Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/369

 NOTES BY THE WAY. 341 shall soon die." Anxious to help her, I would gladly hâve carried the end of the chaîn which she had bcen obliged to bear because her fellow-prîsoncr was dcad. A rough hand was soon upon my shoulder ; a cruel lash had made Nan retreat to the gênerai crowd, whilst, at the bidding of an Arab chîef, I was hustled back to the very hindmost rank of the procession. I overheard the word Ncgoro, in a way that convinced me that it is under the direction of the Portuguese that I am subject to this hard îndîgnity. II///. — Last night encamped under somc large trces on the skirts of a forest Several cscaped prisoncrs recaptured ; theîr punishment barbarously cruel. Loud roaring of lions and hyenas heard at nîghtfall, also snortîng of hippopota- muses; probably some lakc or water-coursc not far off. Tîred, but could not sleep ; hcard a rustling în the grass ; felt sure that somethîng was goîng to attack me ; what could I do ? I had no gun. For Mrs. Wcldon's sakc, must, îf possible, préserve my lifc. The night was dark ; no moon ; two eyes gleamed upon me ; I was about to uttcr a cry of alarm ; fortunately, I supprcsscd it ; the créature that had sprung to my feet was Dingo ! The dog licked my hands ail over, pcrsisting in rubbing his neck against them, evidently to make me fecl thcre ; found a reed fastened to the well-known collar upon which the initiais S.V. had so oftcn awakened our curiosity ; breaking open the reed, I took a note from înside ; it was too dark for me to see to read it I tricd, by carcssing Dingo, to detain him ; but the dog appearcd to know that his mission wîth me was at an end ; hc licked my hands affectionately, made a sudden bound, and disappearcd in the long grass as mysteriously as he had come. The howling of the wild beasts incrcascd. How I dreaded that the faithful créature would become their prey ! No more sleep this night for me. It seemed that daylîght would nevcrdawn ; at length it broke wîth the suddenness that marks a tropical morn. T was able cautiously to read my note ; the handwriting, I knew at a glance, was that of Hercules ; thcrc wcrc but a few Unes in pencil : —
 * Mrs. Weldon and Jack carried away in a kitanda.