Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/416

 *f1 388 DICK SAND% THE BOV CAPTATN. réaction, so that ail bis énergies were restored. PossBi^.'T N^oro in his sudden assault had unintentîonally loosoul < his fetters, for he certainly seemed to hâve greatcr play fct ^ his limbs, and fancied that by a slî^t effort he m^tt ' succeed in disengagîng his arnis. Even that amount of | frcedom, however, be kncw could be of no real avail to him ; bc was a dosely-^uarded prisoner, without hope of succoor from without ; and now he had no other wish thaa cheer- fully to meet the death that should unité him to the friends who had gone before. The hours passed on. The gleams of daylïgfat dut penetrated the thatched roof of the prison gradually faded into darkness ; the few aounds on the chitpka. a great contrast to the hubbub of the day, became hushed into silence, and night fell upon the towo of Kazonndé: Dick Sands siept soundly for about a couple of hours, and woke up considerably refreshed. One bf his arms, which was somewhat less swollen than the other, he was able to withdraw from îts bonds; it was at any rate a relief to strctch it at his pleasure. The havildar, graspïng the neck of a brandy-bottle which he had just drained, had sunk into a heavy slumber, and Dick Sands was contemplatîng the possibîlîty of getting posssession of his gaoler's weapons when hîs attention was arrested by a scratching at the bottom of the door. By the help of his liberated arm he contrived to crawl noiselessly to the threshold, wherc the scratching increased in violence. For a moment he was in doubt whether the noise proceeded from the movements of a man or an animal. He gave a glancc at the havildar, who was sound asleep, and placing his lips against the door murmured "Hercules!" A low whining was the sole reply. " It must be Dingo," muttered Dick to hïmself ; " N^oro may hâve told me a lie ; perbaps, after ail, the d(^ is not dead." As though in answer to his thoughts, a dog's paw was pushed below the door. Dick seîzed it eagerly ; he had no doubt it was Dingo's ; but if the dog brought a message it was sure to be tied to his neck, and there seemed to be no