the craft. Landscape was thus his
acknowledged line when he found himself at the Docks with his round of
boxwood in his hand. He marked off a square upon it, and, in order to
"get his hand in," he made what would nowadays be called a _remarque_ on
the margin--a comic sketch of a dustman and his dog. The block was
finished, and carried to Landells, who looked at it in some surprise.
"Did you do that?" said the North Countryman, pointing to the dustman.
"Would you draw sketches like that for _Poonch_?" "But I'm not a
figure-draughtsman," objected Hine. "Yes, you are; and it's just what we
want for _Poonch_." So Hine was enrolled, and in his line became an
exceedingly popular draughtsman. He began by making batches of the
"blackies" aforesaid, designing them and their clever punning titles
with the greatest freedom, unhampered by editorial interference. He
worked for _Punch_ until 1844, and rapidly became a contributor of the
first importance, whose merits were fully appreciated. One cut in
particular delighted Mark Lemon--that of "A Long Nap," in which a toper
has fallen into a sleep so deep and protracted that a spider has spun a
strong web from the man's nose to the bottle and the table before
him.[50] "Upon my word!" cried Lemon on examining the block when it was
delivered, "Mr. Hine is really tremendous!" Hine had greater imagination
and ingenuity than Newman, a brighter fancy and keener wit; and to him
rather than to others would application be made for the realisation of
new ideas. At Landells' request he produced the accompanying "project"
for a _Punch_ medal or seal; which, however, was never carried into
execution. His, too, were the stinging Anti-Graham Wafers, to which
reference is made elsewhere; and many other designs that went far to
increase _Punch's_ popularity.

[Illustration: DESIGN FOR "PUNCH" SEAL, BY H. G. HINE.]

He was chief stock-artist, so to say; for Leech did not at once assume
the commanding position on the paper that was soon to be his. And while
Hine shared with him the honour of drawing "Punch's Pencillings," as the
cartoons were called--several of the series of "Social Miseries" being
from his hand--he produced from time to time the chief cut when it
aspired to the dignity of a political caricature.

After a time, however, the amount of work sent to Hine was greatly
reduced. It was now some time since he had contributed the whole of the
cuts to the first "Almanac," but he was still an oc