No More Learning

Those present vied with each
other about the untrustworthiness of the troops, the uncertainty of
success, the necessity of prudence, and so forth. All were of opinion
that it was better to stay behind a strong wall, their safety assured by
cannon, than to tempt the fortune of war in the open field.

At last, when all the opinions had been given, the General shook the
ashes out of his pipe and made the following speech:--

"Gentlemen, I must tell you, for my part, I am entirely of the opinion
of our friend the ensign, for this opinion is based on the precepts of
good tactics, in which nearly always offensive movements are preferable
to defensive ones. " Here he paused a moment and filled his pipe. My
self-love was triumphant, and I cast a proud glance at the civil
officials who were whispering among themselves, with an air of disquiet
and discontent. "But, gentlemen," resumed the General, with a sigh, and
puffing out a cloud of smoke, "I dare not take upon myself such a great
responsibility, when the safety is in question of the provinces
entrusted to my care by Her Imperial Majesty, my gracious Sovereign.
Therefore I see I am obliged to abide by the advice of the majority,
which has ruled that prudence as well as reason declares that we should
await in the town the siege which threatens us, and that we should
defeat the attacks of the enemy by the force of artillery, and, if the
possibility present itself, by well-directed sorties. "

It was now the turn of the officials to look mockingly at me. The
council broke up. I could not help deploring the weakness of the honest
soldier who, against his own judgment, had decided to abide by the
counsel of ignorant and inexperienced people.

Several days after this memorable council of war, Pugatchef, true to his
word, approached Orenburg. From the top of the city wall I took note of
the army of the rebels, and it seemed to me that their number had
increased tenfold since the last assault I had witnessed. They had also
artillery, which had been taken from the little forts which had fallen
before Pugatchef. As I recollected the decision of the council of war, I
foresaw a long imprisonment within the walls of Orenburg, and I was
ready to cry with vexation.

Far be from me any intention of describing the siege of Orenburg, which
belongs to history, and not to a family memoir.
In a few words,
therefore, I shall say that in consequence of the bad arrangements of
the authorities, the siege was disastrous for the inhabitants, who were
forced to suffer hunger and privation of all kinds. Life at Orenburg was
becoming unendurable; each one awaited in anxiety the fate that should
befall him. All complained of the famine, which was, indeed, awful.

The inhabitants ended by becoming accustomed to the shells falling on
their houses. Even the assaults of Pugatchef no longer excited great
disturbance. I was dying of ennui. The time passed but slowly. I could
not get any letter from Belogorsk, for all the roads were blocked, and
the separation from Marya became unbearable. My only occupation
consisted in my military rounds.

Thanks to Pugatchef, I had a pretty good horse, with which I shared my
scanty rations. Every day I passed beyond the ramparts, and I went and
fired away against the scouts of Pugatchef. In these sort of skirmishes
the rebels generally got the better of us, as they had plenty of food
and were capitally mounted.

Our thin, starved cavalry was unable to stand against them. Sometimes
our famished infantry took the field, but the depth of the snow
prevented action with any success against the flying cavalry of the
enemy. The artillery thundered vainly from the height of the ramparts,
and in the field guns could not work because of the weakness of the
worn-out horses. This is how we made war, and this is what the officials
of Orenburg called prudence and foresight.