Marines!'

"The boy eyed him a second or so, and answered up: 'If I'd a tab of
turf handy, I'd bung it at your mouth, you greasy cavalryman, and
learn you to speak respectful of your betters. The Marines are the
handiest body of men in the service.'

"The trumpeter looked down on him from the height of six foot two,
and asked: 'Did they die well?'

"'They died very well. There was a lot of running to and fro at
first, and some of the men began to cry, and a few to strip off their
clothes. But when the ship fell off for the last time, Captain Mein
turned and said something to Major Griffiths, the commanding officer
on board, and the Major called out to me to beat to quarters.
It might have been for a wedding, he sang it out so cheerful.
We'd had word already that 'twas to be parade order, and the men fell
in as trim and decent as if they were going to church. One or two
even tried to shave at the last moment. The Major wore his medals.
One of the seamen, seeing I had hard work to keep the drum steady--
the sling being a bit loose for me and the wind what you remember--
lashed it tight with a piece of rope; and that saved my life
afterwards, a drum being as good as a cork until 'tis stove. I kept
beating away until every man was on deck; and then the Major formed
them up and told them to die like British soldiers, and the chaplain
read a prayer or two--the boys standin' all the while like rocks,
each man's courage keeping up the others'. The chaplain was in the
middle of a prayer when she struck. In ten minutes she was gone.
That was how they died, cavalryman.'