Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2016 01:37:05 +1200
From: arthur carkeek <artcart65@gmail.com>
Subject: drummer boy chapter 14

DRUMMER BOY
CHAPTER 14
BY ARTHUR

CONTACT AUTHOR:
artcart65@gmail.com


For the first three days, Thomas was happy to relax and sometimes watch
Scully train his gunners. The large man Craven turned out to have once been
a master gunner on another ship; with his help Lieutenant Scully soon had a
full gun crew. The six new men that were recruited by Craven were also old
hands at the guns and soon proved they knew their way around the middeck
and were happy to follow orders from their very young Officer.

Scully broke up his own younger gunners so all crews had at least one of
the older and stronger men in it, it gave them the extra muscle needed to
work the heavy Naval guns in the narrow confines of the tween decks.

Thomas and his three friends spent most of that third day out on deck
watching how the men worked the ship. For Thomas to be able to watch and
learn something new was a welcome relief from being under pressure all the
time like he had been in Portugal.

It was in the early dawn hours of the fourth day when Thomas heard the call
from far above his head, it was the man positioned high up in the rigging
on a small platform the crew called 'The Crows Nest'.

"Ahoy the deck, sail ten points to port."

Thomas watched as men seemed to appear from every nook and cranny of the
ship and the Captain almost ran from his cabin and up onto the poop
deck. Looking up to where the single man stood by the mast, the Captain
called.

"Can you make his set?'

"Aye Sir, Lanteen sails, looks like a French Merchant Captain."

Thomas was standing near the gunnel as he watched and listened.

"What's his speed and direction?"

"Bearing south by south east and crossing our bow, I would say five knots
and he looks to be running for the coast of France."

"Can we catch him?"

"Aye Sir if we have full sail, the wind is in our favour Sir."

"Mister Mate, all hands to sails, I want every stitch of canvas you can put
up there."

"Aye Sir, full sail it is Sir."

Thomas found himself pushed to the side as men ran for the rigging and
began to climb into the heights to release all the sails. For Thomas it was
somewhat of a wonderful sight when the last sail had been set. Above his
head it looked like a sea of white clouds and he also felt the ship give a
lurch as the wind caught and the ship began to quickly overhaul the now
plainly visible fat Merchant ship ahead of them.

As most of the men returned to the deck, the Captain called out again.

"Prepare all guns, Officers to their stations. Mister Mate the heading is
across the ships stern. I want to be inside his course to stop him from
making landfall; port guns will have first station on my command."

Thomas looked a little like a lost child as the seamen around him went to
action stations. The sound of guns being run out and the padding of the
small bare feet of the young powder monkeys was such a new sound to his
inexperienced ears. A loud call from above soon had his attention.

"Mister Marking, it may behove you to find somewhere safer; perhaps your
cabin; we have work to do."

Thomas turned to look up at the Captain as his stern face watched every
move of his seamen.

"Thank you Sir, but if it please you I would like to stay and watch."

"Very well Mister Marking, but it is upon your own head if we take fire."

"Thank you Sir, I will try to stay out of the way."

Thomas turned just in time to see his three friends appear at the companion
way loaded down with his weapons and wearing their own. Thomas, with the
help of Carmelo, quickly had his weapons attached in their right place and
the three stepped back against the main mast to watch.

When Thomas compared the speed of the new Frigate to that of the heavy
Merchantman; it seemed they were racing across the waves with little effort
and the fat prize was standing still. Within the hour, the fat Merchantman
was overhauled and quickly coming under the massed guns of the frigate;
there was little space between the two now and Thomas could plainly see the
enemy trying to get more speed out of their hulk.

There was little hope for the Merchantman as it was plainly outgunned and
lacked the speed to escape from the much faster and larger war ship. As the
ships drew closer until they were only yards apart, Thomas heard the
Captain call out in what he thought was very good French.

"Heave-to and haul your colours or we will fire on you."

For Thomas it was a surprise when he heard the voice of the other Captain
reply to the order; somehow he recognised the language and it took him a
few seconds to realise the ship was not crewed by Frenchmen but by
Portuguese but they were flying the French flag.

It was plain to Thomas that the Captain did not understand the language
being spoken to him and the frustration was plain on his face as he called
again.

"Heave-to or we will open fire."

Thomas thought quickly and then called to the Captain.

"Sir, I think I can help, they are not French but Portuguese under a French
flag. Their Captain does not understand you but I can help you if it be
your pleasure Sir?"

"Then go ahead Mister Marking."

Thomas saw that the Frigate was now within twenty yards of the smaller
ship; it was like a David and Goliath on the open sea. Thomas cupped his
hands and called out in Portuguese.

"Kapitan, you are asked to stop and lower your colours or the Captain will
fire on you."

The Captain of the smaller ship called back with a certain amount of
surprise in his voice.

"Who are you, English, that you know our Language?"

"Stop your ship before you are damaged and then we can talk."

The other Captain called out to his small crew to drop the two lanteen
sails and lower the French flag; Thomas could easily see that not all of
the crew were happy with the orders but carried them out as the Frigate
went alongside and threw heavy hooks attached to ropes to pull them in
close. It did not take long before a small detachment of Naval Marines were
leaping across and herding the crew into the centre of the main deck under
their muskets.

Thomas turned to his Captain and asked.

"Perhaps Sir, I could go over there and talk to the Captain?"

"As you speak the language Mister Marking, I think it would be a good
idea. See what you can find out about them and why they fly the French
colours. You can also inform them they are now a prize of war and their
ship will be taken to England."

"Yes Sir."

