Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/48

34 DICK SANDS, THE BOY CAPTAI N. dog, they followed hîm to the poop, and there, by the dim glimmer admitted by the sky-light, Captain Hull made out the forms of five bodies, motionless and apparently lifeless, stretched upon the floor. One after another, Dick hastîly examined them ail, and emphatically declared it to be his opinion, that not one of them had actually ceased to breathe ; whereupon the captain did not lose a minute in summoning the two sailors to his aid, and although it was far from an easy task, he succeeded in getting the five unconscious men, who were ail negroes, conveyed safely to the boat. The dog followed, apparently satisfied. With ail possible speed the boat made îts way back again to the " Pilgrim," a girt-line was lowered from the mainyard, and the unfortunate men were raised to the deck. " Poor things ! " said Mrs. Weldon, as she looked com- passionately on the motionless forms. " But they are not dead," cried Dick eagerly ; " they are not dead ; we shall save them ail yet ! " " What's the matter with them ? " asked Cousin Benedîct, looking at them with utter bewilderment. " We shall hear ail about them soon, I dare say," saîd the captain, smiling ; " but first we will give them a few drops of rum in some water." Cousin Benedict smiled in return. " Negoro ! " shouted the captain. At the Sound of the name, the dog, who had hitherto been quite passive, growled fiercely, showed his teeth, and exhibited every sign of rage. The cook did not answer. " Negoro ! '* again the captain shouted, and the dog became yet more angry. At this second summons Negoro slowly left his kîtchen, but no sooner had he shown his face upon the deck than the animal made a rush at him, and would unquestionably hâve seized him by the throat if the man had not knocked him back with a poker which he had brought with him in his hand. k