27 May; Pursuing a prankster

Pye didn't protest even as he was led away by his arm as if a young one for whom the fear was that he would get lost. He looked at Cotton and sensed in the tone of his voice, that he too was rather upset. He could not understand why, and replied in equal hiss, perhaps more kind and more on the account of trying to explain himself rather than to show his feelings about it.

"..He deserved it, Gabe. An' you know it. He bleedin' stalked Newbury down.. like the res' of them. Three against one. Wasn't it. They would've killed him n' done who know's what to his lass!..That lass." He uttered as by means of correcting himself. "Three 'gainst one.. an injured one. They could'o killed him!" His still followed like a pup, offering no resistance.

"Didn' do anythin' though.., was t' rat that did it.. n' hisself. if He didn't try nothin' he'd not hurt!"

"Yeah, that's why the Captain wants to have 'em on trial for it. Goin' after one man who's in a tent under the surgeon's care ain't clever - an' God only knows how you didn't end up under guard waitin' for a proper court martial yourself." He sighed. "An' if you had bin, the captain would prob'ly either have had to let the others off bein' tried, or defend you at a court martial too. D'you really, honestly, want to keep gettin' in trouble over stuff? 'Cause even if the captain don't like floggin', it don't mean Riflemen ain't ever flogged. It don't work like that!"

And there was the fire Maggie had lit earlier. "It ain't the holdin' a rifle on 'em that he's pissed off about. It's that you went after a guy an' done to him what you're so angry that the provosts did to Joe. The man was already wounded, there weren't no need to make it ten times worse."

Pye stared at he floor, looking rather unhappy at Cotton's anger which he did not think he deserved. The provosts should have gotten it, one reason or another. He'd done it before, though he was glad Cotton didn't know of it. Given, that time it had only been smelly, not hurtful.

"I dun' think they'll be given wot' they deserve anyway, Gabe." He looked up. "That sort of folk, they're this tight with them officers. " He shrugged defiantly. "s' first time I got in trouble..." Well, the other time, he could have gotten away with it, if not for needing to turn himself in. "..not with them though. You saw. They don't think it was me.."

"I dunno, I really don't." Cotton dropped to sit on the ground, picking up a stick to poke at the fire. "Maybe they will, maybe they won't, but the Captain's goin' to do his damnedest to see they will get what they deserve. An' I wouldn't say they'm tight with the Captain - you got no idea how pissed off he is with them. You've got to trust him - he don't like folks touchin' the Rifles the way those bastards done. An' I don't doubt he'd prob'ly be real pleased someone done that to one of 'em, if it didn't mean that it put him in such a sticky situation - an' that's what he's pissed off at you for."

He put another few sticks on the fire and watched it blaze a bit brighter. "An', well, he's angry at you for... for not thinkin' what it could've meant if you had bin caught. What if someone had seen you? And after all that fuss down the river too, the other day."

"Why do ye think I'd done it at night? Not couse I thought it was nicer n' cooler that way." The lad frowned. He didn't like to think about vickery as very upset with him. But there he had it, he would've had to expect it to happen. The fact that Cotton suggested Vickery would , might've even agreed with it though, made Pye grin. Well then, there was some success in that. Even if unspoken.

He sat himself comfortably on the floor. lying his knapsack down beside him, he was more careful with his breadbag, and less, with his shako. "If someone had seen me.. then.." He shrugged. "They might've agreed with me n' shut up."

"I like you, Pye, don't get me wrong. I jus' don't want to see you screw up an' get sent to the triangle or anythin' like that - ain't good for a lad, that. Hurts summat terr'ble, it do. You want to.. you want to be a good rifleman an' that means you got to learn when it's a good idea not to push things an' when folks are goin' to look the other way."

Working out how the Captain felt about things was probably far, far easier for Cotton, because he was the officer's batman and was around him far more than any of the other soldiers were, but even the others knew when not to push him.

"If you learn from all this, I reckon I can promise that nobody'll ever mention it to you again, after. We do things diff'rent to how the 33rd does, an' you've only just joined us, so we know you can't be expected to get everythin' an' understand everythin' right off. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Keep your eyes open, listen to things, ask questions if you need to. You'm a Rifleman now an', well, we ain't mates with the Captain, like. But you can talk to him, or me, or Roper, anyone. An' next time you get some crazy fool idea like that, ask someone first, do."

It hurt a lot no matter the age of the one receiving it. Pye aagreed with Cotton on that. He knew that Gabe had been flogged, who didn't? He knew that he had been a rifleman at the time as he was now. His status as a rifleman did not save him from being flogged, though if it were up only to Vickery, it probably would have.

