Drums of War

'I left camp without permission, Sergeant. That's all I can say.'

'And what am I to say to your mother about this incident? Am I to tell her that it took you less than six weeks in the army to catch the pox and earn yourself a flogging?'

'Please don't mention any of this to her,' begged Hillier.

'She'll want to know how you're getting on.'

'I know I'm in disgrace. Give me a chance to make amends for it.'

'And how are you going to do that, lad?' asked Welbeck with a mirthless laugh. 'You're about to be flogged. If you caught something nasty between the legs of some doxy last night, you'll spend the next couple of weeks wondering which itches most — your back or your balls.' Hillier blanched. 'Who went to the town with you?'

'I left here on my own, Sergeant.'

'Was it Dobbs, for instance?'

'Hugh Dobbs is nothing to do with this.'

'What about the other lads?'

'They were not involved,' said Hillier, firm under pressure. 'I was very stupid and I'm ready to pay the penalty for my stupidity.'

Welbeck appraised him. 'That's fair enough,' he concluded with the first whisper of sympathy. 'How are they treating you, Tom?'

'I've been under armed guard since I was caught.'

'Have they given you food and water?'

'No, Sergeant.'

'Have they allowed you to use a latrine?'

'No, Sergeant.'

'That's not right.'

'I've no complaints,' said Hillier, bravely. 'I brought this on myself. If my parents got to hear about this, it would be far worse than any punishment the army can inflict.'

'They'll hear nothing from me, Tom,' said Welbeck.

Before his nephew could thank him, the tent flap lifted and Major Cracknell stepped in. Hillier and Welbeck stood to attention.

'If you've come to plead on your nephew's behalf,' said the major, curtly, 'you're wasting your breath.'

'That isn't why I'm here, sir,' said Welbeck.

'Were he your own son, I wouldn't change my decision.'

'Nor would I expect you to, Major Cracknell.'

'He's let your family down badly.'

'He knows that only too well.'

'What he did was indefensible,' said Cracknell. 'Private Hillier was absent without leave and compounded the offence by refusing to name his companions.'

'I went out of the camp alone, Major,' said Hillier.

'Others were heard running away.'

'That may well be so but I wasn't with them. They must have been returning to camp at the same time.'

Cracknell turned to Welbeck. 'You have an accomplished liar in your family, Sergeant. Do you condone his misconduct?'

'No, sir,' replied Welbeck. 'He's broken army regulations and must be disciplined. At the same time, however, he's entitled to privileges such as food, water and access to the latrines. I feel it my duty to report this mistreatment of him to your superior officers.'

'Damn you, man!' yelled Cracknell. 'Hillier is the offender here, not me. He doesn't deserve any privileges. He should count himself lucky that he's not been shackled. As for you, Sergeant, I'm ordering you to stay away from him.'

'Yes, Major.'

'And if there are any other members of your family who wish to join the army, keep them away from this regiment. We have certain standards to maintain. Hillier has fallen well below them.' He regarded the drummer with contempt. 'You're a disgrace to everyone,' he added. 'Even the sergeant must admit that.'

'Tom Hillier is my nephew,' said Welbeck, stoutly, 'and I'm proud to acknowledge that fact.'

They needed a long rest before they pressed on. When they did so, Daniel drove the coach with Beatrix and Dopff as his passengers. Both were still shaken by their experience. They came at length to a river, enabling Daniel to have a more accurate idea of where they actually were. He called them to a halt.

'We need to cross it,' he told them.

'Is there a bridge?' asked Janssen.

'It's three or four miles away, I fancy. You can all wait here while I ride ahead to see if it's safe to use it.'

'Shall I come with you?' offered Amalia.

'That's a kind offer but I'll be quicker on my own.'

'Take care, Daniel.'

Mounting his horse, he rode off at a canter with the river on his right. He soon vanished around the bend. The others sat on the bank and ate some of the food they'd brought with them. Dopff was too jaded to touch anything but Beatrix had a voracious appetite. Of the two of them, she was the more resilient. Dopff was detached and pensive, still blaming himself for losing control of the coach. It was a long time before Daniel returned and his news was not encouraging.

'There are guards on the bridge,' he said. 'That suggests to me that the police have decided that we managed to escape from Paris and are throwing their net wider.'

'We have false passports,' argued Janssen. 'Won't they see us safely past any patrol?'

'Not when everyone along the north-east frontier has been warned to look out for four Dutch fugitives. Even dressed as a woman, you won't deceive guards a second time.'

'Is there any other way to cross?'

'Yes,' said Daniel. 'I found a shallower spot further upstream. The water came up to my feet when I rode into it. Had it been much higher, the horse would have had to swim.'

'What about the coach?' asked Amalia.

'That could pose a problem.'

With Daniel as coachman once more, they rode along the bank until they reached the place he'd seen earlier. The river was wide but the current was not strong. A gentle gradient would allow the coach to enter the water when it was fairly horizontal but the vehicle wasn't tall enough to clear the surface. Water was bound to seep in through the doors. Realising that, an anguished Dopff waved his arms frantically. Daniel understood his concern.

'Yes, we know,' he said. "There's a chance that the tapestry will be soaked and we can't have that. I suggest we take out everything of value. Apart from anything else, we need to lighten the coach as much as possible.'

All five of them set about emptying the coach, removing their baggage as well as the booty stowed under the seat. Daniel put some of the items in his saddlebags and took hold of the tapestry. Watched by a nervous Janssen and a trembling Dopff, he rode into the river and let the water climb inexorably up the horse's legs. At the deepest point, he was still able to remain in the saddle and kept on until he reached the other bank. Janssen and Dopff clapped their hands with glee. Heartened by what she'd seen, Amalia went next, riding more slowly but contriving to get to the other side without even wetting her shoes. She gave the others a wave of triumph. It was Janssen's turn to cross but he had more enthusiasm for the venture than his horse. The animal refused to enter the water at first and, even when it did, twice tried to turn back, threshing about as it did so. When Janssen finally emerged on the other side, his legs were soaking wet.

Riding his own horse, Daniel borrowed Amalia's mount and tugged it behind him as he headed back towards the coach. Beatrix was helped into the saddle so that Daniel could tow her across the river, taking the rest of the baggage at the same time. The exercise was repeated with Dopff in the saddle of the other horse. Pulling on the rein and urging both horses on, Daniel got them safely to the bank. There was no baggage left now. Only the coach remained.

'Are you certain that it's safe?' said Amalia, worriedly.

'There's only one way to find out,' replied Daniel. "The trick is to have a good run at it so that we hit the water at speed. If the coach is allowed to stop at any point, then I could be in difficulty.'

'Can I help in any way?'

'Yes, please. Ride with me then lead my horse back here again. When I'm driving that coach, I don't want to worry about having to pull another horse behind us.'