"There was only one Spaniard, I forgot to say, in the whole regiment, for somehow or other, those fellows weren't much in favor of us and we didn't trust them any too fully. This fellow had been with us for a number of years and had time and again proven himself true to the regiment and his comrades. "We were just at the foot of the pass through the Pyrannees when the truce came, and this Spaniard fellow, who was a captain then, and very friendly with the colonel, asked for a ten-day leave of absence. He gave some excuse about long absence from home and about going to see his mother, and the colonel allowed him to go. He took his sword and his musket with him and disappeared along the track toward the mountain passes. "There were some in his own troop who didn't love their captain any to well and in particular the young lieutenant who was directly under this Spanish captain would have been glad to have him out of the way. Therefore, before half of his ten days were up, reports of an ugly nature began to circulate. They were somewhat to the effect that the captain had accepted an offer from our enemies and had gone over to them with information that would be of great advantage when the truce was over. "His friends indignantly rejected all such suggestions and said that the captain himself would deal with the parties who started such rumors when he returned. But the ninth and then the tenth day came and passed and the captain didn't return to his place in the regiment, nor to disprove all remarks that had been passed in his absence. "After twelve days, the colonel, very much against his wishes, but in accordance with his duty, had the captain deposed from office and read out of the regiment." Here the soldier paused, and Tim, who was very much absorbed in the narrative, said, "And did the man niver turn up agin?" "Oh, to be sure," continued the British trooper, "and that's the story. On the thirteenth night there comes a challenge from one of the outposts and the Spanish captain answers the call. "'Halt!' says the guard. 'Who goes there!' "'Friend,' replied the captain. 'I'm captain of troop B.' "'Captain Thornton is captain of Troop B,' replied the sentry. 'You are no longer a member of this regiment. They read you out of it yesterday.' "The colonel had been attracted by this disturbance and he ordered the former captain to be brought before him in his tent. "'Well, what made you break your promise in this way?' queried his anxious superior. "'I couldn't help it,' replied the captain. 'I was afraid when I asked for leave that if I gave the right reason you wouldn't let me go, so I said it was to visit my mother. But she has been dead for two years now. In our mountain country of Northern Spain we have what you call blood-feuds, and when they are once started the end only comes with the extinction of one or both families concerned. In our family there has been such a feud now for twenty years, but it is no more.'