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'That's why I'm here； sir；' Sharpe said with a suitable bloodthirstiness。
'I think the British army lost a good man in you； Sharpe；' Gudin said； standing and guiding Sharpe deeper into the trees。 'If you don't want to stay in India you might think of ing home with me。'
'To France； sir？'
Gudin smiled at Sharpe's surprised tone。 'It isn't the devil's country； Sharpe； indeed I suspect it's the most blessed place on God's earth； and in the French army a good man can be very easily raised to officer rank。'
'Me； sir？ An officer？' Sharpe laughed。 'Like making a mule into a racehorse。'
'You underestimate yourself。' Gudin paused。 There were feet trampling to the right； and a sudden blast of musketry off to the left。 The musketry attracted an excited rush of the Tippoo's infantry who blundered through the trees。 Sergeant Rothiere bellowed at them in a mix of French and Kanarese； and his sudden authority calmed the men who gathered around Colonel Gudin。 Gudin smiled wolfishly。 'Let's see if we can mislead some of your old rades； Sharpe。 Shout at them to e this way。'
'Forward！' Sharpe obediently bellowed into the dark trees。 'Forward！' He paused； listening for an answer。 '33rd！ To me！ To me！'
No one responded。 'Try a name；' Gudin suggested。
Sharpe invented an officer's name。 'Captain Fellows！ This way！' He called it a dozen times； but there was no response。 'Hakeswill！' he finally shouted。 'Sergeant Hakeswill！'
Then； from maybe thirty paces away； the hated voice called back； 'Who's that？' The Sergeant sounded suspicious。
'e here； man！' Sharpe snapped。
Hakeswill ignored the order； but me fact that a man had replied at all cheered Gudin who had quiedy formed the stray unit of the Tippoo's infantry into a line that waited to kill whoever came in response to Sharpe's hailing。 Chaos reigned ahead。 Rockets banged into branches； musket flames flared in the drifting smoke； while bullets thumped into trees or crackled through the thick leaves。 A bloodthirsty cheer sounded a long way off； but whether it was Indian or British troops who cheered； Sharpe could not tell。
One thing was plain to Sharpe。 The 33rd was in trouble。 Poor Jed Mallinson should never have been abandoned to die； and that sad death； along with the scattered sounds of firing； suggested that the Tippoo's men had succeeded in splitting the attacking force and was now picking it off piece by piece。 It was now or never； Sharpe reckoned。 He had to get away from Gudin and somehow rejoin his battalion。 'Ineed to get closer； sir；' he told the Colonel and； without waiting for Gudin's consent； he ran deeper into the trees。 'Sergeant Hakeswill！' he shouted as he ran。 'To me； now！ Now！ e on； you miserable bastard！ Move your bloody self！ e on！' He could hear Gudin following him； so Sharpe fell silent and； suddenly deep in shadow； dodged off to his right。
'Sharpe！' Gudin hissed； but Sharpe was well away from the Colonel now and he reckoned he had done it without looking like a deserter。
'Sergeant Hakeswill！' Sharpe bellowed； then ran on again。 There was a danger that by shouting he would keep Gudin on his heels； but it was a greater danger to let the Frenchman think that he was deliberately trying to rejoin the British； for then Lawford might suffer； and so Sharpe ran the risk as he worked his way still farther into the dense trees。 'Hakeswill！ To me！ To me！' He pushed through thick foliage； tripped over a bush； picked himself up and ran on into a clearing。 'Hakeswill！' he shouted。
A rocket crashed into a branch high above Sharpe and slashed straight down into the clearing ahead of him。 Once on the ground the missile circled furiously like a mad dog chasing its own tail and the brilliant light of the exhaust lit the trees all around。 Sharpe flinched away from the lash of the fiery tail and almost ran straight into Sergeant Hakeswill who had suddenly appeared from the bushes to his left。
'Sharpie！' Hakeswill shouted。 'You bastard！' He slashed wildly at Sharpe with his bloody halberd。 Morris； hearing Hakeswill's name shouted； had ordered the Sergeant to find whoever was summoning him and Hakeswill had unwillingly obeyed。 Now； suddenly； Hakeswill was alone with Sharpe and the Sergeant slammed the spear forward again。 'Traitorous little bastard！' Hakeswill said。
'For Christ's sake； drop it！' Sharpe shouted； retreating before the quick lunges of the spear head。
'Running off to the enemy； Sharpie？' Hakeswill said。 'Ishould take you in； shouldn't I？ It'll be another court martial and a firing party this time。 But I won't risk that。 I'm going to put your gizzards on a skewer； Sharpie； and send you back to your maker。 And wearing a frock； too？' The Sergeant stabbed again； and Sharpe leapt back once more； but then the dying rocket fizzed across the clearing and its long bamboo stick tangled Sharpe's legs。 He fell backwards and Hakeswill gave a shout of triumph as he sprang towards him with the halberd poised ready to lunge downwards。
Sharpe felt the rocket's iron tube under his right hand； gripped it and threw it up at Hakeswill's face。 The rocket's gunpowder fuel was almost gone； but there was just enough left to spurt one last sudden flame that licked across Hakeswill's blue…eyed face。 The Sergeant screamed； dropped the halberd and clapped his hands to his eyes。 To his surprise he discovered he could still see and that his face was not badly burned； but in his panic he had stumbled past Sharpe and so now he turned back and； as he did so； he dragged a pistol out of his belt。
Just then a squad of redcoats burst into the clearing。 The burning carcass of the rocket showed that they were men from the 33rd's Grenadier pany who were as lost as every other redcoat on this night of chaos。 One of the grenadiers saw Sharpe who； in his tiger…striped tunic； was scrambling to his feet。 The grenadier raised his gun。 'Leave the bastard！' Hakeswill screamed。 'He's mine！'
Then a volley of musketry flamed from the trees and half of the grenadiers spun round or were hurled backwards。 Blood hissed in the fiery remnants of the rocket as a pany of tiger…striped troops burst out of the trees。 Colonel Gudin and Sergeant Rothiere led them。 Hakeswill turned to run at the sight of the enemy； but one of the Tippoo's men lunged forward with a bayonet…tipped musket and succeeded in driving the Sergeant down to the ground where he first twisted frantically aside； then screamed for mercy。 Gudin ran pastthe fallen Hakeswill。 'Well done； Sharpe；' Gudin called。 'Well done！ Stop that！ Stop that！' These last orders were to the Tippoo's men who had enthusiastically begun to bayonet the surviving grenadiers。 'We take prisoners！' Gudin roared。 'Prisoners！' Rothiere knocked a bayonet aside to stop the soldier from slaughtering Hakeswill。
Sharpe was cursing。 He had so nearly got clean away！ If Hakeswill had not attacked him he might have run another fifty yards through the trees； discarded the tiger…striped tunic and discovered some of his old friends。 Instead he had bee a hero to Gudin who believed that Sharpe had lured all the grenadiers into the clearing where the twelve who had survived the enthusiastic attack were now prisoners along with the twitching and cursing Hakeswill