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SHARPE’S MISSION
Richard Sharpe and the Battle of the Nive
Screenplay Written by Eoghan Harris and Bernard Cornwell.
Novel Adapted by Paul Kaster
PART TWO
1813 November
SAINT-PEE-SUR-NIVELLE
Chapter 10
After taking Isabella to the doctor, Jane had returned to Isabella’s tent, then sought Harris.
“Harris, will you please help me with dinner again today?”
“For you ma’am?”
“For Mr. Shellington and me. I asked him to tell me of Richard.”
Harris frowns. “Mrs. Sharpe, I will be glad to cook for you. What would you like us to prepare?” He will ask Sally Clayton to help again.
“You chose excellently last time. I respect your choice. But we will need only enough for two.” She reaches into her purse to retrieve some coins. She gives him two shillings.
“This is half of what we spent for the last meal. Will this be enough?”
“It is more than enough.”
“Please buy what we will need and enough for Sally and you to eat as well.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Shellington came to Jane’s room at six. He notes that that soldier Harris and the woman who helped at the last dinner is with him. Harris greets him gruffly and shows him into the room.
Jane greets him warmly.
“Mr. Shellington, I am so glad that you have accepted my invitation. Private Harris has again prepared a wonderful meal.”
“Mrs. Sharpe, the aroma of the dinner is exceeded only by the aura of your beauty.”
Harris looks at Sally who has turned to look at Harris. Both of them question Shellington’s actions with Mrs. Sharpe.
“Mr. Shellington, you are too kind.”
Shellington starts to offer more, but Harris interrupts.
“Ma’am, the dinner is ready. May we serve?”
“Yes, yes. Harris, please.”
Harris steps in front of Shellington to guide Jane to her seat. Sally shows Shellington to the seat on Jane’s left.
“Dinner will be chicken soup, some cold prawns, a fillet of fish with rice and onions in garlic and butter. For dessert we have glazed apples in brandy and sugar.”
“To accompany it, we have a chilled sauvignon blanc. May I pour a glass?
“It all sounds wonderful. Yes, wine will be wonderful.”
Harris turns pour wine and then to help Sally serve the soup.
“Mr. Shellington, I don’t wish to be too hasty, but I am curious to hear of your expedition.”
“Mrs. Sharpe. We traveled surreptitiously through the French lines. Colonel Brand’s men rode, unseen, in front of us. Thanks to them, we encountered no French. The day before yesterday, we came upon a group of dead French soldiers. Brand’s men had caught them on a road before they could defend themselves. They were slaughtered.
“Slaughtered?”
“Yes, Brand’s men used their sabers on the poor French. They were cut up horribly.”
“And Major Sharpe’s role in the fight?”
“We fired nary a shot. The fight was over by the time we arrived.”
“Were Major Sharpe or any of his men hurt?”
“Not a one.”
“And since then?”
“I do not know of their fates since yesterday. Major Sharpe sent me back here.”
“Sent you back? Why?”
“I do not know why. I gathered from the talk from Major Sharpe and General Nairn that they expected a hard fight today or tomorrow at Rocha fort. Perhaps they felt that I would be in the way.”
“So, as we sit here, Major Sharpe may be fighting the French?”
“Yes.”
Jane pauses. She hangs her head as she worries about Richard.
Shellington sees Jane sink into her worries. He will need to elevate her in order to continue to draw her to him.
“Dear Lady. Worry not. Major Sharpe is a very capable soldier. I am sure that he will return to you.”
“Now, shall we enjoy this savory meal? Talk of war shall ruin it for us.”
Jane raises her head to smile at Shellington.
“Yes, yes. Let us eat.”
Harris and Sally serve the courses of the meal. While they eat, Jane discusses his sketches and paintings since he arrived. He describes sketches and paintings of what he has seen, but avoiding to describe any of the horrific scenes that he captured.
When they have finished the food, they sit at the table to enjoy coffee and port. Shellington reads from a sheet of paper. “What shall I do to show how much I lover her?” He looks up from the page to Jane.
