Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30
Waking the Wrong Passenger.

A good story is told of that gallant
Irish soldier, Gen. Bligh, of Sepoy fame.
While holding the commission of Cap
tain in dashing marching regiment he
was on trip of pleasure. with his wife,
In the North of England, and having
come one day to small Yorkshire inn,
the larder of which was weH-nigh emp
ty, he ordered all the host had on hand
in the shape of food to be served up for
his dinner, after which he joined his wife
In an upper room.
While the host disappearing the meal
for his guest party of sporting gentle
men of the country entered the inn and
called for refreshment. The landlord
was sorry to inform them that all his
larder contained of food had been be-
spoken by gentleman who was at that
moment waiting up stairs, with his wife,
to have it served.
Who was the gentleman
The host could only tell them that he
was an Irishman, and that he seemed
to be a very quiet, good-natured and
harmless body. (The Captain was tray
cling 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 this watch up
to the gentleman and ask him if he'll
send us word what's the time O. day, for
we can't tell
It was habit in that section, when
one would intimate to another that he
didn't have much faith iu his good
sense or judgment, to show him a watch
and ask him to tell what's the time
o'clock.
The host, 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. Bligh
took the watch and looked at it,
"By my life it's beauty. Tell the
gentlemen I'll .-be down presently, and
shall take pleasure in expounding to
them the mystery O. time-tellipg by the
watch. And I'll fetch the watch with
me-"
The host returned with the answer,
and shortly afterward carried up his
guests dinner. The squire was, for a
little time, furious with the landlord for
having left his watch behind; but he
finally cooled off, and, having called for
q gallon of beer, he sat down with his
friends to wait.
After he had finished his meal, Capt
Bigh opened his portmanteau and
took out two great horse-pistols, and,
placing them under his arm, he took
the watch in his hand and went down
into the bar-room, where the sporting
gentry still waited.
"Ah, gentlemen, [ give you a good
day. And now, who is the man that
wants the time o day? [ shall be de-
lighted to enlighten him."
They didn't ike the looks of the man
at all. He carried the soldier in his
very look; and, just now, there was a
good deal Of the tiger manifested.
"Come, come, gentlemen-I am
Capt. Bligh, at your service. A short
time since the landlord brought to me
this watch, accompanied by message
which l have come to answer as such a
message richly deserves !" And he sig
nncantly tapped his Hnger upon the
pistols. CHOW, 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 Cap
tain, whose fame was known to him.
Bligh then applied to the next man !;
and then, to the next a; and so on, to the
last and all denied the ownership.
81 am happy to find, gentlemen, that
I have made mistake. You will par
don me, I am sure. [ thought the
owner OF the watch was here"
He then put the watch into his peck
ct; slipped the pistols into the pocket
of his blouse !; turned to the bar, and
settled his bill; then babe the company
good evening, after which he joined his
vie on the porch, at the door of which
his carriage was in waiting.
Captain, afterward 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.