bcornwell.sharpstiger-第67部分

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nd　several　dozen　twelve…pounders　that　would　be　used　to　bombard　the　walls　either　side　of　the　place　General　Harris　had　chosen　to　make　his　breach。
　Gudin　knew　that　the　serious　business　of　making　the　breach　was　about　to　begin　and　he　almost　held　his　breath　as　he　waited　for　the　first　shot；　for　that　opening　gun　would　tell　him　whether　or　not　the　Tippoo's　gamble　had　succeeded。　The　waiting　seemed　to　stretch　for　ever；　but　at　last　one　of　the　batteriesunmasked　a　gun　and　the　great　brute　belched　a　jet　of　smoke　fifty　yards　in　front　of　its　embrasure。　The　sound　came　a　half…second　later；　but　Gudin　had　already　seen　the　shot　fall。
　The　British　had　swallowed　the　bait。　They　were　ing　straight　for　the　trap。
　The　rest　of　the　breaching　guns　now　opened　fire。　For　a　moment　a　rumbling　thunder　filled　the　sky　that　was　flapping　with　the　wings　of　startled　birds。　The　shots　seared　over　the　dry　land；　across　the　river　and　slammed　into　the　brief　curtain　wall　that　joined　the　sections　of　glacis。　The　wall　lasted　less　than　ten　minutes　before　an　eighteen…pounder　shot　pierced　through　it　and　suddenly　the　water　of　the　inner　ditch　was　gushing　out　into　the　South　Cauvery。　For　a　few　seconds　the　water　was　a　clear；　thin　spurt　arcing　out　to　the　river；　then　the　force　of　the　flow　abraded　the　remaining　mud　and　the　wall　collapsed　so　that　a　murky　flood　washed　irresistibly　down　the　river　bank。
　The　guns　scarcely　paused；　only　now　they　raised　their　aim　very　slightly　so　mat　the　balls　could　strike　against　the　base　of　the　outer　rampart　which　had　been　pletely　unmasked　by　the　collapse　of　the　glacis's　brief　connecting　wall。　Shot　after　shot　slammed　home；　their　impacts　reverberating　down　the　whole　length　of　the　ancient　battlements；　and　each　shot　punched　out　a　handful　of　mud　bricks。　The　water　from　the　punctured　ditch　kept　flowing　out；　and　the　shots　kept　slamming　home　as　the　gunners　sweated　and　hauled　and　spiked　and　sponged　out　and　rammed　and　fired　again。
　All　day　long　they　fired；　and　all　day　long　the　old　wall　crumbled。　The　shots　were　kept　low；　aimed　to　strike　at　the　foot　of　the　wall　so　that　the　bricks　above　would　collapse　to　make　a　ramp　of　rubble　that　would　lead　up　and　through　the　gap　that　the　guns　were　making。
　By　nightfall　the　wall　still　stood；　but　at　its　base　there　was　a　crumbling；　dusty　cavern　that　had　been　carved　deep　into　the　rampart。　A　few　British　guns　fired　in　the　night；　mostlyscattering　canister　or　grapeshot　in　an　attempt　to　stop　the　Tippoo's　men　from　repairing　the　cavern；　but　in　the　dark　it　was　difficult　to　keep　the　guns　aimed　true　and　most　of　the　shots　went　wild；　and　in　the　morning　the　British　gunners　pointed　their　telescopes　and　saw　that　the　cavern　had　been　plugged　with　earth…filled　wicker　gabions　and　baulks　of　timber。　The　first　few　shots　made　short　shrift　of　those　repairs；　scattering　the　timber　and　soil　in　huge　gouts　as　the　balls　bit　home；　and　once　the　cavern　was　re…exposed　the　gunners　went　to　work　on　it。　The　land　between　the　aqueduct　and　the　river　became　shrouded　with　a　mist　of　powder　smoke　as　the　artillery　poured　in　their　fire　until；　at　midday；　a　cheer　from　the　British　lines　marked　the　wall's　collapse。
　It　crumpled　slowly；　jetting　a　cloud　of　dust　into　the　air；　a　cloud　so　thick　that　at　first　no　man　could　see　the　extent　of　the　damage；　but　as　the　small　wind　cleared　the　smoke　away　from　the　guns　and　the　dust　from　the　wall　they　could　see　that　a　breach　had　been　made。　The　limewashed　wall　now　had　a　gap　twenty　yards　wide；　and　the　gap　was　filled　with　a　mound　of　rubble　up　which　a　man　could　climb　so　long　as　he　was　unencumbered　by　anything　other　than　a　musket；　a　bayonet　and　his　cartridge　box。　That　made　the　breach　practicable。
　Yet　still　the　guns　fired。　Now　the　gunners　were　trying　to　flatten　the　slope　of　the　breach　and　some　of　their　shots　ricocheted　up　to　the　inner　wall　and　for　a　time　Gudin　feared　that　the　British　were　planning　to　blast　a　passage　clean　through　that　new　inner　rampart；　but　then　the　gunners　lowered　their　aim　to　keep　their　balls　hammering　at　the　newly　made　breach　or　else　to　gnaw　at　the　shoulders　of　the　outer　wall's　gap。
　