Thomas, along with Carmelo and the other two younger boys clambered over
the gunnel and across to the smaller ship. Once on board, Thomas looked for
the Captain of the Merchantman. He was a tough looking man and his crew
were no less intimidating as the smaller figure of Thomas walked up to
stand in front of him. There were about twenty men in the crew but the
Marines had them all well covered with their muskets.

"Sir, the Captain would like to know why you fly the French colours; he has
also told me to inform you that you, your men and the ship are a prize of
war and will be taken under guard to England."

"Who are you young man, your Portuguese is good but your accent is
terrible?"

"I am Lieutenant Thomas Marking of His Majesty's Forces in Portugal. Will
you surrender your ship Sir?"

"It would appear Lieutenant that I have little option while under so many
guns. Tell your Captain I surrender my ship and crew to him."

"Thank you Sir, I will go and inform him of your decision."

Thomas turned and left to return to the other ship to report, as he did so
he heard Carmelo speak quietly in rapid Portuguese to the Captain, Thomas
did not hear the reply but there was a sudden silence from the crew of the
small ship as Thomas jumped back aboard the Frigate to report.

"Thank you for your help Mister Marking, Would you mind going back and
telling the Captain that I accept his surrender and I will put a crew
aboard to sail her back to England, perhaps, as you can speak the language;
you could see your way clear to remain aboard in case of trouble with the
language?"

"Yes Sir, I can do that."

"Thank you Mister Marking, now if you will excuse me, I have to find a
young Officer to take charge of her; perhaps your friend Mister Scully
would like the challenge."

"I'm sure he would Sir."

Thomas returned to the ship and told the Captain what was about to
happen. There seemed to be a new look of respect on the Captains face as
Thomas told him of what was to happen. Thomas brushed his thoughts aside as
the Marines began to usher the crew below decks where they would be held in
the small brig until arrival in England, the Captain was asked for his
parole to not try to escape and was allowed to stay in his own small cabin
but under guard.

It was not long before Lieutenant Scully jumped aboard with most of his own
boys close to his heels. After looking around at the six small guns on the
Merchantman, Scully called back to ask for two more guns to be sent over,
at least that way he would have a pair of twenty pounders to help protect
his first command.

The changes took nearly two hours before the small ship was ready to make
way and head for England. Lieutenant Scully had been told by his Captain to
head for the nearest English port which would be Portsmouth, there the ship
would be unloaded and its cargo would be valued before the crew of the
Frigate would get their shares of the plunder.

The Frigate would stay well out of sight of them as they were slower. The
Frigate would take station over the horizon but within a safe distance to
be able to come to their aid if they got into trouble.

Lieutenant Scully had the two extra twenty pounders set amidships with a
smaller ten pounder on each side, the other two ten's would be positioned
up in the bow as extra forward facing guns. Below decks there was little
space once the old crew were locked away, Scully's boys would be sleeping
on deck when not on duty as the only other cabin on the ship apart from the
Captains was a single Officers cabin; Scully gave it to Thomas and his
three friends as he would be mostly on duty sailing the ship for the next
three days it would take to make Portsmouth.

As they finally got underway and watched as the Frigate slowly receded into
the background, Thomas watched as the others set about getting both sails
up. The Captain also asked that his cabin boy, who turned out to be his own
son, and the cook were allowed to stay free. Once the two extras had given
their word not to try anything, they were allowed to carry on with their
own duties to the Captain without a guard.

It was not long before Scully had the ship under sail and making a good
four knots as they turned away towards England. It would be at least a
three day voyage as long as they did not have any trouble along the way or
meet with any French Navy ships. By going to the nearest port there was a
good chance they would avoid any trouble from the French as they did not
have to travel the channel where most of the French liked to raid.

Along with Scully's crew there were also ten Marines aboard to watch the
prisoners and to keep some sort of order below decks. As yet the cargo had
not been inspected as getting the ship underway took all their time. Thomas
and his three friends stayed well out of the way as Scully worked the ship
and his small crew.

That first day was mainly spent learning about the small ship and the old
lanteen sails, it was different from what the English sailors were used to
but, the Captain became helpful as it was in his own interest to keep his
ship safe from sinking under the new hands of what he saw as mostly young
boys who now crewed it.

Like always, Thomas and his friends had carried their weapons with them
when they first sighted the small ship, most of their own possessions were
still being held in the cabin on the Frigate. Thomas smiled when he
remembered the Captain of the Frigate giving Scully a funny look as he took
his boys onto the Merchantman carrying the weapons they had used in
Portugal but the Captain said nothing and went back to other business.

Thomas thought the smaller ship was more wallowing rather than sailing as
it sat low in the water and the speed made it roll more than the finer cut
of the Frigate which ploughed through the sea with ease. It took Thomas a
little while to get used to the more mobile actions of the smaller ship and
there were a couple of times he had to sit to regain his stomach; his three
friends seemed unaffected.

The next day and there was no sight of the Frigate even though they knew it
was somewhere south of them but over the horizon. The morning dawned as
another calm and bright day. There had been no trouble from below decks and
the small young crew was finding its feet on the strange ship and how it
sailed.

As they drew closer to England, Lieutenant Scully decided to let a small
number of the captured crew to come up on deck for an hour or so until they
had all been allowed to get some fresh air. The trouble did not start until
the last six men came on deck. From the moment Thomas, who was standing on
the main deck with Carmelo and his two friends; saw the six men he got a
feeling of trouble.

There was something about the six men that did not quite fit into the rest
of the crew. Thomas, along with Carmelo was suddenly on their guard as the
six men looked about them as though hunting for something, it did not take
long for that something to become real.

