Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/195

ASHORE. 169 contrived to make their way înto the interior of the hull. Dick left his men to gather together ail they could in the way of food and drink from the store-rooni, and hîmself went straight to the stem cabin, înto which the water had not penetrated. Hère he found four excellent Purda/s Remington riSes and a hundred cartridges ; with thèse he determined to arm his party, in case they should be attacked by Indians. He also chose six of the strongest of the cutlasses that are used for slicing up dead whales ; and did not forget the little toy gun which was Jack's spécial property. Unexpectedly he found a pocket -compass, which he was only too glad to appropriate What a boon it would hâve been had he discovered it earlier I The ship's charts ïn the fore-cabin were too much injured by water to be of any further service. Nearly everything was either lost or spoUed, but the misfortune was not feit very acutely because tbere was ample provision for a few days, and it seemed useless to burdeti themselves with more than was necessary. Dick hardly needed Mrs. Weldon's advice to secure ail the money that might be on board, but after the most diligent search he failed to discover more than five hundred dollars. This was a subject of perplexity. Mrs. Weldon herself had had a considerably laiger sum than this, and Captain Hull was known always to keep a good reserve in hând. There was but one way to solve the mystery. Some one had been beforehand to the wreck. It could not be any of the negroes, as not one of tbem had for a moment left the grotto. Suspicion naturally fell upon N^oro, who had been out alone upon the shore. Morose and cold-blooded as the man was, Dick hardly knew why he should suspect him of the crime of theft ; nevertheless, he determined to cross-examine him, and, if need be, to bave him searched, as soon as he came back. The day wore onwards to its close. The son was ap- proaching the vemal equinox, and sank almost perpen- dicularly on to the horizon. Twilight was very short, and the rapidity with which darkness came on confirmed Dick in bis belîef that they had got ashore at some spot iying bctwecn the tropic of Capricom and the equator.