|
Warning: General Audience |
|
|
SHARPE’S Justice
Richard Sharpe and the
Peace of the Congress of Vienna
Screenplay Written by Patrick Harbinson and Bernard Cornwell.
Novel Adapted by Paul Kaster THREE
PART ONE
1815 JANUARY 4
Chapter 19
KEIGHLEY
PARFITT’S
Sir Willoughby and Wickham discuss what is to be done now that Truman is dead. George has been deliberately NOT capturing Truman, despite Sir Willoughby’s public displeasure that he has not succeeded.
Sharpe being assigned here made ‘the game’ more difficult.
As Wickham and his half troop have actually been the ones breaking the equipment and creating mayhem, they can no longer pin the blame on Truman.
“George, shall we still attack Sir Percy’s steam engine tonight?”
NIGHTTIME
STANWYCK’S HOME.
Sir Percy sits at his desk. He eagerly awaits to hear that the steam engine has arrived at his mill. The manufacturer sent him notice that it was on its way from Manchester.
With the weight of the machine, any team will take many hours to travel the distance. He had hoped that they would depart so that they could travel from the Lancashire border in daylight.
With the news of the team’s progress, it would appear that they will be travelling from the border in the deep of night. He is worried that the machine breakers will intercept. Darkness works for them, not the team.
There is a knock at the door.
“Enter.”
The butler opens the door. A woman enters. From the shadows, she walks towards him.
He soon recognizes her.
“Anne!”
“What is it?”
“Get tired of Parfitt’s company, did ya?”
“No, but I was in danger of outstaying my welcome.”
She walks closer to Percy.
“I have a message for you.”
“Another invitation to one of his interminable dinners, is it?”
He looks at the papers on the desk.
Anne looks to him.
“No.”
Percy looks to Anne, then back to the papers.
“A warning. About your steam engine.”
Percy turns to her with concern.
“What?”
“What about it?”
“It will be attacked tonight before it arrives here.”
“How do you know this?!”
“I overheard the men who plan to attack it.”
“Parfitt? Wickham?”
Anne nods her head.
“My god! I thought I was safe now that Matthew Truman was killed.”
“Truman was not your worry, sir. He wanted things at the mills to be better for the workers. Destroying the mills does not help the workers. With a mill destroyed there is no work for them. They would suffer, not benefit.”
“And Major Sharpe. How does he fit into this. Has he joined Parfitt’s raiders.”
“No sir. I have heard, from someone reliable that he plans to intercept the raiders to save your engine.”
“Even after we owners charged him with the deaths at Keighley, he wants to help us?”
“No Sir Percy. He does this to help the people and to avenge Matt Truman’s death.”
“I see. I don’t blame him. “
“What can I do?”
“Major Sharpe has only two others to help him. Wickham has five times that. Although Major Sharpe is good at fighting and killing. But those odds may be too much for him.”
“We can’t trust any of the other Yeomanry. The 14th Dragoons that my son served with has a station at Leeds. I can send a rider to bring a troop to help.”
“The sooner, the better, sir.”
“I’ll send for them now.” Sir Percy calls to his butler to summon a rider to go to Leeds. While the Butler is gone, he drafts a note to the commander of the Dragoons.
“One of his stable hands arrives at the door.
“James, take this to Captain Nells at Leeds. He needs to meet us with his troop on the road from here to Lancashire. Go with all haste, sir.”
“Aye, sir.”
James takes the envelope and leaves.
“Anne, how may I thank you?”
“Sir Percy, that you listened to me and acted is thank you.” She smiles.
“oh and may I impose on you to stay the night as I can not return to Parfitt’s.”
“Of course Anne.”
SOUTHWEST OF KEIGHLEY
The road from Bolton to Bingley, crosses a stone bridge. The night is dark with a late rising moon. The sky has few clouds and the quarter moon gives some light to be able to see a few hundred yards.
Above the stream, was an abandoned, roofless stone building that Sharpe, Harper and Crowley could shelter while they watched for Lord Stanwyck’s steam engine. They built a small, smokeless fire to keep the chill of the night.
