a flying visit
before."

That evening Nic accompanied his father to where the various goods
purchased for him by Lady O'Hara had been stored at a kind of warehouse;
and here Nic found a large, light waggon in the course of being loaded
by a couple of fierce-looking, bearded men, whose bare arms were burned
of a reddish tan.

The elder of the two, a man of about fifty, was standing up in the
waggon pulling at a great packing-case, while his companion, a
well-built fellow, who looked strong and active as could be, was
hoisting up the case, helped by a shaggy-haired native, whose face shone
as if it had been blackened and polished like a boot. The white, or
rather the reddish-brown, man attracted Nic's attention at once, as he
stood there with his muscles standing out, making him resemble an
antique statue; but it was the embittered, proud, and resentful look in
his face which struck the boy.

It was quite evident that he was attempting a task for which he was not
equal, and that, instead of the case being deposited in the waggon, it
would the next minute go down with a crash to the ground; and, as soon
as this was seen, Nic involuntarily ran to help, and his father shouted
as he, too, ran and seized one side of the case, with the result that
the black grinned and made way, to stand looking on.

"Jump down, Brookes!" cried the doctor. "You ought to know better. Get
the case up first, and then put it in its place."

"Know better?" growled the man. "I know how to load a waggon; but who's
to do it with a fellow like that and a nigger? One's got no muscle, and
t'other's like a black-pudd'n."

"Get down--quick!" cried the doctor.

"I'm a-comin'," growled the man; and he descended slowly, placed a
shoulder under the end of the chest, and it was turned over on to its
side.

"Jump in, Leather, and work it into its place."

"Oh, I can do that," grumbled the elder man; but his companion sprang up
lightly, hoisted one end of the case, and walked it bit by bit to where
it was to stand, before leaping down again.

"Is this our waggon, then?" asked Nic.

"Yes, boy. We take the load back with us. I think we shall just get
all up in one load."

"Are the roads good?" asked Nic, as he gazed at the heavy packing-cases;
and the elder man grinned, while the labourer addressed as Leather, (a
name which accorded well with his tanned skin), glared at the speaker
once with a frown, and then told the black to help him with t