“How many millions of sighs can suffice? That, that wins others’ hearts never can move her.
Jane leans her chin on a fist. She focuses on what Shellington is reading.
“Those common methods of love, she’ll despise.”
Behind Shellington, Harris has been preparing a cup of coffee. He turns and drops it, breaking the cup. Shellington turns abruptly to see what has happened.
“I do beg your pardon, ma’am.”
Jane folds both her hands under her chin to look down the table and away from Shellington and Harris.
The Prince of Wales’ Own march with Brand’s force guarded amongst them. Sharpe assigned Brand and Craig to Hagman and Charlie Weller to watch. The munitions wagon comes at the rear. Brand’s horses are on a tow line behind the wagon.
Sharpe and Nairn are at the front of the column behind the scouts. After leaving the camp, they have gone about a mile. Ahead they see Rocha Fort.
Brand calls out. “Sharpe!”
“Let me and my boys go in and finish the fort.”
Sharpe turns to him. “I bet you’d like that. Butchering another pathetic bunch of French deserters.”
Brand frowns as he realizes Sharpe suspects that the fort is not protected well.
Craig offers, “Better for you, surely Sharpe.”
Pycroft responds to Craig, “That’s not soldiering.”
Sharpe hands his rifle to Harper. He pulls his sword from its scabbard and a white cloth from within his jacket. He attaches the cloth to the tip of his sword and sets off to the gates of the fort.
Brand watches him go. His chances of escaping are becoming fewer. Hagman has had a rifle pointed at his back since last night. He has heard how good a shot Dan is and does not trust he could get far before being shot down.
When Sharpe is fifty yards from the gate, he calls out “Parlez vous Anglais.”
From the wall one Frenchman replies, “I speak a little.”
“What do you want?”
“The French Colonel has left you here to die. He’s given you bad powder.” He pauses for affect.
“The powder is so bad, it cannot carry a bullet strong enough to kill me. I wish you to try.” He lowers the sword with his symbol of parlez.
The man on the wall turns to several of his comrades to his side. He is not sure what the Englishman is playing. But, a dead Englishman is one less to fight. And this is an officer. “Tirez!”
A dozen of them shoot, but with only pops from the barrels of each musket. As each fires, they look at the barrel in shock. The English-speaker calls for another dozen to shoot. They fire, but with the same results. Sharpe stands in front of them unharmed.
The English-speaker looks around the wall for something white. He finds a cloth and waves it at Sharpe. Sharpe grins. Without turning around, he waves his arm to summon Nairn, Pycroft and his men forward.
Pycroft says to Craig “That’s soldiering.”
Brand hears this and thinks on what an adversary Sharpe has turned into. As so many before, he underestimated his abilities because he had started as private. Harper bumps him in the back with Sharpe’s rifle and calls out.
“Forward!
Sharpe’s force marches towards the fort. When they enter, they find the French drawn up in two lines. They have stacked muskets opposite them. Brand’s men are placed in an area away from the French.
Sharpe walks in front of the French to address them. “March south as quickly as you can. If you see a British soldier, surrender as quickly as you can. At least you’ll be safe.” Sharpe grabs his elbow before he can go. “If you see your French Colonel again, tell him we are three times their number.”
Pycroft says to Craig, “Feeding false information to the enemy. That’s soldiering.”
The English-speaking deserter steps up to Sharpe. “Merci, monsieur. But, we were told that if we abandon this fort and are caught by other French units, we will be shot at once.”
“Then don’t go near any French units. Go!”
“D’accord, monsieur.”
To the men, “a Droit! Allez!” The deserters march from the fort in two’s and three’s. They take the trail to the south and are quickly lost in the woods that Sharpe’s force had come through.
Craig watched all of the Sharpe’s actions with the French prisoners. If it had been Brand, Craig and his men would have been ordered to slaughter any prisoners after questioning them. He is amazed that Sharpe let these men go. He lowers his head as he thinks about his time serving Brand. After a long pause, he raises his chin then looks to Brand and back to Sharpe. He understands that Sharpe is the better officer to serve.
