Sharpe in charge. As Sharpe gains the top of the wall, he is faced by a counterattack led by the escaped French colonel. After a duel, Sharpe is not only physically wounded, but demoralised at the loss of his sword. While he recovers, he sends for British artillery and orders his most literate rifleman, Harris (Jason Salkey), to decode the message he took from Leroux. During this time, the woman regains her voice and her faith as Sharpe convalesces. In addition, Patrick Harper makes a deal with the father and promises to marry Ramona (the proposal that strains Harper as his mother has not got over the grief of the loss of the woman that would form his arranged marriage) in exchange for a new sword for Sharpe. The new sword revitalizes the wounded Sharpe. Harris succeeds in breaking the code. The message unmasks Spears as a traitor (he had been taken captive, tortured, and then blackmailed by Leroux). However, Spears is unable to bring himself to kill El Mirador, who is revealed to be Father Curtis. When the cannon arrives, Sharpe gives the officer the opportunity for an honourable death. After the fort is softened up by an artillery barrage, Spears charges singlehanded and plants a British flag at the fort's entrance, rousing the morale of the British soldiers, but is killed shortly after. Sharpe and the South Essex then storm the fort. When Leroux tries to surrender, Sharpe offers him a duel to the death instead; if he kills Sharpe, he can go free. Sharpe wins. Taking advantage of Sharpe's absence, Simmerson attempts to rape the novice (who had humiliated him earlier when he had made a crude advance), but is stopped by Father Curtis. The priest accuses Simmerson of warning the French of the first attack; when Simmerson advances on him with sword drawn, Father Curtis, an ex-soldier, unexpectedly draws his own and teaches him a very painful lesson. Differences from the novel The plot of this episode diverges from the novel in a number of substantial ways, particularly concerning some of the main characters. The Marchesa was written out of the episode and instead used, albeit in a completely different role, in Sharpe's Honour. She is Colonel Leroux's sister in the book. Her part in betraying the British is played by Sir Henry Simmerson, who doesn't appear in the novel. The character of Jack Spears was