\"No，bwother，Ihavegwownmustachesmyself，\"saidDenisovonreadingthesedocuments，andhewrotetotheGermanthat，despitehisheartfeltdesiretoserveundersovaliantandrenownedageneral，hehadtoforgothatpleasurebecausehewasalreadyunderthecommandofthePolishgeneral。TothePolishgeneralherepliedtothesameeffect，informinghimthathewasalreadyunderthecommandoftheGerman。
Havingarrangedmattersthus，DenisovandDolokhovintended，withoutreportingmatterstothehighercommand，toattackandseizethatconvoywiththeirownsmallforces。OnOctober22itwasmovingfromthevillageofMikulinotothatofShamshevo。TotheleftoftheroadbetweenMikulinoandShamshevotherewerelargeforests，extendinginsomeplacesuptotheroaditselfthoughinothersamileormorebackfromit。ThroughtheseforestsDenisovandhispartyrodeallday，sometimeskeepingwellbackinthemandsometimescomingtotheveryedge，butneverlosingsightofthemovingFrench。Thatmorning，CossacksofDenisov’spartyhadseizedandcarriedoffintotheforesttwowagonsloadedwithcavalrysaddles，whichhadstuckinthemudnotfarfromMikulinowheretheforestranclosetotheroad。Sincethen，anduntilevening，thepartyhadthemovementsoftheFrenchwithoutattacking。ItwasnecessarytolettheFrenchreachShamshevoquietlywithoutalarmingthemandthen，afterjoiningDolokhovwhowastocomethateveningtoaconsultationatawatchman’shutintheforestlessthanamilefromShamshevo，tosurprisetheFrenchatdawn，fallinglikeanavalancheontheirheadsfromtwosides，androutandcapturethemallatoneblow。
Intheirrear，morethanamilefromMikulinowheretheforestcamerightuptotheroad，sixCossackswerepostedtoreportifanyfreshcolumnsofFrenchshouldshowthemselves。
BeyondShamshevo，Dolokhovwastoobservetheroadinthesameway，tofindoutatwhatdistancetherewereotherFrenchtroops。Theyreckonedthattheconvoyhadfifteenhundredmen。Denisovhadtwohundred，andDolokhovmighthaveasmanymore，butthedisparityofnumbersdidnotdeterDenisov。Allthathenowwantedtoknowwaswhattroopsthesewereandtolearnthathehadtocapturea\"tongue\"—thatis，amanfromtheenemycolumn。Thatmorning’sattackonthewagonshadbeenmadesohastilythattheFrenchmenwiththewagonshadallbeenkilled；onlyalittledrummerboyhadbeentakenalive，andashewasastragglerhecouldtellthemnothingdefiniteaboutthetroopsinthatcolumn。
Denisovconsidereditdangeroustomakeasecondattackforfearofputtingthewholecolumnonthealert，sohesentTikhonShcherbaty，apeasantofhisparty，toShamshevototryandseizeatleastoneoftheFrenchquartermasterswhohadbeensentoninadvance。