The six men stayed close by the foremast and most of the talking was done
in quiet whispers. There were only two Marines above deck and they were
relaxed as everything had gone on with little trouble. When the six men
made their move to retake the ship, the Marines were caught off guard and
very nearly paid the ultimate price for their lack of attention to the six
men.

Had it not been for Carmelo's better hearing and Thomas's alertness, the
six men might very well have succeeded. It was a single word that alerted
Carmelo and Thomas to something that was not right and it was Carmelo that
recognised the word that was spoken by one of the men. The six men were not
Portuguese as the rest of the crew were; they were in fact French Naval
Ratings.

They had been placed on the ship as a guard to make sure the cargo got to
France but, at the time of their attempt to retake the ship, none of the
English boys knew. For them it was just a matter of the single word spoken
in French that gave Thomas and the three friend's time enough to prepare.

The shouted word was the signal for the six men to make for a small wooden
locker attached to the foremast. Pulling it open, the men quickly armed
themselves with pistols and cutlass and started towards the two Marines
with the intention of killing them quickly.

Carmelo and Thomas were the first to react. With practiced ease, both boys
reached for their own pistols and took aim. At the sound of the three
pistol shots, Scully looked up from where he had been studying a chart, the
sight of three men falling to the deck with blood gushing from their chests
soon had his attention.

At the sound of the shots, the other three men turned towards Thomas and
Carmelo, just as Thomas dropped his Manton's and reached for his two pocket
pistols, even he knew he could be too late as the three men brought their
own pistols to bear on the two boys. Just as they were about to fire, a
large, rough hand grasped Thomas and pushed him aside; the shot zipped past
Thomas missing him only by mere inches but the sound of a grunt told Thomas
it had still found a target.

As he rolled up onto his knees, Thomas took aim with his small pistols and
fired both of them at one of the men as Carmelo rushed forward with his
sabre in his hand, the two friends Sergio and Carlito were already making
for the two survivors with knives in hand.

It did not come to a fight of sword on sword as the two Marines had
recovered from their surprise and fired almost point blank at the last two
men. The fight was over and done in less than a minute but for the
protagonists it had seemed like a life time.

Thomas turned and looked at the large figure of the Captain now down on the
deck with blood coming from a shoulder wound; Thomas spoke to him in
Portuguese.

"Thank you Kapitan, you saved my life."

"It is nothing Patron, your friend told me about your saving of Abrantes;
it is where my wife and other children live so it is I who should be
thanking you."

"Thank you Kapitan let me get someone to see to your wound."

"It is nothing, the ball has gone through and it is just a scratch, those
French pigs have paid for their treachery. Patron, if I may suggest
something?"

"Of course Kapitan." Thomas said through the blush he could feel heating
his cheeks

"Let my men come up on deck, they will help to sail the ship to your
port. We have no love of the French but were powerless to refuse them
taking our ship for their own use. When the men know that the Patron El
Toro is with us they will work hard to make it safely to England, you have
my word on that."

"Very good Kapitan, I will speak to Mister Scully as he is the one in
charge."

When the Captain had nodded his assent, Thomas turned to go and speak to
Scully just as the cook appeared with a white cotton bandage for the
Captain's wound. The Captain's son was hovering close by and looked a
little shook up at seeing his father wounded.

It took no time at all for Scully to agree to free the remaining crew; they
were all loyal to the Captain and would do anything he asked of
them. Thomas was only too glad that they had all escaped from the fast
attack by the French sailors. With the help of the original crew, the small
Merchantman was slowly making its way into Portsmouth harbour two days
later; behind it was the now much closer towering shape of the Frigate.

The Merchantman was directed to the Navy dock by the Harbourmaster and the
Frigate dropped anchor not far from their position as Thomas looked over
the side at the mass of people waiting on the dockside. Much too his
surprise, Thomas saw the familiar rotund figure of Percy waiting on the
dock for him. The heavy set man had a wide smile on his face as he waved at
the younger boy.

"So you made it safe I see, well done young Thomas." Percy called up to
him.

"Thank you Mister Percy, how did you know we would be coming here?" Thomas
called back.

"Ah young Thomas, that is one of the mysteries of my vocation. Why don't
you come ashore, we have much to discuss and it will take time to get your
luggage from the Frigate. You and your friends can join me for a meal while
we wait."

"Thank you Mister Percy, we'll be right there.'

Thomas turned to Scully and they shook hands like brothers and good friends
before Thomas and his three friends made their way to the gang plank that
had now been lowered to the dock.

As they stepped ashore, three navy men went on board; they would check the
cargo and assess the value so that each of the men involved in its capture
would receive a share of the booty as was normal for the Navy.

After shaking hands with Percy, Thomas and the others followed the portly
man to the nearest and safest looking inn for a meal; the docks were not
always the most peaceful place to be in times of war.

After asking for food and a tankard of ale, Percy turned to Thomas and
asked.

"So did you have a good trip, it must have been exciting taking a vessel on
your first voyage home?"

"It was indeed Mister Percy, most unexpected to say the least."

When asked why, Thomas began to relay the story of the six French sailors
who had tried to take back the ship just days out of harbour. When he had
finished, Percy asked him.

"So, you helped defend the ship?"

"Well it was them or us Mister Percy."

"In that case you will be entitled to a share of the booty, I will have to
see what it is and have your share sent on to you."

"Sent to me Mister Percy?"

