Dick Sand; or, a Captain at Fifteen by Jules Verne

[Redactor's Note: _Dick Sand; or, a Captain at Fifteen_, number V018 inthe T&M listing of the works of Jules Verne, is a translation of _Uncapitaine de quinze ans (1878)_. This translation was first publishedby George Munro (N. Y. ) in 1878 and reprinted many times in the U. S. This is a different translation from that of Ellen E. Frewer whotranslated the book for Sampson and Low in London entitled _Dick Sands, the Boy Captain_. American translations were often free of thereligious and colonial bias inserted by the English translators ofVerne's works. ]

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DICK SAND;

or, A CAPTAIN AT FIFTEEN. 

By JULES VERNE, _Author of "Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon, " "TwentyThousand Leagues Under the Sea, " "The MysteriousIsland, " "Tour of the World in Eighty Days, ""Michael Strogoff, " etc. , etc. _

A. L. BURT COMPANY, PUBLISHERS

52-58 Duane STREET, NEW YORK. 

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CONTENTS. 

 _PART I. _

 CHAPTER I. The Brig-Schooner "Pilgrim. "

 CHAPTER II. Dick Sand. 

 CHAPTER III. The Wreck. 

 CHAPTER IV. The Survivors of the "Waldeck. "

 CHAPTER V. "S. V. "

 CHAPTER VI. A Whale in Sight. 

 CHAPTER VII. Preparations. 

 CHAPTER VIII. The Jubarte. 

 CHAPTER IX. Captain Sand. 

 CHAPTER X. The Four Days which Follow. 

 CHAPTER XI. Tempest. 

 CHAPTER XII. On the Horizon. 

 CHAPTER XIII. Land! Land. 

 CHAPTER XIV. The Best to Do. 

 CHAPTER XV. Harris. 

 CHAPTER XVI. On the Way. 

 CHAPTER XVII. A Hundred Miles in Ten Days. 

 CHAPTER XVIII. The Terrible Word. 

 _PART II. _

 CHAPTER I. The Slave Trade. 

 CHAPTER II. Harris and Negoro. 

 CHAPTER III. On the March. 

 CHAPTER IV. The Bad Roads of Angola. 

 CHAPTER V. Ants and their Dwelling. 

 CHAPTER VI. The Diving-Bell. 

 CHAPTER VII. In Camp on the Banks of the Coanza. 

 CHAPTER VIII. Some of Dick Sand's Notes. 

 CHAPTER IX. Kazounde. 

 CHAPTER X. The Great Market-day. 

 CHAPTER XI. The King of Kazounde is Offered a Punch. 

 CHAPTER XII. A Royal Burial. 

 CHAPTER XIII. The Interior of a Factory. 

 CHAPTER XIV. Some News of Dr. Livingston. 

 CHAPTER XV. Where a Manticore may Lead. 

 CHAPTER XVI. A Magician. 

 CHAPTER XVII. Drifting. 

 CHAPTER XVIII. Various Incidents. 

 CHAPTER XIX. "S. V. "

 CHAPTER XX. Conclusion. 

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DICK SAND

_PART I. _

CHAPTER I. 

THE BRIG-SCHOONER "PILGRIM. "

On February 2, 1876, the schooner "Pilgrim" was in latitude 43° 57'south, and in longitude 165° 19' west of the meridian of Greenwich. 

This vessel, of four hundred tons, fitted out at San Francisco forwhale-fishing in the southern seas, belonged to James W. Weldon, a richCalifornian ship-owner, who had for several years intrusted the commandof it to Captain Hull. 

The "Pilgrim" was one of the smallest, but one of the best of thatflotilla, which James W. Weldon sent each season, not only beyondBehring Strait, as far as the northern seas, but also in the quartersof Tasmania or of Cape Horn, as far as the Antarctic Ocean. She sailedin a superior manner. Her very easily managed rigging permitted her toventure, with a few men, in sight of the impenetrable fields of ice ofthe southern hemisphere. Captain Hull knew how to disentangle himself, as the sailors say, from among those icebergs, which, during thesummer, drift by the way of New Zealand or the Cape of Good Hope, undera much lower latitude than that which they reach in the northern seasof the globe. It is true that only icebergs of small dimensions werefound there; they were already worn by collisions, eaten away by thewarm waters, and the greater number of them were going to melt in thePacific or the Atlantic. 

Under the command of Captain Hull, a good seaman, and also one of themost skilful harpooners of the flotilla, was a crew composed of fivesailors and a novice. It was a small number for this whale-fishing, which requires a good many persons. Men are necessary as well for themanagement of the boats for the attack, as for the cutting up of thecaptured animals. But, following the example of certain ship-owners, James W. Weldon found it much more economical to embark at SanFrancisco only the number of sailors necessary for the management ofthe vessel. New Zealand did not lack harpooners, sailors of allnationalities, deserters or others, who sought to be hired for theseason, and who followed skilfully the trade of fishermen. The busyperiod once over, they were paid, they were put on shore, and theywaited till the whalers of the following year should come to claimtheir services again. There was obtained by this method better workfrom the disposable sailors, and a much larger profit derived by theirco-operation. 

They had worked in this way on board the "Pilgrim. "

The schooner had just finished her season on the limit of the AntarcticCircle. But she had not her full number of barrels of oil, of coarsewhalebones nor of fine. Even at that period, fishing was becomingdifficult. The whales, pursued to excess, were becoming rare. The"right" whale, which bears the name of "North Caper, " in the NorthernOcean, and that of "Sulphur Bottom, " in the South Sea, was likely todisappear. The whalers had been obliged to fall back on the finback orjubarte, a gigantic mammifer, whose attacks are not without danger. 

This is what Captain Hull had done during this cruise; but on his nextvoyage he calculated on reaching a higher latitude, and, if necessary, going in sight of Clarie and Adelie Lands, whose discovery, contestedby the American Wilkes, certainly belongs to the illustrious commanderof the "Astrolabe" and the Zelee, to the Frenchman, Dumont d'Urville. 

In fact, the season had not been favorable for the "Pilgrim. " In thebeginning of January, that is to say, toward the middle of the Southernsummer, and even when the time for the whalers to return had not yetarrived Captain Hull had been obliged to abandon the fishing places. His additional crew--a collection of pretty sad subjects--gave him anexcuse, as they say, and he determined to separate from them. 

The "Pilgrim" then steered to the northwest, for New Zealand, which shesighted on the 15th of January. She arrived at Waitemata, port ofAuckland, situated at the lowest end of the Gulf of Chouraki, on theeast coast of the northern island, and landed the fishermen who hadbeen engaged for the season. 

The crew was not satisfied. The cargo of the "Pilgrim" was at least twohundred barrels of oil short. There had never been worse fishing. Captain Hull felt the disappointment of a hunter who, for the firsttime, returns as he went away--or nearly so. His self-love, greatlyexcited, was at stake, and he did not pardon those scoundrels whoseinsubordination had compromised the results of his cruise. 

It was in vain that he endeavored to recruit a new fishing crew atAuckland. All the disposable seamen were embarked on the other whalingvessels. He was thus obliged to give up the hope of completing the"Pilgrim's" cargo, and Captain Hull was preparing to leave Aucklanddefinitely, when a request for a passage was made which he could notrefuse. 

Mrs. Weldon, wife of the "Pilgrim's" owner, was then at Auckland withher young son Jack, aged about five years, and one of her relatives, her Cousin Benedict. James W. Weldon, whom his business operationssometimes obliged to visit New Zealand, had brought the three there, and intended to bring them back to San Francisco. 

But, just as the whole family was going to depart, little Jack becameseriously ill, and his father, imperatively recalled by his business, was obliged to leave Auckland, leaving his wife, his son, and CousinBenedict there. 

Three months had passed away--three long months of separation, whichwere extremely painful to Mrs. Weldon. Meanwhile her young child wasrestored to health, and she was at liberty to depart, when she wasinformed of the arrival of the "Pilgrim. "

Now, at that period, in order to return to San Francisco, Mrs. Weldonfound herself under the necessity of going to Australia by one of thevessels of the Golden Age Trans-oceanic Company, which ply betweenMelbourne and the Isthmus of Panama by Papeiti. Then, once arrived atPanama, it would be necessary for her to await the departure of theAmerican steamer, which establishes a regular communication between theIsthmus and California. Thence, delays, trans-shipments, alwaysdisagreeable for a woman and a child. It was just at this time that the"Pilgrim" came into port at Auckland. Mrs. Weldon did not hesitate, butasked Captain Hull to take her on board to bring her back to SanFrancisco--she, her son, Cousin Benedict, and Nan, an old negress whohad served her since her infancy. Three thousand marine leagues totravel on a sailing vessel! But Captain Hull's ship was so wellmanaged, and the season still so fine on both sides of the Equator!Captain Hull consented, and immediately put his own cabin at thedisposal of his passenger. He wished that, during a voyage which mightlast forty or fifty days, Mrs. Weldon should be installed as well aspossible on board the whaler. 

There were then certain advantages for Mrs. Weldon in making the voyageunder these conditions. The only disadvantage was that this voyagewould be necessarily prolonged in consequence of this circumstance--the"Pilgrim" would go to Valparaiso, in Chili, to effect her unloading. That done, there would be nothing but to ascend the American coast, with land breezes, which make these parts very agreeable. 

Besides, Mrs. Weldon was a courageous woman, whom the sea did notfrighten. Then thirty years of age, she was of robust health, beingaccustomed to long voyages, for, having shared with her husband thefatigues of several passages, she did not fear the chances more or lesscontingent, of shipping on board a ship of moderate tonnage. She knewCaptain Hull to be an excellent seaman, in whom James W. Weldon hadevery confidence. The "Pilgrim" was a strong vessel, capital sailer, well quoted in the flotilla of American whalers. The opportunitypresented itself. It was necessary to profit by it. Mrs. Weldon didprofit by it. 

Cousin Benedict--it need not be said--would accompany her. 

This cousin was a worthy man, about fifty years of age. But, notwithstanding his fifty years, it would not have been prudent to lethim go out alone. Long, rather than tall, narrow, rather than thin, hisfigure bony, his skull enormous and very hairy, one recognized in hiswhole interminable person one of those worthy savants, with goldspectacles, good and inoffensive beings, destined to remain greatchildren all their lives, and to finish very old, like centenaries whowould die at nurse. 

"Cousin Benedict"--he was called so invariably, even outside of thefamily, and, in truth, he was indeed one of those good men who seem tobe the born cousins of all the world--Cousin Benedict, always impededby his long arms and his long limbs, would be absolutely incapable ofattending to matters alone, even in the most ordinary circumstances oflife. He was not troublesome, oh! no, but rather embarrassing forothers, and embarrassed for himself. Easily satisfied, besides beingvery accommodating, forgetting to eat or drink, if some one did notbring him something to eat or drink, insensible to the cold as to theheat, he seemed to belong less to the animal kingdom than to thevegetable kingdom. One must conceive a very useless tree, without fruitand almost without leaves, incapable of giving nourishment or shelter, but with a good heart. 

Such was Cousin Benedict. He would very willingly render service topeople if, as Mr. Prudhomme would say, he were capable of rendering it. 

Finally, his friends loved him for his very feebleness. Mrs. Weldonregarded him as her child--a large elder brother of her little Jack. 

It is proper to add here that Cousin Benedict was, meanwhile, neitheridle nor unoccupied. On the contrary, he was a worker. His onlypassion--natural history--absorbed him entirely. 

To say "Natural History" is to say a great deal. 

We know that the different parts of which this science is composed arezoology, botany, mineralogy, and geology. 

Now Cousin Benedict was, in no sense, a botanist, nor a mineralogist, nor a geologist. 

Was he, then, a zoologist in the entire acceptation of the word, a kindof Cuvier of the New World, decomposing an animal by analysis, orputting it together again by synthesis, one of those profoundconnoisseurs, versed in the study of the four types to which modernscience refers all animal existence, vertebrates, mollusks, articulates, and radiates? Of these four divisions, had the artless butstudious savant observed the different classes, and sought the orders, the families, the tribes, the genera, the species, and the varietieswhich distinguish them?

No. 

Had Cousin Benedict devoted himself to the study of the vertebrates, mammals, birds, reptiles, and fishes?

No. 

Was it to the mollusks, from the cephalopodes to the bryozoans, that hehad given his preference, and had malacology no more secrets for him?

Not at all. 

Then it was on the radiates, echinoderms, acalephes, polypes, entozoons, sponges, and infusoria, that he had for such a long timeburned the midnight oil?

It must, indeed, be confessed that it was not on the radiates. 

Now, in zoology there only remains to be mentioned the division of thearticulates, so it must be that it was on this division that CousinBenedict's only passion was expended. 

Yes, and still it is necessary to select. 

This branch of the articulates counts six classes: insects, myriapodes, arachnides, crustaceans, cirrhopodes, and annelides. 

Now, Cousin Benedict, scientifically speaking, would not know how todistinguish an earth-worm from a medicinal leech, a sand-fly from aglans-marinus, a common spider from a false scorpion, a shrimp from afrog, a gally-worm from a scolopendra. 

But, then, what was Cousin Benedict? Simply an entomologist--nothingmore. 

To that, doubtless, it may be said that in its etymologicalacceptation, entomology is that part of the natural sciences whichincludes all the articulates. That is true, in a general way; but it isthe custom to give this word a more restricted sense. It is then onlyapplied, properly speaking, to the study of insects, that is to say:"All the articulate animals of which the body, composed of rings placedend to end, forms three distinct segments, and which possesses threepairs of legs, which have given them the name of hexapodes. "

Now, as Cousin Benedict had confined himself to the study of thearticulates of this class, he was only an entomologist. 

But, let us not be mistaken about it. In this class of the insects arecounted not less than ten orders:

 1. Orthopterans as grasshoppers, crickets, etc. 2. Neuropters as ant-eaters, dragon-flies or libellula. 3. Hymenopters as bees, wasps, ants. 4. Lepidopters as butterflies, etc. 5. Hemipters as cicada, plant-lice, fleas, etc. 6. Coleopters as cockchafers, fire-flies, etc. 7. Dipters as gnats, musquitoes, flies. 8. Rhipipters as stylops. 9. Parasites as acara, etc. 10. Thysanurans as lepidotus, flying-lice, etc. 

Now, in certain of these orders, the coleopters, for example, there arerecognized thirty thousand species, and sixty thousand in the dipters;so subjects for study are not wanting, and it will be conceded thatthere is sufficient in this class alone to occupy a man!

Thus, Cousin Benedict's life was entirely and solely consecrated toentomology. 

To this science he gave all his hours--all, without exception, even thehours of sleep, because he invariably dreamt "hexapodes. " That hecarried pins stuck in his sleeves and in the collar of his coat, in thebottom of his hat, and in the facings of his vest, need not bementioned. 

When Cousin Benedict returned from some scientific promenade hisprecious head-covering in particular was no more than a box of naturalhistory, being bristling inside and outside with pierced insects. 

And now all will be told about this original when it is stated, that itwas on account of his passion for entomology that he had accompaniedMr. And Mrs. Weldon to New Zealand. There his collection was enrichedby some rare subjects, and it will be readily understood that he was inhaste to return to classify them in the cases of his cabinet in SanFrancisco. 

So, as Mrs. Weldon and her child were returning to America by the"Pilgrim, " nothing more natural than for Cousin Benedict to accompanythem during that passage. 

But it was not on him that Mrs. Weldon could rely, if she should everfind herself in any critical situation. Very fortunately, the prospectwas only that of a voyage easily made during the fine season, and onboard of a ship whose captain merited all her confidence. 

During the three days that the "Pilgrim" was in port at Waitemata, Mrs. Weldon made her preparations in great haste, for she did not wish todelay the departure of the schooner. The native servants whom sheemployed in her dwelling in Auckland were dismissed, and, on the 22dJanuary, she embarked on board the "Pilgrim, " bringing only her sonJack, Cousin Benedict, and Nan, her old negress. 

Cousin Benedict carried all his curious collection of insects in aspecial box. In this collection figured, among others, some specimensof those new staphylins, species of carnivorous coleopters, whose eyesare placed above the head, and which, till then, seemed to be peculiarto New Caledonia. A certain venomous spider, the "katipo, " of theMaoris, whose bite is often fatal to the natives, had been very highlyrecommended to him. But a spider does not belong to the order ofinsects properly so called; it is placed in that of the arachnida, and, consequently, was valueless in Cousin Benedict's eyes. Thus he scornedit, and the most beautiful jewel of his collection was a remarkablestaphylin from New Zealand. 

It is needless to say that Cousin Benedict, by paying a heavy premium, had insured his cargo, which to him seemed much more precious than allthe freight of oil and bones stowed away in the hold of the "Pilgrim. "

Just as the "Pilgrim" was getting under sail, when Mrs. Weldon and hercompanion for the voyage found themselves on the deck of the schooner, Captain Hull approached his passenger:

"It is understood, Mrs. Weldon, " he said to her, "that, if you takepassage on board the 'Pilgrim, ' it is on your own responsibility. "

"Why do you make that observation to me, Mr. Hull?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"Because I have not received an order from your husband in regard toit, and, all things considered, a schooner cannot offer you theguarantees of a good passage, like a packet-boat, specially intended tocarry travelers. "

"If my husband were here, " replied Mrs. Weldon, "do you think, Mr. Hull, that he would hesitate to embark on the 'Pilgrim, ' in companywith his wife and child?"

"No, Mrs. Weldon, he would not hesitate, " said Captain Hull; "no, indeed! no more than I should hesitate myself! The 'Pilgrim' is a goodship after all, even though she has made but a sad cruise, and I amsure of her, as much so as a seaman can be of the ship which he hascommanded for several years. The reason I speak, Mrs. Weldon, is to getrid of personal responsibility, and to repeat that you will not find onboard the comfort to which you have been accustomed. "

"As it is only a question of comfort, Mr. Hull, " replied Mrs. Weldon, "that should not stop me. I am not one of those troublesome passengerswho complain incessantly of the narrowness of the cabins, and theinsufficiency of the table. "

Then, after looking for a few moments at her little Jack, whom she heldby the hand, Mrs. Weldon said:

"Let us go, Mr. Hull!"

The orders were given to get under way at once, the sails were set, andthe "Pilgrim, " working to get out to sea in the shortest time possible, steered for the American coast. 

But, three days after her departure, the schooner, thwarted by strongbreezes from the east, was obliged to tack to larboard to make headwayagainst the wind. So, at the date of February 2d, Captain Hull stillfound himself in a higher latitude than he would have wished, and inthe situation of a sailor who wanted to double Cape Horn rather thanreach the New Continent by the shortest course. 

CHAPTER II. 

DICK SAND. 

Meanwhile the sea was favorable, and, except the delays, navigationwould be accomplished under very supportable conditions. 

Mrs. Weldon had been installed on board the "Pilgrim" as comfortably aspossible. 

Neither poop nor "roufle" was at the end of the deck. There was nostern cabin, then, to receive the passengers. She was obliged to becontented with Captain Hull's cabin, situated aft, which constitutedhis modest sea lodging. And still it had been necessary for the captainto insist, in order to make her accept it. There, in that narrowlodging, was installed Mrs. Weldon, with her child and old Nan. Shetook her meals there, in company with the captain and Cousin Benedict, for whom they had fitted up a kind of cabin on board. 

As to the commander of the "Pilgrim, " he had settled himself in a cabinbelonging to the ship's crew--a cabin which would be occupied by thesecond officer, if there were a second one on board. But thebrig-schooner was navigated, we know, under conditions which enabledher to dispense with the services of a second officer. 

The men of the "Pilgrim, " good and strong seamen, were very much unitedby common ideas and habits. This fishing season was the fourth whichthey had passed together. All Americans of the West, they wereacquainted for a long period, and belonged to the same coast of theState of California. 

These brave men showed themselves very thoughtful towards Mrs. Weldon, the wife of the owner of their ship, for whom they professed boundlessdevotion. It must be said that, largely interested in the profits ofthe ship, they had navigated till then with great gain. If, by reasonof their small number, they did not spare themselves, it was becauseevery labor increased their earnings in the settling of accounts at theend of each season. This time, it is true, the profit would be almostnothing, and that gave them just cause to curse and swear against thoseNew Zealand scoundrels. 

One man on board, alone among all, was not of American origin. Portuguese by birth, but speaking English fluently, he was calledNegoro, and filled the humble position of cook on the schooner. 

The "Pilgrim's" cook having deserted at Auckland, this Negoro, then outof employment, offered himself for the place. He was a taciturn man, not at all communicative, who kept to himself, but did his worksatisfactorily. In engaging him, Captain Hull seemed to be ratherfortunate, and since embarking, the master cook had merited no reproach. 

Meanwhile, Captain Hull regretted not having had the time to informhimself sufficiently about Negoro's antecedents. His face, or ratherhis look, was only half in his favor, and when it is necessary to bringan unknown into the life on board, so confined, so intimate, hisantecedents should be carefully inquired into. 

Negoro might be forty years old. Thin, nervous, of medium height, withvery brown hair, skin somewhat swarthy, he ought to be strong. Had hereceived any instruction? Yes; that appeared in certain observationswhich escaped him sometimes. Besides, he never spoke of his past life, he said not a word about his family. Whence he came, where he hadlived, no one could tell. What would his future be? No one knew anymore about that. He only announced his intention of going on shore atValparaiso. He was certainly a singular man. At all events, he did notseem to be a sailor. He seemed to be even more strange to marine thingsthan is usual with a master cook, part of whose existence is passed atsea. 

Meanwhile, as to being incommoded by the rolling and pitching of theship, like men who have never navigated, he was not in the least, andthat is something for a cook on board a vessel. 

Finally, he was little seen. During the day, he most generally remainedconfined in his narrow kitchen, before the stove for melting, whichoccupied the greater part of it. When night came and the fire in thestove was out, Negoro went to the cabin which was assigned to him atthe end of the crew's quarters. Then he went to bed at once and went tosleep. 

It has been already said that the "Pilgrim's" crew was composed of fivesailors and a novice. 

This young novice, aged fifteen, was the child of an unknown father andmother. This poor being, abandoned from his birth, had been receivedand brought up by public charity. 

Dick Sand--that was his name--must have been originally from the Stateof New York, and doubtless from the capital of that State. 

If the name of Dick--an abbreviation of Richard--had been given to thelittle orphan, it was because it was the name of the charitablepasser-by who had picked him up two or three hours after his birth. Asto the name of Sand, it was attributed to him in remembrance of theplace where he had been found; that is to say, on that point of landcalled Sandy-Hook, which forms the entrance of the port of New York, atthe mouth of the Hudson. 

Dick Sand, when he should reach his full growth, would not exceedmiddle height, but he was well built. One could not doubt that he wasof Anglo-Saxon origin. He was brown, however, with blue eyes, in whichthe crystalline sparkled with ardent fire. His seaman's craft hadalready prepared him well for the conflicts of life. His intelligentphysiognomy breathed forth energy. It was not that of an audaciousperson, it was that of a darer. These three words from an unfinishedverse of Virgil are often cited:

 "Audaces fortuna juvat".... 

but they are quoted incorrectly. The poet said:

 "Audentes fortuna juvat".... 

It is on the darers, not on the audacious, that Fortune almost alwayssmiled. The audacious may be unguarded. The darer thinks first, actsafterwards. There is the difference!

Dick Sand was _audens_. 

At fifteen he already knew how to take a part, and to carry out to theend whatever his resolute spirit had decided upon. His manner, at oncespirited and serious, attracted attention. He did not squander himselfin words and gestures, as boys of his age generally do. Early, at aperiod of life when they seldom discuss the problems of existence, hehad looked his miserable condition in the face, and he had promised "tomake" himself. 

And he had made himself--being already almost a man at an age whenothers are still only children. 

At the same time, very nimble, very skilful in all physical exercises, Dick Sand was one of those privileged beings, of whom it may be saidthat they were born with two left feet and two right hands. In thatway, they do everything with the right hand, and always set out withthe left foot. 

Public charity, it has been said, had brought up the little orphan. Hehad been put first in one of those houses for children, where there isalways, in America, a place for the little waifs. Then at four, Dicklearned to read, write and count in one of those State of New Yorkschools, which charitable subscriptions maintain so generously. 

At eight, the taste for the sea, which Dick had from birth, caused himto embark as cabin-boy on a packet ship of the South Sea. There helearned the seaman's trade, and as one ought to learn it, from theearliest age. Little by little he instructed himself under thedirection of officers who were interested in this little old man. Sothe cabin-boy soon became the novice, expecting something better, ofcourse. The child who understands, from the beginning, that work is thelaw of life, the one who knows, from an early age, that he will gainhis bread only by the sweat of his brow--a Bible precept which is therule of humanity--that one is probably intended for great things; forsome day he will have, with the will, the strength to accomplish them. 

It was, when he was a cabin-boy on board a merchant vessel, that DickSand was remarked by Captain Hull. This honest seaman immediatelyformed a friendship with this honest young boy, and later he made himknown to the ship-owner, James W. Weldon. The latter felt a livelyinterest in this orphan, whose education he completed at San Francisco, and he had him brought up in the Catholic religion, to which his familyadhered. 

During the course of his studies, Dick Sand showed a particular likingfor geography, for voyages, while waiting till he was old enough tolearn that branch of mathematics which relates to navigation. Then tothis theoretical portion of his instruction, he did not neglect to jointhe practical. It was as novice that he was able to embark for thefirst time on the "Pilgrim. " A good seaman ought to understand fishingas well as navigation. It is a good preparation for all thecontingencies which the maritime career admits of. Besides, Dick Sandset out on a vessel of James W. Weldon's, his benefactor, commanded byhis protector, Captain Hull. Thus he found himself in the mostfavorable circumstances. 

To speak of the extent of his devotion to the Weldon family, to whom heowed everything, would be superfluous. Better let the facts speak forthemselves. But it will be understood how happy the young novice waswhen he learned that Mrs. Weldon was going to take passage on board the"Pilgrim. " Mrs. Weldon for several years had been a mother to him, andin Jack he saw a little brother, all the time keeping in remembrancehis position in respect to the son of the rich ship-owner. But--hisprotectors knew it well--this good seed which they had sown had fallenon good soil. The orphan's heart was filled with gratitude, and someday, if it should be necessary to give his life for those who hadtaught him to instruct himself and to love God, the young novice wouldnot hesitate to give it. Finally, to be only fifteen, but to act andthink as if he were thirty, that was Dick Sand. 

Mrs. Weldon knew what her _protégé_ was worth. She could trust littleJack with him without any anxiety. Dick Sand cherished this child, who, feeling himself loved by this "large brother, " sought his company. During those long leisure hours, which are frequent in a voyage, whenthe sea is smooth, when the well set up sails require no management, Dick and Jack were almost always together. The young novice showed thelittle boy everything in his craft which seemed amusing. 

Without fear Mrs. Weldon saw Jack, in company with Dick Sand, springout on the shrouds, climb to the top of the mizzen-mast, or to thebooms of the mizzen-topmast, and come down again like an arrow thewhole length of the backstays. Dick Sand went before or followed him, always ready to hold him up or keep him back, if his six-year-old armsgrew feeble during those exercises. All that benefited little Jack, whom sickness had made somewhat pale; but his color soon came back onboard the "Pilgrim, " thanks to this gymnastic, and to the bracingsea-breezes. 

So passed the time. Under these conditions the passage was beingaccomplished, and only the weather was not very favorable, neither thepassengers nor the crew of the "Pilgrim" would have had cause tocomplain. 

Meanwhile this continuance of east winds made Captain Hull anxious. Hedid not succeed in getting the vessel into the right course. Later, near the Tropic of Capricorn, he feared finding calms which would delayhim again, without speaking of the equatorial current, which wouldirresistibly throw him back to the west. He was troubled then, aboveall, for Mrs. Weldon, by the delays for which, meanwhile, he was notresponsible. So, if he should meet, on his course, some transatlanticsteamer on the way toward America, he already thought of advising hispassenger to embark on it. Unfortunately, he was detained in latitudestoo high to cross a steamer running to Panama; and, besides, at thatperiod communication across the Pacific, between Australia and the NewWorld, was not as frequent as it has since become. 

It then was necessary to leave everything to the grace of God, and itseemed as if nothing would trouble this monotonous passage, when thefirst incident occurred precisely on that day, February 2d, in thelatitude and longitude indicated at the beginning of this history. 

Dick Sand and Jack, toward nine o'clock in the morning, in very clearweather, were installed on the booms of the mizzen-topmast. Thence theylooked down on the whole ship and a portion of the ocean in a largocircumference. Behind, the perimeter of the horizon was broken to theireyes, only by the mainmast, carrying brigantine and fore-staff. Thatbeacon hid from them a part of the sea and the sky. In the front, theysaw the bowsprit stretching over the waves, with its three jibs, whichwere hauled tightly, spread out like three great unequal wings. Underneath rounded the foremast, and above, the little top-sail andthe little gallant-sail, whose bolt-rope quivered with the pranks ofthe breeze. The schooner was then running on the larboard tack, andhugging the wind as much as possible. 

Dick Sand explained to Jack how the "Pilgrim, " ballasted properly, wellbalanced in all her parts, could not capsize, even if she gave a prettystrong heel to starboard, when the little boy interrupted him. 

"What do I see there?" said he. 

"You see something, Jack?" demanded Dick Sand, who stood up straight onthe booms. 

"Yes--there!" replied little Jack, showing a point of the sea, leftopen by the interval between the stays of the standing-jib and theflying-jib. 

Dick Sand looked at the point indicated attentively, and forthwith, with a loud voice, he cried;

"A wreck to windward, over against starboard!"

 * * * * *

CHAPTER III. 

THE WRECK. 

Dick Sand's cry brought all the crew to their feet. The men who werenot on watch came on deck. Captain Hull, leaving his cabin, went towardthe bow. 

Mrs. Weldon, Nan, even the indifferent Cousin Benedict himself, came tolean over the starboard rail, so as to see the wreck signaled by theyoung novice. 

Negoro, alone, did not leave the cabin, which served him for a kitchen;and as usual, of all the crew, he was the only one whom the encounterwith a wreck did not appear to interest. 

Then all regarded attentively the floating object which the waves wererocking, three miles from the "Pilgrim. "

"Ah! what can that be?" said a sailor. 

"Some abandoned raft, " replied another. 

"Perhaps there are some unhappy shipwrecked ones on that raft, " saidMrs. Weldon. 

"We shall find out, " replied Captain Hull. "But that wreck is not araft. It is a hull thrown over on the side. "

"Ah! is it not more likely to be some marine animal--some mammifer ofgreat size?" observed Cousin Benedict. 

"I do not think so, " replied the novice. 

"Then what is your idea, Dick?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"An overturned hull, as the captain has said, Mrs. Weldon. It evenseems to me that I see its copper keel glistening in the sun. "

"Yes--indeed, " replied Captain Hull. Then addressing the helmsman:"Steer to the windward, Bolton. Let her go a quarter, so as to comealongside the wreck. "

"Yes, sir, " replied the helmsman. 

"But, " continued Cousin Benedict, "I keep to what I have said. Positively it is an animal. "

"Then this would be a whale in copper, " replied Captain Hull, "for, positively, also, I see it shine in the sun!"

"At all events, Cousin Benedict, " added Mrs. Weldon, "you will agreewith us that this whale must be dead, for it is certain that it doesnot make the least movement. "

"Ah! Cousin Weldon, " replied Cousin Benedict, who was obstinate, "thiswould not be the first time that one has met a whale sleeping on thesurface of the waves. "

"That is a fact, " replied Captain Hull; "but to-day, the thing is not awhale, but a ship. "

"We shall soon see, " replied Cousin Benedict, who, after all, wouldgive all the mammifers of the Arctic or Antarctic seas for an insect ofa rare species. 

"Steer, Bolton, steer!" cried Captain Hull again, "and do not board thewreck. Keep a cable's length. If we cannot do much harm to this hull, it might cause us some damage, and I do not care to hurt the sides ofthe 'Pilgrim' with it. Tack a little, Bolton, tack!"

The "Pilgrim's" prow, which had been directed toward the wreck, wasturned aside by a slight movement of the helm. 

The schooner was still a mile from the capsized hull. The sailors wereeagerly looking at it. Perhaps it held a valuable cargo, which it wouldbe possible to transfer to the "Pilgrim. " We know that, in thesesalvages, the third of the value belongs to the rescuers, and, in thiscase, if the cargo was not damaged, the crew, as they say, would make"a good haul. " This would be a fish of consolation for their incompletefishing. 

A quarter of an hour later the wreck was less than a mile from the"Pilgrim. "

It was indeed a ship, which presented itself on its side, to thestarboard. Capsized as far as the nettings, she heeled so much that itwould be almost impossible to stand upon her deck. Nothing could beseen beyond her masts. From the port-shrouds were banging only someends of broken rope, and the chains broken by the cloaks ofwhite-crested waves. On the starboard side opened a large hole betweenthe timbers of the frame-work and the damaged planks. 

