"Cornwell, Bernard - Sharpe 10 - sharpe's battle" - читать интересную книгу автора (Cornwell Bernard)

marched towards the sound, only to discover that his ears
had played tricks. The noise of the skirmish, if indeed it
was a skirmish and not genuine thunder, had faded away
and now Sharpe was lost. "Are you sure that's the ruined
village?' he asked Price, pointing to the crosshatched
spot on the map that Price had indicated.
"I wouldn't like to swear to it, sir, not being able to
read maps. It could be any of those scratchings, sir, or
maybe none.
"Then why the hell are you showing it to me?'
"In a hope for inspiration, sir,' Price said in a wounded
voice. "I was trying to help, sir. Trying to raise our hopes.'
He looked down at the map again. "Maybe it isn't a very
good map?' he suggested.
"It would make good kindling,' Harper repeated.
"One thing's certain,' Sharpe said as he took the map
back from Price, 'we haven't crossed the watershed which
means these streams must be flowing west.' He paused.
"Or they're probably flowing west. Unless the world's
bloody upside down which it probably bloody is, but on
the chance that it bloody isn't we'll follow the bloody
streams. Here' he tossed the map to Harper
'kindling.'
"That's what my grand a did,' Harper said, tucking
the crumpled map inside his faded and torn greenjacket.
"He followed the water '
"Shut up,' Sharpe said, but not angrily this time. Rather
he spoke quiedy, and at the same time gestured with
his left hand to make his companions crouch. "Bloody
Crapaud,' he said soffly, 'or something. Never seen a
uniform like it.'
"Bloody hell,' Price said, and dropped down to the
path.
Because a horseman had appeared just two hundred
yards away. The man had not seen the British infantry
men, nor did he appear to be on the lookout for enemies.
Instead his horse just ambled out of a side valley until
the reins checked it, then the rider swung himself wearily
out of the saddle and looped the reins over an arm while
he unbuttoned his baggy trousers and urinated beside
the path. Smoke from his pipe drifted in the damp air.
Harper's rifle clicked as he pulled the cock fully back.
Sharpe's men, even those who had been asleep, were all
alert now and lying motionless in the grass, keeping so
low that even if the horseman had turned he would pro
ably not have noticed the infantry. Sharpe's company
was a veteran unit of skirmishers, hardened by two years
of fighting in Portugal and Spain and as well trained as
any soldiers in Europe. "Recognize the uniform?' Sharpe
asked Price sofdy.