7th July: Come along by horse

The young German, obviously more concerned for his friend then about propriety at the moment, handed the weapon immediately to Torrington and moved to give his friend cover, leafing the engineer with a weapon he had never had in his hands before.

Torrington inwardly sighed, carefully placed the rifle against a tree and took his pistol again. He really needed to learn how to fire the preferred weapons of the soldiers he commandeered for his mapping parties, he decided. Everything else would just be ... impractical in situations like this. And shouldn't an officer know all the stuff he expected his men to know?

Pye turned abruptly when he heard leaves move behind him. He blinked startled. "Freddie?!" He had to pause and whisper inquiringly. "Why are you here? You gotta watch the captain!" Though he was grateful for the youth to be there never the less. A second pair of eyes would help , and a rifle might momentarily deter any would be attacker from shooting at the two moving targets.

Freddie motioned him forward.

"In the middle, I can see you both!"

He made sure to pick a spot where he clearly could see the top of the cliff and still have some cover himself. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed that the Captain was motioning them to continue, too, having himself taken cover near the chapel.

Pye nodded hastly and then, after he'd made sure Freddie was in his place he ran and clambered over the rocks and bush having discovered the whereabouts of the tripod. He heard shouts from above, but they were still distant and what it seemed, by the dust kicked up further to their left, where the road was, the Hussars were on their horses and moving, the French possibly following them. He did not know.

He knelt beside the tripod and began to disentangle it from the bushes, bitting his lip. One of them was a thorny sort and it seemed even more energetically to hug the fallen legs for the instrument. "Will be in a moment." He spoke, not sure Freddie could hear him. Alright, one leg was free, a part of the tripod had been free since it had fallen and there needed a few more thugs to get it completely out.

Edward had momentarily abandoned his pistol to take out his spyglass and try to make out whether the cavalcade approaching them were friends, enemies or something in between.
---

Freddie squinted and tried to get the top of the cliff as sharp as possible whily keeping his ears open for everything that might happen behind him.

"Mach hinne!", he mumbled under his breath, gnawing worriedly on his lower lip.

Pye wasn't exactly sure what Freddie had said. Perhaps he'd not heard him at all, but even if he could have made out every word, he'd still stare at the other rifleman blankly.

He pulled the tripod along. It was clutched to his chest now. They had not yet been spotted. Pye breathed a sigh of relief as he carried himself off towards his friend. "Got it!" He exclaimed cheerfully. "Lets go!" And perhaps not a moment too late. Above them , at the cliff, one of the attackers appeared, saw them and opened his mouth to shout.

Further down the road, the hussars had stopped. Atkins was lowered to the ground, while his wound was given more pressure and a tighter binding. It was as much as the men could do, without a surgeon. He was given a little time to rest more comfortably, with his head supported above ground by one of the rolled up pelisses.

Willoughby gazed impatiently towards the cliff and the area where he had seen the officer with his riflemen, last. If Atkins had not given them an order to remain, hussars might have advanced towards the position, fearing that the officer could have been captured.

Never the less the lack of shouting, shooting suggested there was still a chance. That, and the pair was a pair of grasshoppers. Surely that could account for something, if on the ground and not in the saddle.

Fortunately their training had ensured that Freddie was still aiming and looking in the right direction, and he immediately fired. He wasn't sure whether he had hit anything - he wasn't all that good in that department, although the bit of training Cotton had given him had quiet improved his chance. But at least the nearly instant shot had made the French soldier disappear instantly.

Frantically reloading, he asked Pye, more hissing then yelling:

"Can you see the hussars?"

He had allowed himself to turn his head for a moment to see that Torrington was still standing at the chapel, pistol in hand again. It had looked as if the Captain contemplated joining them, but as the pistol would be of no use at all at the distance to the top of the cliff, and the muskets with luck just might reach them, Freddie had thought that this would not at all be a good idea, and had waved the man (an officer and his master! Freddie blanched at the thought of his own audacity) back.

"I think I've seen a glimpse. Not sure, but there's been a good bit of dust earlier. All down now. " Pye answered moving along with Freddie back towards the officer. "maybe they've already reached our meetin' point.. lets hope so.... we's safe for now, but..." He shook his head quickly. "If they realise we're not gone yet, they'll sure make sure we ain't leavin'!"

He clutched the tripod to his chest. "Hope this'n didn't get battered too much." He murmured.

"We get back slowly to the captain?", Freddie suggested, aiming at the area above them again. He briefly contemplated helping Pye to disentangle the leather strap that allowed the tripod to be carried on the back, and the straps that held the legs together, but one needed to be ready to shoot. On the other hand, Pye was better with that.

"Change?", he suggested, nodding his chin to his own rifle and the tripot.

Pye looked at Friedrich. It wasn't fair to take his rifle and burden him with the tripod. He'd done so much already, to go after him and cover his back!

"Freddie. You sure?" He said instead. "I can carry it proper.. and it's yer rifle...." He was smiling though. His friend was willing to part with his own rifle for this burdonesome load!

Of course there was the part where Pye could fire more accurately but how could Freddie improve if not with practice. He wanted his friend to be as good if not the best!

"Take! It is loaded!"

Freddie held it out again and impatiently waved his hand for the tripot.
---

Torrington must have spied the hussars by now, for he called out and motioned them to come back.

Pye hesitated then took the rifle and held the tripod to Freddie. "...Here.. go !" He turned towards the place where the man Freddie had shot at, disappeared. He was withdrawing after his friend, but with his eyes mainly on the cliff.

"Hurry." He said, the musked firmly in hand, resting against his shoulder. The half-cock had been changed to to full-cock, ready to fire at will.

