bcornwell.sharpescompany- 第3节

　
　Then；　in　England；　he　had　met　Jane　Gibbons　whose　brother；　Lieutenant　Christian　Gibbons；　had　tried　to　kill　him　at　Talavera。　Gibbons　had　died。　Jane　Gibbons　was　beautiful　as　men　dream　of　beauty；　blonde　and　feminine；　slim　as　Teresa　was　slim；　but　there　the　resemblance　ended。　The　Spanish　girl　could　strip　a　Baker　rifle　lock　in　thirty　seconds；　could　kill　a　man　at　two　hundred　paces；　could　lay　an　ambush　and　knew　how　to　give　a　captured　Frenchman　a　lingering　death　as　payment　for　her　own　mother's　rape　and　murder。　Jane　Gibbons　could　play　the　pianoforte；　write　a　pretty　letter；　knew　how　to　use　a　fan　at　a　county　dance；　and　took　her　delight　in　spending　money　at　Chelmsford's　milliners。　They　were　as　different　from　each　other　as　steel　is　from　silk；　yet　Sharpe　wanted　both；　though　he　knew　such　dreams　were　futile。
　
　'She's　alive。　'　Hogan's　voice　was　soft。
　'Alive？'
　'Teresa。　'　Hogan　would　know。　Despite　the　shortage　of　Engineers；　Wellington　had　put　Hogan　on　his　own　staff。　The　Irishman　spoke　Spanish；　Portuguese；　and　French；　could　break　the　enemy's　codes；　and　spent　much　of　his　time　working　with　the　Guerilleros　or　with　Wellington's　Exploring　Officers　who　rode；　alone　and　in　uniform；　behind　French　lines。　Hogan　collected　what　Wellington　called　his　'intelligence'　and　Sharpe　knew　that　if　Teresa　were　still　fighting；　then　Hogan　would　have　news。
　'What　have　you　heard？'
　'Not　much。　She　went　south　for　a　long　time；　by　herself；　but　I　heard　she　was　back　up　here。　Her　brother　is　leading　the　band；　not　herself；　but　they　still　call　her　〃La　Aguja〃。　'
　Sharpe　smiled。　He　had　given　her　the　nickname　himself；　the　needle。　'Why　did　she　go　south？'
　'I　don't　know。　'　Hogan　smiled　at　him。　'Cheer　yourself　up。　You'll　see　her　again。　Besides；　I'd　like　to　meet　her！'
　Sharpe　shook　his　head。　It　had　been　a　long　time　and　she　had　made　no　effort　to　find　him。　'There　must　be　a　last　woman；　sir；　like　a　last　battle。　'
　Hogan　whooped　with　laughter。　'God　in　heaven！　A　last　woman。　You　gloomy　bastard！　You'll　be　telling　me　next　that　you're　training　for　the　Priesthood。　'　He　wiped　a　tear　from　his　eye。　'A　last　woman；　indeed！'　He　turned　to　stare　once　more　at　the　town。　'Listen；　my　friend；　I　must　be　busy；　or　I'll　be　the　last　Irishman　on　Wellington's　staff。　Will　you　look　after　yourself　now？'
　
　Sharpe　grinned　and　nodded。　'I'll　survive。　'
　
　'That's　a　useful　delusion。　It's　good　you're　back。　'　He　smiled　and　began　trudging　through　the　snow　towards　Wellington's　headquarters。　Sharpe　turned　back　towards　Ciudad　Rodrigo。　Survival。　It　was　a　bad　time　to　be　fighting。　The　turn　of　a　year　was　when　men　looked　ahead；　dreamed　of　far…away　pleasures；　of　a　small　house　and　a　good　woman；　and　friends　of　an　evening。　Winter　was　a　time　when　armies　stayed　in　their　quarters；　waiting　for　the　spring　sunshine　to　dry　the　roads　and　shrink　the　rivers；　but　Wellington　had　marched　in　the　first　days　of　the　New　Year；　and　the　French　garrison　of　Ciudad　Rodrigo　had　woken　one　cold　morning　to　find　that　war　and　death　had　e　early　in　1812。
　
　Ciudad　Rodrigo　was　just　the　beginning。　There　were　only　two　roads　from　Portugal　into　Spain　that　could　take　the　weight　of　heavy　artillery；　the　endless　grinding　of　supply　carts；　and　the　pounding　of　battalions　and　squadrons。　Ciudad　Rodrigo　guarded　the　northern　road　and　tonight；　as　the　church　bell　sounded　seven；　Wellington　planned　to　take　the　fortress。　Then；　as　all　the　army　knew；　as　all　Spain　knew；　there　was　the　southern　road　to　capture。　To　be　safe；　to　protect　Portugal；　to　attack　into　Spain；　the　British　must　control　both　roads；　and　to　control　the　southern　road　they　must　first　take　Badajoz。
　
　Badajoz。　Sharpe　had　been　there；　after　Talavera　and　before　the　Spanish　army　had　feebly　surrendered　the　city　to　the　French。　Ciudad　Rodrigo　was　big；　but　small　pared　with　Badajoz；　the　walls　in　this　snow　looked　formidable；　but　they　were　puny　next　to　the　bastions　of　Badajoz。　Richard　Sharpe　let　his　thoughts　go　south；　drifting　with　the　cannon…smoke　over　Ciudad　Rodrigo；　south　over　the　mountains；　to　where　the　vast　fortress　cast　dark　shadows　on　the　cold　waters　of　the　Guadiana　River。　Badajoz。　Twice　the　British　had　failed　to　take　the　city　from　the　French。　Soon　they　must　try　again。
