Krishna
Sharpe’s Indian adventures continue. This is the second book in the Sharpe series, following Sharpe’s Tiger.
Sharpe is sent from Mysore to Hyderabad to meet Major Crosby and arrange to transport ammunition for the Mysore regiment. The Major dislikes him on sight and the feeling is mutual. Crosby is a pompous, arrogant tyrant and dislikes Sharpe’s youth, his station in the army (Sergeant now) and the fact that he has been trusted with money to hire ox carts to carry the ammunition back.
Suddenly, Crosby sees a regiment of Red-Coats coming in and is exasperated that he has to host a yet another contingent who arrived unannounced. After he ordered them in, they calmly proceed to shoot everyone and Sharpe only survived by being hit (and bleeding from a surface wound ) and pretending to be dead. He learns that the invader is Major Dodd, though he has no idea why that man was attacking.
As soon as he goes back Obadaiah Hakeswell (The super villain of the first book) tracks him down into the camp he is in and is intent on revenge. He also realizes that Sharpe has appropriated secretly Tippoo’s loot and is apoplectic with rage. He has the perfect plan to trap Sharpe, sending back to the army to do the difficult work, and also get both his wealth and his current cushy job.
Meanwhile Dodd carries his loot to Scindia’s army and meets the major Pohlmann, who is thrilled at Dodd’s success and rewards him with his own unit, a lifelong dream of Dodd.
Meanwhile Obadiah stages a night attack on Captain Morris and frames Sharpe. The man in charge, aaa, is forced to get Sharpe for court martial.
Meanwhile Sharpe accompanies McCandles to Ahmednagar, where Scindia’s army with one unit commanded by Dodd resides. Wellesley who is in charge of the British army wants to attack with ladders, heedless of the losses.
They manage to overwhelm the fort but Dodd has already gone over to the North Gate to escape, as per his instructions and is savage about the locals who stand in his way. The local chief (kill adar) realizes that he has been betrayed.
Sharpe rescues the girl Simone Joubert and the Major asks him to keep an eye on her, realizing that she is a bargaining chip in his negotiations with the army of Scindia later. Dodd manages to escape with his army, dreaming of glory as he skillfully executed what his boss wanted.
Obadiah realizes that Sharpe has left the camp and goes after him in pursuit, hoping to arrest him – he has a warrant from the British after all. But Sharpe has left with Simone and McCandles for Ahmednagar. There they meet Pohlman and Dodd. Pohlman entices Sharpe with offer of untold riches if he would switch sides.
Sharpe refuses after watching thieves stealing their horses (as a revenge for the perceived insult by Dodd) and having one thief who was caught by Sharpe executed with an elephant stamping.
When Haskell catches up with McCandles and Sharpe and hands over the warrant to the General, it looks like Sharpe’s days are over. However, McCandles, who had previously been touched to the point of tears when Sharpe presented him with a decent horse, manages to save him through subterfuge (He alters the message to misspell Sharpe’s name) and saves him for the moment.
Later he realizes what was troubling him about the letter. Sharpe had been with him, McCandles, when he was alleged to have attacked the British officer! He confronts Haskell with the information the threatens to expose him to the superiors.
The battle intervenes and against overwhelming odds Wellesley, the superb general, snatches victory against overwhelming odds. Sharpe saves Wellesley’s life heroically but is bitter for recognizing no recognition and he meets Pohlman and lets him go from the war zone. However, Dodd manages to escape after killing Joubert. Simone is rescued by Sharpe and handed over to the British.
Wellesley does indeed remember him and makes him an Ensign, which is higher than a seargent, and Haskell is thwarted at the end by this promotion.
Nice story, Typical of Bernard to take a historic battle and make it come alive, while inserting fictional characters in it. Wellesley was indeed in India and later became the Duke of Wellington in England – yes, the same person who defeated Napoleon.
Great story, well told – 8/10
– – Krishna