Drummer's Jacket, 26 May

"True, true," Evans said. "I ain't gonna say nothin' either."

And he wouldn't. He was too fond of a good joke, if it wasn't solely at his expense. Grinning slightly, he shuffled his feet and stretched as much as he dared. The watches were due to change soon.

Sam ambled past the group, looking over his shoulder and scarcely paying them any attention. "One o' them funny boats, cor'masser," he told Evans. "I think she's for us." At least, so it seemed by the way her handler kept waving at them. Or maybe it was just a local being friendly? He turned and now noticed the drummer. Not his own Tommy - he already knew that - but hell if he could keep those other lads straight. Too many sets of twins on this ship! Sticks and Buckles and whoever else...

This lad was the easiest one to fool. Already he believed or was lead to believe that there were two boys with the same face of De Guarde. The twins, such as the Shepherds, just that one was a drummer boy and one was a Tar. He observed the lad with the same manner as he would were he a Tar doing his duty. Which was, calm, dutiful and curious at the same.

He looked as if he'd barely noticed him too, and though he listened to what Sam was to say, he decided that, under no condition would he move from his post. Unlike a Tar, he would not run, but stay there even if curiosity as to what he was to see, would kill him. And even if he itched to ask a question, he chose to bite his tongue. Listen, boy, listen to and learn in a silent way!

Funny boats? Evans turned to look. A local craft for sure and coming close to the frigate. A little too close.

"What's that she's yellin'?"

"She?" Sam squinted against the morning light on the water. "It is a she, ain't it? Maybe she's come to tell us all thankee," he said with a lewd grin. Not that it was very likely.

The attention being all on the boat that was coming along side, meant that he was much more safe than before not to be recognised. He quickly scanned his mind for any tell of whether he ought to use his drum for this, and remembered that neither did they ever do it in the past, but also none of the 'commands' he had been learnt was meant for it.

So , rather than worry whether he was wrong, he just tried to make guesses as to who the new arrival was, and why it was there.

Sam pretended to return to his duties, but his attention was clearly on the barge approaching. He nudged the boy next to him. "Hey, get a look at yon lass," he said. Then he squinted at the lad. Blow him down if it wasn't another of those twins. Did every drummer have a brother jack here? Or did everyone aboard just look the same?

He doubted there was one boat wanting to take over a ship, and if it was a woman there, it was an even smaller chance that she meant any harm. Couldn't be an officer's wife though judging by the other day's adventures of their lieutenants, perhaps she could've been a sweatheart of one of them.

He heard the shouts clearly enough. Odd. The girl said she had wine for the officer. Wine? For Bush? The boy tried to stiffle a chuckle.

Andrew Shepherd had found Chase, who was delighted by the prank when Andrew hurriedly explained it all to him. They were both topside now, making their way casually to the foc's'le to idle away the time until the watches changed. The activity in the waist, however, brought them over to see what was going on.

"It ain't them provosts again, is it?" Chase asked warily, trying to get a look.

"Nah, it's a woman," Sam replied, taking his eyes off of her for a moment to look at the newcomers. Yes, there was that other twin, the marine drummer one. Shepherd, that was their name, wasn't it? Or was that the name of the drummer on duty now? He looked back at the youngster in slops and shrugged to himself. Brothers were confusing enough, but twins even moreso.

He wished he was able to run up to the railing and see this woman, that was raising such a fuss with all the men, young and old. For someone presented with temptation, he held up quite well. He stayed in his place, alert if there was a command to be tapped, that there wasn't just one woman after all, but an attempted attack at their ship.

He was also alert, because if there were officers on the prowl, he had to put up the best impression of a drummer he could. There, after some shouting he could hear something rather familiar. A body splashed into the water. And if before some Tars were attentive of whatever they were doing , during their leisure time, now, they all gathered up to see what just happened and cheer on, or curse at whomever failed to offer a good service of saving the life of the poor sod who'd gone overboard.

"Ey, what's going on?"

Oxley grinned and sneaked aft to get within de Guarde's hearing range. "It's some Portugee woman. Wants to see Mister Bush or summat. Think she fell in, only we got chased off afore I could see too much." He grinned, and winked at de Guarde. He couldn't ask how the other lad was finding it without giving the game away.

