out for a few hours once or twice a week, to keep the
larder well supplied, and the little flock of fifty sheep, which he had
bought for home-consumption, was but seldom drawn upon. The Kaffirs
were fed upon mealies, as they call Indian corn, of which Mr Humphreys
had no difficulty in purchasing sufficient for his wants from the
neighbouring farmers.

His next neighbours were two brothers, Scotchmen, named Fraser, who
lived at a distance of four miles. They rode over the day after the
travellers' arrival, and offered their services in any way. Mr
Humphreys, however, was well supplied with stores of all kinds, and his
two white labourers, being both handy men, were able to do all that was
required about the house.

The Frasers proved pleasant neighbours, and often rode over and spent
Sunday with the Humphreys, and the boys sometimes went over and spent
the day with them.

A Kaffir lad, son of one of the men engaged upon the farm, was hired by
Mr Humphreys as a special attendant for Dick. On these vast undulating
plains, where there are no trees to serve as a landmark, it is
exceedingly difficult for a stranger to find his way. Dick was told by
his father that, whether riding or walking, he was always to take the
Kaffir boy with him; and except when he was indulging in a gallop the
lad was easily able to keep up with him. He had been born a hunter, and
soon taught Dick how to stalk the timid deer, and, as the lad improved
in his shooting, he was ere long enabled to keep the larder supplied--a
duty which Mr Humphreys gladly handed over to him, as every minute of
his own time was occupied by his work on the farm.

Of an evening after supper, which was partaken of at the conclusion of
work, the men retired to their own wing and Mrs Humphreys and the two
girls sat down to their sewing by the fire; for upon the uplands the
evenings are quite cold enough to find a fire a comfort in winter. Then
the boys would take out their lesson-books and work steadily for three
hours. Under the changed conditions of their life, Mr Humphreys felt
that Dick might, if he chose, well discontinue his study of the
classics, and his work therefore consisted in the reading of history,
travels, and books of scientific knowledge.

"Next to being a learned man," his father said to him, "the best and
most useful thing is to be a thoroughly well-informed man on all general
subjects."

John, however, continued his studies as before; his lif