Sharpe watches the French go, then turns to Brand’s men. He signals Weller to bring Craig to the rest of the men. As Craig passes Sharpe, “We’re prepared to fight alongside you Sharpe.” Sharpe ignores Craig. Charlie pushes Craig on towards the men.
As he passes Harper, even though Craig is an officer, Harper grabs his arm, “I wouldn’t want to be caught dead in the same grave as you.” He shoves him towards his men. The guards march them off to the center of the fort. After they have gone twenty yards, Hagman pushes Brand to follow them.
Nairn emerges from one of the doorways “Come see this Sharpe, Pycroft.” Sharpe leads the way, followed by Pycroft and Zara. Nairn leads them through the stalls of the stable to a set of wooden, reinforced doors. The doors seem out of place here in the stables and they are locked.
“These doors seem to lead into the mountain behind the stable. We haven’t found any entrance to caves here. The cave with the powder’s probably on the other side of this door.”
Pycroft examines the locks on the door. “I’ll have to blow it open.”
Sharpe snaps, “Well blow it open then.”
“And risk setting off the whole magazine?”
“Well you’re supposed to be the expert.”
From down the hall, Charlie Weller calls “Lieutenant Richardson reports Frogs, sir.”
Sharpe leaves Nairn and Pycroft to resolve how to deal with the magazine.
Sharpe follows Clayton to find Lieutenant Richardson. Richardson had set men of the Light Company to reinforcing the weak points of the fort and pairs of men to watch the roads to and from Rocha Fort. One of the pair who were watching the road to Anglet had returned to report. Richardson speaks for him.
“Sir, the scouts report that there is a force coming down the road from Anglet.”
“Farrell, isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“How many?”
“Maybe a battalion.”
“Guns?”
“No guns.”
“When do they think they will get here?”
“Maybe an hour after dark.
Sharpe thinks on what he has heard.
“The French are expecting to be able to sneak up to the gates and then rush in to take us. Let’s let them think that all is going to their plan.”
“Richardson, bar the gate, but don’ show any sentries on the wall anywhere near the gate. Keep men on the wall below the edge.”
“Sir.”
“We’ll reduce some of the their number tonight. They will want to attack tonight, but will have to climb the walls or knock down the gates. If we light them up, we can keep them at a distance from the walls and the gate.”
“We have no bales of hay, but we brought in enough kindling to make fascines that we can light to throw outside the wall.
“If they can’t get through the gates, they may try an escalade. Farrell, did you see any ladders?”
“No, ladders, sir.”
“Even if they bring or make ladders, it will cost them to try to get over the walls if we are prepared. I have been on the attack side of escalades here and in India. An attack will lose a lot of men, even if it succeeds.”
“Just like when we attacked Badjoz, sir.”
The Prince of Wales Own had been in the attack on the main breach at Badajoz. All the companies lost many men killed and wounded before Sharpe led the survivors through the breach and into the city.
“Yes, Farrell, like at Badajoz but it was a full on siege, not an escalade.”
“Prepare the fascines. Keep them ready to throw throughout the night. We want to keep them outside until daylight. Tomorrow, Major Pycroft should be ready to blow the powder. We need to give him time tonight.”
Major Hyughe rides with Colonel Cresson as they approach Rocha Fort. Hyughe had skirmishers in front of his force as scouts. So far they have not seen any opposition. He has one company of voltiguers leading by a distance from the rest of the battalion. The voltiguers will be the first into the fort if the colonel’s plan is still valid.
“Sir, we are almost to the fort. I propose to halt the men until dark. Here is close enough to approach the fort after dark, but far enough that the British will not know we are here. We can rest and eat before we go to the fort.”
“Yes, it is time to rest.”
“We can bring up the rest of the battalion and prepare them to follow the voltiguers into the fort.”
Hyughe is uneasy with the plan. He does not fully trust that the fort will be open for his men to take without a fight.
As the men arrive, they deploy into camps on either side of the road. It will be a long night. Many eat and then sleep as best they can.
Three hours after dark, Hyughe and Captain Beyeler, the commander of the voltiguers, meet with Cresson.
