bcornwell.sharpescompany-第46节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


he　sword　blades；　the　very　top；　he　clawed　at　them；　blood　on　his　hands；　and　then　he　shook；　quivered；　filled　with　a　dozen　bullets　and　the　highest　man；　dead　on　the　Trinidad；　slid　down；　blood　on　stone；　till　he　was　caught。
　
　The　survivors　were　behind　the　ravelin；　digging　into　the　dead；　and　the　French　mocked　them。　'e　to　Badajoz；　English。'
　
　Sharpe　had　not　been　with　them。　He　knelt；　fired　once　at　the　wall；　and　watched　the　death　of　the　Battalion；　Collett；　Jack　Collett；　neck　severed　by　a　round　shot；　even　Sterritt；　poor；　worried　Sterritt；　a　hero　now；　killed　in　the　ditch　at　Badajoz。
　
　'Sir？'　A　voice　curiously　calm　in　the　torment　of　sound。　'Sir？'
　
　He　looked　up。　Daniel　Hagman；　strange　in　red　coat；　stood　over　him。　He　stood　up。　'Daniel？'
　
　'You'd　better　e；　sir。'
　
　He　went　towards　the　Light　pany；　close　to　him　now　and　still　on　the　glacis；　and　he　saw　in　the　ditch　where　men　had　drowned　in　the　deep　water。　The　black　humps　of　their　bodies　broke　up　the　ripples　in　red　and　dark　patterns。　The　guns　were　quieter　now；　saving　their　anger　for　the　fools　who　would　e　from　behind　the　ravelin。　The　breaches　were　empty　of　all　but　the　dead。　The　huge　fires　roared；　greedy　for　the　lumber　that　was　tossed　from　the　walls；　and　an　army　was　dying　between　their　flames。
　
　'Sir？'　Lieutenant　Price；　his　eyes　stark　with　the　horror；　ran　to　Sharpe。　'Sir？'
　
　'What？'
　
　'Your　pany；　sir。'
　
　'Mine？'
　
　Price　pointed。　Rymer　was　dead；　a　tiny　wound；　an　insignificant　wound；　red　on　his　pale　forehead。　He　lay　backwards　on　the　slope；　arms　wide；　staring　at　nothing；　and　Sharpe　shuddered　when　he　remembered　how　he　had　wanted　this　pany；　and　thus　this　man's　death；　and　now　it　was　given　to　him。
　
　So　easy。　It　was　all　done？　Out　of　the　horror；　the　pulverizing　fire　and　iron　that　smothered　the　south…east　corner　of　Badajoz；　death　had　given　Sharpe　back　what　had　once　been　his。　He　could　stay　on　the　glacis；　firing　at　the　night；　safe　from　the　carnage；　a　Captain　again；　the　pany　his；　and　men　would　account　him　a　hero　because　he　had　lived　through　Badajoz。
　
　A　musket　ball　whirred　past　his　head；　making　him　jerk　back；　and　there　was　Harper；　the　red　jacket　discarded；　huge　in　a　blood…stained　shirt；　and　the　Irish　face　was　stone　hard　'What　do　we　do；　sir？'
　
　Do？　There　was　only　one　thing　to　do。　A　man　did　not　go　into　a　breach　to　fight　for　a　pany；　not　even　a　Captaincy。　Sharpe　looked　over　the　ditch；　over　the　scoured　ravelin　and　there；　untouched　by　blood；　was　the　third　breach；　the　new　breach；　the　unattacked　breach。　A　man　went　first　into　a　breach　for　pride；　nothing　else；　just　pride。　A　poor　reason；　paltry　even；　but　enough；　perhaps；　to　win　a　city。　He　looked　up　at　Harper。　'Sergeant。　We're　going　to　Badajoz。'
　
　CHAPTER　25
　
　Captain　Robert　Knowles　crossed　the　bridge　by　the　ruined　mill　and　wondered　at　the　calmness　of　the　night。　Beneath　him　the　Rivillas　stream　whispered　from　the　dam；　ahead　the　huge　castle　blotted　out　the　sky　and；　in　the　darkness；　it　seemed　impossible　that　men　could　dare　hope　escalade　the　giant　bastion。　Wind　rustled　the　new　foliage　in　the　trees　that　grew　precariously　on　the　steep　hill　that　led　up　to　the　castle。　Behind　Knowles　came　his　pany；　carrying　two　ladders；　and　they　paused　with　him　at　the　foot　of　the　slope；　their　excitement　suppressed；　and　peered　up　at　the　looming　walls。　'Bloody　high！'　A　voice　came　from　the　rear　rank。