"Well yes young Thomas, you were meant to be left in London Town not
dropped here in Portsmouth. As soon as your luggage is ashore I will have a
coach ready for you to take you to London. There is much for you to do
before you can go and see your parents."

"Uhm...Mister Percy, why are you really here?"

"Ah, I see Mister Sharpe has been teaching you things. Well young Thomas,
it appears their Lordships at the War Office would like to make your
acquaintance, some of them are not quite sure about you and others want to
make you a Lord or some such rubbish. Once I get the coach for you, it will
be two days before we make London, time enough for us to chat about a few
things that need to be done in Portugal. Tell me Thomas, how old are you
now?"

"I'll be thirteen in a few months Mister Percy."

"Thirteen, my how time flies. Well Thomas, you are without doubt the
youngest ever Officer in the army, I hope and pray that you will live long
enough for it to be of some use to you in later life."

"So do I Mister Percy but for now I just want to see my Parents and know
they are doing good, it has not been easy for them."

"Well Thomas, I can guarantee that they are being well looked after
now. Did you not know that the Army has made good its error about your
father?"

"No Mister Percy, I have not heard from them since signing articles, that's
almost two years now."

"Well then I won't spoil the surprise."

"What surprise Mister Percy?"

"Like I just said Thomas, I don't want to spoil it. Just leave it as said
for now. Ah...here comes our meal, let's eat and drink up, your luggage
should be the first off the Frigate then we can get underway for London."

It was fully two hours before the last of their baggage was unloaded onto
the dock. The coach was waiting for them to place the final pieces aboard
before it would leave for London. Percy had secured it solely for their use
and would accompany them on the journey; he said there was a lot to discuss
as they travelled.

The journey to London was slow at this time of year. The poor condition of
the roads meant they had to often stop to let the coach be freed from the
muddy road. They stayed in a roadside Inn for the night and the boys were
just happy to go to their beds right after dinner, the bouncing around in
the coach had tired them more than they thought it would.

Thomas was the first to notice that their surroundings were becoming
familiar as they rode further into London. Looking at the smug smile on
Percy's face made Thomas ask him.

"Mister Percy, where are we going?"

"Well young Thomas, I thought you would recognise the road to the 33rd's
barracks, after all it was where you started your great adventure."

"It's become a little more than an adventure, Mister Percy."

"Yes there is that Thomas. Now then an explanation is in order I do
suppose. When you saved the colours at Rolica, their Lordships at Whitehall
decided to stop all press gang recruitment, nowadays there is only
volunteers joining and, due to your actions at said Rolica, there has been
no shortage of volunteers. The 33rd is now on its way back to Portugal to
reinforce Wellesley's army so their barracks are only held with a few old
soldiers close to their time; they are being used to recruit and train the
new volunteers. It is hoped that you will find the extra men you need at
the training barracks."

"So where are we going after that Mister Percy?"

"Well nowhere Thomas. They have made ready one of the Officer's quarters
for you and your friends, this will be your base to work from while you are
home, anything you need then just call on those old soldiers that still
live here."

"Thank you Mister Percy. So what do I do after we have found my new
recruits and how much time will I have?"

"Well tomorrow you have an appointment with a Senior Officer at Whitehall;
he will issue your orders and see that you get everything you need for your
Corps. You will be here in England for about two months so it should give
you time to get your new men up to some sort of standard to meet the rigors
of Portugal; you should also have enough time to make a visit to your
parents, I'm sure they will want to see you again soon."

"Yes thank you Mister Percy, it's been over a year, well almost two since I
last saw them."

Percy just nodded as the coach came to a halt at the gates of the 33rd's
barracks. Waiting at the gate was the figure of a familiar Sergeant, as the
coach halted; the Sergeant came to attention and waited for the passengers
to get out.

Thomas watched as first Mister Percy stepped from the coach and then turned
and nodded for Thomas and Carmelo to follow him; Sergio and Carlito were
right behind them. The Sergeant snapped out a parade ground perfect salute
before letting the full force of his voice echo over the barracks.

"CORPORAL, TURN OUT THE GUARD, OFFICER ON PARADE."

Thomas watched in awe as six young soldiers, who were obviously new
recruits, were quickly ushered into a smart line by an older Corporal. The
six privates stood stiffly at attention as the Corporal turned and saluted
Thomas before returning to his place at the front of the guard line.

The Sergeant turned to Thomas with another salute before saying.

"Sir the guard is present and correct; do you wish to inspect Sir?"

"Thank you Sergeant but they look fine from here; perhaps you can show us
our accommodations; it's been a long journey from Portsmouth."

"Yes Sir. Corporal you will escort Mister Marking to his accommodations,
the guard can see to his baggage. Will there be anything else Mister
Marking?"

"No thank you Sergeant, perhaps later you could call so we can catch up on
old times. Say at about sundown?"

"Very good Sir, thank you Sir, sundown it is."

Thomas was only too glad to get away and find a place to rest, the last two
days being shaken around in the coach had tired him more than he had first
thought and there was still all the unpacking to do.

Thomas soon learnt that there were very few Officers now at the barracks,
this left him and his three friends plenty of time to rest and try to sort
out the baggage before the sun set and they had other duties in the
Officers mess. Like any other time on a first day in a new place, the new
Officer was expected to appear in the Officers mess to meet those he would
be working with. It was both tradition and formality required of all
Officers.

It did not surprise Thomas to feel a sort of homecoming as he looked around
the familiar barracks although he had never made it to the august setting
of the Officers quarters he still had memories of when he had arrived as a
small and somewhat shaking eleven year old volunteer Drummer Boy. It all
seemed so long ago now that he had returned.

