young donkeys, do you know what your
projects would end in?"

"Success, sir; fighting our own way in life," I cried, proudly.

"For the carrion birds," he said, grimly; "good meals for them, and
later on some hunter finding a couple of whitened skeletons, lying
beneath a great sheltering pine."

"Oh, I say!" cried Esau; "don't, don't talk like that."

"I am compelled to, my lads, so as to get some common manly sense in
your heads."

"Here, I say, Mayne Gordon," cried Esau, rising; "let's go back at
once."

I rose too, slowly and thoughtfully, waiting to speak, but unable to
find suitable words. I was cruelly hurt and surprised at the rough
reception I had met with, for I had at least expected to be made welcome
for Mrs John's sake. At the same time though, much as it pained me to
hear Mr John spoken of so harshly, I began to see dimly that what Mr
Raydon said was right, and that it had been a wild idea for us two lads
to make such a journey in so speculative a manner. But before I had
made up my mind what to say, and while I was standing there hesitating,
Mr Raydon began again, in a sharp authoritative tone.

"What have you lads been?" he said.

"Writers--clerks in an office," said Esau, glumly.

"Hah! yes: about the most unsuitable avocation for any one coming out
here. You did not expect to find a post at a desk, I suppose?"

"No," said Esau, gloomily, "I meant to build myself a house, and start a
farm."

"How?" said Mr Raydon, with a contemptuous laugh.

"Dunno," said Esau.

"Do you understand farming?"

"No, sir, but I'm going to learn."

"Where? at what farm? What do you know about crops? Why, I don't
suppose you could grow a potato. Did you ever do any gardening?"

"Only grown mustard and cress, sir, in a box."

Mr Raydon laughed aloud.

"And you, Mayne Gordon," he said; "do you understand stock-raising and
sheep?"

I shook my head sally.

"Can you ride?"

"Oh yes," I cried, as I recalled the days when I had about as wild a
little Welsh pony as ever boy sat.

"Come, that's something; but you can't ride without a horse."

"No, sir."

"And have you any capital to buy land, and stock it?"

"Only a few pounds left, sir."

"Oh, you have a few pounds. Well, yours seems a lively position, and I
suppose you both see that you have very little chance of getting on."

"Oh, I don't know, sir," said Esau. "We've seen lots of places where we
could build a hut to begin with, and get