　
　'Quiet！'
　
　The　Engineer　officer　who　was　guiding　the　Battalion　was　nervous　and　Knowles　became　annoyed　at　the　man's　fidgeting。　'What's　the　matter？'
　
　'We're　too　far　over。　We　must　go　right。'
　
　They　could　not　go　right。　There　were　too　many　troops　crowding　at　the　hill's　base；　and　it　would　cause　chaos　if　the　battalions　tried　to　re…align　themselves　in　the　darkness。　Knowles　shook　his　head　irritably。　'We　can't。　What's　the　problem？'
　
　'That。'　The　Engineer　pointed　to　his　left。　A　huge　shadow　sprang　from　the　dark　rock；　high　over　them；　a　shadow　with　a　crenellated　outline。　The　bastion　of　San　Pedro。　Knowles's　Colonel　appeared　beside　him。　'What's　the　problem？'
　
　Knowles　pointed　to　the　bastion；　but　the　Colonel　dismissed　it。　'We　must　do　what　we　can。　Are　you　all　right；　Robert？'
　
　'Yes；　sir。'
　
　The　Colonel　turned　to　the　Light　pany　and　raised　his　voice　a　little　above　a　whisper。　'Enjoy　yourselves；　lads！'
　
　There　was　a　growling　from　the　ranks。　They　had　been　told　that　this　attack　was　merely　a　diversion；　not　intended　to　succeed；　but　then　General　Picton　had　damned　Wellington's　eyes　and　said　that　the　Third　Division　did　not　make　fake　attacks。　The　Third　Division　would　go　all　the　way；　or　not　at　all；　and　the　men　were　determined　to　prove　Picton　right。　Knowles；　for　the　first　time；　felt　the　seeds　of　doubt。　They　must　climb　a　hundred　feet　of　almost　sheer　rock；　and　then　put　ladders　against　a　wall　that　looked　forty　feet　high；　and　all　the　time　under　the　guns　of　the　defenders。　He　thrust　the　doubts　away；　trying；　as　he　always　did；　to　emulate　Sharpe；　but　it　was　difficult；　faced　with　the　enormity　of　the　castle；　to　feel　confident。　His　worries　were　interrupted　by　hurrying　footsteps　and　one　of　Picton's　aides　was　calling　for　the　Colonel。
　
　'Here！'
　
　'Go；　sir！　And　the　General　wishes　you　God　speed。'
　
　'I'd　rather　he　wished　me　a　case　of　his　claret。'　The　Colonel　slapped　Knowles's　shoulder。　'Off　you　go。'
　
　Knowles　could　not　draw　his　sabre。　He　needed　both　hands　to　cling　to　the　rock　hill；　to　pull　himself　up　while　his　feet　found　desperate　footholds。　His　Captaincy　was　heavy　on　his　shoulders。　He　hurried；　wanting　to　stay　ahead　of　his　men　because　he　knew　Sharpe　would　lead；　and　he　imagined；　as　he　climbed；　the　first　heavy　musket　balls　plummeting　down　to　crush　in　the　top　of　his　skull。　His　men　seemed　to　be　so　noisy！　The　ladders　scraped　on　rock；　on　tree…trunks；　the　musket　stocks　banged　on　stone；　the　feet　clattered　pebbles　loose；　but　still　the　castle　was　silent；　the　great　shadow　unrelieved　by　the　gun　flames。　Knowles　found　himself　thinking　of　Teresa；　inside　the　city；　and　hoping；　against　all　the　evidence　of　the　massive　walls；　that　he　could　reach　her　first。　He　wanted　to　do　something　for　Sharpe。
　
