everything
else to the natives. Now, Humphreys, why don't you join me? You have
got a waggon, and you can buy stores at Newcastle, not of course as
cheap as at the seaside, but still cheap enough to leave a large
marginal profit on the trip."

"I cannot leave the farm," Mr Humphreys said.

"Nor can his wife spare him, Mr Harvey," Mrs Humphreys put in.

"Well, why don't you send your son, here, with the waggon?" Mr Harvey
asked. "The man who generally travels with me as partner broke his leg
the other day, down at Durban, and I should be very glad of one or two
white companions. Two or three white men together can do anything with
the natives, but if there is only one, and he happens to knock up, it
goes very hard with him."

"Well, I don't know," Mr Humphreys said, as Dick looked eagerly towards
him; "it is a sort of thing that wants thinking over."

"Oh! father," Dick exclaimed excitedly, "it would be a glorious trip,
especially if Tom Jackson would go too. I heard Mr Jackson only
yesterday say that his draught-oxen are eating their heads off, and that
he must put them on the road to do some freighting. You see, if Mr
Jackson did not care about going in for the trading himself--and I know,
from what he said the other day, that his money is all employed on the
farm--you might hire his waggon for the trip. In fact that and your
own--"

"That sounds easy and satisfactory enough, Dick," Mr Humphreys said,
laughing; "but one does not jump into these things in a moment. There,
you go off to bed, and I will talk the matter further over with Mr
Harvey."

Dick went to bed in high glee. When his father once said that he would
talk a thing over, Dick felt that the chances were very strong that he
would give in to his wishes. Mr Humphreys was less influenced by the
idea of making a good trading speculation than by the consideration that
a journey of this kind would not only give great pleasure to his son,
but would be of real benefit to him. It was Mr Humphreys' opinion that
it is good for a lad to be placed in positions where he learns
self-reliance, readiness, and promptness of action. For himself his
farm-work occupied all his thoughts, and he needed no distraction; but
for a lad change is necessary. Had Dick had--as would have been the
case at home--a number of school-fellows and companions of the same age,
he would have joined in their games and amusements, and no other change
would have been necessary,