Disclaimer: These are works of fan-fiction created for entertainment. It is not the intention of the author to infringe on anyone's copyright. No rights infringement intended. Warning: General, Safe for All

The Sharpe Fan Fictions of Paul K.

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Sharpe's Family

PART I

Chapter 4

JANUARY, 1785
LONDON, ENGLAND – Brewhouse Lane
High Street Wapping.

Richard was excited. Today would be his first day to work at the dogpit. The day after meeting with The Master, Mr. Trotter, another Overseer, had taken him to the dogpit. Outside the orphanage, but not far from, in Vinegar Street, is a tavern with no name sign. Some people call it the Vinegar Alehouse. Because Beaky Malone owns it, some call it Malone’s Tavern,. The Overseers call it The Master’s because Jem Hocking, The Master does so much business in its taproom.

Richard noticed that the building looks like the other buildings in the street. But, it stands out from the others because it appears to be maintained much better than the others. When Mr. Trotter caught Richard looking at the tavern, he said, “looks like a duchess in a whorehouse, eh?” Richard only nodded as he didn’t know what a duchess or a whorehouse looked like.

When they entered the Tavern, Richard was reminded of Mr. Drake’s inn that been his first home. This seemed bigger. Inside Mr. Trotter takes him through the tavern to a doorway in the opposite wall. They enter a back room which contains the dogpit. The back room was created in the yards of three houses that lie behind the tavern. A roof was raised to create long shed with storerooms at either end. Most of the main space has been converted into a makeshift arena. A barrier of planks around the pit forms a twelve feet diameter ring. The pit’s floor is sand. Often, the sand is stained dark with spattered blood from the events that take place within the pit. A bank of wooden benches surrounds the pit for patrons to sit. The topmost benches are close under the roof beams. The seats hold about a hundred people. Richard was told that mostly men attend. Sometimes a few women also watch, but they attend as ‘guests’ of the men.

Six oil lamps hang above the pit. But even with the light from the lamps, the room is gloomy. The whole room stinks of animals. gin, tobacco and meat pies. Mr. Trotter

Mr. Trotter tells Richarrd. “Ye will be one ‘o the boys to release rats from their cages. They comes twelve to a cage. Three ‘o ye release thirty-six in first release. One o’ ye will go get another cage. T’other two will climb into the pit to collect the dead rats before more are released. Only dead rats, not cripples, count. As ye pick up each rat, call out, “Dead” or “Cripple”. Make sure ye calls loud. The patrons jeer when ye calls “Cripple”. The Bookie needs to hear yer count.”

“Bookie?”

“Bookie is the man what affirms any odds being given on the dogs. ‘e collects and holds the wagers. ‘e write each wager in the Book. When the fight begins he counts the count for each dog.”

Trotter takes Richard to one of the storage rooms. Inside are cages that will contain rats for the dogs to kill. He picks up an empty cage. He takes it to the edge of the pit.

“Sharpe, come here. Hold the cage like this.” He holds the cage by a handle with one of his hands. His other hand holds a slide door on the front of the cage. “When the Timekeeper calls ‘Start’, ye pull this door up and tip the cage so that the rats fall into the pit.”

“Rats?”

“Rats go into the pit. Two dogs kill them. The dog what kills the most rats wins.”

“How long do they fight?”

“Each dog gets ten minutes.”

“Show me again.”

Richard takes the cage, holds it with the door shut. When Trotter calls “Five seconds.” He counts to five to himself then calls. “Now!”

Richard opens the door. He tilts the back of the cage up slightly to pretend he is dumping rats out.

Trotter watches him. “Good. Good. Again.”

Richard closes the door, puts the cage back to the floor and waits for Trotter to call again.

“Ready?”

Richard grabs the cage and lifts it to the edge of the pit.

“Five seconds.” “Now.”

Richard again pulls the door up and tilts the cage.

Trotter repeats this five more times. Richard grabs the cage each time, lifts the door and tips.

