Howto: Squid to retrieve via 2nd proxy - PLEASE HELP

I am trying to configure squid (2.2STABLE5) to by default request ALL
requests via a 2nd proxy server (through a cable modem link), and if this
request fails (the link may be down) then to go DIRECT (via an ISDN link)

I have tried all sorts of ways of doing this, but unless I use the
"never_direct" option in squid.conf squid keeps going direct.

Now a few things to be aware of:
1) The proxy I want to connect to isn't configured as a squid parent (just a
normal proxy) and it has ping etc turned OFF.
2) The link to the 2nd proxy goes down from time to time, so I need squid to
switch to DIRECT if it gets no response from the 2nd proxy.

Following is my SQUID.CONF file (a cutdown version for testing), can
somebody PLEASE tell me what I am doing wrong... this is VERY frustrating!

Many thanks
Richard Palmer

**************************
http_port 8080

cache_peer proxy-server2 parent 8080 0 no-query default

acl all src 0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0

acl my_client src 192.168.0.0/255.255.255.0 172.16.0.0/255.255.0.0

acl my_hosts dst 203.35.215.80/255.255.255.248 203.41.101.0/255.255.255.192

always_direct allow my_hosts

http_access allow my_client

*****************************
Received on Thu Dec 02 1999 - 15:17:26 MST