TOM Bellamy's adventurb. 203 



regiment, and eventually they ceased their quizzing. I had 



not been with them many months, when I unfortunately fell in with 

 Miss Julia Springbolt, (she was a sweet creature, Harry !)" " Fie, 

 Tom, be quiet." " And, after seeing her once, I fell deeply in love, 

 and sought other opportunities for meeting again ; and, finally, after 

 some time, obtained her ])romise to be mine. — By-the-bye, Harry, 

 her father was an eminent merchant, worth £20,000, but having an 

 astonishing animosity against the red coats. Well, in our regiment 

 was one Lieut. O'Haggerty, an Irishman, who had fancied himself 

 fully established in the good opinion of Julia, until he was perfectly 

 undeceived by her evident partiality for my company in preference 

 to his or any others. As is usual on such occasions * the course of 

 true love did not run smooth ;' and it was eventually agreed that we 

 should elope, and then come back ; and, after established precedents, 

 appear very penitent — receive her father's blessing, and, on his 

 death, his £20,000, as she was the only child. This being all 

 nicely arranged, and a time fixed for carrying it into execution, I 

 solicited, and obtained leave for a short absence. The day that was 

 to have seen the result of this plan was also fixed for a sham fight, 

 when all the regiment were marched out, and duly placed, myself 

 being in command of a small body of men, (placed under cover) 

 with certain instructions as to my part in the aflfair. As ill luck 

 would have it, a maiden aunt of my Julia's, from whom she had 

 great expectations, and who lived a few miles from Cherwood, was 

 seized dangerously ill, and sent for Julia immediately, who had 

 barely time to scribble me a note, putting ofif our intended elope- 

 ment until either her aunt died, or was sufficiently recovered to 

 allow of Julia leaving her. This note, by the clumsiness of the 

 messenger, was delivered to O'Haggerty, who, prompted by the 

 green-eyed monster, shewed it to others, who joined in forming a plot 

 to prevent me being disappointed in my intended elopement, by not 

 having anybody to run away with. Well, as I said before, I had 

 under my command some men placed in ambush, and shortly after 

 the fight commenced, hearing the bugle sound ' enemy advancing,' 

 J gave orders for my men to fire at an advancing body of, as I 

 supposed, the enemy ; on doing so, I heard from amidst the smoke, 

 a grulT voice shout out ' what the devil are you doing, Mr. Bellamy.' 