Kenley turned in the direction of the hail. " The officer." A couple of the other men straightened. "He's calling us to him." Kenley added, seeing the signal. The ones that were not holding more than one horse moved to the front. Followed by the riders with the horses. Kenley remained by Willoughby's side gazing at the wounded officer.

" We've gotta go, ..I'll help you get him into the saddle. 'scuse me sir." The two men hefted the officer up slowly. Willoughby pulled himself into the saddle and then leaned as far as he could, without loosing balance. Atkins followed. He was sat in front of the young rider and held to keep him from slipping off again. He was weak, but still awake. His lips pressed together in a thin line, betraying pain.

As soon as the riders had reached them, Edward secured their equipment with flying fingerson the saddles.

Freddie was already there and began doing the same, picking up Pye's rifle somewhere in the process.

"Help Pye into the saddle!", the engineer commanded instead, slinging the tripot over his own shoulder.

Pye frowned, though he made his way towards his horse. He looked far from excited to be back in his saddle. He turned and looked at Freddie then held the boy's rifle back to him. "......Don't like horses." He murmured again. He patted Trueno gently. "Please don't throw me." He murmured. He hesitated. "Oh....Freddie, if you don't mean ter shoot anyone yer need t' bring t' gun from fullcock 'gain... or it's gonna fire when it's least good ter... yeah? Don' forget anyway."

He sighed and looked at Trueno." A'right. You remember I really like ye. .and I gave yer treats and I promise ter give you loads more as long as you do wot' we're supposed to do please." He looked pleadingly at the horse, ignoring the amused looks he was getting from the hussars.

The horse was less calm then before, and tossed his big head, but he was well trained and at a sharp command from Torrington stood motionless.

Freddie took his rifle back, easing the hammer back into half-cock again, slung it over his shoulder and laced his fingers together, then offered the stirrup to Pye.

"Here. He is so big, this will be faster."

-----

The engineer swung onto his own horse and turned her until he was beside Willoughby. He glanced at the wounded cornet briefly, then asked tensely:

"Mr. Atkins?"

Pye nodded to Freddie. He was not going to argue about the manner in which he was to mount the horse. The quicker, the better. He stepped into the 'stirrup' made of fingers and then gripped at the saddle. He pushed with his other leg with as much force as he dared. No use in falling over on the other side.

Success, but for.. well, the end result mattered. He was clutching at the reins looking down at his friend. "Um.... you'll be alright getting onto yours?"

Willoughby sighed. "I don't know sir. He's still alive.. but the injury is rather bad." He kept the pressure on as well as he could. Atkins offered no protest. He did lift his head slowly to blink at Torrington. His skin was a pale ashen colour, far from looking like the healthy, alert cornet he had been minutes ago. He smiled weakly.

"..." He seemed to want to say something but then changed his mind. "...captain." He uttered with effort and strain clear in his voice. Willoughby looked at Torrington, appearing grave. " He's really calm sir. ..." Which was worse than if Atkins had been groaning, moaning and kicking a fuss. "..We need to go, or else...." He left it unspoken.

With a calm that was forced, although that bit was well hidden, Edward pulled a hip-flask from his sabretache and handed it to Willoughby.

"Don't worry, Atkins. We will just put a little more distance between us and those French, then we will stop and have a proper look. Meanwhile, take a good swig from that. I trust it will make things a bit more comfortable for you."

He turned around, then ordered one of the other troopers to help Willoughby as best as he could.
------
Freddie grinned.

"He is not that big. And I can climb like ... a small ... animal that climbs trees?"

He handed Pye's rifle up to his friend, then proceeded to scramble aboard his own horse - more or less while the horse was already moving and really looking a bit like a precocious monkey.

Willoughby held the offered hip-flask so that Atkins could drink a little from it. After a few gulps Atkins gave indication he wanted no more and Willoughby held the object in question back to Torrington.

"Thank you, sir." He said and while holding Atkins against him with one hand, he used his legs and his other hand to guide the horse around and point him in the direction in which they intended to head.

The remaining hussars took their positions behind and infront of the officers. Two went ahead again, as before, to see that the road was clear and safe. The others still waited for Pye and Freddie to be ready.

--

The green cladded youth smiled sheepishly." Squirrel? You climb like squirrels?" He had his rifle swung over his arm, held his breath for a few moments and only released it when he saw that Freddie was safe in the saddle.

"Keep it - he might need some more."

The engineer looked around to check that all were ready, then commanded:

"Straight back to the nearest picquet line!"

He wasn't exactly sure what commands the cavalry needed, so he glanced at Willoughby.

"Mr. Atkins can probably stand a short controlled gallop better than another fight. Please give the necessary orders for that."

"Yes, sir." Willoughby answered, straightening. The commands were given swiftly. The men ahead would warn them, should anything come their way, but for the most part to stay ahead, equalling the pace of the main body of men. A pair was to guard their rear. Kenley to remain alongside Pye and make sure that the other would be able to keep up. Another of the hussars was watching out for Freddie, but since the lad has proven more able to ride, he was also taking lead with Atkins' horse.

There was another pair of riders moving infront of Willoughby , Torrington and Atkins. The officers were fairly secured. The canter was easy enough and the path chosen avoided the greatest of changes in terrain, so that Atkins was not being jolted too much.

"Sir..Should we send one ahead to call for the surgeon?" He inquired gazing at Torrington.

"You have seen more of the French then I. Is it safe?"

Edward looked around and up the ridge where a few French soldiers now were pointing and scrambling down the slope.

"No less safe than it would be here. Perhaps safer" He glanced at the troopers ahead. "...He will be faster than we are and that will certainly work to his advantage. The enemy behind us will not have him in range. There is a risk still.. of course... and we do not know whether we have missed another group on our way here and they've been alarmed..."

He paused. He was willing to take the risk himself if needed. "I am willing to go sir." He trusted the men to take good care of Atkins.