bcornwell.sharpstiger-第32部分

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　Lawford　gaped　at　him。　〃You　know？'
　'The　Colonel　spoke　to　me；　sir；　while　we　was　going　through　that　pantomime　back　there　in　the　palace。　He　says　we're　to　tell　General　Harris　to　avoid　the　west　wall。　Nothing　else；　just　that。'
　Lawford　stared　at　Sharpe；　then　glanced　across　the　angle　of　the　city　walls　towards　the　western　defences；　but　nothing　he　could　see　there　looked　strange　or　suspicious。　'You'd　better　stop　calling　me　〃sir〃；'　he　said。　'Are　you　sure　about　what　he　said？'
　'He　said　it　twice。　Avoid　the　west　wall。'
　A　bellow　from　the　next　cavalier　made　them　turn。　Rothierewas　pointing　south；　suggesting　that　the　two　Englishmen　watch　that　direction　as　they　were　supposed　to　instead　of　gaping　like　yokels　towards　the　west。　Sharpe　obediently　stared　southwards；　though　there　was　nothing　to　be　seen　there　except　some　women　carrying　loads　on　their　heads　and　a　thin　naked　boy　herding　some　scrawny　came　along　the　river　bank。　His　duty　now；　Sharpe　thought；　was　to　escape　this　place　and　get　back　to　the　British　army；　but　how　in　God's　name　was　he　ever　to　do　that？　If　he　were　to　jump　off　the　wall　now；　Sharpe　reckoned；　he　would　stand　a　half…chance　of　breaking　a　leg；　and　even　if　he　survived　the　jump　he　would　only　land　in　the　glacis　ditch；　and　if　he　managed　to　cross　the　glacis　he　would　merely　reach　the　military　encampment　that　was　built　hard　around　the　city's　southern　and　eastern　walls；　and　if　he　was　lucky　enough　to　escape　the　hundreds　of　soldiers　who　would　converge　on　him；　he　would　still　need　to　cross　the　river；　and　meanwhile　every　gun　on　the　encampment　wall　would　be　hammering　at　his　heels；　and　once　he　had　crossed　the　river；　if　he　ever　did；　the　Tippoo's　lancers　would　be　waiting　on　the　far　bank。　The　sheer　impossibility　of　escaping　the　city　made　him　smile。　'God　knows　how　we　ever　get　out　of　here；'　he　said　to　Lawford。
　'Maybe　at　night？'　Lawford　suggested　vaguely。
　'If　they　ever　let　us　stand　guard　at　night；'　Sharpe　said　dubiously；　then　thought　of　Mary。　Could　he　leave　her　in　the　city？
　'So　what　do　we　do？'　Lawford　asked。
　'What　we　always　do　in　the　army；'　Sharpe　said　stoically。　'Hurry　up　and　do　nothing。　Wait　for　the　opportunity。　It'll　e；　it'll　e。　And　in　the　meantime；　maybe　we　can　find　out　just　what　the　devils　are　doing　in　the　west　of　the　city；　eh？'
　Lawford　shuddered。　'I'm　glad　I　brought　you；　Sharpe。'
　'You　are？'　Sharpe　grinned　at　that　pliment。　'I'll　tell　you　when　I'll　be　glad。　When　you　take　me　back　home　to　the　army。'　And　suddenly；　after　weeks　of　thinking　about　desertion；　Sharpe　realized　that　what　he　had　just　said　was　true。　He　did　want　to　go　back　to　the　army；　and　that　knowledge　surprised　him。　Thearmy　had　bored　Richard　Sharpe；　then　done　its　best　to　break　his　spirits。　It　had　even　flogged　him；　but　now；　standing　on　Seringapatam's　battlements；　he　missed　the　army。
　For　at　heart；　as　Richard　Sharpe　had　just　discovered　for　himself；　he　was　a　soldier。
　
　CHAPTER　6
　
