ther uncomfortably, for
this aspect of the case had struck him as not encouraging. "But I don't
know what I shall do yet. I think I'll look around a bit first. It's a
mistake to be in too great a hurry over matters of this kind, don't you
know. And I've got a lot of letters of introduction."

Mr Kingsland looked at him curiously for a moment, as if about to make
a remark, and then thought better of it. He turned to Gerard again.

"If I were you, Ridgeley--if I might offer you a bit of advice--I
wouldn't stop on here. Get on to Maritzburg as soon as you can and look
up your relative. Anyway, you can't do any good by hanging on here.
Now, there's a man I know starting from Pinetown with a load of goods.
He'd give you a passage up there on his waggon for the cost of your
keep, and that's a mere trifle; and you'd have the advantage of seeing
the country and at the same time getting an insight into waggon
travelling. But you'll have to leave here by an afternoon train. He
starts from Pinetown to-night."

"It's awfully kind of you, Mr Kingsland," said Gerard. "There's
nothing I should like better. How shall we find him?"

"That's easily done. Pinetown isn't such a big place. Dawes, his name
is--John Dawes. I'll give you a line to him. If you won't take
anything more I'll go and write it now."

Just before they took leave of each other Mr Kingsland found an
opportunity of speaking to Gerard apart.

"Look here, Ridgeley, I don't say I shall be able to help you in that
notion of yours about getting on a farm, but I may be. You see I've got
a couple of boys of my own, and between them and myself we haven't room
for another hand on the place. I won't even ask you to come and see
us--not just now, because the sooner you get into harness the better.
But afterwards, whenever you have a week or two to spare, we shall be
delighted to see you, whenever you can come, and as long as you can
stay. That's a very first-rate idea of yours to get your foot in the
stirrup before you think of anything else; and when you've got your foot
in the stirrup, keep it there. Stick to it, my lad, stick to it, and
you'll do well. One word more. This is a deuce of a country for
fellows getting into a free-and-easy, let-things-slide sort of way--I
say so, though I belong to it myself. Now, don't you let any such
influences get hold of you. You've got to make your way--go straight
through and make it, and while that's your motto