Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/68

 54 r>ICK SANDS. THE BOY CAPTAIN. brought to his sîde not only his mother, but the captain and Dick, who were both on deck. In answer to theîr înquîry as to what had occurred, Jack cried out in the g^eatest excitement that Dingo knew how to read. At any rate he was sure that he knew his letters. Dick Sands smiled and stooped to take back the letters. Dingo snarled and showed his teeth, but the apprenticc was not frightened ; he carried his point, and replaced the two blocks among the rest. Dingo in an instant pounced upon them again, and having drawn them to his side, laid a paw upon each of them, as if to signîfy his intention of retaining them in his possession. Of the other letters of the alphabet he took no notice at ail. " It is very strange/' said Mrs. Weldon ; " he has picked out S V again." "S V ! " repeated the captain thoughtfully ; " are not those the letters that form the initiais on his coUar ? " And turning to the old negro, he continued, — "Tom, didn't you say that this dog did not always belong to the captain of the * Waldeck ' ? " " To the best of my belîef," replied Tom, " the captain had only had him about two years. I often heard him tell how he found him at the mouth of the Congo." " Do you suppose that he never knew where the animal came from, or to whom he had previously belonged ? " asked Captain Hull. " Never," answered Tom, shaking his head ; " a lost dog is worse to identify than a lost child ; you see, he can't niake himself understood any way." The captain made no answer, but stood musîng ; Mrs. Weldon interrupted him. " Thèse letters, captain, seem to be recalling something to your recollection." replied ; " but I cannot help associating them with the fate of a brave explorer," " Whom do you mean ? " said the lady. "In 1871, just two years ago," the captain continued, 'a French traveller, under the auspices of theGeographical
 * ' I can hardly go so far as to say that, Mrs. Weldon," he