at, and taking up his
bundle, not forgetting his meerschaum and the rest of his smoking
apparatus, he departed on his way. Filled with curiosity, I followed
him.

"I am quite astonished that you should be able to use your hands in the
way you have done," said I, as I walked with this individual in the
direction in which he was bound.

"I will tell you how I became able to do so," said the elderly
individual, proceeding to fill and light his pipe as he walked along. "My
father was a journeyman engraver, who lived in a very riotous
neighbourhood in the outskirts of London. Wishing to give me something
of an education, he sent me to a day-school, two or three streets distant
from where we lived, and there, being rather a puny boy, I suffered much
persecution from my school-fellows, who were a very blackguard set. One
day, as I was running home, with one of my tormentors pursuing me, old
Sergeant Broughton, the retired fighting-man, seized me by the arm . . ."

"Dear me," said I, "has it ever been your luck to be acquainted with
Sergeant Broughton?"

"You may well call it luck," said the elderly individual; "but for him I
should never have been able to make my way through the world. He lived
only four doors from our house; so, as I was running along the street,
with my tyrant behind me, Sergeant Broughton seized me by the arm. 'Stop
my boy,' said he; 'I have frequently seen that scamp ill-treating you;
now I will teach you how to send him home with a bloody nose; down with
your bag of books; and now, my game chick,' whispered he to me, placing
himself between me and my adversary, so that he could not observe his
motions, 'clench your fist in this manner, and hold your arms in this,
and when he strikes at you, move them as I now show you, and he can't
hurt you; now, don't be afraid, but go at him.' I confess that I was
somewhat afraid, but I considered myself in some degree under the
protection of the famous Sergeant, and, clenching my fist, I went at my
foe, using the guard which my ally recommended. The result corresponded
to a certain degree with the predictions of the Sergeant; I gave my foe a
bloody nose and a black eye, though, notwithstanding my recent lesson in
the art of self-defence, he contrived to give me two or three clumsy
blows. From that moment I was the especial favourite of the Sergeant,
who gave me further lessons, so that in a little time I became a very
fair boxer, beating everybody of my ow