He began his course under the name of William Smith, and traded in the smaller matter of pilfering. In the dress of a porter he one evening went into the house of a doctor of medicine, took down a rich bed, and packed it up. In carrying it off he fell down stairs, and had almost broken his neck. The noise alarming the old doctor and his son, they came running to see what was the matter; whereupon Gettings, puffing and blowing as if he was quite out of breath, perceiving them nearer than they should be, said to the doctor, “Is not your name so and so?”--“Yes,” replied the doctor; “and what then?”--“Why, then, sir,” said Gettings, “there’s one Mr. Hugh Hen and Penhenribus has ordered me to bring these goods hither (which have almost broken my back,) and carry them away to a new lodging, which he has taken somewhere hereabouts.”--“Mr. Hugh Hen and Penhenribus!” replied the doctor again: “pray, who’s he? for, to the best of my knowledge, I don’t know such a gentleman.”--“I can’t tell,” said Gettings, “but, indeed, the gentleman knows you, and ordered me to leave the goods here.” “I don’t care,” said the doctor, “how well he knows me! I tell you I’ll not take the people’s goods, unless they were here themselves; therefore, I say, carry them away!”--“Nay, pray sir,” said Gettings, “let me leave the goods here, for I am quite weary already in bringing them hither.”--“I tell you,” replied the doctor, “there shall none be left here; therefore take them away, or I’ll throw them into the street!”--“Well, well,” said Gettings, “I’ll take the goods away then; but I’m sure the gentleman will be very angry, because he ordered me to leave them here.”--“I don’t care,” replied the doctor, “for his anger, nor your’s either! I tell you, I’ll take no charge of other people’s goods, unless they are here themselves to put them into my custody!”--“Very well, sir,” said Gettings, “since I must carry them away, I beg the favor of you and the gentleman there to lift them on my back.”--“Ay, ay, with all my heart,” replied the doctor. “Come, son, and lend a hand to lift them on the fellow’s back.”