"This ship has been run into, " cried Dick Sand. 

"There is no doubt of that, " replied Captain Hull; "and it is a miraclethat she did not sink immediately. "

"If there has been a collision, " observed Mrs. Weldon, "we must hopethat the crew of this ship has been picked up by those who struck her. "

"It is to be hoped so, Mrs. Weldon, " replied Captain, Hull, "unlessthis crew sought refuge in their own boats after the collision, in casethe colliding vessel should sail right on--which, alas! sometimeshappens. "

"Is it possible? That would be a proof of very great inhumanity, Mr. Hull. "

"Yes, Mrs. Weldon. Yes! and instances are not wanting. As to the crewof this ship, what makes me believe that it is more likely they haveleft it, is that I do not see a single boat; and, unless the men onboard have been picked up, I should be more inclined to think that theyhave tried to roach the land. But, at this distance from the Americancontinent, or from the islands of Oceanica, it is to be feared thatthey have not succeeded. "

"Perhaps, " said Mrs. Weldon, "we shall never know the secret of thiscatastrophe. Meanwhile, it might be possible that some man of the crewis still on board. "

"That is not probable, Mrs. Weldon, " replied Captain Hull. "Ourapproach would be already known, and they would make some signals tous. But we shall make sure of it. --Luff a little, Bolton, luff, " criedCaptain Hull, while indicating with his hand what course to take. 

The "Pilgrim" was now only three cables' length from the wreck, andthey could no longer doubt that this hull had been completely abandonedby all its crew. 

But, at that moment, Dick Sand made a gesture which imperiouslydemanded silence. 

"Listen, listen!" said he. 

Each listened. 

"I hear something like a bark!" cried Dick Sand. In fact, a distantbarking resounded from the interior of the hull. Certainly there was aliving dog there, imprisoned perhaps, for it was possible that thehatches were hermetically closed. But they could not see it, the deckof the capsized vessel being still invisible. 

"If there be only a dog there, Mr. Hull, " said Mrs. "Weldon, " we shallsave it. "

"Yes, yes!" cried little Jack, "we shall save it. I shall give itsomething to eat! It will love us well! Mama, I am going to bring it apiece of sugar!"

"Stay still, my child, " replied Mrs. Weldon smiling. "I believe thatthe poor animal is dying of hunger, and it will prefer a good mess toyour morsel of sugar. "

"Well, then, let it have my soup, " cried little Jack. "I can do withoutit very well. "

At that moment the barking was more distinctly heard. Three hundredfeet, at the most, separated the two ships. Almost immediately a dog ofgreat height appeared on the starboard netting, and clung there, barking more despairingly than ever. 

"Howik, " said Captain Hull, turning toward the master of the"Pilgrim's" crew, "heave to, and lower the small boat. "

"Hold on, my dog, hold on!" cried little Jack to the animal, whichseemed to answer him with a half-stifled bark. 

The "Pilgrim's" sails were rapidly furled, so that the ship shouldremain almost motionless, less than half a cable's length from thewreck. 

The boat was brought alongside. Captain Hull, Dick Sand and two sailorsgot into it at once. 

The dog barked all the time. It tried to hold on to the netting, butevery moment it fell back on the deck. One would say that its barkswere no longer addressed to those who were coming to him. Were theythen addressed to some sailors or passengers imprisoned in this ship?

"Is there, then, on board some shipwrecked one who has survived?" Mrs. Weldon asked herself. 

A few strokes of the oars and the "Pilgrim's" boat would reach thecapsized hull. 

But, suddenly, the dog's manner changed. Furious barks succeeded itsfirst barks inviting the rescuers to come. The most violent angerexcited the singular animal. 

"What can be the matter with that dog?" said Captain Hull, while theboat was turning the stern of the vessel, so as to come alongside ofthe part of the deck lying under the water. 

What Captain Hull could not then observe, what could not be noticedeven on board the "Pilgrim, " was that the dog's fury manifested itselfjust at the moment when Negoro, leaving his kitchen, had just cometoward the forecastle. 

Did the dog then know and recognize the master cook? It was veryimprobable. 

However that may be, after looking at the dog, without showing anysurprise, Negoro, who, however, frowned for an instant, returned to thecrew's quarters. 

Meanwhile the boat had rounded the stern of the ship. Her aftboardcarried this single name: "Waldeck. "

"Waldeck, " and no designation of the port attached. But, by the form ofthe hull, by certain details which a sailor seizes at the first glance, Captain Hull had, indeed, discovered that this ship was of Americanconstruction. Besides, her name confirmed it. And now, this hull, itwas all that remained of a large brig of five hundred tons. 

At the "Waldeck's" prow a large opening indicated the place where thecollision had occurred. In consequence of the capsizing of the hull, this opening was then five or six feet above the water--which explainedwhy the brig had not yet foundered. 

On the deck, which Captain Hull saw in its whole extent, there wasnobody. 

The dog, having left the netting, had just let itself slip as far asthe central hatch, which was open; and it barked partly toward theinterior, partly toward the exterior. 

"It is very certain that this animal is not alone on board!" observedDick Sand. 

"No, in truth!" replied Captain Hull. 

The boat then skirted the larboard netting, which was half under water. A somewhat strong swell of the sea would certainly submerge the"Waldeck" in a few moments. 

The brig's deck had been swept from one end to the other. There wasnothing left except the stumps of the mainmast and of the mizzen-mast, both broken off two feet above the scuttles, and which had fallen inthe collision, carrying away shrouds, back-stays, and rigging. Meanwhile, as far as the eye could see, no wreck was visible around the"Waldeck"--which seemed to indicate that the catastrophe was alreadyseveral days old. 

"If some unhappy creatures have survived the collision, " said CaptainHull, "it is probable that either hunger or thirst has finished them, for the water must have gained the store-room. There are only deadbodies on board!"

"No, " cried Dick Sand, "no! The dog would not bark that way. There areliving beings on board!"

At that moment the animal, responding to the call of the novice, slidto the sea, and swam painfully toward the boat, for it seemed to beexhausted. 

They took it in, and it rushed eagerly, not for a piece of bread thatDick Sand offered it first, but to a half-tub which contained a littlefresh water. 

"This poor animal is dying of thirst!" cried Dick Sand. 

The boat then sought a favorable place to board the "Waldeck" moreeasily, and for that purpose it drew away a few strokes. The dogevidently thought that its rescuers did not wish to go on board, for heseized Dick Sand by his jacket, and his lamentable barks commencedagain with new strength. 

They understood it. Its pantomime and its language were as clear as aman's language could be. The boat was brought immediately as far as thelarboard cat-head. There the two sailors moored it firmly, whileCaptain Hull and Dick Sand, setting foot on the deck at the same timeas the dog, raised themselves, not without difficulty, to the hatchwhich opened between the stumps of the two masts. 

By this hatch the two made their way into the hold. 

The "Waldeck's" hold, half full of water, contained no goods. The brigsailed with ballast--a ballast of sand which had slid to larboard andwhich helped to keep the ship on her side. On that head, then, therewas no salvage to effect. 

"Nobody here, " said Captain Hull. 

"Nobody, " replied the novice, after having gone to the foremost part ofthe hold. 

But the dog, which was on the deck, kept on barking and seemed to callthe captain's attention more imperatively. 

"Let us go up again, " said Captain Hull to the novice. 

Both appeared again on the deck. 

The dog, running to them, sought to draw them to the poop. 

They followed it. 

There, in the square, five bodies--undoubtedly five corpses--were lyingon the floor. 

By the daylight which entered in waves by the opening, Captain Hulldiscovered the bodies of five negroes. 

Dick Sand, going from one to the other, thought he felt that theunfortunates were still breathing. 

"On board! on board!" cried Captain Hull. 

The two sailors who took care of the boat were called, and helped tocarry the shipwrecked men out of the poop. 

This was not without difficulty, but two minutes after, the five blackswere laid in the boat, without being at all conscious that any one wastrying to save them. A few drops of cordial, then a little fresh waterprudently administered, might, perhaps, recall them to life. 

The "Pilgrim" remained a half cable's length from the wreck, and theboat would soon reach her. 

A girt-line was let down from the main-yard, and each of the blacksdrawn up separately reposed at last on the "Pilgrim's" deck. 

The dog had accompanied them. 

"The unhappy creatures!" cried Mrs. Weldon, on perceiving those poormen, who were only inert bodies. 

"They are alive, Mrs. Weldon. We shall save them. Yes, we shall savethem, " cried Dick Sand. 

"What has happened to them?" demanded Cousin Benedict. 

"Wait till they can speak, " replied Captain Hull, "and they will tellus their history. But first of all, let us make them drink a littlewater, in which we shall mix a few drops of rum. " Then, turning round:"Negoro!" he called. 

At that name the dog stood up as if it knew the sound, its hairbristling, its mouth open. 

Meanwhile, the cook did not appear. 

"Negoro!" repeated Captain Hull. 

The dog again gave signs of extreme fury. 

Negoro left the kitchen. 

Hardly had he shown himself on the deck, than the dog sprang on him andwanted to jump at his throat. 

With a blow from the poker with which he was armed, the cook drove awaythe animal, which some of the sailors succeeded in holding. 

"Do you know this dog?" Captain Hull asked the master cook. 

"I?" replied Negoro. "I have never seen it. "

"That is singular, " murmured Dick Sand. 

 * * * * *

CHAPTER IV. 

THE SURVIVORS OF THE "WALDECK. "

The slave trade was still carried on, on a large scale, in allequinoctial Africa. Notwithstanding the English and French cruisers, ships loaded with slaves leave the coasts of Angola and Mozambiqueevery year to transport negroes to various parts of the world, and, itmust be said, of the civilized world. 

Captain Hull was not ignorant of it. Though these parts were notordinarily frequented by slave-ships, he asked himself if these blacks, whose salvage he had just effected, were not the survivors of a cargoof slaves that the "Waldeck" was going to sell to some Pacific colony. At all events, if that was so, the blacks became free again by the soleact of setting foot on his deck, and he longed to tell it to them. 

Meanwhile the most earnest care had been lavished on the shipwreckedmen from the "Waldeck. " Mrs. Weldon, aided by Nan and Dick Sand, hadadministered to them a little of that good fresh water of which theymust have been deprived for several days, and that, with somenourishment, sufficed to restore them to life. 

The eldest of these blacks--he might be about sixty years old--was soonable to speak, and he could answer in English the questions which wereaddressed to him. 

"The ship which carried you was run into?" asked Captain Hull, first ofall. 

"Yes, " replied the old black. "Ten days ago our ship was struck, duringa very dark night. We were asleep----"

"But the men of the 'Waldeck'--what has become of them?"

"They were no longer there, sir, when my companions and I reached thedeck. "

"Then, was the crew able to jump on board the ship which struck the'Waldeck'?" demanded Captain Hull. 

"Perhaps, and we must indeed hope so for their sakes. "

"And that ship, after the collision, did it not return to pick you up?"

"No. "

"Did she then go down herself?"

"She did not founder, " replied the old black, shaking his head, "for wecould see her running away in the night. "

This fact, which was attested by all the survivors of the "Waldeck, "may appear incredible. It is only too true, however, that captains, after some terrible collision, due to their imprudence, have oftentaken flight without troubling themselves about the unfortunate oneswhom they had put in danger, and without endeavoring to carryassistance to them. 

That drivers do as much and leave to others, on the public way, thetrouble of repairing the misfortune which they have caused, that isindeed to be condemned. Still, their victims are assured of findingimmediate help. But, that men to men, abandon each other thus at sea, it is not to be believed, it is a shame!

Meanwhile, Captain Hull knew several examples of such inhumanity, andhe was obliged to tell Mrs. Weldon that such facts, monstrous as theymight be, were unhappily not rare. 

Then, continuing:

"Whence came the 'Waldeck?'" he asked. 

"From Melbourne. "

"Then you are not slaves?"

"No, sir!" the old black answered quickly, as he stood up straight. "Weare subjects of the State of Pennsylvania, and citizens of freeAmerica!"

"My friends, " replied Captain Hull, "believe me that you have notcompromised your liberty in coming on board of the American brig, the'Pilgrim. '"

In fact, the five blacks which the "Waldeck" carried belonged to theState of Pennsylvania. The oldest, sold in Africa as a slave at the ageof six years, then brought to the United States, had been freed alreadymany years ago by the Emancipation Proclamation. As to his companions, much younger than he, sons of slaves liberated before their birth, theywere born free; no white had ever had the right of property over them. They did not even speak that "negro" language, which does not use thearticle, and only knows the infinitive of the verbs--a language whichhas disappeared little by little, indeed, since the anti-slavery war. These blacks had, then, freely left the United States, and they werereturning to it freely. 

As they told Captain Hull, they were engaged as laborers at anEnglishman's who owned a vast mine near Melbourne, in SouthernAustralia. There they had passed three years, with great profit tothemselves; their engagement ended, they had wished to return toAmerica. 

They then had embarked on the "Waldeck, " paying their passage likeordinary passengers. On the 5th of December they left Melbourne, andseventeen days after, during a very black night, the "Waldeck" had beenstruck by a large steamer. 

The blacks were in bed. A few seconds after the collision, which wasterrible, they rushed on the deck. 

Already the ship's masts had fallen, and the "Waldeck" was lying on theside; but she would not sink, the water not having invaded the holdsufficiently to cause it. 

As to the captain and crew of the "Waldeck, " all had disappeared, whether some had been precipitated into the sea, whether others werecaught on the rigging of the colliding ship, which, after thecollision, had fled to return no more. 

The five blacks were left alone on board, on a half-capsized hull, twelve hundred miles from any land. 

Then oldest of the negroes was named Tom. His age, as well as hisenergetic character, and his experience, often put to the proof duringa long life of labor, made him the natural head of the companions whowere engaged with him. 

The other blacks were young men from twenty-five to thirty years old, whose names were Bat (abbreviation of Bartholomew), son of old Tom, Austin, Acteon, and Hercules, all four well made and vigorous, and whowould bring a high price in the markets of Central Africa. Even thoughthey had suffered terribly, one could easily recognize in themmagnificent specimens of that strong race, on which a liberaleducation, drawn from the numerous schools of North America, hadalready impressed its seal. 

Tom and his companions then found themselves alone on the "Waldeck"after the collision, having no means of raising that inert hull, without even power to leave it, because the two boats on board had beenshattered in the boarding. They were reduced to waiting for the passageof a ship, while the wreck drifted little by little under the action ofthe currents. This action explained why she had been encountered so farout of her course, for the "Waldeck, " having left Melbourne, ought tobe found in much lower latitude. 

During the ten days which elapsed between the collision and the momentwhen the "Pilgrim" arrived in sight of the shipwrecked vessel the fiveblacks were sustained by some food which they had found in the officeof the landing-place. But, not being able to penetrate into thesteward's room, which the water entirely covered, they had had nospirits to quench their thirst, and they had suffered cruelly, thewater casks fastened to the deck having been stove in by the collision. Since the night before, Tom and his companions, tortured by thirst, hadbecome unconscious. 

Such was the recital which Tom gave, in a few words, to Captain Hull. There was no reason to doubt the veracity of the old black. Hiscompanions confirmed all that he had said; besides, the facts pleadedfor the poor men. 

Another living being, saved on the wreck, would doubtless have spokenwith the same sincerity if it had been gifted with speech. 

It was that dog, that the sight of Negoro seemed to affect in such adisagreeable manner. There was in that some truly inexplicableantipathy. 

Dingo--that was the name of the dog--belonged to that race of mastiffswhich is peculiar to New Holland. It was not in Australia, however, that the captain of the "Waldeck" had found it. Two years before Dingo, wandering half dead of hunger, had been met on the western coast ofAfrica, near the mouth of the Congo. The captain of the "Waldeck" hadpicked up this fine animal, who, being not very sociable, seemed to bealways regretting some old master, from whom he had been violentlyseparated, and whom it would be impossible to find again in that desertcountry. S. V. --those two letters engraved on his collar--were all thatlinked this animal to a past, whose mystery one would seek in vain tosolve. 

Dingo, a magnificent and robust beast, larger than the dogs of thePyrenees, was then a superb specimen of the New Holland variety ofmastiffs. When it stood up, throwing its head back, it equaled theheight of a man. Its agility--its muscular strength, would besufficient for one of those animals which without hesitation attackjaguars and panthers, and do not fear to face a bear. Its long tail ofthick hair, well stocked and stiff like a lion's tail, its general huedark fawn-color, was only varied at the nose by some whitish streaks. This animal, under the influence of anger, might become formidable, andit will be understood that Negoro was not satisfied with the receptiongiven him by this vigorous specimen of the canine race. 

Meanwhile, Dingo, if it was not sociable, was not bad. It seemed ratherto be sad. An observation which had been made by old Tom on board the"Waldeck" was that this dog did not seem to like blacks. It did notseek to harm them, but certainly it shunned them. May be, on thatAfrican coast where it wandered, it had suffered some bad treatmentfrom the natives. So, though Tom and his companions were honest men, Dingo was never drawn toward them. During the ten days that theshipwrecked dog had passed on the "Waldeck, " it had kept at a distance, feeding itself, they knew not how, but having also suffered cruellyfrom thirst. 

Such, then, were the survivors of this wreck, which the first surge ofthe sea would submerge. No doubt it would have carried only dead bodiesinto the depths of the ocean if the unexpected arrival of the"Pilgrim, " herself kept back by calms and contrary winds, had notpermitted Captain Hull to do a work of humanity. 

This work had only to be completed by bringing back to their countrythe shipwrecked men from the "Waldeck, " who, in this shipwreck, hadlost their savings of three years of labor. This is what was going tobe done. The "Pilgrim, " after having effected her unloading atValparaiso, would ascend the American coast as far as California. ThereTom and his companions would be well received by James W. Weldon--hisgenerous wife assured them of it--and they would be provided with allthat would be necessary for them to return to the State of Pennsylvania. 

These honest men, reassured about the future, had only to thank Mrs. Weldon and Captain Hull. Certainly they owed them a great deal, andalthough they were only poor negroes, perhaps, they did not despair ofsome day paying this debt of gratitude. 

CHAPTER V. 

S. V. 

Meanwhile, the "Pilgrim" had continued her course, making for the eastas much as possible. This lamentable continuance of calms did not ceaseto trouble Captain Hull--not that he was uneasy about two or threeweeks' delay in a passage from New Zealand to Valparaiso, but becauseof the extra fatigue which this delay might bring to his lady passenger. 

Meanwhile, Mrs. Weldon did not complain, and philosophically took hermisfortune in patience. 

That same day, February 2d, toward evening, the wreck was lost sight of. 

Captain Hull was troubled, in the first place, to accommodate Tom andhis companions as conveniently as possible. The crew's quarters on the"Pilgrim, " built on the deck in the form of a "roufle, " would be toosmall to hold them. An arrangement was then made to lodge them underthe forecastle. Besides, these honest men, accustomed to rude labors, could not be hard to please, and with fine weather, warm andsalubrious, this sleeping-place ought to suffice for the whole passage. 

The life on board, shaken for a moment from its monotony by thisincident, then went on as usual. 

Tom, Austin, Bat, Acteon, and Hercules would indeed wish to makethemselves useful. But with these constant winds, the sails once set, there was nothing more to do. Meanwhile, when there was a veeringabout, the old black and his companions hastened to give a hand to thecrew, and it must be confessed that when the colossal Hercules hauledsome rope, they were aware of it. This vigorous negro, six feet high, brought in a tackle all by himself. 

It was joy for little Jack to look at this giant. He was not afraid ofhim, and when Hercules hoisted him up in his arms, as if he were only acork baby, there were cries of joy to go on. 

"Lift me very high, " said little Jack. 

"There, Master Jack!" replied Hercules. 

"Am I very heavy?"

"I do not even feel you. "

"Well, higher still! To the end of your arm!" And Hercules, holding thechild's two little feet in his large hand, walked him about like agymnast in a circus. Jack saw himself, tall, taller, which amused himvery much. He even tried to make himself heavy--which the colossus didnot perceive at all. 

Dick Sand and Hercules, they were two friends for little Jack. He wasnot slow in making himself a third--that was Dingo. 

It has been said that Dingo was not a sociable dog. Doubtless that heldgood, because the society of the "Waldeck" did not suit it. On boardthe "Pilgrim" it was quite another thing. Jack probably knew how totouch the fine animal's heart. The latter soon took pleasure in playingwith the little boy, whom this play pleased. It was soon discoveredthat Dingo was one of those dogs who have a particular taste forchildren. Besides, Jack did it no harm. His greatest pleasure was totransform Dingo into a swift steed, and it is safe to affirm that ahorse of this kind is much superior to a pasteboard quadruped, evenwhen it has wheels to its feet. So Jack galloped bare-back on the dog, which let him do it willingly, and, in truth, Jack was no heavier to itthan the half of a jockey to a race-horse. 

But what a break each day in the stock of sugar in the store-room!

Dingo soon became a favorite with the whole crew. Alone, Negorocontinued to avoid any encounter with the animal, whose antipathy wasalways as strong as it was inexplicable. 

Meanwhile, little Jack had not neglected Dick Sand, his friend of old, for Dingo. All the time that was unclaimed by his duties on board, thenovice passed with the little boy. 

Mrs. Weldon, it is needless to say, always regarded this intimacy withthe most complete satisfaction. 

One day, February 6th, she spoke of Dick to Captain Hull, and thecaptain praised the young novice in the highest terms. 

"That boy, " he said to Mrs. Weldon, "will be a good seaman some day, I'll guarantee. He has truly a passion for the sea, and by this passionhe makes up for the theoretical parts of the calling which he has notyet learned. What he already knows is astonishing, when we think ofthe short time he has had to learn. "

"It must be added, " replied Mrs. Weldon, "that he is also an excellentperson, a true boy, very superior to his age, and who has never meritedany blame since we have known him. "

"Yes, he is a good young man, " continued the captain, "justly loved andappreciated by all. "

"This cruise finished, " said Mrs. Weldon, "I know that my husband'sintention is to have him follow a course of navigation, so that, he mayafterwards obtain a captain's commission. "

"And Mr. Weldon is right, " replied Captain Hull. "Dick Sand will oneday do honor to the American marine. "

"This poor orphan commenced life sadly, " observed Mrs. Weldon. "He hasbeen in a hard school!"

"Doubtless, Mrs. Weldon; but the lessons have not been lost on him. Hehas learned that he must make his own way in this world, and he is in afair way to do it. "

"Yes, the way of duty!"

"Look at him now, Mrs. Weldon, " continued Captain Hull. "He is at thehelm, his eye fixed on the point of the foresail. No distraction on thepart of this young novice, as well as no lurch to the ship. Dick Sandhas already the confidence of an old steersman. A good beginning for aseaman. Our craft, Mrs. Weldon, is one of those in which it isnecessary to begin very young. He who has not been a cabin-boy willnever arrive at being a perfect seaman, at least in the merchantmarine. Everything must be learned, and, consequently, everything mustbe at the same time instinctive and rational with the sailor--theresolution to grasp, as well as the skill to execute. "

"Meanwhile, Captain Hull, " replied Mrs. Weldon, "good officers are notlacking in the navy. "

"No, " replied Captain Hull; "but, in my opinion, the best have almostall begun their career as children, and, without speaking of Nelson anda few others, the worst are not those who began by being cabin-boys. "

At that moment they saw Cousin Benedict springing up from the rearcompanion-way. As usual he was absorbed, and as little conscious ofthis world as the Prophet Elias will be when he returns to the earth. 

Cousin Benedict began to walk about on the deck like an uneasy spirit, examining closely the interstices of the netting, rummaging under thehen-cages, putting his hand between the seams of the deck, there, wherethe pitch had scaled off. 

"Ah! Cousin Benedict, " asked Mrs. Weldon, "do you keep well?"

"Yes--Cousin Weldon--I am well, certainly--but I am in a hurry to geton land. "

"What are you looking for under that bench, Mr. Benedict?" askedCaptain Hull. 

"Insects, sir, " returned Cousin Benedict. "What do you expect me tolook for, if not insects?"

"Insects! Faith, I must agree with you; but it is not at sea that youwill enrich your collection. "

"And why not, sir? It is not impossible to find on board some specimenof----"

"Cousin Benedict, " said Mrs. Weldon, "do you then slander Captain Hull?His ship is so well kept, that you will return empty-handed from yourhunt. "

Captain Hull began to laugh. 

"Mrs. Weldon exaggerates, " replied he. "However, Mr. Benedict, Ibelieve you will lose your time rummaging in our cabins. "

"Ah! I know it well, " cried Cousin Benedict, shrugging his shoulders. "I have had a good search----"

"But, in the 'Pilgrim's' hold, " continued Captain Hull, "perhaps youwill find some cockroaches--subjects of little interest, however. "

"Of little interest, those nocturnal orthopters which have incurred themaledictions of Virgil and Horace!" retorted Cousin Benedict, standingup straight. "Of little interest, those near relations of the'periplaneta orientalis' and of the American kakerlac, whichinhabit----"

"Which infest!" said Captain Hull. 

"Which reign on board!" retorted Cousin Benedict, fiercely. 

"Amiable sovereignty!"

"Ah! you are not an entomologist, sir?"

Never at my own expense. "

"Now, Cousin Benedict, " said Mrs. Weldon, smiling, "do not wish us tobe devoured for love of science. "

"I wish, nothing, Cousin Weldon, " replied, the fiery entomologist, "except to be able to add to my collection some rare subject whichmight do it honor. "

"Are you not satisfied, then, with the conquests that you have made inNew Zealand?"

"Yes, truly, Cousin Weldon. I have been rather fortunate in conqueringone of those new staphylins which till now had only been found somehundreds of miles further, in New Caledonia. "

At that moment Dingo, who was playing with Jack, approached CousinBenedict, gamboling. 

"Go away! go away!" said the latter, pushing off the animal. 

"To love cockroaches and detest dogs!" cried Captain Hull. "Oh! Mr. Benedict!"

"A good dog, notwithstanding, " said little Jack, taking Dingo's greathead in his small hands. 

"Yes. I do not say no, " replied Cousin Benedict. "But what do you want?This devil of an animal has not realized the hopes I conceived onmeeting it. "

"Ah! my goodness!" cried Mrs. Weldon, "did you, then, hope to be ableto classify it in the order of the dipters or the hymenopters?"

"No, " replied Cousin Benedict, seriously. "But is it not true that thisDingo, though it be of the New Zealand race, was picked up on thewestern coast of Africa?"

"Nothing is more true, " replied Mrs. Weldon, "and Tom had often heardthe captain of the 'Waldeck' say so. "

"Well, I had thought--I had hoped--that this dog would have broughtaway some specimens of hemipteras peculiar to the African fauna. "

"Merciful heavens!" cried Mrs. Weldon. 

"And that perhaps, " added Cousin Benedict, "some penetrating orirritating flea--of a new species----"

"Do you understand, Dingo?" said Captain Hull. "Do you understand, mydog? You have failed in all your duties!"

"But I have examined it well, " added the entomologist, with an accentof deep regret. "I have not been able to find a single insect. "

"Which you would have immediately and mercilessly put to death, Ihope!" cried Captain Hull. 

"Sir, " replied Cousin Benedict, dryly, "learn that Sir John Franklinmade a scruple of killing the smallest insect, be it a mosquito, whoseattacks are otherwise formidable as those of a flea; and meanwhile youwill not hesitate to allow, that Sir John Franklin was a seaman who wasas good as the next. "

"Surely, " said Captain Hull, bowing. 

"And one day, after being frightfully devoured by a dipter, he blew andsent it away, saying to it, without even using _thou_ or _thee_: 'Go!the world is large enough for you and for me!'"

"Ah!" ejaculated Captain Hull. 

"Yes, sir. "

"Well, Mr. Benedict, " retorted Captain Hull, "another had said thatlong before Sir John Franklin. "

"Another?"

"Yes; and that other was Uncle Toby. "

"An entomologist?" asked Cousin Benedict, quickly. 

"No! Sterne's Uncle Toby, and that worthy uncle pronounced preciselythe same words, while setting free a mosquito that annoyed him, butwhich he thought himself at liberty to _thee_ and _thou_: 'Go, poordevil, ' he said to it, 'the world is large enough to contain us, theeand me!'"

"An honest man, that Uncle Toby!" replied Cousin Benedict. "Is he dead?"

"I believe so, indeed, " retorted Captain Hull, gravely, "as he hasnever existed!"

And each began to laugh, looking at Cousin Benedict. 

Thus, then, in these conversations, and many others, which invariablybore on some point of entomological science, whenever Cousin Benedicttook part, passed away long hours of this navigation against contrarywinds. The sea always fine, but winds which obliged the schooner totack often. The "Pilgrim" made very little headway toward the east--thebreeze was so feeble; and they longed to reach those parts where theprevailing winds would be more favorable. 

It must be stated here that Cousin Benedict had endeavored to initiatethe young novice into the mysteries of entomology. But Dick Sand hadshown himself rather refractory to these advances. For want of bettercompany the savant had fallen back on the negroes, who comprehendednothing about it. Tom, Acteon, Bat, and Austin had even finished bydeserting the class, and the professor found himself reduced toHercules alone, who seemed to him to have some natural disposition todistinguish a parasite from a thysanuran. 

So the gigantic black lived in the world of coleopteras, carnivorousinsects, hunters, gunners, ditchers, cicindelles, carabes, sylphides, moles, cockchafers, horn-beetles, tenebrions, mites, lady-birds, studying all Cousin Benedict's collection, not but the latter trembledon seeing his frail specimens in Hercules' great hands, which were hardand strong as a vise. But the colossal pupil listened so quietly to theprofessor's lessons that it was worth risking something to give them. 

While Cousin Benedict worked in that manner, Mrs. Weldon did not leavelittle Jack entirely unoccupied; She taught him to read and to write. As to arithmetic, it was his friend Dick Sand who inculcated the firstelements. 

At the age of five, one is still only a little child, and is perhapsbetter instructed by practical games than by theoretical lessonsnecessarily a little arduous. 

Jack learned to read, not in a primer, but by means of movable letters, printed in red on cubes of wood. He amused himself by arranging theblocks so as to form words. Sometimes Mrs. Weldon took these cubes andcomposed a word; then she disarranged them, and it was for Jack toreplace them in the order required. 

The little boy liked this manner of learning to read very much. Eachday he passed some hours, sometimes in the cabin, sometimes on thedeck, in arranging and disarranging the letters of his alphabet. 

Now, one day this led to an incident so extraordinary, so unexpected, that it is necessary to relate with some detail. 

It was on the morning of February 9th, Jack, half-lying on the deck, was amusing himself forming a word which old Tom was to put togetheragain, after the letters had been mixed. Tom, with his hand over hiseyes so as not to cheat, as he agreed, would see nothing, and did seenothing of the work of the little boy. 

Of these different letters, about fifty in number, some were large, others small. Besides, some of these cubes carried a figure, whichtaught the child to form numbers as well as to form words. 

These cubes were arranged on the deck, and little Jack was takingsometimes one, sometimes another, to make a word--a truly great labor. 

Now, for same moments, Dingo was moving round the young child, whensuddenly it stopped. Its eyes became fixed, its right paw was raised, its tail wagged convulsively. Then, suddenly throwing itself on one ofthe cubes, it seized it in its mouth and laid it on the deck a fewsteps from Jack. 

This cube bore a large letter--the letter S. 

"Dingo, well Dingo!" cried the little boy, who at first was afraid thathis S was swallowed by the dog. 

But Dingo had returned, and, beginning the same performance again, itseized another cube, and went to lay it near the first. 

This second cube was a large V. 

This time Jack gave a cry. 

At this cry, Mrs. Weldon, Captain Hull, and the young novice, who werewalking on the deck, assembled. Little Jack then told them what hadjust passed. 

Dingo knew its letters; Dingo knew how to read! That was very certain, that! Jack had seen it!

Dick Sand wanted to go and take the two cubes, to restore them to hisfriend Jack, but Dingo showed him its teeth. 

However, the novice succeeded in gaining possession of the two cubes, and he replaced them in the set. 

Dingo advanced again, seized again the same two letters, and carriedthem to a distance. This time its two paws lay on them; it seemeddecided to guard them at all hazards. As to the other letters of thealphabet, it did not seem as if it had any knowledge of them. 

"That is a curious thing, " said Mrs. Weldon. 

"It is, in fact, very singular, " replied Captain Hull, who was lookingattentively at the two letters. 

"S. V. , " said Mrs. Weldon. 

"S. V. , " repeated Captain Hull. "But those are precisely the letterswhich are on Dingo's collar!"

Then, all at once, turning to the old black: "Tom, " he asked, "have younot told me that this dog only belonged to the captain of the 'Waldeck'for a short time?"

