JК
Sharpes Sword :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 47 из 213”
Spears twisted in his saddle, grimacing suddenly because the arm in its sling hurt. “You feel like slumming, Helena?”
She smiled. “If I do, Jack, I’ll come to you for guidance. Just bring him to me.”
He grinned and saluted. “Yes, Ma’am.”
The French would not be goaded into battle. They made no attempt to throw the British off the knoll. Marmont could not see beyond the great ridge and he feared, sensibly, to attack Wellington in a position of the Englishman’s choosing.
Smoke drifted from the knoll, dissipating into shimmering heat over the grass. Men lay on the ground and drank brackish warm water from their canteens. A few desultory fires burned from the musket fire, but no-one moved to stamp them out. Some men slept.
“Is that it?” Lieutenant Price frowned towards the French.
“You want more, Harry?” Sharpe grinned at his Lieutenant.
“I sort of expected more.” Price laughed and turned round to look at the ridge. A staff officer was riding his horse recklessly down the slope. “Here comes a fancy boy.”
“We’re probably being pulled back.”
Harper gave a massive yawn. “Perhaps they’re offering us free entrance to the staffbrothel tonight.”
“Isabella would kill you, Harps!” Price laughed at the thought. “You should be unattached, like me.”
“It’s the pox, sir. I couldn’t live with it.”
“And I can’t live without it. Hello!” Price frowned because the staff officer, instead of riding towards the Colours where the Battalion’s commanding officer would be found, was aiming straight for the Light Company. “We’ve got a visitor, sir.”
Sharpe walked to meet the staff officer who called out when he was still thirty yards away. “Captain Sharpe?”
“Yes!”
“You’re wanted at Headquarters. Now! Do you have a horse?”
“No.”
The young man frowned at the reply and Sharpe knew he was considering yielding up his own horse to expedite the General’s orders. The consideration did not last long in the face of the steep uphill climb. The staff officer smiled. “You’ll have to walk! Quick as you can, please.”
Sharpe smiled at him. “Bastard. Harry?”
“Sir?”
“Take over! Tell the Major I’ve been called to see the General!”
“Aye aye, sir! Give him my best wishes!”
Sharpe walked away from the Company, between the small fires, and up the hillside that was littered with the torn cartridge papers of his skirmishers. Leroux.
Spears twisted in his saddle, grimacing suddenly because the arm in its sling hurt. “You feel like slumming, Helena?”
She smiled. “If I do, Jack, I’ll come to you for guidance. Just bring him to me.”
He grinned and saluted. “Yes, Ma’am.”
The French would not be goaded into battle. They made no attempt to throw the British off the knoll. Marmont could not see beyond the great ridge and he feared, sensibly, to attack Wellington in a position of the Englishman’s choosing.
Smoke drifted from the knoll, dissipating into shimmering heat over the grass. Men lay on the ground and drank brackish warm water from their canteens. A few desultory fires burned from the musket fire, but no-one moved to stamp them out. Some men slept.
“Is that it?” Lieutenant Price frowned towards the French.
“You want more, Harry?” Sharpe grinned at his Lieutenant.
“I sort of expected more.” Price laughed and turned round to look at the ridge. A staff officer was riding his horse recklessly down the slope. “Here comes a fancy boy.”
“We’re probably being pulled back.”
Harper gave a massive yawn. “Perhaps they’re offering us free entrance to the staffbrothel tonight.”
“Isabella would kill you, Harps!” Price laughed at the thought. “You should be unattached, like me.”
“It’s the pox, sir. I couldn’t live with it.”
“And I can’t live without it. Hello!” Price frowned because the staff officer, instead of riding towards the Colours where the Battalion’s commanding officer would be found, was aiming straight for the Light Company. “We’ve got a visitor, sir.”
Sharpe walked to meet the staff officer who called out when he was still thirty yards away. “Captain Sharpe?”
“Yes!”
“You’re wanted at Headquarters. Now! Do you have a horse?”
“No.”
The young man frowned at the reply and Sharpe knew he was considering yielding up his own horse to expedite the General’s orders. The consideration did not last long in the face of the steep uphill climb. The staff officer smiled. “You’ll have to walk! Quick as you can, please.”
Sharpe smiled at him. “Bastard. Harry?”
“Sir?”
“Take over! Tell the Major I’ve been called to see the General!”
“Aye aye, sir! Give him my best wishes!”
Sharpe walked away from the Company, between the small fires, and up the hillside that was littered with the torn cartridge papers of his skirmishers. Leroux.