A DETERMINED CUSTOMER.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4006, 24 May 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

A DETERMINED CUSTOMER.

About five o'clock ono winter's evening, a gentloman on horseback stopped at an inn which was full of travellers. He rodo into the yard, and calling the hostler very loudly, said, ' Here, take care of my horse, and put him in tbe stable.' 'Wo have no room, sir,' said the hostler, ' the stables are quite full.' 'Yes, yes,' replied the gentleman, pretending not to hear; ' I will think of you tomorrow morning. ' But I tell you, sir, there is no room. 'Aye, aye, give him a peek of oats,and as much hay as he will eat, said the traveller, and, leaving his horse, lie went into tho house. 'He must bo either a rogue or a fool,' thought the hostler; ' however, I must tako care of his horse; I shall bo answerable for it.' When our traveller entered tho landlady told him, as tho hostler bad done, that it was impossible to lodge him, but ho cried out loud enough to stun her— fNo compliments, no ceremony, ma'am ; your accommodation will bo vory good. I am very easily satisfied, and it is quite useless for you to speak, for I am so deaf that I could not hear a cannon,' He then took a chair and seated himself by the fire, as if he had been at home. Finding no means of getting rid of him, the landlord and his wife determined to let him pass the night on tho chair, as the beds were engaged. Shortly afterwards ho saw that dinner was being laid on tbe table in the next room, and took his chair and coolly placed himself at tho tablo. They bawled to him as loudly as possible that it was a private company, and no strangers were admitted ; but in vain. Ho pretended to understand that they wished to offer him the head of the table. He thanked them for their politeness and said ho was very comfortable whore he was seated.

When they found they could not make him understand, they let him remain. He ate a hearty dinner, and throw a shilling on the table to pay for his meal; but the landlady pushed it towards him with contempt, saying: ' Why, sir ! do you suppose that a shilling will pay for such a dinnor as you have eaten ?' ' Oil, I beg your pardon, ma'am,' replied he ; ' I insist upon paying for my dinner. I thank those gentleman for their politeness, but I will not suffer them to pay for me.' Ho then looked at his watch, went out of the room wishing them all good night, and soon found his way to a bedroom. Tho company, after having laughed heartily at his apparent stupidity, sent a servant to see where he had gone ; sho soon returned, telling them that ho had taken possession of one of thoir bods. They then agreed to go together and turn him out by force ; but when they approached the door they heard him barricading it with furniture and talking loudly to himself. ' What an unfortunate position is mine,' soliloquised the inmate. ' Any one might enter and take my money while I am asleep. I will not run the risk. No, I will not go to bed, nor put out tbe light. I will sit up all nigbt with ray pistols coclsed, and if any one should enter 1 will blow out his brains.' When they heard this thoy made no attempt to drive him out. He went to bed and passed the night very quietly, leaving the gentleman who had engaged the bed to find a resting place where he could. On tho following morning he came down, went to tho stable for his horse, and Jed him to the door, where all the company were assembled to havo another look at him. As soon as ho was mounted he threw to the servant and hostler their respective dues j and, having changed his manner, said — ' Gentlomen, I havo to thank you for tho politeness you havo shown me. I have to bog tbe pardon of one of you for having taken his bed; but one of my friends was refused a lodging here last night, and he hot £20 that I should not bo able to procure one either. I therefore played the deaf man, and I leave you to judge whether I have done it well.' So saying, ho put his spurs to his horse arid left them.