Drummer's Jacket, 26 May

Oxley escaped up to the head, glad to get away from the Corporal.

The other two were going to want to know how de Guarde was getting on, so he headed aft along the gun-deck to check up on the lad for himself.

It was easy. He needed to stand there, in place and do nothing but wait till the right moment when he would have to tap the right rhythm to send the officers about their more important business. He smiled at the thought. He wasn't nervous any longer, not after Cartwright had allowed him to stand watch. He wondered what would happen after all of this was done and hoped that nobody would get in trouble for it. He knew what he'd say if asked, and as he had time, he thought on it, thought hard.

He had a lot of time to think really. About what he had done so far, where this new ship had taken him. The drummers he had gotten to know. The marine he needed to do the boasting to, the time when he would have to start his more active line of work. It was all on his mind, and he stood there staring ahead, but really not seeing what was right infront of his face. He was lost in thought, not slack, but certainly not paying attention to what was about him. He didn't notice Oxley come back on deck, and possibly wouldn't have noticed an officer, unless shouting an order.

de Guarde was staring right through him. Oxley grinned and went up to him, waving a hand in front of his face. "Jus' checkin' you's all right," he said. "Seen Mister Cartwright around?"

De Guarde stirred, nearly jumped at how close he saw Oxley stand and grunted. "Oy'.. shoulda warned me." He adjusted his drum and his cross belt. "No.. don't think I've seen him.. though he's....well las' i saw him he went below." He indicated the direction and shrugged. "..I'm good. Thinkin'." He murmured quietly. "Wot' got you up?"

"The twins had to go to the surgeon an' Johnson wanted one of 'em to come on duty, only they can't. Got told to turn in or summat. I jus' came to check on you, like I said I would. And I'm goin' to tell 'em how you's doin', too, 'cause they'll want to know." He shrugged. "You sure Mister Cartwright went below?" It was possible that he could have missed him, but he didn't think he had.

"Ain't sure. Could've gone there or across the deck. Jus' go n' ask them Tars there. THey'll notice his whereabouts more n' sentries." He grinned at what he said, clearly expecting the other marines to be daydreaming as much as he himself did.

"Do ye know how long till i have ter sound t' Hearts o' Oak, or what yer tole me t' name was, afore?"

"No, I jus' wanted to make sure he wasn't anywheres about, that's all," Oxley said. "You's all right - it'll be officer's dinner at near the end of this watch, so you'll have to be ready for that. The M'rine by the glass'll tell you when, so you don't have to fret over it." He shrugged. "He allus does tell the drummer, 'cause we can't see the glass from here. And it's Roast Beef of Old England - do get the right one, or we'll all be goin' to Quarters." He grinned.

"That'one ! I'm sorry.. Jus' couldn't remember t' proper name for it. Roasty, right." He grinned, glad that a marine will come to notify him when it will be his turn. He really couldn't see the glass and he had wondered how the drummers always knew when it was time. Well, the secret was out, and he now knew it wasn't some special sort of intuition, nor dumb luck or even a counting to a hundred and then deciding it was time. It was simply having another marine walk up, and say it. As simple as that.

"I'll not fail you, Tom. ..I'll do it as good as ..well i'll do it best I can. Try ter make ye proud." He nodded softly. N' that's a promise."

"Hey, you's doin' real good. It's took a second glance for everyone afore they seen it's you, an' that's great," Oxley said. He really did look the part, too, under the hat. "I'd best be off afore someone else decides to come and have words. See you in a bit - and I think it might be Ware that'll take over from you, 'cause the Shepherds have bin told to go to their hammocks."

Lucky for the twins, that! He didn't entertain the thought that he might get told to take over again, though.

"Ey. Tom. Be careful of Johnson. He's been raging about earlier." Though probably the boys had already met him and seen of his wrath. "Did he get to you?" He squeezed that question in. If Oxley answered or chose to turn about and leave, he would've known he had at least tried to find an answer to his question, his earlier worry.

"I'll see to it that wares takes over then." He added hastly, his eyes staring past Oxley. It was only his lips moving, so atleast it didn't look as noticable as if the two were engaged in some visible conversation. "N' thanks for lettin' me do that." He grinned. "It's fun."

"I know - I saw him, twice." Oxley shrugged nonchalantly. "He was after the Shepherds, warn't he? Had to go find 'em to tell 'em." He chuckled "You only think it's fun 'cause you ain't done it afore - wait till you get hauled out of your hammock in the middle of the night to take a duty, that's what."

de Guarde looked the part properly now, talking the exact same way that Oxley and the twins did if anyone tried to have a conversation with them when they were on duty. "You're welcome," he replied slightly belatedly, having only just registered the other lad's thanks.

"You think we don't get hauled out of our hammocks mid night if t' sea demands it? We're Tars, Thomas." Though, right at that moment he wasn't a Tar. He was a marine, a drummer. He was getting more used to using the word when referring to himself.

He may have still wanted a different one to be more accurate, but till then a Tar was a word accepted. Or a marine drummer, when duty called, such as now. What he didn't know was, whether his feet would take him places after the watch was over. He'd have to go straight back to his watch then. No rest for the wicked.

"True 'nough." He grinned. "And it's Tom, anyhow. Ain't in trouble - an' even if I am, they call me 'Private Oxley', not 'Thomas'." He looked up at the sky, not wishing anyone to thin he was distracting the duty drummer. "You look a proper M'rine in that uniform, y'know, Buckles."

