The Beetle-Hunter

           Acuriousexperience?saidtheDoctor.Yes,myfriends,Ihavehadoneverycuriousexperience.Ineverexpecttohaveanother,foritisagainstalldoctrinesofchancesthattwosucheventswouldbefallanyonemaninasinglelifetime.Youmaybelievemeornot,butthethinghappenedexactlyasItellit.

           Ihadjustbecomeamedicalman,butIhadnotstartedinpractice,andIlivedinroomsinGowerStreet.Thestreethasbeenrenumberedsincethen,butitwasintheonlyhousewhichhasabow-window,upontheleft-handsideasyougodownfromtheMetropolitanStation.AwidownamedMurchisonkeptthehouseatthattime,andshehadthreemedicalstudentsandoneengineeraslodgers.Ioccupiedthetoproom,whichwasthecheapest,butcheapasitwasitwasmorethanIcouldafford.Mysmallresourcesweredwindlingaway,andeveryweekitbecamemorenecessarythatIshouldfindsomethingtodo.YetIwasveryunwillingtogointogeneralpractice,formytasteswereallinthedirectionofscience,andespeciallyofzoology,towardswhichIhadalwaysastrongleaning.Ihadalmostgiventhefightupandresignedmyselftobeingamedicaldrudgeforlife,whentheturning-pointofmystrugglescameinaveryextraordinaryway.

           OnemorningIhadpickeduptheStandardandwasglancingoveritscontents.Therewasacompleteabsenceofnews,andIwasabouttotossthepaperdownagain,whenmyeyeswerecaughtbyanadvertisementattheheadofthepersonalcolumn.Itwaswordedinthisway:

           "Wantedforoneormoredaystheservicesofamedicalman.