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 Audience

The Sharpe Fan Fictions of Paul K.

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Bernard Cornwell’s

SHARPE’S Trek

Richard Sharpe and the
Battle of Saldanha Bay

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.
SHARPE’S TREK. Copyright © 2024 by Paul Kaster
Sharpe’s Trek is for Christian Parkinson, host of the Redcoat Military History podcast and a resident of South Africa
And
Bernard Cornwell who brought Richard Sharpe into our world.

Chapter 2
August 8, 1796 DAY 2

Blaauwberg



Craig’s force made good progress the first day. They reached the goal of Blaauwberg. , Blue Mountain. Although the Light Battalion could have gone further, They stopped to wait for the rest of the force to join them.

The companies of the Light Battalion had made camp on either side of the track. To be ready to leave in the morning, the company from the 80th had moved to the front of the column and the 33rd moved behind them. Sentries had been posted and the evening meal prepared from rations that they carried. They had found no water, so used from the water bottles that they carried.

At first light, the drummers called the soldiers to stand to. Sharpe had his section in line and ready before the other three sections. He saw Hakeswill looking at him as the other three sections assembled.

“Hakeswill won’t be happy with you, Dick.” Tom says then lightly whistles.

“When is he ever happy, Tom.”

“He really doesn’t like you. Always unhappy about you. Since he tricked us into joining back in Yorkshire, he has been unhappy with you. Tried to keep you out of the army for being too young. Called you trouble then.”

“I told him and the doctor that I was eighteen. Hakeswill called me “Baby boy”. I told him that I had more hair on my arse than on my face.”

Tom laughs, “Aye, you did. He told you he would make you cry.”

“Three years, he tries, but hasn’t made me cry. Had to deal with more like him and worse in London orphanage and rookery.”

Hakeswill has the other sections in order. Captain Hughes and the other officers join the sections. Hughes has his company ready when the 80th set off. The 78th’s pipers march behind them today.

“Tom, do we know that song?”

Tom listens. “The screeching of the pipes doesn’t help, but it sounds like “Gentleman Soldier.” We heard it before.”

“Know the words?”

“Some.”

“Want to have some fun with Hakeswill?”

Tom looks at him. “You willing to pay the piper, so to speak, when he gets angry?”

“He’s always angry. I like music when we march. Helps to pass the time.”

He turns to his section. “Who knows Gentleman Soldier?”

About half of his men say that they do.

Sharpe waits until the pipers start the tune again.

“Sing lads, let’s have some fun while we march.”

Most of the men sing.

“It’s of a gentleman soldier,

as a sentry he did stand,”

Before they sing two lines, Hakeswill turns, stops and shrieks,

“No SINGING!”

“Sergeant Hakeswill.” Captain Hughes addresses him with a smile

“Let the men sing. It helps to pass the time.”

He looks at Sharpe.

“Let the others sing too. They can drown out the sound of those damn pipes.” He smiles before turning his horse to resume the march.

Sharpe signals for all to sing.

“And he kindly saluted a fair maid

by waving of his hand.

So boldly then he kissed her,

and passed it as a joke,

He drilled her into the sentry box

wrapped up in a soldier’s cloak.”

“For the drums do go with a rap-a-tap-tap

and the fifes did loudly play,

Saying, “Fare you well, my Polly dear,

I must be going away.”


Sharpe looks at Hakeswill as he marches past.

Hakeswill double times back to his positions with section one. “The 33rd will sing!”

Sharpe looks at Tom. Tom beams a huge smile at Sharpe.

“Dick, that was fantastic. But, you will pay for that, you will.”

“Not today, Tom. Not today.”

As they march on, Hakeswill drops back to Sharpe.

“Not regulations to sing, Sharpe, Not regulation.” He squeaks out in anger. His face twitches and twitches.

“No sergeant, not regulations. Good for the spirit though.”

Sharpe waits for an answer before he adds. “Sing with us, sergeant?”

Hakeswill spits and doubletimes back to his position with the captain.

Garrard listens to the men sing. “You are evil, Dick. Evil.”

Sharpe beams a huge smile.

“I can be Tom. I can be.”

They marched and sang as long as the pipes played. Today they marched down to the ocean level from the Blaauwberg before they marched up another hill called Koeberg. After ten hours, they stopped for the evening. They moved to the head of the column to ready to lead the march the next day.

As the day before the rest of the force closed with them before dark. The artillery and supply wagons came in with time to care for the animals, collect water from a local stream and prepare a meal.

After they eat, Hughes tells the men to load all the water bottles. The scouts report that they will find no water for two days.

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