"That was pleasant--had he a tail? I have always been curious to know whether he really has a tail or not."
"I saw none, sir, but then we stood face to face, like gentlemen, and I cannot describe what I did not see."
"Was he glad to see you, commodore?"
"Why, sir; he was civilly spoken, but his occupation prevented many compliments."
"Occupation!"
"Certainly, sir; he was cutting out shoes, for his imps to travel about in, in order to stir up mischief."
"And did he set you to work?--This is a sort of State-Prison affair, after all!"
"No sir, he was too much of a gentleman to set me at making shoes as soon as I arrived. He first inquired what part of the country I was from, and when I told him, he was curious to know what most of the people were about in our neighbourhood."
"You told him, of course, commodore?"
"Certainly, sir, I told him their chief occupation was quarrelling about religion; making saints of them selves, and sinners of their neighbours. 'Hollo!' says the Devil, calling out to one of his imps, 'boy, run and catch my horse--I must be off, and have a finger in that pie. What denominations have you in that quarter, commodore? So I told him, general, that we had Baptists, and Quakers, and Universalists, and Episcopalians, and Presbyterians, old-lights, new-lights, and blue-lights; and Methodists----. 'Stop,' said the Devil, 'that's enough; you imp, be nimble with that horse.--Let me see, commodore, what, part of the country did you say you came from?' I told him the name more distinctly this time----"