Twenty-five minutes to two
We followed about two years afterwards , and the first thing I did after landing was to find out the Commodore 's executor . He was a quiet , dry little Plymouth lawyer , and very civilly answered all my questions about the last days of my old friend . At last I asked him to tell me as near as he could the time of his death ; and he put on his spectacles , and got his diary , and turned over the leaves . I was quite nervous till he looked up and said , -- `` Twenty-five minutes to two , sir , A.M. , on the morning of October 21st ; or it might be a few minutes later . '' `` How do you mean , sir ? '' I asked . `` Well , '' he said , `` it is an odd story .