'As long as we're in the skirmish line, sir, I don't mind. Harper drank more rum. 'I must save some for the morning.
Sharpe sat up. 'Hagman's bribing the drummer boys.
'Never works. Harper was right. The drummer boys did the flogging and were usually bribed by the victim's friends, but under the gaze of the officers they were forced to lay on with their full strength.
Sharpe stared at the dark bulk of Badajoz, relieved by a few hazed lights. There was a fire burning in one of the castle's many courtyards. The dull, brief bell of the Cathedral rang the half-hour. 'If only she wasn't there… He stopped.
'What?
‘I don't know.
'If she wasn't there. Harper's Ulster accent was slow, as if he was treading very carefully. 'You'd be tempted to bugger off. Is that right? Up to the hills? To fight with the Partisans?
'I don't know.
'You do. Do you think no one else has thought of it? Harper meant himself. 'You're not a fair weather soldier only.
'We'll get desertions soon.
‘Aye, if Hakeswill isn't buried soon. No one had deserted from the Battalion for months. Other battalions were losing men, a handful each day who slipped across to Badajoz. There was traffic the other way, too, including, so Hogan had told Sharpe, a French Engineer Sergeant who brought with him the plans of the defences. The plans held few surprises, except confirmation that the western glacis was thickly mined.
Sharpe changed the subject. 'Know how many died today?
'Was it today? Harper sounded surprised. 'It seems like last week.
'A hundred of us. They counted nearly three hundred French. And some of them drowned, too. Poor bastards.
'They always see double counting the French. Harper was scornful. 'And the French are probably boasting they killed a thousand of us.
'They didn't do much damage.
'No. The French had hoped to set the siege back by at least a week, by forcing the British to re-dig the whole parallel. A week gained would be an extra week during which a French field army might march to the garrison's relief. Harper opened another canteen. The assault will be rough.
'Yes.
The rain hissed down, seething on the soaked ground, thudding monotonously on the canvas. It was bitterly cold. Harper offered Sharpe the new canteen. 'I have an idea.
'Tell me. Sharpe yawned.
'Am I keeping you up?
'What's your idea?
'I'm volunteering for the Forlorn Hope.
Sharpe snorted. 'Don't be a bloody fool. You want to live, don't you?
'I'm not being a fool, and I want to be a Sergeant again. Will you ask for me?
Sharpe shrugged. ‘They don't listen to me any more.
'I said, will you ask? Harper's voice was stubborn.
Sharpe could not imagine Harper dead. He shook his head. 'No.
'You keeping it for yourself? The words were spoken harshly. Sharpe turned and looked at the huge man. There was no point in denial.
'How did you know?
Harper laughed. 'How long have I been with you? Mary, Mother of God, do you think I'm a fool? You lose your Captaincy and what will you do? You'll go screaming up some bloody breach with your sword waving because you'd rather be dead than lose your bloody pride.
Sharpe knew it was true. 'What about you?
I'd like the stripes back.
'Pride?
'Why not? They keep saying the Irish are fools, but I notice precious few laughing at me.
"That could be your size, not your stripes.
'Aye, maybe, but I'll not have them saying I failed. So you've volunteered?
Sharpe nodded. 'Yes. But they won't choose anyone yet, not till the assault.
'And if they choose you, will you take me?
'Yes. He said the word with reluctance.
The Irishman nodded. 'Let's hope they choose you, then.
'Pray for a miracle.
Harper laughed. You don't want a miracle. They always turn out bad. He drank rum. 'St Patrick turns out all the snakes from Ireland and what happens? We get so bored that we let the English in to take their place. The poor man must be turning in his grave. Snakes were better.
Sharpe shook his head. 'If Ireland were five times bigger, and England five times smaller, then you'd be doing the same to us.
Harper laughed again. 'Now that would be a miracle worth praying for.
Guns boomed to their right, across the river, as the cannon in the San Cristobel Fort fired over the Guadiana towards the parallel. The long, spitting fire was reflected in the dark water. The gunners on the city wall, not to be outdone, fired their pieces and the night was filled with the noise.
Harper shivered with the cold. ‘I’ll pray for another miracle.
'What?
'A chance to get Hakeswill. He nodded towards the city. 'In one of those little alleyways. I'll tear his bloody head off.
'What makes you think we'll get through the wall?
Harper gave a humorless laugh. 'You don't really think we can fail, do you?
'No. But then he had not really thought he could lose his Captaincy, had not thought he could lose the Company, and not in his worst dreams had he ever thought he would have to stand and watch Patrick Harper being flogged. The cold, wet night drummed on, bringing the bad dreams true.
CHAPTER 16
Rain, and more rain, increasing in vehemence, so by dawn it was seen that the river had flooded, was foaming white and high on the stone arches of the old bridge and, far more seriously, had swept the pontoon bridge downstream.
'Company! The last syllable was drawn out, mingling with the shouts of other Sergeants. 'Shun!
'Stand still! Eyes front!
A jingle of bridles and bits brought the Battalion's senior officers into the cleared space at the centre of the paraded Companies. Two sides of the rectangle were each formed by three Companies; four Companies were paraded on one long side and faced the solitary wooden triangle.
'Order arms! Again and again. Hands slapped on wet wood, the brass hilts slopped into the muck. Rain slanted on the ranks.
Sergeants marched stiffly through the sludge, slammed into attention and saluted. 'Company on parade, sir! The mounted Captains, miserable in their cloaks, acknowledged.
'Battalion ready for punishment parade, sir!
'Very good, Major. At ease.
"Talion! Collett's voice rode over wind and rain. 'Stand at… ease! There was a convulsive shuffle in the mud.
Sharpe, his head foul from the night's drinking, had paraded with the Light Company. Rymer was embarrassed, but it was Sharpe's place, and Hakeswill's yellow face was expressionless. A pulse throbbed beneath the livid scar on the Sergeant's neck. Daniel Hagman, the old Rifleman, had come to Sharpe before the parade and told him that the Company was mutinous. It was doubtless an exaggeration, but Sharpe could see the men were sullen, angry and, above all, shocked. The only good news was that Windham had cut the punishment to sixty lashes. Major Hogan had paid the Colonel a visit and, although the Engineer had failed to persuade Windham of Harper's innocence, he had impressed him by describing Harper's record. The Battalion waited in the sweeping rain, full of cold misery.
"Talion! Shun! Another shuffle and Harper appeared between two guards. The Irishman was stripped to the waist, showing the massive muscles of his arms and chest. He walked easily, ignoring the rain and mud, and grinned towards the Light Company. He seemed the least concerned man on the parade.
They lashed his wrists high on the triangle, spread his legs and tied them at the base, and then a Sergeant pushed the folded leather between Harper's teeth so that he would not bite his tongue off in the pain. The Battalion's doctor, a sickly man with a streaming nose, gave Harper's back a cursory inspection. He was obviously healthy. A leather strip was tied round his kidneys, the doctor nodded miserably at Collett, the Major spoke to Windham, and the Colonel nodded. 'Carry on!
The drumsticks came down on soggy skins. The Sergeant nodded at the two lads. 'One!