“Good, Sharpe. Good. Ye’ll do.”

“Ye will work with Dan Pierce.

Today is the first day of the new year. Jem Hocking has many events scheduled for his patrons. Richard does not have to pick rope. After dinner, he meets Dan.

“Dick, today will be fun for both of us. When we do good, they give us money. I buy meat pies to eat before I go back to bed. Sometimes when I work inside the pit, give me coins to call rats that are dead, crippled or crippled rats dead. I call what they are, but keep the coins. They don’t know I tells the truth. They think I help them.”

“Where do you get the pie?”

“Some girls work in the pit too. They sell gin and meatpies. Some sell their bodies. One o’ the storerooms. has a bed. Don’t go in that one. I buy meatpies from them.”

Richard doesn’t know why the girls sell their bodies. But he doesn’t ask. Since they call Dan’s and his mother whores, it must be the same. He is afraid to ask.

Dan and Dick leave the orphanage and make their way to the Tavern. Inside people have started to gather for the events. Most of the tables are filled with men eating and drinking. The boys make their way through the crowd to the back room. One of Beaky Malone’s helpers starrts to carry in cages filled with rats. The rats squeal and nip at each other insde the cages. The men stack the cages against the walls that are closest to the alley that runs behind the shed. Richard and Dan stand by the cages to wait for the show to start.

The flow of men come into the shed grows for the next half hour until the benches are full. The noise in the room grows with each person added. Finally, a stout man dressed in a bright green coat and wearing a bicorne hat approaches the pit. He climbs over the wall around the pit to then stand in the center of the ring.

“Gentlemen!” Some in the crowd stop talking to pay attention to him. Others continue to talk. “Gentlemen!!” Slowly, the crowd stops talking to listen to the man.

“Gentlemen, and ladies, happy new year and welcome. Today, we have arranged several matches of the finest rat-killing dogs in London. You will see some of the best sport for any man to witness. The first match will be between Grady, a three-year old male/male, the property of Mr. Samuel Sullivan and between Hero, a four-year old male, the property of Mr. William Boyd. As the Barker announces the dogs, from opposite sides of the circle, two men enter the ring with their dogs. They walk the dogs clockwise around the ring for the crowd to observe.

After two circuits, they stop where they entered the ring. They stand facing the Barker. “You may place your wagers, ladies and gentlemen. I bid you good fortune.”

Men lined up at the Bookie’s table to place their wagers. Some men signaled to Dan and Dick to come to them. “Boy, go stand in line for me.” The men gave them slips of paper. Neither boy could read, but knew numbers. Richard guessed that the letters were the man’s and dog’s names and the numbers the amount of the bet. The man gave him a pence coin for the service. Dan and he stood in line until they stood in front of the Bookie.

“Placing wagers, boys?”

Each boy handed the Bookie his slip of paper.

“Who gave ye these?”

They point to the men on the benches. The Bookie looks to where they point. The men nod at the Bookie who nods back. He looks to his book to write in the wagers. To the boys. “Go on, now.” Both return to the cages.

When the last man in line to the Bookie places his bet, the Bookie signals to Mr. Trotter and the Barker. Mr. Trotter and a third boy, named Jim, had joined the boys when they had returned from the line. “Get your cages boys.” The Barker addresses the crowd again. “Ladies and gentlemen, “Are you up and ready?”

The crowd roars that they are. The Barker points to the Timekeeper who sits next to the Bookie. The Timekeeper has a large watch that he holds up to show the Barker. He will announce the start and time remaining until the finish.

Dan, Jim and Dick hold their cages on the edge of the pit. Mr. Trotter stands behind them. “After ye dumps these, Jim get another cage. Dan and Dick, gets yer bags. Climb in the pit to collect the kills.” Richard hears him. He stands fidgeting. This is his first time. He is excited and eager to do well.

The Timekeeper calls out. “Ten seconds.” The Barker starts counting backwards from ten. After the count of one, the Timekeeper calls “Now.”

