JК
Sharpes Battle :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 126 из 244There wasa gap in the wall, but Sharpe could just make out the shadowy hint of a second wall beyond the first. He made a zigzag motion with his hand as he looked at El Castrador. "The gate, seсor ?"
" Si. Three walls!" El Castrador exaggerated the zigzag gesture to show how complicated the maze-like entrance was. Such a maze would slow down any attacker while Loup's men poured musket fire down from the upper windows.
"How do they get their horses inside?" Donaju asked in Spanish.
"Around the far side," El Castrador answered. "There is a gate. Very strong. And the defile, seсor, is on the far side of the village. Where the road goes into the hills, see? We should go there?"
"Christ, no," Sharpe said. His hope in El Castrador's defile had vanished the moment he saw where it was. The gorge might be a perfect place for a surprise attack, but it was too far away and Sharpe knew he would have no chance of reaching it before daylight. So much for his hopes of ambush.
He turned the spyglass back to the village just in time to see a flicker of motion. He tensed, then saw it was merely a puff of smoke coming from a chimney deep in the village. The smoke had been there all the time, but someone must have dumped wood on the fire or else tried to revive a hearth of smouldering embers with a pair of bellows and so provoked the sudden gust of smoke.
"They're all tucked up in bed," Donaju said. "Safe and sound."
Sharpe edged the telescope across the village roofs. "No flag," he said at last. "Does he usually fly a flag?" he asked El Castrador.
The big man shrugged. "Sometimes yes, sometimes no." He plainly did not know the answer.
Sharpe collapsed the telescope. "Put a dozen men on guard, Donaju," he ordered, "and tell the rest to sleep a while. Pat? Send Latimer and a couple of the lads to that knoll." He indicated a rocky height that would offer the best view of the surrounding country. "And you and the rest of the rifles will come with me."
Harper paused as though he wanted to ask for details of what they planned to do, then decided mute obedience was the best course and slid back off the crest. Donaju frowned. "I can't come with you?"
"Someone has to take charge if I die," Sharpe said. "So keep watch, stay here till three in the morning, and if you haven't heard from me by then, go home."
"And what do you plan to do there?" Donaju asked, gesturing towards the village.
"It doesn't smell right," Sharpe said. "I can't explain it, but it doesn't smell right. So I'm just going to take a look. Nothing more, Donaju, just a look.
" Si. Three walls!" El Castrador exaggerated the zigzag gesture to show how complicated the maze-like entrance was. Such a maze would slow down any attacker while Loup's men poured musket fire down from the upper windows.
"How do they get their horses inside?" Donaju asked in Spanish.
"Around the far side," El Castrador answered. "There is a gate. Very strong. And the defile, seсor, is on the far side of the village. Where the road goes into the hills, see? We should go there?"
"Christ, no," Sharpe said. His hope in El Castrador's defile had vanished the moment he saw where it was. The gorge might be a perfect place for a surprise attack, but it was too far away and Sharpe knew he would have no chance of reaching it before daylight. So much for his hopes of ambush.
He turned the spyglass back to the village just in time to see a flicker of motion. He tensed, then saw it was merely a puff of smoke coming from a chimney deep in the village. The smoke had been there all the time, but someone must have dumped wood on the fire or else tried to revive a hearth of smouldering embers with a pair of bellows and so provoked the sudden gust of smoke.
"They're all tucked up in bed," Donaju said. "Safe and sound."
Sharpe edged the telescope across the village roofs. "No flag," he said at last. "Does he usually fly a flag?" he asked El Castrador.
The big man shrugged. "Sometimes yes, sometimes no." He plainly did not know the answer.
Sharpe collapsed the telescope. "Put a dozen men on guard, Donaju," he ordered, "and tell the rest to sleep a while. Pat? Send Latimer and a couple of the lads to that knoll." He indicated a rocky height that would offer the best view of the surrounding country. "And you and the rest of the rifles will come with me."
Harper paused as though he wanted to ask for details of what they planned to do, then decided mute obedience was the best course and slid back off the crest. Donaju frowned. "I can't come with you?"
"Someone has to take charge if I die," Sharpe said. "So keep watch, stay here till three in the morning, and if you haven't heard from me by then, go home."
"And what do you plan to do there?" Donaju asked, gesturing towards the village.
"It doesn't smell right," Sharpe said. "I can't explain it, but it doesn't smell right. So I'm just going to take a look. Nothing more, Donaju, just a look.