　
　He　turned　away；　to　rejoin　his　pany　at　the　foot　of　the　hill。　There　could　be　a　miracle；　of　course。　The　garrison　of　Badajoz　might　get　the　fever；　the　magazine　might　blow　up；　the　war　might　end；　but　Sharpe　knew　they　were　vain　hopes　in　a　cold　wind。　He　thought　of　his　Captaincy；　of　his　gazette；　and　though　he　knew　that　Lawford；　his　Colonel；　would　never　take　the　Light　pany　from　his　mand；　he　still　wondered　why　he　had　not　volunteered　for　the　Forlorn　Hope。　It　would　have　made　his　rank　secure　and　he　would　have　passed　the　test　of　overing　the　fear　that　each　man　had　of　being　first　into　a　defended　breach。　He　had　not　volunteered　and　if　he　could　not　prove　his　bravery；　that　had　been　proved　so　many　times　before；　in　the　breach　at　Ciudad　Rodrigo；　then　the　proof　would　have　to　e　later。
　
　At　Badajoz。
　
　CHAPTER　2
　
　The　orders　came　late　in　the　afternoon；　surprising　no　one；　but　stirring　the　battalions　into　quiet　activity。　Bayonets　were　sharpened　and　oiled；　muskets　checked　and　re…checked；　and　still　the　siege　guns　hammered　at　the　French　defences；　trying　to　unseat　the　hidden；　waiting　cannon。　Grey　smoke　blossomed　out　of　the　batteries　and　drifted　up　to　join　the　low；　bellying　clouds　that　were　the　colour　of　wet　gunpowder。
　
　Sharpe's　Light　pany；　as　Hogan　had　requested；　were　to　join　the　Engineers　on　the　approach　to　the　largest　breach。　They　would　be　carrying　huge　hay…bags　that　would　be　thrown　down　the　steep　face　of　the　ditch　to　make　a　vast　cushion　on　to　which　the　Forlorn　Hope　and　the　attacking　battalions　could　safely　jump。　Sharpe　watched　as　his　men　filed　into　the　forward　trench；　each　holding　one　of　the　grotesquely　stuffed　bags。　Sergeant　Harper　dropped　his　bag；　sat　on　it；　pummeled　it　into　fort；　and　then　lay　back。　'Better　than　a　feather　bed；　sir。　'
　
　Nearly　one　man　in　three　of　Wellington's　army　came；　like　the　Sergeant；　from　Ireland。　Patrick　Harper　was　a　huge　man；　six　feet　four　inches　of　muscle　and　contentment；　who　no　longer　thought　it　odd　that　he　fought　for　an　army　not　his　own。　He　had　been　recruited　by　hunger　from　his　native　Donegal　and　kept　in　his　head　a　memory　of　his　homeland；　a　love　of　its　religion　and　language；　and　a　fierce　pride　in　its　ancient　warrior　heroes。　He　did　not　fight　for　England；　less　still　for　the　South　Essex　Regiment；　but　instead　he　fought　for　himself　and　for　Sharpe。　Sharpe　was　his　officer；　a　fellow　Rifleman　and　a　friend　if　it　was　possible　for　a　Captain　and　a　Sergeant　to　be　friends。　Harper　was　proud　to　be　a　soldier；　even　in　his　enemy's　army；　because　a　man　could　take　pride　in　doing　a　job　well。　One　day；　perhaps；　he　would　fight　for　Ireland；　but　he　could　not　imagine　how　that　could　happen　because　the　land　was　crushed　and　persecuted；　the　flames　of　resistance　trampled　out；　and；　in　truth；　he　did　not　give　the　prospect　much　thought　or　hope。　For　the　moment　he　was　in　Spain　and　his　job　was　to　inspire；　discipline；　humour；　and　cajole　the　Light　pany　of　the　South　Essex。　He　did　it　brilliantly。
　
　Sharpe　nodded　at　the　hay…bag。　'It's　probably　full　of　fleas。　'
　
　'Aye；　sir；　it　probably　is。　'　Harper　grinned。　'But　there's　no　room　on　my　body　for　another　flea。　'　The　whole　army　was　verminous；　lice…ridden；　flea…bitten；　but　so　inured　to　the　disfort　that　they　hardly　noticed　it。　Tomorrow；　thought　Sharpe；　in　the　fort　of　Ciudad　Rodrigo；　they　could　all　strip　off；　smoke　out　the　lice　and　fleas；　and　crush　the　uniform　seams　with　a　hot　iron　to　break　the　eggs。　But　that　was　tomorrow。
　'Where's　the　Lieutenant？'
　'Being　sick；　sir。　'
　'Drunk？'
　Harper's　face　flickered　in　a　frown。　That's　not　for　me　to　say；　sir。　'　Which　meant；　Sharpe　knew；　that　Lieutenant　Harold　Price　was　drunk。
　'Will　he　be　all　right？'
　'He　always　is；　sir。　'
　Lieutenant　Price　was　new　to　the　pany。　He　was　a　Hampshire　man；　the　son　of　a　ship…builder；　and　gambling　debts　and　unwanted　pregnancies　among　the　local　girls　had　persuaded　his　sober；　church…loving　father　that　the　best　place　for　young　Price　was　in　the　army。　The　ship…builder　had　purchased　his　son　an　Ensign's　mission　and；　four　years　later；　had　been　happy　to　pay　the　five　hundred　and　fifty　pounds　that　had　secured　Master　Price's　promotion　to　Li