"Thanks." He puffed his chest out in pride. No form of compliment could go amiss with him. It almost looked as if he had lived only for those, good words. If given, he would strive for better, if told he was bad, he would go for worse, not on purpose but because he would feel so. He glanced to his left, without moving his head an inch, but just his eyes. Couldn't see no officer, or anybody looking at them. Good.

"Hey, could we do 'bit o' skylarking... later in the evening? Celebrate this?" If hopefully all went well. It was worth celebrating. If it didn't, well he didn't want to think of that right now.

Oxley shrugged. "Might, but you'll've bin on duty an awful long time - what with bein' here and havin' to go on watch with Cob and the others when you've come off watch here. Might be an idea to leave it till tomorrow, but that ain't to say we can't have a proper skylarkin' at all."

He didn't know why de Guarde hadn't joined the Marines in the first place, what with the fascination the red coats seemed to have for the other boy. He glanced up and bit his lip. That looked as though Cartwright was up on the quarterdeck, judging by the flash of bright red he glimpsed. He have de Guarde a rueful look. "Think I ought to be goin' below, mate."

He forgot about that. Instead of being off and on watch, he was being on watch for three watches. One in part, one in full and the other in full as a Tar. He'd sleep like a baby once all of that was done. Skylarking was reasonably out of the question unless the boys decided to be just too loud to let him sleep. He nodded and added:" Tomorrow then, or sometime."

With a glance in the direction that Oxley was looking in, barely his eyes moving, he could sufficiently confirm that the officer was in view." See you, later, Tom. Keep out of Johnson's way."

"Tomorrow." If Corporal Johnson wasn't hopping mad and had him and the Shepherds standing double watches for the next six months, anyway. "You behave now and I'll see you later!"

He was going to keep out of Cross-Eyes' way, if he got the chance to. He grinned at de Guarde and headed down the companionway back to the Marines' mess-deck. Prank or not, he really did need to sort his spare trousers out as soon as he could, after all.

De Guarde gave Oxley a curt nod, barely seen from a distance, but distinguishable for the boy who was so close. Now there was to be a lot of standing, little thinking, and much waiting. When the signal would be given, he would have to tap the right rhythm, and make sure it was done up to standards. If an officer appeared, midshipman, lieutenant or whatnot, he could easily claim to have been appointed here by Cartwright. How elaborate this prank had become. From mere hoping, to something more. To actual success in convincing of the right people to enable them the right things.

He grinned. Even the corporal could do nothing about it. He could only agree with his superior. If sergeant Quinn came by. He wondered what the man would think. He'd taught him about muskets, how to check them, how to see that they were up to par, and probably never imagined him in a red coat. Well, now he was! And as officially as he could get. It almost made him forget that when he wasn't playing a marine, he was but a mere lad, a mere Tar.

If he had been a midshipman this would not have been possible though. He could've demanded, but he doubted he would ever have done so. He'd have feared the wrath of his superiors and the ridicule of his subordinates. He would've made himself disrated, by being a mere marine private, even if drummer. Frankly, he would probably not have been so light of heart, but remained serious, hated, and a bully. Would he return to be such, when he was rated? Would the lieutenants and captain even consider suggesting it? He still felt animosity from them, but somehow felt he could hate them too, just not judge them. They had their reasons, as he had his own.

"Hoi. Old Tom."

Andrew peered over the edge of his hammock, for once trying not to rouse his brother who had fallen almost directly to sleep after climbing into his own hammock. The silly beggar. He was going to miss out on the news, but that meant Andrew would have the singular honour of relaying it to him later.

"What's the doin's up there?"

Oxley shrugged. "Ain;'t much happenin' right now. Dunno who's s'posed to relieve him when this watch is over, though Mister Cartwright axed me who else knows what to do with a drum, 'part from me and you two." He scooped his other trousers up and shifted across to sit at the Shepherds' mess table, which was closer to the twins' hammocks than his own was. "I never mentioned Buckles to him. Said Ware knows how, and that I think ol' Cross-Eyes does an' all." He chuckled. "Be a sight to see Cross-Eyes up there with a drum. Ain't see the 'Tenant though, not since Buckles took over from me. Think he went up to the quarterdeck, but I ain't sure."

Ah.

" 'Spect it'll be Ware what relieves him," Andrew remarked. "Dunno what's got into Mister Cartwright though, if he's letting this go on. Almost like he's fond of the joke his own self!"

Oxley shrugged. "Mebbe so. I ain't never met an officer like him, not never. Wouldn't put it past him to give us a proper blowin' up over it all though, even jus' for the sake of it." He looked up. "Ain't you s'posed to be asleep, though? If the surgeon said you was sick'nin' for summat..." he trailed off.

"Only he didn't, did he?" Andrew grinned broadly. "At least not so sick we gotta be on report for it."

Oxley could have cheerfully thrown a drumstick at him. "So you gets to laze aroun' in your hammicks for no good reason at all, jus' acause. It'd serve you right if Mister Cartwright did bawl you out over it, y'know."

A delighted chuckle escaped before Andrew could fight it back, but fortunately his brother didn't awaken.

"Oh it ain't gonna be for long, once Mister Cartwright figgers that we're not really all that ill. 'Sides of which, ol' Cross-eyes'll have us on double-watches, 'member? Then it'll be yer own turn to laze about!"