"It would, to be sure; but a thousand others arise," continued Schwarz; "just imagine a party issuing from Germany consisting of nothing but--I will assume even--country people, acquainted with one another--there shall not be among them a single gentleman farmer who is accustomed to have bailiffs and servants under him--just imagine them--left to their own resources in a country of which they do not understand even the language, much less the manners and customs, the poor devils would be surrounded by knaves and speculators directly; and even assuming that such colonists really should hold firmly and inseparably together, and should not allow themselves to be cheated in any way, (which is very improbable,) still they would not advance a step; and thus, going from one extreme to another, for the very reason that they did not speculate at all--indeed, could not speculate--they would resemble cattle tethered to a barren heath, although beautiful green pastures might be spread out around them. If any good were to be done with such colonies, my dear friend, you may rest assured that the Americans, who must be best fitted for them, would have discovered and realized it themselves. But they know better; they stand there singly, free and independent, and a German should follow their example in this respect, as he is compelled to do in a thousand other things." Werner looked out upon the yellow waters, reflectively, for some time, and after a short pause, asked-- "And what do you advise me to do, then?" "Come with me," said Schwarz. "I am going to the southern part of Missouri; there I shall purchase a little improvement--that is to say, a place where one of the restless and ever westward-moving Americans has worked before, and where I need not be obliged to clear land for the first year's crop at all events. We'll seek for a little place for yourself somewhere in the neighbourhood, buy cattle as soon as we get there, so as to lose no time in rearing them, and then you may as well work for a few months, or even for a year, as may be agreeable to us both, upon my land; at the expiration of that time, I hope to have brought you so far that you may commence on your own account, and then the sooner you fetch home your bride the better." "Oh, my dear Schwarz!--you paint the future much too brightly; I don't even hope to be so near to the fulfilment of my wishes." "Well, we shall see," said Schwarz, laughing--"we shall see. But where has Helldorf got to? he hasn't shown himself the whole morning; we must be nearly there." "He was sitting above, on the hurricane deck, beside the pilot," replied Werner. "Shall we go up?"