| |
| OH, that last day in Lucknow fort! | |
| We knew that it was the last; | |
| That the enemy’s lines crept surely on, | |
| And the end was coming fast. | |
| |
| To yield to that foe meant worse than death; | 5 |
| And the men and we all worked on; | |
| It was one day more of smoke and roar, | |
| And then it would all be done. | |
| |
| There was one of us, a corporal’s wife, | |
| A fair, young, gentle thing, | 10 |
| Wasted with fever in the siege, | |
| And her mind was wandering. | |
| |
| She lay on the ground, in her Scottish plaid, | |
| And I took her head on my knee; | |
| “When my father comes hame frae the pleugh,” she said, | 15 |
| “O, then please wauken me.” | |
| |
| She slept like a child on her father’s floor, | |
| In the flecking of woodbine-shade, | |
| When the house-dog sprawls by the open door, | |
| And the mother’s wheel is stayed. | 20 |
| |
| It was smoke and roar and powder-stench, | |
| And hopeless waiting for death; | |
| And the soldier’s wife, like a full-tired child, | |
| Seemed scarce to draw her breath. | |
| |
| I sank to sleep; and I had my dream | 25 |
| Of an English village-lane, | |
| And wall and garden;—but one wild scream | |
| Brought me back to the roar again. | |
| |
| There Jessie Brown stood listening | |
| Till a sudden gladness broke | 30 |
| All over her face; and she caught my hand | |
| And drew me near as she spoke:— | |
| |
| “The Hielanders! O, dinna ye hear | |
| The slogan far awa? | |
| The McGregor’s. O, I ken it weel; | 35 |
| It ’s the grandest o’ them a’! | |
| |
| “God bless the bonny Hielanders! | |
| We ’re saved! we ’re saved!” she cried: | |
| And fell on her knees; and thanks to God | |
| Flowed forth like a full flood-tide. | 40 |
| |
| Along the battery-line her cry | |
| Had fallen among the men, | |
| And they started back;—they were there to die; | |
| But was life so near them, then? | |
| |
| They listened for life; the rattling fire | 45 |
| Far off, and the far-off roar, | |
| Were all; and the colonel shook his head, | |
| And they turned to their guns once more. | |
| |
| But Jessie said, “The slogan’s done; | |
| But winna ye hear it noo. | 50 |
| ‘The Campbells are comin’? It ’s no’ a dream; | |
| Our succors hae broken through!” | |
| |
| We heard the roar and the rattle afar, | |
| But the pipes we could not hear; | |
| So the men plied their work of hopeless war, | 55 |
| And knew that the end was near. | |
| |
| It was not long ere it made its way,— | |
| A thrilling, ceaseless sound: | |
| It was no noise from the strife afar, | |
| Or the sappers under ground. | 60 |
| |
| It was the pipes of the Highlanders! | |
| And now they played “Auld Lang Syne.” | |
| It came to our men like the voice of God, | |
| And they shouted along the line. | |
| |
| And they wept, and shook one another’s hands, | 65 |
| And the women sobbed in a crowd; | |
| And every one knelt down where he stood, | |
| And we all thanked God aloud. | |
| |
| That happy time, when we welcomed them, | |
| Our men put Jessie first; | 70 |
| And the general gave her his hand, and cheers | |
| Like a storm from the soldiers burst. | |
| |
| And the pipers’ ribbons and tartan streamed, | |
| Marching round and round our line; | |
| And our joyful cheers were broken with tears, | 75 |
| As the pipes played “Auld Lang Syne.” | |
| |
