Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/513

A HAPPV RE-UNION. 485 that Negoro had failed to reach him,- No doubt he would hâve been ready to sacrifice the bulk of his fortune, and wîthout a momenf s hésitation would hâve set out for the coast of Africa.but who could question that he would there hâve been exposed to the vilest treachery ? He felt that to Dick Sands and to Hercules he owed a debt of gratitude that ît would be impossible to repay ; Dick assumed more than ever the place of an adopted son, whilst the brave negro was regarded as a true and faithful friend. Cousin Benedict, it must be owned, failed to share for long the gênerai joy. Aftcr givîng Mr. Weldon a hasty shake of the hand, he hurried off to his private room, and resumed his studios almost as if they had never been interrupted. He set himself vigorously to work with the design of pro- ducing an elaborate trcatise upon the "Hexapodes Bene- dictus " hithcrto unknown to eiitomological research. Hère in his private chamber spectacles and magnifying-glass were ready for his use, and he was now able for the fîrst time with the aid of propcr appliances to examine the unique production of Central Africa. A shriek of horror and disappointment escaped his lips. The Hexapodes Benedictus was not a hexapod at ail. It was a common spider. Hercules, in catchîng it, had unfortunately broken off its two front legs, and Benedict, almost blind as he was, had failed to detect the accident His chagrin was most pitiable, the wonderful dîscovery that was to hâve exalted his name high in the annals of science belonged sîmply to the common order of the arachnidse. The blow to his aspirations was very heavy ; it brought on a fît of illness from which it took him some time to recover. For the next three years Dick was entrustcd with the éducation of little Jack during the intervais hc could spare from the prosecution of his own studies, înto whîch he threw himself with an enei^quîckened by a kind of remorse. " If only I had known what a seaman ought to know when I was left to myself on board the ' Pilgrim,' " he would contînually say, " what miscry and suflTering we might hâve been sparcd 1" So dilîgently did he apply himself to the techntcal branches of his profession tVat &t ^caç^t^K ^^*ksxv«.