Ossian Collection > Romance of the Highlands

FIDELITY AND ITS RESULTS. 127
worst should happen. Then he could carry the Captain's
body home for decent burial.
Another case is mentioned by General Stewart.
During an engagement an officer was struck down, and
supposed to have been killed. A friend dragged his body
for a distance of a mile down a hillside, and this devotion
was the means of saving the man's life. For when the
party went out for his body thev found that life was still
present.
Stories of the fidelity of the Highlander could be
multiplied indefinitely, but enough has been said to show
that it was strongly characteristic of the race. It would be
improper, however, to conclude these remarks without
mentioning two cases of faithfulness, widely different in
many respects. The first was the life-time peaceful service
of John Brown, a proved and excellent servant of Queen
V^ictoria. He was a plain, blunt Highlander of the old
school, and he and another are eulogised by the Queen in
her "Leaves" as "perfect, discreet, careful, attentive and
ever ready." Brown was always prepared to overcome
any difificultv that might crop up. He had many good
qualities, and the Queen mentions particularly that that
elevated feeling is "peculiar to the race." He knew his
place, and acted honestly, and his fidelity was beyond
question. In the Court Circular his death was noted, and
there he is stated to have been "an honest, faithful, and
devoted follower, a trustworthy, discreet and straight-
forward man, possessed of strong sense. He filled a
position of great and anxious responsibility, the duties of
which he performed with such constant and unceasing
care as to secure for himself the real friendship of the
Queen."
This faithful ghillie, who had as a lad led the Queen's
pony up the steep hills around Balmoral, was laid to rest
under a wreath of flowers, which bore an inscription in