Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-09-09
THE STORY OF A WATCH.
PRIVATE CONDOR LOST 4
WHlSkER FOR ITS SAKE,
The RaJah Lost Three Teeth, tho Captain
Er't His Watch and the Thief Got
Little Lift on the Down
ward Road.

remark was a natural one. was
showing friend ono Of the most val
uablo jeweled watches ever made
which had become my property by in
heritance II was double case
gold watch of the old turnip variety.
Tho outer case. which was of thick
gold. was simply incrusted with EN-.
eralds and diamonds. the former be
ing particularly fine. and the watch
Itself was as perfect as skill could
make it.
Yes it is" I answered "but |
always feel somewhat ashamed of
owning it We came by it in a rather
shady way, think
How was thatp"
We'll I'll tell you. | had an
uncle who was an officer in the East
India service and it, was through him
we came into possession of the watch.
have heard h m tell the story more
than once OF how he managed to get
hold OF it and it is not bad example
OF what risks a mal will tlke to got
the price of a drink Let me tell it
as my old uncle used to.
|
in 80. and the heat there was some
thing awful Except the fellows of
the regiment, the general command
ing the station and u few civilians
there was nobody to talk TO- The
ralah OF the province who had a
splendid palace near by. had no love
Tor the Fer.nghees. though we had
bcen called out once to save the obese
old wretch from the Just vengeance
OF his subjects who n he ileeced right
and left
1T had been warmer day than
usual and the limp Europeans had
not even the energy to play rackets.
IL was day to be devoted to the in
sidlous peg After mess mon sat
out on the veranda smoking and ours.
ing india There was suddenly quite
stir OF excitement Tho colonel
had come down from his bungalow
and was talking with the senior major
and adjutant We all wondered what
could have brought Old Blazes' ont
at this hour OF night. We soon
learned however that the IA ali had
been attacked b. one of our men in
his own grounds and robbed of a
watch and chain b. private of our
regiment.
The next day there was the
dickens to pay. The political com.
missioner had chance of airing his
authority. and MIXED Picklcs' the
general. between twinges of mis- disor
ganlzed liver gave vent to awful
threats, and con ned the regiments to
their cantOnments
Every endeavor was made to dis
cover the culprit and an order had
been issued that if the man would
give himself up he would be treated
as lenientlY as possible. but should he
be Identified later on by the ra tiah death
would be the penalty The rajah
was, in the mean time. nursing his
rage at home. He had lost three
teeth in the encounter. and his lip was
badly cut.
Among the prisoners brought up
before me the morning after the rob.
berry. were Privates Patrick Condor
and John Bennett the one ain Irish.
man. the other a cockney. who. how.
ever were great chums. Their crime
was fighting. Their faces were quite
sufficient evidence. The cause
learned was that Bennett had cut off
one of Coudon's whiskers OF which
he was particularly proud. while the
latter was in drunken sleep. As it
had been fair square-up fight and
they were both excellent soldiers |
iorgave them. and tho battered war
riors made Decline for the canteen.
ut was week after this that the
regiment was ordered to parade for
the purpose OF the ra abs identifying
his assailant. 1t was an early morn.
ing parade. but could not help note.
ing that Pat Condor hal evidently
renewed tho contest Both he and
Bennett were badly bruised again.
The regiment was drawn up in
line. with open ranks. The IN nh
moved slowly down. escorted by the
general the colonel and the political
commissioners. How stolidly those
soldiers looked TO the front-not n
move not even a turn of the eve.
MY men were rs steady as the rest.
but felt half inclined to laugh at the
diabolically ugly face of Condor.
when thought struck me; he's got
battered on purpose! knew he was
devil enough TO commit the robbery.
Tor he he'd the niger in but poor
esteem.
Nearer and nearer the procession
came to the man Had he been
carved out OF stone he could not have
been more stolid or indi ferent The
ra an actually stopped in front of
him and made some joke about the
mans appearance at which the
general laughed They passed. and
breaihed more freely. A man was
subsequently picked out but 1t was
certainly the wrong one for the
identified man had been on guard
duty when the assault was com mitted.
"A few days after this Private Con-
don came to my private quarters He
was privileged old soldier. and he