st way you can. Won't he, Dean?"

Dean caught his cousin's eye, and said decisively, "Yes, of course.
That's just like uncle;" and by means of an effort he kept his face
straight, looking, as Mark afterwards told him, like a badly carved
piece of solid mahogany.

"Yes, sir," said the man sadly; "and I daresay I shall be able to steer
my way right enough, and for all his kindness I shall be very thankful,
and--"

"Yah!" shouted Mark. "Didn't I tell you that if ever you spoke again
like that I'd--I'd--"

"I beg your pardon, sir."

"This chap's very weak still in his head, Dean, or else he would not
dare to think that an English gentleman would behave like a cad. There,
man Dan--no, I mean Dan Mann--just make up your mind that you are in for
this trip with all its troubles and hard work."

"Do you mean it, sir?" cried the man, and he looked from one to the
other.

"Mean it? Why, of course we do. So never say anything about it again.
Ah, here come father and the doctor. Would you like to ask them if what
we say is true?"

"Not now, sir," said the man. "I am a bit weak still, more shaky than I
thought."

The poor fellow's voice sounded very husky during the last few words,
and he hurried away, watched by the boys.

"I say, Dean, he's better," said Mark. "He could not walk like that a
fortnight ago. Do you know, I begin to like that chap. He's rather
comic looking, but he is such a regular sailor."

"Yes," said Dean, "with quite a sailor's frank boyish sort of way."

"Like you, eh?" said Mark.

"Get out! Don't chaff. Present company always excepted. I wasn't
thinking about you. But I say, didn't he take it all in as innocent as
could be about uncle setting him adrift out in the wilds?"

"Yes.--Well, father, how many bullocks have you bought?"

"Forty-eight, my boy. Fine ones."

"Forty-eight!" cried the boys, in a breath. "Twenty-four in a span."

"Precious long span, uncle," said Dean, laughing, as he stretched from
thumb tip to little finger measuring along his arm.

"Yes, rather," said the doctor. "They are long spans; but we are
obliged to provide against loss. Like to come and see them, boys?"

"Of course!" they cried, in a breath.

CHAPTER SIX.

HOW TO HANDLE A WHIP.

Sir James turned back with the doctor, and soon after the boys were
intently examining the drove of nearly fifty beautiful, sleek, well-bred
oxen in their kraal, where they were in charge of their drivers,