--- pdf_font.ps	2007-03-25 21:55:37.000000000 -0500
+++ pdf_font.ps.hacked	2007-04-06 22:37:36.000000000 -0400
@@ -214,7 +214,16 @@
                 % by scaling the Widths if necessary.
       0.001 2 index /FontMatrix get 0 get div
                 % Stack: font font-res mscale
-      /FirstChar 2 index /FirstChar oget def
+      /FirstChar 2 index /FirstChar knownoget not {
+        2 index /FirtsChar knownoget {
+          (   **** Warning: /FirstChar is misspelled as /FirtsChar.\n)
+          pdfformaterror
+        } {
+          0
+          (   **** Warning: /FirstChar is missing, assuming 0.\n)
+          pdfformaterror
+        } ifelse
+      } if def
       /LastChar  2 index /LastChar  oget def
 
       Encoding length LastChar le {