"I know it does. 'member." He mumbled under his breath. He knew he was in the right. Why did Cotton not see that he was off the hook what the provosts were concerned. They did not find him guilty, only Vickery did, and only because he admitted it to him. If he hadn't, would Vickery had known? Probably not!

"What will they not mention? That I did a provost in?" He asked in a hushed tone. "'couse..I doubt anyone fancies a provost, so's as to hold it against me." He let the little bird out. The chick hopped into his lap and then was back to sleep as before. "Yer know that if I tole you m' idea.. and did it, that would implicate you as m' acc..er partner. That in even not doin' anythin, but knowin' of it, yer could'a slipped yer tongue n' then, you'd get yerself in a pickle n' me. Even if you didn't slip but you knew.. then.. well then you'd be t' same blame as fer not stopping me." He picked a stick which hadn't yet begun to burn and prodded the fire with it.

"I lissen. I watch ye, n' Newbury, n' t' others. Well, not t' others so much couse we're here n' I can't. N' I don't always watch either of you. Jus' when it's teachin n' learnin' time. 'couse other times you's got your life with Maggie miss, n' Newbury has too. N' I go ter t' 33rd too, so there's me part in it. " He was talking a fair deal, but he had some more to add before he could be quiet again. "I don't intend ter get caught.. n' don't think o' making it me habit. Not really. Me bein' let in t' rifles...it's a privilege, Gabe. It's summat I do cherish."

He sighed. "I don't mean ter upset t' captain. But .. it ain't like you can skin a rabbit and say it's a cat, can you? ...well, you can if you go ter t' 33rd n' any o' your self is bein' flogged out o' you." He smiled sourly. "But.. ..." He shook his head. "I don't believe t' officers. Vickery's an exception.. there. But t' rest. ..They don't favour t' good sort, Like you or like Newbury. Not very often.. they like t' favour those who get up their arses nice n' gennle." He dropped the stick into the flame. "I dun' regret doing it. I wouldn' have let others get in t' pot for it...but, I do regret if it brings any bad light ter t' rest o' ye."

Cotton shrugged. "Mebbe... mebbe stoppin' back here warn't such a good idea after all. Reckon you need to be with other Riflemen, so's you can watch 'em, see how we do things, how the Captain is with us." He grinned. "You was fair flummoxed that day the Captain come over an' had s drink o' tea with us, warn't you? He does that sort o' thing. He wants to know 'bout us, an' tells us bits 'bout himself sometimes. Not like you an' me an' Joe do, but he wouldn't be like that, bein' an officer. But he wants to know things, talk, 'cause of it's easier to trust folks you know."

Maybe Pye would learn, maybe he wouldn't. But the only place he would learn, really, was with the Rifles, seeing how they did things. You never learned properly just by hearing someone tell you how you should do something, after all.

"I am with t' other riflemen. N' 'ere .. atleast I'm out o' t' way while learning. When I learn. I can see that, I can ask it, n' I remain outta t' way. " He looked slightly embarrased when the event was brought to mind. He nodded instead. "..He's never goin' ter use any of what he hears us tell him, against us?" He asked after he gave it a more thorough consideration. "....wot' about if he dislikes a certain man.. would he treat him unfairly?"

"No, he won't use thing against folks. Well, not in a nasty way, he won't - he ain't like that." He thought about Pye's question. "I reckon... I reckon he'd try to be even more fair, so's he'd know he wasn't usin' his rank or whatever unfairly, jus' cause of not likin' a man. If you'm straight with him, you can 'spect him to deal straight with you, see."

"..I see. ..that's an...I wouldn't think an officer like that exists." Still it was one of many. One who was in the rifles and so might not hold as much power as others who stood in the more traditional lines. He respected Vickery, but did not believe that officers in general were fair. If one wanted things done, and he rarely did, they had to do it themselves. Cotton may not have understood, but he didn't need to.

"...s'.. well, I guess n' ..i promise not ter ever get caught.. 'gain." He turned away. "...when will t' trial be?...this unnoficial one, I mean. ...Tomorrow, after that?" He shrugged. "Jus' so I know when ter prepare m'self." With whichever he could, which wasn't much.

"It'll be tomorrow, or as soon as the Captain can arrange it, so it might be the day after. Depends when he can get the proper big one sorted out, to try the provosts," Cotton replied. "Look, Zack, mate, it ain't so much the gettin' caught as... Well, you oughtn't to do it, 'cause, well, you doin' that sort of thing means you'm showin' you don't trust the Captain to even try to do things right by us."

