Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/186

l60 DICK SANDS, THE BOY CAPTAIN. the foliage, but thèse could give no more infonnation tiiaa the birds as to the name of theJr habitat Neither nortb, nor south, nor towards the forest, was there trace of risîng smoke, or any footprînt or other sïgn to indicate the présence of a human being. Dîck's surprise was very great He knew that the proximity of a native would bave made Dingo bark aloud ; but the dog gave no wamîng; he was running backwards and forwards, his tail lowered and his nose close to the ground ; now and agaîn he uttered a deep growl. " Look at Dingo t" said Mrs. Weldon ; " how strange he îa ! he seems to be trying to dîscover a lost scent." After watching the dog for a time, she spoke again :— " Look, too, at Negoro ! he and the dog seem to be on the same purpose !" " As to Negoro," saîd Dîck, " I cannot concem myself wîth him now ; he must do as he pleases ; I hâve no further con- trol over him ; his service expires with the loss of the ship." Negoro was in fact walkingtoand fro, surveying the shore with the air of a man who was tiying to recall some past expérience to his recollectîon. His dogged taciturnity was too well known for any one to think of qucstioning hîm ; every one was accustomed to let him go his own way, and when Dick noticed that he had gone towards the h'ttle river, and had disappeared behind the cliff, he thought no more about him. Dingo likewise had quite forgotten his enemy, and desisted from his growlîng. The first nccessity for the shipwrecked party was to find a temporary shelter where they might take some refresh- ment. There was no lack of provisions ; independently of the resources of the land, the ebbing tide had left upon the rocks the great bulk of the " Pilgrim's " stores, and the negroes had already collected several kegs of biscuit, and a number of cases of preserved méat, besides a variety of other supplies. AU that they rescued they carefully piled up above high-water mark. As nothing appeared to be injured by the sea-water, the victuallïng of the party ail seemed to be satisfactorily secure for the interval whicfa must elapse (and they ail believed ît would not be longj