Date: Wed, 10 May 2017 14:18:43 +1200
From: arthur carkeek <artcart65@gmail.com>
Subject: drummer boy chpt 20 book 2

DRUMMER BOY
CHAPTER 20
BOOK 2
THE ROAD NORTH
BY ARTHUR

CONTACT AUTHOR:
artcart65@gmail.com


With the taking of the ten wagons Thomas decided it was time to return to
Braganza to consolidate his forces and see where they were to go next. That
the end of the war was near was easy to see now that Wellington had forced
his army almost to the edge of the French border. There would still be hard
fighting ahead but Thomas was not sure he wanted to once again move his
whole camp to the north; he did not have any ambitions to invade France.

In the first week of July Thomas led his men into the camp at Braganza; it
had been improved somewhat by the efforts of those left behind and was now
once again a reasonably comfortable camp. The first few days back were
almost like torture for Thomas as Major Jones laid pile after pile of
reports and messages before him to read or sign.

By the third day Thomas had had enough paper work and wanted some fresh air
and something else to clear his mind. Thomas called the army together and
asked for a volunteer troop of twenty men to go north and send back reports
on what they saw as the allied armies moved into France; as far as Thomas
was concerned his promise to rid Portugal and Spain of the French had been
fulfilled and there was now little need for him to chase after the
retreating army.

With the hastily held meeting at an end it then came time to open the ten
wagons and investigate their contents, they had been held under guard since
their arrival at the Braganza camp. Once again it was Major Jones who took
over as the many items were removed from the wagons and laid out on large
canvas tarpaulins that had been placed on the ground to protect the
contents.

It was only after a few pieces had been taken out that everyone knew what
they had stumbled upon; it was a vast treasure trove as well as very high
quality furniture and the paraphernalia of the rich. There was so much
wealth in the ten wagons that most of the army could only stand back and
look in total dismay, there was hardly a soul who had ever seen such wealth
and now it was all in their hands.

The contents of the ten wagons made Thomas wonder just how much was in the
wagons they had left in the hands of the Hussar Captain and if any of it
ever reached the Viscount. With the huge pile of goods and wealth now piled
in a great mass on the ground, Thomas called for ideas; there was a gleam
in many eyes and Thomas knew that some of it would have to go to his men,
it was only fair after they had sweated blood and tears to win it back from
the French usurper.

There were those among the army that were good Papists, their request was
that the items of a religious nature be returned to the church as was
proper for any religious icons; the rest, they said should be distributed
amongst them all equally; as most saw it, it was only fair they should be
paid a little extra for their many troubles over the last five years.

It was Pablo that volunteered to take a troop of twenty men north to watch
what was going on; he would send back dispatch riders at intervals with
reports for Thomas so he could keep track of the final stages of the war
with France. Pablo knew that he and his men would be looked after with a
fair share when the time came to break up the ten wagons of loot.

It took Major Jones the rest of the day to note everything from the wagons
before it was all replaced and once again put under guard until he had it
evenly divided, there were only three crates of religious items and he
wasted little time noting them and then having it all packed way and put
aside to be given back to a church at a later date.

Thomas was now left with what to do with his little army now that most of
the fighting was at an end. Fully one third of his army was made up of men
and boys that no longer had homes or families or had been living
precariously on the streets of Portugal and Spain so had little to look
forward to once the war was over; these were the ones that most concerned
Thomas.

On the Tuesday of the second week of July, Thomas was alerted to a dispatch
rider coming from the south; one glance at the riders uniform told him the
man was from the Prince, he wondered what it could be as he thought the
Prince had gone north with the Viscount and so it was strange to see the
rider coming from the south.

The message was clear and simple; the Prince had made his headquarters at
Benavente and wanted Thomas to meet him there to discuss what was to be
done now that the French were routed and in full retreat. Thomas had two
days to make the trip which was easy as he was sure he could make the
distance in one day from where they were now camped.

The next morning Thomas found he had Carmelo and Estaban sitting their
horses outside his door and waiting for him; it was evident that his two
oldest friends in Spain were going with him. Even though there was little
chance of trouble Thomas noted that he still had a twenty man escort
mounted and waiting behind his two friends. With a resigned sigh, Thomas
mounted his waiting horse and led the small group from the camp; Lorenco
had volunteered to remain and watch over the camp until their return.

