Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/196

170 They all assembled in the grotto again for the purpose of getting some sleep.

"Another rough night coming on!" said Tom, pointing to the heavy clouds that hung over the horizon.

"No doubt, Tom!" answered Dick; "and I think we may congratulate ourselves on being safe out of our poor ship."

As the night could not be otherwise than very dark, it was arranged that the negroes should take their tums in keeping guard at the entrance of the grotto. Dingo also would be upon the alert.

Benedict had not yet returned. Hercules shouted his name with the full strength of his capacious lungs, and shortly afterwards the entomologîst was seen making his way down the face of the cliff at the imminent risk of breaking his neck. He was in a great rage. He had not found a single însect worth having; scorpions, scolopendra, and other myriapoda were in the forest in abondance; but not one of thèse of course could be allowed xi place in his collection.

"Have I come six thousand miles for thîs?" he cried: "have I endured storm and shipwreck only to be cast where not a hexapod is to be seen? The country is détest- able! I shall not stay in it another hour!"

Ever gentle to his eccentricities, Mrs. Weldon soothed him as she would a child; she told him that he had better take some rest now, and most likely he would hâve better luck to-morrow.

Cousin Benedict had hardly been pacîfied when Tom remarked that Negoro too had not returned.

"Never mind!" said Bat; "his room is as good as his Company."

" I çannot say that I altogether think so. The man is no favourite of mine, but I like him better under my own eye," said Mrs. Weldon. "Perhaps he has his own reasons for keeping away," said Dick; and taking Mrs. Weldon aside,he communicated to her his suspicions of the fellow's dishonesty. He found that she coincided with him in her view of