　The　armies　of　Britain　and　Hyderabad　reached　Seringapatam　four　days　later。　The　first　evidence　of　their　ing　was　a　cloud　of　dust　that　thickened　and　rose　to　obscure　the　eastern　horizon；　a　great　fog　of　dust　kicked　up　by　thousands　of　hooves；　boots　and　wheels。　The　two　armies　had　crossed　the　river　well　to　the　city's　east　and　were　now　on　its　southern　bank　and　Sharpe　climbed　with　the　rest　of　Gudin's　men　to　the　firestep　above　the　Mysore　Gate　to　watch　the　first　British　cavalry　patrols　appear　in　the　distance。　A　torrent　of　lancers　clattered　out　of　the　gate　to　challenge　the　invaders。　The　Tippoo's　men　rode　with　green　and　scarlet　pennants　on　their　lance　heads　and　beneath　silk　banners　showing　the　golden　sun　blazoned　against　a　scarlet　field。　Once　the　lancers　had　passed　through　the　gate　a　succession　of　painted　ox　carts　squealed　and　ground　their　way　into　the　city；　each　loaded　with　rice；　grain　or　beans。　There　was　plenty　of　water　inside　Seringapatam；　for　not　only　did　the　River　Cauvery　wash　beneath　two　of　the　walls；　but　each　street　had　its　own　well；　and　now　the　Tippoo　was　making　certain　that　the　granaries　were　filled　to　overflowing。　The　city's　magazines　were　already　crammed　with　ammunition。　There　were　guns　in　every　embrasure　and；　behind　the　walls；　spare　guns　waited　to　replace　any　that　were　dismounted。　Sharpe　had　never　seen　so　many　guns。　The　Tippoo　Sultan　had　great　faith　in　artillery　and　he　had　collected　cannon　of　every　shape　and　size。　There　were　guns　with　barrels　disguised　as　crouching　tigers；　and　guns　inscribed　with　flowing　Arabic　letters；　andguns　supplied　from　France；　some　still　with　the　ancient　Bourbon　cipher　incised　close　to　their　touchholes。　There　were　huge　guns　with　barrels　over　twenty　feet　long　that　fired　stone　balls　close　to　fifty　pounds　in　weight　and　small　guns；　scarce　longer　than　a　musket；　that　fired　individual　balls　of　grape。　The　Tippoo　intended　to　meet　any　British　assault　with　a　storm　of　cannon　fire。
　And　not　just　cannon　fire；　for　as　the　two　enemy　armies　marched　closer　to　the　city　the　rocket…men　brought　their　strange　weapons　to　the　firesteps。　Sharpe　had　never　seen　rockets　before　and　he　gaped　as　the　missiles　were　stacked　against　the　parapets。　Each　was　an　iron　tube　some　four　or　five　inches　wide　and　about　eighteen　inches　long　that　was　attached　by　leather　thongs　to　a　bamboo　stick　that　stood　higher　than　a　man。　A　crude　tin　cone　tipped　the　iron　cylinder；　and　inside　the　cone　was　either　a　small　solid　shot　or　else　an　explosive　charge　that　was　ignited　by　the　rocket's　own　gunpowder　pro…pellant。　The　missiles　were　fired　by　lighting　a　twist　of　paper　that　emerged　from　the　base　of　the　iron　cylinders。　Some　of　the　rocket　tubes　had　been　wrapped　with　paper；　then　painted　with　either　snarling　tigers　or　verses　from　the　Koran。　There's　a　man　in　Ireland　working　on　a　similar　weapon；'　Lawford　told　Sharpe；　'though　I　don't　think　he　puts　tigers　on　his　rocket　heads。'
　'How　do　you　aim　the　bloody　things？'　Sharpe　asked。　Some　of　the　rockets　had　been　placed　ready　to　fire；　but　there　was　no　gun　barrel　to　direct　them；　instead　they　were　simply　laid　on　the　parapet　and　pointed　in　the　general　direction　of　the　enemy。
　'You　don't　really　aim　them；'　Lawford　said；　'at　least　I　don't　think　you　do。　They're　just　pointed　in　the　right　direction　and　fired。　They　are　notoriously　inaccurate；'　he　added；　'at　least　I　hope　they　are。'
　'We'll　see　soon　enough；'　Sharpe　said　as　another　handcart　of　the　strange　missiles　was　heaved　up　the　ramp　to　the　firestep。
　Sharpe　looked　forward　to　seeing　the　rockets　fired；　but　thenit　became　apparent　that　the　British　and　Hyderabad　armies　were　not　approaching　the　city　directly　and　thus　bringing　themselves　into　range；　but　instead　planned　to　march　clear　around　Seringapatam's　southern　margin。　The　progress　of　the　two　armies　was　painfully　slow。　They　had　appeared　at　dawn；　but　by　nightfall　they　had　still　not　pleted　their　half…circuit　of　the　island　on　which　Seringapatam　sat。　