“Colonel, all is ready. These six men will lead us. They will go to the gate to assure that it is open. When they signal, the rest of us will rush in to secure the courtyard.”
Hyughe adds. “Once Beyeler and his men advance, we will bring the rest of the battalion in to secure the British.”
“Let it begin.”
Hyughe nods to Beyeler.
Beyeler jogs off to take the voltiguers to the fort.
The six scouts advance with muskets at the ready along the edges of the road. They keep five meter intervals between man.
As they get near the fort, they watch for the gate to open. The lead man on the right side of the road, signals to halt. They wait and watch the gate.
Inside Richardson and Sharpe watch and listen. Richardson whispers, “They are waiting for something.”
“For the gate to open. Let’s open it for them, but not too much.”
Richardson leaves their spot on the wall to go to the courtyard. He signals four men to help him to open the gate. Two hold the crossbar while the other two help to swing one of the doors open. The three at the avoid showing themselves when the gate opens.
The voltiguer scouts see the gate open. They wait briefly, then signal back to Beyeler that they are going. Beyler signals for them to go and starts the rest of the company forward.
Sharpe watches them come. When they vanish from his sight because of the angle of the wall, he signals Richardson to close the gate.
Richardson and the men push the gate shut. The two holding the crossbar, drop it back into place to secure the gates shut.
As the gate closes, the lead voltiguers rush forward to try to keep it open before it closes. They are not fast enough. Caught in the open, they raise their muskets to scan the wall for threats.
Beyeler watches the scouts stop. The company is caught in the open ground between the woods and the fort.
Sharpe signals the garrison to light the fascines. Quickly the men light them and throw them over the wall to spots that illuminate those on the road, but keep the walls in shadow.
As soon as targets are illuminated, the men on the wall open fire. The Rifles begin at the back of the voltiguers and work forward. The muskets work from the front. Those that are not able to take a station on the wall, load muskets and hand them to the men above to fire.
Beyeler watches his men freeze in the light of the burning bundles. Quickly he calls out to them to disperse and cover the withdrawal to the woods. While he is repeating his command to the unit, he is struck in the shoulder by a shot fired by one of the Rifles. His aide catches him as he spins from the force of the wound. The aide takes him under the arm and drags him toward the protection of the woods and dark.
Cresson watches the scene in front of him light up. Hyughe recognizes that his voltiguers are in trouble. He calls a drummer to signal recall. Cresson stops him.
“Major, we must seize the moment and rush the fort while they are unprepared. The darkness will cover us.”
“Colonel, we do not have what we need to take this fort. We have no artillery. No battering ram. No ladders. If we throw men at the fort now, it will be murder.”
Cresson turns on Hyughe. “Murder or no, we take this fort.”
“Colonel, GENERAL Calvet commanded you and me NOT to assault this fort without the proper tools. I WILL send to Anglet for artillery.
Cresson wants to avoid sending word to Anglet until he has Nairn. If Hyughe requests artillery, Calvet will know that Cresson’s plan has not worked.
“No, colonel. Do NOT send for artillery. There are trees here. Make a ram. Make ladders. Then take the fort.”
Hyughe wants to send for the guns. But, he is not ready to go against Cresson’s authority. He nods to Cresson then calls his company commanders to him.
“Have the pioneers make ladders and a ram. We need enough to charge the walls before morning. The walls are only ten feet tall. Two dozen ladders twelve feet tall should be enough.“
Hyughe looks at two of his fusilier company commanders.
“Take your companies through the woods to the other side of the fort. We will encircle them. Do not let them leave the fort. We will send ladders to you when we are ready.”
Sharpe watches the French withdraw as the fascines begin to burn out. Richardson has rejoined him.
“Good work Jason.”
Richardson smiles and nods.
“Stopped them this time, sir.”
“Yes, but they will be back. Keep the fascines going. Rest the men except for sentries. Be ready.”
They hear the sounds of woods being cut.
“Sounds like they are building ladders.”
Sharpe looks out at the dead French and the wounded trying to make their way from the field.
