news of Roth, save that his corps was in a running fight. ‘The general-in-chief is resolved to remain here until the situation is known. Meanwhile General Toll sends you these for your favour.’
An orderly unhitched a basket.
‘Please thank General Toll,’ said Hervey, conscious of the consideration of so senior an officer towards a junior. ‘Will you join us?’
The aide-de-camp shook his head. ‘No, Colonel, thank you; I must attend on General Diebitsch.’ He saluted and returned to the cherry trees.
‘Well, I call that uncommon civil,’ said Fairbrother, devilling into the basket. ‘After all the haste of last night … and here we have a regular
Johnson’s feast of the pre-dawn was not long past, but the sight of sheep’s cheese, sausage, rice cakes and preserved figs was a strong stimulant to appetite, as well as chocolate hot from the stove, and wine. ‘Corporal Acton, take your fill,’ said Hervey. ‘And then, if we decently can, we must stow what’s left. I don’t count our chances of a regular dinner too high this night.’
‘Oh, thank you very much, sir,’ said Acton cheerily, driving a picket peg into the ground to tether his mare.
‘This is what you would call in the ranks “hurrying up to wait”.’
‘Sir.’
‘Well, I confess that the last time I breakfasted in sight of the enemy – if we may call the Turk that, for the purposes of argument – was at Waterloo. And Bonaparte sat watching us a deal too long. What think you, Fairbrother; are those Turks yonder the Vizier’s advance guard, d’you suppose?’
‘How shall we know until they move?’ replied Fairbrother, making a thorough mash of cheese and sausage and figs. ‘Recall that it was you who told me that the way to identify a bird was to observe what it does.’
‘Just so.’ Hervey turned to his cornet. ‘Mr Agar, you are in command of the advance guard of the Vizier’s army. Your axis of advance is the defile of Yeni Bazar and Kaspichan and thence directly on Shumla. Tell me your course of action.’
Agar appeared already to have contemplated the question, for his answer came at once. ‘From the vantage point of yonder cavalry I can survey the whole of the line which the enemy – the Russians – here has taken up. I cannot see what reserves are concealed to the rear of Yeni Bazar, but I must assume there to be a force of cavalry and guns. I cannot therefore throw out a defensive flank and march through the defile here; I must attack directly and force the enemy to withdraw beyond Yeni Bazar, which place I must garrison in order to allow the main part of the force to pass through.’
Hervey nodded appreciatively. It required not the mind of a Marlborough or a Wellington to conclude thus, but it was well expressed. ‘And how strong is the enemy – the Russians – here?’
‘I cannot be certain, for my communications with Silistria are severed – the Cossacks intercept all my gallopers – but I must assume that a prudent general would not advance so far without being able to match my forty thousand, of which I have thirty-five thousand in the field and the remainder in Shumla. I know that the corps which has watched Shumla this past month is about ten thousand strong, and that I am pressing them hither from Pravadi, and also that there are strong forces – say five thousand – at Madara, as well as perhaps three thousand in the garrison at Pravadi.’ He paused to calculate. ‘It may be, therefore, that the main force of the enemy at Yeni Bazar is in excess of twenty-five thousand.’
‘Admirable. But ponder on those, gentlemen: this will be a battle of numbers the like that I myself have not seen since that day in 1815. So, Mr Agar, your course now is to …?’
Agar was only momentarily distracted by the thought of Waterloo. ‘The Vizier has placed a quarter of his force in my advance guard – of which those yonder are the scouts – and therefore I shall attack here with seven or eight thousand to test the enemy’s strength and intention.’
‘To where would you direct the attack?’
‘The right – west – flank, sir.’
‘Why?’
‘Because the enemy could not weaken his left flank since it could then be assailed by the main body. But I too have my apprehension in that respect, for General Roth’s corps might fall upon
‘What say you, Fairbrother?’
Fairbrother, breaking from his feast, looked approving. ‘I say that Mr Agar’s appreciation is worthy of the senior class at Addiscombe. But that which is unknowable is the extent to which Roth is engaged.’
There was no gainsaying it, and Hervey was beginning to wonder why Diebitsch did not send patrols out of his own rather than waiting on Roth’s gallopers. ‘If, however, the Vizier marches by the central route, what do yonder Turk do?’
Again, Agar did not hesitate. ‘Vantage over the defile here, sir, to guard the right flank.’
‘Just so,’ said Hervey decidedly – and thought what an admirable aide-de-camp would Agar make him.
Towards eleven o’clock, the heat now becoming uncomfortable, and the distant Turks still making no move, a galloper from General Roth at last arrived – a lieutenant of the Narva Hussars whose proud uniform was caked in dust and dried mud.
Hervey could no longer contain himself. He rode over to the cherry trees to gain what he might, but the obliging aide-de-camp had been sent elsewhere, and so all he could do was stand at a respectful distance and observe.
The general-in-chief, his countenance sternly fixed, was personally interrogating the hussar. From time to time there was pointing on the map, and the chief-of-staff would ask, evidently, a supplementary question.
Ten minutes passed, fifteen perhaps – the officer of hussars, who even with his face begrimed looked scarcely older than Agar, spoke with confidence and certainty, not in the least daunted by either the braid before him or the consequence of his report.
At length Diebitsch turned to his assembled staff with a look of grim satisfaction. General Toll smiled admiringly. And then all was staccato orders and staff officers hurrying this way and that. And when every Mercury had flown, and the clump of cherry trees was empty but for a handful of his closest staff and the officer of the Narva Hussars (with, at last, a flask of wine in his hand), Diebitsch saw Hervey and beckoned to him.
‘Colonel Hervey, the situation is developing to our advantage. General Roth has broken clean. He is seven miles hence but in good order. The Vizier is marching by the middle route. We march at once therefore for Madara to join Count Pahlen, leaving a detachment here to guard our lines of communication. You may accompany or wait on Roth as you please.’
An orderly brought coffee on a silver tray. Diebitsch offered him the first cup.
Hervey took it and bowed. ‘I’m obliged, as ever, General, for your giving me such licence; I will of course ride with you to Madara.’
Diebitsch said he was glad of it.
‘May I presume that Count Pahlen’s cavalry will screen the army as it deploys?’
‘You may. And you may presume you have leave to ride with them too. It will be a bruising battle tomorrow. There will be no easy victory over a general of Reschid’s reputation, or over troops desperate to gain the safety of Shumla. I should want you to see it all – and tell London of it.’
XVI
THE BLOODY BUSINESS OF THE DAY
A hand on his shoulder woke him as the army began rousing for the dawn stand-to.
‘Tea, sir.’
Hervey propped himself up on a forearm. Any tea at such an hour and place was welcome, but this was good tea, and sweet (he had come to prefer it so of late) – and he savoured the remembrance of many such times in their service together. How Johnson had found their bivouac before dark last night was still a wonder.
