, and a charge lodged against him for
"insubordination and insolence to Captain Burroughs at the time of
inspection on morning parade." When the prisoner was brought before the
colonel he read over the charge, and, turning to Captain Burroughs,
said: "This is a most serious charge, Captain Burroughs, and against an
old soldier like Donald MacLean who has never been brought up for
punishment before. How did it happen?" Burroughs was ashamed to state
the exact words, but beat about the bush, saying that he had ordered
MacLean three days' drill, and that he refused to submit to the
sentence, making use of most insolent and insubordinate language; but
the colonel could not get him to state the exact words used, and the
colour-sergeant was called as second witness. The colour-sergeant gave a
plain, straightforward account of the ear-inspection; and when he stated
how MacLean had sprung to his feet on hearing the sentence of three
days' drill, and had told the captain, "She will take three days' drill
from a man, but not from a monkey," the whole of the officers present
burst into fits of laughter, and even the colonel had to hold his hand
to his mouth. As soon as he could speak he turned on MacLean, and told
him that he deserved to be tried by a court-martial and so forth, but
ended by sentencing him to "three days' grog stopped." The orderly-room
hut was then cleared of all except the colonel, Captain Burroughs, and
the adjutant, and no one ever knew exactly what passed; but there was no
repetition of the kneeling position for ear-inspection on morning
parade. I have already said that Burroughs had a most kindly heart, and
for the next three days after this incident, when the grog bugle
sounded, Donald MacLean was as regularly called to the captain's tent,
and always returned smacking his lips, and emphatically stating that
"The captain was a Highland gentleman after all, and not a French
monkey." From that day forward, the little captain and the tall
grenadier became the best of friends, and years after, on the evening of
the 11th of March, 1858, when the killed and wounded were collected
after the capture of the Begum's Kothee in Lucknow, I saw Captain
Burroughs crying like a tender-hearted woman by the side of a _dooly_ in
which was stretched the dead body of Donald MacLean, who, it was said,
received his death-wound defending his captain. I have the authority of
the late colour-sergeant of No. 6 company for the statement