JК
Sharpes Havoc :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 216 из 242It was here that the French retreat might be stopped, for the tiny village that clung to the high ground just beyond the bridge bristled with men and, on first seeing the Ponte Nova from high in the hills, Hogan had been jubilant. „We’ve done it!” he said. „We’ve done it!” But then he trained his telescope on the bridge and his good mood died. „They’re ordenanqa,” he said, „not a proper uniform there.” He gazed for another minute. „There’s not a single bloody gun,” he said bitterly, „and the bloody fools haven’t even destroyed the bridge.”
Sharpe borrowed Hogan’s glass to stare at the bridge. It possessed two hefty stone abutments, one on each bank, and the river was spanned by two great beams over which a wooden roadway had once been laid. The ordenanqa, presumably not wanting to rebuild the bridge entirely once the French were defeated, had removed the plank roadway, but left the two enormous beams in place. Then, at the edge of the village on the bridge’s eastern side, they had dug trenches from which they could smother the half-dismantled bridge with musket fire. „It might serve,” Sharpe grunted.
„And what would you do if you were the French?” Hogan asked.
Sharpe stared down into the defile, then looked back westward. He could see the dark snake of the French army coming along the road, but further back there was no sign yet of any British pursuit. „Wait till dark,” he said, „then attack across the beams.” The ordenanqa was enthusiastic, but it was little more than a rabble, ill armed and with scarce any training, and such troops might easily be panicked. Worse, there were not many ordenanqa at the Ponte Nova. There would have been more than enough if the bridge had been fully broken, but the twin beams were an invitation to the French. Sharpe trained the telescope on the bridge again. „Those beams are wide enough to walk on,” he said. „They’ll attack in the night. Hope to catch the defenders sleeping.”
„Let’s just hope the ordenanga stay awake,” Hogan said. He slid off the mule. „And what we do,” he said, „is wait.”
„Wait?”
„If they are stopped here,” Hogan explained, „then this is as good a place as any to watch out for Mister Christopher. And if they get across…?„He shrugged.
„I should go down there,” Sharpe said, „and tell them to get rid of those beams.”
„And how will they accomplish it?” Hogan wanted to know. „With dragoons firing at them from the other bank?” The dragoons had dismounted and spread along the western bank and Hogan could see the white puffs of their carbine smoke.
Sharpe borrowed Hogan’s glass to stare at the bridge. It possessed two hefty stone abutments, one on each bank, and the river was spanned by two great beams over which a wooden roadway had once been laid. The ordenanqa, presumably not wanting to rebuild the bridge entirely once the French were defeated, had removed the plank roadway, but left the two enormous beams in place. Then, at the edge of the village on the bridge’s eastern side, they had dug trenches from which they could smother the half-dismantled bridge with musket fire. „It might serve,” Sharpe grunted.
„And what would you do if you were the French?” Hogan asked.
Sharpe stared down into the defile, then looked back westward. He could see the dark snake of the French army coming along the road, but further back there was no sign yet of any British pursuit. „Wait till dark,” he said, „then attack across the beams.” The ordenanqa was enthusiastic, but it was little more than a rabble, ill armed and with scarce any training, and such troops might easily be panicked. Worse, there were not many ordenanqa at the Ponte Nova. There would have been more than enough if the bridge had been fully broken, but the twin beams were an invitation to the French. Sharpe trained the telescope on the bridge again. „Those beams are wide enough to walk on,” he said. „They’ll attack in the night. Hope to catch the defenders sleeping.”
„Let’s just hope the ordenanga stay awake,” Hogan said. He slid off the mule. „And what we do,” he said, „is wait.”
„Wait?”
„If they are stopped here,” Hogan explained, „then this is as good a place as any to watch out for Mister Christopher. And if they get across…?„He shrugged.
„I should go down there,” Sharpe said, „and tell them to get rid of those beams.”
„And how will they accomplish it?” Hogan wanted to know. „With dragoons firing at them from the other bank?” The dragoons had dismounted and spread along the western bank and Hogan could see the white puffs of their carbine smoke.