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. II. LONDON: GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS, BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL. 1865. LONDON: SAVILL AND EDWARDS, PRINTERS, CHANDOS STREET, COVENT GARDEN. CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME. CHAP. I. A LAST REJECTION II. THE MESS III. THE PUNISHMENT PARADE IV. THE OLD REGIMENT OF EDINBURGH V. THE ADVANCED PICQUET VI. COSMO JOINS VII. THE DEPARTURE VIII. ON THE SEA IX. PORTALEGRE X. COSMO'S CRAFT XI. QUENTIN DEPARTS XII. ANXIOUS FRIENDS XIII. THE PARAGRAPH XIV. THE WAYSIDE CROSS AND WELL XV. THE MULETEERS XVI. GIL LLANO XVII. DANGER IN THE PATH XVIII. THE CHASSEUR À CHEVAL XIX. EUGÈNE DE RIBEAUPIERRE XX. THE GALIOTE OF ST. CLOUD XXI. THE GUERILLA HEAD-QUARTERS XXII. A REPRISAL XXIII. DON BALTASAR DE SALDOS XXIV. DONNA ISIDORA XXV. THE JOURNEY XXVI. A SURPRISE XXVII. THE VILLA DE MACIERA XXVIII. OUR LADY DEL PILAR THE KING'S OWN BORDERERS. CHAPTER I. A LAST REJECTION. "Ae fond kiss and then we sever! Ae farewell, alas for ever! Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee, Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee; Who shall say that Fortune grieves him While the star of hope she leaves him?" BURNS. Ignoring the source or cause of the excitement among the household, Cosmo lounged into the breakfast-parlour, where the silver urns were hissing amid a very chaste equipage, and where the September sun was shining in through clusters of sweet briar and monthly roses, and as he seated himself he handed to his father a long official-like document, at the sight of which his mother changed colour, and even Flora, who looked charming in her smiling radiance, lace frills, and morning dress of spotted white muslin, lifted her dark eyelashes with interest. "What's the matter, Cosmo?--your leave cancelled?" asked Rohallion. "Oh no, my lord--nothing so bad as that." "A summons from headquarters, I see." "Something very like it," drawled Cosmo; "read it to the ladies. Spillsby, some coffee--no cream." The letter ran briefly thus:-- "Horse Guards, &c., &c. "SIR,--I have the honour to acquaint you, by direction of His Royal Highness the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, that it is now in his power to appoint you to one of the second battalions lately raised for the line and for immediate foreign service, provided that within a fortnight you are prepared to assume the command, in which case your name shall appear in the next Gazette.