Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-06-26
A Bully DIgposed Of

a French paper tells the following
story: While L'Eclair No. slowly went
up La Ghronne river, Lodois Podensac.
VINO was clerk on board the steamboat
ana whom everybody called captain. /
say Lodois Podensac was as much en-
parrwssed ai ~ embarrassed could be. An
oilicer OF the 18th regiment Of hussara
was stretched at ease on three chair,
one bore his body, the other bore hig legs
the third his left arm. Tapped into a
Jecrinr beatitude, hc smoked an enor-
nous pipe, whose thick smoke ,yas
blown by the wind straight into tho
faces of two charming ladies. The latter
after having borne for some time this
disagrecabic smoke. nj last made sign tn
Captain Iodois Podcnsar. He nj once
understood what they meant, and went
up 10 the officer and said: You will
greatly obHRc me were you to change
your place. The two ladies behind YOU
are seriously incunYcnicnced by the
smoke Of your pipc.n The officer slowly
raised his eyes, looked at Captain I>odois
Podcnsac, smoked faster, drew inspira-
tion deeper than ever; lazily moving his
right arm, he pointed ~ his gabcr and
said " refer you 10 Coco" Captain
l,OdOls POdensac asked: What do Won
mcan' Who is Coco?n The officer
ironically replied: Il refer you Coco"
Captain LodOis Podcnsac saw the officer
sought quarrc., 20 POdensac turned his
back on the officer. who smoked more
than ever. The steamboat was full of
passengers. The ladies had no ahrrna-
tive but To change their seats, which
were in the shade, and 10 sit in the sun
an August sun. So they preferred put
ting up little longer with the incon-
venicncc, sure that the captain would
soon make the officer behave himself
Podcnsac was young; he was ambitious
To please ladies, especially when they
were his passengers; 20 he attacked the
officer again and went up 10 him saving:
" You will obligc me % deal harshIy
with you. but II Is your own fault. You
have no right TO remain on the quarter
deck, for you have only second-clnss
ticket. Your place is forward The
officer carclessly replied, still patting his
sword: 81 refer you TO Coco" you
annoy me with your Coco. ] don't
know Coco. / don't want TO know
Coco, have nothing 10 say 10 Coco.
VIII you 20 forward' Once, twice"
refer you TO Coco" repeated the
officer, smoking faster than ever. Po-
dcnsac was furious. He went upTo two
sailors who were standing near the
smokestack and gave them an order in "A
low tone. He returned with them and
said 10 the officer Il should be very
sorry to use force. but If you do not obey
me ] shall be Obliged 10 make nv men
carry you forward" The officer quietly
answered ] refer you 10 Coco" Po-
dcnsacs first impulse was To seize the
insoicnt officer by the collar and drag
him forward. kicking him as he went.
lie ali at once cIclaimed-ovidently a
thought had suddenly occurred 10 him:
" I ou are right. You refer me 10 Coco.
DO you think j am afraid Of YOU. Of such
a YOU. Of Coco2 Wait one minute and
III Jet you see.n The captain went be-
low and in a few minutes afterward
came out Of his cabin brandishing an
immense sabcr. He went up TO the Off
Ger and said, See on our lee, there is n
little island. II is entirely deserted. Il
land you there. and | shall say to Coco
more than you now dream of" The
officer rose. The captain ordered the
engineer 10 stop the boat and the helms
man 10 put her close TO shore. when
she almost touched shore the captain
ordered the gangway TO be put out.
W hen II was in position the captain said
10 the officer: will you land?" In a
moment the officer WAS on the island.
In less time the gangway was taken in.
n full head Of steam put on and the boat
in the middle Of the river. The officer
yelled in n towering rage. What does
all this meanYn The captain yelled back.
" ! refer you TO Coco" Have Won
played trick on me?' 81 refer YOU to
Coco" do you mean TO insult me?n
" refer you TO Coco"