ordinary times he would take
small notice of ladies, yet now he would most gently and affectionately
submit to be caressed and fondled by all the ladies at table, and would
apparently in reality be the "sweet," good-natured "pet" they styled
him; yet too well his master knew from bitter experience that already
that evening had Death, in the shape of "Sandy," stalked heavy-footed
amongst the domestic pets and poultry of that bungalow. And morning
always revealed a formidable list of dead. "Sandy's" bite was sure; he
left no wounded on the field of his labours.

A PRIVATE OF THE KING'S OWN SCOTTISH BORDERERS

As the evening closed in, the heavy south-westerly gale that had raged
throughout the long-drawn summer's day gradually dropped, and blew now
only in fitful gusts. Instead of the sullen, unending roar of artillery,
which till past mid-day had stunned the ear, there was now to be heard
only the muttering of distant thunder; the flash of guns was replaced by
the glare of lightning flickering against the dark background of heavy
cloud that hung low on the horizon; and, except for an irregular
splutter of musketry, or an occasional dropping shot from direction of
the town, the ominous, sustained rattle of small-arms had now entirely
ceased.

The night of the 31st July 1759 had seen the French army march out
beyond the ramparts of Minden, to take up position against the Allied
Forces under Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick. So fiercely blew the gale then
that it drowned the sound of the town clocks striking midnight; so
furiously raged the storm with the coming of day that, to windward, even
the roar of cannon could not be heard, and it was only the dense clouds
of smoke that told they were engaged.

As day broke on the 1st of August the French, under a heavy artillery
fire, had attacked with fury, but now, repulsed and broken at every
point, they were driven back to their old position behind the town
ramparts, where for a few hours longer they staved off surrender.

On the Allied right, where fighting had been hottest and most stubborn,
the chief brunt of the action fell on six regiments of British infantry,
supported by three battalions of Hanoverians. Never have troops of any
nation reaped greater glory, nor earned more lasting fame, than that day
fell to the lot of those battalions.

In the first line were the 12th, 37th, and 23rd Regiments; in the second
line, the 20th, 51st, and 25th, the latter that famous