bcornwell.sharpescompany-第52部分

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he　trees　that　grew　precariously　on　the　steep　hill　that　led　up　to　the　castle。　Behind　Knowles　came　his　pany；　carrying　two　ladders；　and　they　paused　with　him　at　the　foot　of　the　slope；　their　excitement　suppressed；　and　peered　up　at　the　looming　walls。　'Bloody　high！'　A　voice　came　from　the　rear　rank。
　
　'Quiet！'
　
　The　Engineer　officer　who　was　guiding　the　Battalion　was　nervous　and　Knowles　became　annoyed　at　the　man's　fidgeting。　'What's　the　matter？'
　
　'We're　too　far　over。　We　must　go　right。'
　
　They　could　not　go　right。　There　were　too　many　troops　crowding　at　the　hill's　base；　and　it　would　cause　chaos　if　the　battalions　tried　to　re…align　themselves　in　the　darkness。　Knowles　shook　his　head　irritably。　'We　can't。　What's　the　problem？'
　
　'That。'　The　Engineer　pointed　to　his　left。　A　huge　shadow　sprang　from　the　dark　rock；　high　over　them；　a　shadow　with　a　crenellated　outline。　The　bastion　of　San　Pedro。　Knowles's　Colonel　appeared　beside　him。　'What's　the　problem？'
　
　Knowles　pointed　to　the　bastion；　but　the　Colonel　dismissed　it。　'We　must　do　what　we　can。　Are　you　all　right；　Robert？'
　
　'Yes；　sir。'
　
　The　Colonel　turned　to　the　Light　pany　and　raised　his　voice　a　little　above　a　whisper。　'Enjoy　yourselves；　lads！'
　
　There　was　a　growling　from　the　ranks。　They　had　been　told　that　this　attack　was　merely　a　diversion；　not　intended　to　succeed；　but　then　General　Picton　had　damned　Wellington's　eyes　and　said　that　the　Third　Division　did　not　make　fake　attacks。　The　Third　Division　would　go　all　the　way；　or　not　at　all；　and　the　men　were　determined　to　prove　Picton　right。　Knowles；　for　the　first　time；　felt　the　seeds　of　doubt。　They　must　climb　a　hundred　feet　of　almost　sheer　rock；　and　then　put　ladders　against　a　wall　that　looked　forty　feet　high；　and　all　the　time　under　the　guns　of　the　defenders。　He　thrust　the　doubts　away；　trying；　as　he　always　did；　to　emulate　Sharpe；　but　it　was　difficult；　faced　with　the　enormity　of　the　castle；　to　feel　confident。　His　worries　were　interrupted　by　hurrying　footsteps　and　one　of　Picton's　aides　was　calling　for　the　Colonel。
　
　'Here！'
　
　'Go；　sir！　And　the　General　wishes　you　God　speed。'
　
　'I'd　rather　he　wished　me　a　case　of　his　claret。'　The　Colonel　slapped　Knowles's　shoulder。　'Off　you　go。'
　
　Knowles　could　not　draw　his　sabre。　He　needed　both　hands　to　cling　to　the　rock　hill；　to　pull　himself　up　while　his　feet　found　desperate　footholds。　His　Captaincy　was　heavy　on　his　shoulders。　He　hurried；　wanting　to　stay　ahead　of　his　men　because　he　knew　Sharpe　would　lead；　and　he　imagined；　as　he　climbed；　the　first　heavy　musket　balls　plummeting　down　to　crush　in　the　top　of　his　skull。　His　men　seemed　to　be　so　noisy！　The　ladders　scraped　on　rock；　on　tree…trunks；　the　musket　stocks　banged　on　stone；　the　feet　clattered　pebbles　loose；　but　still　the　castle　was　silent；　the　great　shadow　unrelieved　by　the　gun　flames。　Knowles　found　himself　thinking　of　Teresa；　inside　the　city；　and　hoping；　against　all　the　evidence　of　the　massive　walls；　that　he　could　reach　her　first。　He　wanted　to　do　something　for　Sharpe。
　
　'Faster！'　The　shout　was　from　one　of　his　Sergeants；　and　Knowles；　his　thoughts　elsewhere；　snapped　his　head　back　and　stared　up。　High　above　him；　falling；　falling；　was　the　first　carcass。　The　fire　roared　in　the　sky；　it　tumbled　end　over　end；　shedding　sparks；　and　he　watched；　fascinated；　as　it　plunged　into　a　thorn　tree　that　grew　close　by。　The　tree　flared　into　flame　and　the　first　muskets　banged　from　the　castle　wall。　They　seemed　far　away。
　
　'e　on！'
　
　More　fireballs　and　carcasses　fell　from　the　ramparts；　some　lodged　in　the　narrow　space　by　the　wall's　foot；　others　fell　in　streaming　shreds　of　fire　down　the　rock　slope　and　took　men　with　them；　screaming　as　the　flames　captured　them；　but　Knowles　climbed　on　and　his　men　pressed　behind。　'Faster！　Faster！'
　
　A　cannon　crashed　out　its　load　from　the　San　Pedro　bastion　and　canister　whipped　through　the　trees　and　crackled　on　stone。　There　was　a　cry　behind　him；　a　shout　of　despair；　and　he　knew　a　man　had　gone；　but　there　was　no　time　to　worry　about　casualties；　just　to　scramble　upwards；　the　going　easier　as　they　neared　the　top；　and　Knowles　felt　the　excitement　of　battle　that　would　carry　him　past　fear　and　into　action。
