bcornwell.sharpstiger-第51部分

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　'We　must　teach　you　your　letters；'　McCandless　said；　ignoring　the　Sergeant's　ments。
　'Mister　Lawford　was　going　to　do　that；　sir；'　Sharpe　said。
　'Then　I　suggest　he　begins　now；'　McCandless　said　firmly。
　Lawford　smiled　diffidently。　'It's　difficult　to　know　where　to　begin；　Uncle。'
　'Why　not　with　T　for　tiger？'　McCandless　suggested。
　The　beast　growled；　then　settled　in　its　straw。　And　Sharpe；　some　years　late；　began　his　lessons。
　
　The　siege　works　advanced　fast。　Redcoats　and　sepoys　worked　day　and　night；　sapping　forward　and　shoring　up　the　trench　sides　with　bamboo　mats。　Rockets　continually　harassed　the　work；　and　the　Tippoo　succeeded　in　remounting　some　of　his　guns　on　the　western　walls；　though　their　fire　did　little　to　disturb　the　work　and　the　gunners　suffered　grievously　from　the　counter　fire　of　the　British　eighteen…pounders　emplaced　in　the　captured　mill　fort。　Smaller　guns；　twelve…pounders　and　short…barrelled　howitzers；　joined　the　bombardment　of　the　ramparts　and　their　shells　and　round　shot　seared　above　the　ground　where　yard　by　yard　the　red　earth　was　broken　until；　at　last；　the　big　short…range　breaching　batteries　were　dug　and　the　rest　of　the　massive　siege　guns　were　rolled　forward　in　the　night　and　concealed　in　their　gun　pits。　To　the　Tippoo's　troops；　watching　from　the　battered　summit　of　the　western　wall；　the　approaches　to　the　city　were　now　a　maze　of　newly　turned　earth。　Approach　trenches　angled　their　way　across　the　farmland；　ending　in　larger　mounds　of　earth　thrown　up　from　the　deeper　pits　that　held　the　breaching　guns。　Not　all　those　bigger　mounds　concealed　guns；　for　some　of　the　spoil　heaps　were　deliberately　thrown　up　as　deceptions　so　that　the　Tippoo　could　not　guess　where　the　real　guns　were　emplaced　until　they　opened　fire。　The　Tippoo　only　knew　that　the　British　would　aim　at　his　western　wall；　but　he　did　not　yetknow　the　exact　stretch　of　wall　that　the　enemy　engineers　had　chosen；　and　it　suited　General　Harris　that　the　Tippoo　should　not　learn　that　spot　until　it　was　necessary　for　the　breaching　batteries　to　open　fire。　If　the　defenders　had　too　much　warning　of　the　place　chosen　for　the　storm　then　they　would　have　time　to　build　elaborate　new　defences　behind　it。
　But　the　Tippoo　was　gambling　that　he　already　knew　where　the　British　would　choose　to　make　their　breach；　and　in　the　old　gatehouse　where　the　massive　mine　was　concealed　his　engineers　finished　their　preparations。　They　stacked　stone　around　the　vast　powder　charge　so　that　its　explosion　would　be　directed　northwards　into　the　space　between　the　walls。　For　the　mine　to　be　effective　the　British　had　to　site　their　breach　in　the　short　stretch　of　wall　between　the　old　gatehouse　and　the　city's　north…west　bastion；　and　the　Tippoo's　gamble　was　not　an　outrageous　risk　for　it　was　not　difficult　to　forecast　that　the　breach　would　indeed　be　blasted　in　that　section　of　wall。　The　site　was　dictated　by　the　outer　wall's　decay；　and　by　the　shortings　of　the　low　glacis　that　lay　outside　that　inviting　wall。　The　rudimentary　glacis　half　protected　most　of　the　city's　western　battlements；　its　raw　earth　slope　designed　to　deflect　cannonballs　up　from　the　wall's　base；　but　where　the　city　wall　was　most　decayed　the　river　ran　very　close　to　the　defences　and　there　had　been　no　room　to　construct　even　the　pretence　of　a　glacis。　Instead　a　low　mud　wall　continued　the　line　of　the　glacis；　and　that　wall　penned　in　the　water　that　had　been　pumped　into　the　ditch　between　the　outer　ramparts　and　the　glacis。　That　low　wall　was　no　obstacle　pared　to　a　glacis　and　the　Tippoo　reckoned　it　would　be　an　irresistible　target　for　the　enemy　engineers。
