The sight of my cousin’s lovely face, and the heavenly music of her tongue, made me so forgiving, that I could be angry with no one.--At this moment a nice-looking elderly man slid into the room as noiselessly as a cat. “How are you, Lieutenant? Why, you are positively gay this morning! Preserve me!--why have you taken off the dressing from your head?” “Preserve me--you may say that, Doctor--why, you seem to have preserved me, and pickled me after a very remarkable fashion, certainly! Why, man, do you intend to make a mummy of me, with all your swaddlings? Now, what is that crackling on my chest? More plantain-leaves, as I live!” “Only another blister, sir.” “Only another blister--and my feet--Zounds! what have you been doing with my feet? The soles are as tender as if I had been bastinadoed.” “Only cataplasms, sir; mustard and bird-pepper poultices nothing more.” “Mustard and bird-pepper poultices!--and pray, what is that long fiddle case supported on two chairs in the piazza!” “What case?” said the good Doctor, and his eye followed mine. “Oh, my gun-case. I am a great sportsman, you must know--but draw down that blind, Mr Bang, if you please, the breeze is too strong.” “Gun-case! I would rather have taken it for your game-box, Doctor. However, thanks be to Heaven, you have not bagged me this bout.” At this moment, I heard a violent scratching and jumping on the roof of the house, and presently a loud croak, and a strong rushing noise, as of a large bird taking flight--“What is that, Doctor?” “The devil,” said he, laughing, “at least your evil genius, Lieutenant, it is the carrion crows, the large John--Crows, as they are called, flying away. They have been holding a council of war upon you since early dawn, expecting (I may tell you, now you are so well) that it might likely soon turn into a coroner’s inquest.” “John--Crow!--Coroner’s inquest!--Cool shavers those West India chaps, after all!” muttered I; and again I lay back, and offered up my heart, warm thanks to the Almighty, for his great mercy to me a sinner.