“Let the wounded go. We will need the ammunition later.”
He leaves Richardson to the men. He will need his energy for the next assault and the morning.
Major Hyughe rides with Colonel Cresson as they approach Rocha Fort. Hyughe had skirmishers in front of his force as scouts. So far they have not seen any opposition. He has one company of voltiguers leading by a distance from the rest of the battalion. The voltiguers will be the first into the fort if the colonel’s plan is still valid.
“Sir, we are almost to the fort. I propose to halt the men until dark. Here is close enough to approach the fort after dark, but far enough that the British will not know we are here. We can rest and eat before we go to the fort.”
“Yes, it is time to rest.”
“We can bring up the rest of the battalion and prepare them to follow the voltiguers into the fort.”
Hyughe is uneasy with the plan. He does not fully trust that the fort will be open for his men to take without a fight.
As the men arrive, they deploy into camps on either side of the road. It will be a long night. Many eat and then sleep as best they can.
Three hours after dark, Hyughe and Captain Beyeler, the commander of the voltiguers, meet with Cresson.
“Colonel, all is ready. These six men will lead us. They will go to the gate to assure that it is open. When they signal, the rest of us will rush in to secure the courtyard.”
Hyughe adds. “Once Beyeler and his men advance, we will bring the rest of the battalion in to secure the British.”
“Let it begin.”
Hyughe nods to Beyeler.
Beyeler jogs off to take the voltiguers to the fort.
The six scouts advance with muskets at the ready along the edges of the road. They keep five meter intervals between man.
As they get near the fort, they watch for the gate to open. The lead man on the right side of the road, signals to halt. They wait and watch the gate.
Inside Richardson and Sharpe watch and listen. Richardson whispers, “They are waiting for something.”
“For the gate to open. Let’s open it for them, but not too much.”
Richardson leaves their spot on the wall to go to the courtyard. He signals four men to help him to open the gate. Two hold the crossbar while the other two help to swing one of the doors open. The three at the avoid showing themselves when the gate opens.
The voltiguer scouts see the gate open. They wait briefly, then signal back to Beyeler that they are going. Beyler signals for them to go and starts the rest of the company forward.
Sharpe watches them come. When they vanish from his sight because of the angle of the wall, he signals Richardson to close the gate.
Richardson and the men push the gate shut. The two holding the crossbar, drop it back into place to secure the gates shut.
As the gate closes, the lead voltiguers rush forward to try to keep it open before it closes. They are not fast enough. Caught in the open, they raise their muskets to scan the wall for threats.
Beyeler watches the scouts stop. The company is caught in the open ground between the woods and the fort.
Sharpe signals the garrison to light the fascines. Quickly the men light them and throw them over the wall to spots that illuminate those on the road, but keep the walls in shadow.
As soon as targets are illuminated, the men on the wall open fire. The Rifles begin at the back of the voltiguers and work forward. The muskets work from the front. Those that are not able to take a station on the wall, load muskets and hand them to the men above to fire.
Beyeler watches his men freeze in the light of the burning bundles. Quickly he calls out to them to disperse and cover the withdrawal to the woods. While he is repeating his command to the unit, he is struck in the shoulder by a shot fired by one of the Rifles. His aide catches him as he spins from the force of the wound. The aide takes him under the arm and drags him toward the protection of the woods and dark.
Cresson watches the scene in front of him light up. Hyughe recognizes that his voltiguers are in trouble. He calls a drummer to signal recall. Cresson stops him.
“Major, we must seize the moment and rush the fort while they are unprepared. The darkness will cover us.”
“Colonel, we do not have what we need to take this fort. We have no artillery. No battering ram. No ladders. If we throw men at the fort now, it will be murder.”
Cresson turns on Hyughe. “Murder or no, we take this fort.”
“Colonel, GENERAL Calvet commanded you and me NOT to assault this fort without the proper tools. I WILL send to Anglet for artillery.
Cresson wants to avoid sending word to Anglet until he has Nairn. If Hyughe requests artillery, Calvet will know that Cresson’s plan has not worked.
