A Good Bit of Scrubbin'

Fair enough. "On your way, lad." Branning glanced toward Thompson and wondered if they both could slip off without Corporal Johnson noticing. Not likely...

Terry grinned at Branning and ran, following Fingers' path towards the companionway.


He goes here.

With a bucket and unused brush now in his possession, Chase settled himself down by the rail and got to work scrubbing industriously at Fingers' grubby clothes. There wasn't much chance of getting them completely clean, but even succeeding in scouring off some of the filth would do.

"Next boy up," Mister Evans was saying, after Button had gone.

Oxley looked around and shrugged, hastily pulling his clothes off. If he could get done as quick as Button, he could go and find the Shepherds and see if they wanted help carrying out their plan, whatever it was. There was just a damn sight of cold water to face first.

"Good lad." That was the last of the drummers. Tide wondered if that was part of some plot they'd come up with quick. It was hard to tell.

Colburn turned the hose toward Oxley after Tide had given the drummer a brush.

Oxley took the brush, and gasped as the stream of water hit him. "That's c... cold, Mister Evans!" he said, and started scrubbing hard and fast, wanting to get out of here as quickly as possible. He'd end up digging his drill jacket out - and he didn't like wearing it; it made him stand out from the other boys. Well, apart from the Shepherds, but they were twins and who knew what they got up to?

Tide grinned. "Cold's good for you," he said helpfully.

"How c... can it be? Can't hardly f... feel me f.. fingers," Oxley replied through chattering teeth, trying to get this over with as quickly as possible. Thankfully he wasn't as grimy as poor Fingers had been.

"Makes you glad to warm yerself up again," Tide answered sagely. And it helped spur the boys to not linger over it. Not that they were likely to anyway.

"R... Reckon I's done, Mister Evans," the drummer said a few moments later, thankful he had short hair and didn't need to worry about brushing that out.

That was probably so. Tide nodded. "Clear off, then. Next boy!"

The chubby-faced Billy-boy Green found himself pushed unceremoniously forward.

Oxley dropped the brush unceremoniously and cleared off to scramble back into his clothes and head down to find his drill jacket - and the twins, wherever they'd got to.

Thompson looked at the remaining boys. They looked pretty docile, certainly in comparison to de Guarde, and he was starting to really feel the cold now.

"Don't reckon they'll be any trouble, Mister Evans," he said. "I'm goin' to shift into dry rig if you don't need me no more."

Tide nodded. He and Colburn could probably manage this lot now. The worst of it seemed to be over. " 'Bliged to you, mate."

"Welcome," Thompson said, grinning. "Was a good bit o' fun, like." All apart from that first boy... and Thompson had to go and have a few words with him. He couldn't, in all conscience, not go to see him. He felt in his pocket to make sure he had his queue-leather; he'd have to get someone to redo his queue for him before parade tomorrow morning.

He turned to head below, glad to get out of the wind and into a bit of shelter on the gundeck.


Going to here.

The fun seemed to have subsided by now with the boys' numbers dwindling. "Well that was a bit of excitement!" Deverel laughed. "I'd like to see crossing the line, if a simple washing stirs up this much tumult."

This, however, was too much for Leat. After such an embarrassing ordeal for the men and ship, after the disgraceful fuss that had shown one oif their midshipmen - albeit an ex-midshipman - kicking and screaming like some whoreson hooligan, Deverel had to declare it as fun!

"Mr. Deverel!" Leat roared. "You'll give a mind to having this mess cleared away forward and these men about their business? Or do you wish to receive a dousing yourself? Doubtless you are in need of the shock to bring you back to life! Lively, there!"

The idea of seeing Deverel being doused on deck in full view of the crew was so amusing that Bush nearly cracked a smile thinking about it. But the embarrassment of De Guarde's scene was still fresh in his mind, which was more than enough to help him maintain his composure. That and the fact that he agreed with Leat completely. It was utterly foolish that Deverel would call such a disgraceful display fun.

"You heard Mr. Leat. Be about your business, Mr. Deverel," Bush said, giving the third lieutenant a stern look.

With at least two ferocious looks directed at him from the quarterdeck (He did not presume to know the captain's mind) Leat imagined that their fellow lieutenant would get the message. For all his intolerance of De Guarde, ship's boys and Deverel, Leat hoped that Bolitho would not be too appalled by the turn events had taken. It was shame enough for the incident having occurred, but Leat felt in part a guilt that he had not thought to stop proceedings before matters came to a head - and Bolitho would be justifiably angry with his lieutenants for being ineffective. In this, perhaps, Leat was more angry with himself than anyone else could be.

With a barely contained grimace at his fellow lieutenants - why were they venting their spleen on him? - Deverel stepped down the ladder from the quarterdeck and moved forward, but with caution. He did not want to be doused if he could avoid it. "All right, lads, we haven't got all day. You last boys, step lively."