74 LIFE OP AUDUBON. 



narrower acquaintance proved him to be a Yankee ; and anxious 

 to make his acquaintance, I desired to see his birds. He 

 retorted, ' What the devil did I know about birds ?' I ex- 

 plained to him that I was a naturalist, whereupon he requested 

 me to examine his birds. I did so with some interest, and 

 was preparing to leave, when he bade me come to his lodgings 

 and see the remainder of his collection. This I willingly did, 

 and was struck with amazement at the appearance of his studio. 

 Several cages were hung about the walls, containing specimens 

 of birds, all of which I examined at my leisure. On a large 

 easel before me stood an unfinished portrait, other pictures 

 hung about, and in the room were two young pupils ; and at a 

 glance I discovered that the eccentric stranger was, like myself, 

 a naturalist and an artist. The artist, as modest as he was odd, 

 showed me how he laid on the paint on his pictures, asked after 

 my own pursuits, and showed a friendly spirit which enchanted 

 me. With a ramrod for a rest, he prosecuted his work vigo- 

 rously, and afterwards asked ine to examine a percussion lock 

 on his gun, a novelty to me at the time. He snapped some 

 caps, and on my remarking that he would frighten his birds, he 

 exclaimed, ' Devil take the birds, there are more of them in the 

 market.' He then loaded his gun, and wishing to show me that 

 he was a marksman, fired at one of the pins on his easel. This 

 he smashed to pieces, and afterwards put a rifle bullet exactly 

 through the hole into which the pin fitted." 



