“Lieutenant,” he answered, sighing, “it is because your horse stumbled just now.”
“Well, and what is that to you?” I replied.
“Don’t you know, lieutenant, that if a horse stumbles before a battle it forebodes misfortune to his rider? I always remarked that in the campaign of 1830.”
“Oh! you believe that, do you?” I said, smiling. “And you, Zeromski—have you remarked it too?”
“No, I have not done so myself, but I have been always told so.”
Arrived at the camp, I hastened to give in my report to General Sokol. He thanked me warmly, and added:
“Now is your opportunity, lieutenant, to win your captain’s epaulets.”
“Yes, general, or a good sabre-cut. I hope it may be one or the other.”
Sokol laughed and said:
“It is certain that, if these unlicked cubs of Russians are as numerous as you say, they will give us trouble.”