Thomas and his friends were approaching Benavente by late afternoon; they
had not tried to push the horses too hard and so all arrived reasonably
fresh. It took only a few words to find out where the Prince was staying
and they were soon dismounting outside the low walls of the villa he was
using, the guards took note of the black uniforms and immediately came to
attention and saluted while one of their number opened the double gates
into the villa.

It did not really surprise Thomas to see the young Prince lounging happily
in a cane chair with a glass topped table by his side on which were a
number of bottles and plates of food. Once gain the Prince was partly
dressed and seemed to be enjoying the late afternoon breeze as his guests
arrived and joined him in the shade of the veranda. Without rising from his
chair, Prince Pimentel casually waved his hand at the other empty chairs
before saying.

"Welcome Don Thomasino, I had a feeling you would be here today and I'm
very glad to see you have Don Carmelo and Don Estaban with you; it will
make this so much easier. Come sit and relax, dinner will not be for some
time yet so there is some wine or brandy and a few small snacks to fill and
empty belly until dinner."

Thomas and the other two took a cane backed chair and relaxed after opening
their jackets and loosening their cravats and top shirt buttons; some of
the Princes hostlers arrived to take their horses while a guard from the
gate led the mounted guards to a place they could also relax and wait for
their Officers to finish their business.

"Your Highness I was not expecting to see you so far back from the front
lines so your request to see me was a little unexpected."

"Thank you Don Thomasino but I have many duties to perform and not all of
them are to do with the war at the front. I have asked you here because
there have been some rather interesting, and dare I say it, disturbing
things happening that I need you to be aware of; not only for your own sake
and safety but also that of your followers."

"I see Your Highness, and what are these concerns, if I may be so bold as
to ask?"

"Ask you may my dear friend. As you know the war for Spain is nearly over;
already Marshals Joseph and Jourdan have been replaced with Marshal Soult
by Napoleon and from what I understand he has been given orders to halt
Wellingtons advance into France. With Soult's tactical ability he may just
succeed but I personally doubt it, however it raises a thorny question. If
Soult does not succeed then the King will return sooner rather than later;
if this is true then we may well have a problem on our hands if my
informants are correct."

"What would the problem be and how can I and my men help you Your
Highness?"

"Ah, this time Don Thomasino it is I that must help you, there is little
you can do this time; any attempt to involve yourself in the affairs of
Spain will probably bring down the wrath of the King. There are already
plans afoot by the Royalists to demand certain harsh conditions on you and
your men and; unfortunately there is a faction within the Cortes that also
have their own plans to limit your movements. What I am about to propose
does not make me happy in the least but my first concern is for your safety
and that of your men that have for five years fought so valiantly for
Spain's cause. It would pain me greatly to see you and your reputation
destroyed by greedy and self serving politicians and Royalist sycophants."

"This does not sound good Your Highness, while I can fight my own battles I
do not want to see the men that have trusted me to watch over them for five
years be discarded for some political gain or forgotten by the very people
they fought and died for."

"That is the reason I have asked you to join me here rather than in some
place where there are far too many ears. Let me explain what I think is
about to happen. Most of this is based on my own spies within the Royalist
camp and the Cortes so I am fairly certain it will be close to the truth of
the matter. There is little doubt the King will return early next year; of
this fact you can be certain. When he does he plans to ask for Viscount
Wellington to be given a Dukedom in recognition of his valiant efforts to
save Spain from the French. I have little doubt he will receive it. Next
the king will have to recognise the efforts of those Spanish forces that
helped Wellington to attain his victory; this also will be expected by the
people and the Generals. Now this is where you and your men come in. There
are those in the Cortes that have an unhealthy fear of your reputation
within the military and so they are making plans to recognise the efforts
of you and your men in public but, behind the scenes there are plans to
have your force disbanded and spread throughout the country in the hope you
can never reform your force to threaten their plans in the future. Now
then, unfortunately the Royalists are also afraid of you and your
reputation. The King knows of your popularity with the masses; this is
something he cannot allow or bare, he would feel that it undermines the
power of the throne even though I personally know better but, in this case
I have little say in the matter. Do you see where this is all going Don
Thomasino?"