Sharpe is glad that he had explored the roads to Bingley and the places that a team would need to cross the river. If he wanted to attack someone, this bridge is a good point. And, if the raiders used the road to attack the team further to the west, he could hear or see them along the road.
Crowley has first watch. From all that Harper and he have learned about the raiders, he is convinced that the brigands are Wickham’s troop of yeomanry. If Wickham was to attack the steam engine, it is likely here. Wickham is not much of a solder, but it is difficult to miss this as a place to ambush.
Sharpe and Harper check their weapons.
“You two don’t have to do this, ya know.” Sharpe says to them.
“You’re not in the army now.”
Harper, “We know we don’t have to.”
“You’ll ‘ang if they catch ya.”
“That never stopped us before.”
Crowley, “Anyhow, what else would we be doin’ on such a night as this.”
Harper, “We’d be ‘avin’ a good long drink.
Crowley, “or a mutton chop.”
Harper, “with a goodly wench.”
Crowley, “in a goose feather bed.”
Harper, “Aye.”
All three, “A goose feather bed.”
“Nate, why did you side with me. When we were in India, you kept your distance from me. In fact, when Hakeswill put me on charges that I was to be flogged, I thought you enjoyed to see me flogged.”
“No, never had a problem with you. But, Sergeant Hakeswill was going to get you in trouble. Anyone that was close to you was goin’ to get hurt too. I just stayed away from ya.”
“After Gawilghur did ya see Hakeswill? At Badajoz, he joined the South Essex. Sharpe had been amazed to see him as the last time he had seen Hakeswill at Gawilghur, he was falling into a pit of poisonous snakes. Sharpe had thrown him into the pit.
“How did he get from India and away from the 33rd?”
“After Gawilghur, Hakeswill returned to the 33rd. He told Captain Morris a story of being captured by Colonel Dodd’s Cobras. They tried to kill him. He escaped. When he came back he was wearing the uniform of one of the Cobras. “
“Captain Morris was still suffering from being struck in the head during the attack.”
Sharpe smiles, but none of the others see him. He had struck Morris when he refused to attack the fortress. Morris had tried to charge Sharpe, but Major Stokes the commander of the engineers given witness that Sharpe had not struck Morris, but instead that Morris had tripped and hit his head on the rocks.
Morris was a coward who Hakeswill used to get what he wanted in the light company. Morris let him because Hakeswill shared any money or jewels that he found with Morris.
“After Gawilghur, we didn’t have much to do, but drill and keep the Ayrabs from making trouble. Hakeswill was busy with the bibby’s to get between their legs. He got money from pressing the Hindoos and the weak men in the company. Especially when we ended up in High Drah Bat.“
“Maybe two years after we got there, ‘e got a fever. ‘E said it was the fever ‘e ‘ad in the West Indies. ‘E asked Captain Morris to write ‘im out of the regiment as too sick to serve. Morris did. So in 1809, they put him on a boat. Neva’ seen ‘im since. And ‘appy not to.”
While he has been telling the tale of the 33rd, Nate has been watching the bridge.
In the distance, they hear the sound of a horse.
They turn to be ready.
The sounds turn from a single horse to those of a team. The driver yells to the horses to keep them going.
He walks pulling the bit of the lead horse.
Other men walk beside each side of the horses and wagon. On the wagon is a steam engine.
As they descend from the hill towards the building, they must cross the stone bridge.
While they are on the bridge, Sharpe sees light under the arch of the bridge. Someone has lit torches.
No sooner have the teamsters crossed the span, than masked men emerge from under the arch of the bridge. They carry torches.
The leader raises a pistol. He fires striking the man leading the team.
Others of the raiders assault some of the other teamsters.
Many of the teamsters run into the dark.
The raiders set to rolling the steam engine from the wagon.
While they are gathered around the wagon to send it into the stream, Sharpe, Harper and Crowley have moved to points that they may use their rifles and pistol.