“No, colonel. Do NOT send for artillery. There are trees here. Make a ram. Make ladders. Then take the fort.”
Hyughe wants to send for the guns. But, he is not ready to go against Cresson’s authority. He nods to Cresson then calls his company commanders to him.
“Have the pioneers make ladders and a ram. We need enough to charge the walls before morning. The walls are only ten feet tall. Two dozen ladders twelve feet tall should be enough.“
Hyughe looks at two of his fusilier company commanders.
“Take your companies through the woods to the other side of the fort. We will encircle them. Do not let them leave the fort. We will send ladders to you when we are ready.”
Sharpe watches the French withdraw as the fascines begin to burn out. Richardson has rejoined him.
“Good work Jason.”
Richardson smiles and nods.
“Stopped them this time, sir.”
“Yes, but they will be back. Keep the fascines going. Rest the men except for sentries. Be ready.”
They hear the sounds of woods being cut.
“Sounds like they are building ladders.”
Sharpe looks out at the dead French and the wounded trying to make their way from the field.
“Let the wounded go. We will need the ammunition later.”
He leaves Richardson to the men. He will need his energy for the next assault and the morning.
Back the road to Anglet, the French light fires to help them to work. Men not involved to make the ladders rest and eat. The two companies to the west and the voltiguers watch the walls of the fort. Whenever they see movement, they wait to find a target and fire at anyone inside the fort who makes the mistake to show above the rin of the wall.
By three in the morning, they have enough ladders to support two companies and a ram. Cresson has been sitting under a tree to rest. Hyughe reports to him.
“Colonel, we are ready. The voltiguers, grenadiers and two fusilier companies will fire at the wall while the other two fusiliers assault the wall and gate.”
“Let it begin.”
Hyughe signals his commanders to start the attack.
At the wall, Richardson and his sentries hear the noise of the axes stop. They have continued to drop lit fascines over the wall. Sometimes the French fire on the men who are dropping the lit bundles. From the location of the fire, they know that the French occupy the full arc of land around the fort. They are cut off from retreat.
Lieutenant Richardson calls from the wall. “The Frogs, sir.”
“They are advancing. They have ladders to try an escalade.”
Sharpe returns to their observation point. At the edge of the light, he sees French at the edge of the trees. The sound of boots and drums he estimates that it would be about a battalion or more. He watches them come on.
“Five to one lads. What do ya say?”
Harper repeats, “Five to one against us the first time they come. But, after that, the odds turn in our favor.”
“What do ya say, lads?”
“Yeah!”
As the French drums beat the signal to attack, Sharpe’s men throw more burning bundles over the wall to light the entire length of the wall.
Hyughe watches the wall become visible. He knows that the attack will not be easy. Even so, he gives the command for the fire to begin. The fusilier companies who will provide covering fire begin to fire volleys at the walls. Hyughe has set the companies who are firing at the flanks of the wall while the assault will be made in the center. This will allow the covering fire to continue
The commanders of the two assault companies lead their men out. They start in the dark, but quickly move into the light. Six men, three on each side, carry each of the ladders. They march behind the front rows of attackers to shield them from fire from the fort.
Richardson had placed the Rifles and the best marksmen at the furthest edges of the wall. From there they could select targets coming down the road from either the east or the west. Now they can shoot from the flanks into the attackers. They pick their time in between the volleys from the French to rise up over the wall. On an open battlefield they would be searching for officers and sergeants to shoot. Tonight they look for the men that are carrying the ladders.
Hyughe is encouraged as he watches his men get close to the wall. The lines stop as the men with the ladders move forward to place them on the walls. Only half the number of ladders emerge first as the other half was dropped as men were shot down on the approach. As the bases of the ladders are placed down, the British rise up to shoot at the French below them. The French fire as they see targets, but the British fire interrupts the placement of several of the ladders. More men come forward to help to put up the ladders.
At the base of the wall, some of the French fire at the walls. Others hold and secure the ladders while yet others start to climb. As the ladders are placed, the British push the tops of the ladders to the side to slide them back down to the ground. The French fire hits some of the British so that those ladders remain up against the wall. But, many of the ladders and the climbers on them fall to the ground.
