The Drummer Boy

by J. T. Trowbridge

  IV.

  THE OLD DRUMMER AND THE NEW DRUM.

  As yet, Frank had no drum. Neither had he any scientific knowledge of theinstrument. He was ambitious of entering upon his novel occupation, andwas elated to learn, the next morning, that he was to begin hisacquaintance with the noble art of drumming that very day.

  "The sergeant is inquiring for you," said Abram Atwater, with his mild,pleasant smile, calling him out of the tent.

  Frank, who was writing a letter to his mother, on his knapsack, jumped upwith alacrity, hid his paper, and ran out to see what was wanted.

  "This way, Manly," said the sergeant. "Here's the man that's to give youlessons. Go with him."

  The teacher was a veteran drummer, with a twinkling gray eye, a long,thick, gray mustache, and a rather cynical way of showing his teeth underit. He had some drumsticks thrust into his pocket, but no drum.

  "I suppose," thought Frank, "we shall find our drums in the woods;" intowhich his instructor straightway conducted him in order to be away fromthe diversions and noises of the camp.

  Frank was disappointed. The veteran gave him his first exercise--on aboard!

  "I thought I was to learn on a drum," he ventured to suggest, looking up,not without awe, at the bushy mustache.

  "You don't want a drum till you know how to drum," said the veteran.

  "But I should think it would be better----"

  "Wait!" lifting his drumstick. "Do you understand what we are here for?"

  "To learn to drum," replied Frank, in some astonishment.

  "To learn to drum," repeated the veteran, a curious smile just raisingthe corners of that grizzled mustache. "You understand correctly. Now, amI your teacher, or are you mine?"

  "You are mine, sir," answered the boy, still more amazed.

  "Right again!" exclaimed the professor. "That's the way I understood it;but I might be wrong, you know. We are all liable to be wrong--are wenot?"

  "Yes, sir."

  Frank stared.

  "Good again! But now it is understood correctly; I am your instructor,and you are not mine; that is it."

  Frank assented.

  "Very well! Now listen. Since I am to give you lessons, and you are notto give me lessons, you will follow the method I propose, and excuse meif I decline to follow your method. That is reasonable,--isn't it?"

  "Certainly, sir," murmured the abashed pupil.

  "The point settled, then, we will proceed," said the veteran, with thesame incomprehensible, half-sarcastic, half-humorous, but now quitegood-natured smile lighting up his grim visage.

  "But before we proceed," said Frank, "may I just say what I was goingto?"

  The old drummer lifted both his sticks, and his eyebrows too (not tospeak of his shaggy mustache), in surprise at the lad's audacity.

  "Do you want me to report you as insubordinate?" he asked, after a pause,during which the two regarded each other somewhat after the fashion oftwo dogs making acquaintance--a tall, leering old mastiff looking surlilydown at the advances of an anxious yet stout and unflinching youngspaniel.

  "No, sir," answered Frank. "But I thought----"

  "You thought! What business have you to think?"

  "No business, perhaps," Frank admitted, confronting the weather-beatenold drummer with his truthful, undaunted, fine young face. "But I can'thelp thinking sir, for all that."

  "You can help expressing your thoughts out of season, though," said theveteran.

  "I will try to in future, sir," answered Frank, laughing.

  At the same time a smile of genuine benevolence softened the tough,ancient visage of the veteran; and they proceeded with the lesson.

  After it was over, the teacher said to the pupil,--

  "Now, my young friend, I will hear that observation or question of yours,whatever it is."

  "I think I have answered it for myself," said Frank. "I was going to say,I should think it would be better to learn to drum on a drum; but I seenow, if I get to roll the sticks on a board, which is hard, I can rollthem so much the better on a drumhead, which is elastic."

  "Right, my young friend," replied the veteran, approvingly. "And in themean time, we avoid a good deal of unpleasant noise, as you see." For hehad other pupils practising under his eye in the woods, not far fromFrank.

  "And I should like to ask--if I could have permission," began Frank,archly.

  "Ask me any thing you please, out of lesson-hours." And the old drummerpatted the young drummer's shoulder.

  Frank felt encouraged. He was beginning to like his teacher,notwithstanding his odd ways; and he hoped the old man was beginning tolike him.

  "I want to know, then, if you think I will make a drummer?"

  "And what if you will not?"

  "Then I shall think I ought to give up the idea of it at once; for Idon't want to be second-rate in any thing I once undertake."

  "And you have been just a little discouraged over your first lesson? andwould be willing now to give up?"

  "No, sir. I should feel very bad to be obliged to give up the drum."

  "Very well. Then I can say something to comfort you. Stick to it, as youhave begun, and you will make a drummer."

  "A first-rate one?" Frank asked, eagerly.

  "First-rate, or else I am no judge."

  "I am glad!" and the delighted pupil fairly jumped for joy.

  From that time the two got on capitally together. Frank soon becomeaccustomed to the veteran's eccentric manners, and made great proficiencyin his exercises. And it was not long before the hard-featured olddrummer began to manifest, in his way, a great deal of friendly interestin his young pupil.

