise, however much they try to avoid it. So they stayed behind
the ridge, about a hundred paces from the trees where the two Russian
sentinels were posted. Then it was for us to do our work.
"The night was dark and the fog thick, but the snow gave off a certain
light. We did not see the two Russians, but we thought we saw the
shadows of the pine trees under which they stood. We crawled along
slowly over the snow, each for himself. We had plenty of time. The
point was not to be quick, but to make no sound.
"We had taken off our shoes and wrapped our feet in white woollen
cloths. The ridge there was pretty steep; but one couldn't tumble down
it, for the snow would have crackled. Ordinarily they would not have
heard it, nor would I have heard it. But on such a night a sentinel
could hear everything--it was so frightfully still.
"Yet we got ahead. And then we could crawl further on the level
surface. I was very careful, and now and then shovelled with my hands a
little snow bank, so that I could have some shelter if they discovered
me.
"We couldn't see the sentinels yet; that is, I couldn't see them.
About Ignatz I know nothing, and nobody will ever know whether or not
he found them. There may have been a deep hole somewhere in the snow
cover, or maybe he grew weak and fainted.
"About that I don't know. I crawled forward without looking for him.
Suddenly I heard the two Russians talking, and quite near me. It
couldn't be more than twenty paces away.
"I held up. I had to wait till one of them went away or till Ignatz
came.
"They had been careless. But I was already so near, and it is a wonder
to me that they didn't notice me.
"I could have shot them; but that would have given the alarm. I didn't
want to attack them with the bayonet, for they would have cried out and
would have awakened the vedettes, who were somewhere behind them, and
then the whole three companies would have been warned.
"I decided to strangle one of them. Ignatz would have to make way with
the other.
"The fog had become thinner; it broke into streaks here and there. The
sentinels were looking in my direction. I believed that they must see
me. If I only could catch the expression on their faces!
"But I would not move; that was bound to betray me. If they had shot at
me then I should never have seen them raising their rifles.
"Very slowly I moved my head. Then I noticed that they turned toward
each other and talked. They talked continually, and that angered me. A
sentinel ought not to talk.
"Then a third man came along--an officer. He inspected them, showed
them something, looked sharply about, particularly toward me. But I had
already sunk in the snow and did not move. Then he went his way. I did
not see him again.
"Scarcely had the officer gone when the two Russians began to quarrel.
At first I didn't understand why, but it soon became clear to me,
because one of them, the smaller, went about thirty paces to the side,
laid himself under a tree and wrapped himself in his cloak, as if he
intended to sleep until the Judgment Day.
"It was plain that they were wrangling over which of them should go to
sleep.
"I was so glad. Now I didn't need to wait for Ignatz, but could carry
through the plan by myself."