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 266 DICK SANDS, THE BOY CAPTAIN. himself the very plan that Harris, in his spéculations, had laid down for him ! The most urgent matter was now to find such a stream as would suit theîr purpose. Dîck had several reasohs for feeling sure that one exîsted in the neîghbourhood, He knew that the little river, which fell înto the Atlantic near the spot where the " Pilgrim " stranded, could not extend very far either to the north or east, because the horizon was bounded in both directions by thechaîn ofmountains which he had taken for the Cordîlleras. If the stream did not rîse in those hîlls ît must incline to the south, so that în either case Dick was convinced he could not be long in dis- covering it or one of its affluents. Another sign, which he recognizcd as hopeful, was that durîng the last few miles of the march the soil had become moîst and level, whilst hère and there the appearance of tîny rîvulets indîcated that an aqueous network existed in the subsoil. On the previous day, too, the caravan had skirted a rushing torrent, of which the waters werc tînged wîth oxîde of iron from its sloping banks. Dick*s scheme was to make hîs way back as far as this stream, which though not navigable itself would in ail probability empty itself into some affluent of grcater im- portance. The idca, whîch he imparted to Tom, met with the old negro's cntire approval. As the day dawncd the sleepers, one by onê, awoke. Mrs. Wcldon laid little Jack in Nan's arms. The child was still dozîng ; the fcvcr had abatcd, but he looked painfully white and exhaustcd after the attack. " Dick," said Mrs. Weldon, after lookîng round hcr, " where îs Mr. Harris ? I cannot sce him.*' " Harris has left us," answcred Dick very quîetly. " Do you mean that he has gone on ahead ? " " No, madam, I mean that he has left us, and gone away entîrely : he is in league with Negoro." " In league with Negoro ! ". cried Mrs. Weldon. ** Ah, I hâve had a fancy lately that there has been something wrong : but why i what can be theîr motive ? " " Indeed I am unable to tell you," replied Dîck ; " I only