Jim, Dan and Dick release the rats as Grady’s owner releases the dog. The rats roll to their feet as the hit the sand. Grady seeks a rat, grabs it by the neck and begins to shake it. The dogs kill the rats by shaking them in their mouth. The first rat dies quickly. Grady releases the dead one to seek out another. Grady is very efficient killing one rat after another. Richard watches the dog in action. He is distracted when Mr. Trotter hands him a sack. “Get in there to collect the dead’uns. Call ‘Dead’ when ye put in the sack. If’n a rat is still alive, remember to call ‘Cripple’.” Richard takes the sack and climbs into the ring. Without interfering with the dog, he picks up one rat at a time. Calls out ‘Dead’. Then tosses into the sack. He is happy that they are all dead. He hasn’t had to call ‘Cripple’.

His sack becomes filled quickly. Mr. Trotter takes it and gives him another. Jim dumps another cage of rats into the pit before the Timekeeper calls ‘Two minutes.’ Richard continues to bag rats until he hears. “Time.” Two rats remain alive. Before the dog can kill them, his owner calls him to be removed from the pit.

Mr. Trotter sends Dan into the pit with an empty cage and a stick. While Dan herds the two rats into the cage, Richard lifts his second sack over the wall, then climbs out. “Good work, Sharpe.” Mr. Trotter greets him. Richard smiles. He likes doing this. It is exciting to be out of the orphanage, and to make some money. He doesn’t have much time to revel in his first dogpit experience, Mr. Trotter points him to the cages. “Get ready for the second dog.”

Jim, Dan and Dick again grab cages and take them to the pit wall. All eyes are on the Timekeeper as he starts the ritual that will begin the event for the next dog. Richard eagerly waits to hear ‘Now.’ It comes quickly after the countdown. He dumps his rats, grabs an empty sack and climbs into the pit. The second dog starts fast killing rats. After about a cage worth though, Richard is calling out ‘Cripple’ on one out of three kills. The crowd roars that they disapprove of his call. Finally, he holds one up to show that it is still moving. The crowd jeers him for doing so. He continues on to collect rats.

Jim dumps another cage before the Timekeeper calls ‘Three minutes.’ This dog is reaching more rats, but not killing them all. The call is ‘One minute.’ When Jim dumps another cage. Richard thinks. “Dan will have to catch a lot more live rats this time.” The Timekeeper calls ‘Time’ to finish the match.

Richard stands outside the Pit holding his second sack. He watches the Bookie, Timekeeper and the Barker talking at the table. After a short time, they nod to each other. The Barker returns to the Pit. “The winner of the first match is…” He pauses for effect so that the crowd will be quiet when he announces the winner. “The winner is….. Hero!” Part of the crowd groans at the announcement. Others cheer.

The two men that had used Dan and Dick to place their bets smile. They must have picked Hero. Richard sees one of the men signal to him. He taps Dan to follow him. “You boys are lucky for us. We want you to place all our bets today. After the dogs are walked around, come see us. We will pay you for your work.” Dan replies for them. “Yes, sirs. After the dogs are walked.”

When they return to the cages, Dan says, “We should be able to buy a good number of meatpies before we leave.” Richard is excited. The thought of food causes him to think. “What do they do with the dead rats?”

Mr. Malone tries to sell them, but no one will take them.”

“Why can’t we use them to add meat to our meals at the orphanage?”

“The Master won’t pay Mr. Malone for ‘em. Heard him say that Malone charges him too much to run this pit. Malone should give him the rats for free.”

“Where do the rats go?”

“Feed for the badgers and fighting dogs. Leftovers are tossed into the river.”

“Don’t know badgers.”

“Mr. Trotter likes you. They’ll have you back to help here more.”

Richard smiles thinking about more food and working here instead of the rope room. The voice of the Barker announcing the next match draws his attention back to the room. He is eager to go show that he can do well. This first day of the new year is a happy day.



