Sergey Solovyov The Cavalier Guards 1805. Austerlitz cold sun

Service

— Barin, get up… Get up, master… The horn sounded, the formation… We need to hurry…

Fedor’s voice just beat on the ears. Mercilessly, without condescension, he snatched Burlin from the sweet captivity of Morpheus. He hardly opened his eyes, as it seemed to him, adamantly and proudly nodded his head. But, did not even rise from the mattress.

“Wash…” he whispered.

— What did they say? -I did not understand the owner’s money.

— Carry a bowl of water! Burlin almost shouted, and dropped his legs to the floor.

Boots, for some reason, was not, which Alexey was surprised at. Yesterday, for sure, he was in boots, he remembered. Therefore, he hit his bare heels on the boardwalk.

— What, your nobility. And here, I cleaned the boots, — the batman immediately explained.

Fedor sat down, and deftly shod the master, and then fastened small buttons on his cuirassier ratings. Then, he hung a cuirassier white colet on the back of his chair, with a crimson collar decorated with gold guard buttonholes. Burlin noticed Alexey, taking off his shirt, began to wash quickly, putting himself in order. The cold water had a wonderful effect, the action was truly magical. Immediately it felt better, and he quickly sat down on a free chair. Fedor, without hesitation, got down to business, combed his hair with a comb, and then sprinkled them with powder. Junker, looking in the mirror, looked as gray, right before our eyes.

Finally. everything was ready. He, with the help of a batman, put on a colet, hooked and tied with a broadsword, and the helmet was not forgotten. Here, he went out into the courtyard, where Albrecht was already waiting for him. Alexander smoked a pipe, blowing gray smoke into the morning sky.

— We went, we have to go. Sidor, pick up my phone.

His batman, with the equanimity of a marble statue. took the smoking device and hid it in a bag. The servant was not particularly talkative, as Alexey noted. Albrecht himself was fully equipped, with a broadsword and a veneer in a sling, in a helmet, already ready for construction.

Well, the wahmister of their fourth squadron, did not lose a second. All combat soldiers, fulfilling the order of the Unters, stood in three ranks, forty people in a row. Gentlemen officers, captain, staff captain, lieutenants and cornets, Sukhtelen and

Then Colonel Repnin-Volkonsky himself came up. Junkers stood slightly behind. Repnin nodded, and immediately introduced Burlin:

— Gospoda, we have a considerable replenishment. I want to introduce you to Alexei Mikhailovich Burlin, now he is a cadet in our squadron.

Alexei was shaken by each of these brilliant officers, and he remembered each of his new colleagues:

Captain Ivan Dmitrievich Dmitriev, staff captain Prince Ivan Alekseevich Kropotkin, lieutenants Platon Ivanovich Kablukov 1st, Evdokim Vasilyevich Davydov 3rd, cornets Pavel Petrovich Sukhtelen and Lunin Nikita Sergeevich 2nd.

— Vakhmister Matyushin! Repnin said, our new cadet, Burlin. For a week, in the morning with the soldiers, let him walk in the ranks, study the rebuilding. I must understand the place in the ranks, but to feel the service.

— So exactly, your highness! I’ll do everything! — Vahmister answered vividly.

Alexey once again looked around Matyushin, who was prominent. Slender, mustachioed, with perfect alignment, a direct example of a zealous frunzovik.

***

So now I didn’t have to get bored. Burlin, spozaranku, marched from morning until lunchtime as part of the first platoon of his squadron. It used to seem that it was difficult here? But, science was not quite simple, walking in step, but famously turning with everyone at the same time. I also remembered all the signals of the copper horn. And then, in battle, can the soldiers, in the roar of cannons and guns, hear the commander’s voice? Ah, the sonorous and demanding sound of the horn is another matter. And then, each signal is trumpeted differently.

After the march, Matyushin led a platoon to wooden tables on which carbines and pistols lay. Well, to this, Burlin and at home. He grabbed a carbine, habitually examined the castle, trigger and screwed flint, opened the castle shelf.

— Remove, junker! — the wahmister shouted, — that’s it, only at my command! The main thing, in the handling of guns and pistols, is not to shoot each other out of stupidity. And especially when on horseback, in yes rows. But the junker did everything right. There is nothing to look into the trunk, look for what is not there… It is clear that first you should check the lock so that the trigger is not cocked. Then, by mistake, the gun will not shoot. Ramrod, check the barrel, clean, and then charge, moreover, do not leave the ramrod in the barrel. He loaded, poured gunpowder on the shelf, and removed the carbine to the saddle, and the pistols into the alters. Is it clear to everyone?

Nobody asked unnecessary questions. Actually, as Burlin noted, the soldiers were sensible and obligatory in the regiment, fast in mind. And, the lesson continued. Cuirassiers repeatedly made reproaches with a carbine. And, only then, the wahmister laid out a box with cartridges on the table. Оrdered:

— Charge!

Here Burlin managed quickly, charged. Wahmister walked along the line, meticulously examining the locks of weapons. Then, rising from the right flank, he ordered:

— To the leg!

And the carbines were lowered, the butts of the guns rested on the ground at the right foot of each private.