"In fact, sir, " replied Tom, "Dingo was only on board two years at themost. "

"And have you not added that the captain of the 'Waldeck' had picked upthis dog on the western coast of Africa?"

"Yes, sir, in the neighborhood of the mouth of the Congo. I have oftenheard the captain say so. "

"So, " asked Captain Hull, "it has never been known to whom this dog hadbelonged, nor whence it came?"

"Never, sir. A dog found is worse than a child! That has no papers, and, more, it cannot explain. "

Captain Hull was silent, and reflected. 

"Do those two letters, then, awake some remembrance?" Mrs. Weldon askedCaptain Hull, after leaving him to his reflections for some moments. 

"Yes, Mrs. Weldon, a remembrance, or rather a coincidence at leastsingular. "

What?"

"Those two letters might well have a meaning, and fix for us the fateof an intrepid traveler. "

"What do you mean?" demanded Mrs. Weldon. 

"Here is what I mean, Mrs. Weldon. In 1871--consequently two yearsago--a French traveler set out, under the auspices of the ParisGeographical Society, with the intention of crossing Africa from thewest to the east. His point of departure was precisely the mouth of theCongo. His point of arrival would be as near as possible to CapeDeldago, at the mouths of the Rovuma, whose course he would descend. Now, this French traveler was named Samuel Vernon. "

"Samuel Vernon!" repeated Mrs. Weldon. 

"Yes, Mrs. Weldon; and those two names begin precisely by those twoletters which Dingo has chosen among all the others, and which areengraved on its collar. "

"Exactly, " replied Mrs. Weldon. "And that traveler----"

"That traveler set out, " replied Captain Hull, "and has not been heardof since his departure. "

"Never?" said the novice. 

"Never, " repeated Captain Hull. 

"What do you conclude from it?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"That, evidently, Samuel Vernon has not been able to reach the easterncoast of Africa, whether he may have been made prisoner by the natives, whether death may have struck him on the way. "

"And then this dog?"

"This dog would have belonged to him; and, more fortunate than itsmaster, if my hypothesis is true, it would have been able to return tothe Congo coast, because it was there, at the time when these eventsmust have taken place, that it was picked up by the captain of the'Waldeck. '"

"But, " observed Mrs. Weldon, "do you know if this French traveler wasaccompanied on his departure by a dog? Is it not a mere supposition onyour part?"

"It is only a supposition, indeed, Mrs. Weldon, " replied Captain Hull. "But what is certain is, that Dingo knows these two letters S and V, which are precisely the initials of the two names of the Frenchtraveler. Now, under what circumstances this animal would learn todistinguish them is what I cannot explain; but, I repeat it, it verycertainly knows them; and look, it pushes them with its paw, and seemsto invite us to read them with it. "

In fact, they could not misunderstand Dingo's intention. 

"Then was Samuel Vernon alone when he left the sea-coast of the Congo?"ask Dick Sand. 

"That I know not, " replied Captain Hull. "However, it is probable thathe would take a native escort. "

At that moment Negoro, leaving his post, showed himself on the deck. Atfirst no one remarked his presence, and could not observe the singularlook he cast on the dog when he perceived the two letters over whichthe animal seem to mount guard. But Dingo, having perceived themaster-cook, began to show signs of the most extreme fury. 

Negoro returned immediately to the crew's quarters, not without amenacing gesture at the dog's skill having escaped him. 

"There is some mystery there, " murmured Captain Hull, who had lost noneof this little scene. 

"But, sir, " said the novice, "is it not very astonishing that a dogshould know the letters of the alphabet?"

"No!" cried little Jack. "Mama has often told me the story of a dogwhich knew how to read and write, and even play dominoes, like a realschoolmaster!"

"My dear child, " replied Mrs. Weldon, smiling, "that dog, whose namewas Munito, was not a savant, as you suppose. If I may believe what hasbeen told me about it, Munito would not have been able to distinguishthe letters which served to compose the words. But its master, a cleverAmerican, having remarked what fine hearing Munito had, applied himselfto cultivating that sense, and to draw from it some very curiouseffects. "

"How did he set to work, Mrs. Weldon?" asked Dick Sand, whom thehistory interested almost as much as little Jack. 

"In this way, my friend. " When Munito was 'to appear' before thepublic, letters similar to these were displayed on a table. On thattable the poodle walked about, waiting till a word was proposed, whether in a loud voice or in a low voice. Only, one essentialcondition was that its master should know the word. "

"And, in the absence of its master--" said the novice. 

"The dog could have done nothing, " replied Mrs. Weldon, "and here isthe reason. The letters spread out on the table, Munito walked aboutthrough this alphabet. When it arrived before the letter which itshould choose to form the word required, it stopped; but if it stoppedit was because it heard the noise--imperceptible to all others--of atoothpick that the American snapped in his pocket. That noise was thesignal for Munito to take the letter and arrange it in suitable order. "

"And that was all the secret?" cried Dick Sand. 

"That was the whole secret, " replied Mrs. Weldon. "It is very simple, like all that is done in the matter of prestidigitation. In case of theAmerican's absence, Munito would be no longer Munito. I am, then, astonished, his master not being there--if, indeed, the traveler, Samuel Vernon, has ever been its master--that Dingo could haverecognized those two letters. "

"In fact, " replied Captain Hull, "it is very astonishing. But, takenotice, there are only two letters in question here, two particularletters, and not a word chosen by chance. After all, that dog whichrang at the door of a convent to take possession of the plate intendedfor the poor passers-by, that other which commissioned at the same timewith one of its kind, to turn the spit for two days each, and whichrefused to fill that office when its turn had not come, those two dogs, I say, advanced farther than Dingo into that domain of intelligencereserved for man. Besides, we are in the presence of an inscrutablefact. Of all the letters of that alphabet, Dingo has only chosen thesetwo: S and V. The others it does not even seem to know. Therefore wemust conclude that, for a reason which escapes us, its attention hasbeen especially drawn to those two letters. "

"Ah! Captain Hull, " replied the young novice, "if Dingo could speak!Perhaps he would tell us what those two letters signify, and why it haskept a tooth ready for our head cook. "

"And what a tooth!" replied Captain Hull, as Dingo, opening its mouth, showed its formidable fangs. 

 * * * * *

CHAPTER VI. 

A WHALE IN SIGHT. 

It will be remembered that this singular incident was made, more thanonce, the subject of conversation held in the stern of the "Pilgrim"between Mrs. Weldon, Captain Hull, and the young novice. The latter, more particularly, experienced an instinctive mistrust with regard toNegoro, whose conduct, meanwhile, merited no reproach. 

In the prow they talked of it also, but they did not draw from it thesame conclusions. There, among the ship's crew, Dingo passed merely fora dog that knew how to read, and perhaps even write, better than morethan one sailor on board. As for talking, if he did not do it, it wasprobably for good reasons that he kept silent. 

"But, one of these fine days, " says the steersman, Bolton, "one fineday that dog will come and ask us how we are heading; if the wind is tothe west-north-west-half-north, and we will have to answer him! Thereare animals that speak! Well, why should not a dog do as much if hetook it into his head? It is more difficult to talk with a beak thanwith a mouth!"

"No doubt, " replied the boatswain, Howik. "Only it has never beenknown. "

It would have astonished these brave men to tell them that, on thecontrary, it had been known, and that a certain Danish servantpossessed a dog which pronounced distinctly twenty words. But whetherthis animal comprehended what he said was a mystery. Very evidentlythis dog, whose glottis was organized in a manner to enable him to emitregular sounds, attached no more sense to his words than do theparoquets, parrots, jackdaws, and magpies to theirs. A phrase withanimals is nothing more than a kind of song or spoken cry, borrowedfrom a strange language of which they do not know the meaning. 

However that might be, Dingo had become the hero of the deck, of whichfact he took no proud advantage. Several times Captain Hull repeatedthe experiment. The wooden cubes of the alphabet were placed beforeDingo, and invariably, without an error, without hesitation, the twoletters, S and V, were chosen from among all by the singular animal, while the others never attracted his attention. 

As for Cousin Benedict, this experiment was often renewed before him, without seeming to interest him. 

"Meanwhile, " he condescended to say one day, "we must not believe thatthe dogs alone have the privilege of being intelligent in this manner. Other animals equal them, simply in following their instinct. Look atthe rats, who abandon the ship destined to founder at sea; the beavers, who know how to foresee the rising of the waters, and build their damshigher in consequence; those horses of Nicomedes, of Scanderberg, andof Oppien, whose grief was such that they died when their masters did;those asses, so remarkable for their memory, and many other beastswhich have done honor to the animal kingdom. Have we not seen birds, marvelously erect, that correctly write words dictated by theirprofessors; cockatoos that count, as well as a reckoner in theLongitude Office, the number of persons present in a parlor? Has therenot existed a parrot, worth a hundred gold crowns, that recited theApostle's Creed to the cardinal, his master, without missing a word?Finally, the legitimate pride of an entomologist should be raised tothe highest point, when he sees simple insects give proofs of asuperior intelligence, and affirm eloquently the axiom:

 "'In minimis maximus Deus, '

those ants which, represent the inspectors of public works in thelargest cities, those aquatic _argyronetes_ which manufacturediving-bells, without having ever learned the mechanism; those fleaswhich draw carriages like veritable coachmen, which go through theexercise as well as riflemen, which fire off cannon better than thecommissioned artillerymen of West Point? No! this Dingo does not meritso many eulogies, and if he is so strong on the alphabet, it is, without doubt, because he belongs to a species of mastiff, not yetclassified in zoological science, the _canis alphabeticus_ of NewZealand. "

In spite of these discourses and others of the envious entomologist, Dingo lost nothing in the public estimation, and continued to betreated as a phenomenon in the conversations of the forecastle. 

All this time, it is probable that Negoro did not share the enthusiasmof the ship in regard to the animal. Perhaps he found it toointelligent. However, the dog always showed the same animosity againstthe head cook, and, doubtless, would have brought upon itself somemisfortune, if it had not been, for one thing, "a dog to defenditself, " and for another, protected by the sympathy of the whole crew. 

So Negoro avoided coming into Dingo's presence more than ever. But DickSand had observed that since the incident of the two letters, thereciprocal antipathy between the man and the dog was increased. Thatwas truly inexplicable. 

On February 10th, the wind from the northeast, which, till then, hadalways succeeded those long and overwhelming calms, during which the"Pilgrim" was stationary, began to abate perceptibly. Captain Hull thencould hope that a change in the direction of the atmospheric currentswas going to take place. Perhaps the schooner would finally sail withthe wind. It was still only nineteen days since her departure from theport of Auckland. The delay was not yet of much account, and, with afavorable wind, the "Pilgrim, " well rigged, would easily make up forlost time. But several days must still elapse before the breezes wouldblow right from the west. 

This part of the Pacific was always deserted. No vessel showed itselfin these parts. It was a latitude truly forsaken by navigators. Thewhalers of the southern seas were not yet prepared to go beyond thetropic. On the "Pilgrim, " which peculiar circumstances had obliged toleave the fishing grounds before the end of the season, they must notexpect to cross any ship bound for the same destination. 

As to the trans-pacific packet-boats, it has been already said thatthey did not follow so high a parallel in their passages betweenAustralia and the American continent. 

However, even if the sea is deserted, one must not give up observing itto the extreme limits of the horizon. Monotonous as it may appear toheedless minds, it is none the less infinitely varied for him who knowshow to comprehend it. Its slightest changes charm the imagination ofone who feels the poetry of the ocean. A marine herb which floats upand down on the waves, a branch of sargasso whose light track zebras, the surface of the waters, and end of a board, whose history he wouldwish to guess, he would need nothing more. Facing this infinite, themind is no longer stopped by anything. Imagination runs riot. Each ofthose molecules of water, that evaporation is continually changing fromthe sea to the sky, contains perhaps the secret of some catastrophe. So, those are to be envied, whose inner consciousness knows how tointerrogate the mysteries of the ocean, those spirits who rise from itsmoving surface to the heights of heaven. 

Besides, life always manifests itself above as well as below the seas. The "Pilgrim's" passengers could see flights of birds excited in thepursuit of the smallest fishes, birds which, before winter, fly fromthe cold climate of the poles. And more than once, Dick Sand, a scholarof Mrs. Weldon's in that branch as in others, gave proofs of marvelousskill with the gun and pistol, in bringing down some of thoserapid-winged creatures. 

There were white petrels here; there, other petrels, whose wings wereembroidered with brown. Sometimes, also, companies of _damiers_ passed, or some of those penquins whose gait on land is so heavy and soridiculous. However, as Captain Hull remarked, these penquins, usingtheir stumps like true fins, can challenge the most rapid fishes inswimming, to such an extent even, that sailors have often confoundedthem with bonitoes. 

Higher, gigantic albatrosses beat the air with great strokes, displaying an extent of ten feet between the extremities of theirwings, and then came to light on the surface of the waters, which theysearched with their beaks to get their food. 

All these scenes made a varied spectacle, that only souls closed to thecharms of nature would have found monotonous. 

That day Mrs. Weldon was walking aft on the "Pilgrim, " when a rathercurious phenomenon attracted her attention. The waters of the sea hadbecome reddish quite suddenly. One might have believed that they hadjust been stained with blood; and this inexplicable tinge extended asfar as the eye could reach. 

Dick Sand. Was then with little Jack near Mrs. Weldon. 

"Dick, " she said to the young novice, "Do you see that singular colorof the waters of the Pacific? Is it due to the presence of a marineherb?"

"No, Mrs. Weldon, " replied Dick Sand, "that tinge is produced bymyriads of little crustaceans, which generally serve to nourish thegreat mammifers. Fishermen call that, not without reason, 'whales'food. '"

"Crustaceans!" said Mrs. Weldon. "But they are so small that we mightalmost call them sea insects. Perhaps Cousin Benedict would be verymuch enchanted to make a collection of them. " Then calling: "CousinBenedict!" cried she. 

Cousin Benedict appeared out of the companion-way almost at the sametime as Captain Hull. 

"Cousin Benedict, " said Mrs. Weldon, "see that immense reddish fieldwhich extends as far as we can see. "

"Hold!" said Captain Hull. "That is whales' food. Mr. Benedict, a fineoccasion to study this curious species of crustacea. "

"Phew!" from the entomologist. 

"How--phew!" cried the captain. "But you have no right to profess suchindifference. These crustaceans form one of the six classes of thearticulates, if I am not mistaken, and as such----"

"Phew!" said Cousin Benedict again, shaking his lead. 

"For instance----I find you passably disdainful for an entomologist!"

"Entomologist, it may be, " replied Cousin Benedict, "but moreparticularly hexapodist, Captain Hull, please remember. "

"At all events, " replied Captain Hull, "if these crustaceans do notinterest you, it can't be helped; but it would be otherwise if youpossessed a whale's stomach. Then what a regale! Do you see, Mrs. Weldon, when we whalers, during the fishing season, arrive in sight ofa shoal of these crustaceans, we have only time to prepare our harpoonsand our lines. We are certain that the game is not distant. "

"Is it possible that such little beasts can feed such large ones?"cried Jack. 

"Ah! my boy, " replied Captain Hull, "little grains of vermicelli, offlour, of fecula powder, do they not make very good porridge? Yes; andnature has willed that it should be so. When a whale floats in themidst of these red waters, its soup is served; it has only to open itsimmense mouth. Myriads of crustaceans enter it. The numerous plates ofthose whalebones with which the animal's palate is furnished serve tostrain like fishermen's nets; nothing can get out of them again, andthe mass of crustaceans is ingulfed in the whale's vast stomach, as thesoup of your dinner in yours. "

"You think right, Jack, " observed Dick Sand, "that Madam Whale does notlose time in picking these crustaceans one by one, as you pick shrimps. "

"I may add, " said Captain Hull, "that it is just when the enormousgourmand is occupied in this way, that it is easiest to approach itwithout exciting its suspicion. That is the favorable moment to harpoonit with some success. "

At that instant, and as if to corroborate Captain Hull, a sailor'svoice was heard from the front of the ship:

"A whale to larboard!"

Captain Hull strode up. 

"A whale!" cried he. 

And his fisherman's instinct urging him, he hastened to the "Pilgrim's"forecastle. 

Mrs. Weldon, Jack, Dick Sand, Cousin Benedict himself, followed him atonce. 

In fact, four miles to windward a certain bubbling indicated that ahuge marine mammifer was moving in the midst of the red waters. Whalerscould not be mistaken in it. But the distance was still tooconsiderable to make it possible to recognize the species to which thismammifer belonged. These species, in fact, are quite distinct. 

Was it one of those "right" whales, which the fishermen of the NorthernOcean seek most particularly? Those cetaceans, which lack the dorsalfin, but whose skin covers a thick stratum of lard, may attain a lengthof eighty feet, though the average does not exceed sixty, and then asingle one of those monsters furnishes as much as a hundred barrels ofoil. 

Was it, on the contrary, a "humpback, " belonging to the species ofbaloenopters, a designation whose termination should at least gain itthe entomologist's esteem? These possess dorsal fins, white in color, and as long as half the body, which resemble a pair of wings--somethinglike a flying whale. 

Had they not in view, more likely, a "finback" mammifer, as well knownby the name "jubarte, " which is provided with a dorsal fin, and whoselength may equal that of the "right" whale?

Captain Hull and his crew could not yet decide, but they regarded theanimal with more desire than admiration. 

If it is true that a clockmaker cannot find himself in a room in thepresence of a clock without experiencing the irresistible wish to windit up, how much more must the whaler, before a whale, be seized withthe imperative desire to take possession of it? The hunters of largegame, they say, are more eager than the hunters of small game. Then, the larger the animal, the more it excites covetousness. Then, howshould hunters of elephants and fishers of whalers feel? And then therewas that disappointment, felt by all the "Pilgrim's" crew, of returningwith an incomplete cargo. 

Meanwhile, Captain Hull tried to distinguish the animal which had beensignaled in the offing. It was not very visible from that distance. Nevertheless, the trained eye of a whaler could not be deceived incertain details easier to discern at a distance. 

In fact, the water-spout, that is, that column of vapor and water whichthe whale throws back by its rents, would attract Captain Hull'sattention, and fix it on the species to which this cetacean belonged. 

"That is not a 'right' whale, " cried he. "Its water-spout would be atonce higher and of a smaller volume. On the other hand, if the noisemade by that spout in escaping could be compared to the distant noiseof a cannon, I should be led to believe that that whale belongs to thespecies of 'humpbacks;' but there is nothing of the kind, and, onlistening, we are assured that this noise is of quite a differentnature. What is your opinion on this subject, Dick?" asked CaptainHull, turning toward the novice. 

"I am ready to believe, captain, " replied Dick Sand, "that we have todo with a jubarte. See how his rents throw that column of liquidviolently into the air. Does it not seem to you also--which wouldconfirm my idea--that that spout contains more water than condensedvapor? And, if I am not mistaken, it is a special peculiarity of thejubarte. "

"In fact, Dick, " replied Captain Hull, "there is no longer any doubtpossible! It is a jubarte which floats on the surface of these redwaters. "

"That's fine, " cried little Jack. 

"Yes, my boy! and when we think that the great beast is there, inprocess of breakfasting, and little suspecting that the whalers arewatching it. "

"I would dare to affirm that it is a jubarte of great size, " observedDick Sand. 

"Truly, " replied Captain Hull, who was gradually becoming more excited. "I think it is at least seventy feet long!"

"Good!" added the boatswain. "Half a dozen whales of that size wouldsuffice to fill a ship as large as ours!"

"Yes, that would be sufficient, " replied Captain Hull, who mounted onthe bowsprit to see better. 

"And with this one, " added the boatswain, "we should take on board in afew hours the half of the two hundred barrels of oil which we lack. "

"Yes!--truly--yes!" murmured Captain Hull. 

"That is true, " continued Dick Sand; "but it is sometimes a hard matterto attack those enormous jubartes!"

"Very hard, very hard!" returned Captain Hull. "Those baloenopters haveformidable tails, which must not be approached without distrust. Thestrongest pirogue would not resist a well-given blow. But, then, theprofit is worth the trouble!"

"Bah!" said one of the sailors, "a fine jubarte is all the same a finecapture!"

"And profitable!" replied another. 

"It would be a pity not to salute this one on the way!"

It was evident that these brave sailors were growing excited in lookingat the whale. It was a whole cargo of barrels of oil that was floatingwithin reach of their hands. To hear them, without doubt there wasnothing more to be done, except to stow those barrels in the"Pilgrim's" hold to complete her lading. Some of the sailors, mountedon the ratlines of the fore-shrouds, uttered longing cries. CaptainHull, who no longer spoke, was in a dilemma. There was something there, like an irresistible magnet, which attracted the "Pilgrim" and all hercrew. 

"Mama, mama!" then cried little Jack, "I should like to have the whale, to see how it is made. "

"Ah! you wish to have this whale, my boy? Ah! why not, my friends?"replied Captain Hull, finally yielding to his secret desire. "Ouradditional fishermen are lacking, it is true, but we alone----"

"Yes! yes!" cried the sailors, with a single voice. 

"This will not be the first time that I have followed the trade ofharpooner, " added Captain Hull, "and you will see if I still know howto throw the harpoon!"

"Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!" responded the crew. 

 * * * * *

CHAPTER VII. 

PREPARATIONS. 

It will be understood that the sight of this prodigious mammifer wasnecessary to produce such excitement on board the "Pilgrim. "

The whale, which floated in the middle of the red waters, appearedenormous. To capture it, and thus complete the cargo, that was verytempting. Could fishermen let such an occasion escape them?

However, Mrs. Weldon believed she ought to ask Captain Hull if it wasnot dangerous for his men and for him to attack a whale under thosecircumstances. 

"No, Mrs. Weldon, " replied Captain Hull. "More than once it has been mylot to hunt the whale with a single boat, and I have always finished bytaking possession of it. I repeat it, there is no danger for us, nor, consequently, for yourself. "

Mrs. Weldon, reassured, did not persist. 

Captain Hull at once made his preparations for capturing the jubarte. He knew by experience that the pursuit of that baloenopter was not freefrom difficulties, and he wished to parry all. 

What rendered this capture less easy was that the schooner's crew couldonly work by means of a single boat, while the "Pilgrim" possessed along-boat, placed on its stocks between the mainmast and themizzen-mast, besides three whale-boats, of which two were suspended onthe larboard and starboard pegs, and the third aft, outside thecrown-work. 

Generally these three whale-boats were employed simultaneously in thepursuit of cetaceans. But during the fishing season, we know, anadditional crew, hired at the stations of New Zealand, came to theassistance of the "Pilgrim's" sailors. 

Now, in the present circumstances, the "Pilgrim" could only furnish thefive sailors on board--that is, enough to arm a single whale-boat. Toutilize the group of Tom and his friends, who had offered themselves atonce, was impossible. In fact, the working of a fishing piroguerequires very well trained seamen. A false move of the helm, or a falsestroke of an oar, would be enough to compromise the safety of thewhale-boat during an attack. 

On the other hand, Captain Hull did not wish to leave his ship withoutleaving on board at least one man from the crew, in whom he hadconfidence. It was necessary to provide for all eventualities. 

Now Captain Hull, obliged to choose strong seamen to man thewhale-boat, was forced to put on Dick Sand the care of guarding the"Pilgrim. "

"Dick, " said he to him, "I shall charge you to remain on board duringmy absence, which I hope will be short. "

"Well, sir, " replied the young novice. 

Dick Sand would have wished to take part in this fishing, which had agreat attraction for him, but he understood that, for one reason, aman's arms were worth more than his for service in a whale-boat, andthat for another, he alone could replace Captain Hull. So he wassatisfied. The whale-boat's crew must be composed of the five men, including the master, Howik, which formed the whole crew of the"Pilgrim. " The four sailors were going to take their places at theoars, and Howik would hold the stern oar, which serves to guide a boatof this kind. A simple rudder, in fact, would not have a prompt enoughaction, and in case the side oars should be disabled, the stern oar, well handled, could put the whale-boat beyond the reach of themonster's blows. 

There was only Captain Hull besides. He had reserved to himself thepost of harpooner, and, as he had said, this would not be his firstattempt. It was he who must first throw the harpoon, then watch theunrolling of the long line fastened at its end; then, finally finishthe animal with spears, when it should return to the surface of theocean. 

Whalers sometimes employ firearms for this kind of fishing. By means ofa special instrument, a sort of small cannon, stationed either on boardthe ship or at the front of the boat, they throw either a harpoon, which draws with it the rope fastened to its end, or explosive balls, which produce great ravages in the body of the animal. 

But the "Pilgrim" was not furnished with apparatus of this kind. Thiswas, besides, an instrument of high price, rather difficult to manage, and fishermen, but little friendly to innovations, seem to prefer theemployment of primitive weapons, which they use skilfully--that is tosay, --the harpoon and spear. 

It was then by the usual method, attacking the whale with the sword, that Captain Hull was going to attempt to capture the jubarte signaledfive miles from his ship. 

Besides, the weather would favor this expedition. The sea, being verycalm, was propitious for the working of a whale-boat. The wind wasgoing down, and the "Pilgrim" would only drift in an insensible mannerwhile her crew were occupied in the offing. 

So the starboard whale-boat was immediately lowered, and the foursailors went into it. 

Howik passed them two of those long spears which serve as harpoons, then two long lances with sharp points. To those offensive arms headded five coils of those strong flexible ropes that the whalers call"lines, " and which measure six hundred feet in length. Less would notdo, for it sometimes happens that these cords, fastened end to end, arenot enough for the "demand, " the whale plunges down so deep. 

Such were the different weapons which were carefully disposed in thefront of the boat. 

Howik and the four sailors only waited for the order to let go the rope. 

A single place was vacant in the prow of the whale-boat--that whichCaptain Hull would occupy. 

It is needless to say that the "Pilgrim's" crew, before quitting her, had brought the ship's sails aback. In other words, the yards werebraced in such a manner that the sails, counteracting their action, kept the vessel almost stationary. 

Just as he was about to embark, Captain Hull gave a last glance at hisship. He was sure that all was in order, the halliards well turned, thesails suitably trimmed. As he was leaving the young novice on boardduring an absence which might last several hours, he wished, with agood reason, that unless for some urgent cause, Dick Sand would nothave to execute a single maneuver. 

At the moment of departing he gave the young man some last words ofadvice. 

"Dick, " said he, "I leave you alone. Watch over everything. If, as ispossible, it should become necessary to get the ship under way, in casewe should be led too far in pursuit of this jubarte, Tom and hiscompanions could come to your aid perfectly well. After telling themclearly what they would have to do, I am assured that they would do it. "

"Yes, Captain Hull, " replied old Tom, "and Mr. Dick can count on us. "

"Command! command!" cried Bat. "We have such a strong desire to makeourselves useful. "

"On what must we pull?" asked Hercules, turning up the large sleeves ofhis jacket. 

"On nothing just now, " replied Dick Sand, smiling. 

"At your service, " continued the colossus. 

"Dick, " continued Captain Hull, "the weather is beautiful. The wind hasgone down. There is no indication that it will freshen again. Aboveall, whatever may happen, do not put a boat to sea, and do not leavethe ship. "

"That is understood. "

"If it should become necessary for the 'Pilgrim' to come to us, I shallmake a signal to you, by hoisting a flag at the end of a boat-hook. "

"Rest assured, captain, I shall not lose sight of the whale-boat, "replied Dick Sand. 

"Good, my boy, " replied Captain Hull. "Courage and coolness. Beholdyourself assistant captain. Do honor to your grade. No one has beensuch at your age!"

Dick Sand did not reply, but he blushed while smiling. Captain Hullunderstood that blush and that smile. 

"The honest boy!" he said to himself; "modesty and good humor, intruth, it is just like him!"

Meanwhile, by these urgent recommendations, it was plain that, eventhough there would be no danger in doing it, Captain Hull did not leavehis ship willingly, even for a few hours. But an irresistiblefisherman's instinct, above all, the strong desire to complete hiscargo of oil, and not fall short of the engagements made by James W. Weldon in Valparaiso, all that told him to attempt the adventure. Besides, that sea, so fine, was marvelously conducive to the pursuit ofa cetacean. Neither his crew nor he could resist such a temptation. Thefishing cruise would be finally complete, and this last considerationtouched Captain Hull's heart above everything. 

Captain Hull went toward the ladder. 

"I wish you success, " said Mrs. Weldon to him. 

"Thank you, Mrs. Weldon. "

"I beg you, do not do too much harm to the poor whale, " cried littleJack. 

"No, my boy, " replied Captain Hull. 

"Take it very gently, sir. "

"Yes--with gloves, little Jack. "

"Sometimes, " observed Cousin Benedict, "we find rather curious insectson the back of these large mammals. "

"Well, Mr. Benedict, " replied Captain Hull, laughing, "you shall havethe right to 'entomologize' when our jubarte will be alongside of the'Pilgrim. '"

Then turning to Tom:

"Tom, I count on your companions and you, " said he, "to assist us incutting up the whale, when it is lashed to the ship's hull--which willnot be long. "

"At your disposal, sir, " replied the old black. 

"Good!" replied Captain Hull. 

"Dick, these honest men will aid you in preparing the empty barrels. During our absence they will bring them on deck, and by this means thework will go fast on our return. "

"That shall be done, captain. "

For the benefit of those who do not know, it is necessary to say thatthe jubarte, once dead, must be towed as far as the "Pilgrim, " andfirmly lashed to her starboard side. Then the sailors, shod in boots, with cramp-hooks would take their places on the back of the enormouscetacean, and cut it up methodically in parallel bands marked off fromthe head to the tail. These bands would be then cut across in slices ofa foot and a half, then divided into pieces, which, after being stowedin the barrels, would be sent to the bottom of the hold. 

Generally the whaling ship, when the fishing is over, manages to landas soon as possible, so as to finish her manipulations. The crew lands, and then proceeds to melt the lard, which, under the action of theheat, gives up all its useful part--that is, the oil. In thisoperation, the whale's lard weighs about a third of its weight. 

But, under present circumstances, Captain Hull could not dream ofputting back to finish that operation. He only counted on melting thisquantity of lard at Valparaiso. Besides, with winds which could notfail to hail from the west, he hoped to make the American coast beforetwenty days, and that lapse of time could not compromise the results ofhis fishing. 

The moment for setting out had come. Before the "Pilgrim's" sails hadbeen brought aback, she had drawn a little nearer to the place wherethe jubarte continued to signal its presence by jets of vapor and water. 

The jubarte was all this time swimming in the middle of the vast redfield of crustaceans, opening its large mouth automatically, andabsorbing at each draught myriads of animalcules. 

According to the experienced ones on board, there was no fear that thewhale dreamt of escaping. It was, doubtless, what the whalers call a"fighting" whale. 

Captain Hull strode over the netting, and, descending the rope ladder, he reached the prow of the whale-boat. 

Mrs. Weldon, Jack, Cousin Benedict, Tom, and his companions, for a lasttime wished the captain success. 

Dingo itself, rising on its paws and passing its head above therailing, seemed to wish to say good-by to the crew. 

Then all returned to the prow, so as to lose none of the veryattractive movements of such a fishing. 

The whale-boat put off, and, under the impetus of its four oars, vigorously handled, it began to distance itself from the "Pilgrim. "

"Watch well, Dick, watch well!" cried Captain Hull to the young novicefor the last time. 

"Count on me, sir. "

"One eye for the ship, one eye for the whale-boat, my boy. Do notforget it. "

"That shall be done, captain, " replied Dick Sand, who went to take hisplace near the helm. 

Already the light boat was several hundred feet from the ship. CaptainHull, standing at the prow, no longer able to make himself heard, renewed his injunctions by the most expressive gestures. 

It was then that Dingo, its paws still resting on the railing, gave asort of lamentable bark, which would have an unfavorable effect uponmen somewhat given to superstition. 

That bark even made Mrs. Weldon shudder. 

"Dingo, " said she, "Dingo, is that the way you encourage your friends?Come, now, a fine bark, very clear, very sonorous, very joyful. "

But the dog barked no more, and, letting itself fall back on its paws, it came slowly to Mrs. Weldon, whose hand it licked affectionately. 

"It does not wag its tail, " murmured Tom in a low tone. "Bad sign--badsign. "

But almost at once Dingo stood up, and a howl of anger escaped it. 

Mrs. Weldon turned round. 

Negoro had just left his quarters, and was going toward the forecastle, with the intention, no doubt, of looking for himself at the movementsof the whale-boat. 

Dingo rushed at the head cook, a prey to the strongest as well as tothe most inexplicable fury. 

Negoro seized a hand-spike and took an attitude of defense. 

The dog was going to spring at his throat. 

"Here, Dingo, here!" cried Dick Sand, who, leaving his post ofobservation for an instant, ran to the prow of the ship. 

