uazilia, in the neighbourhood of
which we were told we should get splendid sport.

Therefore we made a flying trip to town, especially to visit Purdey's
and supply ourselves with the very latest things in sporting guns and
rifles.

Out of the very liberal provision the old lady had made for my
expenses, I felt justified in being extravagant, and provided myself
with a beautiful gun--the right barrel having a shallow rifling for a
bullet should we meet with very big game--and a perfect gem of an
express rifle; these two were the latest models in sporting firearms.

Ethel and St. Nivel, having an unlimited command of money, ordered
pretty nearly everything they were advised to take, with the result
that we required a small pantechnicon van to take our combined luggage.

There was, however, one thing I was very particular about, and upon
which I took the advice of an old friend who had travelled much.

I bought a first-rate _Target_ revolver--a Colt--with which I knew I
could make _accurate_ shooting. I would not trust my life to one of
those unscientific productions which are just as likely to shoot a
friend as an enemy, and are more in the nature of pop-guns than
defensive weapons. I had reason to congratulate myself later on that I
had taken such a precaution.

"There's one thing you really must see to at once, Bill," exclaimed St.
Nivel, one day when we were all busy making out lists of our
requirements in the great library and posting them off to the stores.
"You _must_ get a servant."

Now I had been, for the last three months, doing for myself; my old
servant had left me some months before and I had not filled his place
with another. Times, too, had not been very prosperous with me and I
seriously thought of curtailing that luxury and brushing my own clothes.

The liberal allowance for my travelling expenses, however, plus the
thousand pound note, put quite a different complexion on matters. I
felt now thoroughly justified in providing myself with a first-rate
man, and for that purpose I took my cousin's advice and put an
advertisement in the _Morning Post_.

"A gentleman requires a good valet, used to travelling. Excellent
reference required." I gave my name and St. Nivel's address to ensure
getting a good one.

That was the wording of it, and I arranged to run up to town for a day
to make my selection from them. From the numerous applicants I
selected six, and told them to meet me at Long's Hot