"Yes I think so Your Highness, half of them are scared we will attack them
and the other half are sure we will so they both want us well out of the
way."

"Yes that's very close to the mark and very astute of you to recognise the
fact; however I think I have come up with a way to circumvent some of their
plans but it will take a lot of thought and many considerations on your
part and the part of your men. Do you wish to hear what I have thought of
Don Thomasino?"

"Of course Your Highness, if it is to keep my men safe then I will listen
to any reasonable plan."

"I thought you might, you know Don Thomasino, my own father would have
liked you; he would have said you and I think and act in the same way; if
you were not English we may have been born brothers; anyhow I digress. When
the treasure wagons were pillaged by the English, the King was most upset;
you may not be aware but the King, even though he is still being held in
the chateau in France can still get reports both in and out for his
Royalist friends in Spain. When he heard of the pillaging of the wagon
train he decided that there must be a price to be paid for its loss and the
loss of the treasure it contained; to this end he has decided you and your
men shall pay the price one way or another. Now I have it on very good
authority that you are going to return the items of religious significance
back to the church; for this I can only commend you highly, however the
rest of your ten wagons could be another matter and so; to this end I have
spread the rumour that they were the only ones the French managed to escape
with."

"Your Highness, how could you know of this?" Thomas sat back and thought
for a few seconds while watching the Princes features; it then suddenly
struck him when he saw the faint smile on the Princes lips. "You have a spy
in my camp Your Highness?"

"Yes Don Thomasino, don't worry he is very faithful to both you and I, as
time passed it was more and more difficult to get him on side or to report
the goings on in your camp but, Don Thomasino, it was not that I did not
trust you; I placed him there so that I would know if or when you need
help, besides, even a Prince must have his little games. Now then back to
our problem. When the King returns and the war is over there will be great
festivities in Madrid; Wellington will receive his Dukedom, the men of the
forces will have their big parades and the people will cheer the return of
the King and his loyal subjects. However, and this is where the first part
of their plan involves you and your men. You will be asked to attend the
celebrations but only you will only be allowed to march with the Officers
and men of Spain, all your other troops will not be allowed to be seen by
the people. The King will also not allow you to have your drummers with you
as it might incite the people to your side and he fears that more than
anything else. You see Don Thomasino, your reputation at this time even
exceeds his own and the King is not the sort of man that could stand that
to happen. Your Spanish troops will be placed at the rear of the parade,
you will not be allowed to carry or show your battle colours and they must
all march unarmed. The members of the Cortes that are against you are also
part of the group that want you to be as small as possible in the peoples
mind."

Thomas sat stony faced as he listened to the Prince detail what the elite
of Spain had planned for him; while he was not concerned for himself he
thought the proposed actions as a direct insult to his men and to those who
had lost their lives fighting for those same people. Thomas gave a small
nod that he understood what the Prince was saying and for him o continue.

"As you can gather Don Thomasino, I will not have anything to do with this;
I have made it clear to those involved that I will not be available for the
parade in Madrid and that is final regardless of the King's request to the
contrary. Now here I can only assume but I think I am fairly close. The
King is furious about losing the wealth of Spain to the English soldiers
but there is little he can do directly, especially as the Viscount has
taken the appropriate action on those who were involved; however the King
still wants his own revenge and so he has decided on the one threat left,
you and your men. The plans I have heard are thus. At the end of the parade
and after everyone is over the excitement, The King will declare all your
lands, titles and estates to be annulled and they will all be taken by the
crown or given to friends of the King, you will then be declared an outlaw
and given one week to leave Spain or be arrested, this also goes for Don
Carmelo as he has an English father. The Englishmen that are in your army
will be rounded up and placed on ships to be transported back to England,
hopefully in disgrace. The King and the Cortes hope to destroy your fine
reputation amongst the people so the King can then sleep better and safer
in his bed at night. Your Portuguese troops will be asked respectfully to
leave Spain for their own homeland. Now Don Estaban will be held up as the
great saviour of Spain in your place, his lands will be increased and a new
title will be offered to him, the King and the Cortes does not want any non
Spaniard taking the glory of Napoleons defeat here so they want to
sacrifice you for their cause."

