THE KING'S OWN BORDERERS. A Military Romance. BY JAMES GRANT, AUTHOR OF "SECOND TO NONE," "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "THE YELLOW FRIGATE," ETC. ETC. "Memories fast are thronging o'er me, Of the grand old fields of Spain; How he faced the charge of Junot, And the fight where Moore was slain. Oh the years of weary waiting For the glorious chance he sought, For the slowly ripened harvest That life's latest autumn brought." IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS, BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL. 1865. LONDON: SAVILL AND EDWARDS, PRINTERS, CHANDOS STREET, COVENT GARDEN. PREFACE. In the following volumes I have endeavoured to delineate the career of a soldier--and of a character that has not as yet, I think, figured in the pages of our military novelists--a Gentleman Volunteer, serving with a line regiment in time of war, according to a custom which survived even the memorable battles of the Peninsula. As the scene of his adventures (some of which are not quite fictitious), I have chosen the expedition under the gallant and ill-fated Sir John Moore, as it has scarcely, if ever, been made the theme of a military romance. No history of the 25th Foot is in existence; hence, as the brief outline of its early career in the first volume is substantially correct, it may prove of interest to some readers. I may add that the 94th regiment mentioned occasionally, is the old 94th or "Scots Brigade," which came from the service of the States General, and was disbanded after Waterloo. The corps at present bearing the same number in the Army List was also, however, raised in Scotland, but in December, 1823; and on that occasion the green standard of the old brigade of gallant memory was borne through the streets, from the castle of Edinburgh, by a soldier of the Black Watch. 26, DANUBE STREET, EDINBURGH. CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME. CHAP. I. LADY WINIFRED II. THE PARTAN CRAIG III. THE CASTLE OF ROHALLION IV. THE CHILD OF THE SEA V. THE PAST VI. LORD ROHALLION VII. OUR STORY PROGRESSES VIII. QUENTIN'S CHILDHOOD IX. THE QUARTERMASTER'S SNUGGERY X. FLORA WARRENDER XI. LOVE, AND MATTERS PERTAINING THERETO XII. A LAST KISS XIII. COSMO THE MASTER XIV. AN ABRUPT PROPOSAL XV. THE BLOW XVI. EXPOSTULATION XVII. FORTH INTO THE WORLD XVIII. UNAVAILING REGRET XIX. AN OLD SOLDIER'S STORY XX. THE WAYFARER XXI. THE VAULT OF KILHENZIE XXII. THE QUEEN ANNE'S HEAD XXIII. NEW FRIENDS XXIV. THE YOUNG VOLUNTEER XXV. THE PRUSSIAN GRENADIER XXVI. COLCHESTER BARRACKS XXVII. THE LOST LETTER THE KING'S OWN BORDERERS, CHAPTER I. LADY WINIFRED.