Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/501

AN ATTACK. 473 trampled moss showed that the place had been recently visited either by animais or men. Dick took his gun and Hercules hishatchet, and they set out to search for Dingo. They had not far to go before they saw hîm wîth his nose close to the ground, manifestly followîng a scent ; the animal raised his head for a moment, as îf beckoning them to follow, and kept on till he reached an old sycamore-stump. Havîng called out to the rest of the party to joîn them, Dick made his way farther into the wood till he got up to Dingo, who was vvhining piteously at the entrance of a dilapidated hut. The rest were not long in following, and they ail entered the hut together. The floor was strewn with bones whitened by exposure. " Some one has died hère,** said Mrs. Weldon. " Perhaps," added Dick, as if struck by a sudden thought, "it was Dingo's old master. Look at him ! he is pointing wîth his paw." The portion of the sycamore-trunk vvhîch formed the farther side of the hut had been strippcd of its bark, and upon the smooth wood were two great letters in dingy red almost effaced by time, but yet plain enough to be distinguished. " S. V.," cried Dick, as he looked where the dog's paw rested ; "the same initiais that Dingo has upon his collar. There can be no mistake. S. V.** A small copper box, green with verdîgrîs, caught his eye, and he picked it up. It was open, but contained a scrap of discoloured paper. The writing upon this con- sisted of a fcw sentences, of which only detached words could be made out, but they revealcd the sad truth only too plainly. "Robbed by Negoro — murdered— Dingo — help — Negoro guide — 120 miles from coast — December 3rd, 1871— write no more. " S. Vernon." Hère v/as the due to a melancholy story. Samuel Vernon, under the guidance of Negoro, and taking with him his dog Dingo, had set out on an exploration of a