In quick succession, they fire three shots. Each hits one of the raiders.
Nate quickly reloads, then shoots another.
Sharpe and Harper run to the wagon with swords drawn. Sharpe comes to one raider who draws a pistol, aims it at Sharpe’s chest and nervously pulls the trigger.
He had not primed the pan, so the shot misfired. Sharpe, “Better load it first.”
He swipes the pistol from the other’s hand.
The raider cringes in fear.
Behind the raider’s mask he says, “No, please don’t.”
Sharpe pulls the mask from his face. He finds that it is Saunders. Grabbing Saunder’s coat lapels, he pulls him to him. Sharpe’s face is lit with the pleasure of revenge.
“Is that what Sally Bunting said?”
Sharpe hits Saunders several times in the mouth with the hilt of his sword. After Saunders is weeping, Sharpe drops him to the ground.
He moves to Harper who has been fighting two others of the raiders.
As he approaches, out of the dark behind him charges a man with his sword drawn. Sharpe quickly turns with his sword ready.
Sharpe easily trips the running man. As the man passes, he kicks his sword away, then kicks the man in the behind to send him off. The man stands back in fear. Sharpe lunges with his sword, but the attacker runs into the night.
Before he has finished, another man emerges from the dark.
Harper yells a warning. “Sir”, then rushes to Sharpe’s side.
This man stands with his sword in front of him to challenge. Sharpe recognizes the posture despite the man’s mask and cloak.
“Leave ‘im Pat. He’s mine”
Pat walks up behind Sharpe to make sure that the one driven off does not return to the fight.
Sharpe looks to the new opponent. “Well Wickham?”
The other man lowers his mask. He smiles at Sharpe, then sticks his saber into the ground by the point in order to prepare to duel.
“Together?” He indicates Harper.
He removes his cloak.
“Separate.” He nods to Sharpe.
He picks up his saber and points at Sharpe. This fight will be with real swords.
“I can take you scum any time.”
Sharpe continues to wear all his clothing while Wickham has loosed himself of his cape and belts
“Then you do me the honour first.” He says before he launches an attack . Sharpe continues to use side to side strokes that have worked in battle.
Wickham parries Sharpe’s attack.
They trade sword strikes until George is able to get behind Sharpe’s guard. He strikes Sharpe’s left cheek, cutting it. Sharpe recoils. Raises his glove to the cut. He holds his sword to his side while he watches Wickham from a crouch.
George smiles, as he did at the fight at Parfitt’s house. He points his saber at him in the classic posture.
Sharpe looks up. He’s decided that it is time to teach Wickham how to fight his way.
He launches a new attack. He drives Wickham backwards until he stumbles over some stones. Sharpe goes in low as if to tackle Wickham. Wickham falls back on a knee. Sharpe sweeps George’s saber to the side while pointing his sword at George’s chest.
“First lesson of battle, keep your feet.”
He raises the point of his sword to cut George’s right cheek.”
George recoils, turning the cut away from Sharpe. He returns to looking at Sharpe with fire and spite in his eyes.
He comes out of his crouch slowly to launch his own attack on Sharpe.
George is quick. After several quick strikes, he jabs piercing Sharpe’s cloak and cutting his left arm.
George is frozen in the motion as he thought he would be striking Sharpe’s chest.
Sharpe grimaces then grabs George’s saber near the hilt with his gloved left hand.
“Second lesson, live with the pain.”
Sharpe throws off the saber to the side, then raises the point of his sword up the length of George’s stomach to his chin.
Wickham stands at surrender wondering what Sharpe will do. With Sharpe’s sword tip under his chin, he quivers.
Sharpe looks at him.
In the distance, there is noise of more horses.
Lieutenant Fosdyke and Saunders return to the light of the torches to stand behind Wickham. All watch the approaching riders. Soon they can see that they are mounted soldiers.
Fosdyke senses that they may be saved, “Yeoman, yeoman!” He shouts to George.
Thinking he has been saved, George smiles at Sharpe.
Sharpe continues to hold his sword to George’s neck.
