Chapters 17-19 Summary

Sharpe watches as the men prepare for the upcoming battle. He observes as the men inspect and re-inspect their equipment. And when possible, Sharpe tries to offer words of encouragement to his soldiers. Sharpe too prepares his equipment. He takes his sword to an armorer who sharpens it for him. While watching the British forces ready for battle, Sharpe thinks that this battle may be his only chance to capture a French Eagle. If Simmerson has his way, Sharpe will be sent to a post in the West Indies or kicked out of the army entirely within a few weeks.

The morning of the battle everything in the British camp goes as planned. But when the Spanish cannons should have begun firing on French positions, nothing happens. At a meeting of officers, Sharpe learns that the Spanish decided to sleep rather...