Cornwell, Bernard 01 Sharpe’s Tiger-Serigapatam-Apr-May 1799

‘Did Harris send you?” McCandless asked softly.

‘Yes,’ Sharpe hissed, not looking at the Colonel. Mary was shaking her head. She glanced at Sharpe, then looked back to the tall Indian.

‘Beware the west,’ McCandless whispered. ‘Nothing else.’ The Scotsman groaned, pretending to be in much more pain than he was. He retched dryly, tried to stand and instead toppled over. ‘You’re a traitor,’ he said loudly enough for Gudin to hear him, ‘and you’ll die a traitor’s death.’

Sharpe spat on McCandless. ‘Come here, Sharpe!’ Gudin, disapproval plain in his voice, ordered him.

Sharpe marched back to Lawford’s side where one of the

Tippoo’s attendants took back the two muskets. The Tippoo gestured at McCandless’s guards, evidently signifying that the Scotsman was to be returned to his cell. The Tippoo then gave Sharpe an approving nod before turning and leading his entourage out of the courtyard. The tall Indian in the silk tiger stripes beckoned to Mary.

Tm to go with him, love,’ she explained to Sharpe.

‘I thought you were staying with me!’ Sharpe protested.

‘I’m to earn my keep,’ she said. ‘I’m to teach his little sons English. And sweep and wash, of course,’ she added bitterly.

Colonel Gudin intervened. ‘She will join you later,’ he told Sharpe. ‘But for now you are both, how do you say it? On test?’

‘Probation, sir?’ Lawford offered.

‘Exactly,’ Gudin said. ‘And soldiers on probation are not permitted wives. Don’t worry, Sharpe. I’m sure your woman will be safe in General Rao’s house. Now go, Mademoiselle.’

Mary stood on tiptoe and kissed Sharpe’s cheek. ‘I’ll be all right, love,’ she whispered, ‘and so will you.’

‘Look after yourself, lass,’ Sharpe said, and watched her follow the tall Indian officer out of the courtyard.

Gudin gestured towards the archway. ‘We must let Doctor Venkatesh finish your back, Sharpe, then give you both new uniforms and muskets. Welcome to the Tippoo Sultan’s army, gentlemen. You earn a haideri each every day.’

‘Good money!’ Sharpe said, impressed. A haideri was worth half a crown, far above the miserable tuppence a day he received in the British army.

‘But doubtless in arrears,’ Lawford said sarcastically. He was still angry at Sharpe for having tried to shoot McCandless, and the musket’s misfire had not placated him.

‘The pay is always in arrears,’ Gudin admitted cheerfully, ‘but in what army is the pay ever on time? Officially you earn a haideri a day, though you will rarely receive it, but I can promise you other consolations. Now come.’ He summoned

Doctor Venkatesh who retrieved his basket and followed Gudin out of the palace.

Thus Sharpe went to meet his new comrades and readied himself to face a new enemy. His own side.

General David Baird did not feel guilty about Sharpe and Lawford, for they were soldiers and were paid to take risks, but he did feel responsible for them. The fact that neither the British nor Indian cavalry patrols had discovered the two men suggested that they might well have reached Seringapa-tam, but the more Baird thought about their mission the less sanguine he was about its successful completion. It had seemed a good idea when he had first thought of it, but two days’ reflection had diluted that initial hope with a score of reservations. He had always suspected that even with the help of Ravi Shekhar their chances of rescuing McCandless were woefully small, but at the very least he had hoped they might learn McCandless’s news and succeed in bringing it out of the city, but now he feared that neither man would even survive. At best, he thought, the two men could only hope to escape execution by joining the Tippoo’s forces, which would mean that both Sharpe and Lawford would be in enemy uniform when the British assaulted the city. There was litde Baird could do about that, but he could prevent a dreadful miscarriage of justice following the city’s fall, and so that night, when the two armies’ great encampment was established just a few days’ march from their goal, Baird sought out the lines of the 33rd.

Major Shee seemed alarmed at the General’s sudden appearance, but Baird soothed the Major and explained he had a little business with the Light Company. ‘Nothing to trouble you, Major. Just an administrative matter. A triviality.’

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