Some of the climbers quickly reach the top of the wall, but are greeted by British bayonets. As they are struck, they fall on the men below. None of the attackers are able to get over the wall.
At the gate, the men with the ram rush forward with their first strike on gate doors. As they run in, the British fire into them just before the ram hits the gates. While the French fire at the British and hit several, the British fire reduces the impact of the ram on the gate. The impact rattles the gates, but barely moves them. More men, grab the ram and begin the rhythm to swing the ram back and then to strike the gates again.
Inside the fort, Harper was given command of the men defending the gate. They had collected furniture, rocks and items from the stables to increase the resistance at the base of the gates. One of the men had fashioned two more sets of brackets to add crossbars above and below the original.
Below normal vision, Harper had gates drilled with loopholes for men to be able to lay prone and fire up into the attackers. As at the walls, men behind them reload the muskets while the men at the loopholes shoot down the men holding the ram.
Harper shouts to the men. “That’s it lads! Keep pouring it into them. These gates will keep them out for a long time!”
Hyughe watches the attack. So far, none of the attackers have made it over the wall. They ladders go up. Men go up. But, the British send them back to the ground outside the wall. And, the defenders at the gate interrupt the ram attacks such that they cannot get into the fort by the gate. Unless Hyughe is willing to assault the fort by having his men climb over the wall on the bodies of those killed and wounded, he will have to try something else.
Colonel Cresson stands nearby watching. He paces slowly as he watches the attack.
“Colonel, the attack is not working. I request permission to cancel this attack and call for artillery so that we may launch a proper assault in the morning.”
Calvet turns to Hyughe.
“Cancel the attack? We have barely begun.”
“Colonel. You are a cavalryman. How many escalades have you made? With due respect, we need artillery to succeed here.”
Cresson makes a face of anger and then disappointment. He wants to succeed, but without having to let General Calvet know that the original plan failed. But, being successful is more important.
“Major, send for the artillery.” Cresson turns and walks away to his resting spot.
Hyughe is relieved that Cresson has agreed so quickly. He addresses his orderly.
“Signal recall and send a message to Anglet to bring the guns.
The orderly has the drummers beat the recall. At the fort, the troops hear the drums. Without panic, they quickly disengage from the walls to fade into the shelter of darkness.
Sharpe watches the French go. He turns to Richardson, “Well done Jason. Tally the cost. Rest and feed the men. Tomorrow will see them come again. This French commander will not make the same mistake in daylight.”
Sharpe heads off to find Nairn and Pycroft. As he comes off the wall, Harper jogs up.
“Kept our visitors out of the gate, Pat.”
“Aye, sir. Bunch of hooligans. Couldn’t let them in. The only hooligans allowed in here are our hooligans.” He grins.
Sharpe grins with him. “Let’s see what Pycroft has been doing.”
Inside the fort, Pycroft has managed to blow the lock without igniting the magazine. He and Nairn have been examining the barrels of powder by the light of a lantern.
“Septimus, this is a lot of powder. How far from here do we need to be to be safe when it blows?”
“I wonder if the information that we were given is fact. These are a lot of barrels, but hardly enough to support a corps. I estimate this is more like Calvet’s magazine or at best Villatte’s only. It is still a lot of powder. The caves will absorb much of the explosion. The force will seek the front of the caves first and any other openings.
Sharpe approaches them.
“General Nairn. Pycroft.”
“What of the French, Sharpe? That was a lot of noise. It would seem that you were able to keep our ‘friends’ from enjoying our hospitality inside, eh?”
Sharpe grins. “Yes, sir. Turned them out as the rifraff that they are. But, they are persistent. They will come knocking again. I am sure with something bigger to knock on our door.”
“When will you have the magazine ready to blow?”
“By sunup. Maybe four hours from now.”
“Very good. The French won’t be on us before dawn. I’ll rest and feed the men. When the French come, we can be ready to blow the powder and go.”
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