Year: 1879

A French paper tells the following story: While L'Eclair No. slowly went up La Garonne river, Lodois Podensac, who was clerk on board the steamboat, and whom everybody called captain, I say Lodois Podensac was as much em- barraSsed as embarrassed could be- An officer of the 18th regiment of hussars was stretched at ease on three chairs- one bore his body, the other bore his legs, the third his left arm. Tapped into q jeering beatitude, he smoked an enor- nous pipe, whose thick smoke was blown by the wind straight into the faces of two charming ladies. The latter, after baving borne for some time this disagreeabie smoke, at last made sign to Captain Lodois Podensac. He at once understood what they meant, and went up to the officer and said: " You will greatly oblige me were you to change your place. The two ladies behind you are seriously inconvenienced by the smoke of your pipe" The officer slowly raised his eyes, looked at Captain Lodois Podensac, smoked faster, drew inspira- tion deeper than ever; lazily moving his right arm, he pointed to his saber and said: ''I refer you to Coco" Captain Lodois Podensac asked: What do you mean? Who is .Coco?n The. officer ironically replied: :" refer you Coco" Captain Lodois Podensac saw the officer sought quarreI, so Podensac turned his back on the officer, who smoked more than ever. The steamboat was full of passengers. The ladies had no alierna- tive but to change their seats, which were in the shade, and to sit in the sun an August sun. So they preferred put ting up little longer with the incon- venience, sure that the captain would soon make the officer behave himself Podensac was young; he was ambitious to please ladies, especially when they were his passengers; so he attacked the officer again and went up to him saying: You will oblige me to deal harshly with you, but it is your own fault. You have no right to remain on the quarter deck, for you have only a second-class | ticket. Your place is forward The officer carelessly replied, still batting his | sword: ''1 refer you to Coco" You annoy me with your Coco. I don't know Coco. I don't want to know | Coco, have nothing to say to Coco. Will you go forwardp Once, twice."

 "I refer you to Coco" repeated the officer, smoking faster than ever. Po- densac was furious. He went up to two sailors who were standing near the smokestack and gave them an order in low tone. He returned with them and said to the officer: II should be very sorry to use force, but if you do not obey me l shall be obliged to make my men carry you forward" The officer quietly answered.: "I refer you to Coco" Po- | densac's first impulse was to seize the insolent officer by the collar and drag him forward, kicking him as he went 1 He all at once exclaimed-evidentlya a thought had suddenly occurred to him :: |" You are right. You refer me to Coco. Do you think am afraid of you, of such as you, of Coco? Wait one minute and l I'll let you see'' The captain went be- 1 low and in few minutes afterwar came out of his cabin brandishing an immense saher. He went up to the off cer and said, "See on our lee, there is a little island. It is entirely deserted. It is the very place Tor you and me- l shall land you there. and 1 shall say to Coco ,,aero than you now dream of" The officer rose. The captain ordered the engineer to stop the boat and the helms man to put her close to shore. When she almost touched shore the captain ordered the gangway to be put out. When it was in position the captain said to the officer: ''Will you land?" In a moment the officer was on the island. In less time the gangway was taken in, a full head of steam put on and the boat in the middle of the river. The officer yelled in a towering rage, "What does all this mean?" The captain yelled back, "I refer you to Coco" "Have you played a trick on mep" SC refer you to Coco" Do you mean to insult me?" ' l refer you to Coco"