Prince Pimentel watched the look on Thomas's face as he passed on his
information; it almost brought a tear to his eyes as he watched some of the
fire being wrung out of the young man he personally thought of as a dear
friend, not only to himself but to Spain. It was painful to watch but the
Prince had a plan and he felt he had better get on with it before his
friend lost all hope.

For Thomas it was like being shot in the gut, after five years of fighting
and watching those who trusted him fall to the muskets of the French, he
was now being told he was going to be treated like a common criminal; the
feeling in his stomach began to sink into a dark abyss; had it all been for
nothing? Prince Pimentel began to speak again in an attempt to bring back
the fire in his friend's belly.

"However Don Thomasino, there are those who have been fortunate enough to
see the writing on the wall and can do something about it. Colonel
Cruickshank along with some other friends as well as myself have found a
way to keep your reputation intact. Do you wish to hear what we have come
up with?"

Thomas could only nod his head in agreement while his mind was trying to
work out the meaning of the shocking information he had just been told.

"Over the last month we have all been working on this problem. There is
little doubt in our minds that you rightly deserve and should continue to
have all your titles and ranks, to this end there is one way for you to
keep them and for your men to hold what they also have. We have estimated
that the war will be over some time during or shortly after the end of
March. There is little doubt the French will be able to hold out after
that. Now then, if you and your men were to voluntarily disband before that
time you could under Spanish law be able to hold onto your titles and ranks
and there is little even the King can do about it. Next the problem of your
estate and land. If you were to sell it off to either your men of others
before the end of the war then it could not be given into the hands of
those in the Cortes or the friends of the King as long as those who bought
it were Spanish by birth. Of course if they were to buy your land and
Hacienda and then had to purchase such things as wines and ports from a
certain company in Oporto, they would have to send monies to pay for it all
and; who can say how much that would cost them. Now the next thing we have
observed is that there are ten French ships being held in the port at
Malaga. The crews had to surrender under the guns of the English Navy but
the English had little time or use for them at that time. Because of the
speed of the English advance, the ships were put into the hands of Spain to
be disposed of and any monies collected were promised to the English Navy;
less a small fee for the work. I believe they are looking for someone to
buy them; perhaps you know of someone that could use ten good ships in
their company? I believe one Prince Pimentel is the person you have to
negotiate the price with and that he was asking for one thousand ducats a
ship; perhaps you may like to discuss it with him when next you meet. Now
lastly, I believe Don Estaban has his lands that border on your own, he may
like to purchase some of the lower flat lands to add to his own, I'm sure
he could come up with a little gold to purchase it on a long term lease,
say perhaps ten years at a time with the option to renew?"

Thomas could now see what had been going on behind the scenes to make sure
his welfare and that of his men were taken care of before the politicians
and sycophants of the king could cause too much trouble. For the first time
in the last half hour Thomas showed a small smile on his face as he watched
the twinkle in the Princes eye grow to a sparkle.

"Now Don Thomasino there is only the matter of Don Carmelo. As I have
stated with his father being English even though his mother was Spanish,
the King and his...err...advisors still want to leave him with nothing, to
this end I have decided to enlarge my own holdings and am looking to lease
some fine land in Castile where I can run my bulls and horses on more open
ground. Of course it would probably cost me as much as a thousand ducats a
year to lease this land if I can find it but at least one day the owner may
come back and can then fully claim it back for his family. What do you
think Don Carmelo, do you wish to lease your land before the King and the
Cortes can claim it for their own?"

"Well Your Highness I was planning to accompany my friend on his future
journeys but I was going to put it off as the land held me here but, as you
say you may be able to take it off my hands for a time and it would relieve
me of the responsibility until I have finished my travels with my friend."

"Good then that is settled, now then Don Thomasino, what are your views on
our future plans?"

"Well Your Highness if all you say is to come to pass then I can only agree
with you and your friends to follow the plan you have devised. I will have
my Adjutant send a letter to my agent in Oporto and have ten thousand
ducats sent to you via Malaga for the ten ships, you may then like to get
them underway for Oporto where we can have them undergo a refit for our
needs."

