It was a unique chance to show his devotion to the Emperor and he had not made use of it....

" What have I done?" thought he.

And he turned round and galloped back to the place where he had seen the Emperor, but there was no one beyond the ditch now.

Only some carts and carriages were passing by.

From one of the drivers he learned that Kutuzov's staff were not far off, in the village the vehicles were going to.