Planning for fun

De Guarde scowled for he'd missed his second chance, as glorious as it had seemed, and took a step back seeing the marine drummer approach him.

"Are not!" He said and then turned, making a dash for it. Right into the crowd of the other boys. " I'm better n' you!" He called, not too loudly.

"You ain't! Catch him, lads!"

They all looked innocent, as if wondering what Oxley was talking about, letting de Guarde through and purposefully getting in Oxley's way.

"Hey, no fair, boys!"

De Guarde was positively surprised, for he'd expected he'd be slowed down right after Oxley had told the boys to. But they seemed to be on his side, and as he looked back he saw them slow that boy down as well. That made him have a rather wide grin on his face. "Yes I'am!"

He hopped past a few of the boys. He turned about , waved the stick playfully infront of him, in clear view of Oxley, but as clearly out of his reach.

"Come on, yer slow!" He grinned playfully.

"No you ain't. Now give it!" He picked Danny up bodily to move him out of the way so he could get through.

"Nay, I will not! " The boy grinned thanking Danny to have stood in the way too. He had the least reason to, after all. He turned and looked where he was going. Could make a break and try to have a climb places, run below and continue going in circles.

He'd first chosen the last of the options. Laughing merrily as he went. He held the stick up almost as a trophy and only dropped it back , with a tight grip on it, when he thought Oxley might've gained some on him.

"And I am, I am, I am, n' yer can't do nothin' about it!" He ducked under a cannon, and stood there for a moment, chuckling.

Oxley sidestepped the cannon, wondering if he could risk tackling the other lad to the deck.

"I'll make you regret that," he said, though he was grinning and the threat was only half-serious.

"Ha, you'd have ter catch me first, ter try doin' anything there, ol' boy!" He ducked around the next cannon, glancing sideways first at the two options. Down or up, where up meant a fairly fast climb in the dark. Precarious at the least. He promptly decided for the down at last.

Not without making a mock attempt to go for the rigging, and then the moment later, bolting for the companionway, with the stick tight in his grip, barely avoiding a sailor that just happened to be wanting to go the same way.

"You'll be sorry when I make you eat them fine words!" Oxley said, almost going for the shrouds before seeing de Guarde dive down the main companionway. He just barely managed to avoid running full tilt into the sailor before heading down the steep ladder close on de Guarde's heels.

" Dun' eat me words, no never!" He grinned for smaller, pressed spaces did work in favour of small and against large or tall.

He ducked past two sailors, who'd done nothing more but looked startled at the chase. Then had to hop over another ship's thing before running into the sailor's berth deck. There alas were already the hammocks slung up as some sailors had gone to catch some shut eye early. "You'll not catch me, or me name ain't.." But the rest was lost as he had to make his way past the next obstacle, trying not to laugh out too loud.

Had hammocks been piped down already? Oxley ducked under one, dodged a sea-chest and a couple of sailors yarning away. "You'll be sorry!" he said. "We'll tie you to the mainmast an' see how you like it! That'll stop your capers!"

"T' boys won't let you. " He hoped, but didn't quite care for the threat. He'd be sure safe and sound, for he could or thought he could, run faster.

"Come, yer slowin' down again, sure yer ain't already tired?" He asked and ducked under a few hammocks, using the dozing men much as a shield. Though if any would wake, that might prove a right dangerous thing for both of the boys. Well, as much as grumbling and sour looks was concerned.

"Wouldn't they! They'd help me - always love a laugh, them do!" He wondered whether he was close enough to tackle the other boy, and decided that he wasn't, yet.

"That's no laugh, being strung up there!" He had to duck again and then squirm his way past several sailors - of course there had to be many, when least needing it - and all in the way too. There was a groan from one of the Hammocks, and a curse said by the man, damning the young bloods and their disturbance! Couldn't they play somewhere else? At some other time at least? And preferably in silence!

De Guarde stifled laughter , the stick still firmly in hand. He looked over his shoulder and bumped right into a tall sailor. He pushed himself up, not recognising the man anyway - certainly wasn't from his mess - , he crawled and began to push himself up when he came around him. There was the marine's mess next, and he was sure not afraid to run in and see where that took him. And he was having so much fun too!