"Ah that's good to hear, I thought you may think that way as the ships left
Malaga four days ago and are underway towards Oporto as we speak; there
crews are a little mixed and you may want to find your own when they arrive
at Oporto, most of them will want to return to their families once the
ships are delivered. Now then it only remains for you to see to your
army. I will have all the necessary papers drawn up for the transfer of
lands for both you and Don Carmelo. Any alterations needed for any of your
men that may want to take up some of the land for their own use can be made
out by your own Adjutant if they so desire. Now then Don Thomasino, enough
of all this intrigue and planning, it's time for a good hearty dinner and a
lot of wine. Tonight my friends we will drink until the sun rises and then
use the next two days to suffer for it; what say you?"

The next day, sometime after midday Prince Pimentel's words turned out to
be prophetic. All three of his guests rose with their mouths dryer than
ever before and their eyes could not stand too much light; their heads
pounded and food was the last thing they wanted to think of. It took all
three nearly a half hour to dress and finally make their way outside and
into the glare of the bright sunlight; each was shading his eyes with one
hand as they almost stumbled to the table where the Prince sat; he was not
in much better condition by the way he was slumped in the chair.

It was only minutes before one of the Princes servants arrived with a large
silver jug and four glasses. Thomas was almost praying that whatever was in
the jug did not contain any alcohol; it was the last thing he wanted at
this time. Thomas and the others watched as the servant poured a thick red
looking mixture into each glass and then stood back to wait while the
Prince took up a fresh egg from the plate on the table and cracked it into
his glass; he then pushed the plate over to Thomas and indicated he do the
same.

Thomas looked at the raw egg floating in the red mass and felt his stomach
try to rebel at the thought but then pushed himself to do as the Prince had
done; he was quickly followed by Estaban and Carmelo. It took a big effort
for Thomas to swallow the concoction straight down in one huge gulp as the
Prince had done; it was only after swallowing as fast as he could that he
felt the raw heat of the chilli that had been added to what he then knew
was finely squashed tomatoes.

After a long and very loud burp Thomas settled back into his wicker chair
while still shading his eyes from the afternoon sun, the others were in
much the same state. It was not long before each of them began to feel a
little better but food was still very low on their list until the servant
reappeared with a wood platter which had only bread cheese and olives on
it.

"There we are Don Thomasino." Prince Pimentel said with a thin smile on his
face. "Just the thing for young who over indulge the night before, please
help yourselves, you will find that it is needed before dinner."

The Prince reached for a knife and cut off a slice of cheese before
breaking the round loaf of bread and taking a few green olives, the others
followed his example as the hot chilli was still making their throats
constrict as the heat almost seemed to increase with every breath they
took.

"So Don Thomasino have you had any thoughts about what we discussed
yesterday?"

"Yes Your Highness. I plan to take all my men back to Oporto where they
will all be paid off what is owed. I know there are a number that have lost
everything or had nothing to start with have had offers from the people of
Vimeiro, I plan to see that they make their way to the town without
delay. I have a number of English sailors and gunners that I feel sure will
want to take a place on the new ships and those who want to return to
England will be given free passage on one of my ships. With the papers for
the land in Spain signed I think I would like to take passage on a ship and
see a little of the world but first I will look for a little land in
Portugal and ask Senor Forsca if he can teach me about trading. I would
like to think that you and Estaban would keep me posted so I may one day
return to Spain."

"Of course we will keep in contact, there is much going to happen over the
next few years and; if the King has his way, a lot of it will not be
pleasant for some. Have you given thought to your land and the Hacienda?"

"Yes, your suggestions for Don Estaban to take some are sound so I will
allocate most of the low land to him and his cousins, perhaps they can take
three thousand acres and the rest divided up between the men who have spent
their lives working it, I will have to send messages to them and find
out. The Hacienda I want to leave to my two servants, they are Spanish born
and deserve to have it, they will also watch over it with great care."

"Who are they Don Thomasino so that I can get their names registered and
the Hacienda signed over to them?"

"Their names are Carlito and Sergio, for now they have taken my surname but
I am sure it will be safer if they have another until this is all settled."

"Think nothing of it Don Thomasino; I will make arrangements so they can
hold your Hacienda for you."