As it was now winter in England, Thomas was wearing a thick cloak over his
uniform when the Sergeant appeared. Thomas was standing outside with his
pipe while the other three were inside the almost empty Officer's quarters
unpacking, something the other three would not allow him to do for himself.

Thomas looked up at the approach of the familiar Sergeant.

"Good to see you again Sergeant, so tell me what's been going on while I
was away?"

"Thank you Mister Marking, well not a lot Sir but, I must say you are a
sight for sore eyes if ever there was one. We've been watching your
exploits through that News Paper. Right proud you made us feel Mister
Marking."

"Thank you Sergeant. So tell me, where is the Sergeant Major, I would have
thought he would be the one in charge now that the 33rd has gone back
overseas?"

"Ah, the Sergeant Major decided to retire Mister Marking."

"Retire? Funny, I thought he would be here till the day he died Sergeant."

"Well Mister Marking Sir, he sort of had to retire."

"Sergeant, we are old friends even if it was just in the early stages; if
it had not been for you and the others I may well not be here today so you
can drop the Sir and Mister all the time. Now what happened to our Sergeant
Major?"

"Well Mister Marking, it would not be proper for me to call an Officer by
first name so perhaps I can just stay with Mister Marking like, if it
please you."

"Fine then Sergeant, so what's the gossip, you know it won't go further;
I'm still a 33rd drummer boy at heart."

"That you are Mister Marking that you are. Well it's like this Mister
Marking. Do you remember that when you signed articles, the Sergeant Major
paid your Da a gold sovereign?"

"Yes I remember that."

"Well it would seem that the Sergeant Major was inclined to keep a little
for himself when it came time for your kit to be issued. You see it was
like this. If you had looked close like at your kit you would have seen it
was not new but used kit, well this being so, it was probably paid for a
number of times so the cost of your kit would have only been a few silvers,
the Sergeant Major had an arrangement with the Quartermaster to keep the
rest between them. He decided to retire rather than face courts martial."

"Ah I see, I would never have thought that of him Sergeant."

"Nor did many others Mister Marking, was not until they gave the orders to
stop the press gangs that it came out. Now Mister Marking, I see you have a
real nice pipe there, don't see many like that around these parts?"

Thomas held up his stone pipe; after a few seconds he handed it to the
Sergeant to look at. The first thing the Sergeant saw was the small
engraved silver band around the stem. After looking it over the Sergeant
handed the pipe back and then said.

"So how did you come by this then Mister Marking?"

The two had slowly made their way to the main gate where a good fire was
burning in an iron brazier to keep the two guards warm in the cold evening
air. As the two came close, the two guards snapped to attention as they
recognised the small figure with the black flat crowned hat as the young
Officer they had seen earlier in the day. When Thomas and the Sergeant came
up to stand by the brazier, the two guards held their position; Thomas
suddenly realized it was he who had to give the order for them to relax.

After letting the two guards relax and enjoy the heat of the fire, Thomas
continued smoking his pipe as he asked the Sergeant.

"So Sergeant, what of the other Officer's still here, how many are they?"

"Well Mister Marking, there only be six Officer's here now, being as how we
only do recruiting and basic training. Once that's all done we send the new
men off to other Brigades and such. I've been told you are to have the pick
of any new recruits we have here, is that true Mister Marking?"

"So I'm told Sergeant; perhaps you can help me decide who I may want?"

"You just got to call Mister Marking, be my pleasure it would. You be
taking them back to the Peninsula with you then?"

"I'm told that's the plan Sergeant, only time will tell."

As the two stood by the warmth of the fire and smoked their pipes, the
sound of a bugle was heard from deeper in the barracks.

"That's the call to stand down Mister Marking; perhaps you would like me to
escort you back to your quarters to dress for the mess?"

"Thank you Sergeant I would like that very much, it's meant a lot to me to
see old faces again and thank you for bringing me up to date."

"My pleasure Mister Marking, anything you be wanting you just call; we're
not in the habit of forgetting those who did good for the 33rd.  Officer or
not Mister Marking, you're still one of the family of the 33rd."

"Thank you Sergeant, that means more to me than you could know."

The two made their way back to where Thomas's new lodgings were; waiting
for him was Carmelo and the other two who had got out his special dress
uniform made by the Widows of Vimeiro for when he had something important
to go to. Thomas thanked the Sergeant one more time before going inside to
dress for the mess, Carmelo as an Officer would go with him, both dressed
in their best for the occasion.

Thomas by now knew what he had to do when entering a new mess. Both left
their swords at the door and then entered the main room where the other six
Officers waited with a glass of something in their hand. As they stepped
through the door, Thomas and Carmelo came to attention and Thomas asked in
a steady voice as he looked at the senior most Officer; a Major of some
advanced years.

"Sir, First Lieutenant Marking and Second Lieutenant Sharpe request
permission to join the mess."

The aged Major looked the two youngsters up and down before giving the
faintest of smiles and saying.

"You have permission to join the mess Lieutenants; I do so hope you are
carrying enough coin as the bar is on your tab."

"Yes Sir and thank you Sir."

From that moment on it was a few glasses of liquor and the usual round of
introductions to the other aging Officers as they all waited for the mess
stewards to set the table for dinner. While the Officers were all older and
looked to be ready to also retire, they did keep the two young boys
included in their talk, most of which was to ask about the campaign in
Portugal and how it was going. Thomas had been warned by Mister Percy to
keep it as short and unrevealing as he could without seeming to be
excluding the older Officers.

