bcornwell.sharpstiger-第50节

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　Harris　had　men　enough　for　the　siege　and　assault；　but　not　enough　to　ring　the　city　entirely　and　so　the　Tippoo's　cavalry　made　daily　sallies　from　the　unguarded　eastern　side　of　the　island　to　attack　the　foraging　parties　who　ranged　deep　into　the　country　in　search　of　timber　and　food。　The　Nizam　of　Hyderabad's　horsemen　fought　off　the　daily　attacks。　The　Nizam　was　a　Muslim；　but　he　had　no　love　for　his　coreligionist；　the　Tippoo；　and　the　men　of　Hyderabad's　army　fought　fiercely。　One　horseman　came　back　to　the　camp　with　the　heads　of　six　enemies　tied　by　their　long　hair　to　his　lance。　He　held　the　bloody　trophies　aloft　and　galloped　proudly　along　the　tent　lines　to　the　cheers　of　the　sepoys　and　redcoats。　Harris　sent　the　man　a　purse　of　guineas；　while　Meer　Allum；　the　mander　of　the　Nizam's　forces；　more　practically　ordered　a　concubine　to　express　his　gratitude。
　The　trenches　made　ground　daily；　but　one　last　formidable　obstacle　prevented　their　approach　close　enough　to　the　city　for　the　siege　guns　to　begin　their　destructive　work。　On　the　southern　bank　of　the　Cauvery；　a　half…mile　west　of　the　city；　stood　the　ruins　of　an　old　watermill。　Built　of　stone；　the　ancient　walls　were　thick　enough　to　withstand　the　artillery　fire　from　Harris's　camp　and　from　the　new　British　positions　across　the　river。　The　ruined　buildings　had　been　converted　into　a　stout　fort　that　was　equipped　with　a　deep　defensive　ditch　and　was　strongly　garrisoned　by　two　of　the　Tippoo's　finest　cushoons；　reinforced　by　cannon　and　rocketmen；　and　so　long　as　the　mill　fort　existed　no　British　gun　could　be　dragged　within　battering　range　of　the　city's　walls。　The　two　flags　that　flew　over　the　mill　fort　were　shot　away　every　day；　but　each　dawn　the　flags　would　be　hoisted　again；　albeit　on　shorter　staffs；　and　once　again　the　British　and　Indian　gunners　would　blaze　away　with　round　shot　and　shell；　and　once　again　the　sun　flag　and　the　banner　of　theLion　of　God　would　be　felled；　but　whenever　skirmishers　went　close　to　the　fort　to　discover　if　any　defender　survived；　there　would　be　a　blast　of　cannon；　rockets　and　musketry　to　prove　that　the　Tippoo's　men　were　still　dangerous。　The　Tippoo　could　even　reinforce　the　garrison　thanks　to　a　deep　trench　that　ran　close　to　the　south　branch　of　the　Cauvery　and　up　which　his　men　could　creep　through　the　night　to　relieve　the　fort's　battered　garrison。
　The　fort　had　to　be　taken。　Harris　ordered　a　dusk　attack　that　was　led　by　Indian　and　Scottish　flank　panies　supported　by　a　party　of　engineers　whose　job　was　to　bridge　the　mill's　deep　ditch。　For　an　hour　before　the　assault　the　artillery　on　both　banks　of　the　river　rained　shells　into　the　mill。　The　twelve…pounder　guns　were　loaded　with　howitzer　shells　and　the　wispy　trails　of　their　burning　fuses　sputtered　across　the　darkening　sky　to　plunge　into　the　smoke　which　churned　up　from　the　battered　fort。　To　the　waiting　infantry　who　would　have　to　wade　through　the　Little　Cauvery；　cross　the　ditch　and　assault　the　mill　it　seemed　as　if　the　small　fort　was　being　obliterated；　for　there　was　nothing　to　be　seen　but　the　boiling　smoke　and　dust　amongst　which　the　shells　exploded　with　dull　red　flashes；　but　every　few　moments；　as　if　to　belie　the　destruction　that　seemed　so　plete；　an　Indian　gun　would　flash　back　its　response　and　a　round　shot　would　scream　across　the　fields　towards　the　British　batteries。　