　
　'Keep　going！'　The　Colonel；　surprisingly　agile　for　his　years；　overtook　him　and　reached　the　space　at　the　wall's　base　first。　He　leaned　down　and　helped　Knowles　up。　'Get　the　ladders！'
　
　The　musket　balls　smacked　down；　but　the　shot　was　an　awkward　one　for　the　defenders；　they　had　to　lean　right　over　the　battlements　and　shoot　straight　down；　almost　at　random；　into　the　flaring　light　at　the　bottom　of　the　wall。　The　cannons　were　far　more　dangerous；　shooting　from　the　San　Pedro　and　from　a　smaller　bastion　to　Knowles's　right；　a　bastion　jutting　from　the　castle　wall。　Canister　scraped　the　wall；　promising　death　to　men　on　ladders；　but　that　was　a　fear　that　had　to　be　ignored。
　
　'Here！'　The　first　ladder　loomed　over　the　rock　slope　and　Knowles　ran　to　it；　pulled　it　towards　the　wall；　and　more　men　were　manhandling　it；　swinging　it　upwards；　until　it　thumped　against　the　battlements。　The　Colonel　waved　them　on。　'Good　lads！　The　first　one　over　gets　the　best　whore　in　Badajoz！'
　
　They　cheered　and　the　Colonel　dropped；　felled　by　a　bullet　from　above；　but　they　hardly　noticed。　'Me　first！　Me　first！'　Knowles　pushed　through；　boyish　in　his　excitement。　He　knew　that　Sharpe　would　lead；　and　so　must　he；　and　he　scrambled　up　the　rungs；　wondering　what　a　fool　he　was；　but　his　legs　pumped　automatically　and　it　occurred　to　him；　with　sudden　horror；　that　he　had　not　even　drawn　his　sabre。　He　looked　up；　saw　the　arms　of　defenders　pushing　at　the　ladder　and　he　began　to　fall　sideways。　He　shouted　a　warning；　let　go；　and　thumped　down　into　a　press　of　men。　Miraculously　not　a　single　bayonet　touched　him。　He　picked　himself　up。
　
　'Are　you　hurt；　sir？'　A　Sergeant　looked　worriedly　at　him。
　
　'No！　Get　it　up！'　The　ladder　was　not　broken。　Another　canister　splintered　on　the　wall；　the　men　swung　the　ladder　again　and　this　time　Knowles　was　not　near　enough　to　be　first　and　he　watched　as　his　men　began　climbing。　The　first　was　shot　from　above；　thrown　clear　by　the　second　man；　more　pushed　behind；　and　then　the　whole　ladder　with　its　human　cargo　disintegrated　in　splinters　and　flesh　as　a　barrel…full　of　grapeshot；　fired　from　the　San　Pedro　bastion；　found　a　full　target。　Stones　were　being　hurled　from　the　castle　parapets　that　crashed　into　knots　of　men　and　bounced　down　the　rock　face。　Suddenly　Knowles's　pany　seemed　to　be　halved　in　strength；　he　felt　the　frustrations　of　defeat　and　looked　frantically　for　the　second　ladder。　It　had　gone；　back　down　the　slope；　and　then　there　were　voices　shouting　at　him。　'Back！　Back！'　He　recognized　his　Major's　voice；　saw　the　face；　and　he　jumped　into　the　shadows　and　left　behind　the　broken　ladders　and　bodies　of　the　first　attack　beneath　the　triumphant　shouts　of　the　enemy。
　
　'Any　news　from　the　casde？'
　
　'No；　my　Lord。'　The　Generals　fidgeted。　In　front　of　them　the　south…east　corner　of　Badajoz　flickered　with　bright　fire。　The　two　soaring　bastions；　scarred　by　the　unconquered　breaches；　framed　the　flames；　fed　them；　and　the　smoke　boiled　scarlet　into　the　night。　To　the　right；　and　seemingly　far　away；　more　fire　glowed　above　the　silhouetted　castle　and　Wellington；　cloaked　and　gloved；　tugged　nervously　at　his　reins。　'Picton　won't　do　it；　y'know。　He　won't。　'
　
　An　aide…de…camp　leaned　closer。　'My　Lord？'　'Nothing。　Nothing。'　He　was　irritable；　helpless。　He　knew　what　was　happening　in　the　great　pit　of　fire　ahead。　His　men　were　marching　into　it　and　could　not　get　out　the　other　side。　He　was　appalled。　The　walls　were　three　times　bigger　than　Ciudad　Rodrigo；　the　fight　unimaginably　worse；　but　he　had　to　have　the　city。　Kemmis；　from　the　Fourth　Division；　pushed　in　by　his　side。
　
　'My　Lord？'
　
　'General？'
　
　'Do　we　reinforce；　sir？'　Kemmis　was　hatless；　his　face　smeared　with　dirt　as　if　he　had　been　firing　a　musket　himself。　'Do　we　send　in　more　men？〃
　
　Wellington　hated　sieges。　He　could　be　patient　when　he　had　to　be；　when　he　was　enticing　the　enemy　into　a　trap；　but　a　siege　was　not　like　that。　Inevitably　this　moment　had　to　e；　when　the　troops　had　to　be　ordered　into　the　one；　small；　deadly　point；　and　there　was　no　escaping　it　unless　the　enemy　was　simply　starved　into　submission　and　there　had　been　n