The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-05-14
cHAsTIsEMENT OF A BULLY.

The following story, which is none the
less good for having been told before,
shows that true courage is rarely ever
allied with marked propensity for du-
cling.
During the period of the occupation
of France by the allies of Louis XVII.
in 1915, this system was pursued extcn-
sively by the French officers Patriot
ism aud deep sense of injury perhaps
palliated its atrocity. Day after day,
Prussian and English officers would
seud cartel, fight and be carried of
regularly to Pere la Chise. Some of
Napoleon's n;aifrcss ormcs made bust
ness of killing their men each day. A
story is told of one of them-an old Cap
tain Dueroc-who had slain his scores.
and was never known to have met his
match with the sword. He never sent
q Challenge, was always the aggrossor,
and pittilessiy insisted OIL the right of
choosing his favorite weapon. When he
lad not found an adversary in the
course of the day, he would enter the
Cafe Foy, at Paris, towards six o, clock
for dinner, and the walters could tell by
his face, and the way he twirled his
grizzly mustache, that he was on the
look out for quarrel-Woe to him
who gave him the least chancel One
evening, there CHANGED to drop into the
same Cafe an English officer named
Gwynne, He belonged to the army of
occupation, but had only just returned
to his regiment from his home, where he
had been kept close prisoner by
wound received at Water loo. During
his absence, his brother had had the
misfortune-so he had heard-to quar-
rel with Captaine Ducroc and to be
killed by him in duel.
Gwynne entered Cafe Foy few min
utes before six, and sat down at a small
vacant table. A waiter started at the
sight, and running to the English man,
observed with some agitation, that that
was the Captains table. What Cap
taine' my friend?' asked the English
man. 'Oh. lie Captaine Ducrocl' answer
ed the waiter, pronouncing the terrible
name almost with feeling of awe
GWynne' cheek flushed at the name.
but merly observed that this table was
like all the others, seemingly still, he
said. IF the Captaine insisted upon it.
he would doubtless satisfy him. On
which he took up the newspaper and be-
gan to read.
| Almost at the same instant the door
opened and heavy tread of spurred
boots was heard approaching the table.
When at a few feet distant, lie Captaine
stopped, and surveyed the usurper with
an insulting smile, Gwynne looked
calmly at him but did not speak. The
Captaine sat down at table. close by,
and began to twirl his mustache. Poo
pie who knew him understood the mean
ing of the gesture, and gathered close to
the redoubtable champion of France
They had not long to wait before he COM
menced opera tons
Stretching across suddenly, he seized
the lamp on the Englishman's s table, and
snatched it away. and with the other hand
plucked the newspaper out of Gwynne's
grasp. There was a buzz in the Cafe at
this gross insult, and one OF two English
men present sprang to their feet, and
moved toward their countryman. But
he did rot speak nor move; his face did
not even show any apparent notice of the
affront.
lie Captaine read for a moment or
two, then turning his chair so as to bring
it close to the Englishman's table, he
suddenly stretched out his leg, and
brought down one Of his heavy boet on
Gwynne's foot. There was another buzz
and murmur among the consonmatearS.
but Gwynne coLtented himself with
drawing his foot up and folding his
arms-His countrymen gathered round
him evidently CALLED at his seeming in
difference to the insult, he took no no.
tice of. At last le Cuptaine, after a
long look at his antagonist, called to the
waiter for glass of brandy. When it
was brought, he raised the glass and
drank it, saying to Gwynne. "A rOtrS
coata age, A'tglaisH
Then slowly and leisurely the latter
rose. He was man of immense size
and strength. With one stride he
stood beside the FrenchmaD; then,
grasping his mustache with one hand
and his chin with the other, he wrenched
his mouth open and spat down his
throat.
Should Monsieur deem ft,' he said, in
a calm qniet voice, 'to honor him with q
call, there is my card So saying, he left
the Cafe. Needless to add that his
invitation was not accepted. Ducroc nev-
er challenged; the choice of weapons was
essential to his safety.
/ E@To remedy the Sunday sleepiness
which bothers SO many good people who
want to keep awake, the Christian Intel
ligencer saye, The patien4 must lift his