Mrs. Weldon on her side, sought to calm the dog. 

Dingo obeyed, not without repugnance, and returned to the young novice, growling secretly. 

Negoro had not pronounced a single word, but his face had grown palefor a moment. Letting go of his hand-spike, he regained his cabin. 

"Hercules, " then said Dick Sand, "I charge you especially to watch overthat man. "

"I shall watch, " simply replied Hercules, clenching his two enormousfists in sign of assent. 

Mrs. Weldon and Dick Sand then turned their eyes again on thewhale-boat, which the four oarsmen bore rapidly away. 

It was nothing but a speck on the sea. 

 * * * * *

CHAPTER VIII. 

THE JUBARTE. 

Captain Hull, an experienced whaler, would leave nothing to chance. Thecapture of a jubarte is a difficult thing. No precaution ought to beneglected. None was in this case. 

And, first of all, Captain Hull sailed so as to come up to the whale onthe leeward, so that no noise might disclose the boat's approach. 

Howik then steered the whale-boat, following the rather elongated curveof that reddish shoal, in the midst of which floated the jubarte. Theywould thus turn the curve. 

The boatswain, set over this work, was a seaman of great coolness, whoinspired Captain Hull with every confidence. He had not to fear eitherhesitation or distraction from Howik. 

"Attention to the steering, Howik, " said Captain Hull. "We are going totry to surprise the jubarte. We will only show ourselves when we arenear enough to harpoon it. "

"That is understood, sir, " replied the boatswain. 

"I am going to follow the contour of these reddish waters, so as tokeep to the leeward. "

"Good!" said Captain Hull. "Boys, as little noise as possible inrowing. "

The oars, carefully muffled with straw, worked silently. The boat, skilfully steered by the boatswain, had reached the large shoal ofcrustaceans. The starboard oars still sank in the green and limpidwater, while those to larboard, raising the reddish liquid, seemed torain drops of blood. 

"Wine and water!" said one of the sailors. 

"Yes, " replied Captain Hull, "but water that we cannot drink, and winethat we cannot swallow. Come, boys, let us not speak any more, andheave closer!"

The whale-boat, steered by the boatswain, glided noiselessly on thesurface of those half-greased waters, as if it were floating on a bedof oil. 

The jubarte did not budge, and did not seem to have yet perceived theboat, which described a circle around it. 

Captain Hull, in making the circuit, necessarily went farther than the"Pilgrim, " which gradually grew smaller in the distance. This rapiditywith which objects diminish at sea has always an odd effect. It seemsas if we look at them shortened through the large end of a telescope. This optical illusion evidently takes place because there are no pointsof comparison on these large spaces. It was thus with the "Pilgrim, "which decreased to the eye and seemed already much more distant thanshe really was. 

Half an hour after leaving her, Captain Hull and his companions foundthemselves exactly to the leeward of the whale, so that the latteroccupied an intermediate point between the ship and the boat. 

So the moment had come to approach, while making as little noise aspossible. It was not impossible for them to get beside the animal andharpoon it at good range, before its attention would be attracted. 

"Row more slowly, boys, " said Captain Hull, in a low voice. 

"It seems to me, " replied Howik, "that the gudgeon suspects something. It breathes less violently than it did just now!"

"Silence! silence!" repeated Captain Hull. 

Five minutes later the whale-boat was at a cable's length from thejubarte. A cable's length, a measure peculiar to the sea, comprises alength of one hundred and twenty fathoms, that is to say, two hundredmeters. 

The boatswain, standing aft, steered in such a manner as to approachthe left side of the mammal, but avoiding, with the greatest care, passing within reach of the formidable tail, a single blow of whichwould be enough to crush the boat. 

At the prow Captain Hull, his legs a little apart to maintain hisequilibrium, held the weapon with which he was going to give the firstblow. They could count on his skill to fix that harpoon in the thickmass which emerged from the waters. 

Near the captain, in a pail, was coiled the first of the five lines, firmly fastened to the harpoon, and to which they would successivelyjoin the other four if the whale plunged to great depths. 

"Are we ready, boys?" murmured Captain Hull. 

"Yes, " replied Howik, grasping his oar firmly in his large hands. 

"Alongside! alongside!"

The boatswain obeyed the order, and the whale-boat came within lessthan ten feet of the animal. 

The latter no longer moved, and seemed asleep. 

Whales thus surprised while asleep offer an easier prize, and it oftenhappens that the first blow which is given wounds them mortally. 

"This immovableness is quite astonishing!" thought Captain Hull. "Therascal ought not to be asleep, and nevertheless----there is somethingthere!"

The boatswain thought the same, and he tried to see the opposite sideof the animal. 

But it was not the moment to reflect, but to attack. 

Captain Hull, holding his harpoon by the middle of the handle, balancedit several times, to make sure of good aim, while he examined thejubarte's side. Then he threw it with all the strength of his arm. 

"Back, back!" cried he at once. 

And the sailors, pulling together, made the boat recoil rapidly, withthe intention of prudently putting it in safety from the blows of thecetacean's tail. 

But at that moment a cry from the boatswain made them understand whythe whale was so extraordinarily motionless for so long a time on thesurface of the sea. 

"A young whale!" said he. 

In fact, the jubarte, after having been struck by the harpoon, wasalmost entirely overturned on the side, thus discovering a young whale, which she was in process of suckling. 

This circumstance, as Captain Hull well knew, would render the captureof the jubarte much more difficult. The mother was evidently going todefend herself with greater fury, as much for herself as to protect her"little one "--if, indeed, we can apply that epithet to an animal whichdid not measure less than twenty feet. 

Meanwhile, the jubarte did not rush at the boat, as there was reason tofear, and there was no necessity, before taking flight, to quickly cutthe line which connected the boat with the harpoon. On the contrary, and as generally happens, the whale, followed by the young one, dived, at first in a very oblique line; then rising again with an immensebound, she commenced to cleave the waters with extreme rapidity. 

But before she had made her first plunge, Captain Hull and theboatswain, both standing, had had time to see her, and consequently toestimate her at her true value. 

This jubarte was, in reality, a whale of the largest size. From thehead to the tail, she measured at least eighty feet. Her skin, of ayellowish brown, was much varied with numerous spots of a darker brown. 

It would indeed be a pity, after an attack so happily begun, to beunder the necessity of abandoning so rich a prey. 

The pursuit, or rather the towing, had commenced. The whale-boat, whoseoars had been raised, darted like an arrow while swinging on the topsof the waves. 

Howik kept it steady, notwithstanding those rapid and frightfuloscillations. Captain Hull, his eye on his prey, did not cease makinghis eternal refrain:

"Be watchful, Howik, be watchful!"

And they could be sure that the boatswain's vigilance would not be atfault for an instant. 

Meanwhile, as the whale-boat did not fly nearly as fast as the whale, the line of the harpoon spun out with such rapidity that it was to befeared that it would take fire in rubbing against the edge of thewhale-boat. So Captain Hull took care to keep it damp, by filling withwater the pail at the bottom of which the line was coiled. 

All this time the jubarte did not seem inclined to stop her flight, norwilling to moderate it. The second line was then lashed to the end ofthe first, and it was not long before it was played out with the samevelocity. 

At the end of five minutes it was necessary to join on the third line, which ran off under the water. 

The jubarte did not stop. The harpoon had evidently not penetrated intoany vital part of the body. They could even observe, by the increasedobliquity of the line, that the animal, instead of returning to thesurface, was sinking into lower depths. 

"The devil!" cried Captain Hull, "but that rascal will use up our fivelines!"

"And lead us to a good distance from the 'Pilgrim, '" replied theboatswain. 

"Nevertheless, she must return to the surface to breathe, " repliedCaptain Hull. "She is not a fish, and she must have the provision ofair like a common individual. "

"She has held her breath to run better, " said one of the sailors, laughing. 

In fact, the line was unrolling all the time with equal rapidity. 

To the third line, it was soon necessary to join the fourth, and thatwas not done without making the sailors somewhat anxious touching theirfuture part of the prize. 

"The devil! the devil!" murmured Captain Hull. "I have never seenanything like that! Devilish jubarte!"

Finally the fifth line had to be let out, and it was already halfunrolled when it seemed to slacken. 

"Good! good!" cried Captain Hull. "The line is less stiff. The jubarteis getting tired. "

At that moment, the "Pilgrim" was more than five miles to the leewardof the whale-boat. Captain Hull, hoisting a flag at the end of aboat-hook, gave the signal to come nearer. 

And almost at once, he could see that Dick Sand, aided by Tom and hiscompanions, commenced to brace the yards in such a manner as to trimthem close to the wind. 

But the breeze was feeble and irregular. It only came in short puffs. Most certainly, the "Pilgrim" would have some trouble in joining thewhale-boat, if indeed she could reach it. Meanwhile, as they hadforeseen, the jubarte had returned to the surface of the water tobreathe, with the harpoon fixed in her side all the time. She thenremained almost motionless, seeming to wait for her young whale, whichthis furious course must have left behind. 

Captain Hull made use of the oars so as to join her again, and soon hewas only a short distance from her. 

Two oars were laid down and two sailors armed themselves, as thecaptain had done, with long lances, intended to strike the enemy. 

Howik worked skilfully then, and held himself ready to make the boatturn rapidly, in case the whale should turn suddenly on it. 

"Attention!" cried Captain Hull. "Do not lose a blow! Aim well, boys!Are we ready, Howik?"

"I am prepared, sir, " replied the boatswain, "but one thing troublesme. It is that the beast, after having fled so rapidly, is very quietnow. "

"In fact, Howik, that seems to me suspicious. Let us be careful!"

"Yes, but let us go forward. "

Captain Hull grew more and more animated. 

The boat drew still nearer. The jubarte only turned in her place. Heryoung one was no longer near her; perhaps she was trying to find itagain. 

Suddenly she made a movement with her tail, which took her thirty feetaway. 

Was she then going to take flight again, and must they take up thisinterminable pursuit again on the surface of the waters?

"Attention!" cried Captain Hull. "The beast is going to take a springand throw herself on us. Steer, Howik, steer!"

The jubarte, in fact, had turned in such a manner as to present herselfin front of the whale-boat. Then, beating the sea violently with herenormous fins, she rushed forward. 

The boatswain, who expected this direct blow, turned in such a fashionthat the jubarte passed by the boat, but without reaching it. 

Captain Hull and the two sailors gave her three vigorous thrusts on thepassage, seeking to strike some vital organ. 

The jubarte stopped, and, throwing to a great height two columns ofwater mingled with blood, she turned anew on the boat, bounding, so tosay, in a manner frightful to witness. 

These seamen must have been expert fishermen, not to lose theirpresence of mind on this occasion. 

Howik again skilfully avoided the jubarte's attack, by darting the boataside. 

Three new blows, well aimed, again gave the animal three new wounds. But, in passing, she struck the water so roughly with her formidabletail, that an enormous wave arose, as if the sea were suddenly opened. 

The whale-boat almost capsized, and, the water rushing in over theside, it was half filled. 

"The bucket, the bucket!" cried Captain Hull. 

The two sailors, letting go their oars, began to bale out the boatrapidly, while the captain cut the line, now become useless. 

No! the animal, rendered furious by grief, no longer dreamt of flight. It was her turn to attack, and her agony threatened to be terrible. 

A third time she turned round, "head to head, " a seaman would say, andthrew herself anew on the boat. 

But the whale-boat, half full of water, could no longer move with thesame facility. In this condition, how could it avoid the shock whichthreatened it? If it could be no longer steered, there was still lesspower to escape. 

And besides, no matter how quickly the boat might be propelled, theswift jubarte would have always overtaken it with a few bounds. It wasno longer a question of attack, but of defense. 

Captain Hull understood it all. 

The third attack of the animal could not be entirely kept off. Inpassing she grazed the whale-boat with her enormous dorsal fin, butwith so much force that Howik was thrown down from his bench. 

The three lances, unfortunately affected by the oscillation, this timemissed their aim. 

"Howik! Howik!" cried Captain Hull, who himself had been hardly able tokeep his place. 

"Present!" replied the boatswain, as he got up. But he then perceivedthat in his fall his stern oar had broken in the middle. 

"Another oar!" said Captain Hull. 

"I have one, " replied Howik. 

At that moment, a bubbling took place under the waters only a fewfathoms from the boat. 

The young whale had just reappeared. The jubarte saw it, and rushedtowards it. 

This circumstance could only give a more terrible character to thecontest. The whale was going to fight for two. 

Captain Hull looked toward the "Pilgrim. " His hand shook the boat-hook, which bore the flag, frantically. 

What could Dick Sand do that had not been already done at the firstsignal from the captain? The "Pilgrim's" sails were trimmed, and thewind commenced to fill them. Unhappily the schooner did not possess ahelix, by which the action could be increased to sail faster. 

To lower one of the boats, and, with the aid of the blacks, row to theassistance of the captain, would be a considerable loss of time;besides, the novice had orders not to quit the ship, no matter whathappened. However, he had the stern-boat lowered from its pegs, andtowed it along, so that the captain and his companions might takerefuge in it, in case of need. 

At that moment the jubarte, covering the young whale with her body, hadreturned to the charge. This time she turned in such a manner as toreach the boat exactly. 

"Attention, Howik!" cried Captain Hull, for the last time. 

But the boatswain was, so to speak, disarmed. Instead of a lever, whoselength gave force, he only held in his hand an oar relatively short. Hetried to put about; it was impossible. 

The sailors knew that they were lost. All rose, giving a terrible cry, which was perhaps heard on the "Pilgrim. "

A terrible blow from the monster's tail had just struck the whale-boatunderneath. The boat, thrown into the air with irresistible violence, fell back, broken in three pieces, in the midst of waves furiouslylashed by the whale's bounds. 

The unfortunate sailors, although grievously wounded, would have had, perhaps, the strength to keep up still, either by swimming or byhanging on to some of the floating wreck. That is what Captain Hulldid, for he was seen for a moment hoisting the boatswain on a wreck. 

But the jubarte, in the last degree of fury, turned round, sprang up, perhaps in the last pangs of a terrible agony, and with her tail shebeat the troubled waters frightfully, where the unfortunate sailorswere still swimming. 

For some minutes one saw nothing but a liquid water-spout scatteringitself in sheafs on all sides. 

A quarter of an hour after, when Dick Sand, who, followed by theblacks, had rushed into the boat, had reached the scene of thecatastrophe, every living creature had disappeared. There was nothingleft but some pieces of the whale-boat on the surface of the waters, red with blood. 

 * * * * *

CHAPTER IX. 

CAPTAIN SAND. 

The first impression felt by the passengers of the "Pilgrim" inpresence of this terrible catastrophe was a combination of pity andhorror. They only thought of this frightful death of Captain Hull andthe five sailors. This fearful scene had just taken place almost undertheir eyes, while they could do nothing to save the poor men. They hadnot even been able to arrive in time to pick up the whale-boat's crew, their unfortunate companions, wounded, but still living, and to opposethe "Pilgrim's" hull to the jubarte's formidable blows. Captain Hulland his men had forever disappeared. 

When the schooner arrived at the fatal place, Mrs. Weldon fell on herknees, her hands raised toward Heaven. 

"Let us pray!" said the pious woman. 

She was joined by her little Jack, who threw himself on his knees, weeping, near his mother. The poor child understood it all. Dick Sand, Nan, Tom, and the other blacks remained standing, their heads bowed. All repeated the prayer that Mrs. Weldon addressed to God, recommendingto His infinite goodness those who had just appeared before Him. 

Then Mrs. Weldon, turning to her companions, "And now, my friends, "said she, "let us ask Heaven for strength and courage for ourselves. "

Yes! They could not too earnestly implore the aid of Him who can do allthings, for their situation was one of the gravest!

This ship which carried them had no longer a captain to command her, nolonger a crew to work her. She was in the middle of that immensePacific Ocean, hundreds of miles from any land, at the mercy of thewinds and waves. 

What fatality then had brought that whale in the "Pilgrim's" course?What still greater fatality had urged the unfortunate Captain Hull, generally so wise, to risk everything in order to complete his cargo?And what a catastrophe to count among the rarest of the annals ofwhale-fishing was this one, which did not allow of the saving of one ofthe whale-boat's sailors!

Yes, it was a terrible fatality! In fact, there was no longer a seamanon board the "Pilgrim. " Yes, one--Dick Sand--and he was only abeginner, a young man of fifteen. Captain, boatswain, sailors, it maybe said that the whole crew was now concentrated in him. 

On board there was one lady passenger, a mother and her son, whosepresence would render the situation much more difficult. Then therewere also some blacks, honest men, courageous and zealous without adoubt, ready to obey whoever should undertake to command them, butignorant of the simplest notions of the sailor's craft. 

Dick Sand stood motionless, his arms crossed, looking at the placewhere Captain Hull had just been swallowed up--Captain Hull, hisprotector, for whom he felt a filial affection. Then his eyes searchedthe horizon, seeking to discover some ship, from which he would demandaid and assistance, to which he might be able at least to confide Mrs. Weldon. He would not abandon the "Pilgrim, " no, indeed, without havingtried his best to bring her into port. But Mrs. Weldon and her littleboy would be in safety. He would have had nothing more to fear forthose two beings, to whom he was devoted body and soul. 

The ocean was deserted. Since the disappearance of the jubarte, not aspeck came to alter the surface. All was sky and water around the"Pilgrim. " The young novice knew only too well that he was beyond theroutes followed by the ships of commerce, and that the other whalerswere cruising still farther away at the fishing-grounds. 

However, the question was, to look the situation in the face, to seethings as they were. That is what Dick Sand did, asking God, from thedepths of his heart, for aid and succor. What resolution was he goingto take?

At that moment Negoro appeared on the deck, which he had left after thecatastrophe. What had been felt in the presence of this irreparablemisfortune by a being so enigmatical, no one could tell. He hadcontemplated the disaster without making a gesture, without departingfrom his speechlessness. His eye had evidently seized all the detailsof it. But if at such a moment one could think of observing him, hewould be astonished at least, because not a muscle of his impassibleface had moved. At any rate, and as if he had not heard it, he had notresponded to the pious appeal of Mrs. Weldon, praying for the engulfedcrew. Negoro walked aft, there even where Dick Sand was standingmotionless. He stopped three steps from the novice. 

"You wish to speak to me?" asked Dick Sand. 

"I wish to speak to Captain Hull, " replied Negoro, coolly, "or, in hisabsence, to boatswain Howik. "

"You know well that both have perished!" cried the novice. 

"Then who commands on board now?" asked Negoro, very insolently. 

"I, " replied Dick Sand, without hesitation. 

"You!" said Negoro, shrugging his shoulders. "A captain of fifteenyears?"

"A captain of fifteen years!" replied the novice, advancing toward thecook. 

The latter drew back. 

"Do not forget it, " then said Mrs. Weldon. "There is but one captainhere--Captain Sand, and it is well for all to remember that he willknow how to make himself obeyed. "

Negoro bowed, murmuring in an ironical tone a few words that they couldnot understand, and he returned to his post. 

We see, Dick's resolution was taken. 

Meanwhile the schooner, under the action of the breeze, which commencedto freshen, had already passed beyond the vast shoal of crustaceans. 

Dick Sand examined the condition of the sails; then his eyes were caston the deck. He had then this sentiment, that, if a frightfulresponsibility fell upon him in the future, it was for him to have thestrength to accept it. He dared to look at the survivors of the"Pilgrim, " whose eyes were now fixed on him. And, reading in theirfaces that he could count on them, he said to them in two words, thatthey could in their turn count on him. 

Dick Sand had, in all sincerity, examined his conscience. 

If he was capable of taking in or setting the sails of the schooner, according to circumstances, by employing the arms of Tom and hiscompanions, he evidently did not yet possess all the knowledgenecessary to determine his position by calculation. 

In four or five years more, Dick Sand would know thoroughly thatbeautiful and difficult sailor's craft. He would know how to use thesextant--that instrument which Captain Hull's hand had held every day, and which gave him the height of the stars. He would read on thechronometer the hour of the meridian of Greenwich, and from it would beable to deduce the longitude by the hour angle. The sun would be madehis counselor each day. The moon--the planets would say to him, "There, on that point of the ocean, is thy ship!" That firmament, on which thestars move like the hands of a perfect clock, which nothing shakes norcan derange, and whose accuracy is absolute--that firmament would tellhim the hours and the distances. By astronomical observations he wouldknow, as his captain had known every day, nearly to a mile, the placeoccupied by the "Pilgrim, " and the course followed as well as thecourse to follow. 

And now, by reckoning, that is by the progress measured on the log, pointed out by the compass, and corrected by the drift, he must aloneask his way. 

However, he did not falter. 

Mrs. Weldon understood all that was passing in the young novice'sresolute heart. 

"Thank you, Dick, " she said to him, in a voice which did not tremble. "Captain Hull is no more. All his crew have perished with him. The fateof the ship is in your hands! Dick, you will save the ship and those onboard!"

"Yes, Mrs. Weldon, " replied Dick Sand, "yes! I shall attempt it, withthe aid of God!"

"Tom and his companions are honest men on whom you can depend entirely. "

"I know it, and I shall make sailors of them, and we shall worktogether. With fine weather that will be easy. With bad weather--well, with bad weather, we shall strive, and we shall save you yet, Mrs. Weldon--you and your little Jack, both! Yes, I feel that I shall do it. "

And he repeated:

"With the aid of God!"

"Now, Dick, can you tell where the 'Pilgrim' is?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"Easily, " replied the novice. "I have only to consult the chart onboard, on which her position was marked yesterday by Captain Hull. "

"And will you be able to put the ship in the right direction?"

"Yes, I shall be able to put her prow to the east, nearly at the pointof the American coast that we must reach. "

"But, Dick, " returned Mrs. Weldon, "you well understand, do you not, that this catastrophe may, and indeed must, modify our first projects?It is no longer a question of taking the 'Pilgrim' to Valparaiso. Thenearest port of the American coast is now her port of destination. "

"Certainly, Mrs. Weldon, " replied the novice. "So fear nothing! Wecannot fail to reach that American coast which stretches so far to thesouth. "

"Where is it situated?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"There, in that direction, " replied Dick Sand, pointing to the east, which he knew by means of the compass. 

"Well, Dick, we may reach Valparaiso, or any other part of the coast. What matter? What we want is to land. "

"And we shall do it, Mrs. Weldon, and I shall land you on a goodplace, " replied the young man, in a firm voice. "Besides, in standingin for the land, I do not renounce the hope of encountering some ofthose vessels which do the coasting trade on that shore. Ah! Mrs. Weldon, the wind begins to blow steadily from the northwest! God grantthat it may keep on; we shall make progress, and good progress. Weshall drive in the offing with all our sails set, from the brigantineto the flying-jib!"

Dick Sand had spoken with the confidence of the seaman, who feels thathe stands on a good ship, a ship of whose every movement he is master. He was going to take the helm and call his companions to set the sailsproperly, when Mrs. Weldon reminded him that he ought first to know the"Pilgrim's" position. 

It was, indeed, the first thing to do. Dick Sand went into thecaptain's cabin for the chart on which the position of the day beforewas indicated. He could then show Mrs. Weldon that the schooner was inlatitude 43° 35', and in longitude 164° 13', for, in the lasttwenty-four hours, she had not, so to say, made any progress. 

Mrs. Weldon leaned over this chart. She looked at the brown color whichrepresented the land on the right of the ocean. It was the coast ofSouth America, an immense barrier thrown between the Pacific and theAtlantic from Cape Horn to the shores of Columbia. To consider it inthat way, that chart, which, was then spread out under her eyes, onwhich was drawn a whole ocean, gave the impression that it would beeasy to restore the "Pilgrim's" passengers to their country. It is anillusion which is invariably produced on one who is not familiar withthe scale on which marine charts are drawn. And, in fact, it seemed toMrs. Weldon that the land ought to be in sight, as it was on that pieceof paper!

And, meanwhile, on that white page, the "Pilgrim" drawn on an exactscale, would be smaller than the most microscopic of infusoria! Thatmathematical point, without appreciable dimensions, would appear lost, as it was in reality in the immensity of the Pacific!

Dick Sand himself had not experienced the same impression as Mrs. Weldon. He knew how far off the land was, and that many hundreds ofmiles would not suffice to measure the distance from it. But he hadtaken his part; he had become a man under the responsibility which hadfallen upon him. 

The moment to act had come. He must profit by this northwest breezewhich was blowing up. Contrary winds had given place to favorablewinds, and some clouds scattered in the zenith under the cirrous form, indicated that they would blow steadily for at least a certain time. 

Dick called Tom and his companions. 

"My friends, " he said to them, "our ship has no longer any crew butyou. I cannot work without your aid. You are not sailors, but you havegood arms. Place them, then, at the 'Pilgrim's' service and we cansteer her. Every one's salvation depends on the good work of every oneon board. "

"Mr. Dick, " replied Tom, "my companions and I, we are your sailors. Ourgood will shall not be wanting. All that men can do, commanded by you, we shall do it. "

"Well spoken, old Tom, " said Mrs. Weldon. 

"Yes, well spoken, " continued Dick Sand; "but we must be prudent, and Ishall not carry too much canvas, so as not to run any risk. Circumstances require a little less speed, but more security. I willshow you, my friends, what each will have to do in the work. As to me, I shall remain at the helm, as long as fatigue does not oblige me toleave it. From time to time a few hours' sleep will be sufficient torestore me. But, during those few hours, it will be very necessary forone of you to take my place. Tom, I shall show you how we steer bymeans of the mariner's compass. It is not difficult, and, with a littleattention, you will soon learn to keep the ship's head in the rightdirection. "

"Whenever you like, Mr. Dick, " replied the old black. 

"Well, " replied the novice, "stay near me at the helm till the end ofthe day, and if fatigue overcomes me, you will then be able to replaceme for a few hours. "

"And I, " said little Jack, "will I not be able to help my friend, Dick, a little?"

"Yes, dear child, " replied Mrs. Weldon, clasping Jack in her arms, "youshall learn to steer, and I am sure that while you are at the helm weshall have good winds. "

"Very sure--very sure. Mother, I promise it to you, " replied the littleboy, clapping his hands. 

"Yes, " said the young novice, smiling, "good cabin-boys know how tomaintain good winds. That is well known by old sailors. " Then, addressing Tom, and the other blacks: "My friends, " he said to them, "we are going to put the 'Pilgrim' under full sail. You will only haveto do what I shall tell you. "

"At your orders, " replied Tom, "at your orders, Captain Sand. "

 * * * * *

CHAPTER X. 

THE FOUR DAYS WHICH FOLLOW. 

Dick Sand was then captain of the "Pilgrim, " and, without losing aninstant, he took the necessary measures for putting the ship under fullsail. 

It was well understood that the passengers could have only onehope--that of reaching some part of the American coast, if notValparaiso. What Dick Sand counted on doing was to ascertain thedirection and speed of the "Pilgrim, " so as to get an average. Forthat, it was sufficient to make each day on the chart the way made, asit has been said, by the log and the compass. There was then on boardone of those "patent logs, " with an index and helix, which give thespeed very exactly for a fixed time. This useful instrument, veryeasily handled, could render the most useful services, and the blackswere perfectly adapted to work it. 

A single cause of error would interfere--the currents. To combat it, reckoning would be insufficient; astronomical observations alone wouldenable one to render an exact calculation from it. Now, thoseobservations the young novice was still unable to make. 

For an instant Dick Sand had thought of bringing the "Pilgrim" back toNew Zealand. The passage would be shorter, and he would certainly havedone it if the wind, which, till then, had been contrary, had notbecome favorable. Better worth while then to steer for America. 

In fact, the wind had changed almost to the contrary direction, and nowit blew from the northwest with a tendency to freshen. It was thennecessary to profit by it and make all the headway possible. 

So Dick Sand prepared to put the "Pilgrim" under full sail. 

In a schooner brig-rigged, the foremast carries four square sails; theforesail, on the lower mast; above, the top-sail, on the topmast;then, on the top-gallant mast, a top-sail and a royal. 

The mainmast, on the contrary, has fewer sails. It only carries abrigantine below, and a fore-staffsail above. Between these two masts, on the stays which support them at the prow, a triple row of triangularsails may be set. 

Finally, at the prow, on the bowsprit, and its extreme end, were hauledthe three jibs. 

The jibs, the brigantine, the fore-staff, and the stay-sails are easilymanaged. They can be hoisted from the deck without the necessity ofclimbing the masts, because they are not fastened on the yards by meansof rope-bands, which must be previously loosened. 

On the contrary, the working of the foremast sails demands much greaterproficiency in seamanship. In fact, when it is necessary to set them, the sailors must climb by the rigging--it may be in the foretop, itmay be on the spars of the top-gallant mast, it may be to the top ofthe said mast--and that, as well in letting them fly as in drawing themin to diminish their surface in reefing them. Thence the necessity ofrunning out on foot-ropes--movable ropes stretched below the yards--ofworking with one hand while holding on by the other--perilous work forany one who is not used to it. The oscillation from the rolling andpitching of the ship, very much increased by the length of the lever, the flapping of the sails under a stiff breeze, have often sent a manoverboard. It was then a truly dangerous operation for Tom and hiscompanions. 

Very fortunately, the wind was moderate. The sea had not yet had timeto become rough. The rolling and pitching kept within bounds. 

When Dick Sand, at Captain Hull's signal, had steered toward the sceneof the catastrophe, the "Pilgrim" only carried her jibs, herbrigantine, her foresail, and her top-sail. To get the ship under wayas quickly as possible, the novice had only to make use of, that is, tocounter-brace, the foresail. The blacks had easily helped him in thatmaneuver. 

The question now was to get under full sail, and, to complete thesails, to hoist the top-sails, the royal, the fore-staff, and thestay-sails. 

"My friends, " said the novice to the five blacks, "do as I tell you, and all will go right. "

Dick Sand was standing at the wheel of the helm. 

"Go!" cried he. "Tom, let go that rope quickly!"

"Let go?" said Tom, who did not understand that expression. 

"Yes, loosen it! Now you, Bat--the same thing! Good! Heave--haul taut. Let us see, pull it in!"

"Like that?" said Bat. 

"Yes, like that. Very good. Come, Hercules--strong. A good pull there!"

To say "strong" to Hercules was, perhaps, imprudent. The giant ofcourse gave a pull that brought down the rope. 

"Oh! not so strong, my honest fellow!" cried Dick Sand, smiling. "Youare going to bring down the masts!"

"I have hardly pulled, " replied Hercules. 

"Well, only make believe! You will see that that will be enough! Well, slacken--cast off! Make fast--Make fast--like that! Good! All together!Heave--pull on the braces. "

And the whole breadth of the foremast, whose larboard braces had beenloosened, turned slowly. The wind then swelling the sails imparted acertain speed to the ship. 

Dick Sand then had the jib sheet-ropes loosened. Then he called theblacks aft:

"Behold what is done, my friends, and well done. Now let us attend tothe mainmast. But break nothing, Hercules. "

"I shall try, " replied the colossus, without being willing to promisemore. 

This second operation was quite easy. The main-boom sheet-rope havingbeen let go gently, the brigantine took the wind more regularly, andadded its powerful action to that of the forward sails. 

The fore-staff was then set above the brigantine, and, as it is simplybrailed up, there was nothing to do but bear on the rope, to haulaboard, then to secure it. But Hercules pulled so hard, along with hisfriend Acteon, without counting little Jack, who had joined them, thatthe rope broke off. 

All three fell backwards--happily, without hurting themselves. Jack wasenchanted. 

"That's nothing! that's nothing!" cried the novice. "Fasten the twoends together for this time and hoist softly!"

That was done under Dick Sand's eyes, while he had not yet left thehelm. The "Pilgrim" was already sailing rapidly, headed to the east, and there was nothing more to be done but keep it in that direction. Nothing easier, because the wind was favorable, and lurches were not tobe feared. 

"Good, my friends!" said the novice. "You will be good sailors beforethe end of the voyage!"

"We shall do our best, Captain Sand, " replied Tom. 

Mrs. Weldon also complimented those honest men. 

Little Jack himself received his share of praise, for he had workedbravely. 

"Indeed, I believe, Mr. Jack, " said Hercules, smiling, "that it was youwho broke the rope. What a good little fist you have. Without you weshould have done nothing right. "

And little Jack, very proud of himself, shook his friend Hercules' handvigorously. 

The setting of the "Pilgrim's" sails was not yet complete. She stilllacked those top-sails whose action is not to be despised under thisfull-sail movement. Top-sail, royal, stay-sails, would add sensibly tothe schooner's speed, and Dick Sand resolved to set them. 

This operation would be more difficult than the others, not for thestay-sails, which could be hoisted, hauled aboard and fastened frombelow, but for the cross-jacks of the foremast. It was necessary toclimb to the spars to let them out, and Dick Sand, not wishing toexpose any one of his improvised crew, undertook to do it himself. 

