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60 DICK SANDS, THE BOY CAPTAIN. CHAPTER VI. A WHALE IN SIGHT. It was only what mîght be expected that the dog's singular exhibition of sagacity should repeatedly form a subject pf conversation between Mrs. Weldon, the captaîn, and Dick. The young apprentice in particular began to cntertaîn a lurking feeling of distrust towards Negoro, although ît must be owned that the man's conduct in gênerai afforded no tangible grounds for suspicion. Nor was it only among the stern passengers that Dingo's remarkable feat was discussed ; amongst the crew in the bow the dog not only soon gained the réputation of being able to read, but was almost credited with being able to write too, as well as any sailor among them ; indeed the chief wonder was that he did not speak. " Perhaps hc can," suggested Bolton, the helmsman, " and likely enough some fine day we shall hâve him coming to ask about our bearings, and to inquire which way the wind lies." " Ah ! why not ? " assented anothcr sailor ; " parrots talk, and magpies talk ; why shouldn't a dog ? For my part, I should guess it must be easier to speak with a mouth than with a beak." " Of course it is," saîd Howick, the boatswain ; " only a quadruped has never yet been known to do it." Perhaps, however, the worthy fellow would hâve been amazed to hear that a certain Danish savani oncQpossessed a dog that could actually pronounce quite distinctly nearly twenty différent words, demonstrating that the construction