JК
Sharpes Havoc :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 101 из 242I pulled him off.”
„Who was he milling?”
„One of Lopes’s men, sir. As evil a bastard as Williamson.”
„Should I punish him?”
„God, no, sir. I looked after it.”
But Sharpe nevertheless declared the village out of bounds, which he knew would not be popular with his men. Harper spoke for them, pointing out that there were some pretty girls in Vila Real de Zedes. „There’s one wee slip of a thing there, sir,” he said, „that would bring tears to your eyes. The lads only want to walk down there of an evening to say hello.”
„And to leave some babies behind.”
„That too,” Harper agreed.
„And the girls can’t walk up here?” Sharpe asked. „I hear some do.”
„Some do, sir, I’m told, that’s true.”
„Including one wee slip of a thing that has red hair and can bring tears to your eyes?”
Harper watched a buzzard quartering the broom-clad slopes of the hill on which the fort was being made. „Some of us like to go to church in the village, sir,” he said, studiously not talking about the red-headed girl whose name was Maria.
Sharpe smiled. „So how many Catholics have we got?”
„There’s me, sir, and Donnelly and Carter and McNeill. Oh, and Slattery, of course. The rest of you are all going to hell.”
„Slattery!” Sharpe said. „Fergus isn’t a Christian.”
„I never said he was, sir, but he goes to mass.”
Sharpe could not help laughing. „So I’ll let the Catholics go to mass,” he said.
Harper grinned. „That means they’ll all be Catholic by Sunday.”
„This is the army,” Sharpe said, „so anyone wanting to convert has to get my permission. But you can take the other four to mass and you bring them back by midday, and if I find any of the other lads down there I’ll hold you responsible.”
„Me?”
„You’re a sergeant, aren’t you?”
„But when the lads see Lieutenant Vicente’s men going to the village, sir, they won’t see why they’re not allowed.”
„Vicente’s Portuguese. His men know the local rules. We don’t. And sooner or later there’s going to be a fight over girls that’ll bring tears to your eyes and we don’t need it, Pat.” The problem was not so much the girls, though Sharpe knew they could be a problem if one of his riflemen became drunk, and that was the true problem. There were two taverns in the village and both served cheap wine out of barrels and half his men would become paralyzed with drink given half a chance.
„Who was he milling?”
„One of Lopes’s men, sir. As evil a bastard as Williamson.”
„Should I punish him?”
„God, no, sir. I looked after it.”
But Sharpe nevertheless declared the village out of bounds, which he knew would not be popular with his men. Harper spoke for them, pointing out that there were some pretty girls in Vila Real de Zedes. „There’s one wee slip of a thing there, sir,” he said, „that would bring tears to your eyes. The lads only want to walk down there of an evening to say hello.”
„And to leave some babies behind.”
„That too,” Harper agreed.
„And the girls can’t walk up here?” Sharpe asked. „I hear some do.”
„Some do, sir, I’m told, that’s true.”
„Including one wee slip of a thing that has red hair and can bring tears to your eyes?”
Harper watched a buzzard quartering the broom-clad slopes of the hill on which the fort was being made. „Some of us like to go to church in the village, sir,” he said, studiously not talking about the red-headed girl whose name was Maria.
Sharpe smiled. „So how many Catholics have we got?”
„There’s me, sir, and Donnelly and Carter and McNeill. Oh, and Slattery, of course. The rest of you are all going to hell.”
„Slattery!” Sharpe said. „Fergus isn’t a Christian.”
„I never said he was, sir, but he goes to mass.”
Sharpe could not help laughing. „So I’ll let the Catholics go to mass,” he said.
Harper grinned. „That means they’ll all be Catholic by Sunday.”
„This is the army,” Sharpe said, „so anyone wanting to convert has to get my permission. But you can take the other four to mass and you bring them back by midday, and if I find any of the other lads down there I’ll hold you responsible.”
„Me?”
„You’re a sergeant, aren’t you?”
„But when the lads see Lieutenant Vicente’s men going to the village, sir, they won’t see why they’re not allowed.”
„Vicente’s Portuguese. His men know the local rules. We don’t. And sooner or later there’s going to be a fight over girls that’ll bring tears to your eyes and we don’t need it, Pat.” The problem was not so much the girls, though Sharpe knew they could be a problem if one of his riflemen became drunk, and that was the true problem. There were two taverns in the village and both served cheap wine out of barrels and half his men would become paralyzed with drink given half a chance.