　'Faster！'　The　shout　was　from　one　of　his　Sergeants；　and　Knowles；　his　thoughts　elsewhere；　snapped　his　head　back　and　stared　up。　High　above　him；　falling；　falling；　was　the　first　carcass。　The　fire　roared　in　the　sky；　it　tumbled　end　over　end；　shedding　sparks；　and　he　watched；　fascinated；　as　it　plunged　into　a　thorn　tree　that　grew　close　by。　The　tree　flared　into　flame　and　the　first　muskets　banged　from　the　castle　wall。　They　seemed　far　away。
　
　'e　on！'
　
　More　fireballs　and　carcasses　fell　from　the　ramparts；　some　lodged　in　the　narrow　space　by　the　wall's　foot；　others　fell　in　streaming　shreds　of　fire　down　the　rock　slope　and　took　men　with　them；　screaming　as　the　flames　captured　them；　but　Knowles　climbed　on　and　his　men　pressed　behind。　'Faster！　Faster！'
　
　A　cannon　crashed　out　its　load　from　the　San　Pedro　bastion　and　canister　whipped　through　the　trees　and　crackled　on　stone。　There　was　a　cry　behind　him；　a　shout　of　despair；　and　he　knew　a　man　had　gone；　but　there　was　no　time　to　worry　about　casualties；　just　to　scramble　upwards；　the　going　easier　as　they　neared　the　top；　and　Knowles　felt　the　excitement　of　battle　that　would　carry　him　past　fear　and　into　action。
　
　'Keep　going！'　The　Colonel；　surprisingly　agile　for　his　years；　overtook　him　and　reached　the　space　at　the　wall's　base　first。　He　leaned　down　and　helped　Knowles　up。　'Get　the　ladders！'
　
　The　musket　balls　smacked　down；　but　the　shot　was　an　awkward　one　for　the　defenders；　they　had　to　lean　right　over　the　battlements　and　shoot　straight　down；　almost　at　random；　into　the　flaring　light　at　the　bottom　of　the　wall。　The　cannons　were　far　more　dangerous；　shooting　from　the　San　Pedro　and　from　a　smaller　bastion　to　Knowles's　right；　a　bastion　jutting　from　the　castle　wall。　Canister　scraped　the　wall；　promising　death　to　men　on　ladders；　but　that　was　a　fear　that　had　to　be　ignored。
　
　'Here！'　The　first　ladder　loomed　over　the　rock　slope　and　Knowles　ran　to　it；　pulled　it　towards　the　wall；　and　more　men　were　manhandling　it；　swinging　it　upwards；　until　it　thumped　against　the　battlements。　The　Colonel　waved　them　on。　'Good　lads！　The　first　one　over　gets　the　best　whore　in　Badajoz！'
　
　They　cheered　and　the　Colonel　dropped；　felled　by　a　bullet　from　above；　but　they　hardly　noticed。　'Me　first！　Me　first！'　Knowles　pushed　through；　boyish　in　his　excitement。　He　knew　that　Sharpe　would　lead；　and　so　must　he；　and　he　scrambled　up　the　rungs；　wondering　what　a　fool　he　was；　but　his　legs　pumped　automatically　and　it　occurred　to　him；　with　sudden　horror；　that　he　had　not　even　drawn　his　sabre。　He　looked　up；　saw　the　arms　of　defenders　pushing　at　the　ladder　and　he　began　to　fall　sideways。　He　shouted　a　warning；　let　go；　and　thumped　down　into　a　press　of　men。　Miraculously　not　a　single　bayonet　touched　him。　He　picked　himself　up。
　
　'Are　you　hurt；　sir？'　A　Sergeant　looked　worriedly　at　him。
　
　'No！　Get　it　up！'　The　ladder　was　not　broken。　Another　canister　splintered　on　the　wall；　the　men　swung　the　ladder　again　and　this　time　Knowles　was　not　near　enough　to　be　first　and　he　watched　as　his　men　began　climbing。　The　first　was　shot　from　above；　thrown　clear　by　the　second　man；　more　pushed　behind；　and　then　the　whole　ladder　with　its　human　cargo　disintegrated　in　splinters　and　flesh