Having passed the Guards and traversed an empty space, Rostov, to avoid again getting in front of the first line as he had done when the Horse Guards charged, followed the line of reserves, going far round the place where the hottest musket fire and cannonade were heard.
Suddenly he heard musket fire quite close in front of him and behind our troops, where he could never have expected the enemy to be.
"What can it be?" he thought.
" The enemy in the rear of our army? Impossible!" And suddenly he was seized by a panic of fear for himself and for the issue of the whole battle.