12 (i) : Sergius is talking about a Swiss mercenary in the Serbian army who has served "in the very battery I so unprofessionally charged" and who later proved to be able to make an excellent deal when settling the exchange of prisoners with Paul Petkoff and Sergius at Pirot after the peace treaty has been drawn up between th Bulgarians and the Serbians. We also know that he was 'The Man' who has sought and was given refuge by Raina in her bedroom when he was being chased by the victorious Bulgarians after the Serbians were defeated in battle at Slivnitza. Wee will learn that his name is Bluntschli.
(ii) : By saying that "he over-reached us" Sergius means to say that he made them make an unequal agreement - giving up more than they gained.
He overreached them by negotiating an exchange of fifty Serbian prisoners of war from the Bulgarians for two hundred worn out "chargers" (horses). Sergius considered the deal unequal as to him the prisoners were "able-bodied" while the horses were of no use to them - they were "worn out" and "weren't even eatable !".
(iii) : The irony in the statement "he was a soldier : every inch a soldier !" is that Sergius, while seeming to complement the man is actually praising not his expertise or courage as a soldier but his ability to "hoodwink" his opponents in making an unequal deal - thereby proving himself to be a good tradesman. Sergius is extremely disillusioned with the army and criticises soldiers for being at the very best good tradesmen.
(v) : The rank of a Field Marshall is the highest in the army. Sergius has not been given the promotion to either Colonel or Major-General as he had taken an unacceptable risk with the lives of the soldiers in his cavalry regiment by pitting them against a battery of cannon. He not says that he should not have taken that action and rather bought the two hundred worn out Serbian horses - that action would have won him the praise of his superiors in the army and the award of the highest promotion. He is using sarcasm here - criticising the warped sense of soldiership and justice in the army.
(ii) : By saying that "he over-reached us" Sergius means to say that he made them make an unequal agreement - giving up more than they gained.
He overreached them by negotiating an exchange of fifty Serbian prisoners of war from the Bulgarians for two hundred worn out "chargers" (horses). Sergius considered the deal unequal as to him the prisoners were "able-bodied" while the horses were of no use to them - they were "worn out" and "weren't even eatable !".
(iii) : The irony in the statement "he was a soldier : every inch a soldier !" is that Sergius, while seeming to complement the man is actually praising not his expertise or courage as a soldier but his ability to "hoodwink" his opponents in making an unequal deal - thereby proving himself to be a good tradesman. Sergius is extremely disillusioned with the army and criticises soldiers for being at the very best good tradesmen.
(v) : The rank of a Field Marshall is the highest in the army. Sergius has not been given the promotion to either Colonel or Major-General as he had taken an unacceptable risk with the lives of the soldiers in his cavalry regiment by pitting them against a battery of cannon. He not says that he should not have taken that action and rather bought the two hundred worn out Serbian horses - that action would have won him the praise of his superiors in the army and the award of the highest promotion. He is using sarcasm here - criticising the warped sense of soldiership and justice in the army.
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