Chasseur à Cheval (Napoleonic Horseman Book 1)
Page 24
I saw the relief on both their faces. “Yes thank you sir!”
“And tomorrow we will discuss compensation eh?”
Needless to say our sleep remained unbroken. The relief on their faces when we left was that of men given a reprieve from death row. They returned us all the money we had spent and a gold piece as well. When I said we would not be returning I think they were on the point of weeping with gratitude.
We spent the morning exploring the walls around the town. The mortar between the stones was old and crumbling. There was ivy growing in parts and the stairs leading to the ramparts were broken in places. We did not get close to the cannon but they looked to be museum pieces. The balls looked to be four pounders and there were a couple of eight pounders too but they were so old that I doubt they had any accuracy. The balls themselves were speckled with rust. We were passing the palace when we saw six of the knights of St.John sitting outside. They were playing chess. When I saw how old they were I wondered if there was a hospital nearby. One of them saw my sword and called me over.
“Young man would you let us look at your blade. It seems to me a fine sword for one so young and, if you do not mind me saying so, so poor.”
“Of course not sir. I am a visitor on your island. It would be rude to refuse.”
I handed it over to him and he held it and balanced it feeling the weight as he turned it in the air. I could see that he had had some skill with a sword. When he returned it to me I asked. “Where do the knights live sir?”
He pointed to a hall close to the palace. “We all live there. We are the last of the Crusader knights and we hold that honour dear.”
“Do you have a king sir?”
“No we elect a Grand Master.”
One of the other knights gestured to see the sword. As he held it he said, “Tell me young man, this sword has seen war. Have you?”
I could not lie nor did I wish to. These were all gentlemen. I imagined them being similar to my great grandfather. I showed the respect of the truth. “Yes sir. I have fought in wars. I was a horseman.”
They nodded their approval. The one who had the sword asked, “Tell me how they fight these days. Our enemies come in pirate ships and not in armies.” He handed me back my sword and gestured for us to sit.
“The Austrians and the French like to fight by using light infantry spread out in a thin line followed by a column of men.”
“A column you say? How big?”
“It varies but fifty to a hundred men wide and a hundred men deep. They fire volleys from their muskets and then charge with the bayonet. Of course their cannons are blasting ahead of them as they go as well.”
“And the horsemen, like yourself, how did you fight?”
I tapped my pistol. “Sometimes we used these and sometimes a musket. The sword we use when we are out of musket balls.”
They all looked sad. “That is not the kind of warfare we would like.”
“No young man. I am pleased that we will not have to fight an enemy like that. Malta is suddenly a more attractive home than it was before you stopped by. Thank you for your honesty.” The oldest looking knight held out his hand to shake mine, “I am Grand Master von Hompesch and that palace is my home. These,“ he gestured with his arm, “are the five best knights on the island.”
If they were the best then what were the rest like? “In that case sir, it is me who is honoured. Thank you for allowing me to talk with you. It is rare to find gentlemen such as yourselves these days.”
We took our leave and I decided that we would head towards the rendezvous point but go by the coastal path and the watch tower. We bought some hot bread with tomatoes and cheese to eat for our meal and set off for the coast. “Would you have whipped that lad’s balls off sir?”
“He believed I would and that was all that counted. But no, I had no intention of hurting them. They were not bad men, merely greedy men. They thought we had money and they could get their hands on it easily. They have learned a lesson.”
The tower, when we reached it, was in an even worse condition that the walls of Valetta. The wooden ladder leading to the top was so old I would not trust it to take my weight. It was a pleasant spot and we ate our meal there.
“Look sir! It’s the ship!”
Tiny was right, out at sea we could see the sloop about two miles off shore. It looked like the lieutenant was sailing up and down the coast. I realised then that he must have been given instructions from Napoleon Bonaparte to find suitable landing places. The general was certainly thorough. I wondered how he could be so driven. He was the most single minded person I had ever met.
We made our way down to the rocks where we had hidden the guns. I was keen to find them in daylight. I felt guilty that we were the first back but we had succeeded. I hoped the others would be along soon. We recovered the guns and the signal lamp. Tiny made sure it still worked while I loaded the muskets. We needed to be ready for anything.
I saw Jean well before he saw us. I could see him constantly checking to see he was not being followed whilst looking for the rendezvous point. I stood and waved when he was forty yards away. He quickly made his way down to us. “Any problems?”
I grinned at Tiny, “None we couldn’t handle sir and you?”
“That was probably the easiest scouting mission I have ever had.” He shook his head. “They are stuck in the middle ages. I wish the general would leave them there.”
“Me too. I was talking with some of their knights and the Grand Master. They do not want a war. They want to see their years out in peace and the old way of life.”
“Yes but the general has heard of their treasure. When the King of France wanted money he killed all of the Knights Templar and stole their money. That was almost five hundred years ago. The Knights of St John have been gathering the money ever since. They will be even richer. Our general is from Corsica and has more than a little of the bandit in him.”