MAY, 1785

Richard strolls alone from the orphanage to Beaky Malone’s Tavern. He is happy because today the sun is shining and he will work outside. The Master sent Dan ahead earlier to work. Richard was able to finish his breakfast, help in the kitchen, eat dinner and play some ball before he had to report to Mr. Malone. Since the first day of the year, Mr. Trotter has called him to work at the Tavern almost every day. Rarely does he have to pick rope or carry laundry. The cooks have asked for him because Dan and he have learned how to ‘save’ a dead rat or two from the sacks that would be dumped into the river. The cooks clean them and serve them to the cooking staff. They include Dan and Richard in their meals now.

Dan had told him that Mr. Trotter would ask for him more. He has. Richard has learned how to work the Pit when they have cockfighting, dogfighting and badger baiting. He does not like these as much as the animals are torn apart more than with the rats. The animals are more vicious and he must be careful around their cages.

Because Dan and he have done so well Mr. Malone has him run errands for him. Dan has been running messages and payments to the beer warehouse, rat seller, animal masters, bakers of meatpies and gin merchants. He teaches Richard where they do their business. Richard has learned that he can talk the merchant down a few pennies to keep for himself.

When he enters the tavern, Mr. Malone stops him. Next to him, stands a boy about Richard’s age. Malone who suspects that Richard is taking some of his profits, says to him. “You are a thief, Dick Sharpe. A common thief ye are.

“Thief, Mr. Malone? Takes nothing from you.”

To the boy next to him. “Lumpy, my boy, watch out for boys like Sharpe, here. Some day ‘e’ll be caught. End up on the gallows, ‘e will. We’ll get to see ‘im dance at Tyburn.“

Richard is scared, but doesn’t show it. He remembers how two Novembers past, The Master took him with a group of children to Tyburn to watch them hang a man by the name of John Austin. Come to Tyburn from Newgate prison via St Giles in the Fields and Oxford Street. They spent the day as if it was a holiday. The Master and the Overseers that accompanied them helped them to make their way through a large crowd. Richard noticed that so many people were wearing the finest clothes he had ever seen. Jem Hocking had arranged a space for his ‘flock’ of children with a man who owed him money.

Richard stood with the others. He looked around the crowd to drink in every detail. To their left, stands rows above everyone else. Wealthy people could rent seats on the stands that had been erected to give the seats’ occupants the best view of the gallows. On the gallows platform, a man stood.

“Who is that?” He is the hangman. People call him the 'Lord of the Manor of Tyburn ', He ‘elps the prisoners to dance the ‘Tyburn Jig.’”

“Tyburn Jig?”

“To hang, boy, to hang.”

At the start of the hour, the crowd began to cheer and jeer. They parted to let an open ox cart enter the space of the gallows. Expected to put on good show. Crowd cheer a good dying. Jeer displays of weakness.

“Who is that? Why will he hang?”

“John Austin. Arrested as a highwayman.”

“Highwayman?”

“Stopped carriages or wagons. Stole money, jewelry, valuables.”

Richard doesn’t want to end up like this. But, he doesn’t think that negotiating with the sellers is stealing. Nor taking rats from the sacks of dead ones that are thrown into the river and wasted. For him, it is business, like Mr. Malone and The Master do. He asks, “You think I steal from you? Will you punish me?”

“Haven’t caught you yet, boy. But, you are too big and too clever. Must be you and your friend Dan steal from me. No punishment today. Need you to go to ‘The Mint’. Want you to know that if ye steal from me, I will punish ye.”

Richard is relieved. He will not be punished. He asks, “The Mint.”

“Yes, ‘The Mint.’ Outside our shed, to the right is a big warehouse. People store tobacco. Some of my ‘business partners’ keep money for me there I want ye to go there to get my money from them. Take my boy with ye. Go and come back. Do not stop anywhere else. Go”

Malone doesn’t tell Richard that a gang of counterfeiters operate from the warehouse. There they forge their coins. They call it ‘The Mint’. Beaky fences their fakes when he pays off bets from the Pit. He pays them below the value on the coin, but pays the winning patrons at the face value. The losing patrons pay him with real coins. He pockets the difference.

