Page:The Atlantic Monthly Volume 1.djvu/492

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The Relief of Lucknow.
[February,
"The Hielanders! Oh! dinna ye hearThe slogan far awa?The McGregor's? Oh! I ken it weel;It's the grandest o' them a'!
"God bless thae bonny Hielanders!We're saved! we're saved!" she cried;And fell on her knees; and thanks to GodFlowed forth like a full flood-tide.
Along the battery-line her cryHad 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 fireFar 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,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,And knew that the end was near.
It was not long ere it made its way,—A shrilling, ceaseless sound:It was no noise from the strife afar,Or the sappers under ground.
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,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;And the general gave her his hand, and cheersLike a storm from the soldiers burst.
And the pipers' ribbons and tartans streamed,Marching round and round our line;And our joyful cheers were broken with tearsAs the pipes played Auld Lang Syne.
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