It was as great a surprise tae me as it could ha' been to anyone else when I discovered that I could move men and women by speakin' tae them.

In the beginning, in Britain, I made speeches to help the recruiting.

My boy John had gone frae the first, and through him I knew much about the army life, and the way of it in those days.

Sae I began to mak' a bit speech, sometimes, after the show.
And then I organized my recruiting band--Hieland laddies, wha went up and doon the land, skirling the pipes and beating the drum.

The laddies wad flock to hear them, and when they were brocht together so there was easy work for the sergeants who were wi' the band.