JК
Sharpes Havoc :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 42 из 242„Get Tongue,”he suggested, „and see if he can find out what these two were up to. If they’re just drunk on communion wine then march them out west, strip them of anything valuable and boot them back where they came from. But if they raped anyone… „
„I know what to do, sir,” Harper said grimly.
„Then do it,” Sharpe said. He nodded to Harper, then walked on past the church to where the stream joined the river. The small stone bridge carried the road eastward through a vineyard, past a walled cemetery and then twisted through pastureland beside the Douro. It was all open land and if more French came and he had to retreat from the village then he dared not use that road and he hoped to God he had time to ferry his men over the Douro and that thought made him go back up the street to look for oars. Or maybe he could find a rope? If the rope were long enough he could rig a line across the river and haul the boat back and forth and that would surely be quicker than rowing.
He was wondering if there were bell ropes in the small church that might stretch that far when Harris came out of the house and said that the prisoner’s name was Lieutenant Olivier and he was in the 18th Dragoons and that the Lieutenant, despite being caught with his breeches round his ankles, had denied raping the girl. „He said French officers don’t behave like that,” Harris said, „but Lieutenant Vicente says the girl swears he did.”
„So did he or didn’t he?” Sharpe asked irritably.
„Of course he did, sir. He admitted as much after I thumped him,” Harris said happily, „but he still insists she wanted him to. He says she wanted comforting after a sergeant raped her.”
„Wanted comforting!” Sharpe said scathingly. „He was just second in line, wasn’t he?”
„Fifth in line,” Harris said tonelessly, „or so the girl says.”
„Jesus,” Sharpe swore. „Why don’t I just give the bugger a smacking, then we’ll string him up.” He walked back to the house where the civilans were screaming at the Frenchman, who gazed at them with a disdain hat would have been admirable on a battlefield. Vicente was protecting he dragoon and now appealed to Sharpe for help to escort Lieutenant Dlivier to safety.
„He must stand trial,” Vicente insisted.
„He just had a trial,” Sharpe said, „and I found him guilty. So now I’ll thump him and then I’ll hang him.”
Vicente looked nervous, but he did not back down. „We cannot lower ourselves to their level of barbarity,” he claimed.
„I know what to do, sir,” Harper said grimly.
„Then do it,” Sharpe said. He nodded to Harper, then walked on past the church to where the stream joined the river. The small stone bridge carried the road eastward through a vineyard, past a walled cemetery and then twisted through pastureland beside the Douro. It was all open land and if more French came and he had to retreat from the village then he dared not use that road and he hoped to God he had time to ferry his men over the Douro and that thought made him go back up the street to look for oars. Or maybe he could find a rope? If the rope were long enough he could rig a line across the river and haul the boat back and forth and that would surely be quicker than rowing.
He was wondering if there were bell ropes in the small church that might stretch that far when Harris came out of the house and said that the prisoner’s name was Lieutenant Olivier and he was in the 18th Dragoons and that the Lieutenant, despite being caught with his breeches round his ankles, had denied raping the girl. „He said French officers don’t behave like that,” Harris said, „but Lieutenant Vicente says the girl swears he did.”
„So did he or didn’t he?” Sharpe asked irritably.
„Of course he did, sir. He admitted as much after I thumped him,” Harris said happily, „but he still insists she wanted him to. He says she wanted comforting after a sergeant raped her.”
„Wanted comforting!” Sharpe said scathingly. „He was just second in line, wasn’t he?”
„Fifth in line,” Harris said tonelessly, „or so the girl says.”
„Jesus,” Sharpe swore. „Why don’t I just give the bugger a smacking, then we’ll string him up.” He walked back to the house where the civilans were screaming at the Frenchman, who gazed at them with a disdain hat would have been admirable on a battlefield. Vicente was protecting he dragoon and now appealed to Sharpe for help to escort Lieutenant Dlivier to safety.
„He must stand trial,” Vicente insisted.
„He just had a trial,” Sharpe said, „and I found him guilty. So now I’ll thump him and then I’ll hang him.”
Vicente looked nervous, but he did not back down. „We cannot lower ourselves to their level of barbarity,” he claimed.