Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: FREIMDUN DHU: THE BLACK WATCH Betwixt 1715 and 1745 several independent companies were raised to secure the pacification of the Highlands. From the dark character of the tartans worn by most of the composing clans the companies became known as the Freimdun Dhu, or Black Watch, in contradistinction to the Leidman Diarag, or Red Soldiers. After their embodiment into a regiment of the line, no clan having a supreme claim to impress its tartan upon the whole, and the Colonel, Lord Crawford, being a Lowlander, the peculiarly dark pattern still worn was devised. Dark is thy tartan, Freimdun Dhu ; Black and green, and green and blue : Now in it I see thread of red— The blood our Highland host has shed. MY RIFLE SOME MAXIMS OF SERGEANT J. CALLARY To the humour, and the good humour, of the genial sergeant I owe it that the period of my early drilling, which might thinkably have been a time of deadly dullness, afforded me much entertainment, as well as not a little valuable instruction. The sergeant was always at his best in dilating upon the virtues of the rifle, and the necessity for treating it with respect. I'm the Soldier's surest friend : I will neither break nor bend. Straight and sterling, tried and true ; You keep me and I'll keep you. Bolt and barrel, butt and band ; Caress me with a careful hand. Stock and swivel, sling and sight ; Rub me down, and keep me right. Striker, trigger, cocking-piece ; Give 'em all some elbow-grease. SERGEANT J. CALLARY Clean me clean, and oil me well ; I'll kill your man and never tell. Leave me dirty, oil me ill; You're the chap I'm going to kill. Leave me lying all awry ; You're the feller's going to die. Daily do but pull me through ; I will do the same for you. Only use a " two by fou... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.