The death of Petya - example of showing, not telling

Petya, the youngest of the Rostovs, who was just a kid at the outset of War and Peace and is now a young officer, joins Denisov (Nikolai Rostov's old military buddy) and Dolokhov in the Russian forces on the road from Moscow. This small section of War and Peace really could stand alone as a short story, maybe it has, and it's the prototype for about a thousand war films and westerns - the young soldier/cowboy/cop idolizing the older, experienced officers, begs to join the mission, tags along, sees some horrible and scary things, does well, and then, tragically and senselessly, through his foolish abundance of youthful bravado, dies. Petya and Dolokhov go on a risky scouting mission, speaking French, they pose as French officers separated from their battalions, learn about the location and movement of the French troops, then go back by night to the Russian lines. Petya's so stirred he barely sleeps. Beautiful scene of light breaking as the Russian troops approach the French for a surprise attack, then the gallop across the field into combat. Tolstoy's description of the death of Petya is one of the shining gems of the novel - he waves his hands strangely, moves more and more to the side of the saddle (we don't even know he's been shot - I thought he was being overly enthusiastic), then falls to the ground. Denisov described as a sound like barking as he clutches the wattle fence (previously described) - never even has to say that he cried, or cried out. It's all done through perfect selection of detail - totally perfect example of showing not telling. More to say later about Pierre, who is now a freed prisoner, and his march under guard with the French troops.