reet,
Portsmouth, quoting my sketch as a lady galloped up the road. I was only
about seventeen then."

[Illustration: R. T. PRITCHETT.

(_From a Photograph by H. Bibo, Warwick._)]

After a single contribution (entitled "Clara") by that ill-fated genius,
George Pinwell, Mr. R. T. Pritchett left his rifles for _Punch's_ pages.
He was in fact but a boy when he took charge of his father's gun factory
at Enfield, and was still a lad when he conducted experiments in
competition, with his own hand, for a new Government gun, introducing a
bullet of his own conception, firing every shot, and triumphing over
every competitor. So the "Enfield" or "Pritchett rifle" brought him
fame; but it proved the stumbling-block of his artistic career, for he
found out for himself the truth that a man known for one thing has
little chance in any other field--particularly in the artistic field. He
was glad, however, when the Government eventually decided to manufacture
the gun themselves, and the House of Commons voted him L1,000--though
the experiments had cost nearly three times as much--and he was enabled
to take to art.

It was at a meeting of the Moray Minstrels, the delightful "Jermyn Band"
promoted by Mr. Arthur Lewis--where every man was invited on his own
merits and guests were excluded--that he met John Tenniel. John Forster
was the leader, and there were often present John Leech, Dickens,
Stanfield, Thackeray, Landseer, Tom Angell, Sir John Millais, Mr. Carl
Haag, Mr. Frith, Mr. Marks, Charles Keene, Mr. Whistler, and Sir Arthur
Sullivan; altogether a notable company. It was under Sir John Tenniel's
hospitable roof that Mr. Pritchett was initiated into the mysteries of
wood-drawing. He had been watching the Master drawing his cartoon, and
was busy sketching the top of his amiable head, when its owner told him
he would be much better occupied in drawing on the wood, and threw him
over a piece. Upon it Mr. Pritchett made a sketch, which Sir John took
to Mr. Swain, and which afterwards appeared in one of A. K. H. B.'s
works. By Mr. Swain the draughtsman was introduced to "Once a Week" and
to _Punch_, and for the latter Mr. Pritchett began with some initials.
His work appears from 1863 until 1869, some six-and-twenty amusing
drawings in all, and when he ceased in order to take to painting, he
drew for no other comic paper; for he had adopted the proud motto: "Aut
_Punch_, aut nullus." He then took to travel, writing books and
illustr