"I did not sleep more than two hours any night in that week. On
Thursday, while bolting a bit of luncheon, a fishbone stuck in my
throat. Fearful of losing the result of my year's effort, I returned
to my work, suffering much pain, and kept at it until Saturday night,
when the examinations were concluded. The next day the surgeon who
removed the fishbone said there was no reason why I should not have
had 'a bad case of gangrene.'

"When I look back on that year's work I don't see how I stood it. I
don't see how I kept myself at it, day in, day out, month after month
without rest, recreation or relief. I am sure I could never go through
it again, even if I had the courage to undertake it.

"I ranked second in a class of one hundred and eighty in my law
examinations, won the second prize for the best graduating thesis,
received a complimentary vote for class oratorship, and much to my
surprise was soon after offered an assistant superintendency of the
public schools by the school board, who knew nothing of my studies and
thought my work as a teacher worthy of promotion.

"It was not only the hardest year's work but the best year's work I
ever did. _It exemplifies my invariable experience that the more we
want to do the more we can do and the better we can do it._"

[Sidenote: _Excitement and the Hero_]

The following is an extract from a letter quoted by Professor James as
written by Colonel Baird-Smith after the siege of Delhi in 1857, to
the success of which he largely contributed: