Chapter 5 Summary

British ships approach the Danish shore, and Danish soldiers in a castle prepare heat shot, cannon balls heated so that they cause ships to catch fire. The fortress commander says they must wait to be fired upon. The British fire cannons, but the defenders can tell that the cannon fire contains no shot and is merely a salute.

Sharpe can find no way out of the room in which he is confined. He knows that Lavisser will kill him if he remains. The only possible way out frightens Sharpe. Sharpe knows he can try to go out the chimney, but he risks getting stuck and dying. Sharpe climbs up into the chimney and finds that it is too narrow. The only way to try is to do so naked. Sharpe enters the chimney naked and after a long and painful route, he drops...