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428 DICK SANDS, THE BOY CAPTAIN. " A hexapod I '* cried Benedict, sitting up. Short-sighted though he was, his hearing was acute, and his perception xnade him thoroughly convinced that he was in proximity to some giant spécimen of its kind. Without moving froin his seat he did his utmost to ascertaîn what it was ; he was determined not to flinch from the sharpest of stings if only he could get the chance of capturing it. Presently he made out a large black speck flitting about in the few rays of dayh'ght that were allowed to penetrate the hut With bated breath he waited in eager expectation. The insect, after long hovering above him, finally settled on his head. A smile of satisfaction played about his lips AS he felt it crawling lightly through his hair. Equally fearful of missing or injuring it, he restrained his first impulse to grasp it in his hand. " I will wait a minute," he thought ; " perhaps it may creep down my nosc ; by squinting a little perhaps I shall be able to sce it." For some moments hope alternated with fear. There sat Benedict with what hc persuaded himself was some new African hexapod pcrched upon his head, and agitated by doubts as to the direction in which it would move. Instead of travelling in the way he reckoned along his nose, might it not crawl bchind his ears or down his neck, or, worse than ail, résume its fiight in the air? Fortune scemed inclincd to favour him. After threading the entanglcmcnt of the naturalist's hair the insect was felt to bc dcscending his forehead. With a fortitude not un- worthy of the Spartan who suffered his breast to be gnawed by a fox, nor of the Roman hero who plunged his hand into the red-hot coals, Benedict endured the tickling of the six small fect, and made not a motion that might frighten the créature into taking wing. After making repeated circuits of his forehead, it passcd just between his eyebrow^s ; there was a moment of deep suspense lest it should once more go upwards ; but it soon began to move again ; neither to the right nor to the left did it turn, but kept straight on over the furrovvs made by the constant rubbing of the spectacles, right along the arch of the cartilage till it