"Thank you Your Highness, it will be one small thing off my mind, the two
boys have been with me from the start and I don't want them to have to
return to their old life if I can help them."

"Fear not Don Thomasino, I will make sure they are well settled and cannot
be touched by others. Now is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Not at this stage Your Highness but if I may call on you if needed at a
later date I would be forever grateful."

"Of course you may Don Thomasino and think nothing of it, Spain owes you
far more than it can ever repay. Many may forget but those of us who really
know what you did never will. Now then, let's spend the rest of the day
relaxing, I am sure you will want to return to your men and tell them what
their future may hold."

"Yes thank you Your Highness, we could all do with a quiet night before
leaving for Braganza early on the morrow."

The rest of the day and early into the night was spent relaxing and trying
to rid their systems of the heavy drinking of the night before. When the
sun rose early the next morning the Prince was waiting for them over
breakfast. As soon as all had eaten their fill the horses were brought
around and his guards arrived to escort them all back to their camp; with
such an early start they hoped to arrive back at Braganza well before dusk.

The small force left Benavente as a fast walk. There was no need to hurry
as they had a full day to make their camp and apart from the news they now
carried, there was little need for speed. They had made it about half way
to Braganza when the lead guard in the van raised his hand to halt the
column; with the column halted the guard turned back to his Officers and
waved them forward as he slipped his musket off his shoulder and held it
ready in his hands.

The three friends rode up and sat beside the lead guard; as they looked
forward they all saw a sight that almost brought a smile to their lips.
Riding ahead of them was a small group others, they were all dressed in
rough peasant clothes and some wore old bloody bandages; the two riders at
the head of the small group looked to be tired and were almost slumped in
their saddles.

Estaban turned to Thomas and Carmelo with a wide smile as he pointed
something out to his friends; on the backs of every one of the riders were
the familiar double barrelled muskets and while the men and their clothes
looked more like rags than anything his men would wear, Thomas could only
nod as a glint came into his eye. With a quick whisper to Estaban and
Carmelo, Thomas took his own musket from his shoulder; checked his two
friends had done the same and charged at full gallop towards the tired men
in front of them.

It was difficult for Thomas and the others to keep the laughter out of
their voices as they yelled and called loudly at the startled men ahead of
them; perhaps[s if the men had been more rested they would not have been
caught out so easily but the temptation for a bit of fun could not be
denied as the men ahead tried to turn and at the same time reach for their
own muskets as the black clothed ranks charged at them over the open
ground.

When Thomas and the others had grown close enough for Maketja and Snot to
work out who they were, the three friends at the front were almost laughing
loudly as they drew close enough for the others to make out who they
were. It took a little time for Snot to stop cursing in English while
Maketja was doing much the same thing but in French or possibly Basque as
Thomas and the others slowed so they could stop beside the returnees; the
course language only made the three friends laugh even louder.

Once Thomas had caught his breath and stopped laughing, he turned to
Maketja and asked.

"Well Captain, where have you all been, we expected you back almost a month
ago?"

"Patron, should you do this again and we may never come back, my heart is
now ten years older."

"So where have you been?"

"The English General Rolly Polly wanted to keep us to fight for him but we
decided we did not like his orders so we saw them to the Elba and then left
in the night. Unfortunately the French were like fleas on a dog when we
tried to make our way back so we had many small fights and other times we
had to hide away for days while they fought their battles. The English gave
them a very bloody nose and once they ran for Vittoria we were able to
start back again. As we moved back we had to change our clothes so we were
not so noticeable by the French whores but still we had small fights to get
through. Now Patron we are nearly home and our own friends come charging at
us like wild animals; it does not make for a happy homecoming Patron."

The three friends were still trying to stop their laughter as they watched
Maketja frown at them before he too smiled and lifted a finger which only
had one meaning in any language. When everyone was calmer Thomas told
Maketja and his men to join them for the ride back to their camp in
Braganza; it was good to have the company with the men they had lost track
of for so long; Thomas was sure there would be a great fiesta for the
returnees.

It did not take long for the two groups to combine into one force and lift
their horses to a faster trot; Thomas knew that now his long lost patrol
had returned there would be even more for him to do to get his little army
ready for what lay ahead. It was time to think of something else but war,
hardship and loss.



TBC.