Or　else　a　rocket　would　flare　up　from　the　defenders　and　snake　its　thicker　smoke　trail　across　the　delicate　tracery　left　by　the　fuses　of　the　howitzer　shells。　The　largest　guns　on　the　city　wall　were　also　firing；　trying　to　bounce　their　shot　up　from　the　ground　so　that　the　ricochets　would　reach　the　besiegers'　artillery。　Sharpe；　inside　the　city；　heard　the　vast　hammering　of　the　guns　and　wondered　if　it　presaged　an　assault　on　the　city's　walls；　but　Sergeant　Rothiere　assured　the　men　that　it　was　only　the　British　wasting　ammunition　on　the　old　mill。
　The　bombardment　suddenly　ceased　and　the　Tippoo's　mencame　scrambling　out　of　the　mill's　damp　cellars　to　take　their　places　at　their　fire…scorched　ramparts。　They　reached　their　broken　firesteps　just　in　time；　for　the　leading　engineers　were　already　hurling　lit　carcasses　into　the　ditch。　The　carcasses　were　bundles　of　damp　straw　tight　wrapped　about　a　paper…cased　shell　of　saltpetre；　corned　gunpowder　and　antimony。　The　carcasses　burned　fiercely；　consuming　the　straw　from　the　inside　to　billow　choking　streams　of　smoke　through　vents　left　in　the　casings　so　that　within　seconds　the　ditch　was　filled　with　a　dense　fog　of　grey　smoke　into　which　the　frightened　defenders　poured　a　badly　aimed　musket　volley。　More　carcasses　were　hurled；　adding　to　the　blinding　smoke；　and　under　this　cover　a　dozen　planks　were　thrown　across　the　ditch　and　screaming　attackers　charged　across　with　fixed　bayonets。　Only　a　few　of　the　Tippoo's　men　still　had　loaded　muskets。　Those　men　fired；　and　one　of　the　attackers　fell　through　the　smoke　to　fall　on　the　hissing　carcasses；　but　the　rest　were　already　scrambling　over　the　walls。　Half　the　attackers　were　Macleod's　Highlanders　from　Perthshire；　the　others　were　Bengali　infantry；　and　both　came　into　the　mill　like　avenging　furies。　The　Tippoo's　men　seemed　stunned　by　the　suddenness　of　the　assault；　or　else　they　had　been　so　shaken　by　the　shelling　and　were　so　confused　by　the　choking　smoke　that　they　were　incapable　of　resistance；　and　incapable；　too；　of　surrender。　Bengalis　and　Highlanders　hunted　through　the　ruins；　their　war　cries　shrill　as　they　bayoneted　and　shot　the　garrison；　while　behind　them；　before　the　smoke　of　the　carcasses　had　even　begun　to　fade　or　the　fighting　in　the　mill　die　down；　the　engineers　were　constructing　a　stouter　bridge　across　which　they　could　haul　their　siege　guns　so　they　could　turn　the　old　mill　into　a　breaching　battery。
　The　smoke　of　the　carcasses　at　last　died　and　drifted　away；　its　remnants　touched　red　by　the　setting　sun；　and　in　the　lurid　light　a　Highlander　capered　on　the　ramparts　with　the　captured　sun　banner　at　the　end　of　his　bayonet　while　a　Bengali　havildar　waved　the　Tippoo's　lion　flag　in　celebration。　The　assault　hadturned　into　a　massacre　and　the　officers　now　tried　to　calm　the　attackers　down　as　they　pierced　ever　deeper　into　the　mill's　vaults。　