Summary for Chapter 3 Summary

On the first night, 11 men from the Real Compañía Irlandesa desert and 8 desert on the second night. Sharpe is worried about how to stop the desertions. He has a conversation with Captain Donaju, the one officer whom Sharpe respects. Sharpe finds out that Kiely is commander of the Real Compañía Irlandesa by virtue of his birth, although Donaju concedes that Kiely is an excellent swordsman and detests the French. Donaju also shrewdly suggests that the British want the men to desert.

Kiely barely speaks in the morning until he has taken in enough alcohol to be moderately drunk and is of little use in training the men. Sharpe is surprised, when speaking with Kiely, to find that Kiely actually wants to fight the French. He claims the men are deserting because they are bored, under-valued and feel...