r, in company with his black boy, Joey, to overtake his
brother on the road, who, as the reader has already learnt, left the
house some time previously with the pack-horses, laden with the
provisions and necessary articles requisite for their journey. While we
leave the young men to proceed on their way, and their sister sitting
listlessly gazing with tearful eyes through the open window of the
drawing-room, conjuring in her imagination the scenes through which her
brothers were about to pass, we will cursorily glance at the family
whose acquaintance we have just made.

Mr. Ferguson, the elder, the proprietor of Acacia creek, where we find
ourselves for the _nonce_ located, was a gentleman who had attained the
meridian of life, though years sat lightly on his open brow. He was tall
and handsome, robust in constitution, affable, benign, and hospitable in
disposition; a fond father, and one of the most respected settlers in
the district of which he was a magistrate. As his history is somewhat
romantic, the reader may be disposed to pardon the digression, in our
stopping here to give a brief outline of it.

John Ferguson, who was a native of Scotland, and a member of an ancient
family who prided itself on its blood and lineage more than on its
virtues and frugality, was early left to battle with the world through
the prodigality of a parent, whose greatest pleasure was to keep the
most hospitable board in his county, and whose greatest dread was to be
stigmatised with (what was to him the _acme_ of derogation) meanness and
parsimony. Though the family, through the extravagance of its head, was
reduced to extreme penury, it was with the utmost difficulty the pride
and prejudices of the father could be overcome, to be induced to allow
his son to accept an appointment in a government office in London, which
had been obtained through the intervention of a well-wisher of the
family, and offered to the young man.

The course of life, which the acceptance of this situation would open to
the fancy of young Ferguson, was congenial to his ardent imagination and
enthusiastic spirit. He therefore joyfully accepted the post, which was
kindly and delicately offered as a means of employment and support to
himself and of pecuniary relief to his parents, as a stepping-stone to
fortune; while the romance with which his disposition was tinged, served
to picture to his prophetic vision, scenes of official gradation and
pre-eminence. How oft