trident that
figured in the paper for fifteen years. When Leech died, Captain Howard
aspired to be--in part, at least--his successor; but although he was now
drawing figure-subjects, and had an inexhaustible stock of jokes and
fun, he was told, to his bitter disappointment, that new blood was
wanted; and the great mantle which had fallen was now drawn round the
shoulders of Charles Keene and Mr. du Maurier. Captain Howard then
practically retired. Although in the first year of his contributions he
was L30 out of pocket by his _Punch_ work, as he bought his own blocks
instead of claiming them from Swain, he was soon making L100 a year from
the paper. Just before he retired an officer recently returned from
India expressed the desire to draw also for _Punch_ as a profession. "I
hear," said he, "that Leech makes L1,500 a year out of it." "So that you
would be satisfied with L1,200?" asked Captain Howard. His friend
admitted that even the inferior sum would be acceptable. "Very well,"
replied Howard encouragingly; "come and dine with me, and I'll show you
by my books that my _Punch_ income last year was just twelve pounds!"

Captain Howard's work, though clever and ingenious, was weak. Its
humour, often fresh enough, was never very pronounced; nor did the
draughtsman's hand ever become that of a master. In 1853 he had made no
fewer than sixty-six cuts, and about doubled that number each year up to
1867, when, with only two drawings in the volume, he finally vanished
from _Punch's_ pages. Three years later there was printed an initial by
him, representing a comic hammer-fish (p. 265, Vol. LIX.), but this
belonged to "old stock;" and it marks the failure of its author's
long-sustained effort to obtain a recognised position in the front rank
of the artistic Staff. He died 31st August, 1895.

A contemporary of his was G. H. Thomas, brother of one of the founders
of the "Graphic," and a popular painter of the day, who received much
employment from the Queen. Mark Lemon was very anxious to secure the
services of so admirable a draughtsman; but Thomas, who was trying to
shake himself free from wood-drawing in favour of oil-painting, showed
little responsive enthusiasm. He did, however, contribute a couple of
drawings--one of them a large head-piece to the preface, representing a
feast given to _Punch_ on his twenty-first volume day. In it he is
supported by the Queen and Court, and at the round table are the
representatives of th