bcornwell.sharpstiger-第68节

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the　sound　of　a　wind；　an　unnatural　wind　that　scoured　thatch　off　houses；　threw　down　tiles　and　raised　dustdevils　in　streets　a　quarter　of　a　mile　away　from　the　explosion。
　The　men　on　the　walls　nearest　the　gatehouse　saw　nothing；　unless　it　was　the　flash　that　ended　their　lives；　for　the　explosion　plucked　the　Tippoo's　defenders　clean　off　the　ramparts　south　of　the　breach。　The　wall　itself　was　undamaged；　even　where　it　ran　past　the　gatehouse；　for　there　the　old　outer　archway　was　blown　out　like　a　bung　and　a　monstrous　jet　of　smoky　flame　jetted　from　the　city　wall　to　vent　the　explosive's　power　safely　beneath　the　ramparts；　but　the　squat　tower　over　the　old　gateway　fell。　It　collapsed　slowly；　sliding　down　into　the　space　between　the　inner　and　outer　walls。　Scraps　of　brick　and　stone　arched　up　and　outwards；　splashing　in　the　river　just　ahead　of　Baird's　advancing　columns。　More　scraps　of　stone　rained　down　on　the　city。
　The　noise　slowly　faded。　The　ringing　in　Sharpe's　ears　diminished　until　he　could　hear　a　man　whimpering　somewhere　in　the　horror。　He　peered　out　again　and　saw　that　the　explosion　had　scoured　the　alley　of　dead　and　wounded　men。　There　was　no　sign　of　the　handcart。　There　was　nothing　except　broken　stone；　burning　thatch　and　smears　of　blood。
　North　of　the　breach；　where　the　lick　of　flame　and　blast　had　been　lessened　by　distance；　the　defenders　were　dizzied　by　noise。　Their　banners　of　gold　and　scarlet　and　green　silk　whipped　stiff　in　the　blast　as　men　crouched　in　embrasures　or　reeled　like　drunks　before　the　hot　wind。　The　Tippoo's　heroes　who　had　volunteered　to　fight　the　Forlorn　Hopes　on　the　breach　were　killed　almost　to　a　man；　for　they　were　on　the　inner　side　of　the　breach　where　nothing　could　save　them；　while　the　survivors　of　the　Forlorn　Hopes；　thrust　back　by　the　first　charge　of　the　Tippoo's　men；　had　been　shielded　by　the　southern　shoulder　of　the　broken　wall。
　In　the　breach　itself　there　was　a　vast　veil　of　swirling　dust。　A　huge　boiling　pyre　of　smoke　churned　above　the　walls；　but　the　breach；　for　a　moment　at　least；　was　undefended。　The　Tippoo's　men　who　should　have　been　guarding　the　shouldersof　the　breach　were　either　dead　or　so　shocked　as　to　be　unable　to　respond；　while　the　men　on　the　inner　wall　had　ducked　down　as　the　terrible　noise　and　heat　and　dust　pounded　about　them。　Most　of　them　still　crouched；　fearful　of　the　strange　silence　that　followed　the　explosion。
　'Now；　boys；　now！'　a　man　shouted　on　the　breach；　and　the　survivors　of　the　Forlorn　Hopes　climbed　into　the　smoke；　then　up　the　broken　stonework　of　the　walls。　They　choked　on　the　airborne　dust　and　their　red　coats　were　whitened　by　it；　but　they　were　men　who　had　steeled　themselves　to　the　worst　ordeal　of　war；　the　storming　of　a　breach；　and　the　steel　was　hard　and　cold　in　their　souls　so　that　they　were　scarcely　aware　of　the　horror　of　the　last　few　seconds；　only　of　the　need　to　climb　the　shoulders　of　the　breach　and　start　their　killing。　Those　who　went　south　found　an　empty　wall；　while　those　who　went　north　climbed　to　meet　dazed　men。　The　redcoats　and　sepoys　had　expected　no　mercy　in　this　assault　and　were　prepared　to　show　none；　and　so　they　began　their　slaughter。　