Frasers of Philorth > Volume 1

THE FRASERS OF PHILORTH, LORDS SALTOUN. 251
mind and cool observation in a young officer under difficult circumstances, it
is worthy of being placed on record.
" You know Charley Ellis. He is not very big now, and when a young
man he was still smaller ; but he is the pluckiest fellow I ever met, and I
don't think he knows what fear means.
" We were skirmishing in a thickly-wooded bit of country, and Charley
had somehow got separated from his men, and lost his way for a time.
Trying to rejoin them, he dived through an opening in the bushes, and found
himself in a little clearing, just as a tall French soldier entered it through a
similar opening on the opposite side, about twenty paces from him. Charley
was staggered for an instant, but his eyes and wits were as keen as ever, and
he noticed that the hammer of the Frenchman's musket was down, and the
pan open. Eushing at him with his sword drawn, he cried in French, ' Down
with your arms, and surrender ! My men are all round, in a moment you 11
be cut to pieces!' The soldier, taken by surprise, threw down his musket.
' Now, off with your cartouch-pouch,' cried Charley. The man obeyed ; and
Charley, before his adversary had time to think, had loaded the weapon.
' Now,' said he, ' I don't know where my men are any more than you do,
but I know the way to find them, so you march on quietly before me, if
you try to escape, I '11 blow your brains out.' When he appeared with the
Frenchman, some six foot two or three in height, before him, the men all
cheered him ; and when they heard how the capture had been made, they
were still more pleased, for he was a general favourite with them, from his
kindness to them, and from his invincible courage joined to so small a
frame."
During the autumn of 1814, Lord Saltoun passed some time at his family
seat of Philorth, from which he had been so long absent, and also visited
some of his numerous friends in Scotland.
On the 6th of March 1815 he was married to Miss Thurlow, and he and
his bride proceeded to pass the honeymoon at Worthing House, which they
had hired for the purpose, situated in the small watering-place of that name,
a few miles west of Brighton, where they might hope to remain undisturbed
for some time, as although Napoleon's escape from Elba, and his subsequent
proceedings had roused Europe once more to arms, yet recent changes and