bcornwell.sharpstiger-第53部分

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ed　his　attention。　'Officer's　pet；　Sharpie？　Is　that　what　you　are？　Learning　to　read　so　you　can　be　like　them；　is　that　what　you　want？　It　won't　do　you　no　good；　boy。　There's　only　two　sorts　of　officers　in　this　army；　and　the　one　sort's　good　and　the　other　sort　ain't。　The　good　sort　knows　better　than　to　get　their　hands　dirty　with　you　rankers；　they　leave　it　all　to　the　sergeants。　The　bad　sort　interfere。　That　young　Mister　Fitzgerald；　he　was　an　interferer；　but　he's　gone　to　hell　now　and　hell's　the　best　place　for　him；　seeing　as　how　he　was　an　upstart　Irishman　with　no　respect　for　sergeants。　And　your　Mister　Lawford；　he　ain't　no　good　either；　no　good　at　all。'　Hakeswill　suddenly　quietened　as　Colonel　McCandless　groaned。
　The　Colonel's　fever　was　growing　worse；　though　he　tried　hard　not　to　plain。　Sharpe；　abandoning　his　pretence　of　sleep；　carried　the　water　bucket　to　him。　'Drink；　sir？'
　'That's　kind　of　you；　Sharpe；　kind。'
　The　Colonel　drank；　then　propped　his　back　against　thestone　wall　at　the　back　of　the　cell。　'We　had　a　rainstorm　last　month；'　he　said；　'not　a　severe　one；　but　these　cells　were　flooded　all　the　same。　And　not　all　of　the　flooding　was　rain；　a　good　deal　was　sewage。　I　pray　God　gets　us　out　of　here　before　the　monsoon。'
　'No　chance　of　us　still　being　here　then；　is　there；　sir？'
　'It　depends；　Sharpe；　whether　we　take　the　city　or　not。'
　'We　will；　sir；'　Sharpe　said。
　'Maybe。'　The　Colonel　smiled　at　Sharpe's　serene　confidence。　'But　the　Tippoo　might　decide　to　kill　us　first。'　McCandless　fell　silent　for　a　while；　then　shook　his　head。　'I　wish　I　understood　the　Tippoo。'
　'Nothing　to　understand；　sir。　He's　just　an　evil　bastard；　sir。'
　'No；　he's　not　that；'　the　Colonel　said　severely。　'He's　actually　rather　a　good　ruler。　Better；　I　suspect；　than　most　of　our　Christian　monarchs。　He's　certainly　been　good　for　Mysore。　He's　fetched　it　a　deal　of　wealth；　given　it　more　justice　than　most　countries　enjoy　in　India　and　he's　been　tolerant　to　most　religions；　though　I　fear　he　did　persecute　some　unfortunate　Christians。'　The　Colonel　grimaced　as　a　shudder　racked　his　body。　'He's　even　kept　the　Rajah　and　his　family　alive；　not　in　fort；　but　alive；　and　that's　more　than　most　monarchs　would　ever　do。　Most　usurpers　kill　their　country's　old　ruler；　but　not　here。　I　can't　forgive　him　for　what　he　did　to　those　poor　prisoners　of　ours；　of　course；　but　I　suppose　some　capricious　cruelty　is　probably　necessary　in　a　ruler。　All　in　all；　I　think；　and　judging　him　by　the　standards　of　our　own　monarchy；　we　should　have　to　give　the　Tippoo　fairly　high　marks。'
　'So　why　the　hell　are　we　fighting　him；　sir？'
　McCandless　smiled。　'Because　we　want　to　be　here；　and　he　doesn't　want　us　to　be　here。　Two　dogs　in　a　small　cage；　Sharpe。　And　if　he　beats　us　out　of　Mysore　he'll　bring　in　the　French　to　chase　us　out　of　the　rest　of　India　and　then　we　can　bid　farewell　to　the　best　part　of　our　eastern　trade。　That's　what　it's　about；　Sharpe；　trade。　That's　why　you're　fighting　here；　trade。'Sharpe　grimaced。　'It　seems　a　funny　thing　to　be　fighting　about；　sir。'
