Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1868-02-21

a lie, a base lie. 1t is the old story, Give q
dog an i'll name and hang him."
"You speak warmly, my FRIEND" said l.
~ do--and mean warmly, for there is not
a quietcr or more gentlemanly fellow upon
Gods Garth than poor Belfont."
"You know him, them"
aI did, do. We werc in the same regiment,
indeed We arc fellow townsmen."
"His, then, must have been O strange his
tory 1t is not often that men of the charac-
ter you describe are confirmed, nay, profess
sional duclsts."
'It is o strange history, but listen and you
will also admit that il is both cruel and sad. 7
George Belront (said my friend, being the
orphan son Of distinguished Peninsular
officer, had from his childhood been led to ex-
pect commission in the British service, with
out purchase. AS however there were hum
dreds awaiting the same position who if
without equal claim, possessed superior inter-
est, poor George at twenty-one years Of age
remained still an expectant.
Disguised, therefore, with dancing attends
ance at the Military Secretary's levees,
George, like many other men languishing for
employment, rcjoiced at the chances Of active
military life offered by the British Legion,
then fighting in Spain for constitutional gov
ernment aud as it was to inc he was indebt-
ing commission, upon his arrival at the de
pot at Santander, he applied, and got himself
attached to ssours."
For the first twelve months, as you are
aware, the duels between the English officers
became SO frequent, that ''Who's been out p
formed certain item in tie morning greet.
ing. In our regiment, for some time, duel
had been a rarity this was, perhaps owing
to our fellows, who were the most gentleman
ly, dashing set of fellows in the Legion, for
having the comma uder-in chief for full colo
mel we were considered crack corps.
In one action, however, both officers and
men were SO fearfully hit that it soon became
necessary to incorporate another regiment
with our poor, dccimated corps, and then came
change. We had new colonel, an Irish
man, Of the name Of O'Dragon; a fire eating
brave Old boy he was, but tyrannical, and Civ
en- to pets, one oe whom was his own son,
short, stout, bull-headed, redhaired boy, wlo
from beneath the tails of his fathers coat
bullicd the whole regiment.
Hated by all, he was nevertheless toadied
by few who preferred comfort to indcpend-
ence, and his chief toaly was Captain Gray
from whom lie was rarely separated.
Being like most spoilt children, malicious,
quarrelsome, and mischievous, Billy soon es.
tablished q few chronic misunderstanding
with his brother officers, Notwithstanding
which, he had never been scaled out" for re-
garding him as an insolent boy, who by his
influence with his father possessed much pow
er to make them miserable, the officers ridicul-
ed, rather than took oIensc at his petty imper-
tincnces.
Contrasted with this whelp, was George
Belfont, whose good nature, gentlcmanly bear
ing, unfiinching steadiness at fatigue duty,
made him great favorite, to the disgust of
Little Billy, who lost no opportunity of offer
ing him every little petty annoyance. Bedid
SO, too, without much apprehension, for George
had publicly declared his adherence of duel>
ing to be so great, that no insult should COM
pei him to go out, except.it might be with the
quarter staff
Taking advantage of this resolution, Billy
accused George of cowardice, whercupon the
latter, to prove the contrary, soundly belab-
ored him in the presence Of several Of his
brother officers. The little fellow Immediate
ly challenged him, and being refused, ran to
his papa, when the fire eating old Dragon
praised his boy for exhibiting the family pluck
and intimated to George that after having so
grossly insulted his cub, he must either sgo
OUT or "go off," ]. e. leave the regiment
George accepted the latter alternative, and
would have resigned, but there was chance
OF fighting, the enemy were making advances,
and SO he remained till he should have PROV
ed before his brother officers in the field that
his objection to dueling was based upon
principle, and did not arise from cowardice.
Some weeks or 50 after this, we were order
ed to take up a position in a village not far
from the town Of San Sebastian, and as ILL
luck would have it, myself, Bclfont and Billy
were bllleted at the house Of the Alcadc, With
Gray at the next house, forming, as you may
imagine, anything but the happiest family
party.
1t was while at this billet that an event
which led TO the ruin of Belfont.-
The Alcade had very pretty black eyed
with whom Billy chose 10 fall in
love, but who, loving the British uniform gen.
orally, rather than any individual wesrer in
least, SO thought at the time
and firted sometimes with Billy,
sometimes with Gray. and frequntly, although
| could see greatly to his annoyance, with
Belfont. AS to the firtations with Gray, that
worthy, not wishing to offend Billy, for fear
Of getting out Of the colonel's good books, car
ricd on so silly that the whole of Billys jcal-
ousy fell upon the man who had thrashed him.
Billy, therefore, set to work with his papa,
md got Bclfont moved to the headquarters Of
the regiment in town.
It was late in the evening, George had left
The billet, and was pacing before the door,
upon those miserable pettinesses
which produce the greatest miscrics Of life,
when Billy 0 Dragons servant ran against
ne. #83