"... He does it ter his best.. Gabe. But he's still only a captain. " He folded his arms. "Accidents happen. Ain't no betrayal o' trust or failin' at giving it to people..." He rubbed his eyes. "N'.. I ain't goin' ter stand n' watch if they dare do anythin' ter me chick neither. .... She's my responsibility, Gabe. Mine alone." He nodded slowly. "...n' I hope you're right about them provosts bein' tryed and found guilty tomorrow. Sure hope you're right."

"He's a captain, but he ain't the only captain in the Sixtieth. There's one for every comp'ny, an' then there's Major Davy as is the officer in charge of all of us. An' them as wears the green jacket does their best by other folks what wears it. If Captain Vick'ry can't deal with it on his own, he'll refer it to someone else, but it'll get dealt with prop'ly. It's too much... t'ain't so good if a Rifleman goes off on his own to deal with things 'cause it'll generally make the problem that much bigger." He shrugged. "Anyhow, don't let's argue 'bout it now. How 'bout a cup o' tea?"

He filled the kettle up from his canteen and set it over the fire to boil.

"... will like it." Pye murmured after a few moments of silence. "..if I may have it." He added and leaned back. "Newbury's goin' ter heal finally. Ain't he?.. n' they'll promise guard on his wagon till 'e does?"

"Oh, Newbury'll be right as rain in no time. Nothin' short of a bullet in the head ain't goin' to stop him," Cotton said cheerfully. He shrugged. "If the captain's put a guard on the wagon, there'll be a guard there till he can walk, an' then he'll be back up with the rest of the comp'ny afore you can say Jack Robinson."

"Good." Though he'd make sure that if there was a spite he had with anyone, he would mark Newbury's wherabouts to the finest detail. The man hadn't heeded common sense a time before, so he was there to do it for him.

"You'll keep an eye on him ever after.. won't you?" It would be safer too. What with the provosts around. Jenny wasn't strong enough to be of help, but Cotton was a soldier too.

"On Joe? Too right I will. He's come to near to doin' hisself a right mischief for me to let him go wanderin' off on his own ag'in." He grinned. "You got any tea-leaves, or are you goin' to keep on drinkin' mine up?"

"I do, 'ere." He offered a handful to Cotton, to distribute and use as he saw fit. "Jus' keep an eye o' a hawk on him. Don't let 'im out of your sight." He sighed though as he looked at the ground. Soon, or perhaps not so soon, he would get his partner. If he did, he would certainly not be as frequently about with Cotton and Newbury. Though perhaps, it was better so. Better for the two, not for him. But if he did not get a partner. What then? Back to the 33rd? back with the wagons? He did not know.

"Cheers, mate." He took them carefully, splitting them between his mug and Pye's and pouring on hot water from the kettle. "When we'm back with the others, you'll be messin' with the rest of us English folks, y'know. Me, an' Joe, an' Tom Roper, an' Ben Jacklin an' the Palmers - an' young Joe Cavender, who's our bugler. Not to mention Maggie an' Martha Jacklin, when they can come up to us." He grinned; he hadn't realised how much their small mess had grown over the past few weeks.

"I will. If'n you let me." He said that more subtly. "...if I'm let to be a rifleman...if .. ..n' t' partner. If I get one..." His voice trailed off, and he watched and poked his toe at the ground. "I don't want it ter be a German though."

"Oh, you'll be a Rifleman." Cotton shrugged. "Ain't nothin' wrong with partnerin' one of the Germans - they do speak English, sort of. An' you'll pick up a bit of German soon enough - hard not to, when there's only seven or eight Englishmen an' eighty-odd Germans around. We'll have to see how it works out, though you won't end up with someone you hate. It don't work like that."

"They..." He bit his tongue. It was in the past. It had not happened, they had talked with Hakeswill, but it was over. He shrugged. "Jus' dun want to.. ain't 'couse they do or don't speak English. " But he had no choice, did he? Everybody else had a partner already. And the odds were stacked against him. He frowned. How could he see any of them and not think of that night at the camp fire.

"They won't like to pair with the English, anyway."

"They don't mind it. Look, if it's goin' to bother you that much, I'll have a word with Joe an' one of us'll partner you, all right?" He passed one of the mugs of tea over. "Now, stop frettin' over summat that ain't likely to happen, will you? You'll worrit yourself into an early grave at this rate, an' then where will you be?"

He didn't want to cause trouble either. Just survive, live, eat and perhaps leave some men with what they deserved. Hakeswill was out of the question though. He was just too smart, and too hard to get to. "I'll be dead." He said and that as seriously added. "...N' I hope yer won't mind if I leave m' chick in Davy's care with your an' rifle's help if that happens. He's t' kid....in t' 33rd. Well not in there.. but 'es followin' them with 'is sis."

He looked up, taking his mug. "Ain't likely to happen I get a partner? " Well, that settled it then. He really needn't fret.