Beaky and Richard leave the shed quickly. They enter an alley that runs along a ditch that stinks of human and animal waste that has been dumped into it. The ditch comes from the river. It is deep and wide enough that small lighters are dragged from the Thames to bring kegs of ale, cages for bigger animals, like the badgers and other large deliveries to the tavern. They followed the alley to the ‘The Mint’. Neither boy talks. Richard has not met Lumpy before. Because Lumpy is Beaky’s son, he is connected to a boss. What Richard says may get him punished. He has learned to talk with bosses only with what is needed to ask or answer questions.

Quickly, they arrive at ‘The Mint’. Beyond the warehouse Richard sees another alley. It appears to be a narrow passage that ran past the Mint’s great wall. Even in the daylight, it appears dark. “I wonder where that goes.” Lumpy brings him back from thinking about London beyond the warehouse. “We should go in.” He leads Richard through the door. They are stopped by a large man as soon as they enter the building.

“Hold up, boys. What business do you have here?”

“Papa Beaky, sent me. Came to collect two bags for him.”

“Beaky? He your pa?”

“Yes, this one works for us.” Lumpy points to Richard.

“Go there.” The man points to a corner of the warehouse that is brighter than the rest.

Lumpy and Richard walk to the lit corner. When they approach another man stops them.

“Lost, boys?”

“No, came to get bags for Beaky.” Richard offers before Lumpy can speak.

“Wait here.”

Lumpy gives Richard a look that he is not happy that Richard took the lead. Richard ignores him. He can’t see much, but looks around. He sees a furnace that is connected to a chimney. The air smells of hot metals. He doesn’t know what the smells are, but guesses they have to do with making coins. On a table are stacks of five coins each. The forgers take the silver of real coins They substitute use iron or lead to make the core of a coin, then coat the outside with silver. Lead costs one tenth or less than the cost of silver. The counterfeit coins drop from ninety-two percent silver to less than half. The counterfeiters double their money using the cheaper metals.

The man returns with two cloth sacks. “Fifty shillings each bag. Five pounds total.”

Lumpy looks at the bags. “How do we know count? Papa wants a count before we leave.”

Richard had not heard this, but thinks it is a good idea. If coins are missing, Beaky could blame him.

“There are coins on that table. Count those. Bag them for us?”

The man looks at the table. ‘Have to bag those anyway. Come with me.”

The boys walk with the man. At the table, the man takes an empty bag, opens it onto the table top so that he may put coins into it. He begins to pick up stacks of five coins to put into the bag. When he has placed ten stacks into the bag, he says. “Fifty coins?”

Lumpy and Richard speak at the same time. “Fifty coins.”

The man draws the bag over the coins. Gives it to Lumpy. Then he takes another bag, repeats the process to count a bag coins. Again he asks, “Fifty coins?” Richard lets Lumpy respond. “Fifty coins.” The man closes the bag and gives it to Richard. “One hundred shillings for Beaky. Tell him we thank him for his business.” The man chuckles. “Be on your way, boys.”

Lumpy and Richard haul the bags to the front of the warehouse.

Richard stops. “Not far back to the tavern. Someone may try to take. How can we hide these?” Lumpy thinks while Richard looks. “Wait here, Lumpy.”

Richard goes to the door. “I’ll come back quickly.” He says to the guard. He runs back the alley to the tavern. Inside the shed, he grabs a rat cage and a rag. He takes both back to ‘The Mint’. “Put the bags in here.” He points Lumpy to the cage. When the bags are in, he covers them with the rag. “I’ll carry the cage.” You watch for anyone.” The cage is not heavy with the coins. Richard is able to carry it as easy as when he dumps rats at the Pit.

The man guarding the door holds it for them as the boys leave. They go quickly up the alley. Inside, they empty the cage and return it to a stack. Each takes a bag. They go to find Beaky.

