Marc watched on as the horses gained ground. Once the riders were two-thirds up the hill, the remaining sharpshooters fired from the rear. One was struck by musket fire from the Spanish infantry, while the other escaped by using the obstacles. He would rejoin the town’s defenders circling to the back of town.
Behind him the sounds of musket fire subsided. Given more time a messenger might have delivered the news, but they were out of time.
Cornay motioned to the rider to head back. He turned around and rode hard towards the city, stopping only to warn his replacement to follow him back into town. Within a couple of minutes this would be the front line.
The mortars went quiet, permitting the men a brief respite from the barrage. Let them taste victory on the tips of their tongues.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Man of War is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth.
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