— Apply! Fall!

And a number of soldiers standing here were enveloped in gunpowder smoke. They shot without aiming.

“To the leg! Carbines, on hand! Shelf, open!

Wahmister was demanding, and checked with everyone whether the carbine was discharged after the shooting.

— Clean the carbines, then hand them over to Unter Levkin! He will strictly check everything! After, classes with edged weapons, fencing!

Junker took his weapon, and calmly and slowly wiped the steel lock. I checked the ignition hole with a needle, and with a ramrod, I began to clean the short barrel. Soon, everything was ready, and Burlin calmly and confidently handed over the gun to the unter. He, busily taking a white board of fabric, slowly checked the purity of the weapon. Satisfied, he nodded to the cadet. Burlin was delighted.

It was still too early to rest, and, as if knowing this, it arose, from nowhere, vakhmister Matyushin.

— Become! — he commanded, — in two lines, become! Front row, all around!

The Gaardeans found themselves facing each other. But, Burlin appreciated the training. Deftly, without unnecessary vision, but the platoon acted like a single organism.

— Palashi, out of scabbard, out! Get in position! Do slowly, behind me…

And, Matyushin himself, taking out his broadsword, began to show blows, departures, repulses with a coin and a hilt. It was evident that the wahmister was not only a Fruntian, but also an excellent fencer. Burlin also repeated movements, noticing something new for himself, unknown to his fencing teacher, who remained in his native estate.

— So… Junker, get in front of me! ‘wahmister ordered.

Burlin stood up, blade down. Matyushin took the position, saluted, and put the blade in front of him. Alexey, did the same. Wahmister, alternately, showing ordinary vision with his feet and hands, attacked. Burlin, accepting the rules of the game, willingly played along, easily beating the steel blade. Of course, the broadsword is much heavier than the usual rapier, but the junker tried. Vakhmister, looking at him, fenced with a new ward, until Alexei began to get tired and painted.

: Enough for today, — said Matyushin, — to rest! Unter Zemtsov, go to the dining room!

— Eat! ‘the dozen guardsman barked back.

The soldiers quickly formed into a column of three, and quickly left the puddle. Along the path they reached a wooden house, and in front of it stood large tables and benches. Non-combatant carried bowls and spoons, exposed clay mugs. The soldiers began to feed, judging by the smell, thick and rich cabbage soup, and on the second, they gave enough to taste buckwheat porridge.

Juncker, settled on the sidelines. And then, could not the nobleman sit at the same table with the lower ranks? It’s not the case. So, sitting on a churbachka, and ate. I appreciated how well cooks prepare in the shelf, with a soul simply. And then, and got a full mug of good rye kvass, and it became very good. I even regretted that the meal was over.

Well, the soldiers, having finished such an important business, sat down on the grass. Someone took out their pipes, bluish tobacco smoke hung over the meadow. It is clear that the lower ranks did not have cigars, but used themselves with shag or the strongest samosad. Burlin looked for a long time, a little jealous. Here, of course, he regretted that he himself did not smoke, and firmly ordered himself to acquire a pipe with a long chubuk, made in the Hungarian manner. I decided that such a thing would definitely suit him.

Horse guard and maids of honor

— Are you here, Burlin? — comrade distracted him from important thoughts, — today we have one thing to do, and the most important… Captain Dmitriev himself ordered.

And Alexey was looking at two pipes for tobacco. With a long chubuk. like the Hungarians, and short, which is comfortable to hold in your hand. It was difficult to decide, and the junker put all this aside, and answered with calmness:

— Delighted, Albrecht. i can’t say anything. And what, put us in the post at the sovereign’s chambers?

— No, we found a more important thing today. Horse guard, on the road, by the forest. Under the command of the cornet of Lunin 2nd.

— Really…

— Well, did you learn from Matyushin today?

— You can’t say anything, sensible wahmister. A real fruntian, he knows the service like no one else.

— So in our regiment do not keep bad. In the ranks of the cavalry guards only the best, — Albrecht confidently noted.

Burlin did not find something to say. And then, the words were true and accurate.

— Okay, let’s go, we’ll drink a cup of coffee, but it’s time to get ready, to divorce the posts. Today, the duty officer, Cornet Sukhtelen himself. He’s strict.

And exactly, there was a thick aroma of freshly brewed coffee in the room. And just shining with joy Sidor, already poured a fragrant drink over the cups.

Alexey just nodded, but smiled. The smell, of course, was just spinning.

At home, because the mother always brewed coffee, usually on weekends. Everyone sat at the dinner table, and, in silence, waited for the hostess to come with a tray lined with small, blue cups and a coffee pot. The holiday was complete when fruits and nuts boiled in honey were taken out of the cellar. We usually sat until late, sang pies, and, happiness was just complete.

Well, the taste of coffee created by Sidor was amazing. With cinnamon, with cloves, with a small fraction of Jamaican sugar. Alexey took another sip, and also, trying to fully taste the magic drink.

— One more cup?

The question was rather rhetorical, Burlin could not refuse anyway. I finished it to the end, now feeling just extraordinary vigor in myself.