　He　did　not　put　all　his　faith　in　the　single　massive　mine。　That　mine　could　well　kill　or　maim　hundreds　of　the　assaulting　troops；　but　there　were　thousands　more　enemy　soldiers　who　could　be　sent　against　the　city　and　so　the　Tippoo　prepared　his　army　for　its　test。　The　western　walls　would　be　crammedwith　men　when　the　time　came；　and　those　men　would　each　have　at　least　three　loaded　muskets；　and　behind　each　fighting　soldier　would　be　men　trained　to　reload　the　discharged　weapons。　The　British　storm　would　thus　be　met　with　a　blistering　hail　of　musket　fire；　and　mixed　with　that　maelstrom　of　lead　would　be　round　shot　and　canister　fired　from　the　cannons　that　had　replaced　the　destroyed　guns　and　which　were　now　concealed　behind　the　mutilated　ramparts。　Thousands　of　rockets　were　also　ready。　At　long　range　the　weapon　was　erratic；　but　in　the　close　confines　of　a　breach；　where　men　were　crammed　as　tight　as　sheep　in　a　pen；　the　rockets　could　inflict　a　dreadful　slaughter。　'We　shall　stuff　hell　with　infidel　souls；'　the　Tippoo　boasted；　though　at　every　prayer　time　he　took　care　to　beseech　Allah　for　an　early　monsoon　and　every　dawn　he　would　look　at　the　sky　in　hope　of　seeing　some　signs　of　rain；　but　the　skies　remained　obstinately　clear。　An　early　monsoon　would　drown　the　British　in　torrential　rain　before　the　rockets　and　guns　could　cut　them　to　bloody　shreds；　but　it　seemed　the　rains　would　not　e　early　to　Mysore　this　year。
　The　skies　might　be　clear；　but　every　other　omen　was　good。　The　ill　luck　that　had　led　to　the　loss　of　the　mill　fort　had　been　diverted　by　the　sacrifice　of　the　British　prisoners　and　now　the　Tippoo's　dreams　and　auguries　spoke　only　of　victory。　The　Tippoo　recorded　his　dreams　each　morning；　writing　them　down　in　a　large　book　before　discussing　their　portents　with　his　advisers。　His　diviners　peered　into　pots　of　heated　oil　to　read　the　shifting　coloured　swirls　on　the　surface；　and　those　shimmering　signs；　like　the　dreams；　forecast　a　great　victory。　The　British　would　be　destroyed　in　southern　India　and　then；　when　the　French　sent　troops　to　reinforce　Mysore's　growing　empire；　the　redcoats　would　be　scoured　from　the　north　of　the　country。　Their　bones　would　bleach　on　the　sites　of　their　defeats　and　their　silken　colours　would　fade　on　the　walls　of　the　Tippoo's　great　palaces。　The　tiger　would　rule　from　the　snowy　mountains　of　the　north　to　the　palm…edged　beaches　of　thesouth；　and　from　the　Coromandel　Coast　to　the　seas　off　Malabar。　All　that　glory　was　foretold　by　the　dreams　and　by　the　glistening　auguries　of　the　oil。
　But　then；　one　dawn；　it　seemed　the　auguries　might　be　deceiving；　for　the　British　suddenly　unmasked　four　of　their　newly　made　breaching　batteries　and　the　great　guns　crashed　back　on　their　trails　and　the　intricate　network　of　trenches　and　earthworks　was　shrouded　by　the　giant　gusts　of　smoke　that　were　belched　out　with　every　thunderous　recoil。
　The　balls　were　not　aimed　where　the　Tippoo　had　hoped；　at　the　vulnerable　part　of　the　wall　behind　the　missing　section　of　glacis；　but　at　the　city's　mighty　north…west　bastion：　a　plex　of　battlements　that　loomed　high　above　the　river　and；　from　its　topmost　ramparts；　dominated　both　the　northern　and　western　walls。　The　whole　city　seemed　to　shake　as　the　balls　slammed　home　again　and　again　and　every　strike　sprang　dust　from　the　old　masonry　until　at　last　the　first　stones　fell。　From　the　north　bank　of　the　river；　where　the　smaller　British　camp　was　sited；　more　guns　added　their　fire　and　still　more　stones　tumbled　down　into　the　ditches　as　the　gunners　gnawed　away　at　the　great　bastion。
