He held the pistol in his right hand at arm's length, apparently afraid of shooting himself with it.

His left hand he held carefully back, because he wished to support his right hand with it and knew he must not do so.

Having advanced six paces and strayed off the track into the snow, Pierre looked down at his feet, then quickly glanced at Dolokhov and, bending his finger as he had been shown, fired.

Not at all expecting so loud a report, Pierre shuddered at the sound and then, smiling at his own sensations, stood still.

The smoke, rendered denser by the mist, prevented him from seeing anything for an instant, but there was no second report as he had expected.