fortress that was nothing but a dark shape in the night beyond the
closer blackness of the rocks.
“The thing is,” Stokes said, ‘that they’re bound to see our lanterns
and must hear the carts, so they’re liable to unleash a pretty furious
artillery barrage. Maybe rockets as well. But take no heed of it.
Your only job is to watch for infantry coming from the gate.”
“I know, sir.”
“So don’t use your muskets! I hear musket fire, Captain, and I think
infantry. Then I send for the Madrassi lads, and the next moment the
whole place is swarming with redcoats who can’t tell who’s who in the
dark. So no firing, you understand? Unless you see enemy infantry.
Then send a message to me, fight the good fight and wait for
support.”
Morris grunted. He had been told this twice already, and did not need
the instructions a third time, but he still turned to the company which
was paraded and ready.
“No one’s to fire without my express permission, you understand?”
“They understands, sir,” Hakeswill answered for the company.
“One musket shot without permission and the culprit’s earned himself a
skinned back, sir.”
Morris took the company forward, following the old road that led
directly to the gateway of the Outer Fort. The night was horribly
dark, and within a few paces of leaving the engineers’ encampment,
Morris could hardly see the road at all. His men’s boots scuffed loud
on the hard-packed stones. They went slowly, feeling their way and
using what small light came from the merest sliver of moon that hung
like a silver blade above Gawilghur.
“Permission to speak, sir?” Hakeswill’s hoarse voice sounded close to
Morris.
“Not too loud, Sergeant.”
“Like a mouse, sir, quiet I will be, but, sir, if we’re here, does that
mean we’ll be joining the assault on the fort, sir?”
“God, no,” Morris said fervently.
Hakeswill chuckled.
“I thought I should ask, sir, on account of making a will.”
“A will?” Morris asked.
“You need a will?”
“I have some wealth,” Hakeswill said defensively. And soon, he
reckoned, he would have even more, for he had cleverly confirmed his
surmise that Sharpe’s missing pack was in Major Stokes’s keeping.
“You have some wealth, do you?” Morris asked sarcastically.
“And who the hell will you leave it to?”
“Your own self, sir, if you’ll forgive me, sir. No family, apart from
the army, sir, which is mother’s milk to me.”
“By all means make your will,” Morris said.
“Connors can draw one up for you.” Connors was the company clerk.
“I trust, of course, that the document proves redundant.”
“Whatever that means, sir, I hopes the same.”
The two men fell silent. The dark loom of the fortress was much closer
now, and Morris was nervous. What was the point of this futile
exercise anyway? He would be damned if he would be able to see any
enemy infantrymen, not in this pitch black, unless the fools decided to
carry a lantern. Some lights showed in Gawilghur. There was a glow
above the Outer Fort that must have been cast by the fires and lights
in the Inner Fort, while closer Morris could see a couple of flickering
patches where fires or torches burned inside the nearer de fences But
those scattered lights would not help him see an enemy force debouching
from the gate.
“Far enough,” he called. He was not really sure if he had gone close
enough to the fort, but he had no fancy to go further, and so he
stopped and hissed at Hakeswill to spread the men westwards across the
isthmus.
“Five paces between each pair of men, Sergeant.”
“Five paces it is, sir.”
“If anyone sees or hears anything, they’re to pass the message back
here to me.”
“They’ll do so, sir.”
“And no fool’s to light a pipe, you hear me? Don’t want the enemy
spraying us with canister because some blockhead needs tobacco.”
“Your orders is noted, sir. And where would you want me, sir?”
“Far end of the line, Sergeant.” Morris was the sole officer with the
company, for both his lieutenant and ensign had the fever and so had