alifax, we
resided in the same house with a mutual friend who had always received
me as his own son. He had a son of my own age with whom I had long been
on terms of warm friendship, and Ned and I confederated against Sir
Hurricane. Having paid a few visits _en passant_, as I landed at the
King's Wharf, shook hands with a few pretty girls, and received their
congratulations on my safe return, I went to the house of my friend,
and, without ceremony, walked into the drawing-room.

"Do you know, sir," said the footman, "that Sir Hurricane is in his
room? But he is very busy," added the man, with a smile.

"Busy or not," said I, "I am sure he will see me"--so in I walked.

Sir Hurricane was employed on something, but I could not distinctly make
out what. He had a boot between his knees and the calves of his legs,
which he pressed together, and as he turned his head round, I perceived
that he held a knife between his teeth.

"Leave the door open, messmate," said he, without taking the least
notice of me. Then rising, he drew a large black tom-cat by the tail,
out of the boot, and flinging it away from him to a great distance,
which distance was rapidly increased by the voluntary exertion of the
cat, which ran away as if it had been mad--"There," said he, "and be
damned to you, you have given me more trouble than a whole Kentucky
farm-yard but I shall not lose my sleep any more by your damned
caterwauling."

All this was pronounced as if he had not seen me--in fact, it was a
soliloquy, for the cat did not stay to bear it. "Ah!" said he, holding
out his hand to me, "how do you do? I know your face, but damn me if I
have not forgot your name."

"My name, sir," said I, "is Mildmay."

"Ah, Mildmay, my noble, how do you do--how did you leave your father? I
knew him very well--used to give devilish good feeds--many a plate I've
dirtied at his table--don't care how soon I put my legs under it again;
take care, mind which way you put your helm--you will be aboard of my
chickabiddies--don't run athwart-hawse."

I found, on looking down, that I had a string round my leg, which
fastened a chicken to the table, and saw many more of these little
creatures attached to the chairs in the room; but for what purpose they
were thus domesticated I could not discover.

"Are these pet chickens of yours, Sir Hurricane?" said I.

"No," said the admiral, "but I mean them to be pet capons by and by,
when they come to table. I have