'Pigsticking　time；　lads！'　one　corporal　shouted。　He　stabbed　his　bayonet　into　a　wild…eyed　man　and　rid　his　blade　of　the　body's　encumbrance　by　shaking　the　corpse　over　the　inner　ramparts'　edge。　His　rades　stormed　past　him；　their　blood　whipped　into　rage　by　the　fear　of　being　the　first　men　into　the　enemy　citadel。　Now；　up　on　the　ramparts；　they　killed　in　a　frenzy　to　let　their　fear　escape　in　a　torrent　of　enemy　blood。
　Baird　had　still　been　west　of　the　river　when　the　explosion　occurred　and　he　had　felt　a　momentary　pang　of　horror　as　the　great　blast　blossomed　in　the　city。　For　a　terrible　second　he　thought　the　whole　city；　all　its　houses　and　temples　and　palaces；　was　about　to　disintegrate　before　his　eyes；　but　he　had　kept　moving；　indeed　he　had　quickened　his　pace　so　that　he　splashed　into　the　South　Cauvery　while　the　debris　was　still　falling。　He　waded　the　shallows　as　all　around　him　the　river　foamed　with　falling　stone；　and　he　shouted　inprehensibly；　desperate　to　take　his　heavy　sword　to　the　enemy　that　had　once　imprisonedhim。　The　dust　obscuring　the　breach　shifted　as　a　snatch　of　wind　caught　and　whirled　it　northwards　and　Baird　saw　that　his　Forlorn　Hopes　were　on　the　walls　now。　He　saw　some　red　coats；　oddly　whitened；　moving　north；　then　he　glimpsed　a　rush　of　the　enemy　ing　from　the　southern　bastions　to　replace　the　defenders　who　had　been　scoured　from　the　ramparts　by　the　explosion。　Those　reinforcements　were　running　past　a　great　roiling　grey…white　plume　of　smoke　amongst　which　pale　flames　licked　the　sky。　Baird　assumed　the　explosion　had　been　the　Tippoo's　feared　mine；　but　his　horror　at　its　force　turned　to　exultation　as　he　realized　that　the　blast　had　been　premature　and　that；　instead　of　slaughtering　his　men；　it　had　opened　the　city　to　storm。　But　he　also　recognized　that　the　enemy　was　now　waking　from　his　nightmare　and　rushing　men　to　face　the　attack；　and　so　Baird　hurried　out　of　the　river；　through　the　shattered　glacis　and　up　the　breach　that　was　now　vividly　slicked　with　great　splashes　of　fresh　blood。　He　chose　to　turn　southwards　to　help　that　Forlorn　Hope　face　the　rush　of　the　Tippoo's　reinforcements。
　Behind　Baird　the　twin　columns　of　redcoats　splashed　through　the　river。　Each　column　had　three　thousand　men；　and　their　task　was　to　encircle　the　city　and　so　capture　the　whole　ring　of　Seringapatam's　walls　and　bastions　and　towers　and　gates；　but　the　Tippoo's　men　were　recovering　their　wits　now　and　the　invading　streams　were　at　last　being　opposed。　Muskets　blasted　down　from　ramparts；　concealed　guns　were　unmasked　and　rockets　streaked　away　from　the　parapets。　Canister　and　round　shot　slashed　down　at　the　two　columns；　the　missiles　exploding　high　gouts　of　water　as　they　struck　the　river。　Sepoys　and　redcoats　fell。　Some　crawled　to　safety；　others　were　carried　downstream　while　the　least　fortunate　were　trampled　by　the　boots　of　the　men　crossing　the　river。　The　leading　troops　of　each　column　scrambled　up　the　broken　shoulders　of　the　walls。　The　engineers　shoved　ladders　against　those　shoulders；　and　still　more　men　climbed　their　rungs　to　the　ramparts。And　there　the　fight　changed。　