“Back already, boys?”

“Yes, papa. One hundred shillings.”

“Did you count?”

“Yes. Counted.”

“And, Sharpe?”

“Used rat cage to hide the bags. No one knew we carry coins.”

Beaky looks at Richard.

“Rat cages, eh?” Richard nods.

“Smart boy. Still think ye will dance at Tyburn. May be too smart. For now, I like that ye work for me. Lumpy and ye can do my business with ‘The Mint’ again.” Beaky reaches into his purse. Pulls out two pence coins. He gives one to each boy.

“Here. Pay for your work. Go to the kitchen. Get something to eat.”

Richard pockets his coin. “Thank you, Mr. Malone.” Richard is happy with the money and is eager to go to eat. He’ll eat. Then, find Dan. It is a good day.



SEPTEMBER, 1785

Jem Hocking stands talking with another man at the entrance to the hall where the children work.

“So, you want another of my lads to sweep for you, eh? You and the other sweeps like my lads. Also send them off to those that shovel the pure to cure leather.” He meant they scoop dog turds to be delivered to the city’s tanners. “Send some to the Navy. Some die. And, the rest go to the gallows. They’re all scum…but they’re my scum, and if you wants them then you pays my price.”

The other man has heard Jem say this before. Jem likes to let the other men know that he has a reliable supply of help, but that the help is not free.

“Who do ye have that is strong and skinny? Need someone that can think for hisself?”

Jem smiles. “I have just the lad for you. Follow me.”

While Richard Sharpe was listening to his stomach again, Jem Hocking stepped into the large room of the workhouse. As he walks among the piles of oakum he stops next to Richard.

“Sharpe.”

For the seven years he had been at the orphanage, Sharpe had learned not to look at ‘The Master’ unless told to. The boy keeps his head down and keeps working.

“Dick Sharpe!”

Richard looks up.

“You’ve done good work for us. You are a big lad.”

He sees the bruises on Richard’s face. Since Missy and Rachael left, Noah, Zeke and Bill had started to pick on him again. On days that he did not work at the dogpit, the boys would wait for him after supper.

“Fightin’ again, eh? What is it this time? Your ma? Rescuin’ some girl?”

“Do ya like to be hurt? Or is it that you like to hurt someone else?”

Richard did not answer. He wasn’t sure what to say for many times after a fight, he and the other boys would then be beat by one of the floor supervisors. He had learned to answer questions about the fights with simple answers or no answer.

Jem said, “Mister Legland has noticed you. He wants you to work for him to sweep chimneys. “I don’t know how to sweep chimneys.“

“He’ll teach you. You didn’t know how to work the dogpit. You learned. You will work on the roofs, inside chimneys and people’s homes. People want all that soot out of the chimney and their houses. You have a strong back.” Richard has done good work for Jem at the dogpit. But, Legland pays good money for the best boys Jem can provide. None of the other boys he has at the orphanage are big or smart enough for the chimney work. He can train a new lad to work the dogpit. “Will I get paid?” Richard had some money from when he works the dog pit.

Jem laughed from his belly. “Paid? You think you can be paid when you will cost him a small fortune to feed and clothe. Not likely he’ll have any money left to give ya. Maybe, Jock’ll pay you a little. Ask him.” What he didn’t tell Richard was that Jock had paid him a good sum to take Richard. Sweeping was a death sentence. Some boys got trapped in chimneys and suffocated, while the rest were coughing up bloody scraps of their lungs long before they were full grown. Jock needed new boys every year to replace those that died or were crippled. The sweeps made money. The boys died. Only a very few were fortunate to become full grown men. If they did, they became assistants to the sweep when they could no longer go into the chimneys.

“Go get your things. You’ll be moving to his shop.”

While Richard went to the sleeping room to collect the few extra clothes that he had and his ‘treasure chest’, he started to think about being a sweep. There were rumours about the boys who had left. Of the jobs that Jem could send you to, being a sweep was said to be worse than being a slave.

