Chapter Ten Summary

Chapter ten begins as the French army marches eastward toward Burgos, seemingly in defeat. Sharpe observes them in his telescope and reflects on his luck that his horse, Carbine, has a long tail, not a bobbed tail like other British army horses. Angel has gone into the city to gather information about La Marquesa. Angel's family was killed by Frenchman when he was thirteen, and since then he does everything he can to aid the British army and cast the French out of Spain. Angel's only possession is a Baker rifle, which he cleans obsessively. He returns at dawn with food and the news that La Marquesa has publicly disappeared but is being kept in the Convent of the Heavens in Santa Monica. The Partisans are guarding the convent, including el Matarife, "the slaughterman." He is feared by French and Spanish...