air of scissors; be attentive when you see me soldering a pot, or
putting a patch upon a kettle; see how I turn my hand when I'm grinding,
how I beat out the iron when I mend; and learn how to heat the tools
when I solder. In a month you will know how things are to be done in
theory, and after that we shall come to the practice. One only thing,
in the way of practice, must you enter upon at once, and that is turning
the wheel with your foot; for you must learn to do it so mechanically,
that you are not aware that you are doing it, otherwise you cannot
devote your whole attention to the scissors or knife in your hand."

"And do you really like your present life, then, wandering about from
place to place?"

"To be sure I do. I am my own master; go where I like; stop where I
like; pay no taxes or rates. I still retain all the gentleman except
the dress, which I can resume when I please. Besides, mine is a
philanthropic profession; I go about doing good, and I've the means of
resenting an affront like a despot."

"As how?"

"Why, you see, we travellers never interfere in each other's beats; mine
is a circuit of many miles of country, and at the rate I travel it is
somewhat about three months until I am at the same place again; they
must wait for me if they want their jobs done, for they cannot get any
one else. In one village they played me a trick one Saturday night,
when all the men were at the ale-house, and the consequence was, I cut
the village for a year; and there never was such a village full of old
kettles and blunt knives in consequence. However, they sent me a
deputation, hoping I would forget what had passed, and I pardoned them."

"What is your name?" inquired Joey.

"Augustus Spikeman. My father was Augustus Spikeman, Esquire; I was
Master Augustus Spikeman, and now I'm Spikeman, the tinker; so now we'll
go on again. I have nearly come to the end of my beat; in two days we
shall be at Dudstone where I have my room, and where we shall probably
remain for some days before we start again."

In the afternoon they arrived at a small hamlet, where they supped and
slept. Spikeman was very busy till noon grinding and repairing; they
then continued their journey, and on the second day, having waited
outside the town till it was dusk Spikeman left his wheel in the charge
of the landlord of a small ale-house, to whom he appeared well known,
then walked with Joey to the house in which he had a room, and l