Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/505

 AN ATTACK. 477 The dog was gripîng the man by the throat, the- man was lifting his cutlass high above the head of the dog. That man was Negoro. The rascal, on getting his letter at Kazonndé, înstead of embarkîng at once for America, had left his native escort for a vvhile, and returned to the scène of his crime to secure the treasure which he had left buried at a little distance in a spot that he had marked. At this very moment he was in the act of dîgging up the gold he had concealed ; some glistening coins scattered hère and there betrayed his purpose ; but in the midst of his labours he had been startled by the dashing forward of a dog ; another instant, and the dog had fixed itself upon his throat, whilst he, in an agony of desperation, had drawn his cutléiss and plunged it deep into the creature's side. Hercules came up at the very climax of the death- struggle. " You villain ! you accursed villaîn ! I hâve you now ! " he cried, about to seize hold of his victim. But vengeance was already accomplished. Negoro gave no sign of life ; death had overtaken him on the very scène of his guilt. Dingo, too, had rcceivcd a mortal wound ; he dragged himself back to the hut, lay down bcside the remains of his master, and expired. The sad task of burying Vernon*s bones and layîng his faithful dog beside them having been accomplished, the whole party was oblîged to turn thcir thoughts to theîr own safety. Although Negoro was dead, it was very likely that the natives that he had taken with him were at no great distance, and would come to search for him. A hurrîed conférence was held as to what steps had best be taken. The few words traceable on the paper made them aware that they were on the banks of the Congo, and that thcy were still 120 miles from the coast. The fall just ahead was probably the cataract of Ntemo, but what- ever it was, no doubt it cfTectually barred their farther progress by water. There seemed no alternative but that they should makc their way by one bank or the other a mile or two bclow the waterfall, and there construct