Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-06
CHAPTER I.
BY the Campfire.


That afternoon a strange thing had hap
pened to the camp of the Prince of Orange,
which was pitched near Nivellc in Blabant.
for the prince was then challenging Condo,
who stuck behind his trenches at Charleroi
and would not come out to fight. A dusty
colored cloud came racing along the sky so
swirtly-yet there was no wind to be felt
that it was above the camp almost as soon
as it was seen When the frnges of the
cloud enCompassed the place there burst
forth as from its belly whirlwind and
wrought sudden devastation in fashion
none had ever seen before or could after
ward forget. With one long and fierce gust
1t tore up trees by the roots. unrOofed the
barns where the princes headquarters We're
sucked up tents into the air ana carried
soldiers caps in tlocks, as If they were
fIocks of rocks This cOmmotiOn went on
for half an hour, then ceased as instantly
as it began: there was calm again and the
evening ended in peace while the cloud of
fury went its way into the west, and
aterward We heard that very grand and
strong church at Utrecht had suffered
greatly. As the>Gamp was in vast disorder
both officers and men bivouacked in the
open that night and as 1t was inclined to
chill in those autumn evenings fires had
been lit not only for the cooking of food
but for the comfort of their heat. Round
one fire group of English gentlemen had
gathered, who had joined the princes forces
partly because. like other men of their
breed. they had an Unsuitable love of fight
Ing, and partly to push their fortunes, for
Englishmen in those days, and, still more,
Scotsmen, We're willing to serve on any
side where the pay and the risks together
were certain and under any commander
who was a man of his head and hands.
Europe swarmed with soldiers of fortune
from Great Britain hard bitten and fearless
men, some of whom fell far from home, and
We're buried In unknown graves, others of
whom returned TO take their share In any
fighting that turned up in their own coun
try. So il came to pass that many OF our
islanders had fought impartially with equal
courage and interest for the French and
against them. like those two Scots who
met for the first time at the campfire that
night, and whose fortunes were to the end
of the chapter to be curiOuSiy inter
twined There was Collier, who afterward
became My Lord Patmore; Rookie. who rose
10 be a major general In the English army;
Hales, for many years governor of Chelsea
Hospital; Venner the son of one of Crom-
wells soldiers, who had strange notions
about a fifth monarchy which was to be
held by our lord himself, but who was
good fighting man. and some others who
came TO nothing and left no mark. Two
young Scots gentlemen were among the
Englishmen, who were to have a share in
making history in their own country, and
both to die as generals upon the battlefield
the death they chiefly loved. Both men
were to suffer more than falls to the ordi-
nary lot. and the life of one. some part of
whose story is here to be told was nothing
else but tragedy. For the gods had be-
slowed upon him quick gifts of mind and
matchless beauty of face, and yet he was
TO be hated by his nation till his name has
become a byword. and to be betrayed by
his own friends, who were towards or self
seekers. and to find even love- like sword
pierce his heart.
Scotland contains within it two races.
and partly because their blood is different
and partly because the one race has lived
In the open and fertile Lowlands, a D.. the
other in the wild and shadowy Highlands,
the Celt OF the north and the Scot of the
south are well-nigh as distant from each
other as the east from the west. But
among the Celts there were two kinds In
that time and even unto this day the dis
tinction can be found by those who look
for 1t. There was the eager and fiery Cet
who was guided by his passions rather
than by prudence, who struck first and
reasoned afterward, who was the victim of
varying moods and the child of hopeless
causes. He was usually a Catholic IN
faith. so far as he had any religion, and
devoted to the Stuart dynasty, so far as
he had any policy apart from his chief
There was also another sort OF Celt, who
was quiet and self-contained, determined