Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-07
CHAPTER III.
A Decisive Blow,

tOu nave the 5Uefu luck.
said Rookie. who had taken a meal fit for
two men, and now had settled down to
smoke and drink for the evening. ITO ge;
the best place in the attack today on the
town. and to escape with nothing more
than cat scratch. which will not hurt
your beauty. Is more than any ordinary
man can expect. There will be some hot
work before Grave is taken. and plenty OF
good men will get their marching orders"
for the prince and his troops We're now be-
sieging Grave keenly, and the English vol
unteers were messing together after An as
sault which had captured some of the out
| works.
81 would lay you what you like. Rookie -
drawled Venner. IF 1 were not q Puritan
and didn't disapprove of drinking and
gambling and other works of Satan, that
Chamlly will come to terms within four
teen days. He has no stomach for those
mortars that are playing on the place. and
he knows that Orange, having got his teeth
in. will never take them out. Another as
sault like today will settle the matter.
Graham here used to say that his highness
! was an icicle. but judge him good fight
want if you follow the prince. Ballantine
that's gone today always said that there
was no soldier in Europe he would put be-
fore the prince. Speaking about that
who think you. will get the place of lieu
tenant colonel in the Scots Brigade in sue
cession to Sir William"
Don't know and don't care" said Col
ler. stretching himself and yawning. 1T
| will go to some officer of the Scots Brigade,
and though l am a born Scot. nobody re-
members that. and 1 pass for an English
| man. And to tell the truth, I'm happier
with you volunteers than among those
canny Scots; they are as jealous and as
bigoted as a Roundhead Conventicle, and
/ don't envy the man who gets promotion
among them. But it doesn't concern any
of us
There differ with you. comrade." broke
in Carlton. You seem to have forgotten
that one of our good company is not only
Scot. but has done the prince priceless
service. I make little doubt that we snail
hear news in twenty-four hours. We are
proud to have MIR. Graham with us, for he
is a good comrade and a good soldier. but
except tomorrow to drink a flask of wine
to his commission lieutenant colonel.
What say you to my idea?
'If promotion went by merit. I'm with
you. Carlton: but faith, 1t goes by every
thing else, and specially back-door inllu-
ence. A man gets his step. not because he
Is a good soldier. but because he has got q
friend at court. or he is the same religion
as the general, or have heard cases where
THAT such things are done, Rookie, will
not deny. but they say that promotion goes
fairly where his highness commands; he
forgotten that he would not be in his place
today had 1t not been for our comrades
help"
II remember that quite well. and I wish
Graham ran a pretty good chance of clos
ing his life that day and never seeing
Scotland again. but princes have short
memories. If Charles II of sainted charac-
ter had called to his mind that my grand
father. more fool he, melted all his plate
and lost all his land. to say nothing OF
three or four sons. for the Stuart cause, 1
would not be gentleman volunteer In this
rxJifh
pocket. Kings bless you at the time with
many pretty words. and then don't know
your face next time you meet: but wish
YOU good luck, Graham, and I drink your
health. What think you YOURSELF"
What 1 ought to think gentlemen, is
that am much honored to have your good
opinion and your friendly wishes And
Graham gathered them all with a smile
that gave his delicate and comely features
a rare fascination. You true COM
rades as well as brave gentlemen will not
my friends, that I have thought of that
vacancy, and have wondered whether the
appointment would come my way. 1 re-
ceived, indeed, private word to apply for
it this evening, but that l will not do. The
prince knows what I have done. though I
do not make SO much of saving his life as
you may think If he Is pleased to give
me this advance, well, gentlemen, 1 hope l
shall not bring disgrace upon the Scots
Brigade. But let us change the subject.
We would be a barbarous people in the
north. but after all gentleman does not
love to talk about his own dolngs, still less
of his own glory. To bed. my comrades,
we may have heavy work tomorrow"
The prince gave his troops a days rest,
and left the artillery to do their work, and
Claverhouse was reading for the sixth time
some letters of his mothers. when Grimond
came In with the air of man full of news,
but determined not to tell them until he was
questioned, and even then to give what he
had grudgingly and by way Of favor.
What news, did We say, Mr.. John? Weel,
If ye mean from Scotland, We have the last
yersel in the letters of your honorable
mither. What am hearing from some Scot
that cam DOT o the west country is that /.
the council does ma master the Covenant
ers. the dear carries will master them. and
then Scotland will be a gey i'll place to live
in. 1t will be fine SIGHT when you and me,
Clayerhouse, has to sign the Solemn League
Covenant. and hear Sandy Peden, that they
call prophet, preaching three hours on the
sin O. prelacy and dancin My certes!"
And at the thought thereof Grimond lost
the power of speech.
Never mind Scotland, Jock, just now: the
aud country will take care of herself till
go home. and then We'll give such as
sistance in the power of good sword.
Who knows. man. but We'll be riding
through the muirs of Ayrshire after some
thing bigger than muir-fowl before many
years are over? But the camp. man. what's
going here this morning, and what are
the folks talking about. for as We know,
I've been on the broad of my back after
yesterdays work.?
If We mean by news, laird, what w-sna
expected, and that, I'm judging. is a correct
definition o news, there's naethn' worth
mentonin'. A dozen more Scots have come
to get their Twin or their death, as Provi-
dence wills, in a foreign army instead of
working their bit o land on a brae-side in
bonnie Scotland. But that's no news, for
it has been going on for centuries, and I'm
eXpcctin' will last as long as thae foreign
bodies need buirdly men and Scotland has
a cold climate.
''They are saying. 1 may mention, that
ChamiIly is getting sick O. these mortars,
and dina particularly like the attack yes
terday, and the story is going about that
he will soon ask for terms and that if he
gets the honors of war the prince may have
the town. 1t will be another feather in his
cap, and, to my thinkin, he has got over
many for his de-ervin-an underhand and
evil hearted LOOM. And Grmond spoke
with such vehemence and keen dislike
that Claverhouse suspected he had heard
something more important than he had told.
:" is that all? ye ask, Claverhouse, and
I reply no; but l wish to gudeness that it
was If news be what has happened even
though some of us expected 1t, then l have
got some, although l would rather that my
tongue was blistered than tell it. 1t cam
into my mind that the prince MIGHT be ap-
pointin' the new colonel to the Scots Brig
ade this mornin', and so just happened to
give a cry on an Angus man who is gittin'
his bit Twin as a servant to one of the