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aired　masonry　as　the　gunners　slaved；　dragged　at　their　weapons；　rammed；　sponged；　and　rammed　again；　working　with　a　knowledge　of　victory。　To　the　south；　dear　of　the　smoke…fog　on　the　lake；　the　Engineers　peered　at　the　unbroken　stretch　of　wall。　It　jetted　dust　in　a　hazy　cloud；　started　from　the　dry　mortar　by　the　cannon…strike；　but　it　held　all　morning。　The　cannons　hammered　on；　smiting　the　wall　with　shattering　force　until；　early　in　the　afternoon；　the　labor　was　rewarded。
　
　The　wall　began　to　slide；　not　piece　by　piece　as　the　bastions　had　given；　but　in　one　solid；　spectacular　chunk。　Hogan　jumped　for　the　joy　of　it。　'It's　going！'
　
　Then　the　view　was　lost。　Dust　boiled　up　like　smoke　from　an　explosion；　the　sound　rolled　across　the　water；　and　the　gun　crews　cheered　themselves　hoarse。　The　dust　drifted　slowly　away　and　there；　where　once　there　had　been　a　seemingly　solid　wall；　was　now　a　third；　huge　breach；　as　wide　as　the　others；　but　fresh；　undefended；　and　the　orders　were　given。　Tonight；　gentlemen；　tonight　at　dusk。　Into　the　breaches　and　the　gates　of　Spain　would　belong　to　Britain。
　
　All　afternoon；　as　clouds　came　from　the　east；　the　guns　fired　so　that　the　French　could　not　work　in　the　breaches。　The　gunners　worked　willingly。　Their　job　was　done　and　this　was　the　last　day　of　effort；　the　twenty…second　day　of　the　siege；　and　tomorrow　there　would　be　no　more　heaving　and　sweating　and　no　more　enemy　counter…battery　fire。　Badajoz　would　be　theirs。　The　Engineers　counted　ladders　and　hay…bags；　stacked　the　huge　axes　that　the　leading　troops　would　take　into　the　attack；　and　thought　of　the　fortable　beds　that　waited　in　the　city。　Badajoz　was　theirs。
　
　The　orders；　just　twenty…seven　paragraphs；　were　issued　at　last　and　the　men　listened　in　silence　as　their　officers　told　them　the　news。　Bayonets　were　polished　again；　muskets　checked；　and　they　listened　to　the　flat　notes　of　the　cathedral　clock。　First　darkness　and　Badajoz　was　theirs。
　
　Captain　Robert　Knowles；　now　part　of　the　Third　Division；　stared　up　at　the　huge　castle　with　its　colony　of　kestrels。　The　Third　Division；　carrying　the　longest　ladders；　was　to　cross　the　stream　and　climb　the　castle　rock。　No　one　expected　the　attack　to　work；　it　was　merely　a　diversion　to　keep　troops　pinned　in　the　castle；　but　Knowles's　men　grinned　at　him　and　swore　they　would　climb　the　wall。　'We'll　show　them；　sir！'　And　they　would　try；　he　knew；　and　so　would　he；　and　he　thought　how　splendid　it　would　be　if　he　could　reach　Teresa　first；　in　the　house　with　two　orange　trees；　and　hand　her　and　the　child　safely　to　Sharpe。　He　looked　again　at　the　vast　castle；　on　its　high；　steep　rock；　and　he　vowed　he　would　fight　as　Sharpe　fought。　The　devil　with　a　fake　attack！　They　would　attack　for　real。
　
　The　Fifth　Division；　brought　back　across　the　river；　would　mount　another　escalade　with　ladders；　this　time　against　the　north…east　bastion；　the　San　Vincente；　which　towered　above　the　slow　river。　Like　the　castle　attack；　it　was　intended　to　pin　down　enemy　troops；　to　stop　reinforcements　going　to　the　south…east　corner；　for　it　was　there；　at　the　three　breaches；　that　Wellington　knew　he　must　win　his　victory。
　
　The　breaches。　The　Fourth　and　Light　Divisions　would　make　the　real　attack；　the　assault　on　the　three　breaches　and　the　men；　waiting　as　the　clouds　spread　over　the　sky；　imagined　the　boiling　of　troops　in　the　ditch；　the　fighting　that　was　to　e；　but　they　would　win。　Badajoz　would　be　taken。　The　guns　fired　on。
　