Dinner was a happy one and there was little to no animosity directed at
either Thomas or Carmelo, Thomas almost thought the older Officers were
glad to have some young blood around for a change. It seemed to Thomas that
the older men were just glad to have real news of the war in Portugal and
Spain instead of what was relayed by the News Papers.

The Commanding Officer; Major Curruthers seemed to be well informed of
Thomas's exploits and was glad to have him there to answer questions; he
also made sure the other Officers did not get too carried away with other
things that went on in the mess well away from prying eyes.

Thomas was amazed as he watched Carmelo take some of the other Officers
aside and begin to regale them with stories of his Patron, of course he
never named the person and the Officers never thought to ask, just the fact
that the young Lieutenant seemed to be such an exotic young man and his
endearing accent enthralled them as he told his stories. It was not
difficult for Carmelo to become the centre of attention, Thomas immediately
understood what his friend was doing; he was trying to keep the pressure
off his Patron so he could have a little peace.

It was reasonably early when they both left the mess after paying the tab
for the drinks; Thomas also left a little extra for the stewards to keep
the drink flowing after he had left, it never did any harm to leave a good
impression just in case he needed them at some future time; Carmelo's
thinking was rubbing off on Thomas.

It was 8 of the clock the next morning when Mister Percy arrived to take
Thomas and Carmelo into Whitehall for their meeting with the powers that be
of the English army, there he would receive his written orders and be able
to begin to put together his extra forces, it was to be a meeting he would
not forget in a hurry.

Mister Percy had told Thomas it would be an all day affair and that evening
Mister Percy would take him to his own club for dinner as a special
treat. Thomas found that, unlike his easy access to General Wellesley, the
War Office kept its own form of time. For more than two hours the three had
to wait for their appointment but Mister Percy kept them from going mad
with the eternal waiting.

One hour before lunch time, a Junior Officer finally arrived to take them
to see the man who was to give Thomas his orders. The sign on the door gave
Thomas pause for thought, surely there was some mistake, why would this man
want to see him; a boy from Limehouse who had none of the airs or graces of
the gentry and was of what was called, 'lowly birth'.

The title alone that was written in gold leaf on the large Oak door was
enough to scare Thomas. There for all to see was the man that could make or
destroy any mans future and he wanted to talk to Thomas. The door script
read.

Viscount Chelsea

Field Marshal the Earl of Cadogan

CIC His Majesties Forces

London.

Thomas could not believe his eyes as the Junior Officer knocked lightly on
the large doors. From inside a gruff voice called out.

"Enter."

The Junior Officer waved for Thomas and the others to wait while he went in
to tell the Viscount they had arrived. Minutes later the Junior Officer
appeared and directed them to follow him inside the sanctuary of the most
powerful man in the English military.

The man Thomas saw sitting behind a desk that was larger than any he had
ever seen before, was a surprise to say the least. The Viscount was tall
and lean, he had a full head of white hair that was swept back from his
high forehead and showed piercing blue eyes on each side of a long
prominent nose. The mouth was a firm straight line and his narrow chin was
firm and would brook no nonsense; Thomas was immediately impressed by the
man whom many had heard about but never got to see.

"Your Lordship, may I introduce First Lieutenant Marking and Second
Lieutenant Sharpe; Colonel Cruikshank I am sure has already made your
acquaintance Sir."

Thomas was now really surprised to find out that Mister Percy was in actual
fact an Officer, just one more mystery to be resolved one day.

The Viscount's voice followed his demeanour; it was curt and abrupt and
would not take fools lightly; already Thomas was again impressed.

"Please sit down gentlemen. Colonel you have the papers I require?"

"Yes Your Lordship."

Mister Percy gave a handful of papers to the Junior Officer who immediately
laid them on the desk in front of the Viscount. The Viscount read each
paper thoroughly but with surprising speed, as he placed the last page on
the table in front of himself he looked over at Thomas like an Eagle
searching for prey.

"So Colonel, do you really think this young man can pull it off if we go
ahead with the plan?"

"Yes Your Lordship, as long as he can have everything he needs to make it
happen."

The Viscount sat back in his large chair with his fingers steepled as he
looked over both Thomas and Carmelo with those piercing eyes. After a short
time he nodded slightly to himself then turned to Thomas.

"Lieutenant Marking, first let me say that this is not only a pleasure but
also an honour to finally meet the young man who stood alone in defence of
His Majesty's Colours at Rolica. What you accomplished that day was far
beyond what could have been asked of any man let alone a young Drummer
Boy. Lieutenant, had you not shown such courage and determination that day,
we would all have lost not only the King's Colours but possibly the
battle. There are those that, until their dying day will never be able to
repay you. Now that said Lieutenant, I am about to ask you to do something
no right minded person should even consider, however I am going to ask
anyway. The situation on the peninsular is at a knife edge. Viscount
Wellington is the only man we have that is capable of holding Portugal but
he will be under a great deal of pressure from Napoleon. What we want you
to consider is to go out alone with your men and harass the French until
they have half their army chasing you; this will relieve the pressure on
Viscount Wellington's front and gain us time to reinforce and finally with
the grace of God, push the French right back to Paris and a final defeat."

The Viscount paused to consider his words before continuing.

"Lieutenant, this is not an easy task; if the French can, they will try to
either kill or capture every man jack of you and your future will not be a
good one. That is 'if' you take this one. Once you get into their ranks,
you will be on your own; we will not be able to come to your aid but, if
you do decide to attempt this, it could very well mean the end of French
domination on the Peninsular. Now the Colonel has stated that you should
have free rein to form your Corps in any manner you wish; this is something
new to us and it is not without its own complications; however, the Colonel
seems to have total and complete faith in your abilities so I must follow
his suggestions."