He then called Tom and put him at the wheel, showing him how he shouldkeep the ship. Then Hercules, Bat, Acteon and Austin being placed, someat the royal halyards, others at those of the top-sails, he proceededup the mast. To climb the rattlings of the fore-shrouds, then therattlings of the topmast-shrouds, to gain the spars, that was only playfor the young novice. In a minute he was on the foot-rope of thetop-sail yard, and he let go the rope-bands which kept the sail bound. 

Then he stood on the spars again and climbed on the royal yard, wherehe let out the sail rapidly. 

Dick Sand had finished his task, and seizing one of the starboardbackstays, he slid to the deck. 

There, under his directions, the two sails were vigorously hauled andfastened, then the two yards hoisted to the block. The stay-sails beingset next between the mainmast and the foremast, the work was finished. Hercules had broken nothing this time. 

The "Pilgrim" then carried all the sails that composed her rigging. Doubtless Dick Sand could still add the foremast studding-sails tolarboard, but it was difficult work under the present circumstances, and should it be necessary to take them in, in case of a squall, itcould not be done fast enough. So the novice stopped there. 

Tom was relieved from his post at the wheel, which Dick Sand tookcharge of again. 

The breeze freshened. The "Pilgrim, " making a slight turn to starboard, glided rapidly over the surface of the sea, leaving behind her a veryflat track, which bore witness to the purity of her water-line. 

"We are well under way, Mrs. Weldon, " then said Dick Sand, "and, now, may God preserve this favorable wind!"

Mrs. Weldon pressed the young man's hand. Then, fatigued with all theemotions of that last hour, she sought her cabin, and fell into a sortof painful drowsiness, which was not sleep. 

The new crew remained on the schooner's deck, watching on theforecastle, and ready to obey Dick Sand's orders--that is to say, tochange the set of the sails according to the variations of the wind;but so long as the breeze kept both that force and that direction, there would be positively nothing to do. 

During all this time what had become of Cousin Benedict?

Cousin Benedict was occupied in studying with a magnifying glass anarticulate which he had at last found on board--a simple orthopter, whose head disappeared under the prothorax; an insect with flatelytrums, with round abdomen, with rather long wings, which belonged tothe family of the roaches, and to the species of American cockroaches. 

It was exactly while ferreting in Negoro's kitchen, that he had madethat precious discovery, and at the moment when the cook was going tocrush the said insect pitilessly. Thence anger, which, indeed, Negorotook no notice of. 

But this Cousin Benedict, did he know what change had taken place onboard since the moment when Captain Hull and his companions hadcommenced that fatal whale-fishing? Yes, certainly. He was even on thedeck when the "Pilgrim" arrived in sight of the remains of thewhale-boat. The schooner's crew had then perished before his eyes. 

To pretend that this catastrophe had not affected him, would be toaccuse his heart. That pity for others that all people feel, he hadcertainly experienced it. He was equally moved by his cousin'ssituation. He had come to press Mrs. Weldon's hand, as if to say toher: "Do not be afraid. I am here. I am left to you. "

Then Cousin Benedict had turned toward his cabin, doubtless so as toreflect on the consequences of this disastrous event, and on theenergetic measures that he must take. But on his way he had met thecockroach in question, and his desire was--held, however, againstcertain entomologists--to prove the cockroaches of the phoraspespecies, remarkable for their colors, have very different habits fromcockroaches properly so called; he had given himself up to the study, forgetting both that there had been a Captain Hull in command of the"Pilgrim, " and that that unfortunate had just perished with his crew. The cockroach absorbed him entirely. He did not admire it less, and hemade as much time over it as if that horrible insect had been a goldenbeetle. 

The life on board had then returned to its usual course, though everyone would remain for a long time yet under the effects of such a keenand unforeseen catastrophe. 

During this day Dick Sand was everywhere, so that everything should bein its place, and that he could be prepared for the smallestcontingency. The blacks obeyed him with zeal. The most perfect orderreigned on board the "Pilgrim. " It might then be hoped that all wouldgo well. 

On his side, Negoro made no other attempt to resist Dick Sand'sauthority. He appeared to have tacitly recognized him. Occupied asusual in his narrow kitchen, he was not seen more than before. Besides, at the least infraction--at the first symptom of insubordination, DickSand was determined to send him to the hold for the rest of thepassage. At a sign from him, Hercules would take the head cook by theskin of the neck; that would not have taken long. In that case, Nan, who knew how to cook, would replace the cook in his functions. Negorothen could say to himself that he was indispensable, and, as he wasclosely watched, he seemed unwilling to give any cause of complaint. 

The wind, though growing stronger till evening, did not necessitate anychange in the "Pilgrim's" sails. Her solid masting, her iron rigging, which was in good condition, would enable her to bear in this conditioneven a stronger breeze. 

During the night it is often the custom to lessen the sails, andparticularly to take in the high sails, fore-staff, top-sail, royal, etc. That is prudent, in case some squall of wind should come upsuddenly. But Dick Sand believed he could dispense with thisprecaution. The state of the atmosphere indicated nothing of the kind, and besides, the young novice determined to pass the first night on thedeck, intending to have an eye to everything. Then the progress wasmore rapid, and he longed to be in less desolate parts. 

It has been said that the log and the compass were the only instrumentswhich Dick Sand could use, so as to estimate approximately the way madeby the "Pilgrim. "

During this day the novice threw the log every half-hour, and he notedthe indications furnished by the instrument. 

As to the instrument which bears the name of compass, there were two onboard. One was placed in the binnacle, under the eyes of the man at thehelm. Its dial, lighted by day by the diurnal light, by night by twoside-lamps, indicated at every moment which way the ship headed--thatis, the direction she followed. The other compass was an inverted one, fixed to the bars of the cabin which Captain Hull formerly occupied. Bythat means, without leaving his chamber, he could always know if theroute given was exactly followed, if the man at the helm, fromignorance or negligence, allowed the ship to make too great lurches. 

Besides, there is no ship employed in long voyages which does notpossess at least two compasses, as she has two chronometers. It isnecessary to compare these instruments with each other, and, consequently, control their indications. 

The "Pilgrim" was then sufficiently provided for in that respect, andDick Sand charged his men to take the greatest care of the twocompasses, which were so necessary to him. 

Now, unfortunately, during the night of the 12th to the 13th ofFebruary, while the novice was on watch, and holding the wheel of thehelm, a sad accident took place. The inverted compass, which wasfastened by a copper ferule to the woodwork of the cabin, broke off andfell on the floor. It was not seen till the next day. 

How had the ferule come to break. It was inexplicable enough. It waspossible, however, that it was oxydized, and that the pitching androlling had broken it from the woodwork. Now, indeed, the sea had beenrougher during the night. However it was, the compass was broken insuch a manner that it could not be repaired. 

Dick Sand was much thwarted. Henceforth he was reduced to trust solelyto the compass in the binnacle. Very evidently no one was responsiblefor the breaking of the second compass, but it might have sadconsequences. The novice then took every precaution to keep the othercompass beyond the reach of every accident. 

Till then, with that exception, all went well on board the "Pilgrim. "

Mrs. Weldon, seeing Dick Sand's calmness, had regained confidence. Itwas not that she had ever yielded to despair. Above all, she counted onthe goodness of God. Also, as a sincere and pious Catholic, shecomforted herself by prayer. 

Dick Sand had arranged so as to remain at the helm during the night. Heslept five or six hours in the day, and that seemed enough for him, ashe did not feel too much fatigued. During this time Tom or his son Battook his place at the wheel of the helm, and, thanks to his counsels, they were gradually becoming passable steersmen. 

Often Mrs. Weldon and the novice talked to each other. Dick Sandwillingly took advice from this intelligent and courageous woman. Eachday he showed her on the ship's chart the course run, which he took byreckoning, taking into account only the direction and the speed of theship. "See, Mrs. Weldon, " he often repeated to her, "with these windsblowing, we cannot fail to reach the coast of South America. I shouldnot like to affirm it, but I verily believe that when our vessel shallarrive in sight of land, it will not be far from Valparaiso. "

Mrs. Weldon could not doubt the direction of the vessel was right, favored above all by those winds from the northwest. But how far the"Pilgrim" still seemed to be from the American coast! How many dangersbetween her and the firm land, only counting those which might comefrom a change in the state of the sea and the sky!

Jack, indifferent like children of his age, had returned to his usualgames, running on the deck, amusing himself with Dingo. He found, ofcourse, that his friend Dick was less with him than formerly; but hismother had made him understand that they must leave the young noviceentirely to his occupations. Little Jack had given up to these reasons, and no longer disturbed "Captain Sand. "

So passed life on board. The blacks did their work intelligently, andeach day became more skilful in the sailor's craft. Tom was naturallythe boatswain, and it was he, indeed, whom his companions would havechosen for that office. He commanded the watch while the novice rested, and he had with him his son Bat and Austin. Acteon and Hercules formedthe other watch, under Dick Sand's direction. By this means, while onesteered, the others watched at the prow. 

Even though these parts were deserted, and no collision was really tobe feared, the novice exacted a rigorous watch during the night. Henever sailed without having his lights in position--a green light onthe starboard, a red light on the larboard--and in that he acted wisely. 

All the time, during those nights which Dick Sand passed entirely atthe helm, he occasionally felt an irresistible heaviness over him. Hishand then steered by pure instinct. It was the effect of a fatigue ofwhich he did not wish to take account. 

Now, it happened that during the night of the 13th to the 14th ofFebruary, that Dick Sand was very tired, and was obliged to take a fewhours' rest. He was replaced at the helm by old Tom. 

The sky was covered with thick clouds, which had gathered with theevening, under the influence of the cold air. It was then very dark, and it was impossible to distinguish the high sails lost in thedarkness. Hercules and Acteon were on watch on the forecastle. 

Aft, the light from the binnacle only gave a faint gleam, which themetallic apparatus of the wheel reflected softly. The ship's lanternsthrowing their lights laterally, left the deck of the vessel inprofound darkness. 

Toward three o'clock in the morning, a kind of hypnotic phenomenon tookplace, of which old Tom was not even conscious. His eves, which werefixed too long on a luminous point of the binnacle, suddenly lost thepower of vision, and he fell into a true anćsthetic sleep. 

Not only was he incapable of seeing, but if one had touched or pinchedhim hard he would probably have felt nothing. 

So he did not see a shadow which glided over the deck. 

It was Negoro. 

Arrived aft, the head cook placed under the binnacle a pretty heavyobject which he held in hand. 

Then, after observing for an instant the luminous index of the compass, he retired without having been seen. 

If, the next day, Dick Sand had perceived that object placed by Negorounder the binnacle, he might have hastened to take it away. 

In fact, it was a piece of iron, whose influence had just altered theindications of the compass. The magnetic needle had been deviated, andinstead of marking the magnetic north, which differs a little from thenorth of the world, it marked the northeast. It was then, a deviationof four points; in other words, of half a right angle. 

Tom soon recovered from his drowsiness. His eyes were fixed on thecompass. He believed, he had reason to believe, that the "Pilgrim" wasnot in the right direction. He then moved the helm so as to head theship to the east--at least, he thought so. 

But, with the deviation of the needle, which he could not suspect, thatpoint, changed by four points, was the southeast. 

And thus, while under the action of a favorable wind, the "Pilgrim" wassupposed to follow the direction wished for, she sailed with an errorof forty-five degrees in her route!

CHAPTER XI. 

TEMPEST. 

During the week which followed that event, from the 14th of February tothe 21st, no incident took place on board. The wind from the northwestfreshened gradually, and the "Pilgrim" sailed rapidly, making on anaverage one hundred and sixty miles in twenty-four hours. It was nearlyall that could be asked of a vessel of that size. 

Dick Sand thought the schooner must be approaching those parts morefrequented by the merchant vessels which seek to pass from onehemisphere to the other. The novice was always hoping to encounter oneof those ships, and he clearly intended either to transfer hispassengers, or to borrow some additional sailors, and perhaps anofficer. But, though he watched vigilantly, no ship could be signaled, and the sea was always deserted. 

Dick Sand continued to be somewhat astonished at that. He had crossedthis part of the Pacific several times during his three fishing voyagesto the Southern Seas. Now, in the latitude and longitude where hisreckoning put him, it was seldom that some English or American ship didnot appear, ascending from Cape Horn toward the equator, or comingtoward the extreme point of South America. 

But what Dick Sand was ignorant of, what he could not even discover, was that the "Pilgrim" was already in higher latitude--that is to say, more to the south than he supposed. That was so for two reasons:

The first was, that the currents of these parts, whose swiftness thenovice could only imperfectly estimate, had contributed--while he couldnot possibly keep account of them--to throw the ship out of her route. 

The second was, that the compass, made inaccurate by Negoro's guiltyhand, henceforth only gave incorrect bearings--bearings that, since theloss of the second compass, Dick Sand could not control. So that, believing, and having reason to believe, that he was sailing eastward, in reality, he was sailing southeast. The compass, it was always beforehis eyes. The log, it was thrown regularly. His two instrumentspermitted him, in a certain measure, to direct the "Pilgrim, " and toestimate the number of miles sailed. But, then, was that sufficient?

However, the novice always did his best to reassure Mrs. Weldon, whomthe incidents of this voyage must at times render anxious. 

"We shall arrive, we shall arrive!" he repeated. "We shall reach theAmerican coast, here or there; it matters little, on the whole, but wecannot fail to land there!"

"I do not doubt it, Dick. "

"Of course, Mrs. Weldon, I should be more at ease if you were not onboard--if we had only ourselves to answer for; but----"

"But if I were not on board, " replied Mrs. Weldon; "if Cousin Benedict, Jack, Nan and I, had not taken passage on the 'Pilgrim, ' and if, on theother hand, Tom and his companions had not been picked up at sea, Dick, there would be only two men here, you and Negoro! What would havebecome of you, alone with that wicked man, in whom you cannot haveconfidence? Yes, my child, what would have become of you?"

"I should have begun, " replied Dick Sand, resolutely, "by puttingNegoro where he could not injure me. "

"And you would have worked alone?"

"Yes--alone--with the aid of God!"

The firmness of these words was well calculated to encourage Mrs. Weldon. But, nevertheless, while thinking of her little Jack, she oftenfelt uneasy. If the woman would not show what she experienced as amother, she did not always succeed in preventing some secret anguishfor him to rend her heart. 

Meanwhile, if the young novice was not sufficiently advanced in hishydrographic studies to make his point, he possessed a true sailor'sscent, when the question was "to tell the weather. " The appearance ofthe sky, for one thing; on the other hand, the indications of thebarometer, enabled him to be on his guard. Captain Hull, a goodmeteorologist, had taught him to consult this instrument, whoseprognostications are remarkably sure. 

Here is, in a few words, what the notices relative to the observationof the barometer contain:

1. When, after a rather long continuance of fine weather, the barometerbegins to fall in a sudden and continuous manner, rain will certainlyfall; but, if the fine weather has had a long duration, the mercury mayfall two or three days in the tube of the barometer before any changein the state of the atmosphere may be perceived. Then, the longer thetime between the falling of the mercury and the arrival of the rain, the longer will be the duration of rainy weather. 

2. If, on the contrary, during a rainy period which has already had along duration, the barometer commences to rise slowly and regularly, very certainly fine weather will come, and it will last much longer ifa long interval elapses between its arrival and the rising of thebarometer. 

3. In the two cases given, if the change of weather follows immediatelythe movement of the barometrical column, that change will last only avery short time. 

4. If the barometer rises with slowness and in a continuous manner fortwo or three days, or even more, it announces fine weather, even whenthe rain will not cease during those three days, and _vice versa;_ butif the barometer rises two days or more during the rain, then, the fineweather having come, if it commences to fall again, the fine weatherwill last a very short time, and _vice versa_. 

5. In the spring and in the autumn, a sudden fall of the barometerpresages wind. In the summer, if the weather is very warm, it announcesa storm. In winter, after a frost of some duration, a rapid falling ofthe barometrical column announces a change of wind, accompanied by athaw and rain; but a rising which happens during a frost which hasalready lasted a certain time, prognosticates snow. 

6. Rapid oscillations of the barometer should never be interpreted aspresaging dry or rainy weather of any duration. Those indications aregiven exclusively by the rising or the falling which takes place in aslow and continuous manner. 

7. Toward the end of autumn, if after prolonged rainy and windyweather, the barometer begins to rise, that rising announces thepassage of the wind to the north and the approach of the frost. 

Such are the general consequences to draw from the indications of thisprecious instrument. 

Dick Sand knew all that perfectly well, as he had ascertained forhimself in different circumstances of his sailor's life, which made himvery skilful in putting himself on his guard against all contingencies. 

Now, just toward the 20th of February, the oscillations of thebarometrical column began to preoccupy the young novice, who noted themseveral times a day with much care. In fact, the barometer began tofall in a slow and continuous manner, which presages rain; but, thisrain being delayed, Dick Sand concluded from that, that the bad weatherwould last. That is what must happen. 

But the rain was the wind, and in fact, at that date, the breezefreshened so much that the air was displaced with a velocity of sixtyfeet a second, say thirty-one miles an hour. 

Dick Sand was obliged to take some precautions so as not to risk the"Pilgrim's" masting and sails. 

Already he had the royal, the fore-staff, and the flying-jib taken in, and he resolved to do the same with the top-sail, then take in tworeefs in the top-sail. 

This last operation must present certain difficulties with a crew oflittle experience. Hesitation would not do, however, and no onehesitated. Dick Sand, accompanied by Bat and Austin, climbed into therigging of the foremast, and succeeded, not without trouble, in takingin the top-sail. In less threatening weather he would have left the twoyards on the mast, but, foreseeing that he would probably be obliged tolevel that mast, and perhaps even to lay it down upon the deck, heunrigged the two yards and sent them to the deck. In fact, it isunderstood that when the wind becomes too strong, not only must thesails be diminished, but also the masting. That is a great relief tothe ship, which, carrying less weight above, is no longer so muchstrained with the rolling and pitching. 

This first work accomplished--and it took two hours--Dick Sand and hiscompanions were busy reducing the surface of the top-sail, by taking intwo reefs. The "Pilgrim" did not carry, like the majority of modernships, a double top-sail, which facilitates the operation. It wasnecessary, then, to work as formerly--that is to say, to run out on thefoot-ropes, pull toward you a sail beaten by the wind, and lash itfirmly with its reef-lines. It was difficult, long, perilous; but, finally, the diminished top-sail gave less surface to the wind, and theschooner was much relieved. 

Dick Sand came down again with Bat and Austin. The "Pilgrim" was thenin the sailing condition demanded by that state of the atmosphere whichhas been qualified as "very stiff. "

During the three days which followed, 20th, 21st and 22d of February, the force and direction of the wind were not perceptibly changed. Allthe time the mercury continued to fall in the barometrical tube, and, on this last day, the novice noted that it kept continually belowtwenty-eight and seven-tenths inches. 

Besides, there was no appearance that the barometer would rise for sometime. The aspect of the sky was bad, and extremely windy. Besides, thick fogs covered it constantly. Their stratum was even so deep thatthe sun was no longer seen, and it would have been difficult toindicate precisely the place of his setting and rising. 

Dick Sand began to be anxious. He no longer left the deck; he hardlyslept. However, his moral energy enabled him to drive back his fears tothe bottom of his heart. 

The next day, February 22d, the breeze appeared to decrease a little inthe morning, but Dick Sand did not trust in it. He was right, for inthe afternoon the wind freshened again, and the sea became rougher. 

Toward four o'clock, Negoro, who was rarely seen, left his post andcame up on the forecastle. Dingo, doubtless, was sleeping in somecorner, for it did not bark as usual. 

Negoro, always silent, remained for half an hour observing the horizon. 

Long surges succeeded each other without, as yet, being dashedtogether. However, they were higher than the force of the windaccounted for. One must conclude from that, that there was very badweather in the west, perhaps at a rather short distance, and that itwould not be long in reaching these parts. 

Negoro watched that vast extent of sea, which was greatly troubled, around the "Pilgrim. " Then his eyes, always cold and dry, turned towardthe sky. 

The aspect of the sky was disturbing. The vapors moved with verydifferent velocities. The clouds of the upper zone traveled morerapidly than those of the low strata of the atmosphere. The case thenmust be foreseen, in which those heavy masses would fall, and mightchange into a tempest, perhaps a hurricane, what was yet only a verystiff breeze--that is to say, a displacement of the air at the rate offorty-three miles an hour. 

Whether Negoro was not a man to be frightened, or whether he understoodnothing of the threats of the weather, he did not appear to beaffected. However, an evil smile glided over his lips. One would say, at the end of his observations, that this state of things was rathercalculated to please him than to displease him. One moment he mountedon the bowsprit and crawled as far as the ropes, so as to extend hisrange of vision, as if he were seeking some indication on the horizon. Then he descended again, and tranquilly, without having pronounced asingle word, without having made a gesture, he regained the crew'squarters. 

Meanwhile, in the midst of all these fearful conjunctions, thereremained one happy circumstance which each one on board ought toremember; it was that this wind, violent as it was or might become, wasfavorable, and that the "Pilgrim" seemed to be rapidly making theAmerican coast. If, indeed, the weather did not turn to tempest, thisnavigation would continue to be accomplished without great danger, andthe veritable perils would only spring up when the question would be toland on some badly ascertained point of the coast. 

That was indeed what Dick Sand was already asking himself. When heshould once make the land, how should he act, if he did not encountersome pilot, some one who knew the coast? In case the bad weather shouldoblige him to seek a port of refuge, what should he do, because thatcoast was to him absolutely unknown? Indeed, he had not yet to troublehimself with that contingency. However, when the hour should come, hewould be obliged to adopt some plan. Well, Dick Sand adopted one. 

During the thirteen days which elapsed, from the 24th of February tothe 9th of March, the state of the atmosphere did not change in anyperceptible manner. The sky was always loaded with heavy fogs. For afew hours the wind went down, then it began to blow again with the sameforce. Two or three times the barometer rose again, but itsoscillation, comprising a dozen lines, was too sudden to announce achange of weather and a return of more manageable winds. Besides thebarometrical column fell again almost immediately, and nothing couldinspire any hope of the end of that bad weather within a short period. 

Terrible storms burst forth also, which very seriously disturbed DickSand. Two or three times the lightning struck the waves only a fewcable-lengths from the ship. Then the rain fell in torrents, and madethose whirlpools of half condensed vapors, which surrounded the"Pilgrim" with a thick mist. 

For entire hours the man at the lookout saw nothing, and the shipsailed at random. 

Even though the ship, although resting firmly on the waves, washorribly shaken, Mrs. Weldon, fortunately, supported this rolling andpitching without being incommoded. But her little boy was very muchtried, and she was obliged to give him all her care. 

As to Cousin Benedict, he was no more sick than the Americancockroaches which he made his society, and he passed his time instudying, as if he were quietly settled in his study in San Francisco. 

Very fortunately, also, Tom and his companions found themselves littlesensitive to sea-sickness, and they could continue to come to the youngnovice's aid--well accustomed, himself, to all those excessivemovements of a ship which flies before the weather. 

The "Pilgrim" ran rapidly under this reduced sail, and already DickSand foresaw that he would be obliged to reduce it again. But he wishedto hold out as long as it would be possible to do so without danger. According to his reckoning, the coast ought to be no longer distant. Sothey watched with care. All the time the novice could hardly trust hiscompanions' eyes to discover the first indications of land. In fact, nomatter what good sight he may have, he who is not accustomed tointerrogating the sea horizons is not skilful in distinguishing thefirst contours of a coast, above all in the middle of fogs. So DickSand must watch himself, and he often climbed as far as the spars tosee better. But no sign yet of the American coast. 

This astonished him, and Mrs. Weldon, by some words which escaped him, understood that astonishment. 

It was the 9th of March. The novice kept at the prow, sometimesobserving the sea and the sky, sometimes looking at the "Pilgrim's"masting, which began to strain under the force of the wind. 

"You see nothing yet, Dick?" she asked him, at a moment when he hadjust left the long lookout. 

"Nothing, Mrs. Weldon, nothing, " replied the novice; and meanwhile, thehorizon seems to clear a little under this violent wind, which is goingto blow still harder. "

"And, according to you, Dick, the American coast ought not to bedistant now. "

"It cannot be, Mrs. Weldon, and if anything astonishes me, it is nothaving made it yet. "

"Meanwhile, " continued Mrs. Weldon, "the ship has always followed theright course. "

"Always, since the wind settled in the northwest, " replied Dick Sand;"that is to say, since the day when we lost our unfortunate captain andhis crew. That was the 10th of February. We are now on the 9th ofMarch. There have been then, twenty-seven since that. "

"But at that period what distance were we from the coast?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"About four thousand five hundred miles, Mrs. Weldon. If there arethings about which I have more than a doubt, I can at least guaranteethis figure within about twenty miles. "

"And what has been the ship's speed?"

"On an average, a hundred and eighty miles a day since the windfreshened, " replied the novice. "So, I am surprised at not being insight of land. And, what is still more extraordinary, is that we do notmeet even a single one of those vessels which generally frequent theseparts!"

"Could you not be deceived, Dick, " returned Mrs. Weldon, "in estimatingthe 'Pilgrim's' speed?"

"No, Mrs. Weldon. On that point I could not be mistaken. The log hasbeen thrown every half hour, and I have taken its indications veryaccurately. Wait, I am going to have it thrown anew, and you will seethat we are sailing at this moment at the rate of ten miles an hour, which would give us more than two hundred miles a day. "

Dick Sand called Tom, and gave him the order to throw the log, anoperation to which the old black was now quite accustomed. 

The log, firmly fastened to the end of the line, was brought and sentout. 

Twenty-five fathoms were hardly unrolled, when the rope suddenlyslackened between Tom's hands. 

"Ah! Mr. Dick!" cried he. 

"Well, Tom?"

"The rope has broken!"

"Broken!" cried Dick Sand. "And the log is lost!"

Old Tom showed the end of the rope which remained in his hand. 

It was only too true. It was not the fastening which had failed. Therope had broken in the middle. And, nevertheless, that rope was of thefirst quality. It must have been, then, that the strands of the rope atthe point of rupture were singularly worn! They were, in fact, and DickSand could tell that when he had the end of the rope in his hands! Buthad they become so by use? was what the novice, become suspicious, asked himself. 

However that was, the log was now lost, and Dick Sand had no longer anymeans of telling exactly the speed of his ship. In the way ofinstruments, he only possessed one compass, and he did not know thatits indications were false. 

Mrs. Weldon saw him so saddened by this accident, that she did not wishto insist, and, with a very heavy heart, she retired into her cabin. 

But if the "Pilgrim's" speed and consequently the way sailed over couldno longer be estimated, it was easy to tell that the ship's headway wasnot diminishing. 

In fact, the next day, March 10th, the barometer fell to twenty-eightand two-tenths inches. It was the announcement of one of those blastsof wind which travel as much as sixty miles an hour. 

It became urgent to change once more the state of the sails, so as notto risk the security of the vessel. 

Dick Sand resolved to bring down his top-gallant mast and hisfore-staff, and to furl his low sails, so as to sail under hisforetop-mast stay-sail and the low reef of his top-sail. 

He called Tom and his companions to help him in that difficultoperation, which, unfortunately, could not be executed with rapidity. 

And meanwhile time pressed, for the tempest already declared itselfwith violence. 

Dick Sands, Austin, Acteon, and Bat climbed into the masting, while Tomremained at the wheel, and Hercules on the deck, so as to slacken theropes, as soon as he was commanded. 

After numerous efforts, the fore-staff and the top-gallant mast weregotten down upon the deck, not without these honest men having ahundred times risked being precipitated into the sea, the rolling shookthe masting to such an extent. Then, the top-sail having been lessenedand the foresail furled, the schooner carried only her foretop-maststay-sail and the low reef of the top-sail. 

Even though her sails were then extremely reduced, the "Pilgrim"continued, none the less, to sail with excessive velocity. 

The 12th the weather took a still worse appearance. On that day, atdawn, Dick Sand saw, not without terror, the barometer fall totwenty-seven and nine-tenths inches. It was a real tempest which wasraging, and such that the "Pilgrim" could not carry even the littlesail she had left. 

Dick Sand, seeing that his top-sail was going to be torn, gave theorder to furl. But it was in vain. A more violent gust struck the shipat that moment, and tore off the sail. Austin, who was on the yard ofthe foretop-sail, was struck by the larboard sheet-rope. Wounded, butrather slightly, he could climb down again to the deck. 

Dick Sand, extremely anxious, had but one thought. It was that theship, urged with such fury, was going to be dashed to pieces everymoment; for, according to his calculation, the rocks of the coast couldnot be distant. He then returned to the prow, but he saw nothing whichhad the appearance of land, and then, came back to the wheel. 

A moment after Negoro came on deck. There, suddenly, as if in spite ofhimself, his arm was extended toward a point of the horizon. One wouldsay that he recognized some high land in the fogs!

Still, once more he smiled wickedly, and without saying anything ofwhat he had been able to see, he returned to his post. 

 * * * * *

CHAPTER XII. 

ON THE HORIZON. 

At that date the tempest took its most terrible form, that of thehurricane. The wind had set in from the southwest. The air moved with avelocity of ninety miles an hour. It was indeed a hurricane, in fact, one of those terrible windstorms which wrecks all the ships of aroadstead, and which, even on land, the most solid structures cannotresist. Such was the one which, on the 25th of July, 1825, devastatedGuadaloupe. When heavy cannons, carrying balls of twenty-four pounds, are raised from their carriages, one may imagine what would become of aship which has no other point of support than an unsteady sea? Andmeanwhile, it is to its mobility alone that she may owe her salvation. She yields to the wind, and, provided she is strongly built, she is ina condition to brave the most violent surges. That was the case withthe "Pilgrim. "

A few minutes after the top-sail had been torn in pieces, theforetop-mast stay-sail was in its turn torn off. Dick Sand must thengive up the idea of setting even a storm-jib--a small sail of stronglinen, which would make the ship easier to govern. 

The "Pilgrim" then ran without canvas, but the wind took effect on herhull, her masts, her rigging, and nothing more was needed to impart toher an excessive velocity. Sometimes even she seemed to emerge from thewaves, and it was to be believed that she hardly grazed them. Underthese circumstances, the rolling of the ship, tossed about on theenormous billows raised by the tempest, was frightful. There was dangerof receiving some monstrous surge aft. Those mountains of water ranfaster than the schooner, threatening to strike her stern if she didnot rise pretty fast. That is extreme danger for every ship which scudsbefore the tempest. But what could be done to ward off thatcontingency? Greater speed could not be imparted to the "Pilgrim, "because she would not have kept the smallest piece of canvas. She mustthen be managed as much as possible by means of the helm, whose actionwas often powerless. 

Dick Sand no longer left the helm. He was lashed by the waist, so asnot to be carried away by some surge. Tom and Bat, fastened also, stoodnear to help him. Hercules and Acteon, bound to the bitts, watchedforward. As to Mrs. Weldon, to Little Jack, to Cousin Benedict, to Nan, they remained, by order of the novice, in the aft cabins. Mrs. Weldonwould have preferred to have remained on deck, but Dick Sand wasstrongly opposed to it; it would be exposing herself uselessly. 

All the scuttles had been hermetically nailed up. It was hoped thatthey would resist if some formidable billow should fall on the ship. If, by any mischance, they should yield under the weight of theseavalanches, the ship might fill and sink. Very fortunately, also, thestowage had been well attended to, so that, notwithstanding theterrible tossing of the vessel, her cargo was not moved about. 

Dick Sand had again reduced the number of hours which he gave to sleep. So Mrs. Weldon began to fear that he would take sick. She made himconsent to take some repose. 

Now, it was while he was still lying down, during the night of the 13thto the 14th of March, that a new incident took place. 

Tom and Bat were aft, when Negoro, who rarely appeared on that part ofthe deck, drew near, and even seemed to wish to enter into conversationwith them; but Tom and his son did not reply to him. 

Suddenly, in a violent rolling of the ship, Negoro fell, and he would, doubtless, have been thrown into the sea if he had not held on to thebinnacle. 

Tom gave a cry, fearing the compass would be broken. 

Dick Sand, in a moment of wakefulness, heard that cry, and rushing outof his quarters, he ran aft. 

Negoro had already risen, but he held in his hand the piece of ironwhich he had just taken from under the binnacle, and he hid it beforeDick Sand could see it. 

Was it, then, Negoro's interest for the magnetic needle to return toits true direction? Yes, for these southwest winds served him now!

"What's the matter?" asked the novice. 

"It's that cook of misfortune, who has just fallen on the compass!"replied Tom. 

At those words Dick Sand, in the greatest anxiety, leaned over thebinnacle. It was in good condition; the compass, lighted by two lamps, rested as usual on its concentric circles. 

