With the 62nd After the Skirmish

Captain Poole frowned at the map. "Grenadiers, you say? I don't believe grenadiers would climb through the hills, sir. I would expect them to stay close to the road, here. Or follow that valley there, that would be easier going that the mountain paths, sir. And they might have changed course as soon as they were out of sight of the skirmishers, I would."

He straightens and faces the Colonel directly. "And I have to admit it was a punishment detail, really, and not any military reason that sent them into the hills. Heavy dragoons are not suited to scout hills, sir."
He paused and then added."As far as I know, all other patrols returned without any enemy contact. My own patrol took us about 5miles ahead of where we are camped now, and we encuntered nothing of interest. But then, I believe we all stayed on the roads. As heavy war..."

"Grenadiers should not be so far from the main army," Edrington said, following the other man's finger on the map. "So I do not think we can rule anything out. But let us suppose merely that they are lost."

He studied the map again. The tracks to the north of the monastery were much less clear than the road going to it. Even if they were clearer on the ground, they could not be certain which way the vedette would have chosen to descend. So there was no point in sending someone to look for them until it got light. To track them the other way... As Poole said, dragoons were not suited to the mountains. Any search party would have to walk: although the Scots Greys could reach the junction where the road to the monastery started more swiftly, they would be handicapped once it came to the climb up and searching the various valleys and gulleys...

He reached a decision. "Captain Vickery, at first light, I want you to send about 30 men back to the road the vedette took, and follow them to the monastery. I want someone to ride back from there - or ride as much of the distance as possible, to tell me what you find. Then follow their trail, if you can, back to this point. And let us hope that it's a wasted exercise and the Scots Greys find their own way home. I don't need to tell you that they should be very wary - we have no idea about how many French there are out there. Or what happened to the cavalry that are supposed to have attacked Willoughby and his troop."

It was beginning to sound as if half the French army were south of Coimbra. Perhaps they would arrive at Oporto to find it deserted.

Vickery and Sharpe had both got up to look at the map. Vickery saw the road and the monastery marked, although the path taken by the cavalry wasn't quite so clear. He trusted it would be clearer on the ground.

"Yes, sir." If Edrington wanted someone to ride, however, that meant himself or one of his lieutenants, thus depriving the company of an officer. That couldn't be helped, however. He kept to himself the thought that cavalry couldn't be trusted out of sight of the main body of the army, because the horses had more sense than the riders.

"Sounds like we've got most of the French army within a few miles of us. And here I thought they were all holed up in Oporto till the summer." Maybe they'd have a battle sooner than expected, then.

"If you need a mounted messenger, I can spare you a lieutenant or two, complete with horse." Edrington grinned wickedly. "Lieutenant Waldegrave is quite a competent rider, I believe."

[OOC: Short absence for a bath]

Captain Poole could not repress a snort at that.
"He certainly is famous with the Scots Greys!"

"Lieutenant Waldegrave wants to stay as far away from the Rifles s he can, sir. Otherwise the delicate balance and understanding we have may be upset. And I'm sorry if that sounds like a threat, sir. It isn't."

Edrington glanced at Captain Poole. That was not good news - a Division was a small place, and such stories got round before anyone knew about it. And Vickery. He could do the really stupid thing of demanding that Waldegrave accompany them. Then both the rifles and Waldegrave would contrive to show what a foolish decision it was. You did not achieve success by forcing the issue. He would have hoped that working together might heal the breach. But Vickery was not prepared to give it a try.

"Your objection is noted, Captain. Another lieutenant, then," he said. "I do have more, unless you object to them too. Or can you provide a couple of messengers from among your own officers?"

"I beg your pardon, sir, I did not mean that to sound the way it did. And I only have three officers, including myself, with the Company."

It wasn't that Vickery himself objected to Waldegrave, but that he rather suspected his men might - or even that the Lieutenant himself might object, and take it out on his men. By all accounts, the young man did not seem to think very much of Riflemen.

"Isn't there a stray 15th Hussar with the Rifles? I know his horse was doctored by our farrier yesterday. Would he do?" Captain Poole enquired.

"A stray Hussar who has caused more trouble than he was ever worth - whose presence with the forward patrol has yet to be explained. Indeed, whose arrival here, so far from his regiment's base, has yet to be satisfactorily explained. And I believe that he has rendered himself once more hors de combat."

He looked towards Vickery. "I will assign one of my lieutenants, then. Though Waldegrave could do with the experience, I can see that it might be difficult for you to accept him."

"Thank you, sir."

It wasnt as though he was trying to be difficult after, all. He simply thought that the men might resent Waldegrave's presence - they knew he'd been the prosecuting officer in Cotton's court martial, after all. And he was fairly sure such resentment wouldn't be all one-sided, either.

