bcornwell.sharpstiger-第29节
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The lancer thrust his blade at Sharpe who knocked the spear point aside with the muzzle of the gun； then swung the gun fast back so that its butt smacked hard onto the horse's head。 The beast whinnied and reared； throwing its rider backwards。 The other lancers laughed； then sawed their reins to swerve past the fallen man。 Mary was shouting at them in a language Sharpe did not understand； Lawford was waving his hands desperately； but the lancers bored on in； concentrating on Sharpe who stepped backwards from their wicked…looking spear points。 He slashed a second lance aside； then a third man rammed his spurs back and attempted to drive his spear hard into Sharpe's belly。 Sharpe half managed to edge away from the blow and； instead of skewering his stomach； the lance sliced through the skin of his waist； through his coat and into the tree behind him。 The lancer left his spear buried in the beech and wheeled his horse away。 Sharpe was pinned to the bark； his back a sheet of agony where it was forced against the tree。 He tugged at the lance； but his loss of blood had made him far too weak and the weapon would not budge； and then another lancer spurred towards him with his spear point aimed at Sharpe's eyes。 Mary shouted frantically。
The spear point paused an inch from Sharpe's left eyeball。The lancer looked at Mary； grimaced at her filthy state； then said something。
Mary answered。
The lancer； who was evidently an officer； looked back to Sharpe and seemed to be debating whether to kill or to spare him。 Finally he grinned； leaned down and grasped the spear pinning Sharpe to the tree。 He dragged it free。
Sharpe swore foully； then collapsed at the foot of the tree。
There were a score of horsemen and they all now gathered around the fugitives。 Two of them held their razor…sharp lances at Lawford's neck while the officer spoke to Mary。 She answered defiantly； and to Sharpe； who was struggling to stand； it seemed that the conversation went on for a long time。 Nor did the lancers seem friendly。 They were magnificent…looking men and Sharpe； despite his pain； noted how well they maintained their weapons。 There was no rust on the lance heads； and the shafts were oiled smooth。 Mary argued with the officer； and he seemed indifferent to her pleading； but at last she must have made her point for she turned and looked at Lawford。 'He wants to know if you're willing to serve in the Tippoo's forces；' she told the Lieutenant。
The lance tips were tickling Lawford's neck； and as a recruiting device they worked wonders。 The Lieutenant nodded eagerly。 'Absolutely！' he said。 Just what we want！ Volunteers！ Tell him we're ready to serve！ Both of us！ Long live the Tippoo！'
The officer did not need the enthusiastic reply translated。 He smiled and ordered his lancers to take their weapons from the redcoat's neck。
And thus Sharpe joined the enemy's army。
CHAPTER 5
Sharpe was near to exhausted despair by the time he reached the city。 The lancers had driven the three fugitives westwards at an unrelenting pace； but had offered none of them a saddle； and so the three had walked and by the time he stumbled through the ford that took them south across the Cauvery to the island on which Seringapatam was built Sharpe's back burned like a sheet of fire。 The city itself still lay a mile to the west； but the whole island had been ringed with new earthworks inside which thousands of refugees were gathered。 The refugees had brought their livestock； obedient to the Tippoo's orders that all food stocks should be denied to the slowly advancing British army。 A half…mile from the city wall a second earthwork had been thrown up to protect a sprawling encampment of thatched； mud…brick barracks in which thousands of the Tippoo's infantry and cavalry lived。 None of the troops was idle。 Some were drilling； others were heightening the mud wall around the encampment and still more were firing their muskets at targets of straw men propped against the city's stone wall。 The straw men were all dressed in makeshift red coats and Lawford watched aghast as the muskets knocked the targets over or else exploded great chunks from their straw…stuffed torsos。 The soldiers' families lived inside the encampment and the women and children flocked to see the two white men pass。 They assumed Sharpe and Lawford were prisoners and some jeered as they went by and others laughed when Sharpe staggered in pain。'Keep going； Sharpe；' Lawford said encouragingly。
'Gall me Dick； for Christ's sake；' Sharpe snapped。
'Keep going； Dick；' Lawford managed to say； albeit angrily for having been reproved by the Private。