The young novice was greatly affected. The breaking of the only compasson board would be an irreparable misfortune. 

But what Dick Sand could not observe was that, since the taking away ofthe piece of iron, the needle had returned to its normal position, andindicated exactly the magnetic north as it ought to be under thatmeridian. 

Meanwhile, if Negoro could not be made responsible for a fall whichseemed to be involuntary, Dick Sand had reason to be astonished that hewas, at that hour, aft in the ship. 

"What are you doing there?" he asked him. 

"What I please, " replied Negoro. 

"You say----" cried Dick Sand, who could not restrain his anger. 

"I say, " replied the head cook, "that there is no rule which forbidswalking aft. "

"Well, I make that the rule, " replied Dick Sand, "and I forbid you, remember, to come aft. "

"Indeed!" replied Negoro. 

That man, so entirely under self-control, then made a menacing gesture. 

The novice drew a revolver from his pocket, and pointed it at the headcook. 

"Negoro, " said he, "recollect that I am never without this revolver, and that on the first act of insubordination I shall blow out yourbrains!"

At that moment Negoro felt himself irresistibly bent to the deck. 

It was Hercules, who had just simply laid his heavy hand on Negoro'sshoulder. 

"Captain Sand, " said the giant, "do you want me to throw this rascaloverboard? He will regale the fishes, who are not hard to please!"

"Not yet, " replied Dick Sand. 

Negoro rose as soon as the black's hand no longer weighed upon him. But, in passing Hercules:

"Accursed negro, " murmured he, "I'll pay you back!"

Meanwhile, the wind had just changed; at least, it seemed to haveveered round forty-five degrees. And, notwithstanding, a singularthing, which struck the novice, nothing in the condition of the seaindicated that change. The ship headed the same way all the time, butthe wind and the waves, instead of taking her directly aft, now struckher by the larboard quarter--a very dangerous situation, which exposesa ship to receive bad surges. So Dick Sand was obliged to veer roundfour points to continue to scud before the tempest. 

But, on the other hand, his attention was awakened more than ever. Heasked himself if there was not some connection between Negoro's falland the breaking of the first compass. What did the head cook intend todo there? Had he some interest in putting the second compass out ofservice also? What could that interest be? There was no explanation ofthat. Must not Negoro desire, as they all desired, to land on theAmerican coast as soon as possible?

When Dick Sand spoke of this incident to Mrs. Weldon, the latter, though she shared his distrust in a certain measure, could find noplausible motive for what would be criminal premeditation on the partof the head cook. 

However, as a matter of prudence, Negoro was well watched. Thereafterhe attended to the novice's orders and he did not risk coming aft inthe ship, where his duties never called him. Besides, Dingo having beeninstalled there permanently, the cook took earn to keep away. 

During all that week the tempest did not abate. The barometer fellagain. From the 14th to the 26th of March it was impossible to profitby a single calm to set a few sails. The "Pilgrim" scudded to thenortheast with a speed which could not be less than two hundred milesin twenty-four hours, and still the land did not appear!--that land, America, which is thrown like an immense barrier between the Atlanticand the Pacific, over an extent of more than a hundred and twentydegrees!

Dick Sand asked himself if he was not a fool, if he was still in hisright mind, if, for so many days, unknown to him, he was not sailing ina false direction. No, he could not find fault with himself on thatpoint. The sun, even though he could not perceive it in the fogs, always rose before him to set behind him. But, then, that land, had itdisappeared? That America, on which his vessel would go to pieces, perhaps, where was it, if it was not there? Be it the SouthernContinent or the Northern Continent--for anything way possible in thatchaos--the "Pilgrim" could not miss either one or the other. What hadhappened since the beginning of this frightful tempest? What was stillgoing on, as that coast, whether it should prove salvation ordestruction, did not appear? Must Dick Sand suppose, then, that he wasdeceived by his compass, whose indications he could no longer control, because the second compass was lacking to make that control? Truly, hehad that fear which the absence of all land might justify. 

So, when he was at the helm, Dick Sand did not cease to devour thechart with his eyes. But he interrogated it in vain; it could not givehim the solution of an enigma which, in the situation in which Negorohad placed him, was incomprehensible for him, as it would have been forany one else. 

On this day, however, the 26th of March, towards eight o'clock in themorning, an incident of the greatest importance took place. 

Hercules, on watch forward, gave this cry:

"Land! land!"

Dick Sand sprang to the forecastle. Hercules could not have eyes like aseaman. Was he not mistaken?

"Land?" cried Dick Sand. 

"There, " replied Hercules, showing an almost imperceptible point on thehorizon in the northeast. 

They hardly heard each other speak in the midst of the roaring of thesea and the sky. 

"You have seen the land?" said the novice. 

"Yes, " replied Hercules. 

And his hand was still stretched out to larboard forward. 

The novice looked. He saw nothing. 

At that moment, Mrs. Weldon, who had heard the cry given by Hercules, came up on deck, notwithstanding her promise not to come there. 

"Madam!" cried Dick Sand. 

Mrs. Weldon, unable to make herself heard, tried, for herself, toperceive that land signaled by the black, and she seemed to haveconcentrated all her life in her eyes. 

It must be believed that Hercules's hand indicated badly the point ofthe horizon which he wished to show: neither Mrs. Weldon nor the novicecould see anything. 

But, suddenly, Dick Sand in turn stretched out his hand. 

"Yes! yes! land!" said he. 

A kind of summit had just appeared in an opening in the fog. Hissailor's eyes could not deceive him. 

"At last!" cried he; "at last!"

He clang feverishly to the netting. Mrs. Weldon, sustained by Hercules, continued to watch that land almost despaired of. 

The coast, formed by that high summit, rose at a distance of ten milesto leeward. 

The opening being completely made in a breaking of the clouds, they sawit again more distinctly. Doubtless it was some promontory of theAmerican continent. The "Pilgrim, " without sails, was not in acondition to head toward it, but it could not fail to make the landthere. 

That could be only a question of a few hours. Now, it was eight o'clockin the morning. Then, very certainly, before noon the "Pilgrim" wouldbe near the land. 

At a sign from Dick Sand, Hercules led Mrs. Weldon aft again, for shecould not bear up against the violence of the pitching. 

The novice remained forward for another instant, then he returned tothe helm, near old Tom. 

At last, then, he saw that coast, so slowly made, so ardently desired!but it was now with a feeling of terror. 

In fact, in the "Pilgrim's" present condition, that is to say, scuddingbefore the tempest, land to leeward, was shipwreck with all itsterrible contingencies. 

Two hours passed away. The promontory was then seen off from the ship. 

At that moment they saw Negoro come on deck. This time he regarded thecoast with extreme attention, shook his head like a man who would knowwhat to believe, and went down again, after pronouncing a name thatnobody could hear. 

Dick Sand himself sought to perceive the coast, which ought to roundoff behind the promontory. 

Two hours rolled by. The promontory was standing on the larboard stern, but the coast was not yet to be traced. 

Meanwhile the sky cleared at the horizon, and a high coast, like theAmerican land, bordered by the immense chain of the Andes, should bevisible for more than twenty miles. 

Dick Sand took his telescope and moved it slowly over the whole easternhorizon. 

Nothing! He could see nothing!

At two o'clock in the afternoon every trace of land had disappearedbehind the "Pilgrim. " Forward, the telescope could not seize anyoutline whatsoever of a coast, high or low. 

Then a cry escaped Dick Sand. Immediately leaving the deck, he rushedinto the cabin, where Mrs. Weldon was with little Jack, Nan, and CousinBenedict. 

"An island! That was only an island!" said he. 

"An island, Dick! but what?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"The chart will tell us, " replied the novice. 

And running to his berth, he brought the ship's chart. 

"There, Mrs. Weldon, there!" said he. "That land which we have seen, itcan only be this point, lost in the middle of the Pacific! It can onlybe the Isle of Paques; there is no other in these parts. "

"And we have already left it behind?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"Yes, well to the windward of us. "

Mrs. Weldon looked attentively at the Isle of Paques, which only formedan imperceptible point on the chart. 

"And at what distance is it from the American coast?"

"Thirty-five degrees. "

"Which makes----"

"About two thousand miles. "

"But then the 'Pilgrim' has not sailed, if we are still so far from thecontinent?"

"Mrs. Weldon, " replied Dick Sand, who passed his hand over his foreheadfor a moment, as if to concentrate his ideas, "I do not know--I cannotexplain this incredible delay! No! I cannot--unless the indications ofthe compass have been false? But that island can only be the Isle ofPaques, because we have been obliged to scud before the wind to thenortheast, and we must thank Heaven, which has permitted me to mark ourposition! Yes, it is still two thousand miles from the coast! I know, at last, where the tempest has blown us, and, if it abates, we shall beable to land on the American continent with some chance of safety. Now, at least, our ship is no longer lost on the immensity of the Pacific!"

This confidence, shown by the young novice, was shared by all those whoheard him speak. Mrs. Weldon, herself, gave way to it. It seemed, indeed, that these poor people were at the end of their troubles, andthat the "Pilgrim, " being to the windward of her port, had only to waitfor the open sea to enter it! The Isle of Paques--by its true nameVai-Hon--discovered by David in 1686, visited by Cook and Laperouse, issituated 27° south latitude and 112° east longitude. If the schoonerhad been thus led more than fifteen degrees to the north, that wasevidently due to that tempest from the southwest, before which it hadbeen obliged to scud. 

Then the "Pilgrim" was still two thousand miles from the coast. However, under the impetus of that wind which blew like thunder, itmust, in less than ten days, reach some point of the coast of SouthAmerica. 

But could they not hope, as the novice had said, that the weather wouldbecome more manageable, and that it would be possible to set some sail, when they should make the land?

It was still Dick Sand's hope. He said to himself that this hurricane, which had lasted so many days, would end perhaps by "killing itself. "And now that, thanks to the appearance of the Isle of Paques, he knewexactly his position, he had reason to believe that, once master of hisvessel again, he would know how to lead her to a safe place. 

Yes! to have had knowledge of that isolated point in the middle of thesea, as by a providential favor, that had restored confidence to DickSand; if he was going all the time at the caprice of a hurricane, whichhe could not subdue, at least, he was no longer going quite blindfold. 

Besides, the "Pilgrim, " well-built and rigged, had suffered littleduring those rude attacks of the tempest. Her damages reducedthemselves to the loss of the top-sail and the foretop-maststay-sail--a loss which it would be easy to repair. Not a drop of waterhad penetrated through the well-stanched seams of the hull and thedeck. The pumps were perfectly free. In this respect there was nothingto fear. 

There was, then, this interminable hurricane, whose fury nothing seemedable to moderate. If, in a certain measure, Dick Sand could put hisship in a condition to struggle against the violent storm, he could notorder that wind to moderate, those waves to be still, that sky tobecome serene again. On board, if he was "master after God, " outsidethe ship, God alone commanded the winds and the waves. 

 * * * * *

CHAPTER XIII. 

LAND! LAND!

Meanwhile, that confidence with which Dick Sand's heart filledinstinctively, was going to be partly justified. 

The next day, March 27th, the column of mercury rose in thebarometrical tube. The oscillation was neither sudden norconsiderable--a few lines only--but the progression seemed likely tocontinue. The tempest was evidently going to enter its decreasingperiod, and, if the sea did remain excessively rough, they could tellthat the wind was going down, veering slightly to the west. 

Dick Sand could not yet think of using any sail. The smallest sailwould be carried away. However, he hoped that twenty-four hours wouldnot elapse before it would be possible for him to rig a storm-jib. 

During the night, in fact, the wind went down quite noticeably, if theycompared it to what it had been till then, and the ship was less tossedby those violent rollings which had threatened to break her in pieces. 

The passengers began to appear on deck again. They no longer ran therisk of being carried away by some surge from the sea. 

Mrs. Weldon was the first to leave the hatchway where Dick Sand, fromprudent motives, had obliged them to shut themselves up during thewhole duration of that long tempest. She came to talk with the novice, whom a truly superhuman will had rendered capable of resisting so muchfatigue. Thin, pale under his sunburnt complexion, he might well beweakened by the loss of that sleep so necessary at his age. No, hisvaliant nature resisted everything. Perhaps he would pay dearly someday for that period of trial. But that was not the moment to allowhimself to be cast down. Dick Sand had said all that to himself. Mrs. Weldon found him as energetic as he had ever been. 

And then he had confidence, that brave Sand, and if confidence does notcommand itself, at least it commands. 

"Dick, my dear child, my captain, " said Mrs. Weldon, holding out herhand to the young novice. 

"Ah! Mrs. Weldon, " exclaimed Dick Sand, smiling, "you disobey yourcaptain. You return on deck, you leave your cabin in spite ofhis--prayers. "

"Yes, I disobey you, " replied Mrs. Weldon; "but I have, as it were, apresentiment that the tempest is going down or is going to become calm. "

"It is becoming calm, in fact, Mrs. Weldon, " replied the novice. "Youare not mistaken. The barometer has not fallen since yesterday. Thewind has moderated, and I have reason to believe that our hardesttrials are over. "

"Heaven hears you, Dick. All! you have suffered much, my poor child!You have done there----"

"Only my duty, Mrs. Weldon. "

"But at last will you be able to take some rest?"

"Rest!" replied the novice; "I have no need of rest, Mrs. Weldon. I amwell, thank God, and it is necessary for me to keep up to the end. Youhave called me captain, and I shall remain captain till the moment whenall the 'Pilgrim's' passengers shall be in safety. "

"Dick, " returned Mrs. Weldon, "my husband and I, we shall never forgetwhat you have just done. "

"God has done all, " replied Dick Sand; "all!"

"My child, I repeat it, that by your moral and physical energy, youhave shown yourself a man--a man fit to command, and before long, assoon as your studies are finished--my husband will not contradictme--you will command for the house of James W. Weldon!"

"I--I----" exclaimed Dick Sand, whose eyes filled with tears. 

"Dick, " replied Mrs. Weldon, "you are already our child by adoption, and now, you are our son, the deliverer of your mother, and of yourlittle brother Jack. My dear Dick, I embrace you for my husband and formyself!"

The courageous woman did not wish to give way while clasping the youngnovice in her arms, but her heart overflowed. As to Dick Sand'sfeelings, what pen could do them justice? He asked himself if he couldnot do more than give his life for his benefactors, and he accepted inadvance all the trials which might come upon him in the future. 

After this conversation Dick Sand felt stronger. If the wind shouldbecome so moderate that he should be able to hoist some canvas, he didnot doubt being able to steer his ship to a port where all those whichit carried would at last be in safety. 

On the 29th, the wind having moderated a little, Dick Sand thought ofsetting the foresail and the top-sail, consequently to increase thespeed of the "Pilgrim" while directing her course. 

"Come, Tom; come, my friends!" cried he, when he went on deck atdaybreak; "come, I need your arms!"

"We are ready, Captain Sand, " replied old Tom. 

"Ready for everything, " added Hercules. "There was nothing to do duringthat tempest, and I begin to grow rusty. "

"You should have blown with your big mouth, " said little Jack; "I betyou would have been as strong as the wind!"

"That is an idea, Jack, " replied Dick Sand, laughing. "When there is acalm we shall make Hercules blow on the sails. "

"At your service, Mister Dick!" replied the brave black, inflating hischeeks like a gigantic Boreas. 

"Now, my friends, " continued the novice, we are to begin by binding aspare sail to the yard, because our top-sail was carried away in thehurricane. It will be difficult, perhaps, but it must be done. "

"It shall be done!" replied Acteon. 

"Can I help you?" asked little Jack, always ready to work. 

"Yes, my Jack, " replied the novice. "You will take your place at thewheel, with our friend Bat, and you will help him to steer. "

If little Jack was proud of being assistant helmsman on the "Pilgrim, "it is superfluous to say so. 

"Now to work, " continued Dick Sand, "and we must expose ourselves aslittle as possible. "

The blacks, guided by the novice, went to work at once. To fasten atop-sail to its yard presented some difficulties for Tom and hiscompanions. First the rolled up sail must be hoisted, then fastened tothe yard. 

However, Dick Sand commanded so well, and was so well obeyed, thatafter an hour's work the sail was fastened to its yard, the yardhoisted, and the top-sail properly set with two reefs. 

As to the foresail and the second jib, which had been furled before thetempest, those sails were set without a great deal of trouble, in spiteof the force of the wind. 

At last, on that day, at ten o'clock in the morning, the "Pilgrim" wassailing under her foresail, her top-sail, and her jib. 

Dick Sand had not judged it prudent to set more sail. The canvas whichhe carried ought to assure him, as long as the wind did not moderate, aspeed of at least two hundred miles in twenty-four hours, and he didnot need any greater to reach the American coast before ten days. 

The novice was indeed satisfied when, returning to the wheel, he againtook his post, after thanking Master Jack, assistant helmsman of the"Pilgrim. " He was no longer at the mercy of the waves. He was makingheadway. His joy will be understood by all those who are somewhatfamiliar with the things of the sea. 

The next day the clouds still ran with the same velocity, but they leftlarge openings between them, through which the rays of the sun madetheir way to the surface of the waters. The "Pilgrim" was at timesoverspread with them. A good thing is that vivifying light! Sometimesit was extinguished behind a large mass of vapors which came up in theeast, then it reappeared, to disappear again, but the weather wasbecoming fine again. 

The scuttles had been opened to ventilate the interior of the ship. Asalubrious air penetrated the hold, the rear hatchway, the crew'squarters. They put the wet sails to dry, stretching them out in thesun. The deck was also cleaned. Dick Sand did not wish his ship toarrive in port without having made a bit of toilet. Without overworkingthe crew, a few hours spent each day at that work would bring it to agood end. 

Though the novice could no longer throw the log, he was so accustomedto estimating the headway of a ship that he could take a close accountof her speed. He had then no doubt of reaching land before seven days, and he gave that opinion to Mrs. Weldon, after showing her, on thechart, the probable position of the ship. 

"Well, at what point of the coast shall we arrive, my dear Dick?" sheasked him. 

"Here, Mrs. Weldon, " replied the novice, indicating that long coastline which extends from Peru to Chili. "I do not know how to be moreexact. Here is the Isle of Paques, that we have left behind in thewest, and, by the direction of the wind, which has been constant, Iconclude that we shall reach land in the east. Ports are quite numerouson that coast, but to name the one we shall have in view when we makethe land is impossible at this moment. "

"Well, Dick, whichever it may be, that port will be welcome. "

"Yes, Mrs. Weldon, and you will certainly find there the means toreturn promptly to San Francisco. The Pacific Navigation Company has avery well organized service on this coast. Its steamers touch at theprincipal points of the coast; nothing will be easier than to takepassage for California. "

"Then you do not count on bringing the 'Pilgrim' to San Francisco?"asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"Yes, after having put you on shore, Mrs. Weldon. If we can procure anofficer and a crew, we are going to discharge our cargo at Valparaiso, as Captain Hull would have done. Then we shall return to our own port. But that would delay you too much, and, though very sorry to beseparated from you----"

"Well, Dick, " replied Mrs. Weldon, "we shall see later what must bedone. Tell me, you seem to fear the dangers which the land presents. "

"In fact, they are to be feared, " replied the novice, "but I am alwayshoping to meet some ship in these parts, and I am even very muchsurprised at not seeing any. If only one should pass, we would enterinto communication with her; she would give us our exact situation, which would greatly facilitate our arrival in sight of land. "

"Are there not pilots who do service along this coast?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"There ought to be, " replied Dick Sand, "but much nearer land. We mustthen continue to approach it. "

"And if we do not meet a pilot?" asked Mrs. Weldon, who kept onquestioning him in order to know how the young novice would prepare forall contingencies. 

"In that case, Mrs. Weldon, either the weather will be clear, the windmoderate, and I shall endeavor to sail up the coast sufficiently nearto find a refuge, or the wind will be stronger, and then----"

"Then what will you do, Dick?"

"Then, in the present condition of the 'Pilgrim, '" replied Dick Sand, "once near the land, it will be very difficult to set off again. "

"What will you do?" repeated Mrs. Weldon. 

"I shall be forced to run my ship aground, " replied the novice, whosebrow darkened for a moment. "Ah! it is a hard extremity. God grant thatwe may not be reduced to that. But, I repeat it, Mrs. Weldon, theappearance of the sky is reassuring, and it is impossible for a vesselor a pilot-boat not to meet us. Then, good hope. We are headed for theland, we shall see it before long. "

Yes, to run a ship aground is a last extremity, to which the mostenergetic sailor does not resort without fear! Thus, Dick Sand did notwish to foresee it, while he had some chances of escaping it. 

For several days there were, in the state of the atmosphere, alternatives which, anew, made the novice very uneasy. The wind kept inthe condition of a stiff breeze all the time, and certain oscillationsof the barometrical column indicated that it tended to freshen. DickSand then asked himself, not without apprehension, if he would be againforced to scud without sails. He had so much interest in keeping atleast his top-sail, that he resolved to do so so long as it was notlikely to be carried away. But, to secure the solidity of the masts, hehad the shrouds and backstays hauled taut. Above all, all unnecessaryrisk must be avoided, as the situation would become one of the gravest, if the "Pilgrim" should be disabled by losing her masts. 

Once or twice, also, the barometer rising gave reason to fear that thewind might change point for point; that is to say, that it might passto the east. It would then be necessary to sail close to the wind!

A new anxiety for Dick Sand. What should he do with a contrary wind?Tack about? But if he was obliged to come to that, what new delays andwhat risks of being thrown into the offing. 

Happily those fears were not realized. The wind, after shifting forseveral days, blowing sometimes from the north, sometimes from thesouth, settled definitely in the west. But it was always a strongbreeze, almost a gale, which strained the masting. 

It was the 5th of April. So, then, more than two months had alreadyelapsed since the "Pilgrim" had left New Zealand. For twenty days acontrary wind and long calms had retarded her course. Then she was in afavorable condition to reach land rapidly. Her speed must even havebeen very considerable during the tempest. Dick Sand estimated itsaverage at not less than two hundred miles a day! How, then, had he notyet made the coast? Did it flee before the "Pilgrim?" It was absolutelyinexplicable. 

And, nevertheless, no land was signaled, though one of the blacks keptwatch constantly in the crossbars. 

Dick Sand often ascended there himself. There, with a telescope to hiseyes, he sought to discover some appearance of mountains. The Andeschain is very high. It was there in the zone of the clouds that he mustseek some peak, emerging from the vapors of the horizon. 

Several times Tom and his companions were deceived by false indicationsof land. They were only vapors of an odd form, which rose in thebackground. It happened sometimes that these honest men were obstinatein their belief; but, after a certain time, they were forced toacknowledge that they had been dupes of an optical illusion. Thepretended land, moved away, changed form and finished by disappearingcompletely. 

On the 6th of April there was no longer any doubt possible. 

It was eight o'clock in the morning. Dick Sand had just ascended intothe bars. At that moment the fogs were condensed under the first raysof the sun, and the horizon was pretty clearly defined. 

From Dick Sand's lips escaped at last the so long expected cry:

"Land! land before us!"

At that cry every one ran on deck, little Jack, curious as folks are atthat age, Mrs. Weldon, whose trials were going to cease with thelanding, Tom and his companions, who were at last going to set footagain on the American continent, Cousin Benedict himself, who had greathope of picking up quite a rich collection of new insects for himself. 

Negoro, alone, did not appear. 

Each then saw what Dick Sand had seen, some very distinctly, otherswith the eyes of faith. But on the part of the novice, so accustomed toobserve sea horizons, there was no error possible, and an hour after, it must be allowed he was not deceived. 

At a distance of about four miles to the east stretched a rather lowcoast, or at least what appeared such. It must be commanded behind bythe high chain of the Andes, but the last zone of clouds did not allowthe summits to be perceived. 

The "Pilgrim" sailed directly and rapidly to this coast, which grewlarger to the eye. 

Two hours after it was only three miles away. 

This part of the coast ended in the northeast by a pretty high cape, which covered a sort of roadstead protected from land winds. On thecontrary, in the southeast, it lengthened out like a thin peninsula. 

A few trees crowned a succession of low cliffs, which were then clearlydefined under the sky. But it was evident, the geographical characterof the country being given, that the high mountain chain of the Andesformed their background. 

Moreover, no habitation in sight, no port, no river mouth, which mightserve as a harbor for a vessel. 

At that moment the "Pilgrim" was running right on the land. With thereduced sail which she carried, the winds driving her to the coast, Dick Sand would not be able to set off from it. 

In front lay a long band of reefs, on which the sea was foaming allwhite. They saw the waves unfurl half way up the cliffs. There must bea monstrous surf there. 

Dick Sand, after remaining on the forecastle to observe the coast, returned aft, and, without saying a word, he took the helm. 

The wind was freshening all the time. The schooner was soon only a milefrom the shore. 

Dick Sand then perceived a sort of little cove, into which he resolvedto steer; but, before reaching it, he must cross a line of reefs, amongwhich it would be difficult to follow a channel. The surf indicatedthat the water was shallow everywhere. 

At that moment Dingo, who was going backwards and forwards on the deck, dashed forward, and, looking at the land, gave some lamentable barks. One would say that the dog recognized the coast, and that its instinctrecalled some sad remembrance. 

Negoro must have heard it, for an irresistible sentiment led him out ofhis cabin; and although he had reason to fear the dog, he came almostimmediately to lean on the netting. 

Very fortunately for him Dingo, whose sad barks were all the time beingaddressed to that land, did not perceive him. 

Negoro looked at that furious surf, and that did not appear to frightenhim. Mrs. Weldon, who was looking at him, thought she saw his faceredden a little, and that for an instant his features were contracted. 

Then, did Negoro know this point of the continent where the winds weredriving the "Pilgrim?"

At that moment Dick Sand left the wheel, which he gave back to old Tom. For a last time he came to look at the cove, which gradually opened. Then:

"Mrs. Weldon, " said he, in a firm voice, "I have no longer any hope offinding a harbor! Before half an hour, in spite of all my efforts, the'Pilgrim' will be on the reefs! We must run aground! I shall not bringthe ship into port! I am forced to lose her to save you! But, betweenyour safety and hers, I do not hesitate!"

"You have done all that depended on you, Dick?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"All, " replied the young novice. 

And at once he made his preparations for stranding the ship. 

First of all, Mrs. Weldon, Jack, Cousin Benedict and Nan, must put onlife-preservers. Dick Sand, Tom and the blacks, good swimmers, alsotook measures to gain the coast, in case they should be precipitatedinto the sea. 

Hercules would take charge of Mrs. Weldon. The novice took little Jackunder his care. 

Cousin Benedict, very tranquil, however, reappeared on the deck withhis entomologist box strapped to his shoulder. The novice commended himto Bat and Austin. As to Negoro, his singular calmness said plainlyenough that he had no need of anybody's aid. 

Dick Sand, by a supreme precaution, had also brought on the forecastleten barrels of the cargo containing whale's oil. 

That oil, properly poured the moment the "Pilgrim" would be in thesurf, ought to calm the sea for an instant, in lubricating, so to say, the molecules of water, and that operation would perhaps facilitate theship's passage between the reefs. Dick Sand did not wish to neglectanything which might secure the common safety. 

All these precautions taken, the novice returned to take his place atthe wheel. 

The "Pilgrim" was only two cables' lengths from the coast, that is, almost touching the reefs, her starboard side already bathed in thewhite foam of the surf. Each moment the novice thought that thevessel's keel was going to strike some rocky bottom. 

Suddenly, Dick Sand knew, by a change in the color of the water, that achannel lengthened out among the reefs. He must enter it bravelywithout hesitating, so as to make the coast as near as possible to theshore. 

The novice did not hesitate. A movement of the helm thrust the shipinto the narrow and sinuous channel. In this place the sea was stillmore furious, and the waves dashed on the deck. 

The blacks were posted forward, near the barrels, waiting for thenovice's orders. 

"Pour the oil--pour!" exclaimed Dick Sand. 

Under this oil, which was poured on it in quantities, the sea grewcalm, as by enchantment, only to become more terrible again a momentafter. 

The "Pilgrim" glided rapidly over those lubricated waters and headedstraight for the shore. 

Suddenly a shock took place. The ship, lifted by a formidable wave, hadjust stranded, and her masting had fallen without wounding anybody. 

The "Pilgrim's" hull, damaged by the collision, was invaded by thewater with extreme violence. But the shore was only half a cable'slength off, and a chain of small blackish rocks enabled it to bereached quite easily. 

So, ten minutes after, all those carried by the "Pilgrim" had landed atthe foot of the cliff. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

THE BEST TO DO. 

So then, after a voyage long delayed by calms, then favored by windsfrom the northwest and from the southwest--a voyage which had notlasted less than seventy-four days--the "Pilgrim" had just run aground!

However, Mrs. Weldon. And her companions thanked Providence, becausethey were in safety. In fact, it was on a continent, and not on one ofthe fatal isles of Polynesia, that the tempest had thrown them. Theirreturn to their country, from any point of South America on which theyshould land, ought not, it seemed, to present serious difficulties. 

As to the "Pilgrim, " she was lost. She was only a carcass withoutvalue, of which the surf was going to disperse the _débris_ in a fewhours. It would be impossible to save anything. But if Dick Sand hadnot that joy of bringing back a vessel intact to his ship-owner, atleast, thanks to him, those who sailed in her were safe and sound onsome hospitable coast, and among them, the wife and child of James W. Weldon. 

As to the question of knowing on what part of the American coast theschooner had been wrecked, they might dispute it for a long time. Wasit, as Dick Sand must suppose, on the shore of Peru? Perhaps, for heknew, even by the bearings of the Isle of Paques, that the "Pilgrim"had been thrown to the northeast under the action of the winds; andalso, without doubt, under the influence of the currents of theequatorial zone. From the forty-third degree of latitude, it had, indeed, been possible to drift to the fifteenth. 

It was then important to determine, as soon as possible, the precisepoint of the coast where the schooner had just been lost. Granted thatthis coast was that of Peru, ports, towns and villages were notlacking, and consequently it would be easy to gain some inhabitedplace. As to this part of the coast, it seemed deserted. 

It was a narrow beach, strewed with black rocks, shut off by a cliff ofmedium height, very irregularly cut up by large funnels due to therupture of the rock. Here and there a few gentle declivities gaveaccess to its crest. 

In the north, at a quarter of a mile from the stranding place, was themouth of a little river, which could not have been perceived from theoffing. On its banks hung numerous _rhizomas_, sorts of mangroves, essentially distinct from their congeners of India. 

The crest of the cliff--that was soon discovered--was overhung by athick forest, whose verdant masses undulated before the eyes, andextended as far as the mountains in the background. There, if CousinBenedict had been a botanist, how many trees, new to him, would nothave failed to provoke his admiration. 

There were high baobabs--to which, however, an extraordinary longevityhas been falsely attributed--the bark of which resembles Egyptiansyenite, Bourbon palms, white pines, tamarind-trees, pepper-plants of apeculiar species, and a hundred other plants that an American is notaccustomed to see in the northern region of the New Continent. 

But, a circumstance rather curious, among those forest productions onewould not meet a single specimen of that numerous family of palm-treeswhich counts more than a thousand species, spread in profusion overalmost the whole surface of the globe. 

Above the sea-shore a great number of very noisy birds were flying, which belonged for the greater part to different varieties of swallows, of black plumage, with a steel-blue shade, but of a light chestnutcolor on the upper part of the head. Here and there also rose somepartridges, with necks entirely white, and of a gray color. 

Mrs. Weldon and Dick Sand observed that these different birds did notappear to be at all wild. They approached without fearing anything. Then, had they not yet learned to fear the presence of man, and wasthis coast so deserted that the detonation of a firearm had never beenheard there?

At the edge of the rocks were walking some pelicans of the species of"pelican minor, " occupied in filling with little fish the sack whichthey carry between the branches of their lower jaw. Some gulls, comingfrom the offing, commenced to fly about around the "Pilgrim. "

Those birds were the only living creatures that seemed to frequent thispart of the coast, without counting, indeed, numbers of interestinginsects that Cousin Benedict would well know how to discover. But, however little Jack would have it, one could not ask them the name ofthe country; in order to learn it, it would be necessary to addresssome native. There were none there, or at least, there was not one tobe seen. No habitation, hut, or cabin, neither in the north, beyond thelittle river, nor in the south, nor finally on the upper part of thecliff, in the midst of the trees of the thick forest. No smoke ascendedinto the air, no indication, mark, or imprint indicated that thisportion of the continent was visited by human beings. Dick Sandcontinued to be very much surprised. 

"Where are we? Where can we be?" he asked himself. "What! nobody tospeak to?"

Nobody, in truth, and surely, if any native had approached, Dingo wouldhave scented him, and announced him by a bark. The dog went backwardand forward on the strand, his nose to the ground, his tail down, growling secretly--certainly very singular behavior--but neitherbetraying the approach of man nor of any animal whatsoever. 

