s are on the berth for South African
ports, where they are lying, and their date of sailing."

"An excellent idea," declared the Doctor. "As soon as Polly has put
breakfast upon the table we will send her out to get the papers, and you
can consult them and prepare a list of likely vessels before you go
out."

This was done; and by nine o'clock, Dick, having breakfasted, was ready
to sally forth on the first stage of his journey in quest of fortune,
duly armed with a slip of paper containing a list of some half-dozen
ships loading for South Africa, "with quick dispatch."

And two hours later he returned to the surgery, his visage beaming with
satisfaction.

"Hurrah, Doctor!" he exclaimed, as he dashed in through the open
doorway. "I've done the trick; got the skipper of the _Concordia_ to
allow me to work my passage out to Port Natal as ordinary seaman at a
shilling a month. I `sign on' at the shipping office the day after to-
morrow, and have to be on board by eight o'clock the same evening in
readiness to haul out of dock at daylight on the following morning."

CHAPTER THREE.

BEFORE THE MAST.

The remainder of Dick Maitland's time in England was pretty fully
occupied in comforting and encouraging his mother, in view of the
pending separation, and in getting his somewhat slender wardrobe ready
and packed for the voyage. The first-mentioned part of his task proved
very much more difficult than the other, for Mrs Maitland was rather a
helpless kind of person, and had already come to look to Dick for advice
and help in every sort of difficulty, whether great or small; the
prospect, therefore, of being henceforth obliged to look after herself
and manage her affairs unaided filled her at first with dismay.
Besides, there was the separation from her son, the feeling that she
knew not whether she would ever again set eyes on him in this world, and
the terrible uncertainty generally of the future, to further distract
her; but at length the buoyancy and unquenchable hopefulness of Dick's
spirit had its effect upon her; and, finally, when the moment of parting
came, she had been brought to a frame of mind that enabled her to say
the last words of farewell almost with calmness. As for Dick, he had
already received Humphreys' assurance that he would keep in touch with
Mrs Maitland, and see, in conjunction with his friend Graham, the
solicitor, that she came to no harm; therefore he had few fears for her
immediate