'Not far now；' Mary said in Sharpe's ear。 She was helping Sharpe walk； though at times； when the jeering became raucous； she clung to Sharpe for support。 Ahead of them were the city walls and Lawford； seeing them； wondered how anyone could hope to blast through such massive works。 The great ramparts were limewashed so that they seemed to shine in the sun； and Lawford could see cannon muzzles showing in every embrasure。 Cavaliers； jutting out like small square bastions； had been built everywhere along the face of the wall so that yet more guns could be brought to bear on any attacker。 Above the walls； on which the Tippoo's flags stirred in the small warm wind； the twin white minarets of the city's mosque towered in the sunlight。 Beyond the minarets Law…ford could see the intricate tower of a Hindu temple； its stone layers elaborately carved and gorgeously painted； while just north of the temple there shone the gleaming green tiles of what Lawford supposed was the Tippoo's palace。 The city was all much bigger and grander than Lawford had expected； while the white…painted wall was higher and stronger than he had ever feared。 He had expected a mud wall； but as he drew closer to the ramparts he could see that these eastern walls were made from massive stone blocks that would need to be chipped away by the siege guns if a breach were ever to be made。 In places； where the wall had been damaged by previous sieges； there were patches where the stone had been repaired by brickwork； but nowhere did the wall look weak。 It was true that the city had not had time to build itself a modern European type of defence with star…shaped walls and outlying forts and awkward bastions and confusing ravelins； but even so the place looked dauntingly strong； and even now vast ant…like gangs of labourers； some of them naked in theheat； were carrying baskets of deep…red earth on their backs and piling the soil to heighten the glacis that lay directly in front of the lime…washed walls。 The growing earthen glacis； that was separated from the walls by a ditch that could be flooded with river water； was designed to deflect the besiegers' shots up and over the ramparts。 Lawford consoled himself that Lord Cornwallis had managed to smash into this formidable city seven years before； but the heightening of the glacis demonstrated that the Tippoo had learned from that defeat and suggested that General Harris would not find it nearly so easy。
The lancers ducked their spired helmets as they clattered through the tunnel of the city's Bangalore Gate and so led the fugitives into the stinking tangle of crowded streets。 The spears forged the lancers' path； driving civilians aside and forcing wagons and handcarts into hasty retreats up any convenient alley。 Even the sacred cows that wandered freely inside the city were forced aside； though the lancers did it gently； not wanting to offend the sensibilities of the Hindus。 They passed the mosque； then turned down a street lined with shops； their open fronts thickly hung with cloth； silk； silver jewellery； vegetables； shoes and hides。 In one alley Law…ford caught a glimpse of bloodsoaked men butchering two camels and the sight almost made him gag。 A naked child hurled a bloody camel's tail at the two white men； and soon a horde of tattered； chanting children were dodging through the lancers' horses to mock the prisoners and pelt them with animal dung。 Sharpe cursed them； Lawford hunched low as he walked； and the children only ran away when two European soldiers； both dressed in bluejackets； chased them away。 'Prisonniers？' one of the two men called cheerfully。
'Non； monsieur；' Lawford answered in his best schoolboy French。 'Nous sommes deserteurs。'
'C'est bonl' The man tossed Lawford a mango。 'Lafemme aussi？'
'Lafemme est notre prisonniere。' Lawford tried a little wit andwas rewarded with a laugh and a farewell shout of bonne chance。
'You speak French？' Sharpe asked。
'A little；' Lawford claimed modestly。 'Really only a little。'
'Bloody amazing；' Sharpe said and Lawford was obscurely pleased that he had at last succeeded in impressing his panion。 'Bet not many private soldiers speak Frog；' Sharpe dashed Lawford's pleasure； 'so don't show yourself as being too good at it。 Stick to bloody English。'
'I didn't think of that；' Lawford said ruefully。 He looked at the mango as though he had never seen such a piece of fruit before； and it was plain that his hunger was tempting him to bite into the sweet flesh； but then his manners prevailed and he gallantly insisted that Mary eat the fruit instead。
The lancers turned into a delicately sculpted archw
