A Lord Clyde Story.

Otago Witness, Issue 2286, 23 December 1897, Page 61

A Lord Clyde Story.

HIS OUTBURST AND HIS APOLOGY.

A few "hours after the capture of the Secunder Bagh during the Indian Mutiny, Sir Colin Campbell attacked the Sh»h Nujjif. It was fo.nnd'to ba-a tough and murderous job, and tbe difficulty was increased by the fact thatone side of the walls was covered by a row of mud bate, which not only helped to protect the wall in thai part, but gave shelter to tbe enemy's skirmishers. Sir C lin called for a party to advance and burn the huts in question. I and nine of my men volunteered.

Sic Colin himself told me wbat to do, and to get a piece, ofj porttfire .from .Captain PeeJ. This I did, arKToff we .se.fck: Tae distance we bad to trayecse was insigmficinfc. Asacoo as ever I got into the first hut j pu!> the port-fire to the roof aud fired tha grass, then* on to the nt-xt ; but, alas.! r.o sooner was a blaze well carlablisbed than* my men seized lighted brands right and left, and set fire to every hut around' We were" instantly in a circle of firo. The dry^ materi'ls blamed like tinder ; one. of my mea's pouches blew up, and whit with fire aud smoke it was impossible to go farther, so I ordered a retreat. Just as I sot on the main road, who should I meet but S ; r Colin himself with some of his staff. He called ins, and said : " You have not half burned the hut?, sir."

I answered that I could not burn more on account of the fice. Sic Colin turned oa me like a wild tiger, shouting, "D your eyes> sir ! I will not ellow you or any other man to tell me that the fire is teo hot ! "

I was simply speechless ; I felt as if I could cry. I looked at General Mansfield, who happily caught my meaning, for he said, " I think the officer msans the fire of the burning hut?."

"Yes," I cried, "I was not afraid of the other fire, but one of my men's poaches blew up, and we were so surrounded by flsmes that I thought ii be-tter to retire."

" Sir .Colin said : " Ail right, &ir ; it was my miataVe," and so I returned, terribly crestfallen. I loftt three men out of the niue who accompanied me ia this work. I mnde my way back to the pi tee where our men where sheltering. I h&d hoped to get some credit for the work I had done, bat I got nething but growls.

Just then Sir Colin came and, dismountirg, sat down near us under shelter. Hu recognised me, and called me and said : " You mast not mind what I said just now ; I quite mistook your meaning ; frit down." Then, pointing to M'Bean, the adjutant, of the 93rd, who was sittiug.ncar, said, " Let me introduce you to my friend M'Bean, a good Highlander and a graud soldier." Accordingly we nodded 1 to each other. t . , x - ••; I shallnever forget tbe broad Sco.tch accent in which he spoke these words. Thinking I was no longer wanted; I saluted and retired. I think Sir Colin grew -impatient at the losses we had sustained in Our attempts on this placa.

Sir Colin, at/ the c'oie of the day, made still further reparation ; for, seeking out the detachment of the Madras Fusiliers, he highly praised up, made special mention of our exploit, and ordered us to frrm his guard that ,uight. — From S. H. Jones Parry's' 4 ' Old Soldiers' Memories,"