— Well, everything, perhaps, — Albrecht said doubtfully, examining the room, — we have to go.

And then, two comrades quickly got to the gathering place, where the cuirassiers were already standing, holding their horses about.

“Your stallions are in a horse tie,” the junker warned the young men.

The regiment and state horses were good, as Burlin noticed. He waited until Albrecht chose a stallion for himself, and took the rest for himself. Here Lunin just drove up and cornet. It was noticeable. that the officer was frankly bored.

“Are you here, then, junkers?” Let’s go. We are entrusted with the honorable duty of protecting summer residents from some dashing life guards. The chief of the regiment conveyed the news of numerous complaints from ordinary people, loyal to the Sovereign.

Burlin and Albrecht did not respond. Alexey did not know anything about the quiet difficulties, and his friend preferred to keep quiet. He smiled only meaningfully at the words of the cornet. Apparently, I understood what.

We drove, however, not very long. Burlin, in fact, had heard before about the baths arranged for their regiment. On the stream itself for soldiers, and separately, in warm lakes, for officers. And, of course, he knew about the dachas broken in the picturesque surroundings of the imperial palace.

The places here are really beautiful and prestigious. The Sovereign himself was often shown in the summer theater, and singers from distant Italy were invited to perform in Peterhof. True, sometimes Count Sheremetev or Musin-Pushkin brought singers from their own home theaters.

However, as always, there was a certain embarrassment. Moreover, completely unexpectedly. They creaked, sprouted branches of bushes by the road, and came out, but rather, a rather strange, one might say popular, character fell out. Burlin, of course, was not afraid, but was confused. Actually, there was why. This gentleman, with a smile on his face, was dressed terribly impotently, so to say, in the ancient Roman manner. It was an image of a patrician caught during… But, just this man was wrapped in a sheet, and the outfit was complemented by a hat and boots.

Lunin barely restrained himself, so as not to laugh, and held a scarf to his lips. After a moment, however, I woke up from such a hassle and asked:

— So what do you need, Valuev. needed boots and hat?

— An important question, — and the “patrician” was proudly biased, — I can’t, in fact, violate the orders of my superiors. Follow with swimming without headgear and shoes.

— The argument is no doubt strong. But, it is better to follow that path, — and Lunin showed, waving his hand, — and then certainly, do not avoid your arrest. And do not dry your explanations.

— We’ll have to go there, apparently. Kuzmich, let’s go, — he ordered the batman.

And he did not walk empty-handed, but with the uniform of a master, holding a white outfit in the manner of a banner, raising his clothes above him. All this came out, of course, very picturesque. And, soon this procession disappeared among the bushes.

— Well, and thank God. And then, the regimental authorities are angry, — explained the cornet, — here, it happens, the Sovereign himself will deign to take a horse ride. Okay, then let’s go.

Here they followed the road to the intersection, slowly and step. The sun did not heat up much, the breeze, weak and slow, slightly swayed small branches in the trees, playing with leaves. Everything tuned in a lyrical way. And everything would be fine, but Burlin’s head sweated under his helmet, and he wiped his face with a batiste scarf more than once or twice.

— Nothing, junker, get used to it — as if encouraged the cornet.

And then the crew drove by, rattling wheels on bumps. The carriage was open, summer time. Sat, comfortably settled, four ladies, with hats, covered from the sun with summer umbrellas. Only a coachman sat on the goats. And behind I drove and wagon simpler, with the maids of these cute ladies. Gaiduks, ordinary before, accompanying people of a noble rank on the way, did not exist. Well, the big-eyed Burlin noticed that the wheel on the rear axle of the carriage was rattling, and was about to jump off.

— Cornet, I’m in for a second… “the junker shouted. and spurred his horse.

He went with a heavy trot, and in two counts caught up with the carriage. The ladies noticed the prigozhy cavalry guard, waved him enthusiastically.

— Stay up! Burlin shouted.

— What is it for? — answered one of the ladies, — You, dear knight, can come to the salon of Countess Reinhardt, and will be gladly received!

“Madame, stop! The carriage will crash! — losing patience, noticed Junker.

— Yes? — the lady did not believe too much, — Savely, stop! — and tapped the irradiation demanding.

The coachman, pulling up the reins, stopped a couple of horses of his team. Those immediately stood rooted to the spot. And Savely, shaking his left foot, scaring the butterfly, reluctantly climbed to the ground. Reached out and hobbled along the road, to the carriage. He stared at the wheel that had almost jumped off, and rubbed his chin.

— And checked after all today, and check and axis and, on you! — and threw up his hands, as if he was going to take off — now, which one I will find…

And, dragged to the thickets, constantly sighing and complaining about life.

No, of course, Burlin appreciated the couture manner of the coachman, such theatricality of the stage. But, he did not like everything. They tormented just very nasty premonitions. Alexey threw the reins to the private, and hastily jumped out of the saddle, just rushed, ate to the carriage to the carriage. I didn’t even pay attention to how the broadsword scabbed him in the legs.

— Ladies, sorry, but better get off the ground! ‘he shouted, catching his breath.

— Oh, young man, how persistent you are! And, is it possible to refuse in this case? ‘one of the women replied with a smile.