The soldiers had, indeed, no reason to fear that the rabble, nine-tenths
of which had no professional knowledge of the art of war, would boldly
storm the _csarda_, for in such a case the soldiers would know how to
defend themselves vigourously, well provided as they were with carbines;
but they were well aware of one thing, to wit, that if they allowed
themselves to be surprised after nightfall they were lost, for the
robbers could then set fire to the house over their heads and burn them
alive.
For their lives they cared nothing; it is a soldier's business to die;
but how to save the enormous sum of money intrusted to them--that was
the problem. Four and twenty horsemen in a solid mass might, with a
desperate effort, cut their way through a mob, despite every obstacle,
but to take the heavy wagons along with them was impossible, for the
road in front was barred by the mob; the bridge and the road behind by
the felled poplars.
Fortunately, the officer in command had read the history of Napoleon's
Russian campaign and he recollected how the guard on one occasion had
saved the military chest from the Cossacks when the wagon, from want of
horses, had to be left behind. He now applied his knowledge
practically.
The ducats were taken out of the post-wagons and distributed among the
soldiers; knapsacks, cartridge-boxes, belts and shakos were filled with
the treasure; not a cent was left in the wagons, yet they nailed down
the chests inside them carefully that it might take all the longer to
break them open.
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