　'Does　it？'　McCandless　seemed　surprised。　'Not　to　me；　Sharpe。　Without　trade　there's　no　wealth；　and　without　wealth　there's　no　society　worth　having。　Without　trade；　Private　Sharpe；　we'd　be　nothing　but　beasts　in　the　mud。　Trade　is　indeed　worth　fighting　for；　though　the　good　Lord　knows　we　don't　appreciate　trade　much。　We　celebrate　kings；　we　honour　great　men；　we　admire　aristocrats；　we　applaud　actors；　we　shower　gold　on　portrait　painters　and　we　even；　sometimes；　reward　soldiers；　but　we　always　despise　merchants。　But　why？　It's　the　merchant's　wealth　that　drives　the　mills；　Sharpe；　it　moves　the　looms；　it　keeps　the　hammers　falling；　it　fills　the　fleets；　it　makes　the　roads；　it　forges　the　iron；　it　grows　the　wheat；　it　bakes　the　bread　and　it　builds　the　churches　and　the　cottages　and　the　palaces。　Without　God　and　trade　we　would　be　nothing。'
　Sharpe　laughed　softly。　'Trade　never　did　'owt　for　me；　sir。'
　'Did　it　not？'　McCandless　asked　gently。　The　Colonel　smiled。　'So　what　do　you　think　is　worth　fighting　for；　Private？'
　'Friends；　sir。　And　pride。　We　have　to　show　that　we're　better　bastards　than　the　other　side。'
　'You　don't　fight　for　King　or　country？'
　T've　never　met　the　King；　sir。　Never　even　seen　him。'
　'He's　not　much　to　look　at；　but　he's　a　decent　enough　man　when　he's　not　mad。'　McCandless　stared　across　at　Hakeswill。　'Is　he　mad？'
　'I　think　so；　sir。'
　'Poor　soul。'
　'He's　evil；　too；'　Sharpe　said；　speaking　too　softly　for　Hakeswill　to　hear　him。　'Takes　a　joy；　sir；　in　having　men　punished。　He　thieves；　he　lies；　he　rapes；　he　murders。'
　'And　you've　done　none　of　those　things？'
　'Never　raped；　sir；　and　as　for　the　others；　only　when　I　had　to。''Then　I　pray　God　you'll　never　have　to　again；'　McCandless　said　fervently；　and　with　that　he　leaned　his　grey　head　against　the　wall　and　tried　to　sleep。
　Sharpe　watched　the　dawn　light　seep　into　the　dungeon　pit。　The　last　bats　of　the　night　wheeled　in　the　patch　of　sky　above；　but　soon　they　were　gone　and　the　first　gun　of　the　day　spoke。　It　was　clearing　its　throat；　as　the　gunners　liked　to　say；　for　the　city　and　its　besiegers　were　waking　and　the　fight　would　go　on。
　The　opening　shot　of　the　day　was　aimed　at　the　low　mud　wall　that　plugged　the　gap　in　the　glacis　and　kept　the　water　dammed　in　the　ditch　behind。　The　wall　was　thick　and　the　shot；　which　fell　low　and　so　lost　much　of　its　force　as　it　ricocheted　up　from　the　river　bank；　did　little　more　than　shiver　dust　from　the　wall's　crevices。
　One　by　one　the　other　siege　guns　woke　and　had　their　throats　blasted　clear。　The　first　few　shots　were　often　lackadaisical　as　the　gun　barrels　were　still　cool　and　thus　caused　the　balls　to　fly　low。　A　handful　of　guns　answered　the　fire　from　the　city　walls；　but　none　of　them　was　large。　The　Tippoo　was　hiding　his　big　guns　for　the　assault；　but　he　permitted　his　gunners　to　mount　and　fire　their　small　cannon；　some　of　which　discharged　a　ball　no　bigger　than　a　grapeshot。　The　defenders'　fire　did　no　damage；　but　even　the　sound　of　their　guns　gave　the　citizens　a　feeling　that　they　were　fighting　back。
　This　morning　the　British　guns　seemed　erratic。　Every　battery　was　at　work；　but　their　fire　was　uncoordinated。　Some　aimed　at　the　wall　in　the　glacis　while　others　targeted　the　higher　ramparts；　but　an　hour　after　dawn　they　all　fell　silent　and；　a　moment　later；　the　Tippoo's　gunners　also　ceased　firing。　Colonel　Gudin；　staring　through　a　spyglass　from　the　western　ramparts；　distinctly　saw　the　sepoy　gunners　in　one　breaching　battery　heaving　at　the　trail　of　their　piece。　Gudin　reckoned　that　the　big　guns　were　at　last　being　carefully　aligned　on　the　section　of　wall　that　had　been　chosen　for　the　breach。　The　gunswere　hot　now；　they　would　fire　true；　and　soon　they　would　concentrate　a　dreadful　intensity　of　iron　against　the　chosen　spot　in　the　city's　defences。　With　his　spyglass　he　could　see　men　straining　at　the　gun；　but　he　could　not　see　the　gun　itself　for　the　embrasure　had　been　momentarily　stopped　up　with　wicker　baskets　filled　with　earth。　Gudin　prayed　that　the　British　would　take　the　Tippoo's　bait　and　aim　their　pieces　at　the　weakest　section　of　the　wall。