The Viscount turned to the Junior Officer.

"Fotheringham, you have the orders made ready?"

"Yes My Lord."

"Then put them on the desk damn it man, the Lieutenant does not have all
day."

The Junior Officer seemed completely inured to the Viscounts tone of voice
or his acerbic words and placed a large stack of papers on the desk.

Thomas still had not said a word and sat along with the other two for more
than a half hour as the Viscount went over each paper until he had placed a
wax seal and signature to each and every one of them. Once all the papers
had been signed and sealed, the Viscount looked back up at Thomas and his
other guests.

"Well Lieutenant, have you made your decision?"

Thomas gulped as he looked at the stern faced Viscount, with a blush and a
gulp he replied.

"Yes Sir, I will do what is needed to carry out my duties My Lord."

"You do realise Lieutenant that I may be asking you to go to your death
with little hope of support from the army?"

"Yes My Lord."

The Viscount turned to Mister Percy.

"It looks like you were right Colonel; he's the one we need."

The Viscount turned back to Thomas as he took up the first paper.

"Lieutenant, this is the orders for you to increase your force to five
hundred and twenty men, as this is the number that would make your force of
Battalion size; you are hereby promoted to the rank of Captain and will be
the Commanding Officer of the force to be now known as His Majesty's 1st
Battalion of Drums and Auxiliaries. This order will be gazetted on the
morrow."

The Viscount placed the paper on the table and before he lifted the next
one, he turned to Fotheringham.

"If you please Mister Fotheringham?"

The Junior Officer placed a small worn box in the Viscounts hand.

"Captain Marking, these were the Captains pins my father gave to me when I
was rising in the ranks; I would deem it a pleasure and an honour if you
would wear them on your own uniform when appropriate."

Thomas's mouth dropped open and he could only stare at the Viscount and the
small box which was now open and showed a pair of gold bars with the three
pips of a Captains rank. With a very shaky hand he reached for them and, in
a voice that tried to betray him at every word, said.

"Thank you Your Lordship, I will try to wear them with honour."

"I'm sure you will have little trouble doing that Captain. Now the next
thing, this is the orders and authorities you will need to outfit your men;
it is also signed by their Lordships of the Admiralty just in case you need
a ship. It authorises you to demand any and all supplies you may need for
this venture and includes the orders for you to promote or demote any man
of your command up to and including the rank of First Lieutenant and that
any stores or provisions you deem fitting to be handed over to you from
anywhere and in any barracks of His Majesties forces. Next, this is the
authorities for you to collect monies you deem fitting to pay your men in
full and on time. You will need to keep exact records of all transactions
and make full reports for this office. I must ask Captain, if you can both
read and write; I do not mean this in a bad spirited way but there is much
paper work that needs to be done to maintain a Battalion?"

"Yes Your Lordship, I can read but my letters are not the best, but I do
have one of my men that has been keeping most records for me and is very
competent."

"Good, then I suggest you give him rank and keep him close and make sure
the reports are accurate at all times. Next, this is the orders for your
new Battalion Colours, I have taken the liberty of having your battle flags
returned to England by fast Packet and they are even now on their way here
under escort. Tomorrow at 10 of the clock you will present yourself along
with Lieutenant Sharpe to receive and dedicate your Colours in the King's
name."

"Yes Your Lordship."

"Now then, next, this is the orders and authorities for you to use any
civilian manufacturing to fulfil your needs if the Army cannot do so. I am
aware that you have certain needs that are far outside the norm for the
army, this is to make sure you have all you need to at least have a chance
to live through the next few years of the campaign; and yes Captain, it
will take a few more years to defeat Napoleon. Whatever you need get it
done; the Colonel has told me there is no one else that could do this so we
want you to have the best chance of succeeding that we can give you. Now
Captain, is there anything I have forgotten that you may need?"

"Uhm...no Your lordship, nothing that comes to mind."

"Good, then we can assume you will try to hold those damn French at bay for
as long as you can?"

"We will try our best Your lordship."

"Good, now I believe the Colonel has already taken up your time this
evening, as this is the case I would ask you to present yourselves at the
Senior Officers Mess at Sandringham tomorrow after the dedication ceremony
of your Colours, you will be my personal guests so I would ask that you
dress appropriately for the occasion Captain."

"Yes My Lord, at what time should we appear My Lord?"

"I will send my Carriage to your barracks at 7 of the clock in the evening,
it's the least I can do for what we are asking you to do for us and the
country."

The Viscount then stood up and offered his hand to Thomas; the meeting was
over and it was time to take stock of what he now had to do. After taking
the Viscounts hand, Thomas and the others were led out of the office by the
Junior Officer and left to make their way out of the halls of power that
were known as Whitehall.

Much to Thomas Surprise, when they got outside it was to see the sun was
lower in the sky than he thought it would be; it appeared they had been
inside the offices for more than four hours, possible as much as five
hours; there was not much of the day left. Mister Percy then directed them
along the well kept streets of London until they came to what appeared to
be a reasonably new building.

On the front step there was a small brass plate and the building looked to
be at least three stories high and faced in a brilliant white stone; the
sign read.

The Carrington Gentlemen's Club

Private

Members and guests only.

All three of them were wearing thick winter capes. For Thomas and Carmelo
they were black on the outside with the gold and red of Spain as a
liner. For Mister Percy it was a rather plain looking brown plaid. Mister
Percy pushed open the large wooden door and ushered the two boys inside and
out of the cold winter afternoon air.

