Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/64

 50 DICK SANDS, THE BOY CAPTAIN. Just at this instant Cousin Benedict emerged from the stern-cabîn, and completely absorbed, according to hîs wont, in his own pursuit, began to wander up and down the deck, peerîng into the interstices of the network, rummaging under the seats, and drawing his long fingers along the cracks in the floor where the tar had crumbled away. " Well, Benedict, how are you getting on ?" asked Mrs Weldon. " I ? Oh, well enough, thank you,*' he replîed dreamîly ; "What were you looking for under that bench?" said Captain Hull. " Insects, of course," answered Benedict ; ** I am always looking for insects." " But don*t you know, Benedict,'* said Mrs. Weldon, "that Captain Hull is far too particular to allow any vermin on the deck of his vessel ? " Captain Hull smiled and said, — " Mrs Weldon is very complimentary ; but I am really inclined to hope that your investigations in the cabins of the * Pilgrim ' will not be attended with much success." Cousin Benedict shrugged his shoulders in a manner that indicated that he was aware that the cabins could furnish nothing attractive in the way of insects. " However," continued the captain, " I dare say down in the hold you could find some cockroaches ; but cockroaches, I présume, would be of little or no interest to you." "No interest.^" crîed Benedict, at once warmed into en- thusiasm ; "why, are they not the very orthoptera that roused the imprécations of Virgil and Horace ? Are they not closely allied to the Periplaneta orientalis and the American Kakerlac, which inhabit — " " I should rather say infest," intcrrupted the captain. "Easy enough to see, sir," replied Benedict, stopping short with amazement, "that you are not an entomo- logist ! " " I fear I must plead guilty to your accusation," said the captain good-humouredly, You must not expect every one to be such an enthu- «(
 * but I wish we were on shore."