of the time I served under Mr Cophagus. I
had been more than three years with him when my confinement became
insupportable. I had but one idea, which performed an everlasting cycle
in my brain--Who was my father? And I should have abandoned the
profession to search the world in the hope of finding my progenitor, had
it not been that I was without the means. Latterly, I had hoarded up
all I could collect; but the sum was small, much too small for the
proposed expedition. I became melancholy, indifferent to the business,
and slovenly in my appearance, when a circumstance occurred which put an
end to my further dispensing medicines, and left me a free agent.

PART ONE, CHAPTER SEVEN.

LOOKING OUT FOR BUSINESS NOT EXACTLY MINDING YOUR OWN BUSINESS--THE LOSS
OF THE SCALES OCCASIONS THE LOSS OF PLACE TO TIMOTHY AND ME, WHO WHEN
WEIGHED IN OTHER SCALES WERE FOUND WANTING--WE BUNDLE OFF WITH OUR
BUNDLES ON.

It happened one market-day that there was an overdriven, infuriated
beast, which was making sad havoc. Crowds of people were running past
our shop in one direction, and the cries of "Mad bull!" were re-echoed
in every quarter.

Mr Cophagus, who was in the shop, and to whom, as I have before
observed, a mad bull was a source of great profit, very naturally looked
out of the shop to ascertain whether the animal was near to us. In most
other countries, when people hear of any danger, they generally avoid it
by increasing their distance, but in England, it is too often the case,
that they are so fond of indulging their curiosity, that they run to the
danger. Mr Cophagus, who perceived the people running one way,
naturally supposed, not being aware of the extreme proximity of the
animal, that the people were running to see what was the matter, and
turned his eyes in that direction, walking out on the pavement that he
might have a fairer view. He was just observing, "Can't say--fear--um--
rascal Pleggit--close to him--get all the custom--wounds--contusions--
and--" when the animal came suddenly round the corner upon Mr Cophagus,
who had his eyes the other way, and before he could escape tossed him
through his own shop windows, and landed him on the counter. Not
satisfied with this, the beast followed him into the shop. Timothy and
I pulled Mr Cophagus over towards us, and he dropped inside the
counter, where we also crouched, frightened out of our wits. To our
great horror the bull made one or two attempts to