The inside of the club looked new and also plush as Thomas and Carmelo
stepped onto black and white squares of stone tiles that the hallway was
floored with. The wood work on the walls was polished and made from Oak;
the club looked to be one of the very expensive ones. Mister Percy had
surprised the boys once again.

As they stepped into the large foyer, Thomas saw an older man in the
uniform of a Captain of the Guards Regiment. The Captain was just about to
place a large cloak over his shoulders when he looked up to view the new
arrivals. Thomas did not take long to see that the Captain was already in
his cups, the blushed red of the man's cheeks and his slightly unsteady
stance told Thomas everything.

Mister Percy had taken a new stance; he had brought his cane to the front
and rested both hands on the silver top. For the first time, Thomas noticed
that the eyes of the small silver slave head were made with tiny red
rubies; it looked strange in the short man's hands. Mister Percy's face
remained impassive and relaxed but his eyes were like dark stones as his
fingers worked nervously on top of the cane.

Thomas watched the fingers and almost smiled as he read the message they
were portraying; he crossed his own hands in front of himself and began to
reply and ask questions as the Captain watched on. For the uninitiated the
finger movements would have looked like nervousness; the Captain fell for
the ruse.

"So Cruikshank, what's this then? Got yourself a couple of street scamps
for a bit of buggery have you?"

"I would ask you to hold your tongue Captain Selwynn; remember I am your
Superior Officer and the club is not the place for that kind of talk."

"Balderdash Cruikshank, we both know your rank is not a real one; just
because you managed to find enough boots in Whitehall to keep clean does
not make you a real Officer and; as for these street urchins, may I remind
you about the club rules Sir?"

"I am well aware of the rules Captain and so should you be. Now then I
suggest you apologise to my guests and leave before you say something that
cannot be taken back."

"Apologise; are you insane Colonel. They are boys and their rights in here
are at best, minimal and very suspect. I will not apologise to such as they
and that's my final word Sir."

"Then Captain, it is out of my hands, I will let the Captain decide for
himself if he has just cause to challenge your accusations."

"Captain! What Captain?"

"Oh dear me, Captain Selwynn; did I omit to introduce you to my guests; how
remiss of me. Captain Selwynn, may I introduce Captain Thomas Marking and
Lieutenant Sharpe. I am sure you have heard of the young Captain; even in
your backwater. You do read the Times don't you?"

"Marking, do you mean that damn Drummer Boy from Rolica? Balderdash Sir,
even if this is that boy; he also is no real officer and nothing but a
ranker to boot. Do you seriously expect me to apologise to rankers and
their ilk. Damn you man, you will get no such from my lips."

"Then it is out of my hands Captain Selwynn. Captain Marking do you have
anything you would wish to venture?"

Thomas watched as Mister Percy finished his finger conversation on how to
tackle the rest of the meeting and turned to the now irate Captain as he
placed his cloak around his shoulders in preparation for leaving.

Thomas straightened his shoulders and threw back his own cloak to reveal
his dress uniform and the award ribbons he had received, including the two
new ones from Portugal and Spain.

"Captain Selwynn, you have besmirched my name and made accusations on my
honour and character, I would ask you to retract them and apologise or make
your challenge to vindicate your words."

"Very well Boy, I challenge you to a duel of honour; even though you are
not a real Officer I shall stand by my words that you are little less than
a catamite. Do your damnedest and see if I care."

"Captain I accept your challenge. Mister Percy, will you stand as my
Second?"

"Gladly Captain Marking. Captain Selwynn, I would ask that you have your
Second contact me on the morrow for the conditions, weapons, time and place
so that Captain Marking can gain his satisfaction. Good-day Sir, I will
await your Second."

Mister Percy then turned his back as did Thomas and Carmelo to allow
Captain Selwynn to leave without further words, the die was cast and Thomas
only hoped the advice he had been given by the secret language of spies did
not get him killed or Courts Martialled.

When the Captain had left the building, Mister Percy turned to Thomas and
smiled widely.

"Well that went better than I expected, the committee has been trying to
get rid of the good Captain for some time. The club does not like boors and
charlatans. Now then Thomas, I have some people you should meet so let's
get a move on."

Mister Percy took them to the long heavy wooden reception desk at the far
end of the foyer. Behind the desk was an aging man dressed very smartly in
a tan uniform; as the small group arrived he looked at Mister Percy and
smiled.

"Good evening Colonel will you sign in your guests; we have your private
dining room ready and your other guests are waiting for your arrival."

"Thank you Sterling; is everything prepared in the kitchens?"

"Just as you ordered Colonel."

"Thank you Sterling, we can find our own way; if you could have the steward
bring some good brandy I would appreciate it."

"Certainly Colonel. Enjoy your evening gentlemen."

Mister Percy led the two boys up a wide staircase to the first floor of the
large building. After walking a short distance, Mister Percy opened a door
into a small dining room, there were two young men waiting for them as they
entered.

Mister Percy saw the two young men and smiled at them as they both
straightened up to receive the newcomers; one of the young men called
happily.

"Hello Uncle Percy, are these the two you mentioned?"

"As I promised James. Let me introduce you both to the young man that will
make your fortune if you are really good enough. Gentlemen, Captain Thomas
Marking and Lieutenant Sharpe; delivered fresh and feisty as promised.
Captain Marking, Lieutenant Sharpe, may I introduce my two adopted nephews,
James Purdy and Westley Richards. Both are soon to be the best gun-makers
in all of England; or so they tell me"

TBC.