Now；　on　the　narrow　firestep　of　the　outer　wall；　the　columns　had　to　force　their　way　forward；　but　the　Tippoo's　men　were　firing　volley　after　volley　into　the　attackers'　ranks。　The　most　damaging　fire　came　from　the　inner　wall；　for　there　the　Tippoo's　men　were　protected　by　a　parapet　while　the　British　and　their　Indian　allies　had　no　such　protection　on　the　inner　side　of　the　captured　outer　wall。　Men　fired　at　them　from　their　front；　and　a　torrent　of　fire　came　from　their　flank；　yet　still　they　pushed　on；　consumed　by　the　blind　rage　of　war。　The　only　way　to　survive　horror　was　to　win　through；　and　so　they　stepped　over　the　dead　to　fire　their　muskets；　then　crouched　to　reload　while　the　ranks　behind　pushed　on。　The　wounded　fell；　some　of　them　tumbling　down　to　the　inner　ditch；　while　behind　them；　in　the　foaming　river；　the　tails　of　the　two　columns　hurried　on　towards　the　battle。
　The　breach　had　been　taken；　but　the　city　had　not　fallen　yet。　The　sepoys　and　the　redcoats　had　taken　a　hundred　yards　of　the　outer　wall　on　either　side　of　the　breach；　but　the　Tippoo's　soldiers　were　fighting　back　hard；　and　the　Tippoo　himself　led　the　defenders　north　of　the　breach。　The　Tippoo　had　cursed　Gudin　for　blowing　the　mine　too　early　and　thus　wasting　its　terrible　destructive　power；　but　now　he　tried　to　revive　the　defence　by　his　personal　example。　He　stood　in　the　front　rank　of　his　soldiers　while　behind　him　a　succession　of　aides　loaded　jewel…encrusted　hunting　rifles。　One　by　one　the　rifles　were　given　to　the　Tippoo　who　aimed　and　fired；　aimed　and　fired；　and　redcoat　after　redcoat　was　struck　down。　Whenever　an　enemy　tried　to　rush　along　the　ramparts；　the　Tippoo　would　drop　that　man；　then　pass　the　gun　back；　take　another；　step　forward　through　the　powder　smoke　and　fire　again。　Musket　balls　hissed　about　him。　Two　of　his　aides　were　wounded　and　a　score　of　soldiers　fighting　at　the　Tippoo's　side　were　killed　or　maimed；　but　the　Tippoo's　life　seemed　charmed。　He　stepped　in　blood；　but　none　of　it　was　his　and　it　seemed　as　though　he　could　not　die；　but　only　kill；　and　so　he　did；　cold…bloodedly；deliberately；　exultantly　defending　his　city　and　his　dream　against　the　barbarians　who　had　e　to　snatch　his　tiger　throne。
　The　fight　on　the　walls　intensified　as　more　men　came　to　the　threatened　ramparts。　The　men　in　red　came　from　the　river　and　the　men　in　tiger　stripes　came　from　other　parts　of　the　city　wall；　and　both　came　to　kill　on　top　of　the　wall：　a　narrow　place；　scarce　five　paces　wide；　lifted　in　the　sky。
　Where　the　vultures　flew；　scenting　death。
　Sharpe　scooped　up　three　fallen　muskets　from　the　end　of　the　alley　where　they　had　been　blown　by　the　explosion。　He　checked　that　his　new　guns　were　undamaged；　loaded　the　two　which　were　empty；　then　went　back　to　Lawford。　'You　stay　with　the　Colonel；　sir；'　he　suggested；　'and　put　your　coat　right　side　out。　Lads　will　be　here　soon。　And　when　they're　here；　sir；　you　might　like　to　find　Lali。'
　Lawford　coloured。　'Lali？'
　'Look　after　her；　sir。　I　promised　the　lass　she'd　e　to　no　harm。'
　'You　did？'　Lawford　asked　with　a　trace　of　indignation。　He　was　wondering　just　how　well　Sharpe　knew　the　girl；　then　he　decided　it　was　better　not　to　ask。　'Of　course　I'll　look　after　her