Sharp Practice 2

[Noisysteve]

Spring 1810

Colonel McCandless was furious. The plan had been for 3 units meeting up with 3 chests of gold. One was missing, presumed absconded with the loot.
The mission was of special importance to The Peer himself. Go to the village of Siesta del Lobo , find the local priest, and give him the gold in exchange for the sacred boogie of St Angelo. With this relic in British hands, Spain would realise that the English were preserving their traditions, and not here to occupy, like the French had.
The British sent their parties into the village, a group of Portuguese infantry, under Ensign Chris, and some Cornish infantry under a Captain.
As they entered the village square they could sense something very wrong. The Priest was there alright, but so was some French, also carrying gold.
The priest had been playing both sides, hoping for double the reward, but the French had arrived early.
For only a moment the silence lingered as both sides grasped the others presence.
The Portuguese were first to react and fired a volley, but soon the others parties followed suit, and the square became a rolling cloud of smoke.
Hearing the firing, the rest of both forces moved forward into the village.
On the British right were more Portuguese infantry , under their Captain, and some Cascadores, moving quickly utilising the cover. In the left the 60th Rifles also moved silently into the village, leaving the rest of the Cornish infantry, who waited, looking at their newly appointed Ensign Garfunkel to act.
Cracks and bangs reverberated around the village, Ensign Chris, ordering his men back, leaving their chest of gold with their dead.
Shadows appeared through the swirling smoke, a group of French Legere skirmishes grabbing the priest, firing, then disappearing back into the gloom.
Casualties were stacking up on both sides in the square, as the troops there had their world shrunk down to the 6 feet or so in front of them, as that was all they could see.
The Cascadores were moving from street to street, avoiding the French on that side.
Ensign Garfunkel fiddled with his sabre, gulped, and strode forward, " Come on you buggers, let's get at them."
They moved into the left of the village where they found the Captain, ordering them further round to out flank the enemy.
In the centre reinforcements arrived for both sides, shoring up a depleted line. The French were being forced back, leaving their gold.
The Cascadores were running at a crouch, they needed that priest. The Legeres had nearly spirited him away, when with an almighty scream, the Cascadores crashed into the French, their sword bayonets gleaming.
The fighting was quick and bloody, the French either dead or running. Grabbing the priest the Cascadores turned round into the village, to find their path blocked by a French unit, muskets in the shoulder.
Ensign Garfunkel and his men moved into a garden orchard, then climbed the high wall the other side to out flank the French. They were met with a blistering volley, which tore into the Cornish. Now totally disorganized, they received volley after volley, staggering back under the onslaught.
The square looked like an abattoir, smoke obscuring any living thing , when suddenly a group of rifleman, and Cornish rushed forward grabbing the abandoned chests.
The Cascadores took the volley, the survivors breaking into the houses to escape the murderous fire, dragging the priest by his robes.
The French had had enough, and what had started as a trickle, became a race, as men ran for their lives.
The British had done well, coming away with more gold than they had started with, and importantly the Priest.