bcornwell.sharpescompany- 第23节

　
　Sharpe　returned　the　salute。　It　had　been　more　than　three　weeks　since　his　demotion；　yet　it　still　hurt。　The　Battalion；　embarrassed；　called　him　'sir'　or　'Mr。　Sharpe'。　Only　Hakeswill　twisted　the　knife。　Sharpe　pointed　to　the　mess　on　the　ground。　That's　it。　Sort　it　out。　'
　
　'Sir！'　Hakeswill　turned　to　the　working　party　from　the　Light　pany。　'You　heard　the　Lieutenant！　Sort　it　out　and　get　a　bloody　move　on！　The　Captain　wants　us　back。'
　
　Hagman；　the　old　Rifleman；　the　best　shot　in　the　pany；　who　had　served　with　Sharpe　for　seven　years；　gave　his　old　Captain　a　sad　smile。　'Nasty　day；　sir。'
　
　Sharpe　nodded。　The　rain　had　stopped；　but　it　looked　as　if　it　would　start　again　soon。　'How　are　things；　Dan？'
　
　The　Rifleman　grinned；　shrugged；　and　looked　round　to　see　if　Hakeswill　was　listening。　'Bloody　terrible；　sir。'
　
　'Hagman！'　Hakeswill　bellowed。　'Just　because　you're　bloody　old　doesn't　mean　you　can't　work。　Get　your　bloody　self　here；　fast！'　The　Sergeant　grinned　at　Sharpe。　'Sorry；　Lieutenant；　sir。　Can't　stop　to　chat；　can　we？　Work　to　do。'　The　teeth　ground　together；　the　blue　eyes　blinked　rapidly。　'How's　your　lady；　sir。　Well？　I　was　hoping　to　renew　the　acquaintance。　In　Baddy…joss　is　she？'　He　cackled　and　turned　away；　back　to　the　working　party　that　was　rescuing　the　fallen　shovels　from　the　broken…axled　cart。
　
　Sharpe　ignored　the　gibes　because　to　react　was　to　give　Hakeswill　the　satisfaction　of　having　unsettled　him；　and　he　looked　away　from　the　cart　and　stared　over　the　grey；　swollen　river。　Badajoz。　Just　four　miles　away；　a　city　built　on　a　corner　of　land　formed　by　the　River　Guadiana　and　the　Rivillas　stream。　The　city　was　dominated　by　the　sprawling　castle　high　on　the　rock　hill　which　stood　where　the　stream　flowed　into　the　river。　The　army　had　marched　from　Elvas　that　morning　and　now　they　waited　as　the　Engineers　put　the　last　touches　to　the　pontoon　bridge　that　would　take　the　British　to　the　southern　bank　on　which　Badajoz　stood。　Each　tin　pontoon；　strengthened　by　wooden　braces；　weighed　two　tons；　and　the　clumsy；　oblong　boats；　dragged　here　by　oxen；　had　been　floated　in　a　line　across　the　Guadiana。　They　were　all　moored　now；　anchored　against　the　rain…heightened　river；　and　across　their　top　surfaces　the　Engineers　had　laid　massive　thirteen…inch　cables。　The　water　foamed　dirty　between　the　tin　boats　as；　on　top　of　the　cables；　planks　were　slapped　into　place　with　a　speed　that　spoke　of　the　frequent　practice　the　Engineers　had　made　in　crossing　Spain's　rivers。　Almost　before　the　last　planks　were　in　place　the　first　carts　were　crossing　and　men　shoveled　sand　and　earth　on　to　the　planks　to　make　a　crude　roadway。
　
　'Forward！'　The　first　troops　began　to　cross；　unmounted　men　of　the　newly　arrived　Heavy　Cavalry　Brigade　leading　their　horses。　The　animals　were　nervous　on　the　thrumming　bridge；　but　they　crossed；　and　Badajoz　was　about　to　be　ringed　with　troops。
　
　On　the　far　bank　the　cavalry　mounted；　sorted　themselves　into　squadrons；　and；　as　the　first　infantry　began　to　cross；　the　horsemen　put　spurs　to　their　mounts　and　trotted　towards　the　city。　There　was　little　they　could　do　against　the　massive　walls；　they　were　a　demonstration；　a　flaunting　of　intent；　and　a　discouragement　to　the　handful　of　French　cavalry　inside　Badajoz　who　might　be　tempted　to　ride　against　the　bridgehead。
　
　It　began　to　rain；　pitting　the　swirling；　dark　water；　and　soaking　the　already　damp　troops　as　they　crossed　the　river　and　turned　left　towards　the　city。　Once　there　was　a　cheer　from　the　infantry　as　a　cannon's　shot　was　heard　from　Badajoz。　A　squadron　of　the　Heavy　Cavalry　had　ridden　too　close　to　the　walls；　a　French　gun　had　fired；　and　the　British　riders　galloped　ignominiously　out　of　range。　The　cheer　was　ironic。　The　infantry　might　die　soon　at　the　hands　of　the　guns；　but　it　was　still　good　to　see　the　fancy　cavalry　taught　a　lesson。　No　cavalryman　would　have　to　go　into　Badajoz's　breaches。
　
　The　South　Essex　had　bee　pack　mules。　The　Engineers　had　over　a　hundred　carts　waiting　to　cross　the　river　and　two　had　snapped　their　axles。　The　South　Essex　would　have　to　carry　the　loads　across　the　water。　Windham　reined　in　beside　Sharpe。　'All　ready；　Mr。　Sharpe？'
