Around Murat gathered a group of those who had remained in Moscow.They all stared in timid bewilderment at the strange, long-hairedcommander dressed up in feathers and gold.

　　"Is that their Tsar himself? He's not bad!" low voices could beheard saying.

　　An interpreter rode up to the group.

　　"Take off your cap... your caps!" These words went from one toanother in the crowd. The interpreter addressed an old porter andasked if it was far to the Kremlin. The porter, listening inperplexity to the unfamiliar Polish accent and not realizing thatthe interpreter was speaking Russian, did not understand what wasbeing said to him and slipped behind the others.

　　Murat approached the interpreter and told him to ask where theRussian army was. One of the Russians understood what was asked andseveral voices at once began answering the interpreter. A Frenchofficer, returning from the advanced detachment, rode up to Muratand reported that the gates of the citadel had been barricaded andthat there was probably an ambuscade there.

　　"Good!" said Murat and, turning to one of the gentlemen in hissuite, ordered four light guns to be moved forward to fire at thegates.

　　The guns emerged at a trot from the column following Murat andadvanced up the Arbat. When they reached the end of the VozdvizhenkaStreet they halted and drew in the Square. Several French officerssuperintended the placing of the guns and looked at the Kremlinthrough field glasses.

　　The bells in the Kremlin were ringing for vespers, and this soundtroubled the French. They imagined it to be a call to arms. A fewinfantrymen ran to the Kutafyev Gate. Beams and wooden screens hadbeen put there, and two musket shots rang out from under the gate assoon as an officer and men began to run toward it. A general who wasstanding by the guns shouted some words of command to the officer, andthe latter ran back again with his men.

　　The sound of three more shots came from the gate.