"Dick, look at Dingo!" said Mrs. Weldon. 

"Yes, that is very strange, " replied the novice. "It seems as if hewere trying to recover a scent. "

"Very strange, indeed, " murmured Mrs. Weldon; then, continuing, "whatis Negoro doing?" she asked. 

"He is doing what Dingo is doing, " replied Dick Sand. "He goes, hecomes! After all, he is free here. I have no longer the right tocontrol him. His service ended with the stranding of the Pilgrim. '"

In fact, Negoro surveyed the strand, turned back, and looked at theshore and the cliff like a man trying to recall recollections and tofix them. Did he, then, know this country? He would probably haverefused to reply to that question if it had been asked. The best thingwas still to have nothing to do with that very unsociable personage. Dick Sand soon saw him walk from the side of the little river, and whenNegoro had disappeared on the other side of the cliff, he ceased tothink of him. 

Dingo had indeed barked when the cook had arrived on the steep bank, but became silent almost immediately. 

It was necessary, now, to consider the most pressing wants. Now, themost pressing was to find a refuge, a shelter of some kind, where theycould install themselves for the time, and partake of some nourishment. Then they would take counsel, and they would decide what it would beconvenient to do. 

As to food, they had not to trouble themselves. Without speaking of theresources which the country must offer, the ship's store-room hademptied itself for the benefit of the survivors of the shipwreck. Thesurf had thrown here and there among the rocks, then uncovered by theebb-tide, a great quantity of objects. Tom and his companions hadalready picked up some barrels of biscuit, boxes of alimentarypreserves, cases of dried meat. The water not having yet damaged them, food for the little troop was secured for more time, doubtless, thanthey would require to reach a town or a village. In that respect therewas nothing to fear. These different waifs, already put in a safeplace, could no longer be taken back by a rising sea. 

Neither was sweet water lacking. First of all Dick Sand had taken careto send Hercules to the little river for a few pints. But it was a caskwhich the vigorous negro brought back on his shoulder, after havingfilled it with water fresh and pure, which the ebb of the tide leftperfectly drinkable. 

As to a fire, if it were necessary to light one, dead wood was notlacking in the neighborhood, and the roots of the old mangroves oughtto furnish all the fuel of which they would have need. Old Tom, anardent smoker, was provided with a certain quantity of German tinder, well preserved in a box hermetically closed, and when they wanted it, he would only have to strike the tinder-box with the flint of thestrand. 

It remained, then, to discover the hole in which the little troop wouldlie down, in case they must take one night's rest before setting out. 

And, indeed, it was little Jack who found the bedroom in question, While trotting about at the foot of the cliff, he discovered, behind aturn of the rock, one of those grottoes well polished, well hollowedout, which the sea herself digs, when the waves, enlarged by thetempest, beat the coast. 

The young child was delighted. He called his mother with cries of joy, and triumphantly showed her his discovery. 

"Good, my Jack!" replied Mrs. Weldon. "If we were Robinson Crusoes, destined to live a long time on this shore, we should not forget togive your name to that grotto!"

The grotto was only from ten to twelve feet long, and as many wide;but, in little Jack's eyes, it was an enormous cavern. At all events, it must suffice to contain the shipwrecked ones; and, as Mrs. Weldonand Nan noted with satisfaction, it was very dry. The moon being thenin her first quarter, they need not fear that those neap-tides wouldreach the foot of the cliff, and the grotto in consequence. Then, nothing more was needed for a few hours' rest. 

Ten minutes after everybody was stretched out on a carpet of sea-weed. Negoro himself thought he must rejoin the little troop and take hispart of the repast, which was going to be made in common. Doubtless hehad not judged it proper to venture alone under the thick forest, through which the winding river made its way. 

It was one o'clock in the afternoon. The preserved meat, the biscuit, the sweet water, with the addition of a few drops of rum, of which Bathad saved a quarter cask, made the requisites for this repast. But ifNegoro took part in it, he did not at all mingle in the conversation, in which were discussed the measures demanded by the situation of theshipwrecked. All the time, without appearing to do so, he listened toit, and doubtless profited by what he heard. 

During this time Dingo, who had not been forgotten, watched outside thegrotto. They could be at ease. No living being would show himself onthe strand without the faithful animal giving the alarm. 

Mrs. Weldon, holding her little Jack, half lying and almost asleep onher lap, began to speak. 

"Dick, my friend, " said she, "in the name of all, I thank you for thedevotion that you have shown us till now; but we do not consider youfree yet. You will be our guide on land, as you were our captain atsea. We place every confidence in you. Speak, then! What must we do?"

Mrs. Weldon, old Nan, Tom and his companions, all had their eyes fixedon the young novice. Negoro himself looked at him with a singularpersistence. Evidently, what Dick Sand was going to reply interestedhim very particularly. 

Dick Sand reflected for a few moments. Then:

"Mrs. Weldon, " said he, "the important thing is to know, first, wherewe are. I believe that our ship can only have made the land on thatportion of the American sea-coast which forms the Peruvian shore. Thewinds and currents must have carried her as far as that latitude. Butare we here in some southern province of Peru, that is to say on theleast inhabited part which borders upon the pampas? Maybe so. I wouldeven willingly believe it, seeing this beach so desolate, and, it mustbe, but little frequented. In that case, we might be very far from thenearest town, which would be unfortunate. "

"Well, what is to be done?" repeated Mrs. Weldon. 

"My advice, " replied Dick Sand, "would be not to leave this sheltertill we know our situation. To-morrow, after a night's rest, two of uscould go to discover it. They would endeavor, without going too far, tomeet some natives, to inform themselves from them, and return to thegrotto. It is not possible that, in a radius of ten or twelve miles, wefind nobody. "

"To separate!" said Mrs. Weldon. 

"That seems necessary to me, " replied the novice. "If no informationcan be picked up, if, as is not impossible, the country is absolutelydesolate, well, we shall consider some other way of extricatingourselves. "

"And which of us shall go to explore?" asked Mrs. Weldon, after amoment's reflection. 

"That is yet to be decided, " replied Dick Sand. "At all events, I thinkthat you, Mrs. Weldon, Jack, Mr. Benedict, and Nan, ought not to quitthis grotto. Bat, Hercules, Acteon, and Austin should remain near you, while Tom and I should go forward. Negoro, doubtless, will prefer toremain here?" added Dick Sand, looking at the head-cook. 

"Probably, " replied Negoro, who was not a man to commit himself anymore than that. 

"We should take Dingo with us, " continued the novice. "He would beuseful to us during our exploration. "

Dingo, hearing his name pronounced, reappeared at the entrance of thegrotto, and seemed to approve of Dick Sand's projects by a little bark. 

Since the novice had made this proposition, Mrs. Weldon remainedpensive. Her repugnance to the idea of a separation, even short, wasvery serious. Might it not happen that the shipwreck of the "Pilgrim"would soon be known to the Indian tribes who frequented the sea-shore, either to the north or to the south, and in case some plunderers of thewrecks thrown on the shore should present themselves, was it not betterfor all to be united to repulse them?

That objection, made to the novice's proposition, truly merited adiscussion. 

It fell, however, before Dick Sand's arguments, who observed that theIndians ought not to be confounded with the savages of Africa orPolynesia, and any aggression on their part was probably not to befeared. But to entangle themselves in this country without even knowingto what province of South America it belonged, nor at what distance thenearest town of that province was situated, was to expose themselves tomany fatigues. Doubtless separation might have its inconveniences, butfar less than marching blindly into the midst of a forest whichappeared to stretch as far as the base of the mountains. 

"Besides, " repeated Dick Sand, persistently, "I cannot admit that thisseparation will be of long duration, and I even affirm that it will notbe so. After two days, at the most, if Tom and I have come acrossneither habitation nor inhabitant, we shall return to the grotto. Butthat is too improbable, and we shall not have advanced twenty milesinto the interior of the country before we shall evidently be satisfiedabout its geographical situation. I may be mistaken in my calculation, after all, because the means of fixing it astronomically have failedme, and it is not impossible for us to be in a higher or lowerlatitude. "

"Yes--you are certainly right, my child, " replied Mrs. Weldon, in greatanxiety. 

"And you, Mr. Benedict, " asked Dick Sand, "what do you think of thisproject?"

"I?" replied Cousin Benedict. 

"Yes; what is your advice?"

"I have no advice, " replied Cousin Benedict. "I find everythingproposed, good, and I shall do everything that you wish. Do you wish toremain here one day or two? that suits me, and I shall employ my timein studying this shore from a purely entomological point of view. "

"Do, then, according to your wish, " said Mrs. Weldon to Dick Sand. "Weshall remain here, and you shall depart with old Tom. "

"That is agreed upon, " said Cousin Benedict, in the most tranquilmanner in the world. "As for me, I am going to pay a visit to theinsects of the country. "

"Do not go far away, Mr. Benedict, " said the novice. "We urge youstrongly not to do it. "

"Do not be uneasy, my boy. "

"And above all, do not bring back too many musquitoes, " added old Tom. 

A few moments after, the entomologist, his precious tin box strapped tohis shoulders, left the grotto. 

Almost at the same time Negoro abandoned it also. It appeared quitenatural to that man to, be always occupied with himself. But, whileCousin Benedict clambered up the slopes of the cliff to go to explorethe border of the forest, he, turning round toward the river, went awaywith slow steps and disappeared, a second time ascending the steep bank. 

Jack slept all the time. Mrs. Weldon, leaving him on Nan's knees, thendescended toward the strand. Dick Sand and his companions followed her. The question was, to see if the state of the sea then would permit themto go as far as the "Pilgrim's" hull, where there were still manyobjects which might be useful to the little troop. 

The rocks on which the schooner had been wrecked were now dry. In themidst of the _débris_ of all kinds stood the ship's carcass, which thehigh sea had partly covered again. That astonished Dick Sand, for heknew that the tides are only very moderate on the American sea-shore ofthe Pacific. But, after all, this phenomenon might be explained by thefury of the wind which beat the coast. 

On seeing their ship again, Mrs. Weldon and her companions experienceda painful impression. It was there that they had lived for long days, there that they had suffered. The aspect of that poor ship, halfbroken, having neither mast nor sails, lying on her side like a beingdeprived of life, sadly grieved their hearts. But they must visit thishull, before the sea should come to finish demolishing it. 

Dick Sand and the blacks could easily make their way into the interior, after having hoisted themselves on deck by means of the ropes whichhung over the "Pilgrim's" side. While Tom, Hercules, Bat, and Austinemployed themselves in taking from the storeroom all that might beuseful, as much eatables as liquids, the novice made his way into thearsenal. Thanks to God, the water had not invaded this part of theship, whose rear had remained out of the water after the stranding. 

There Dick Sand found four guns in good condition, excellent Remingtonsfrom Purdy & Co. 's factory, as well as a hundred cartridges, carefullyshut up in their cartridge-boxes. There was material to arm his littleband, and put it in a state of defense, if, contrary to allexpectation, the Indians attacked him on the way. 

The novice did not neglect to take a pocket-lantern; but the ship'scharts, laid in a forward quarter and damaged by the water, were beyonduse. 

There were also in the "Pilgrim's" arsenal some of those solidcutlasses which serve to cut up whales. Dick Sand chose six, destinedto complete the arming of his companions, and he did not forget tobring an inoffensive child's gun, which belonged to little Jack. 

As to the other objects still held by the ship, they had either beendispersed, or they could no longer be used. Besides, it was useless tooverburden themselves for the few days the journey would last. In food, in arms, in munitions, they were more than provided for. Meanwhile, Dick Sand, by Mrs. Weldon's advice, did not neglect to take all themoney which he found on board--about five hundred dollars. 

That was a small sum, indeed! Mrs. Weldon had carried a larger amountherself and she did not find it again. 

Who, then, except Negoro, had been able to visit the ship before themand to lay hands on Captain Hull's and Mrs. Weldon's reserve? No onebut he, surely, could be suspected. However, Dick Sand hesitated amoment. All that he knew and all that he saw of him was that everythingwas to be feared from that concentrated nature, from whom themisfortunes of others could snatch a smile. Yes, Negoro was an evilbeing, but must they conclude from that that he was a criminal? It waspainful to Dick Sand's character to go as far as that. And, meanwhile, could suspicion rest on any other? No, those honest negroes had notleft the grotto for an instant, while Negoro had wandered over thebeach. He alone must be guilty. Dick Sand then resolved to questionNegoro, and, if necessary, have him searched when he returned. Hewished to know decidedly what to believe. 

The sun was then going down to the horizon. At that date he had not yetcrossed the equator to carry heat and light into the northernhemisphere, but he was approaching it. He fell, then, almostperpendicularly to that circular line where the sea and the sky meet. Twilight was short, darkness fell promptly--which confirmed the novicein the thought that he had landed on a point of the coast situatedbetween the tropic of Capricorn and the equator. 

Mrs. Weldon, Dick Sand, and the blacks then returned to the grotto, where they must take some hours' rest. 

"The night will still be stormy, " observed Tom, pointing to the horizonladen with heavy clouds. 

"Yes, " replied Dick Sand, "there is a strong breeze blowing up. Butwhat matter, at present? Our poor ship is lost, and the tempest can nolonger reach us?"

"God's will be done!" said Mrs. Weldon. 

It was agreed that during that night, which would be very dark, each ofthe blacks would watch turn about at the entrance to the grotto. Theycould, besides, count upon Dingo to keep a careful watch. 

They then perceived that Cousin Benedict had not returned. 

Hercules called him with all the strength of his powerful lungs, andalmost immediately they saw the entomologist coming down the slopes ofthe cliff, at the risk of breaking his neck. 

Cousin Benedict was literally furious. He had not found a single newinsect in the forest--no, not one--which was fit to figure in hiscollection. Scorpions, scolopendras, and other myriapodes, as many ashe could wish, and even more, were discovered. And we know that CousinBenedict did not interest himself in myriapodes. 

"It was not worth the trouble, " added he, "to travel five or sixthousand miles, to have braved the tempest, to be wrecked on the coast, and not meet one of those American hexapodes, which do honor to anentomological museum! No; the game was not worth the candle!"

As a conclusion, Cousin Benedict asked to go away. He did not wish toremain another hour on that detested shore. 

Mrs. Weldon calmed her large child. They made him hope that he would bemore fortunate the next day, and all went to lie down in the grotto, tosleep there till sunrise, when Tom observed that Negoro had not yetreturned, though night had arrived. 

"Where can he be?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"What matter!" said Bat. 

"On the contrary, it does matter, " replied Mrs. Weldon. "I shouldprefer having that man still near us. "

"Doubtless, Mrs. Weldon, " replied Dick Sand; "but if he has forsakenour company voluntarily, I do not see how we could oblige him to rejoinus. Who knows but he has his reasons for avoiding us forever?"

And taking Mrs. Weldon aside, Dick Sand confided to her his suspicions. He was not astonished to find that she had them also. Only theydiffered on one point. 

"If Negoro reappears, " said Mrs. Weldon, "he will have put the productof his theft in a safe place. Take my advice. What we had better do, not being able to convict him, will be to hide our suspicions from him, and let him believe that we are his dupes. "

Mrs. Weldon was right. Dick Sand took her advice. 

However, Negoro was called several times. 

He did not reply. Either he was still too far away to hear, or he didnot wish to return. 

The blacks did not regret being rid of his presence; but, as Mrs. Weldon had just said, perhaps he was still more to be feared afar thannear. And, moreover, how explain that Negoro would venture alone intothat unknown country? Had he then lost his way, and on this dark nightwas he vainly seeking the way to the grotto?

Mrs. Weldon and Dick Sand did not know what to think. However it was, they could not, in order to wait for Negoro, deprive themselves of arepose so necessary to all. 

At that moment the dog, which was running on the strand, barked aloud. 

"What is the matter with Dingo?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"We must, indeed, find out, " replied the novice. "Perhaps it is Negorocoming back. "

At once Hercules, Bat, Austin, and Dick Sand took their way to themouth of the river. 

But, arrived at the bank, they neither saw nor heard anything. Dingonow was silent. 

Dick Sand and the blacks returned to the grotto. 

The going to sleep was organized as well as possible. Each of theblacks prepared himself to watch in turn outside. But Mrs. Weldon, uneasy, could not sleep. It seemed to her that this land so ardentlydesired did not give her what she had been led to hope for, securityfor hers, and rest for herself. 

 * * * * *

CHAPTER XV. 

HARRIS. 

The next day, April 7th, Austin, who was on guard at sunrise, saw Dingorun barking to the little river. Almost immediately Mrs. Weldon, DickSand and the blacks came out of the grotto. 

Decidedly there was something there. 

"Dingo has scented a living creature, man or beast, " said the novice. 

"At all events it was not Negoro, " observed Tom, "for Dingo would barkwith fury. "

"If it is not Negoro, where can he be?" asked Mrs. Weldon, giving DickSand a look which was only understood by him; "and if it is not he, who, then, is it?"

"We are going to see, Mrs. Weldon, " replied the novice. Then, addressing Bat, Austin, and Hercules, "Arm yourselves, my friends, andcome!"

Each of the blacks took a gun and a cutlass, as Dick Sand had done. Acartridge was slipped into the breech of the Remingtons, and, thusarmed, all four went to the bank of the river. 

Mrs. Weldon, Tom, and Acteon remained at the entrance of the grotto, where little Jack and Nan still rested by themselves. 

The sun was then rising. His rays, intercepted by the high mountains inthe east, did not reach the cliff directly; but as far as the westernhorizon, the sea sparkled under the first fires of day. 

Dick Sand and his companions followed the strand of the shore, thecurve of which joined the mouth of the river. 

There Dingo, motionless, and as if on guard, was continually barking. 

It was evident that he saw or scented some native. 

And, in fact, it was no longer against Negoro, against its enemy onboard the ship, that the dog had a grudge this time. 

At that moment a man turned the last plane of the cliff. He advancedprudently to the strand, and, by his familiar gestures, he sought tocalm Dingo. They saw that he did not care to face the anger of thevigorous animal. 

"It is not Negoro!" said Hercules. 

"We cannot lose by the change, " replied Bat. 

"No, " said the novice. "It is probably some native, who will spare usthe _ennui_ of a separation. We are at last going to know exactly wherewe are. "

And all four, putting their guns back on their shoulders, went rapidlytoward the unknown. 

The latter, on seeing them approach, at first gave signs of thegreatest surprise. Very certainly, he did not expect to meet strangerson that part of the coast. Evidently, also, he had not yet perceivedthe remains of the "Pilgrim, " otherwise the presence of the shipwreckedwould very naturally be explained to him. Besides, during the night thesurf had finished demolishing the ship's hull; there was nothing leftbut the wrecks that floated in the offing. 

At the first moment the unknown, seeing four armed men marching towardhim, made a movement as if he would retrace his steps. He carried a gunin a shoulder-belt, which passed rapidly into his hand, and from hishand to his shoulder. They felt that he was not reassured. 

Dick Sand made a gesture of salutation, which doubtless the unknownunderstood, for, after some hesitation, he continued to advance. 

Dick Sand could then examine him with attention. 

He was a vigorous man, forty years old at the most, his eyes bright, his hair and beard gray, his skin sunburnt like that of a nomad who hasalways lived in the open air, in the forest, or on the plain. A kind ofblouse of tanned skin served him for a close coat, a large hat coveredhis head, leather boots came up above his knees, and spurs with largerowels sounded from their high heels. 

What Dick Sand noticed at first--and which was so, in fact--was that hehad before him, not one of those Indians, habitual rovers over thepampas, but one of those adventurers of foreign blood, often not verycommendable, who are frequently met with in those distant countries. 

It also seemed, by his rather familiar attitude, by the reddish colorof a few hairs of his beard, that this unknown must be of Anglo-Saxonorigin. At all events, he was neither an Indian nor a Spaniard. 

And that appeared certain, when in answer to Dick Sand, who said to himin English, "Welcome!" he replied in the same language and without anyaccent. 

"Welcome yourself, my young friend, " said the unknown, advancing towardthe novice, whose hand he pressed. 

As to the blacks, he contented himself with making a gesture to themwithout speaking to them. 

"You are English?" he asked the novice. 

"Americans, " replied Dick Sand. 

"From the South?"

"From the North. "

This reply seemed to please the unknown, who shook the novice's handmore vigorously and this time in very a American manner. 

"And may I know, my young friend, " he asked, "how you find yourself onthis coast?"

But, at that moment, without waiting till the novice had replied to hisquestion, the unknown took off his hat and bowed. 

Mrs. Weldon had advanced as far as the steep bank, and she then foundherself facing him. 

It was she who replied to this question. 

"Sir, " said she, "we are shipwrecked ones whose ship was broken topieces yesterday on these reefs. "

An expression of pity spread over the unknown's face, whose eyes soughtthe vessel which had been stranded. 

"There is nothing left of our ship, " added the novice. "The surf hasfinished the work of demolishing it during the night. "

"And our first question, " continued Mrs. Weldon, "will be to ask youwhere we are. "

"But you are on the sea-coast of South America, " replied the unknown, who appeared surprised at the question. "Can you have any doubt aboutthat?"

"Yes, sir, for the tempest had been able to make us deviate from ourroute, " replied Dick Sand. "But I shall ask where we are more exactly. On the coast of Peru, I think. "

"No, my young friend, no! A little more to the south! You are wreckedon the Bolivian coast. "

"Ah!" exclaimed Dick Sand. 

"And you are even on that southern part of Bolivia which borders onChili. "

"Then what is that cape?" asked Dick Sand, pointing to the promontoryon the north. 

"I cannot tell you the name, " replied the unknown, "for if I know thecountry in the interior pretty well from having often traversed it, itis my first visit to this shore. "

Dick Sand reflected on what he had just learned. That only halfastonished him, for his calculation might have, and indeed must have, deceived him, concerning the currents; but the error was notconsiderable. In fact, he believed himself somewhere between thetwenty-seventh and the thirtieth parallel, from the bearings he hadtaken from the Isle of Paques, and it was on the twenty-fifth parallelthat he was wrecked. There was no impossibility in the "Pilgrim's"having deviated by relatively small digression, in such a long passage. 

Besides, there was no reason to doubt the unknown's assertions, and, asthat coast was that of lower Bolivia there was nothing astonishing inits being so deserted. 

"Sir, " then said Dick Sand, "after your reply I must conclude that weare at a rather great distance from Lima. "

"Oh! Lima is far away--over there--in the north!"

Mrs. Weldon, made suspicious first of all by Negoro's disappearance, observed the newly-arrived with extreme attention; but she coulddiscover nothing, either in his attitude or in his manner of expressinghimself which could lead her to suspect his good faith. 

"Sir, " said she, "without doubt my question is not rash. You do notseem to be of Peruvian origin?"

"I am American as you are, madam, " said the unknown, who waited for aninstant for the American lady to tell him her name. 

"Mrs. Weldon, " replied the latter. 

"I? My name is Harris and I was born in South Carolina. But here it istwenty years since I left my country for the pampas of Bolivia, and itgives me pleasure to see compatriots. "

"You live in this part of the province, Mr. Harris?" again asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"No, Mrs. Weldon, " replied Harris, "I live in the South, on the Chilianfrontier; but at this present moment I am going to Atacama, in thenortheast. "

"Are we then on the borders of the desert of that name?" asked DickSand. 

"Precisely, my young friend, and this desert extends far beyond themountains which shut off the horizon. "

"The desert of Atacama?" repeated Dick Sand. 

"Yes, " replied Harris. "This desert is like a country by itself, inthis vast South America, from which it differs in many respects. It is, at the same time, the most curious and the least known portion of thiscontinent. "

"And you travel alone?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"Oh, it is not the first time that I have taken this journey!" repliedthe American. "There is, two hundred miles from here, an importantfarm, the Farm of San Felice, which belongs to one of my brothers, andit is to his house that I am going for my trade. If you wish to followme you will be well received, and the means of transport to gain thetown of Atacama will not fail you. My brother will be happy to furnish, them. "

These offers, made freely, could only prepossess in favor of theAmerican, who immediately continued, addressing Mrs. Weldon:

"These blacks are your slaves?"

And he pointed to Tom and his companions. 

"We have no longer any slaves in the United States, " replied Mrs. Weldon, quickly. "The North abolished slavery long ago, and the Southhas been obliged to follow the example of the North!"

"Ah! that is so, " replied Harris. "I had forgotten that the war of 1862had decided that grave question. I ask those honest men's pardon forit, " added Harris, with that delicate irony which a Southerner must putinto his language when speaking to blacks. "But on seeing thosegentlemen in your service, I believed----"

"They are not, and have never been, in my service, sir, " replied Mrs. Weldon, gravely. 

"We should be honored in serving you, Mrs. Weldon, " then said old Tom. "But, as Mr. Harris knows, we do not belong to anybody. I have been aslave myself, it is true, and sold as such in Africa, when I was onlysix years old; but my son Bat, here, was born of an enfranchisedfather, and, as to our companions, they were born of free parents. "

"I can only congratulate you about it, " replied Harris, in a tone whichMrs. Weldon did not find sufficiently serious. "In this land ofBolivia, also, we have no slaves. Then you have nothing to fear, andyou can go about as freely here as in the New England States. "

At that moment little Jack, followed by Nan, came out of the grottorubbing his eyes. Then, perceiving his mother, he ran to her. Mrs. Weldon embraced him tenderly. 

"The charming little boy!" said the American, approaching Jack. 

"It is my son, " replied Mrs. Weldon. 

"Oh, Mrs. Weldon, you must have been doubly tried, because your childhas been exposed to so many dangers. "

"God has brought him out of them safe and sound, as He has us, Mr. Harris, " replied Mrs. Weldon. 

"Will you permit me to kiss him on his pretty cheeks?" asked Harris. 

"Willingly, " replied Mrs. Weldon. 

But Mr. Harris's face, it appeared, did not please little Jack, for heclung more closely to his mother. 

"Hold!" said Harris, "you do not want me to embrace you? You are afraidof me, my good little man?"

"Excuse him, sir, " Mrs. Weldon hastened to say. "It is timidity on hispart. "

"Good! we shall become better acquainted, " replied Harris. "Once at theFarm, he will amuse himself mounting a gentle pony, which will tell himgood things of me. "

But the offer of the gentle pony did not succeed in cajoling Jack anymore than the proposition to embrace Mr. Harris. 

Mrs. Weldon, thus opposed, hastened to change the conversation. Theymust not offend a man who had so obligingly offered his services. 

During this time Dick Sand was reflecting on the proposition which hadbeen made to them so opportunely, to gain the Farm of San Felice. Itwas, as Harris had said, a journey of over two hundred miles, sometimesthrough forests, sometimes through plains--a very fatiguing journey, certainly, because there were absolutely no means of transport. 

The young novice then presented some observations to that effect, andwaited for the reply the American was going to make. 

"The journey is a little long, indeed, " replied Harris, "but I havethere, a few hundred feet behind the steep bank, a horse which I counton offering to Mrs. Weldon and her son. For us, there is nothingdifficult, nor even very fatiguing in making the journey on foot. Besides, when I spoke of two hundred miles, it was by following, as Ihave already done, the course of this river. But if we go through theforest, our distance will be shortened by at least eighty miles. Now, at the rate of ten miles a day, it seems to me that we shall arrive atthe Farm without too much distress. "

Mrs. Weldon thanked the American. 

"You cannot thank me better than by accepting, " replied Harris. "ThoughI have never crossed this forest, I do not believe I shall beembarrassed in finding the way, being sufficiently accustomed to thepampas. But there is a graver question--that of food. I have only whatis barely enough for myself while on the way to the Farm of San Felice. "

"Mr. Harris, " replied Mrs. Weldon, "fortunately we have food in morethan sufficient quantity, and we shall be happy to share with you. "

"Well, Mrs. Weldon, it seems to me that all is arranged for the best, and that we have only to set out. "

Harris went toward the steep bank, with the intention of going to takehis horse from the place where he had left it, when Dick Sand stoppedhim again, by asking him a question. 

To abandon the sea-coast, to force his way into the interior of thecountry, under that interminable forest, did not please the youngnovice. The sailor reappeared in him, and either to ascend or descendthe coast would be more to his mind. 

"Mr. Harris, " said he, "instead of traveling for one hundred and twentymiles in the Desert of Atacama, why not follow the coast? Distance fordistance, would it not be better worth while to seek to reach thenearest town, either north or south?"

"But my young friend, " replied Harris, frowning slightly, "it seems tome that on this coast, which I know very imperfectly, there is no townnearer than three or four hundred miles. "

"To the north, yes, " replied Dick Sand; "but to the south----"

"To the south, " replied the American, "we must descend as far as Chili. Now, the distance is almost as long, and, in your place, I should notlike to pass near the pampas of the Argentine Republic. As to me, to mygreat regret, I could not accompany you there. "

"The ships which go from Chili to Peru, do they not pass, then, insight of this coast?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"No, " replied Harris. "They keep much more out at sea, and you oughtnot to meet any of them. "

"Truly, " replied Mrs. Weldon. "Well, Dick, have you still some questionto ask Mr. Harris?"

"A single one, Mrs. Weldon, " replied the novice, who experienced somedifficulty in giving up. "I shall ask Mr. Harris in what port he thinkswe shall be able to find a ship to bring us back to San Francisco?"

"Faith, my young friend, I could not tell you, " replied the American. "All that I know is, that at the Farm of San Felice we will furnish youwith the means of gaining the town of Atacama, and from there----"

"Mr. Harris, " then said Mrs. Weldon, "do not believe that Dick Sandhesitates to accept your offers. "

"No, Mrs. Weldon, no; surely I do not hesitate, " replied the youngnovice; "but I cannot help regretting not being stranded a few degreesfarther north or farther south. We should have been in proximity to aport, and that circumstance, in facilitating our return to our country, would prevent us from taxing Mr. Harris's good will. "

"Do not fear imposing upon me, Mrs. Weldon, " returned Harris. "I repeatto you that too rarely have I occasion to find myself again in thepresence of my compatriots. For me it is a real pleasure to oblige you. "

"We accept your offer, Mr. Harris, " replied Mrs. Weldon; "but I shouldnot wish, however, to deprive you of your horse. I am a good walker----"

"And I am a very good walker, " replied Harris, bowing. "Accustomed tolong journeys across the pampas, it is not I who will keep back ourcaravan. No, Mrs. Weldon, you and your little Jack will use this horse. Besides, it is possible that we may meet some of the farm servants onthe way, and, as they will be mounted--well, they will yield theirhorses to us. "

Dick Sand saw well that in making new objections he would oppose Mrs. Weldon. 

"Mr. Harris, " said he, "when do we set out?"

"Even to-day, my young friend, " replied Harris. "The bad seasoncommences with the month of April, and it is of the utmost importancefor you to reach the farm of San Felice first. Finally, the way acrossthe forest is the shortest, and perhaps the safest. It is less exposedthan the coast to the incursions of wandering Indians, who areindefatigable robbers. "

"Tom, my friends, " replied Dick Sand, turning to the blacks, "it onlyremains for us to make preparations for departure. Let us select, then, from among the provisions on hand, those which can be most easilytransported, and let us make packs, of which each will take his share. "

"Mr. Dick, " said Hercules, "if you wish, I shall carry the whole loadvery well. "

"No, my brave Hercules, " replied the novice; "it will be better for usall to share the burden. "

"You are a strong companion, Hercules, " then said Harris, who looked atthe negro as if the latter were for sale. "In the markets of Africa youwould be worth a good price. "

"I am worth what I am worth, " replied Hercules, laughing, "and thebuyers will only have to run well, if they wish to catch me. "

All was agreed upon, and to hasten the departure, each went to work. However, they had only to think of feeding the little troop for thejourney from the sea-coast to the farm, that is to say, for a march often days. 

"But, before setting out, Mr. Harris, " said Mrs. Weldon, "beforeaccepting your hospitality, I beg you to accept ours. We offer it toyou with our best wishes. "

"I accept, Mrs. Weldon; I accept with eagerness, " replied Harris, gayly. 

"In a few minutes our breakfast will be ready. "

"Good, Mrs. Weldon. I am going to profit by those ten minutes to go andget my horse and bring it here. He will have breakfasted, he will. "

"Do you want me to go with you, sir?" asked Dick Sand. 

"As you please, my young friend, " replied Harris. "Come; I shall makeyou acquainted with the lower course of this river. "

Both set out. 

During this time, Hercules was sent in search of the entomologist. Faith, Cousin Benedict was very uneasy indeed about what was passingaround him. 

He was then wandering on the summit of the cliff in quest of an"unfindable" insect, which, however, he did not find. 

Hercules brought him back against his will. Mrs. Weldon informed himthat departure was decided upon, and that, for ten days, they musttravel to the interior of the country. 

Cousin Benedict replied that he was ready to set out, and that he wouldnot ask better than to cross America entirely, provided they would lethim "collect" on the way. 