　
　'Yes；　sir。'
　
　'Keep　the　baggage　close　when　we　cross！'
　
　'Yes；　sir。'　No；　sir；　three　bags　full；　sir。　'Sir？'
　
　'Mr。　Sharpe？'　Windham　was　eager　to　be　away。
　
　'Have　you　forwarded　my　request；　sir？'
　
　'No；　Mr。　Sharpe；　much　too　early　My　pliments！'　The　Colonel　touched　the　tassel　on　his　bicorne　and　wheeled　his　horse　away。
　
　Sharpe　hitched　his　sword　up；　useless　to　him　for　counting　spades　and　pick…axes；　and　trudged　over　the　mud　towards　the　Battalion's　baggage。　Each　pany　kept　a　mule　that　carried　the　books；　the　endless　paperwork　that　went　with　a　Captaincy；　a　few　paltry　supplies　and；　quite　illegally；　some　officers'　baggage　as　well。　Other　mules　carried　the　Battalion　supplies；　the　spare　arms　chest；　uniforms；　more　paperwork；　and　the　surgeon's　grim　load。　Mixed　with　the　mules　were　the　officers'　servants；　leading　spare　horses　and　packhorses；　and；　mingled　among　them　all；　the　children。　They　shrieked　and　played　round　the　animals'　legs；　watched　by　their　mothers　who　crouched　beneath　makeshift　shelters　waiting　for　the　order　to　march。　By　regulation　there　should　be　just　sixty　wives　with　the　Battalion；　but　inevitably；　after　three　years　at　war；　the　South　Essex　had　collected　far　more。　There　were　nearer　three　hundred　women　marching　with　the　Battalion；　the　same　number　of　children；　and　they　were　a　mixture　of　English；　Irish；　Scottish；　Welsh；　Spanish　and　Portuguese；　there　was　even　a　Frenchwoman；　left　behind　in　the　fighting　at　Fuentes　de　Onoro；　who　had　chosen　to　stay　with　her　captors　and　had　married　a　Sergeant　in　Sterritt's　pany。　Some　were　whores；　following　the　army's　meager　pennies；　some　were　proper　wives　with　papers　to　prove　it；　while　some　called　themselves　wives　and　did　not　need　the　ceremony。　All　were　tough。　Many　had　married　twice　or　three　times　in　the　war；　having　lost　their　husbands　to　a　French　bullet　or　a　Spanish　fever。
　
　The　previous　morning　Windham　had　cancelled　the　wives'　parade。　In　barracks　the　parade　made　some　sense；　it　kept　a　Colonel　in　touch　with　the　families　and　gave　a　good　officer　a　chance　to　detect　brutality；　but　the　women　of　the　South　Essex　did　not　like　the　parade；　were　not　used　to　it；　and　had　showed　their　discontent。　The　very　first　time　that　Sharpe　had　lined　them　for　Windham's　inspection　Private　Clayton's　wife；　a　pretty　girl；　had　been　suckling　her　baby。　The　Colonel　had　stopped；　glanced　down；　and　frowned　at　her。　'This　is　hardly　the　time；　woman！'
　
　She　had　grinned；　lifted　her　breasts　towards　him。　'When　'e's　'ungry；　'e's　'ungry；　just　like　'is　father。'　There　was　a　chorus　of　laughter　from　the　wives；　jeers　from　the　men；　and　Windham　had　strode　away。　Jessica　would　have　known　what　to　do；　but　not　he。
　
　Now；　as　Sharpe　approached　the　rain…swept　baggage；　the　women　grinned　at　him　from　beneath　their　blankets。　Lily　Grimes；　a　tiny　woman　of　irrepressible　cheerfulness；　and　a　voice　with　the　piercing　quality　of　a　well…honed　bayonet；　gave　him　a　mock　salute。　'Given　up　parading　us；　Cap'n？'　The　women　always　called　him　Captain。
　
　'That's　right；　Lily。'
　
　She　sniffed。　'He's　mad。'
　
　'Who？'
　
　'Bloody　Colonel。　What　did　he　want　us　to　parade　for；　anyway？'
　
　Sharpe　grinned。　'He　worries　about　you；　Lily。　He　likes　to　keep　an　eye　on　you。'
　
　She　shook　her　head。　'He　wants　to　look　at　Sally　Clayton's　tits　more　like。'　She　laughed　and　peered　up　at　Sharpe。　'You　didn't　look　away　either；　Cap'n。　I　watched　you。　〃
　
　'I　was　just　wishing　it　had　been　you；　Lily。　〃
　
　She　shrieked　with　laughter。　'Any　time；　Cap'n；　you　just　ask。　'
　
　Sharpe　laughed；　walked　away　from　her。　He　admired　the　wives；　and　he　liked　them。　They　endured　all　the　disforts　of　the　campaign；　the　nights　under　pouring　rain；　the　hard　rations；　the　long　marches；　yet　they　never　gave　up。　They　watched　their　men　go　into　battle　and　afterwards　they　searched　the　field　for　a　corpse　or　a　wounded　husband；　and　all　the　while　they　brought　up　their　children　and　looked　after　their　men。　Sharpe　had　seen　Lily　carrying　two　of　her　children　up　a　hard　road；　her　husband's　musket；　and　the　family's　few　belongings　as　well。　They　were　tough。
　
　And　they　were　not　ladies；　three　years　in　the　Peninsula　had　made　sure　of　that。　Some　dres