14 AUDUBON 



who lived nearly opposite to the house where my father and I 

 then resided ; his company I much enjoyed, and with him all 

 my leisure hours were spent. About this time my father was sent 

 to England in a corvette with a view to exchange prisoners, and 

 he sailed on board the man-of-war " L'Institution " for Plymouth. 

 Previous to his sailing he placed me under the charge of his 

 secretary, Gabriel Loyen Dupuy Gaudeau, the son of a fallen 

 nobleman. Now this gentleman was of no pleasing nature to me; 

 he was, in fact, more than too strict and severe in all his pre- 

 scriptions to me, and well do I recollect that one morning, after 

 having been set to a very arduous task in mathematical problems, 

 I gave him the slip, jumped from the window, and ran off through 

 the gardens attached to the Marine Secretariat. The unfledged 

 bird may stand for a while on the border of its nest, and perhaps 

 open its winglets and attempt to soar away, but his youthful im- 

 prudence may, and indeed often does, prove inimical to his 

 prowess, as some more wary and older bird, that has kept an eye 

 toward him, pounces relentlessly upon the young adventurer and 

 secures him within the grasp of his more powerful talons. This 

 was the case with me in this instance. I had leaped from the 

 door of my cage and thought myself quite safe, while I rambled 

 thoughtlessly beneath the shadow of the trees in the garden and 

 grounds in which I found myself; but the secretary, with a side 

 glance, had watched my escape, and, ere many minutes had elapsed, 

 I saw coming toward me a corporal with whom, in fact, I was 

 well acquainted. On nearing me, and I did not attempt to escape, 

 our past familiarity was, I found, quite evaporated ; he bid me, 

 in a severe voice, to follow him, and on my being presented to 

 my father's secretary I was at once ordered on board the pontoon 

 in port. All remonstrances proved fruitless, and on board the 

 pontoon I was conducted, and there left amid such a medley of 

 culprits as I cannot describe, and of whom, indeed, I have but 

 little recollection, save that I felt vile myself in their vile com- 

 pany. My father returned in due course, and released me from 

 these floating and most disagreeable lodgings, but not without a 

 rather severe reprimand. 



Shortly after this we returned to Nantes, and later to La 