Oh bugger. Andrew had lost his grip on Fingers and the boy had scampered off immediately, Andrew's hat in his hand as a consolation prize for failing to grab hold of his drumsticks. Oxley and De Guarde had since disappeared, carrying on a mad chase through the ship. Somebody was bound to stop them for creating such a stir, but that wasn't any of Andrew's concern.

"Give that back, you!"

Fingers giggled and slid down the companion ladder, Andrew's hat settled over his head, nearly covering his eyes. Oh so that's how it was, was it? The drummer went down the ladder after him. Above them, the other ship's boys cheered and whooped at the unexpected entertainment.

"Would be for the rest of us!" Oxley retorted, and couldn't help laughing as de Guarde ran straight into a sailor, ending up on his bum on the deck. Shame Oxley wasn't a bit closer; he'd have been able to grab his drumstick then and there. He was heading aft, towards the marines' mess, which suited Oxley just fine. One of them would help retrieve his stick. Hopefully, anyway.

Right in the marine's deck the boy slowed down a little. Not any more than to see where he could run, not to bump into any marines. It wouldn't do if he did after all. A familiar face to hide in, was another option, though he wondered if Thompson would step on the drummer boy's side or his own. He grinned and dived right between two of the marines.

"Incomin'!" He called out, to startle the men. This was probably his first ever chase done all for fun and laughs. And he was certain to have Oxley work for it.

(XD.. just had to add: Go Fingers!! Run with that hat!)

It was a good thing Oxley didn't need his drumsticks right now, he thought, as de Guarde pushed between two Marines heading out towards the main companionway. They muttered at the lads but Oxley ignored them, stepping round them to try to catch up with de Guarde.

"C'mon now, give us that back!"

De Guarde grinned: "Not till yer say I am better than you!" Well then perhaps. Only perhaps, for he held the stick like a trophy, one thing that was sure to have a drummer boy running to. That, and his hat. He wondered how well Fingers did. Did he get the sticks? Was he somplace running as well now? Or was he still squirming in Andrew's hold.

He yelped when he nearly tripped, and stumbled a few steps, catching himself on some rope. He straightened and pushed forwards again, not wanting to waste but a moment, the stick luckily sufferining none of the damage so far. As much as he'd been reckless in running, he was careful of his little treasure.

"Why should I say that, when you know I'm better'n you are?" Oxley said, darting forward as the younger boy tripped, though he wasn't quick enough to grab his stick back. He grinned as de Guarde yelped, though.

One of the Marines already in his hammock cursed them roundly, telling them to find somewhere else to mess around. Oxley just rolled his eyes; Shriver was never happy. Even if they did go off somewhere else, he'd find something to complain about.

"'Cos that ain't true!" He turned to look at the marine all grumbling upset like. What was his problem anyhow? They were just playing. He had an urge to run past rather close to the man just because he could, but then decided against it. Instead just raising the volume of his voice a little. "Say it, say it! Yer know it's right! Say it say it, like red n' white!" He stopped by the door, ready to bolt up again, the moment he'd needed to, with his stick nicely in the palm of his hand.

Thompson looked up as de Guarde came into the Marines' berth, with Oxley hot on his heels.

"Hello there, lads," he said. "What're you doin', then?"

Oxley grinned across at the older Marine. "He's got me drumstick, that's what."

Thompson looked like he'd been sewing or something, because he lowered whatever it was to his lap to look from one lad to the other. "Ah. Jus' don't go wakin' folks up, that's all I'm sayin' about it."

"We'um not." He grinned seeing the elder marine. "Well we try to... er not to." He dropped his voice a little, and scampered so the taller marine was inbetween himself and Oxley. He looked curiously at Thompson, having not seen exactly what he was doing, just that he was. And he was up and all as well.

"Geo..Thompson, tell Oxley 'ere ter say I'm the best of us two!" He grinned: "Else he be drummin' away all with one stick till sun comes down!"

Thompson shook his head, grinning. "Now why should I make him say that, when you've got one of his sticks and want to join us? 'Cause seems to me that makes him better, 'cause he's a Marine."

Oxley leaned against the ship's side. "See, even Thompson agrees with me."

"Oy, traitor ye be!" He scowled and stuck his tongue out a bit too childishly, but then atleast he smiled too, so it looked that he wasn't taking it all too seriously, nor meaning it that way.

"But I got his stick, see! If he were better he'd have both of them as right as day!" He grinned. "Soo, in that a'way I'um better n' he's one stick short!"