bcornwell.sharpescompany- 第25节

　
　'Start　another　bloody　one。'　Sharpe　began　to　laugh。　'Sir。'
　
　'If　you　survive　this　one。'　Hogan　shook　his　head；　his　anger　dying　as　quickly　as　it　had　flared。　'Good　God；　man！　Your　woman's　inside。　And　your　child。'
　
　'I　know。'　Sharpe　shrugged。　'But　I　want　the　Hope。'
　
　'You'll　die。'
　
　'Ask　Wellington　for　me。'
　
　The　Irishman　frowned。　'You're　just　hurting　in　your　pride；　that's　all。　In　two　months；　it　will　be　a　bad　dream；　I　promise。'
　
　'Maybe。　I　still　want　the　Hope。'
　
　'You're　a　stubborn；　bloody　fool。'
　
　Sharpe　laughed　again。　'I　know。　Colonel　Windham　says　I　need　humility。'
　
　'He's　right。　It's　a　wonder　any　of　us　like　you　at　all；　but　we　do。'　He　shrugged。　'I'll　talk　to　the　General　for　you；　but　I'm　making　no　promises。　'　He　gathered　the　reins　into　his　hand。　'Would　you　give　me　a　leg　up？　If　it's　not　beneath　your　dignity。　'
　
　Sharpe　grinned；　heaved　the　Major　on　to　his　horse。　'You'll　ask　him　for　me？'
　
　'I　said　I'd　talk　to　him；　didn't　I？　It's　not　his　decision；　you　know　that。　It　belongs　to　the　General　of　the　attacking　Division。'
　
　'But　they　listen　to　Wellington。'
　
　'Aye；　that's　true。　'　Hogan　pulled　on　the　reins；　and　then　checked　himself。　'You　know　what　tomorrow　is？'
　
　'No。'
　
　'Tuesday；　March　the　seventeenth。'
　
　'So？'　Sharpe　shrugged。
　
　Hogan　laughed。　'You're　a　heathen；　an　unrepentant；　doomed　heathen；　so　you　are。　St　Patrick's　Day。　Ireland's　day。　Give　Sergeant　Harper　a　bottle　of　rum　for　being　a　good　Catholic。'
　
　Sharpe　grinned。　'I　will。'
　
　Hogan　watched　the　South　Essex　break　up　step　as　they　marched　over　the　bridge；　followed　by　Sharpe　and　his　raggle…taggle　of　women；　children；　servants；　and　mules。　Hogan　was　saddened。　He　counted　the　tall　Rifleman　as　a　friend。　Perhaps　Sharpe　was　arrogant；　but　Hogan；　along　with　all　the　engineering　in　his　head；　kept　more　than　a　little　of　Shakespeare。　In　peace　there's　nothing　so　bees　a　man　as　modest　stillness　and　humility。　But　this　was　not　peace；　this　was　a　horrid　campaign　and　tomorrow；　St　Patrick's　Day；　the　army　would　start　digging　towards　Badajoz。　Hogan　knew　that　stillness　and　humility　would　not　capture　the　fortress。　Time　might；　but　Wellington　would　not　give　them　time。　The　General　was　worried　that　the　French　field　armies；　bigger　than　the　British；　might　march　to　the　rescue。　Badajoz　must　be　taken　swiftly；　paid　for　in　blood；　and　the　assault　would　e　soon；　too　soon；　perhaps　even　before　Lent　was　over。　Hogan　did　not　relish　the　prospect。　The　wall　could　be　closed　up　with　the　English　dead。　He　had　promised　he　would　talk　to　Wellington；　and　so　he　would；　but　not　as　Sharpe　had　hoped。　Hogan　would　do　a　friend's　duty。　He　would　ask　the　General；　if　it　were　possible；　that　Sharpe's　request　should　be　refused。　He　would　save　Sharpe's　life。　It　was；　after　all；　the　very　least　he　could　do　for　a　friend。
　
　PART　THREE
　
　St　Patrick's　Day；　March　17th
　to
　Easter　Sunday；　March　29th　1812
　
　CHAPTER　12
　
　If　a　man　could　have　found　a　new…fangled　hot　air　balloon　and　flown　it　over　Badajoz；　he　would　have　looked　down　at　a　city　shaped　like　the　quarter　segment　of　a　cogged　wheel。　The　castle；　ancient　stone　on　rock；　was　the　giant　axle　boss。　The　north　and　east　walls　were　spokes；　leaving　the　axle　at　right　angles　to　each　other；　while　the　south　and　west　walls　joined　in　a　long；　rough　curve　that　was　studded　with　seven　huge　cogs。
　
　It　was　impossible　to　attack　from　the　north。　The　city　was　built　on　the　bank　of　the　River　Guadiana；　wider　at　Badajoz　than　the　Thames　at　Westminster；　and　the　only　approach　lay　across　the　long；　ancient　stone　bridge。　Every　yard　of　the　bridge　was　covered　by　the　guns　mounted　on　the　city's　north　wall　while；　across　the　river；　the　bridge　entrance　was　guarded　by　three　outlying　forts。　The　largest；　San　Cristobel；　could　house　more　than　two　regiments。　The　French　were　sure　that　there　could　be　no　attack　from　the　north。
　
