Ossian Collection > Romance of the Highlands

HARDIHOOD AND VALOUR. 149
ranks, and knew that he could rely on his Highland
regiments to dare whatever he asked of them. Indeed,
on one occasion, he was forced to exclaim, "I am not a
Highlander but I wish I were."
An awful tragedy had been enacted by the Hindoos,
but vengeance as terrible was passed on them by the
avengers. The Highlanders performed wonderful feats
of valour before the mutiny was finally quelled, and to
this day the natives speak with bated breath of Scotland's
wild hillmen. At one place the Argyle and Sutherland
men came across the mutilated body of the daughter of
the ofBcer commanding in Cawnpore, and, distributing
her tresses among them, swore that for every hair a
sepoy would die.
This was the regiment Sir Colin chose to attack the
Secunderabagh. It was a stronghold surrounded by a
wall, and, after an opening had been made in this wall,
the attack was made. The breach would admit of only
one man at a time, and the eagerness with which all
rushed to be the first there showed utter fearlessness.
Well each knew it meant certain death for him. Seven
V.C.s were won in the attack, and this alone shows the
severity of the fighting. Its fury can only be gauged
from the fact that of the 2,000 sepoys who occupied the
building not one was left alive. Shortly afterwards this
same regiment won other 6 V.C.s at Lucknow, and other
regiments were equally well honoured.
With such men what could not a commander
accomplish ? He loved his men and they loved him, and
he submitted to all the dangers and discomforts of the
march like the most menial subordinate. He was a true
type of Highlander, ever ready to share all risks with
fearlessness. Even his Queen thought tit to ask him to
have better regard for his own life.