"Your officer, whoever you send, will have to be prepared to walk some of the way, even if in fact he doesn't need to dismount," he said. "Should it be needed, that is, sir. And I hope it won't be." He really didn't need to have a battle of wills in case things went wrong and the Rifles needed to fight. And a redcoat officer on horseback would provide a wonderful target, especially with the Rifles' habit of using cover.

"My officer will be infantry, and strangely, quite used to walking. Unlike the dragoons or hussars."

Captain Poole uneasily shifted his weight at that. He was not sure if he should be offended by that little barb. He had been pointing out how unsuited the heavy dragoons were to scouting the hills, hadn't he? He decided to keep his mouth shut.

Edrington saw Poole's movement and shrugged. People would be out looking for the man's missing vedette, and given the presence of an unknown number of all sorts of French soldiery in the vicinity, he needed to be kept informed of what was found.

"Captain Vickery. I shall have a lieutenant report to you at half past four - which should be about first light. Follow our Scots Greys comrades up to the monastery, and see if you can track them after that. Mr Sharpe, I think it is even more important that we find out where the French went after we drove them back." And I am quite surprised that you did not have them trailed from the start, he thought, but then, he had not ordered it, either. "If the two of you meet, that will be interesting."

He looked at the cavalry officer. "We will do our best to find them. Let me know immediately if they turn up - or you have any news of them."

The two greenjacket officers looked at each other, then at Edrington. "Yes, sir," they said, almost in unison.

It would indeed be interesting if they met up.

Sharpe wondered why he had not told a couple of his men to follow the French, but at the time, they had thought the Frogs had fallen back Northwards. If they had merely circled instead...

Vickery was wondering who he could set as scouts. Cotton, for definite; he had a countryman's eye for the ground and should be fighting fit again - or very near it. He would have to think further about who could accompany the lad.

"Yes, sir." Captain Poole acknowledged.

Hunter trotted up to the position of 62nd foot Colonel. Having reported to Wellesley, who took an instant dislike to him for some obscure reason and then Colonel Brandon who was actually quite nice, but failed to give him any orders except 'to be on hand when Wellesley needs him, Hunter decided to face the General's wrath again and decided that Wellesley was probably inspecting the aftermath of the skirmish.

Abernethy looked into the tent. "There's a Captain Hunter here, says he's aidycamp to the General, my lord. Can he come in?"

Edrington nodded. He did not know a Captain Hunter, but Wellesley's young men tended to be pleasant fellows, and if this one was new, it would be useful to meet him. "Ask him to step in, please." he said.

George stepped into the Colonel's tent and came smartly to attention.
'Captain Hunter, my lord. Aide-de-camp to the General'

"Captain Hunter," Edrington stood up and gestured to his other visitors. "This is Captain Poole of the Scots Greys, Captain Vickery of the 60th and Lieutenant Sharpe of the 95th Rifles." The tent was rather full. "It's useful for an aide-de-camp to be able to put faces to names - Sir Arthur will expect you to know the various commanders. One moment, please." He turned to address the three other officers. "Are there any other questions, gentlemen?"

George nodded to the other officers giving them a friendly smile. Edrington seemed nice enough, which came as a relief after the meeting with Wellesley. Hunter was particularly interested in Sharpe, since he was told that this man saved Wellesley's life at Assaye. In a moment of ire, the Captain wished that the tall Rifleman had not done so.

The two Rifles officer nodded politely to Captain Hunter.

"So, I'm followin' the French home, and Captain Vickery's followin' the Scots Greys' missin' patrol, and you're hopin' we don't end up bumping into each other, sir?" Sharpe craned his head a little; reading maps was not his strong point, and this one was upside down for the view he wanted.

Hunter's ears pricked up. He wondered about the missing patrole, and fervently wished he wasn't a damn messenger boy.

"That's the idea - find our missing horsemen, and where the French are hiding, and come back and report. Sir Arthur will no doubt want to send troops to clear them out, but first we need to know their strength. So - no, Mr Sharpe, I don't need to tell you not to let them know we know. And let us hope that the Scots Greys have not run into them."

"Thank you, gentlemen - would you like to take the map with you, Mr Sharpe? It might help you to identify where the French are, when you find them." He rolled it up and offered it to him.

"Thank you, sir," he said, taking it. "I'll look after it for you, and let you have it back when we report back."

That seemed to be everything. Vickery was looking thoughtful, and Sharpe really couldn't think of anything else they needed to know that hadn't been mentioned already. He looked curiously at the ADC. He must be new; Sharpe couldn't remember seeing him before. But then, that really didn't mean much, not so soon into the campaigning season.