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y of the South Essex were left with a dozen prisoners who had fallen on the slippery ground。 The French Sergeant； his single arm…stripe bloodied in the fight； looked round his own dead and then at the sword which had so nearly killed him。 He had seen the tall officer change the death…stroke； swerve the blow； and he nodded to him。 'Merci； Monsieur'。
Harper looked at the dozen men。 'What do we do with them； sir？'
'Let them go。' It was no place to take prisoners。 They took their weapons and hurled them across the parallel； out of reach； and searched each Frenchman for wine or brandy。 Ahead of Sharpe the battle still raged。 The main body of the French had fought their way to within fifty yards of the first battery； but had been held。 Scattered parties of men； some armed； some with nothing more than lengths of timber； were charging the French and starting vicious fights in the mud。 Officers on horseback galloped at the fringe of the fight； trying to restore order to chaos； but the British soldiers did not want order。 They wanted a break from the tedium of digging and the drowning rain； and they wanted a fight。 It was like a street brawl。 There was no smoke because the muskets would not fire； the noise of the fight was metal clashing on metal； wood on metal； the screams of the wounded and sobs of the dying。 From the side； where Sharpe and his half…pany shared brandy with their prisoners； it looked like hundreds of swamp monsters grappling in grotesque slow motions。 Sharpe pointed the French Sergeant towards the city。 'Go！' The Frenchman grinned； gave Sharpe a friendly salute； and led his small band away。 Twenty yards from the trench they stopped； picked up six spades。 Harper shouted。 'Bring Them back！' The French Sergeant made a rude gesture and began running towards Badajoz。
'Let them go。' Sharpe turned back to the fight。 'e on。' They trudged up beside the parapet； the rain sweeping across them and down on to the dead in the trench。 Broken spades and shattered muskets littered the slope。 The sound of the fight； the sound of men clawing each other to death in the mud； was muffled by the rain。 A French officer had organized a small group with spades and was trying to fill in the parallel。 Sharpe began to hurry； the ground treacherous； and he turned to see his men strung out as they followed him； but Harper was beside him and the French turned and saw them ing。 It was the turn of the French to use spades。 A huge man swung at them； forced them back； parried Harper's thrust and Sharpe flailed his sword at the brute； cutting through the spade…handle； and still the Frenchman came at them。 Harper bayoneted him； and still he came on； and Sharpe cut at the back of the man's neck until he finally collapsed。 'e on！'
There was a stinging pain in his back； he whipped round and the French officer； white…faced； was going back from the sword lunge。 'You bastard！' Sharpe went forward； blade level； and the Frenchman came at him。 The blades rattled； Sharpe twisted his wrist so that the heavy sword went from the Frenchman's left to his right； under his guard； and Sharpe stamped his right foot forward； ignored his opponent's blade and caught him in the ribs。 The French officer tried to back away； slipped on blood and mud but Sharpe kept on going forward； feeling the steel scrape on ribs。 His men swept past him with their bayonets held out； their captured bayonets； and Sharpe watched them drive the enemy back。
Bugles called the French back to the city and； within seconds； the hillside was a mass of retreating enemy carrying their wounded and bundles of captured shovels and picks。 They were heading straight for the city as if frightened of cavalry pursuit and Sharpe watched as men waded into the floodwater rather than go the long way round by the dam。 For ten； twenty yards it was fine； the water came up to their thighs and then； with horrid suddenness； the bottom dropped away。 French officers shouted at their men； ordered them away from the water； shepherded them to the Rivillas dam。 The sortie was over。
The French cannon opened fire； the round shot ploughing into mud…soaked red； and the British leaped for the damaged trench。 Harper looked at Sharpe's drawn and gory sword。 'Like old times； sir。 '
Sharpe looked round his small group。 All his Riflemen were there； grinning at him； and a good number of the rest of the Light pany。 He grinned at them； then picked up a piece of wet sacking and wiped the sword blade。 'You'd better get back to the pany。'
'Rather stay here； sir。' Sharpe could not see who had spoken。 He looked at Harper。
'Take them back； Sergeant。'
'Sir。' Harper grinned at him。 'And thank you； sir。'
'For nothing。' He was left alone。 Small groups wandered the area of fighting and picked up the wounded and stacked the dead。 There were a lot of bodies； more； he guessed； than had been in the breach at Ciudad Rodrigo。 A spade brought down on a man's head is a vicious instrument and the British troops had been frustrated and ready for a fight； for a savage brawl in the mud。 A dead Frenchman was curled at Sharpe's feet and the Rifleman crouched and ran his hands through the corpse's pockets and pouches。 There was nothing worth taking。 A letter folded into quarters which smeared as soon as Sharpe pulled it into the rain； a copper coin； and a loose musket ball that may have been the dead man's talisman。 Round the neck； thick with blood； was a cheap metal crucifix。 He had tried to grow a moustache； to look like a veteran； but the hairs were wispy and thin。 He was hardly more than a boy。 One of his boot soles had e loose； was hanging free and vibrating fitfully as the rain struck it。 Had that killed him？ Had the sole e loose in the fight and； as his rades ran； had he limped； or stumbled； and had a British bayonet sliced into his neck？ The ink washed off the letter； ran into the mud； but Sharpe could see the last word on the page that was written larger than the rest。 'Maman。'
He looked at the city； now fringed again with the long flames as the guns hammered the threnody that would not cease till the siege was over。 Teresa was there。 He looked at the Cathedral tower； squat and arched with bell windows； and thought how close the bell must sound to her。 The Cathedral only seemed to have the one bell； a harsh bell whose note died almost as soon as it was struck on the hour and its quarters。 He wondered； quite suddenly； if she ever sang to the child？ And what was mother in Spanish？ Maman？ Like the French？
'Sir！ Sir！' It was Ensign Matthews； blinking through the rain。 'Sir？ Is that you； sir？ Captain Sharpe？'
'It's me。' Sharpe did not correct the Captain to Lieutenant。
'You'd better e； sir。'
'What is it？'
'The officers' baggage； sir。 It's been rifled。'
'Rifled？' He was scrambling out of the trench。
'The Colonel's lost some silver； sir。 Everyone's lost something； sir。'
Sharpe swore。 He had been in charge of the baggage and； instead of guarding it； he had been brawling in the mud。 He swore again and began to run。
CHAPTER 14
'God damn it！' Colonel Windham paced up and down in the tiny sheepfold。 He was carrying a riding crop and he cut with it in his fury； slashing at the pile of baggage。 When he bent his head to look at the rifled baggage； water cascaded from his bicorne hat。 'God damn it！'
'When did it happen？' Sharpe asked Major Forrest。
'We don't know。 ' Forrest smiled nervously at the Rifleman。
Windham swiveled。 'Happen？ When？ This God…damned afternoon； Sharpe； when you were supposed to be in Goddamned mand！' There were another dozen officers crowded back against the walls of the sheepfold and they looked to Sharpe with accusing faces。 They were all wary of the Colonel's anger。
'Do we know it was this afternoon？' Sharpe insisted。
Windham looked as if he would like to whip Sharpe with his riding crop。 Instead he swore again； and turned away。 It was not the officers' day…to…day baggage that had been burgled； but their valuables which had been stored in leather mule…bags。 None of the baggage； as far as Sharpe knew； had been touched for three days。 It contained the kind of things that a man