  "Now, my boy," said he one day, after Frank had been practisingsuccessfully the "seven-stroke roll," greatly to the satisfaction of hisinstructor,--"now, my boy, I think you can be safely intrusted with yourcomrade."

  "My comrade?" queried the pupil.

  "I mean, your better half."

  "My better half?"

  Frank was mystified.

  "Yes, your wife." And the grizzly mustache curled with quiet humor.

  "I must be a married man without knowing it!" laughed Frank.

  "Your ship, then," said the veteran, dryly. "Come with me."

  And conducting Frank to his tent, he took from one side an object coveredwith a blanket.

  "My ship!" cried Frank, joyfully, already guessing what treasure was nowto be his.

  "Your sword, then, if you like that name better. For what his sword is toa hero, what his ship is to a true sailor, what a wife is to a truehusband,--such, my young friend, to a genuine drummer is his drum."

  So saying, the veteran threw aside the covering, and presented to hispupil the long-coveted prize. The boy's eyes shone with pleasure, and (ashe wrote that evening to his parents) he was so happy he could havehugged both the old drummer and the new drum.

  "I selected it for you, and you may be sure it is a good one. It won't beany handsomer, but, if you use it well, it won't be really much theworse, for going through a campaign or two with you. For it is with drumsas it is with the drummers; they grow old, and get some honorablescratches, and some unlucky bruises, and now and then a broken head; but,God prospering them, they come out, at last, ugly to look at, perhaps"(the veteran stroked his mustache), "but well-seasoned, and sound, andvery truly at your service."

  Frank thought be saw a tear in his twinkling gray eye, and he was so muchaffected by it, that he caught his hand in both of his, exclaiming,"Bless you, dear sir! Dear, good sir, God bless you!"

  The old man winked away the moisture from his eye, smiling still, butwith a quivering lip, and patted him gently on the shoulder, withoutsaying a word.

  Frank had the sense to perceive that the interview was now over; theveteran wished to be left alone; and, with the new drum at his side, heleft the tent, proud and happy, and wishing in his heart that he could dosomething for that singular, kind old man.

  As Frank was hastening to hi
s tent, he was met by one of the captains inhis regiment, who, seeing the bright beaming face and new drum, accostedhim.

  "So, you are a drummer boy--are you?"

  "Yes, sir, I am learning to be one," said Frank, modestly.

  Now, these two had seen each other often in camp and the captain hadalways regarded Frank with a smile of interest and kindness, and Frank(as he wrote home) had "always liked the looks of the captainfirst-rate."

  "I saw you, I think, the day you came here," said the captain. "You hadsome curls then. What has become of them?"

  Frank's lip twitched, and he cast down his eyes, ashamed to betray anylingering feeling on that subject.

  "The boys cut them off in my sleep, sir."

  "The rogues!" exclaimed the captain. "And what did you do?"

  Frank lifted his eyes with a smile. "I partly finished them myself--theyhad haggled them so; and the next day I found a man to cut my hairnicely."

  "Well, it is better so, perhaps: short hair for a soldier. But I likedthose curls. They reminded me of a little sister of mine--she is gonenow--," in a low, mellow tone. "Are you attached to any company?"

  "I am enlisted in the Jackson Blues."

  "What is your name?"

  "Frank Manly, sir."

  "Are you any relation to Mrs. Manly, of----?"

  "She is my mother, sir," said Frank, with proud affection.

  "Is it possible! Mrs. Manly's son! Indeed, you look like her."

  "Do you know my mother, sir?"

  "My lad," said the captain, "I used to go to school to her. But, though Ihave heard of her often, I haven't seen her for years."

  "I shall write to her, and tell her about you," said Frank, delighted."She will be glad to hear that I have found so good a friend."

  "Ask her," said the captain, "If she remembers Henry Edney, who used togo to school to her in ----. She will recollect me, I am sure. And givemy very kind regards to her, and to your father; and tell them I regret Ididn't see you before you enlisted, for I want just such a drummer boy inmy company. But never mind," he added quickly, as if conscious of havingspoken indiscreetly, "you will do your duty where you are, and I will tryto do mine, for we must have only one thought now--to serve our country."

  They separated, with more kind words on the captain's part, and withexpressions of gratitude on the part of Frank, who felt that, tocompensate him for John Winch's treachery, he was already securing thefriendship of a few of the best of men.

  You may be sure the boy wrote to his mother all about the interview, andtold her how sorry he was that he had not enlisted in Captain Edney'scompany; not only because he liked his new friend's kindness and affablemanners so well, but also because there existed in the ranks of theJackson Blues a strong prejudice against their own officers. Captain ----was almost a stranger to his men, and seemed determined to continue so.He seldom appeared amongst them, or showed any interest in their welfare.He had never once drilled them, but left that duty entirely to thesergeant. They consequently accused him boldly of laziness, ignorance,and conceit--three qualities which men always dislike in their superiors.How different was Captain Edney!