　Sharpe　found　a　cavalry　armourer　who　put　the　huge　sword　against　a　treadled　wheel　and　the　sparks　flowed　from　the　edge。　He　had　checked　his　rifle　and　loaded　the　seven…barreled　gun。　Even　though　his　own　orders　forbade　him　to　go　into　the　ditch　he　wanted　to　be　ready。　He　was　a　guide；　the　only　man　who　had　already　walked　to　the　lip　of　the　glacis；　and　his　task　was　to　lead　the　Forlorn　Hope　of　the　Light　Division　to　the　brink　of　the　ditch　opposite　the　Santa　Maria　bastion。　There　they　would　leave　him　and　go　on　to　attack　the　bastion　and　the　new　breach　while；　off　to　the　right；　the　South　Essex　and　the　Fourth　Division　marched　on　the　Trinidad。　Once　Sharpe　had　taken　the　Forlorn　Hope　to　the　ditch；　he　was　to　return　and　guide　other　battalions　up　the　slope；　but　he　hoped；　against　hope；　that　he　could　find　a　way　into　the　fight　and　over　the　wall　to　his　child。
　
　The　bell　tolled　six；　then　the　quarter；　and　on　the　half；　the　men　lined　up　out　of　sight　of　the　city。　They　carried　no　packs；　just　weapons　and　ammunition；　and　their　Colonels　inspected　them；　not　to　check　on　uniforms；　but　to　grin　at　them　and　encourage　them；　because　tonight　the　mon　man；　the　despised　soldier；　would　write　a　page　in　history　and　that　page　had　better　be　a　British　victory。　Tension　stretched　as　the　sun　sank；　imagination　making　fears　real；　and　the　officers　passed　the　rum　rations　down　the　ranks　and　listened　to　the　old　jokes。　There　was　a　sudden　warmth　in　the　army；　a　feeling　of　difficulties　that　would　be　shared；　and　the　officers　who　came　from　the　big　houses　felt　close　to　their　men。　Imagination　did　not　spare　the　rich；　nor　would　the　defenders；　and　tonight　the　rich　and　poor　in　the　ditch　would　need　each　other。　The　wives　made　their　farewells　and　hoped　for　a　live　husband　on　the　morrow；　and　the　children　were　silent；　awed　by　the　expectancy；　while　in　the　doctors'　tents　the　instrument　cases　were　opened　and　the　scalpels　honed。　The　guns　fired　on。
　
　Seven　o'clock。　A　half…hour　only　left　and　Sharpe　and　the　other　guides　…　all　except　the　Rifleman　were　Engineers　…joined　their　battalions。　The　Forlorn　Hope　of　the　Light　Division　was　half　posed　of　Riflemen；　hoping　for　the　laurel…wreath　badge。　They　grinned　at　Sharpe　and　joked　with　him。　They　wanted　the　thing　done　and　over　in　the　way　that　a　man　facing　the　surgeon's　knife　hastened　the　fatal　clock。　They　would　move　at　half…past　seven　and　by　half…past　nine　the　issue　would　be　decided。　Those　that　lived　would　be　drunk　by　ten　and　the　wine　would　be　free。　They　waited；　sitting　on　the　ground　with　their　rifles　between　their　knees；　and　prayed　the　clock　on。　Let　it　be　over；　let　it　be　over；　and　darkness　came　and　the　guns　boomed　on；　and　the　orders　had　to　e。
　
　Half…past　seven；　and　the　orders　still　not　given。　There　was　a　delay　and　no　one　knew　why。　The　troops　fidgeted；　grew　angry　against　unseen　staff　officers；　cursed　the　bloody　army　and　the　bloody　Generals　because　in　the　darkness　the　French　would　be　swarming　on　the　breaches；　preparing　traps　for　the　British！　The　guns　stopped　firing；　as　they　should　have　done；　but　there　were　still　no　orders　and　the　men　waited　and　imagined　the　French　working　on　the　new　breach。　Eight　o'clock　sounded；　and　then　the　half；　and　horses　galloped　in　the　darkness。　Men　shouted　for　information。　There　were　still　no　orders；　but　rumored　explanations。　The　ladders　had　been　lost。　The　hay　bags　were　missing　and　they　cursed　the　Engineers；　the　lousy　army；　and　the　French　worked　on。
　