The　innermost　cellar　was　grimly　defended　by　a　group　of　the　Tippoo's　infantry；　but　an　engineer　brought　the　last　remaining　carcass　into　the　mill；　lit　its　fuse；　waited　until　the　smoke　began　to　pour　from　the　vents　and　then　hurled　it　down　the　steps。　There　were　a　few　seconds　of　silence；　then　dazed　and　gasping　defenders　came　scrambling　up　the　steep　stairs。　The　mill　fort　was　taken；　and　astonishingly　only　one　of　the　attackers　had　been　killed；　but　a　shocked　Highlander　lieutenant　counted　two　hundred　dead　bodies　dressed　in　the　Tippoo's　tiger…striped　tunic；　and　still　more　enemy　dead　were　piled　bloodily　in　every　embrasure。　The　rest　of　the　garrison　was　either　taken　prisoner　or　else　had　managed　to　flee　down　the　connecting　trench　to　the　city。　A　Scottish　sergeant；　finding　one　of　the　Tippoo's　rockets　in　a　magazine；　stuck　it　vertically　between　two　of　the　ruin's　bigger　stones；　then　lit　the　fuse。　There　were　cheers　as　the　rocket　flamed　and　smoked；　then　louder　cheers　as　it　screamed　up　into　the　sky。　It　began　to　corkscrew；　leaving　a　crazy　trail　of　smoke　in　the　twilight　air；　and　then；　reaching　its　apogee；　and　by　now　almost　invisible；　it　tumbled　and　fell　into　the　Cauvery。
　Next　morning　the　first　eighteen…pounders　were　already　emplaced　in　the　mill。　The　range　to　the　city　was　long；　but　not　impossible；　and　Harris　gave　the　order　for　the　guns　to　open　fire。　The　eighteen…pounder　cannon　were　among　the　heavy　siege　guns　that　would　make　the　breach；　but　for　now　they　were　employed　to　batter　the　enemy's　own　guns。　Seringapatam's　outer　wall　was　protected　by　a　glacis；　but　there　was　not　enough　distance　between　the　river　and　the　wall　to　construct　a　full　glacis　with　a　gently　sloping　outer　face　high　enough　to　bounce　cannon　shot　over　the　city's　walls；　and　so　the　low　glacis　could　only　protect　the　wall's　base；　not　the　parapet；　and　the　eighteen…pounders'　first　shots　were　aimed　to　scour　that　parapet　of　its　guns。　The　good　fortune　that　hadacpanied　the　Bengalis　and　the　Highlanders　in　their　assault　on　the　old　mill　now　seemed　to　settle　on　the　shoulders　of　the　gunners　for　their　very　first　shot　cracked　apart　an　embrasure　and　the　second　dismounted　the　gun　behind　it；　and　after　that　every　shot　seemed　to　have　an　equally　destructive　effect。　British　and　Indian　officers　watched　through　spyglasses　as　embrasure　after　embrasure　was　destroyed　and　as　gun　after　gun　was　thrown　down。　A　dozen　heavy　cannon　were　tumbled　forward　into　the　flooded　ditch　between　the　city　wall　and　the　glacis；　and　every　tumbling　fall　was　greeted　by　a　cheer　from　the　besiegers。　The　city's　western　wall　was　being　stripped　of　guns；　and　the　artillerymen's　prowess　seemed　to　promise　an　easy　assault。　Spirits　in　the　allied　ranks　soared。
　While　inside　the　city；　watching　his　precious　cannon　being　destroyed；　the　Tippoo　fumed。　The　mill　fort；　on　which　he　had　pinned　such　high　hopes　of　delaying　the　enemy　till　the　monsoon　washed　them　away；　had　fallen　like　a　child's　wooden　toy。　And　now　his　precious　guns　were　being　obliterated。
　It　was　time；　the　Tippoo　decided；　to　show　his　soldiers　that　these　red…coated　enemies　were　not　invulnerable　demons；　but　mortal　men；　and　that　like　any　other　mortal　men；　they　could　be　made　to　whimper。　It　was　time　to　unsheath　the　tiger's　claws。