　He　trained　his　glass　on　the　nearest　battery　which　was　scarce　four　hundred　yards　from　the　vulnerable　section　of　wall。　The　gunners　were　stripped　to　the　waist；　and　no　wonder；　for　the　temperature　would　soon　be　well　over　ninety　degrees　and　the　humidity　was　already　stifling　and　these　men　had　to　handle　enormous　weights　of　gun　and　shot。　An　eighteen…pounder　siege　gun　weighed　close　to　twelve　tons；　and　all　that　mass　of　hot　metal　was　hurled　back　with　each　shot　and　the　gun　then　had　to　be　manhandled　back　into　its　firing　position。　The　shot　of　such　a　gun　measured　a　little　over　five　inches　across；　and　each　gun　could　fire　perhaps　one　such　ball　every　two　minutes　and　the　Tippoo's　spies　had　reported　that　General　Harris　now　had　thirty…seven　of　these　heavy　guns；　and　two　more　cannon；　even　heavier；　that　each　fired　a　twenty…four…pound　missile。　Gudin；　waiting　for　the　gunfire　to　start　again；　made　a　simple　putation　in　his　head。　Each　minute；　he　reckoned；　about　three　hundred　and　fifty　pounds　of　iron；　travelling　at　unimaginably　high　velocities；　would　hammer　into　the　city　wall。　And　to　that　hefty　weight　of　metal　the　British　could　add　a　score　of　howitzers　and　several　dozen　twelve…pounders　that　would　be　used　to　bombard　the　walls　either　side　of　the　place　General　Harris　had　chosen　to　make　his　breach。
　Gudin　knew　that　the　serious　business　of　making　the　breach　was　about　to　begin　and　he　almost　held　his　breath　as　he　waited　for　the　first　shot；　for　that　opening　gun　would　tell　him　whether　or　not　the　Tippoo's　gamble　had　succeeded。　The　waiting　seemed　to　stretch　for　ever；　but　at　last　one　of　the　batteriesunmasked　a　gun　and　the　great　brute　belched　a　jet　of　smoke　fifty　yards　in　front　of　its　embrasure。　The　sound　came　a　half…second　later；　but　Gudin　had　already　seen　the　shot　fall。
　The　British　had　swallowed　the　bait。　They　were　ing　straight　for　the　trap。
　The　rest　of　the　breaching　guns　now　opened　fire。　For　a　moment　a　rumbling　thunder　filled　the　sky　that　was　flapping　with　the　wings　of　startled　birds。　The　shots　seared　over　the　dry　land；　across　the　river　and　slammed　into　the　brief　curtain　wall　that　joined　the　sections　of　glacis。　The　wall　lasted　less　than　ten　minutes　before　an　eighteen…pounder　shot　pierced　through　it　and　suddenly　the　water　of　the　inner　ditch　was　gushing　out　into　the　South　Cauvery。　For　a　few　seconds　the　water　was　a　clear；　thin　spurt　arcing　out　to　the　river；　then　the　force　of　the　flow　abraded　the　remaining　mud　and　the　wall　collapsed　so　that　a　murky　flood　washed　irresistibly　down　the　river　bank。
　The　guns　scarcely　paused；　only　now　they　raised　their　aim　very　slightly　so　mat　the　balls　could　strike　against　the　base　of　the　outer　rampart　which　had　been　pletely　unmasked　by　the　collapse　of　the　glacis's　brief　connecting　wall。　Shot　after　shot　slammed　home；　their　impacts　reverberating　down　the　whole　length　of　the　ancient　battlements；　and　each　shot　punched　out　a　handful　of　mud　bricks。　The　water　from　the　punctured　ditch　kept　flowing　out；　and　the　shots　kept　slamming　home　as　the　gunners　sweated　and　hauled　and　spiked　and　sponged　out　and　rammed　and　fired　again。
　All　day　long　they　fired；　and　all　day　long　the　old　wall　crumbled。　The　shots　were　kept　low；　aimed　to　strike　at　the　foot　of　the　wall　so　that　the　bricks　above　would　collapse　to　make　a　ramp　of　rubble　that　would　lead　up　and　th