Harper watches the riders approach for Sharpe and the men siding with them Crowley stands guard behind Sharpe and beside Harper.
Harper is the first to recognize the uniforms. “They’re not yeomanry. They’re dragoons.”
From out of the riders, Sir Percy Stanwyck rides up to the gathered group of Sharpe and Wickham. Percy surveys the scene. He sees the two groups of men and his steam engine on its side in the stream.
“What the devil’s this Sharpe.”
Before Sharpe can reply, although he remains standing at attention with Sharpe’s sword touching his chest, he turns his head towards Stanwyck.
“Thank God you’ve come my Lord.”
“They fell upon us out of the dark. Slaughtered the wagoneers, …”
Sharpe continues to hold his sword on George. He cuts him off. “They attacked first, sir. We tried sir…”
Sir Percy yells angrily, “I have eyes, sir!”
“I can see my engine attacked. My men killed.”
Sharpe looks nervously between Wickham and Stanwyck.
Stanwyck continues looking in the direction of both Wickham and Sharpe, “I see you and your thugs with blood on your hands. That’s what I see.”
Wickham smugly says, “Exactly, sir.”
Sharpe looks at Wickham.
“Now if you’ll order him to unhand me.”
Stanwyck yells now directly at Wickham, “Quiet!”
Wickham turns from Sharpe to Lord Stanwyck.
Sir Percy continues to say angrily, “I’m talking to you, sir.”
George is puzzled.
“Yes, you. You prancing coward.”
“You and your bunch of murderous footpads.”
George looks at Sir Percy in bewilderment. He thought that he was going to be released.
Lord Percy turns his attention to Sharpe, “Major Sharpe. You are entirely at liberty to finish the job you have started.”
Wickham winces at this.
It’s Sharpe’s turn to be puzzled.
“My Lord?”
Percy would like to see the end of Wickham, “End him, sir! “You have reason enough.”
Sharpe looks at Wickham. Wickham raises his head in mock courage. He is unsure that Sharpe will not kill him.
Sharpe stares at him. It is his turn to smirk. He thinks about slicing George’s mocking smile from his face. He could end that smile forever, now. He decides instead that George can do more for him if he is alive. He could likely use Fosdyck for what he plans, but he suspects that George has been involved in more or Parfitt’s illegal activities more than Fosdyck.
“No. He’s done more than enough to deserve an ‘anging. Let ‘im ‘ang. I won’t dirty my sword.”
He lowers his sword, turns and then walks away. Harper and Crowley follow.
George is left standing at mock attention with Saunders, Lieutenant Fosdyke and the remaining yeoman “raiders” amid a ring of dragoons.
George wets his lips. He remains alive. He wonders how he may survive.
Lord Stanwyck directs the commander off the Dragoons to gather the Yeomanry raiders. The man who was leading the team to deliver the steam engine was wounded but able to report to Sir Percy.
“My Lord, thank you. Sharpe and his men saved us. These raiders were prepared to kill us all so that no one could tell of their deed.”
Stanwyck looks at Wickham and his men going away. He knows that Sharpe plans something for Wickham, but would like to let his wagoneers have a chance to pay back the raiders.
“What is the condition of your men?”
“One dead and five injured.”
“And what of the engine?”
“It is in one piece, as I can see from here. We will have to inspect it, but it is possible that we may salvage it with some work and a small cost. But we will have to wait until daylight.”
Sir Percy asks the Dragoons commander to detail a guard to watch over the engine until the morning. Then he turns to ride with Sharpe, the Dragoons and the prisoners.
Fiction Index | Sharpe Tales Home | Sharpe's Justice Index | Chapter 20
Host: Psychz Networks
Since: November 25, 2010
©Sable 2025 | Valid CSS
This is not official and I am not Sharpe or Bernard Cornwell, the owner of Sharpe. This website is for entertainment purposes only. If you have any questions or queries please use the Contact Form. Your submissions for contact will not be posted anywhere within this site. Images, etc are copyright their respective owners. No infringement intended.