　The　east　wall；　the　other　spoke；　was　more　vulnerable。　At　its　northern　end　was　the　castle；　high　and　huge；　a　fortress　that　had　dominated　the　landscape　for　centuries；　but　south　of　the　castle；　the　city　wall　was　on　lower　ground　and　faced　towards　a　hill。　The　French　knew　the　danger　and；　just　where　the　castle　hill　dropped　steeply　to　the　lower　city；　they　had　dammed　the　Rivillas　stream。　Now　the　vulnerable　east　wall　was　protected　by　a　sheet　of　flood　water；　as　wide　as　the　river　to　the　north；　and　running　far　to　the　south　of　the　city。　As　Hogan　had　said　to　Sharpe；　only　the　navy　could　attack　across　the　new　lake；　unless　the　dam　could　be　blown　up　and　the　lake　drained。
　
　Which　left　the　huge　curve　of　the　south　and　west　walls；　a　curve　nearly　a　mile　long　that　had　no　convenient　river　or　stream　to　offer　protection。　Instead　there　were　the　cogs　on　the　wheel's　rim；　the　seven　vast　bastions　that　jutted　out　from　the　city　wall；　each　bastion　the　size　of　a　small　castle。　San　Vincente　was　the　most　northerly；　built　beside　the　river　at　the　angle　of　the　north　and　west　walls；　and　from　the　San　Vincente　the　bastions　ran　south　and　west　till　they　met　the　flooded　Rivillas。　San　Jose；　Santiago；　San　Juan；　San　Roque；　Santa　Maria；　and　so　to　the　Trinidad。　The　saints；　the　mother　of　Christ；　and　the　Holy　Trinity；　each　with　more　than　a　score　of　guns；　to　protect　a　city。
　
　The　bastions　were　not　the　only　protection　to　the　great　curve　of　walls。　First　came　the　glacis；　the　earth　slope　that　deflected　the　round　shot　and　bounced　it　high　over　the　defences；　and　then　the　huge　ditch。　The　drop　from　the　glacis　to　the　ditch　bottom　was　nowhere　less　than　twenty　feet　and；　once　in　the　ditch；　the　real　problems　began。　The　bastions　would　flank　any　attack；　pouring　in　their　plunging　fire；　and　there　were　ravelins　in　the　great　dry　moat。　The　ravelins　were　like　great；　triangular；　fake　walls　that　split　an　attack　and；　in　darkness；　could　deceive　men　into　thinking　they　had　reached　the　real　wall。　Any　man　who　climbed　a　ravelin　would　be　swept　off　by　carefully　aimed　cannon。　From　the　ditch　the　walls　rose　fifty　feet　and　on　their　wide　parapets　they　mounted　guns　every　five　yards。
　
　Badajoz　was　no　mediaeval　fortress　hastily　converted　for　modern　warfare。　It　had　once　been　the　pride　of　Spain；　a　brilliantly　engineered；　massively　built　death　trap；　that　was　now　garrisoned　by　the　finest　French　troops　in　the　Peninsula。　Twice　the　British　had　failed　to　take　the　city　and　there　seemed　no　reason；　a　year　later；　to　suppose　that　a　third　attempt　would　meet　with　success。
　
　The　fortress　had　just　one　weakness。　To　the　south…east；　opposite　the　Trinidad　bastion　and　across　the　flood　waters；　rose　the　shallow　San　Miguel　hill。　From　its　low；　flat　top　a　besieger　could　fire　down　on　to　the　south…east　corner　of　the　city；　and　that　was　the　single　weakness。　The　French　knew　it；　and　had　guarded　against　it。　Two　forts　had　been　built　to　the　south　and　east。　One；　the　Picurina；　had　been　built　across　the　new　lake　on　the　lower　slopes　of　the　San　Miguel　hill。　The　second　fort；　the　huge　Pardaleras；　was　to　the　south　and　guarded　the　approach　to　any　breach　that　might　be　carved　by　the　guns　on　the　hill。　It　was　not　much　of　a　weakness；　but　all　the　British　had　to　work　on　and　so；　on　St　Patrick's　Day；　they　marched　to　the　rear　of　the　San　Miguel　hill。　They　knew；　and　the　French　knew；　that　the　effort　would　be　against　the　south…east　corner　of　the　city；　against　the　Santa　Maria　and　Trinidad　bastions；　and　the　fact　that　the　selfsame　plan　had　failed　twice　before　did　not　matter。　From　the　top　of　the　hill；　where　curious　men　gathered　to　look　at　the　city；　the　breach　made　in　the　last　siege　could　be　clearly　seen　between　the　two　bastions。　It　had　been　repaired；　in　lighter　coloured　stone；　and　the　new　masonry　seemed　to　mock　the　ing　British　efforts。
　
　Sharpe　stood　next　to　Patrick　Harper　and　stared　at　the　walls。　'Jesus；　they're　big！〃　The　Sergeant　said　nothing。　Sharpe　pulled　the　bottle　from　inside　his　greatcoat　and　held　it　out。　'Here。　A　present　for　St　Patrick's　Day。'
　
　Harper's　broad　face　beamed　with　pleasure。　'You're　a　grand　man；　sir；　for　an　Englishman。　Would　you　be　ordering　me　to　save　you　half　for　St　George's　Day？'
　
　 Sharpe　stamped　his　feet　against　the　cold。　'I　think　I'll　take　that　half　now。'
　
　'I　thought　you　might。　'　Harper　was　glad　to　see　Sharpe；　of　whom　he　had　seen　little　in　the　past　month；　but　there　was　also　an　embarrassment　in　the　meeting。　The　Irishman　kn