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o the deep gloom inside the gate's tunnel and the two guards were dragging the big double doors closed； but then they saw the bright gold medallion on Sharpe's chest and maybe that rare token convinced them that he had the authority to enter。 'Looking for Colonel Gudin！' Sharpe offered in brazen explanation when one of the two men nervously moved to intercept him。 'Got a message for the Colonel； see？'
Then he was through the gate and he saw that it was not a passage out of the city at all； but was rather a long tunnel that led only to a blank stone wall。 It had once been a gateway； that much was obvious； but at some time the old outer gatehad been walled shut to leave this gloomy tunnel that was now stacked with barrels。 They had to be powder barrels； for Sharpe could see pale lengths of fuses ing from their stoppered bungholes。 The whole northern side of the tunnel was crammed with the powder barrels。 Just the northern side。
An officer saw him and shouted angrily。 Sharpe played the innocent。 'Colonel Gudin？' he asked。 'Have you seen Colonel Gudin； sahib？'
The Indian officer ran towards him and； as he came； he drew a pistol； but then； in the tunnel's dim dusty light； he saw the gold medal on Sharpe's chest and he pushed the pistol back into his sash。 'Gudin？' he asked Sharpe。
Sharpe smiled eagerly。 'He's my officer； sahib。 I've got a message for him。'
The Indian did not understand； but he did know the significance of the medal and it was enough to make him respectful。 But he was still firm。 He pointed Sharpe towards the door and gestured that he was to leave。
'Gudin？' Sharpe insisted。
The man shook his head and Sharpe； with a grin； left the tunnel。
He had forgotten Mary now for he knew he was on the verge of understanding what was being kept so secret。 He went back down the alley and at its end he turned and looked at the wall above and he wondered why there were no gunners standing by the brass guns； and why no sentries stood in the embrasures and why no flags were hung on the battlements。 Everywhere else on the walls there were flags and sentries and gunners； but not here。 He waited until the tunnel gates had been closed； then he hurried up the nearby ramp that led to the wall's firestep。 The wall here was made of red mud bricks and was not nearly so formidable as the southern wall which was constructed from massive granite blocks。 Nor was this wall more than twenty feet thick； whereas the tunnel had been nearer a hundred feet long。 He ran up to the parapetwhere the big guns waited and； when he reached the firestep； he understood everything。or there was not one wall here； but two。 The one he was standing on was the inner wall and it was new； so new that some short stretches of the wall were still festooned with scaffolding and ropes where the Tippoo's labourers hastened to plete the work。 And sixty feet away； beyond an empty inner ditch； was the city's outer wall where the flags were hung and where the gunners and sentries stood guard。 That old outer wall was a couple of feet higher than this new inner wall； but opposite Sharpe； and close to where he had seen the powder…crammed tunnel； those older ramparts had crumbled at their top。 That decay would surely serve as a beacon to the British； enticing them to aim their guns at that stretch of decayed wall in the certainty that they could soon finish its destruction with their bombardment。 The big eighteen… and twenty…four…pounder guns would hammer away until the older outer wall collapsed to leave a ramp…like breach。 The British； staring across the river at that breach； would doubtless see the new inner wall； but they might well think it was nothing but the Hank of a warehouse or a temple。 And so the assault would e storming across the shallow river and up the ramp of the breach in the outer wall； and then spill down into the space between the two walls。 More and more men would e； those behind forcing the ones in front ever onward； and slowly the crush between the walls would grow。 The guns and rockets on the inner wall would rain down death； but after a while； when the attackers filled the space between the walls； the huge charge of powder； stored in what remained of the old elaborate gateway； would be detonated。 And that explosion； its force funnelled by the old and new walls； would tear into the narrow gap and flood the ditch between the walls with blood。 Sharpe looked to his left and saw that the tunnel was built beneath a squat gate tower。 That ancient tower would surely collapse； spillingstones onto any troops who might survive the terrible blast。 'Bloody hell；' Sharpe said； and then he slipped back down the inner wall's ramp and went to find Lawford。 If Mary did not get the news out； he thought； there would be slaughter when the assault came。 It would be pure slaughter； and it seemed that only Mary； who was now in love with the enemy； could prevent it。
CHAPTER 8
The siege works advanced steadily； hampered only by the Tippoo's guns and by a shortage of the heavy timber needed to shore up the trenches and construct the batteries where the big siege guns would be emplaced。 Colonel Gent； an engineer of the East India pany； supervised the work； and he agreed whole…heartedly with General Harris that the decayed stretch of the city's western walls was the obvious and opportune target。 Then； just days after the construction of the siege works had begun； a local farmer revealed the existence of a new second wall behind the first。 The man insisted the new wall was unfinished； but Harris was worried enough by the farmer's news to call his deputies to his tent where Colonel Gent delivered the gloomy intelligence about the new inner ramparts。 'The fellow says his sons were taken away to help build the walls；' the engineer reported； 'and he seems to be telling the truth。'
Baird broke the brief silence that followed Gent's words。 'They can't surely garrison both walls；' the Scotsman insisted。
'The Tippoo has no shortage of men；' Wellesley pointed out。 'Thirty or forty thousand； we hear。 More than enough to defend both walls； I should think。'
Baird ignored the young Colonel； while Harris； unfortably aware of the bad feeling between his two deputies； stared fixedly at his map of the city in the hope that some new inspiration would strike。 Colonel Gent sat beside Harris。 The engineer unfolded a pair of wire…framed spectacles andhooked them over his ears as he peered down at the map。
Harris sighed。 'I still think it has to be the west；' he said； 'despite this new wall。'
'The north？' Wellesley asked。
'According to our farmer fellow；' Gent answered； 'the new inner wall goes all the way round the north。' He picked up a pencil and sketched the line of the new inner wall on the map to show that wherever the river flowed close to the city there was now a double rampart。 'And the west is infinitely preferable to the north；' Gent added。 〃The South Cauvery's shallow； while the main river can still be treacherous at this time of year。 If our fellows have to wade through the Cauvery； let them do it here。' He tapped the city's western approach。 'Of course；' he added optimistically； 'maybe that fellow was right； and maybe that inner wall ain't finishe