A　crowd　of　spectators　thronged　the　city　ramparts　to　watch　the　enormous　sprawl　of　herds；　battalions；　cavalry　squadrons；　guns；　civilians　and　wagons　that　filled　the　southern　landscape。　Dust　surrounded　the　armies　like　an　English　fog。　From　time　to　time　the　fog　thickened　as　a　group　of　the　Tippoo's　lancers　attacked　some　vulnerable　spot；　but　each　time　the　lancers　were　met　by　a　countercharge　of　allied　cavalry　and　more　dust　would　spew　up　from　the　horses'　hooves　as　the　riders　charged；　clashed；　circled　and　fought。　One　lancer　rode　back　to　the　city　with　a　British　cavalryman's　hat　held　aloft　on　his　spear　point　and　the　soldiers　on　the　walls　cheered　his　return；　but　gradually　the　greater　number　of　allied　cavalry　gained　the　upper　hand　and　the　cheers　died　away　as　more　and　more　of　the　Tippoo's　horsemen　splashed　back　wounded　through　the　South　Cauvery's　ford。　Some　of　the　enemy；　when　the　Tippoo's　cavalry　was　driven　away；　ventured　closer　to　the　city。　Small　groups　of　officers　trotted　their　horses　towards　the　river　so　that　they　could　examine　the　city　walls；　and　it　was　one　such　group　that　drew　the　first　rocket　fire。
　Sharpe　watched　fascinated　as　an　officer　turned　one　of　the　long　weapons　on　the　flat　top　of　the　parapet　so　that　its　tin　cone　pointed　directly　towards　the　nearest　group　of　horsemen。　The　rocketman　waited　beside　his　officer；　swinging　a　length　of　slow　match　to　keep　its　burning　end　bright　and　hot。　The　officer　fussed　with　the　rocket's　alignment；　then；　satisfied　at　last；　he　stepped　back　and　nodded　to　the　rocketman　who　grinned　and　touched　his　slow　match　to　the　twist　of　paper　at　the　rocket's　base。The　fuse　paper；　Sharpe　guessed；　had　been　soaked　in　water　diluted　with　gunpowder；　then　dried；　because　it　immediately　caught　the　glowing　fire　which　ate　its　way　swiftly　up　the　fuse　as　the　rocketman　stepped　hurriedly　away。　The　glowing　trail　vanished　into　the　iron　cylinder；　there　was　silence　for　a　second；　then　the　rocket　twitched　as　a　bright　flame　abruptly　choked　and　spat　from　the　tube's　base。　The　twitch　of　the　igniting　powder　charge　threw　the　heavy　rocket　out　of　its　careful　alignment；　but　there　was　no　chance　to　correct　the　weapon's　aim　for　a　jet　of　flame　was　spitting　fiercely　enough　from　the　cylinder　to　scorch　the　rocket's　quivering　bamboo　stick；　and　then；　very　suddenly；　the　bright　flame　roared　into　a　furnace…like　intensity　with　a　noise　like　a　huge　waterfall；　only　instead　of　water　it　was　spewing　sparks　and　smoke；　as　the　rocket　began　to　move。　It　trembled　for　an　instant；　scraped　an　inch　or　two　across　the　parapet；　then　abruptly　accelerated　away　into　the　air；　leaving　a　thick　cloud　of　smoke　and　a　scorch　mark　on　the　parapet's　coping。　For　a　few　seconds　it　seemed　as　if　the　rocket　was　having　trouble　staying　aloft；　for　the　long　scorched　tail　wobbled　as　the　fiery　tube　fought　against　gravity　and　as　the　smoke　trail　stitched　a　crazy　whorl　above　the　ditch　at　the　foot　of　the　wall；　but　then　at　last　it　gained　momentum　and　raced　away　across　the　glacis；　the　encampment　and　the　river。　It　spewed　a　tail　of　sparks；　fire　and　smoke　as　it　flew；　then；　as　the　powder　charge　began　to　be　exhausted；　the　rocket　fell　earthwards。　Beneath　the　missile　the　group　of　horsemen　had　collapsed　their　spyglasses　and　were　fleeing　in　every　direction　as　the　fire…tailed　demon　came　shrieking　out　of　the　sky。　The　rocket　struck　the　ground；　bounced；　tumbled；　then　exploded　with　a　small　crack　of　noise　and　a　burst　of　flame　and　white　smoke。　None　of　the　horsemen　had　been　touched；　but　their　panic　delighted　the　Tippoo's　men　on　the　bastions　who　gave　the　rocketmen　a　cheer。　S