"A woman fell over board?.." With all those miles of fabric that they wore, the poor thing must've been sinking to the bottom of the sea right at that moment. "Do you think , they'll save her before she's fish's dinner?" He asked glad for a pair of eyes, even if they were barely allowed to see any more than he did. He grinned. "Never having any luck, always left on drummer's duty when the fun things happen!" He mock complained, grinning broadly at Oxley.

Oxley shrugged. "Dunno. Think the guardboat got there pretty quick, so I think she's got hauled out 'fore goin' right down." He gave the other lad an innocent look. "Shouldn't've took the shillin' then, should you?"

"Shouldn'tve.. but it has its perks." De Guarde, the young aspiring drummer, answered with a mischievous grin. "Lets hope she gets put on deck. Wouldn't mind seeing it from o'er here. Though If the Tars see her, she'll be swarmed by 'em sharks, like a bleedin' man in the sea."

He'd gotten so used to the weigh of the drum, he almost forgot having it there, but a slight nudge against his leg, set things right again.

"That ain't so likely, 'cause a fair few of 'em's had shore leave," Oxley said, keeping an eye out in case one of the officers decided he was going to wander aft, in which case he'd probably have to dive down to the mess-deck so as not to get caught talking with the duty drummer.

"Could.. Oh.. could you look what's happening, for me? Can't go meself, as you can see." He glanced past Oxley quickly, just to be sure that no officers were coming their way and that none had noticed the two boys in an array of hushed and more hushed whispers, to which De Guarde's voice dropped now. He didn't look at Oxley when he spoke, so the greatest indication that he was talking to the boy at all, were his lips moving.

"Dunno. We got chased off an' Colburn's up there with his rope's end, lookin' like he wants to use it." Would he buy Oxley's needing the head as an excuse? The young Marine wasn't sure he would.

"Ah. Lets hope there'll be someone able to see and report to us later." He could hear the calls , a strange mumbling sound, which was definitly female. "Was Lieutenant Bush who shouted at you lot, wasn't he?" The man had to have a most terrible headache right now, which would make him even more irritated than usual. He wondered if the other lieutenants would also come on deck, and more so if another of them would be as in a poor state as their first luff.

"'s that the new lad laughing?" It was a real guess. With the fewer men now gathered to look at the girl, so the two lieutenants could be seen, standing out from the common man, in their blue coats and somber looks.

One of the ship boys ran up to Tom Oxley and didn't seem to look or notice the drummer on duty at all. He grinned at the lad and pointed in the direction of where the two lieutenants were, the woman and also all the commotion.

"She's on board." He exclaimed with a grin. "Silly girl. Looks like them leftenants know her!" He nodded. Since Oxley was one of the boys, and sometimes skylarked with them, he was considered more than just a marine boy. "Lieutenant Bush kept saying - no, don't want no wine, don't want no wine!" The lad had been small enough that he could escape notice, even when at a prime spot.

"And then, then she said she wanted to show him.. no not give him, but show him a bible!.. Dunno what he'll do with a Bible that he can just see. " He hadn't looked at the drummer lad on duty once and de Guarde decided to stand quietly and properly as he was meant to.

"A Bible? What's so special about a Bible?" Oxley frowned and scratched his head.

"Blowed if I know!" the other lad retorted, grinning as he danced out of reach of Oxley's hand as the older lad flicked it out, trying to slap his shoulder. Oxley rolled his eyes. "You's daft as a brush you are, Terry Button," the Marine said. "S'pose Colburn's still up there, rope's end an' all?"

"'Course he is. What d'you 'spect?" the other boy said, still grinning, before darting off, leaving Oxley rolling his eyes.

(Button!! )

"Aww come on, Tom Oxley. You've just chased off our informant." The lad scowled, and had whispered. It was probably Button's curiosity which drew him back to where the fun was happening. He grinned and straightened a bit, having found himself slacking while he listened to the two boys and the news that one had brought.

"Didn't take our lieutenants to be fervently religious...even less.. Bush."

"Beats me," Oxley said, staring after Terry, who skidded to a halt before heading back towards them.

"Hey. You ain't a drummer. You'm a boy like me, ain't you, Buckles," he said, looking de Guarde's rig up and down before grinning.

"Me, no." The lad adjusted his hat and scowled. "Oi, Button, what just gave it away?" He arched a brow. He hadn't done anything exactly, that he could remember, though he should probably have felt flattered. People actually remembered him!

"Hoi. Button." Evans hid a grin. "Keep it down, would ya? Givin' lads an achin' head, you is."