nd Robert were carriers between the grocer's, the
butcher's, the baker's, and the Slowcoach.

It was arranged that Gregory, being the smallest and weakest, and
therefore the least likely to be refused, should go on and ask leave of
the farmers on whose land it was proposed to rest the caravan at night.
Mary Rotheram should be his companion, and ask for eggs and milk at the
same time.

Next came the victualling, and this was exceedingly interesting,
although it made great holes in the sovereign box. Janet and Mary
Rotheram sat for hours over the Stores List, and they were continually
taking important questions to Collins.

"How many tins of mustard ought we to take? A dozen at fourpence?"

"Mustard, Miss Mary? Why, two penny ones would be enough for a month."

(Three and tenpence saved, you see.)

"I say, Collins, how long do eggs boil?"

"Collins, you have to prick sausages, don't you, or else they burst?"

"Collins, how many loaves do eight people want a day?"

"Four, Miss Janet, at the least--large ones."

"Including Kink?" Janet explained.

"Oh, Kink too! Five, then, if not six, the old gormandizer."

"Collins, what's the best part of beef for stewing?"

"Collins, you can put anything into a stew, can't you? Absolutely
anything?"

"Collins, if you've put too much pepper into a thing, is there any way
of getting it out again?"

Mrs. Avory was very particular about tinned things. "You must have
plenty of tongues," she said, "in case the fire won't burn or the meat
is too tough;" and privately she instructed Kink to keep an eye on
their eating. "They must eat, Kink, don't forget. Never mind what they
say; make them eat sensibly." To the stores Mrs. Avory herself added a
number of tongues and a good deal of plain chocolate.

The day for Kink's departure--at least three days before the others
were to leave--at last arrived, and by eleven o'clock everything was
ready: Kink was seated on the shafts, with the reins in one hand, and
in the other an ancient map of the road from London to Oxford, which
Robert had found in one of his father's Road Books, of which there were
many in the library, and had carefully traced. It was called _Britannia
Depicta;_ OR, _"Ogilby" Improved,_ 1753, and, so that you may see what
kind of help Kink was offered, I have had the map reproduced here.
Kink, I may say, having some difficulty in reading even the plain print
of the morning paper, held the tracing in his hand only so f