　A　half…mile　away　from　Gudin；　in　the　British　lines；　General　Harris　and　General　Baird　stared　at　the　breach　through　their　telescopes。　Now；　for　the　first　time；　they　could　inspect　a　short　stretch　of　the　new　inner　wall。　'It　isn't　as　high　as　I　feared；'　Harris　mented。
　'Let's　pray　it's　unfinished；'　Baird　growled。'But　still　I　think　it's　better　to　ignore　it；'　Harris　decreed。　'Capture　the　outer　wall　first。'
　Baird　turned　to　stare　at　some　clouds　that　lay　heavy　and　low　on　the　western　horizon。　He　feared　the　clouds　presaged　rain。　'We　could　go　tonight；　sir；'　he　suggested。　Baird　was　remembering　the　forty…four　months　he　had　endured　in　the　Tippoo's　dungeons；　some　of　them　spent　chained　to　the　wall　of　his　cell；　and　he　wanted　revenge。　He　was　also　eager　to　get　the　bloody　business　of　storming　the　city　done。
　Harris　collapsed　his　glass。　'Tomorrow；'　he　said　firmly；　and　scratched　beneath　the　edge　of　his　wig。　'We　risk　more　by　rushing　things。　We'll　do　it　properly；　and　we'll　do　it　tomorrow。'
　That　night　a　handful　of　British　officers　crept　out　from　the　leading　trenches　with　small　white　cotton　flags　attached　to　bamboo　poles。　The　sky　was　laced　with　a　tracery　of　thin　clouds　that　intermittently　hid　the　waning　moon；　and　in　the　cloud　shadows　the　officers　explored　the　South　Cauvery　to　find　the　river's　treacherous　deep　pools。　They　marked　the　shallows　with　their　flags　and　so　pointed　the　path　towards　the　breach。
　And　all　through　that　night　the　assault　troops　filed　down　the　long　trenches。　Harris　was　determined　that　his　assault　would　be　overwhelming。　He　would　not　tickle　the　city；　he　told　Baird；　but　swamp　it　with　men；　and　so　Baird　would　lead　two　columns　of　troops；　half　of　them　British　and　half　sepoys；　but　nearly　all　of　them　prime　men　from　the　army's　elite　flanking　panies。　The　six　thousand　attackers　would　either　be　grenadiers；　who　were　the　biggest　and　strongest　men；　or　else　from　the　light　panies　who　were　the　quickest　and　cleverest　soldiers；　and　those　picked　men　would　be　acpanied　by　a　detachment　of　Hyderabad's　finest　warriors。　The　attackers　would　also　be　acpanied　by　engineers　carrying　fascines　to　fill　in　any　ditches　that　the　defenders　might　have　dug　on　the　breach's　summit　and　bamboo　ladders　to　scale　the　edges　of　the　breach。　Volunteer　gunners　would　follow　the　leading　troops　up　onto　the　ramparts　and　there　turn　the　Tippoo's　own　cannonagainst　the　defenders　on　the　inner　wall。　Two　Forlorn　Hopes　would　go　ahead　of　the　columns；　each　Hope　posed　solely　of　volunteers　and　each　led　by　a　sergeant　who　would　be　made　an　officer　if　he　survived。　Both　the　Forlorn　Hopes　would　carry　the　British　colours　into　the　breach；　and　those　colour　bearers　would　be　the　very　first　men　to　climb　into　the　enemy's　guns。　Once　on　the　breach　the　Forlorn　Hopes　were　ordered　not　to　go　on　into　the　space　between　the　walls；　but　to　climb　the　broken　stumps　of　the　shoulders　either　side　of　the　breach's　ramp　and　from　there　lead　the　fight　north　and　south　around　the　whole　ring　of　Seringapatam's　ramparts。
　'God　knows；'　Harris　said　that　night　at　supper；　'but　I　can　think　of　nothing　left　undone。　Can　you；　Baird？'
　'No；　sir；　I　can't；'　Baird　said。　'Upon　my　soul；　I　can't。'　He　was　trying　to　sound　cheerful；　but　it　was　still　a　subdued　meal；　though　Harris　had　done　his　best　to　make　it　festive。　His　table　was　spread　with　a　linen　cloth　and　was　lit　by　fine　spermaceti　candles　that　burned　with　a　pure　white　light。　The　General's　cooks　had　killed　their　last　chickens　to　provide　a　change　from　the　usual　half…ration　of　beef；　but　none　of　the　officers　round　the　table　had　much　appetite；　nor；　it　seemed；　any　enthusiasm　for　conversation。　Meer　Allum；　the　mander　of　the　Hyderabad　army；　did　his　best　to　encourage　his　allies；　but　only　Wellesley　seemed　capable　of　responding　to　his　remarks。
　Colonel　Gent；　who　as　well　as　being　Harris's　chief　engineer；　had　taken　on　himself　the　collation　of　what　intelligence　came　out　of　the　city；　poured　himself　some　wine。　It　was　rancid　stuff；　soured　by　its　long　journey　from　Europe　and　by　the　heat　of　India。　'There's　a　rumour；'　he　said　heavily　when　a　break　in　the　desultory　conversation　had　stretched　for　too　long；　'that　the　heathen　bastards　have　planted　a　mine。'
　'There　are　always　such　rumours；'　Baird　said　curtly。
　'A　bit　late　to　tell　us；　surely？'