It was beginning to get dark. “Better get the light lit Tiny.”
“We saw the sloop before. She is just sailing up and down.”
“Good, when it is lit then give the signal.”
“What about the other two? “
“Hopefully they will get here in time, otherwise we will return tomorrow.”
“Ready sir.”
“Right. Three flashes. Count to thirty and then three more.”
The ship answered almost immediately. “Right stop the signalling. Robbie you wait here for the other two and Tiny and I will get down to the beach.” The night seemed suddenly lonely and quiet as they left me.
It must have been half an hour before Tiny returned. “Sir? The captain says you can go back to the ship and I will wait. The lieutenant is keen to sail.”
“I will wait with you. It is a little…” Just then we heard the pop of a musket. We both grabbed and cocked our weapons. We could hear the sounds of men running. I took a chance. It had to be Pierre. I shouted in French, “Over here!”
The white faces of our companions suddenly appeared and I could see a mob behind them. “Tiny, as soon as our lads are close fire over the heads of the mob. Let’s try to scare them.”
Pierre and Michael slithered down the rocks to us and I shouted, “Fire!”
The two guns together sounded unnaturally loud and the mob dropped to the ground. “Quick! Get down to the boat!” They needed no urging and they scrambled down the rocky slope. I took out my two pistols and fired them too and then I followed the three of them to the boat. The sailors pushed off even as I was clambering aboard and they began to row out to the dark ship; invisible in the moonless sea.
My two companions were trying to catch their breath as the sailors hauled on the oars. “I can see an interesting story here.” Michael shot a murderous glare at Pierre who managed an embarrassed shrug.
We scrambled up the side and the sloop slid silently into the night. Jean just gave a questioning look at the two of them. I said, “Well Michael, what did he do?”
> “He only tried it on with the farmer’s daughter. The farmer did not take kindly to his intentions and we had to run.”
“I’m sorry. I thought she was happy about my attentions.”
Jean said, “Perhaps this is the reason we do not take you on these missions Pierre. You are a good soldier just as long as you are in a battle. Enough of this. Let us go below decks and share our information.”
We all had similar experiences. Michael and Pierre felt the same about the Maltese as Jean and I. They should be left alone in their little backwater. The modern world was not theirs and I envied them their values. The old knights I had seen would not know how to fight in a modern battle.
Chapter 19
When we reached Golfe Juan the general had not arrived and it gave us the opportunity to be reunited with our horses and our comrades. The troopers who had the responsibility of the stables were grateful to see me. “That horse of yours is well named. He is the most ill tempered horse we have ever had to care for.”
I walked up to him and he nuzzled me. “He seems fine now.”
They collectively shook their heads and went about their business. I knew what they meant. He could be bad tempered but when I was around he seemed calmer. It had been some time since we had been together I suspected it would be some time before we would get to ride again. I wondered how he and the other regimental horses would cope with a sea voyage to Africa.
The general arrived a few days later and Jean and I were summoned into his presence. “Well?”
Jean looked at me and sighed, “General you could ride in there with your Guides and capture it all without a shot being fired. They have no cavalry at all. Their cannons are a hundred years old. Their army is like the National Guard with older weapons and they would struggle to muster five thousand men. The knights themselves are an anachronism. They belong in the crusades not a modern war.”
“Good, excellent. This will be a swift campaign.”
“General do you still intend to invade?”
“Of course.”
“It will be like taking cannon to kill a fly.”
He laughed, “This is why you are captains and I am a general. I need the troops to invade Egypt. I do not want my men on the ships all the way to Egypt. By fighting a little war in Malta they will recover their legs and gain confidence. I do not care if the Maltese fight or do not fight. The result will be the same. Egypt is the prize Malta is but a step to achieving that prize.” He shook our hands, firmly, “I do appreciate your efforts. You have, once again, done valuable service to France. I ask you again, would you care to join the Guides? I know that Bessières would relish the chance to serve with you again.”
“As we said before general we still have work to do with the 17th but we thank you for the offer.”
We were dismissed with a disappointed wave. Bessières accompanied us to our horses, “He is right I would enjoy serving with you again but beware the general. You can only reject his offers so many times before he begins to resent you.”
“Thank you Bessières and we mean no insult to your Guides but we prefer the 17th.”
We spent the next days making sure that we would have all that we needed for a campaign in another country. Pierre gathered a collection of sausages and jugs of wine. Now that he was an officer he had more power and could ensure that he ate and drank well. Jean and I made sure that we had essentials like spare flints, plenty of musket balls. I had acquired a mould and it was as precious to me as my sword. I procured a quantity of apples; Killer would be as well served as I was and would enjoy his treats.
We began to embark a week later. Our horses were loaded aboard a transport. The quay at Golfe Juan was dwarfed by the ship but at least they did not need to be slung aboard like bales of hay. A wide gangplank was used and they were led aboard by their riders. We securely tethered them in their stalls, relieved that it had been so easy. We were issued hammocks and the sailors showed us how to sling them. They did not tell us how to get into them and I know that they were looking forward to our first efforts. At least five of us knew how to do this. The crew would not derive as much pleasure as they hoped when the troopers first tried to clamber into shifting and treacherous canvas.
