Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/450

 432 DICK SAKD^ THE BOT CilPTAIN. . CHAPTER XV. AN EXCITING CHASE. To say the truth, it was the veiy vaguest of hopes to which Mrs. Weldon had been clinging, yet it was not without some thrill of disappointment that she heard from the lips of old Alvez himself that Dr. Livingstone had died at a little village on Lake Bangweolo. There had appeared to be a sort of a link binding her to the civilized world, but ît was now abruptly snapped, and nothing remained for her but to make what terms she could with the base and heart- less Negoro. On the I4th, the day appoînted for the interview, he made his appearance at the hut, firmly resolved to make no abatement in the terms that he had proposed, Mrs. Weldon, on her part, being equally determined not to yield to the demand. " There is only one condition," she avowed, "upon which I will acquiesce. My husband shall not be required to corne up the country hère." Negoro hesitated ; at length he saîd that he would ag^ree to her husband being taken by ship to Mossamedes, a small port in the south of Angola, much frequented by slavcrs, whither also, at a date hereafter to be fixed, Alvez should send hersclf with Jack and Benedict ; the stipula- tion was confirmed that the ransom should be 100,000 dollars, and it was further made part of the contract that Negoro should be allowed to départ as an honest man. Mrs. Weldon felt she had gained an important point in thus sparing her husband the necessity of a joumey to