Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1892-02-18

A Story WITH A KrPLrSG fla
voR.-The Lieutenant was prepar-
ing his after-supper smoke last
evening.
Il suppose you never have heard
about little Tommy and how he lost
. fortune he remarked. sIt Is q
simple tale; one Of those occasions
where it seems as il fate we're bound
that certain men should not have
any luck or any money in this
world.
Little Tommy was brave chap.
He enlisted in the cavalry when |
was sergeant Of q troop. It was the
first time that had ever held that,
position, and / was more set mp
about it than / was afterwards when
| was given the stripes after going
back into the ranks for some fool
ishness. Tommy was about four
feet ten inches in height. and when
he had a big dinner must have
weighed rs much as 115 pounds.
Notwithstanding his size, he was
plucky fellow, snd he carried a
medal which in itself was q proof of
its genuineness. How he won it is
quite an interesting story. He was
in the British Army at the time of
the Sepoy insurrection, attached to
the medical corps of a regiment
which was actively engaged in that
brutal war-fare-I will call it war
fare, although it was more a series
of massacres.
'One evening, after day of en-
gagements, the colonel of Tommy's
regiment was surprised to see a flag
of truce coming from the Sepoy
lines. The speculation the sight
caused was soon put to an end by
the arrival of the fiag-bearer. He
brought a note from the Sepoy
chief-an humble entreaty from the
commander of the rebel forces. His
favorite, a beautiful young girl, had
been wounded while watching the
battle in a position close to her
lover, and all the science of the
Sepoy physicians could not relieve
her suffering. In the note he i'm
plored the English colonel. tosend
q doctor to.the camp of the enemy,
that tho wounds Of the young wo-
man might be cared for and her life
saved.
The English physicians and sur
geons of the regiment knew better
than to 60 into the Sepoy camp,
even though the commander pro-
missed protection under a flag of
truce. The Sepoys were not to be
trusted. Never had the English
army engaged with so treacherous
people before.
The flag Of truce had been vio-
lated before, and not a volunteer
could now be found in the whole
brigade's corps Of surgeons. Then
the assistants and the attaches of
the medical corps were asked. All
but one refused. That was Little
Tommy He went alone with the
Sepoy soldier, and all his friends of
the regiment bade him good-by.
He himself made his will and left
last words for his loved one at home.
Then in the darkness he went into
the camp of the enemy, and al
though men passed by him near
enough to plunge a knife into his
breast, and muttered threats were
made on all sides, he came out safe
ly after attending to the woman,
and probably saving her life. That
little service won him the medal.
and in time might have secured
promotion if he had remained.
But Little Tommy came to this
country to seek his fortune. Isup-
pose he deserted from the English
Army. although he never told me
SO. He went to Arizona and staked
out a claim. 1t was when the Apa-
ches in that country were enjoying
themselves by lifting the hair of the
settlers. But Tommy was not
bit afraid Of them. He got along
well for a year or two, and finally
succeeded in buying a team. 1t
wasn't an elegant outfit by any
means, but it answered his purpose.
One horse was about sixteen hands
high, and thin in proportion; the
other was q mule, seven or eight
hands in height, and as round as q
barrel. They did their work, how
ever, and that was all Tommy asked.
One day friend wanted the ami
mails to plough field. Tommy
was good-natured fellow and he