The journey south was much slower in the ponderous transport than it had been in the speedy sloop. It was made worse by the fact that we had to wait for all the ships to join us from Toulon, Genoa and all the other ports. It was a huge fleet which gathered. There were thirty thousand men embarked on a variety of vessels. There were few cavalry on the transports. We heard that the remainder of the cavalry would join us at Alexandria and I hoped that they would be there when we reached Africa. The fact that we had just our regiment and the Guides as cavalry was worrying. I knew this would not be a problem in Malta but Egypt struck me as a different proposition.
The closer we came to the little island the more depressed I became. I wished that I had never met the knights for now they just reminded me of a great grandfather I had never seen. Jean sympathised with me but he told me to put them from my mind. “They will not put up a good fight and I do not think they relish a war. They are old men and I think they will surrender. They will look what happened to Venice, a much bigger country, and they will accept it. At least we are not the Turks who would impose their religion on them. We are Christian as they are. Their way of life will continue.”
Since I had been away we had received replacements and I now had sous lieutenant under Pierre. He was a very studious young man who had recently left University. He was called Pierre-François Bouchard and he was desperate to impress all of us. He was a little too refined for Pierre but I found him an affable young man. He was almost the same age as me but, of course, his last four years had been at the Sorbonne whilst my university had been the battlefield. We got on as I had someone other than Jean with which to play chess. I enjoyed talking with him. Had I grown up as the son of a Scottish noble then I might have attended university. He had a great knowledge of the past for he had studied history. He gave me a great deal of information about the land of Egypt. He made a tedious voyage go quickly.
While we sailed south we received our orders from the general; Albert opened the sealed orders once we had sailed. As I had expected we were not to be used as cavalry on the island; we were to fight dismounted. The five of us who had been scouts on the island were each assigned to a brigade to ensure that they advanced safely. Tiny and I were to be with General Lannes. Jean and the others were with General Desaix.
We landed in the second week of June. We advanced in two columns towards Valetta. As I had dreaded and expected the Maltese who opposed us were no opposition. They marched fearfully from the town and faced us across an open piece of ground. The general was so confident he had not even unloaded his precious cannon. It was as he had told us. This was to brush the cobwebs away and make the army literally fighting fit.
We stood with Lannes just behind the two battalions of infantry and the light infantry. The best troops in Malta faced us, the Royal Regiment of Malta. They bravely stood in their three lines and awaited our assault. I saw four of the knights with them. I hoped none of the men I had spoken to was amongst them. The light infantry advanced and the Maltese made the classic mistake of firing volleys. They wasted their ammunition as they hit no-one and they blinded themselves to the advancing light infantry who closed up and began to kill the officers and sergeants. When the two battalions fired and charged the terrified Maltese fled for the safety of Valetta. As we knew this was a false security as the walls would not stand up to the artillery we could summon from the ships if it was needed. The port itself was blockaded by our fleet of warships and their guns could reduce the walls to rubble if necessary. I suspected our little general would prefer to save his powder and ball for more worthy enemies and opponents. We camped beneath the walls of the capital.
General Bonaparte sought me out. “You say you met the Grand Master?”
“I spoke with him briefly, yes.”
“What if he refuses?”
“Then tell him I will reduce the walls to rubble and slaughter his men.” He smiled, “Be persuasive.”
The next morning the two of us walked towards the city. The walls bristled with men and guns. I hoped that they would respect the white flag. I looked at Bessières and saw that he was even more nervous than I was. I realised that it had been some time since he had been in action. He sweated a little and kept rubbing his hands. “Will they respect the flag then Robert?”
“They struck me as old fashioned honourable men but there may be some on the walls who are afraid and will fire first and be reprimanded later.”
“You do not inspire confidence my friend.”
“If it is a single man who fires then we should survive. They do not have good weapons.”
We walked towards the walls and I could see the movement along the top. We were a hundred and fifty paces from the walls when one soldier fired his musket. The ball went well wide but I did not miss a step. Bessières next to me did. “Come along sir. He missed by a country mile.”
When I was within fifty yards I halted and shouted, in Italian, “Do you not respect the flag of truce?”
One of the knights leaned over. “I apologise for that, Frenchman, it was an impetuous youth. What do you want?”
“I am here to speak with the Grand Master.”
“And who are you?”
“I am Captain Robert Macgregor. I met the Grand Master once.”
He nodded and spoke with the man next to him. The guns were still aimed at us. I turned to Bessières who ran a finger along his collar. “How can you be so cool? Any of those muskets could go off.”
“True and they could miss. If they hit me I will know nothing so why worry about that. If they miss then the musketeer will be impressed by my courage and fear to face me.” I saw him shake his head. It was late morning and the sun was getting hotter. Eventually two knights appeared. I recognised them as two of the knights I had spoken with but neither was the Grand Master.