the same, and nothing the officers could do stemmed the tide. The temptation to pursue them was strong. But it had to be resisted.
About twenty yards from the rim, a trio of Frenchmen were staggering along, the individual in the middle hanging on to his companions, clearly wounded. Some of hismen began to fire at them, which sent up spurts of earth around their feet, bringing them to an abrupt halt. Markham called on them to cease fire as the small party turned to face death. The wounded man, an officer of artillery, was injured in the groin, with blood covering the entire lower half of his body. Markham waved his sword to indicate that they could proceed without danger.
‘It would be nice to let them know we’ve won, lads,’ he shouted, as the trio turned again and staggered off.
This time there was a proper cheer to celebrate the victory. Looking round and smiling, Markham saw, out of the corner of his eye, the flash of red behind him. The men of the 65th were meandering up to the crest, obviously having taken no part in the advance. Somebody must have either heard or seen the horses, since they broke into a run as Elphinstone and ‘Spotted Dick’ appeared, and so joined the main body before the navy.
‘You were ordered to wait, Markham,’ barked de Lisle. ‘Do you know the meaning of the word?’
Behind him, Markham could see the two marine captains , rushing up the hill to join them. Judging by the looks on their faces they were no more pleased than their superiors.
‘If I had, we would have lost the advantage. And since we stand on the crest with the enemy in full retreat, sir, I submit that my appreciation was correct.’
‘Your appreciation,’ Elphinstone spluttered.
‘Having already fought them, sir, I knew their calibre. Thankfully, it was even easier than the previous encounter.’
Elphinstone scowled, unsure if he was being goaded, examining the terrain and the enemy strength as a way of avoiding the look of certainty in Markham’s eye. There wasn’t really much that he could say, given the undoubted success his small force had achieved. The French had slowed down, still fleeing, the only thing holding up the rout the narrow entrance to the gorge.
Elphinstone pointed at them. ‘How long is that gorge ahead?’
‘I don’t know, sir,’ Markham replied. ‘We had neither the time, nor the strength, to find out.’
‘Pity,’ he replied, though he made it sound the precise opposite. ‘Holding that, we’d have avoided a fight altogether.’
Markham was seething, judging this to be just the usual ‘Johnny come lately’ attitude of a man determined to pick holes. He could have, and no doubt would have, led the charge up the hill himself if he’d arrived sooner.
‘And if we’d failed, sir, we would have found ourselves retreating across the only piece of true open ground for miles. In which case I doubt I’d be here talking to you now.’
Elphinstone flushed furiously, and glared at his fellow captain. ‘You allow your officers too much freedom, de Lisle.’
‘With respect, sir, I do not,’ de Lisle snapped back. Then, seeming to have realised his mistake, his voice softened immediately. Clearly, if the Scotsman chose to rebuke him, it was because he had the power to do so. ‘I will not be called to answer for those the Admiralty foists on me. I am accustomed to choosing my own officers, and I can assure you, had I been indulged, I would not have the likes of Lieutenant Markham aboard my ship.’
Elphinstone nodded, seemingly mollified, as though the person referred to was elsewhere, and that little speech explained everything. He sat silently for almost a minute, before speaking again. ‘Dig in here for the night, Markham. I’ll take my marines back with me to continue work on the perimeter defences around Toulon. I’ll send another officer, and orders, at first light.’
They should have relieved him and his men, leaving some of the others they’d brought up in their
About twenty yards from the rim, a trio of Frenchmen were staggering along, the individual in the middle hanging on to his companions, clearly wounded. Some of hismen began to fire at them, which sent up spurts of earth around their feet, bringing them to an abrupt halt. Markham called on them to cease fire as the small party turned to face death. The wounded man, an officer of artillery, was injured in the groin, with blood covering the entire lower half of his body. Markham waved his sword to indicate that they could proceed without danger.
‘It would be nice to let them know we’ve won, lads,’ he shouted, as the trio turned again and staggered off.
This time there was a proper cheer to celebrate the victory. Looking round and smiling, Markham saw, out of the corner of his eye, the flash of red behind him. The men of the 65th were meandering up to the crest, obviously having taken no part in the advance. Somebody must have either heard or seen the horses, since they broke into a run as Elphinstone and ‘Spotted Dick’ appeared, and so joined the main body before the navy.
‘You were ordered to wait, Markham,’ barked de Lisle. ‘Do you know the meaning of the word?’
Behind him, Markham could see the two marine captains , rushing up the hill to join them. Judging by the looks on their faces they were no more pleased than their superiors.
‘If I had, we would have lost the advantage. And since we stand on the crest with the enemy in full retreat, sir, I submit that my appreciation was correct.’
‘Your appreciation,’ Elphinstone spluttered.
‘Having already fought them, sir, I knew their calibre. Thankfully, it was even easier than the previous encounter.’
Elphinstone scowled, unsure if he was being goaded, examining the terrain and the enemy strength as a way of avoiding the look of certainty in Markham’s eye. There wasn’t really much that he could say, given the undoubted success his small force had achieved. The French had slowed down, still fleeing, the only thing holding up the rout the narrow entrance to the gorge.
Elphinstone pointed at them. ‘How long is that gorge ahead?’
‘I don’t know, sir,’ Markham replied. ‘We had neither the time, nor the strength, to find out.’
‘Pity,’ he replied, though he made it sound the precise opposite. ‘Holding that, we’d have avoided a fight altogether.’
Markham was seething, judging this to be just the usual ‘Johnny come lately’ attitude of a man determined to pick holes. He could have, and no doubt would have, led the charge up the hill himself if he’d arrived sooner.
‘And if we’d failed, sir, we would have found ourselves retreating across the only piece of true open ground for miles. In which case I doubt I’d be here talking to you now.’
Elphinstone flushed furiously, and glared at his fellow captain. ‘You allow your officers too much freedom, de Lisle.’
‘With respect, sir, I do not,’ de Lisle snapped back. Then, seeming to have realised his mistake, his voice softened immediately. Clearly, if the Scotsman chose to rebuke him, it was because he had the power to do so. ‘I will not be called to answer for those the Admiralty foists on me. I am accustomed to choosing my own officers, and I can assure you, had I been indulged, I would not have the likes of Lieutenant Markham aboard my ship.’
Elphinstone nodded, seemingly mollified, as though the person referred to was elsewhere, and that little speech explained everything. He sat silently for almost a minute, before speaking again. ‘Dig in here for the night, Markham. I’ll take my marines back with me to continue work on the perimeter defences around Toulon. I’ll send another officer, and orders, at first light.’
They should have relieved him and his men, leaving some of the others they’d brought up in their
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