　Nine　o'clock；　and　murder　was　being　prepared　in　the　breaches。　Delay　it；　Sharpe　thought；　let　it　be　tomorrow！　The　attack　should　go　in　on　the　heels　of　the　guns；　in　the　minutes　of　darkness　when　there　was　a　trace　of　light　so　that　the　battalions　would　not　get　lost　on　the　glacis。　Still　the　time　ticked　away　and　still　they　waited　and　still　the　enemy　were　given　precious　minutes　to　work　on　the　defences。　Then　there　was　a　stir　in　the　darkness。　Orders；　at　last；　and　there　would　be　no　delay。
　
　Go；　go；　go；　go；　go。　The　ranks　moved　with　the　clinking　of　metal　and　thumping　of　rifle　and　musket　stocks。　There　was　a　sense　of　relief　to　be　moving　in　the　darkness；　in　the　bleak；　total　darkness；　and　the　six　thousand　five　hundred　men；　English；　Irish；　Scottish；　Welsh　and　Portuguese　moved　against　the　city。　The　guides　ordered　quiet　and　the　orders　went　back；　but　they　were　moving　at　last　and　no　one　could　silence　the　thousands　of　boots　that　scraped　and　scuffed　by　the　road　that　led　between　the　flood　and　the　Pardaleras　Fort。　Far　to　the　north；　the　Third　Division　filed　over　the　bridge　by　the　broken　mill　that　spanned　the　Rivillas　and　the　air　was　filled　with　the　croaking　of　frogs　and　the　fears　of　men。　The　city　waited　in　darkness。　Silence　in　Badajoz。
　
　The　Lieutenant　who　was　leading　the　Forlorn　Hope　touched　Sharpe's　elbow。　'Are　we　too　far　to　the　left？'
　
　They　had　lost　all　touch　with　the　Fourth　Division。　It　was　dark；　utterly　dark；　and　there　was　no　sound　from　the　fort　or　from　the　city。　Sharpe　whispered　back。　'We're　all　right。'
　
　Still　there　was　no　firing；　no　sound　from　the　city　or　from　the　Pardaleras　that　was　now　behind　them。　Silence。　Sharpe　wondered　if　the　attack　would　be　a　surprise　to　the　French。　He　wondered　if　perhaps　the　enemy　had　been　fooled　by　the　delay；　perhaps　the　troops　had　relaxed；　were　waiting　for　another　day　and　if　the　greatest　gift　the　gods　can　give　a　soldier；　surprise；　had　been　given　to　the　British。　They　were　close　now。　The　dim；　dark　shadow　of　the　fortress　blotted　out　half　the　sky。　It　was　huge　in　the　night；　vast；　unimaginably　strong；　and　the　slope　of　the　glacis　was　beneath　Sharpe's　feet　and　he　paused　as　the　sixty　men　of　the　Forlorn　Hope　aligned　themselves　and　thrust　their　ladders　and　hay…bags　to　the　front。　The　Lieutenant　scraped　his　sword　from　the　scabbard。　'Ready。'
　
　There　was　firing　from　the　right；　far　off；　where　the　Third　Division　had　been　spotted。　It　sounded　miles　away；　like　someone　else's　battle；　and　it　was　difficult　to　believe　that　the　sound　had　anything　to　do　with　the　dark　glacis　leading　to　the　fortress　in　front。　Yet　the　sound　would　alert　all　the　French　sentries　and　Sharpe　hurried　up　the　slope；　angling　to　his　left；　and　still　there　was　no　sound　from　walls　or　bastions。　He　tried　to　make　sense　of　the　shadows；　to　recognize　the　shapes　he　had　seen　just　three　nights　before；　and　his　footsteps　sounded　loud　on　the　grass　and　he　could　hear　the　panting　of　men　behind　him。　Surely　the　French　would　hear！　At　any　moment；　he　almost　cringed　at　the　reality　of　the　imagination；　the　grapeshot　would　stab　down　from　the　walls。　He　saw　the　corner　of　a　bastion；　recognized　the　Santa　Maria；　and　a　relief　went　through　him　as　he　knew　he　had　brought　the　Hope　to　the　right　place。
　
　Sharpe　turned　to　the　Lieutenant。　〃This　is　it。'　He　wished　he　was　going　with　him；　that　he　was　leading　the　Hope；　but　it　was　not　to　be。　The　glory　belonged　to　the　Lieutenant　who　made　no　reply。　Tonight　he　was　a　god；　tonight　he　could　do　no　wrong；　because　tonight　he　was　leading　a　Forlorn　Hope　against　the　biggest　citadel　t