8 LIFE OF TEGETMEIER 



absorbing passion — was, however, forbidden. The 

 decoration of the paternal roof with a ' dormer,' 

 an ' area,' - traps,' and all the appurtenances 

 of pigeon-flying, so familiar to those persons 

 who travel by the Great Eastern Railway, and 

 from their high pre-eminence look down on the 

 Spitalfields weavers and their birds, was not to 

 be thought of on the residence of a respectable 

 Surgeon, R.N., within a hundred yards of St. 

 James's Street. But 'where there's a will there's 

 a way. 5 Our 'doctor's boy ' lived in Westminster, 

 over against Tothill Fields Prison. I knew the 

 place well ; for with childish curiosity I had on 

 several occasions followed the long string of 

 prisoners — men, women, and even children — that, 

 handcuffed to a chain, and under the charge 

 of two red-waistcoated officers, passed our house 

 every afternoon on their way from Marlborough 

 Street Police Court to the prison. There were 

 no police-vans with drivers in mock military 

 uniforms in those days. Our boy was a pigeon- 

 fancier, and had a good flight of homing birds 

 — many of which had ' done Gravesend,' and some 

 had flown back from the Nore. Here was an 

 opportunity that could not be allowed to escape. 

 I at once entered into a solemn league and 

 covenant with him : I paid one shilling weekly 

 as my share of the rent of the loft, and became 

 the possessor of birds of my own. At times, 

 when John was supposed to be delivering the 