Richard started to think about how he could run away. In good weather, he sometimes at night, would sneak out to explore the area around the orphanage. He had become very good at moving quietly so that no one saw or heard him. At night there were no crowds and no light. He always came back because here he had food and shelter. Now he didn’t know how he could get away in the daylight. But he knew he didn’t want to become a sweep.

He walked up to Jock and Jem.

“Jock asked “Ready ta go? Jem, it is always a pleasure ta do business wi ya. Come on boy.”

Richard was as tall as Jock, but much thinner. He thought he was also faster.

As they walked away from the orphanage, Richard turned back to watch the door close. He thought, “I’ll never see that place again.”

“Where are we going?”

“My shop is in Shadwell.”

Richard didn’t know where or how far that was. But as he had learned the directions from the sun coming up and going down, he knew that they were going north. Every step they took, they had to walk through thicker and thicker groups of people.

Ahead was a large group and a wagon and horse almost blocking the street. Jock shoved Richard ahead of him to go through. Richard was able to get far enough ahead, that Jock could no longer hold his collar.

“Slow down boy!”

But Richard thought this was his chance. He elbowed a man next to him back into Jock and tripped him. The man and Jock staggered such that Richard could break free from the group and to run.

Behind him Jock was bellowing for him to stop and for others to stop Richard. But Richard was quicker than any attempts to stop him. He turned down every street that he could see clear areas at the end of his vision. Quickly the sound of Jock’s voice receded behind him as he twisted and turned trying to go as far to the west as he could. He reasoned that if Jock’s shop was north then his chance to get away to go on his own was best east or west. Sharpe had never gone anywhere east. Some had said that London ended east of Wapping. Only thing were the Navy docks. Almost two years ago, he had marched with a few other children to watch the hanging at Tyburn. At the time, he had listened how the prisoners came from Newgate prison to St Giles in the Fields and then Oxford Street to Tyburn. He knew that Tyburn was west, but didn’t know what was there. “East or west?” The trip to Tyburn seemed to help him decide. “West. But which way is West?” Dan had told him that the river was south and east. If you find one direction, east is left of south. North is behind south. West is behind east. When he ran from Jock, he ran to his left. Sharpe stopped long enough to look ahead. “North is left of east. West is behind east. West must be left of north. I am going west.” Richard wasn’t very sure, but he would continue in the direction that he had fled.

He made his way along a street filled with people. After a short while, the buildings on either side of the street stopped. Before him was a very large building that seemed familiar to him. “Did Gertie bring me this way? Is that the Tower of London that she told me? He seemed to remember his walk with Gertie and his questions. Richard would still like to know about the animals Gertie told him lived there. Maybe someday he would. Now, he needed to get away.

Beyond the Tower, the road split. “Continue straight or turn left? South is left of west. Straight” As he came to the next open section, he noticed a large building on his right. Opposite was a small shop. “Did Gertie tell me about tea and H’India here?” Richard paused to look at both buildings. At the stairs below the big building, people were selling food from carts. He approached one that had small meat pies. The seller saw him looking. “Cost you a penny for one.”

Richard knew he had three loose coins in his pocket. He handed the seller a penny and took the pie. Quickly, he ate the pie in few bites. He would like to have eaten more, but wanted to save his money.

He hurried along Fleet Street, passed through Temple Bar. The street split again. As before he chose straight instead of left. Shortly, the road went to the left again. His other choice was to turn right. He chose to go right. Drury Lane took him north and west. There were many people in the street as he made his way. After making his way through the crowded street, he came to another wider road. He needed to choose left or right again. He picked left. High Street ran northwest to Tyburn. Richard again seemed to recall that he was going the way that he should.

The sun was setting as Richard made his way west on High Street. The streets still had many people. He didn’t know that just to his left was Covent Gardens. Many men would be making their way there to see the women who sold themselves there, like Richard’s mother had. Richard found a building wall to think about what he would do for the night. For the first time in his life, Richard Sharpe is free and, he is alone.

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