JК
Sharpes Havoc :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 133 из 242With luck, Major, that means we shall have enough force to march south on Lisbon.”
„I hope so, sir,” Dulong answered, uncertain where the conversation was going.
„But General Heudelet’s division is still clearing the road to Vigo,”
Vuillard went on, „Foy’s infantry is scouring the mountains of partisans, so our forces will still be stretched, Major, stretched. Even if we get Delaborde’s brigades back from General Loison and even with Lorges’s dragoons, we shall be stretched if we want to march on Lisbon.”
„I’m sure we’ll succeed all the same,” Dulong said loyally.
„But we need every man we can muster, Major, every man. And I do not want to detach valuable infantry to guard prisoners.”
There was silence round the table. Dulong gave a small smile as he understood the implications of the Brigadier’s words, but he said nothing.
„Do I make myself clear, Major?” Vuillard asked in a harder tone.
„You do, sir,” Dulong said.
„Bayonets fixed then,” Vuillard said, tapping ash from his cigar, „and use them, Major, use them well.”
Dulong looked up, his grim face unreadable. „No prisoners, sir.” He did not inflect the words as a question.
„That sounds like a very good idea,” Vuillard said, smiling. „Now go and get some sleep.”
Major Dulong left and Vuillard poured more port. „War is cruel,” he said sententiously, „but cruelty is sometimes necessary. The rest of you”-he looked at the officers on both sides of the table-”can ready yourselves for the march back to Oporto. We should have this business finished by eight tomorrow morning, so shall we set a march time of ten o’clock?”
For by then the watchtower on the hill would have fallen. The howitzer would keep Sharpe’s men awake by firing through the night and in the dawn, as the tired men fought off sleep and a wolf-gray light seeped across the world’s rim, Dulong’s well-trained infantry would go in for the kill.
At dawn.
Sharpe had watched till the very last seep of twilight had gone from the hill, until there was nothing but bleak darkness, and only then, with Pendleton, Tongue and Harris as his companions, he edged past the outer stone wall and felt his way down the path. Harper had wanted to come, had even been upset at not being allowed to accompany Sharpe, but Harper would need to command the riflemen if Sharpe did not come back.
„I hope so, sir,” Dulong answered, uncertain where the conversation was going.
„But General Heudelet’s division is still clearing the road to Vigo,”
Vuillard went on, „Foy’s infantry is scouring the mountains of partisans, so our forces will still be stretched, Major, stretched. Even if we get Delaborde’s brigades back from General Loison and even with Lorges’s dragoons, we shall be stretched if we want to march on Lisbon.”
„I’m sure we’ll succeed all the same,” Dulong said loyally.
„But we need every man we can muster, Major, every man. And I do not want to detach valuable infantry to guard prisoners.”
There was silence round the table. Dulong gave a small smile as he understood the implications of the Brigadier’s words, but he said nothing.
„Do I make myself clear, Major?” Vuillard asked in a harder tone.
„You do, sir,” Dulong said.
„Bayonets fixed then,” Vuillard said, tapping ash from his cigar, „and use them, Major, use them well.”
Dulong looked up, his grim face unreadable. „No prisoners, sir.” He did not inflect the words as a question.
„That sounds like a very good idea,” Vuillard said, smiling. „Now go and get some sleep.”
Major Dulong left and Vuillard poured more port. „War is cruel,” he said sententiously, „but cruelty is sometimes necessary. The rest of you”-he looked at the officers on both sides of the table-”can ready yourselves for the march back to Oporto. We should have this business finished by eight tomorrow morning, so shall we set a march time of ten o’clock?”
For by then the watchtower on the hill would have fallen. The howitzer would keep Sharpe’s men awake by firing through the night and in the dawn, as the tired men fought off sleep and a wolf-gray light seeped across the world’s rim, Dulong’s well-trained infantry would go in for the kill.
At dawn.
Sharpe had watched till the very last seep of twilight had gone from the hill, until there was nothing but bleak darkness, and only then, with Pendleton, Tongue and Harris as his companions, he edged past the outer stone wall and felt his way down the path. Harper had wanted to come, had even been upset at not being allowed to accompany Sharpe, but Harper would need to command the riflemen if Sharpe did not come back.