Explore "An Officer and a Thug" by Ambrose Bierce on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
A Chief of Police who had seen an Officer beating a Thug was very indignant, and said he must not do so any more on pain of dismissal.
"Don't be too hard on me," said the Officer, smiling; "I was beating him with a stuffed club."
"Nevertheless," persisted the Chief of Police, "it was a liberty that must have been very disagreeable, though it may not have hurt. Please do not repeat it."
"But," said the Officer, still smiling, "it was a stuffed Thug."
In attempting to express his gratification, the Chief of Police thrust / out his right hand with such violence that his skin was ruptured at the / arm-pit and a stream of sawdust poured from the wound. He was a stuffed / Chief of Police.