THROUGH George Bird I made the acquaintance of the leadingsurgeons and physicians of the North London Hospital, where Ifrequently attended the operations of Erichsen, JohnMarshall, and Sir Henry Thompson, following them afterwardsin their clinical rounds. Amongst the physicians, ProfessorSydney Ringer remains one of my oldest friends. Both surgeryand therapeutics interested me deeply. With regard to thefirst, curiosity was supplemented by the incidental desire toovercome the natural repugnance we all feel to the mere sightof blood.

　　Chemistry I studied in the laboratory of a professionalfriend of Dr. Bird's. After a while my teacher would leaveme to carry out small commissions of a simple character whichhad been put into his hands, such as the analysis of water,bread, or other food-stuffs. He himself often hadengagements elsewhere, and would leave me in possession ofthe laboratory, with a small urchin whom he had taught to beuseful. This boy was of the meekest and mildest disposition.

　　Whether his master had frightened him or not I do not know.

　　He always spoke in a whisper, and with downcast eyes. Hehandled everything as if it was about to annihilate him, orhe it, and looked as if he wouldn't bite - even a tartlet.

　　One day when I had finished my task, and we were alone, Ibethought me of making some laughing gas, and trying theeffect of it on the gentle youth. I offered him a shillingfor the experiment, which, however, proved more expensivethan I had bargained for. I filled a bladder with the gas,and putting a bit of broken pipe-stem in its neck for amouthpiece, gave it to the boy to suck - and suck he did. Ina few seconds his eyes dilated, his face became lividlywhite, and I had some trouble to tear the intoxicatingbladder from his clutches. The moment I had done so, thetrue nature of the gutter-snipe exhibited itself. He beganby cutting flip-flaps and turning windmills all round theroom; then, before I could stop him, swept an armful ofvaluable apparatus from the tables, till the whole floor wasstrewn with wreck and poisonous solutions. The dismay of thechemist when he returned may be more easily imagined thandescribed.

　　Some years ago, there was a well-known band of amateurmusicians called the 'Wandering Minstrels.' This bandoriginated in my rooms in Dean's Yard. Its nucleus wascomposed of the following members: Seymour Egerton,afterwards Lord Wilton, Sir Archibald Macdonald my brother-in-law, Fred Clay, Bertie Mitford (the present Lord Redesdale- perhaps the finest amateur cornet and trumpet player of theday), and Lord Gerald Fitzgerald. Our concerts were given inthe Hanover Square Rooms, and we played for charities allover the country.

　　To turn from the musical art to the art - or science is itcalled? - of self-defence, once so patronised by the highestfashion, there was at this time a famous pugilistic battle -the last of the old kind - fought between the Englishchampion, Tom Sayers, and the American champion, Heenan.

　　Bertie Mitford and I agreed to go and see it.

　　The Wandering Minstrels had given a concert in the HanoverSquare Rooms. The fight was to take place on the followingmorning. When the concert was over, Mitford and I went tosome public-house where the 'Ring' had assembled, and wheretickets were to be bought, and instructions received. Fightswhen gloves were not used, and which, especially in thiscase, might end fatally, were of course illegal; and everyprecaution had been taken by the police to prevent it. Aspecial train was to leave London Bridge Station about 6 A.M.

　　We sat up all night in my room, and had to wait an hour inthe train before the men with their backers arrived. As soonas it was daylight, we saw mounted police galloping on theroads adjacent to the line. No one knew where the trainwould pull up. Ten minutes after it did so, a ring wasformed in a meadow close at hand. The men stripped, andtossed for places. Heenan won the toss, and with it aconsiderable advantage. He was nearly a head taller thanSayers, and the ground not being quite level, he chose thehigher side of the ring. But this was by no means his only'pull.' Just as the men took their places the sun began torise. It was in Heenan's back, and right in the other'sface.

　　Heenan began the attack at once with scornful confidence; andin a few minutes Sayers received a blow on the forehead abov............