　Next　day　more　of　the　siege　guns　opened　fire；　but　these　new　weapons　were　aimed　at　the　cavaliers　at　the　very　southern　end　of　the　western　wall。　There　were　small　cannon　mounted　in　those　cavaliers；　but　their　embrasures　were　destroyed　in　less　than　a　morning's　work　and　the　defenders'　guns　were　hurled　back　off　their　carriages。　And　still　the　batteries　hammered　at　the　north…west　bastion　until；　an　hour　after　midday；　the　great　fortification　collapsed。　At　first　the　sound　of　the　bastion's　fall　was　like　the　creak　and　groan　of　a　deep　earthquake；　then　it　turned　into　a　rumble　like　thunder　as　the　massive　battlements　disintegrated　beneath　a　huge　cloud　of　dust　that　slowly　drifted　to　settle　on　the　Cauvery　so　that；　for　almost　a　mile　downstream；　the　water　was　turned　as　white　as　milk。　There　was　an　eerie　silence　after　the　bastion　had　been　toppled；　for　the　besiegers'guns　had　fallen　silent。　The　Tippoo's　troops　rushed　to　the　walls；　their　muskets　and　rockets　ready；　but　no　attackers　stirred　from　the　British　lines。　Their　impudent　flags　flapped　in　the　breeze；　but　the　redcoats　and　their　native　allies　stayed　in　their　trenches。
　A　brave　man　of　the　Tippoo's　army　ventured　up　the　mound　of　rubble　that　had　been　the　north…west　corner　of　the　city's　defences。　Dust　coated　the　tiger　stripes　of　his　tunic　as　he　clambered　across　the　unsteady　ruins　to　find　the　green　flag　that　had　been　flying　from　the　bastion's　topmost　rampart。　He　retrieved　the　flag；　shook　the　dust　from　its　folds；　and　waved　it　in　the　air。　One　enemy　gunner　saw　the　movement　on　top　of　the　rubble　heap　and　fired　his　huge　gun。　The　ball　screamed　through　the　dust；　ricocheted　from　a　boulder　and　bounced　on　up　over　the　northern　defences　to　fall　into　the　whitened　river。　The　soldier；　unscathed；　waved　the　flag　again；　then　planted　its　broken　staff　at　the　summit　of　the　bastion's　ruins。
　The　Tippoo　inspected　the　damage　to　his　western　defences。　The　guns　were　gone　from　the　southern　cavaliers；　and　the　north…west　bastion　was　untenable；　but　there　was　no　breach　in　either　place　and　both　the　outer　and　inner　walls　were　undamaged。　The　low　glacis　had　protected　the　bottom　part　of　the　walls；　and　though　some　of　the　north…west　bastion's　stones　had　fallen　into　the　flooded　ditch　there　was　no　ramp　up　which　a　storming　party　could　climb。　'What　they　were　doing；'　the　Tippoo　announced　to　his　entourage；　'was　destroying　our　flanking　guns。　Which　means　they　still　plan　to　attack　in　the　centre　of　the　wall。　Which　is　where　we　want　them　to　attack。'
　Colonel　Gudin　agreed。　For　a　time；　like　the　Tippoo；　he　had　been　worried　that　the　British　bombardment　meant　that　they　planned　to　enter　the　city　at　its　north…western　corner；　but　now；　in　the　lull　after　the　collapse　of　the　towers；　the　enemy's　strategy　seemed　plain。　They　had　not　been　trying　to　make　a　breach；　but　instead　had　knocked　down　the　two　places　where　theTippoo　could　mount　high　guns　to　plunge　their　fire　onto　the　flanks　of　the　storming　troops。　The　breach　would　be　made　next。　'It　will　be　where　we　want　it　to　be；　I'm　sure；'　Gudin　confirmed　the　Tippoo's　guess。
　The　man　who　had　planted　the　flag　on　the　crest　of　the　fallen　bastion　was　brought　to　the　Tippoo　on　the　western　wall　close　to　where　the　towers　had　fallen。　The　Tippoo　rewarded　him　with　a　purse　of　gold。　The　man　was　a　Hindu；　and　that　pleased　t