The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-02-23
The Time o. Day.

The gallant Irish soldier, Genera
Bligh, of Sepoy fame, while holdin.
the commission of captain in {
dashing marching regiment, was OF
a trip of pleasure, with his wife, il
the north of England, and having
come one day to small Yorkshire
inn, the larder of which was wei
nigh empty, he ordered all the hos
had on hand in the shape Of food
to be served up for his dinner, after
which he joined his wife in an up
perroom.
While the host was preparing thG
meal for his guest a party of sport
ing gentlemen of the country enter
ed the inn, and called for refresh.
ments. The landlord was sorry tc
inform them that all his larder con.
tanned of food had been bespokcr
by gentleman who was at that
moment up stairs with his wife tc
have it served.
Who was the gentleman
The host could only tell them
that he was an Irishman, and seem.
ed to be very quiet, good-natured
harmless body. (The Captain was
travelling in citizens clothes.)
can Irish gentleman, A potato
with pepper and salt, will answer
for him. Go up and tell him so"
But Boniface preferred not to do
so.
"Then," cried one Of the party a
squire OF the neighborhood, with
more money than sense-"take up
this watch to the gentleman, and
ask him if he will send US word
what's the time o day, for we can't
tell"
1t was habit in that section,
when one would intimate toanother
that he didn't have mnch faith in
his good, sense, or in his Judgment,
to show him a watch and ask him
to tell what's the time o'clock"
The hest, himself fond of fun,
and feeling assured that the last
callers would get the worst of it,
took the watch-a very valuable
gold repeater-and went up stairs
and did the errand. Blight took
the watch and looked at 1t.
"By my life its a beauty. Tell
the gentleman I'll be down present
ly, and shall take great pleas ure in
expounding to them the mystry O.
time-telling by the watch, and I'll
fetch the watch with me-
The host returned with the an
swer, and shortly afterwards carried
up his guests dinner. The squire
was for little time furious with the
landlord for having left his watch
behind but he finally coolel off.
and having called for gallon of
beer, he sat down with lis friends
to wait.
After he had finished his meal,
Captain Bligh opened his portman-
tesu and took out two large horse
pistols, and placing them under his
arm, he took the watch in his hand
and went down into the barroom,
where the sporting gentry still wait
ed.
'Ah, gentlemen, give you good
day. And now who is the man
that wants the time o day? Ishall
be delighted to enlighteH him.
They did not like the looks of the
man at all. He carried the soldier
in his every look; and just now
there was a good deal of the tiger
manifest.
Come, come, gentlemen-I am
Captain Bligh, at your service. A
short time since, the landlord
brought to me this watch, accom-
panied by message which / have
come to answer as such a message
richly deserves" And he signifi-
cantly tapped his finger upon the
pistols. "Now whose is the watch ?
Is it yours. sir?" to the squire
himself.
The squire denied the ownership
promptly. All the watches in the
world would not have tempted him
to expose his life to the terrible Irish
captain whose fame was known to
him.
Bligh then applied to the next
man, and then to the next, and so
on to the next, and all denied the
ownership.
Il am happy to find, gentlemen.
I have made a mistake. You will
pardon me. | am sure. | though
the owner of the watch was here"
He then put the watch into his
pocket, slipped the pistols into the
pockets of his blouse, turned to the
bar; and settled his bill, then babe
the company good evening, after
which he joined his wife on the
porch, at the door of which his car
riage was in waiting.
Captain, afterwards General Bligh,
kept the watch to the day of his
death, often telling the story of its
capture, when he left it by will to
his brother, the well known dean of
Elphin.