Chapter 9 Summary

Sharpe discovers that the dungeon holds an old tiger in one of the cells and that Hakeswill occupies the cell next to the animal. Sharpe and Lawford share McCandles' cell. They discuss the British situation, which is bad because Tippoo's black-powder mine is nearly finished and the attack will come straight into it. McCandless decides to teach Sharpe how to read and write.

Tippoo watches the British prepare for the attack. He hopes that an early monsoon rainstorm will put an end to the attempt, but that does not materialize. The British open fire with four batteries of cannons, targeting the walls to either side of where they will attempt to breach the city. This strategy removes enemy cannons that could fire into the flanks of the soldiers. Once completed, all the British cannons concentrate on the place where the outer wall must...