Mrs. Weldon then occupied herself, with Nan's assistance, in preparinga comfortable repast--a good precaution before setting out. 

During this time, Harris, accompanied by Dick Sand, had turned theangle of the cliff. Both followed the high bank, over a space of threehundred steps. There, a horse, tied to a tree, gave joyous neighing atthe approach of his master. 

It was a vigorous beast, of a species that Dick Sand could notrecognize. Neck and shoulders long, loins short, and hindquartersstretched out, shoulders flat, forehead almost pointed. This horseoffered, however, distinctive signs of those races to which weattribute an Arabian origin. 

"You see, my young friend, " said Harris, "that it is a strong animal, and you may count on it not failing you on the route. "

Harris detached his horse, took it by the bridle, and descended thesteep bank again, preceding Dick Sand. The latter had thrown a rapidglance, as well over the river as toward the forest which shut up itstwo banks. But he saw nothing of a nature to make him uneasy. 

However, when he had rejoined the American, he suddenly gave him thefollowing question, which the latter could little expect:

"Mr. Harris, " he asked, "you have not met a Portuguese, named Negoro, in the night?"

"Negoro?" replied Harris, in the tone of a man who does not understandwhat is said. "Who is this Negoro?"

"He was the cook on board, " replied Dick Sand, "and he has disappeared. "

"Drowned, perhaps, " said Harris. 

"No, no, " replied Dick Sand. "Yesterday evening he was still with us, but during the night he has left us, and he has probably ascended thesteep bank of this river. So I asked you, who have come from that side, if you had not met him. "

"I have met nobody, " replied the American; "and if your cook hasventured alone into the forest, he runs a great risk of going astray. Perhaps we shall overtake him on the way. "

"Yes; perhaps!" replied Dick Sand. 

When the two returned to the grotto, breakfast was ready. It wascomposed, like the supper of the evening before, of alimentaryconserves, of corned beef and of biscuit. Harris did honor to it, likea man whom nature had endowed with a great appetite. 

"Let us go, " said he; "I see that we shall not die of hunger on theway! I shall not say as much for that poor devil of a Portuguese, ofwhom our young friend has spoken. "

"Ah!" said Mrs. Weldon, "Dick Sand has told you that we have not seenNegoro again?"

"Yes, Mrs. Weldon, " replied the novice. "I desired to know if Mr. Harris had not met him. "

"No, " replied Harris; "so let us leave that deserter where he is, andthink of our departure--whenever you are ready, Mrs. Weldon. "

Each took the pack which was intended for him. Mrs. Weldon, assisted byHercules, placed herself on the horse, and the ungrateful little Jack, with his gun strapped on his back, straddled the animal without eventhinking of thanking him who had put that excellent beast at hisdisposal. Jack, placed before his mother, then said to her that hewould know how to lead the gentleman's horse very well. 

They then gave him the bridle to hold, and he did not doubt that he wasthe veritable head of the caravan. 

 * * * * *

CHAPTER XVI. 

ON THE WAY. 

It was not without a certain apprehension--nothing seemed to justifyit, however--that Dick Sand, three hundred steps from the steep bank ofthe river, penetrated into the thick forest, the difficult paths ofwhich he and his companions were going to follow for ten days. On thecontrary, Mrs. Weldon herself, a woman and a mother, whom the perilswould make doubly anxious, had every confidence. Two very seriousmotives had contributed to reassure her; first, because this region ofthe pampas was neither very formidable on account of the natives, noron account of the animals which were found there; next, because, underthe direction of Harris, of a guide so sure of himself as the Americanappeared to be, they could not be afraid of going astray. 

Here is the order of proceeding, which, as far as possible, would beobserved during the journey:

Dick Sand and Harris, both armed, one with his long gun, the other witha Remington, kept at the head of the little troop. 

Then came Bat and Austin, also armed, each with a gun and a cutlass. 

Behind them followed Mrs. Weldon and little Jack, on horseback; thenNan and Tom. 

In the rear, Acteon, armed with the fourth Remington, and Hercules, with a hatchet in his belt, closed the march. 

Dingo went backwards and forwards, and, as Dick Sand remarked, alwayslike an uneasy dog seeking a scent. The dog's ways had visibly changedsince the "Pilgrim's" shipwreck had cast it on this sea-coast. Itseemed agitated, and almost incessantly it kept up a dull grumbling, rather lamentable than furious. That was remarked by all, though no onecould explain it. 

As to Cousin Benedict, it had been as impossible to assign him an orderof marching as Dingo. Unless he had been held by a string, he would nothave kept it. His tin box strapped to his shoulder, his net in hishand, his large magnifying glass suspended to his neck, sometimesbehind, sometimes in front, he scampered away among the high herbs, watching for orthopters or any other insect in "pter, " at the risk ofbeing bit by some venomous serpent. 

During the first hour Mrs. Weldon, uneasy, called him back twentytimes. It was no use. 

"Cousin Benedict, " she finished by saying to him, "I beg you veryseriously not to go far away, and I urge you for the last time to payattention to my entreaties. "

"Meanwhile, cousin, " replied the intractable entomologist, "when Iperceive an insect?"

"When you perceive an insect, " replied Mrs. Weldon, "you would do wellto let it go in peace, or you will put me under the necessity of takingyour box away from you. "

"Take away my box!" cried Cousin Benedict, as if it were a question ofsnatching away his heart. 

"Your box and your net, " added Mrs. Weldon, pitilessly. 

"My net, cousin! And why not my glasses? You will not dare! No; youwill not dare!"

"Even, your glasses, which I forgot. I thank you, Cousin Benedict, forreminding me that I have that means of making you blind, and, in thatway, forcing you to be wise. "

This triple menace had the effect of making him keep quiet--thisunsubmissive cousin--for about an hour. Then he began to go away again, and, as he would do the same, even without net, without box, andwithout glasses, they were obliged to let him do as he pleased. ButHercules undertook to watch him closely--which quite naturally becameone of his duties--and it was agreed that he would act with CousinBenedict as the latter would with an insect; that is, that he wouldcatch him, if necessary, and bring him back as delicately as the otherwould with the rarest of the lepidopters. 

That rule made, they troubled themselves no more about Cousin Benedict. 

The little troop, it has been seen, was well armed, and guarded itselfcarefully. But, as Harris repeated, there was no encounter to fearexcept with wandering Indians, and they would probably see none. 

At all events, the precautions taken would suffice to keep themrespectful. 

The paths which wound across the thick forest did not merit that name. They were rather the tracks of animals than the tracks of men. Theycould only be followed with difficulty. So, in fixing the averagedistance that the little troop would make in a march of twelve hours atonly five or six miles, Harris had calculated wisely. 

The weather, however, was very fine. The sun mounted toward the zenith, spreading in waves his almost perpendicular rays. On the plain thisheat would be unbearable, Harris took care to remark; but, under thoseimpenetrable branches, they bore it easily and with impunity. 

The greater part of the trees of this forest were unknown, as well toMrs. Weldon as to her companions, black or white. 

However, an expert would remark that they were more remarkable fortheir quality than for their height. Here, it was the "banhinia, " oriron wood; there, the "molompi, " identical with the "pterocarpe, " asolid and light wood, fit for making the spoons used in sugarmanufactories or oars, from the trunk of which exuded an abundantresin; further on, "fusticks, " or yellow wood, well supplied withcoloring materials, and lignum-vitćs, measuring as much as twelve feetin diameter, but inferior in quality to the ordinary lignum-vitćs. 

While walking, Dick Sand asked Harris the name of these different trees. 

"Then you have never been on the coast of South America?" Harris askedhim before replying to his question. 

"Never, " replied the novice; "never, during my voyages, have I hadoccasion to visit these coasts, and to say the truth, I do not believethat anybody who knew about them has ever spoken to me of them. "

"But have you at least explored the coasts of Colombia, those of Chili, or of Patagonia?"

"No, never. "

"But perhaps Mrs. Weldon has visited this part of the new continent?"asked Harris. "Americans do not fear voyages, and doubtless----"

"No, Mr. Harris, " replied Mrs. Weldon. "The commercial interests of myhusband have never called him except to New Zealand, and I have not hadto accompany him elsewhere. Not one of us, then, knows this portion oflower Bolivia. "

"Well, Mrs. Weldon, you and your companions will see a singularcountry, which contrasts strangely with the regions of Peru, of Brazil, or of the Argentine Republic. Its flora and fauna would astonish anaturalist. Ah! we may say that you have been shipwrecked at a goodplace, and if we may ever thank chance----"

"I wish to believe that it is not chance which has led us here, butGod, Mr. Harris. "

"God! Yes! God!" replied Harris, in the tone of a man who takes littleaccount of providential intervention in the things of this world. 

Then, since nobody in the little troop knew either the country or itsproductions, Harris took a pleasure in naming pleasantly the mostcurious trees of the forest. 

In truth, it was a pity that, in Cousin Benedict's case, theentomologist was not supplemented by the botanist! If, up to this time, he had hardly found insects either rare or new, he might have made finediscoveries in botany. There was, in profusion, vegetation of allheights, the existence of which in the tropical forests of the NewWorld had not been yet ascertained. Cousin Benedict would certainlyhave attached his name to some discovery of this kind. But he did notlike botany--he knew nothing about it. He even, quite naturally, heldflowers in aversion, under the pretext that some of them permitthemselves to imprison the insects in their corollas, and poison themwith their venomous juices. 

At times, the forest became marshy. They felt under foot quite anetwork of liquid threads, which would feed the affluents of the littleriver. Some of the rills, somewhat large, could only be crossed bychoosing fordable places. 

On their banks grew tufts of reeds, to which Harris gave the name ofpapyrus. He was not mistaken, and those herbaceous plants grewabundantly below the damp banks. 

Then, the marsh passed, thickets of trees again covered the narrowroutes of the forest. 

Harris made Mrs. Weldon and Dick Sand remark some very fineebony-trees, much larger than the common ebony-tree, which furnish awood much blacker and much stronger than that of commerce. Then therewere mango-trees, still numerous, though they were rather far from thesea. A kind of fur of white moss climbed them as far as the branches. Their thick shade and their delicious fruit made them precious trees, and meanwhile, according to Harris, not a native would dare topropagate the species. "Whoever plants a mango-tree dies!" Such is thesuperstitious maxim of the country. 

During the second half of this first day of the journey, the littletroop, after the midday halt, began to ascend land slightly inclined. They were not as yet the slopes of the chain of the first plane, but asort of undulating plateau which connected the plain with the mountain. 

There the trees, a little less compact, sometimes clustered in groups, would have rendered the march easier, if the soil had not been invadedby herbaceous plants. One might believe himself in the jungles ofOriental India. Vegetation appeared to be less luxuriant than in thelower valley of the little river, but it was still superior to that ofthe temperate regions of the Old or of the New World. 

Indigo was growing there in profusion, and, according to Harris, thisleguminous plant passed with reason for the most usurping plant of thecountry. If a field came to be abandoned, this parasite, as muchdespised as the thistle or the nettle, took possession of itimmediately. 

One tree seemed lacking in this forest, which ought to be very commonin this part of the new continent; it was the caoutchouc-tree. In fact, the "ficus primoides, " the "castilloa elastica, " the "cecropiapeltats, " the "collophora utilis, " the "cameraria letifolia, " and aboveall, the "syphonia elastica, " which belong to different families, abound in the provinces of South America. And meanwhile, a rathersingular thing, there was not a single one to be seen. 

Now, Dick Sand had particularly promised his friend Jack to show himsome caoutchouc trees. So a great deception for the little boy, whofigured to himself that gourds, speaking babies, articulatepunchinellos, and elastic balloons grew quite naturally on those trees. He complained. 

"Patience, my good little man, " replied Harris. "We shall find some ofthose caoutchoucs, and by hundreds, in the neighborhood of the farm. "

"Handsome ones, very elastic?" asked little Jack. 

"The most elastic there are. Hold! while waiting, do you want a goodfruit to take away your thirst?" And, while speaking, Harris went togather from a tree some fruits, which seemed to be as pleasant to thetaste as those from the peach-tree. 

"Are you very sure, Mr. Harris, " asked Mrs. Weldon, "that this fruitcan do no harm?"

"Mrs. Weldon, I am going to convince you, " replied the American, whotook a large mouthful of one of those fruits. "It is a mango. "

And little Jack, without any more pressing, followed Harris's example, He declared that it was very good, "those pears, " and the tree was atonce put under contribution. 

Those mangos belonged to a species whose fruit is ripe in March andApril, others being so only in September, and, consequently, theirmangos were just in time. 

"Yes, it is good, good, good!" said little Jack, with his mouth full. "But my friend Dick has promised me caoutchoucs, if I was very good, and I want caoutchoucs!"

"You will have them, Jack, " replied Mrs. Weldon, "because Mr. Harrisassures you of it. "

"But that is not all, " went on Jack. "My friend Dick has promised mesome other thing!"

"What then, has friend Dick promised?" asked Harris, smiling. 

"Some humming-birds, sir. "

"And you shall have some humming-birds, my good little man, but fartheron--farther on, " replied Harris. 

The fact is that little Jack had a right to claim some of thesecharming creatures, for he was now in a country where they shouldabound. The Indians, who know how to weave their feathers artistically, have lavished the most poetical names on those jewels of the flyingrace. They call them either the "rays" or the "hairs of the sun. " Here, it is "the little king of the flowers;" there, "the celestial flowerthat comes in its flight to caress the terrestrial flower. " It is again"the bouquet of jewels, which sparkles in the fire of the day. " It canbe believed that their imagination would know how to furnish a newpoetical appellation for each of the one hundred and fifty specieswhich constitute this marvelous tribe of humming-birds. 

Meanwhile, however numerous these humming-birds might be in the forestsof Bolivia, little Jack was obliged to still content himself withHarris's promise. According to the American, they were still too closeto the coast, and the humming-birds did not like these deserts so nearthe ocean. The presence of man did not frighten them at the "hacienda;"they heard nothing all day but their cry of "teretere" and the murmurof their wings, similar to that of a spinning-wheel. 

"Ah! how I should like to be there!" cried little Jack. 

The surest method of getting there--to the "hacienda" of SanFelice--was not to stop on the road. Mrs. Weldon and her companionsonly took the time absolutely necessary for repose. 

The aspect of the forest already changed. Between the less crowdedtrees large clearings opened here and there. The sun, piercing thegreen carpet, then showed its structure of red, syenite granite, similar to slabs of lapis-lazuli. On some heights the sarsaparillaabounded, a plant with fleshy tubercles, which formed an inextricabletangle. The forest, with the narrow paths, was better for them. 

Before sunset the little troop were about eight miles from the point ofdeparture. This journey had been made without accident, and evenwithout great fatigue. It is true, it was the first journey on themarch, and no doubt the following halting places would be rougher. 

By a common consent they decided to make a halt at this place. Thequestion then was, not to establish a real camp, but to simply organizea resting-place. One man on guard, relieved every two hours, wouldsuffice to watch during the night, neither the natives nor the deerbeing truly formidable. 

They found nothing better for shelter than an enormous mango-tree, whose large branches, very bushy, formed a kind of natural veranda. Ifnecessary, they could nestle in the branches. 

Only, on the arrival of the little troop, a deafening concert arosefrom the top of the tree. 

The mango served as a perch for a colony of gray parrots, prattling, quarrelsome, ferocious birds, which set upon living birds, and thosewho would judge them from their congeners which Europe keeps in cages, would be singularly mistaken. 

These parrots jabbered with such a noise that Dick Sand thought offiring at them to oblige them to be silent, or to put them to flight. But Harris dissuaded him, under the pretext that in these solitudes itwas better not to disclose his presence by the detonation of a fire-arm. 

"Let us pass along without noise, " he said, "and we shall pass alongwithout danger. "

Supper was prepared at once, without any need of proceeding to cookfood. It was composed of conserves and biscuit. A little rill, whichwound under the plants, furnished drinkable water, which they did notdrink without improving it with a few drops of rum. As to _dessert_, the mango was there with its juicy fruit, which the parrots did notallow to be picked without protesting with their abominable cries. 

At the end of the supper it began to be dark. The shade rose slowlyfrom the ground to the tops of the trees, from which the foliage soonstood out like a fine tracery on the more luminous background of thesky. The first stars seemed to be shining flowers, which twinkled atthe end of the last branches. The wind went down with the night, and nolonger trembled in the branches of the trees. The parrots themselveshad become mute. Nature was going to rest, and inviting every livingbeing to follow her in this deep sleep. 

Preparations for retiring had to be of a very primitive character. 

"Shall we not light a large fire for the night?" Dick Sand asked theAmerican. 

"What's the good?" replied Harris. "Fortunately the nights are notcold, and this enormous mango will preserve the soil from allevaporation. We have neither cold nor dampness to fear. I repeat, myyoung friend, what I told you just now. Let us move along incognito. Nomore fire than gunshots, if possible. "

"I believe, indeed, " then said Mrs. Weldon, "that we have nothing tofear from the Indians--even from those wanderers of the woods, of whomyou have spoken, Mr. Harris. But, are there not other four-footedwanderers, that the sight of a fire would help to keep at a distance?"

"Mrs. Weldon, " replied the American, "you do too much honor to the deerof this country. Indeed, they fear man more than he fears them. "

"We are in a wood, " said Jack, "and there is always beasts in thewoods. "

"There are woods and woods, my good little man, as there are beasts andbeasts, " replied Harris, laughing. "Imagine that you are in the middleof a large park. Truly, it is not without reason that the Indians sayof this country, 'Es como el pariso!' It is like an earthly paradise!"

"Then there are serpents?" said Jack. 

"No, my Jack, " replied Mrs. Weldon, "there are no serpents, and you maysleep tranquilly. "

"And lions?" asked Jack. 

"Not the ghost of a lion, my good little man, " replied Harris. 

"Tigers, then?"

"Ask your mama if she has ever heard tell of tigers on this continent. "

"Never, " replied Mrs. Weldon. 

"Good!" said Cousin Benedict, who, by chance, was listening to theconversation: "if there are neither lions nor tigers in the New World, which is perfectly true, we at least encounter cougars and jaguars. "

"Are they bad?" asked little Jack. 

"Phew!" replied Harris; "a native has little fear of attacking thoseanimals, and we are strong. Stay! Hercules would be strong enough tocrush two jaguars at once, one in each hand!"

"You will watch well, Hercules, " then said little Jack, "and if a beastcomes to bite us----"

"It is I who will bite it, Mr. Jack!" replied Hercules, showing hismouth, armed with superb teeth. 

"Yes, you will watch, Hercules, " said the novice, "but your companionsand I will relieve you, turn about. "

"No, Mr. Dick, " replied Acteon, "Hercules, Bat, Austin, and I, we fourwill be enough for this labor. You must rest the whole night. "

"Thank you, Acteon, " replied Dick Sand, "but I ought to----"

"No! let those brave men do it, my dear Dick!" then said Mrs. Weldon. 

"I, also; I shall watch!" added little Jack, whose eyelids were alreadyclosing. 

"Yes, my Jack, yes, you will watch!" replied his mother, who did notwish to contradict him. 

"But, " the little boy said again, "if there are no lions, if there areno tigers in the forest, there are wolves!"

"Oh! wolves in jest!" replied the American. "They are not even wolves, but kinds of foxes, or rather of those dogs of the woods which theycall 'guaras. '"

"And those _guaras_, they bite?" asked little Jack. 

"Bah! Dingo would make only one mouthful of those beasts!"

"Never mind, " replied Jack, with a last yawn; "guaras are wolves, because they are called wolves!"

And with that Jack fell asleep peaceably in Nan's arms, beside thetrunk of the mango. Mrs. Weldon, lying near her, gave a last kiss toher little boy, and her tired eyes quickly closed for the night. 

A few moments later Hercules brought back to the camp Cousin Benedict, who had just gone off to commence a chase for pyrophores. They are"cocuyos, " or luminous flies, which the stylish put in their hair, likeso many living gems. These insects which throw a bright and bluishlight from two spots situated at the base of their corselet, are verynumerous in South America. Cousin Benedict then counted on making alarge collection, but Hercules did not leave him time, and, in spite ofhis recriminations, the negro brought him to the halting-place. Thatwas because, when Hercules had orders, he executed them with militarypreciseness, which, no doubt, prevented the incarceration of a notablequantity of luminous flies in the entomologist's tin box. 

A few moments after, with the exception of the giant, who was watching, all were reposing in a profound sleep. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

A HUNDRED MILES IN TWO DAYS. 

Generally, travelers or ramblers in the woods, who have slept in theforests under the lovely stars, are awakened by howlings as fantasticas disagreeable. There is everything in this morning concert: clucking, grunting, croaking, sneering, barking, and almost "speaking, " if onemay make use of this word, which completes the series of differentnoises. 

There are the monkeys who thus salute the daybreak. There we meet thelittle "marikina, " the marmoset with a speckled mask; the "mono gris, "the skin of which the Indians use to recover the batteries of theirguns; the "sagous, " recognizable from their long bunches of hair, andmany others, specimens of this numerous family. 

Of these various four-handed animals, the most remarkable are decidedlythe "gueribas, " with curling tails and a face like Beelzebub. When thesun rises, the oldest of the band, with an imposing and mysteriousvoice, sings a monotonous psalm. It is the baritone of the troop. Theyoung tenors repeat after him the morning symphony. The Indians saythen that the "gueribas" recite their _pater-nosters_. 

But, on this day, it seemed that the monkeys did not offer theirprayer, for no one heard them; and, meanwhile, their voice is loud, forit is produced by the rapid vibration of a kind of bony drum, formed bya swelling of the hyoides bone in the neck. 

In short, for one reason or for another, neither the "gueribas, " northe "sagous, " nor any other four-handed animals of this immense forest, sang, on this morning, their usual concert. 

This would not have satisfied the wandering Indians. Not that thesenatives appreciate this kind of strange choral music, but theywillingly give chase to the monkeys, and if they do, it is because theflesh of this animal is excellent, above all, when it is smoke-dried. 

Dick Sand, of course, could not be familiar with the habits of the"gueribas, " neither were his companions, or this not hearing them wouldhave undoubtedly been a subject of surprise. They awoke then, one afterthe other, much refreshed by these few hours of repose, which no alarmhad come to disturb. 

Little Jack was not the last to stretch his arms. His first questionwas, to ask if Hercules had eaten a wolf during the night. No wolf hadshown himself, and consequently Hercules had not yet breakfasted. 

All, besides, were fasting like him, and after the morning prayer, Nanoccupied herself preparing the repast. 

The bill of fare was that of the supper of the night before, but withappetites sharpened by the morning air of the forest, no one dreamed ofbeing difficult to please. It was necessary, above all, to gatherstrength for a good day's march, and they did it. For the first time, perhaps, Cousin Benedict comprehended that to eat was not an actionindifferent or useless to life; only, he declared that he had not cometo "visit" this country to walk with his hands in his pockets, andthat, if Hercules prevented him from chasing the "cocuyos, " and otherluminous flies, Hercules would have some trouble with him. 

This threat did not seem to frighten the giant to any great extent. However, Mrs. Weldon took him aside and told him that, perhaps, hemight allow his big baby to run to the right and left, but on conditionthat he did not lose sight of him. It would not do to completely severCousin Benedict from the pleasures so natural to his age. 

At seven o'clock in the morning, the little troop took up their journeytoward the east, preserving the order of march that had been adoptedthe previous day. It was always the forest. On this virgin soil, wherethe heat and the moisture agreed to produce vegetation, it might wellbe thought that the reign of growth appeared in all its power. Theparallel of this vast plateau was almost confounded with tropicallatitudes, and, during certain months in summer, the sun, in passing tothe zenith, darted its perpendicular rays there. There was, therefore, an enormous quantity of imprisoned heat in this earth, of which thesubsoil preserved the damp. Also, nothing could be more magnificentthan this succession of forests, or rather this interminable forest. 

Meanwhile, Dick Sand had not failed to observe this--that, according toHarris, they were in the region of the pampas. Now, pampas is a wordfrom the "quichna" language, which signifies a plain. Now, if hisrecollections did not deceive him, he believed that these plainspresented the following characteristics: Lack of water, absence oftrees, a failure of stones, an almost luxuriant abundance of thistlesduring the rainy season, thistles which became almost shrubby with thewarm season, and then formed impenetrable thickets; then, also, dwarftrees, thorny shrubs, the whole giving to these plains a rather aridand desolate aspect. 

Now, it had not been thus, since the little troop, guided by theAmerican, had left the coast. The forest had not ceased to spread tothe limits of the horizon. No, this was not the pampas, such as theyoung novice had imagined them. Had nature, as Harris had told him, been able to make a region apart from the plateau of Atacama, of whichhe knew nothing, if it did not form one of the most vast deserts ofSouth America, between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean?

On that day Dick Sand propounded some questions on this subject, andexpressed to the American the surprise he felt at this singularappearance of the pampas. 

But he was quickly undeceived by Harris, who gave him the most exactdetails about this part of Bolivia, thus witnessing to his greatknowledge of the country. 

"You are right, my young friend, " he said to the novice. "The truepampa is indeed such as the books of travels have depicted it to you, that is, a plain rather arid, and the crossing of which is oftendifficult. It recalls our savannahs of North America--except that theseare a little marshy. Yes, such is indeed the pampa of the Rio Colorado, such are the "llanos" of the Orinoco and of Venezuela. But here, we arein a country, the appearance of which even astonishes me. It is true, it is the first time I have followed this route across the plateau, aroute which has the advantage of shortening our journey. But, if I havenot yet seen it, I know that it presents an extraordinary contrast tothe veritable pampa. As to this one, you would find it again, notbetween the Cordilleras of the west and the high chain of the Andes, but beyond the mountains, over all that eastern part of the continentwhich extends as far as the Atlantic. "

"Must we then clear the Andes range?" Dick Sand asked, quickly. 

"No, my young friend, no, " replied the American, smiling. "So I said:You _would_ find it again, and not: You _will_ find it again. Bereassured, we shall not leave this plateau, the greatest elevations ofwhich do not exceed fifteen hundred feet. Ah! if it had been necessaryto cross the Cordilleras with only the means of transport at ourdisposal, I should never have drawn you into such an undertaking. "

"In fact, " replied Dick Sand, "it would be better to ascend or descendthe coast. "

"Oh! a hundred times!" replied Harris. "But the Farm of San Felice issituated on this side of the Cordilleras. So, then, our journey, neither in its first nor in its second part, will offer any realdifficulty. "

"And you do not fear going astray in these forests, which you cross forthe first time?" asked Dick Sand. 

"No, my young friend, no, " replied Harris. "I know indeed that thisforest is like an immense sea, or rather like the bottom of a sea, where a sailor himself could not take the latitude nor recognize hisposition. But accustomed to traveling in the woods, I know how to findmy route only by the inclination of certain trees, by the direction oftheir leaves, by the movement or the composition of the soil, by athousand details which escape you! Be sure of it, I will lead you, youand yours, where you ought to go!"

All these things were said very clearly by Harris. Dick Sand and he, atthe head of the troop, often talked without any one mingling in theirconversation. If the novice felt some doubts that the American did notalways succeed in scattering, he preferred to keep them to himself. 

The 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th of April passed in this manner, without any incident to mark the journey. They did not make more thaneight to nine miles in twelve hours. The times consecrated to eating orrepose came at regular intervals, and though a little fatigue was feltalready, the sanitary condition was still very satisfactory. 

Little Jack began to suffer a little from this life in the woods, towhich he was not accustomed, and which was becoming very monotonous forhim. And then all the promises which had been made him had not beenkept. The caoutchouc jumping-jacks, the humming-birds, all those seemedconstantly to recede. There had also been a question of showing him themost beautiful parrots in the world, and they ought not to be wantingin these rich forests. Where, then, were the popinjays with greenplumage, almost all originally from these countries, the _aras_, withnaked cheeks, with long pointed tails, with glittering colors, whosepaws never rest on the earth, and the "camindes, " which are morepeculiar to tropical countries, and the many-colored she-parrots, withfeathered faces, and finally all those prattling birds which, accordingto the Indians, still speak the language of extinct tribes?

Of parrots, little Jack only saw ash-gray jakos, with red tails, whichabounded under the trees. But these jakos were not new to him. Theyhave transported them into all parts of the world. On the twocontinents they fill the houses with their insupportable chattering, and, of all the family of the "psittacius, " they are the ones whichlearn to speak most easily. 

It must be said, besides, that if Jack was not contented, CousinBenedict was no more so. He had been allowed to wander a little to theright or to the left during the march. However, he had not found anyinsect which was fit to enrich his collection. Even the "pyrophores"obstinately refused to show themselves to him, and attract him by thephosphorescences of their corselet. Nature seemed truly to mock theunhappy entomologist, whose temper was becoming cross. 

For four days more the march toward the northeast was continued in thesame way. On the 16th of April the distance traversed from the coastcould not be estimated at less than one hundred miles. If Harris hadnot gone astray--and he affirmed it without hesitation--the Farm of SanFelice was no more than twenty miles from the halting place of thatday. Before forty-eight hours the little troop then would have acomfortable shelter where its members could at last repose from theirfatigues. 

Meanwhile, though the plateau had been almost entirely crossed in itsmiddle part, not a native, not a wanderer had been encountered underthe immense forest. 

More than once, without saying anything about it, Dick Sand regrettedbeing unable to go ashore on some other point of the coast. More to thesouth, or more to the north, villages, hamlets, or plantations wouldnot have been lacking, and long before this Mrs. Weldon and hercompanions would have found an asylum. 

But, if the country seemed to be abandoned by man, animals showedthemselves more frequently during these last days. At times was heard akind of long, plaintive cry, that Harris attributed to some of thoselarge tardi-grades, habitual denizens of those vast wooded regions, named "ais. "

On that day, also, during the midday halt, a hissing passed through theair, which made Mrs. Weldon very uneasy, because it was so strange. 

"What is that?"' she asked, rising hastily. 

"A serpent!" cried Dick Sand, who gun, in hand, threw himself beforeMrs. Weldon. 

They might fear, in fact, that some reptile would glide among theplants to the halting place. It would be nothing astonishing if it wereone of those enormous "sucurus, " kinds of boas, which sometimes measureforty feet in length. 

But Harris reminded Dick Sand that the blacks were already following, and he reassured Mrs. Weldon. 

According to him, that hissing could not be produced by a "sucuru, "because that serpent does not hiss; but he indicated the presence ofseveral inoffensive quadrupeds, rather numerous in that country. 

"Be reassured, then, " said he, "and make no movement which may frightenthose animals. "

"But what are they?" asked Dick Sand, who made it like a law ofconscience to interrogate and make the American speak--who, however, never required pressing before replying. 

"They are antelopes, my young friend, " replied Harris. 

"Oh! how I should like to see them!" cried Jack. 

"That is very difficult, my good little man, " replied the American, "very difficult. "

"Perhaps we may try to approach than--those hissing antelopes?"returned Dick Sand. 

"Oh! you will not take three steps, " replied the American, shaking hishead, "before the whole band will take flight. I beg of you, then, notto trouble yourself. "

But Dick Sand had his reasons for being curious. He wished to see, and, gun in hand, he glided among the herbs. Immediately a dozen gracefulgazelles, with small, sharp horns, passed with the rapidity of awater-spout. Their hair, bright red, looked like a cloud of fire underthe tall underwood of the forest. 

"I had warned you, " said Harris, when the novice returned to take hisplace. 

Those antelopes were so light of foot, that it had been trulyimpossible to distinguish them; but it was not so with another troop ofanimals which was signaled the same day. Those could beseen--imperfectly, it is true--but their apparition led to a rathersingular discussion between Harris and some of his companions. 

The little troop, about four o'clock in the afternoon, had stopped fora moment near an opening in the woods, when three or four animals ofgreat height went out of a thicket a hundred steps off, and scamperedaway at once with remarkable speed. 

In spite of the American's recommendations, this time the novice, having quickly shouldered his gun, fired at one of these animals. Butat the moment when the charge was going off, the weapon had beenrapidly turned aside by Harris, and Dick Sand, skilful as he was, hadmissed his aim. 

"No firing; no firing!" said the American. 

"Ah, now, but those are giraffes!" cried Dick Sand, without otherwisereplying to Harris's observation. 

"Giraffes!" repeated Jack, standing up on the horse's saddle. "Whereare they, the large beasts?"

"Giraffes!" replied Mrs. Weldon. "You are mistaken, my dear Dick. Thereare no giraffes in America. "

"Indeed, " said Harris, who appeared rather surprised, "there cannot beany giraffes in this country. "

"What, then?" said Dick Sand. 

"I really do not know what to think, " replied Harris. "Have not youreyes deceived you, my young friend, and are not those animals morelikely to be ostriches?"

"Ostriches!" repeated Dick Sand and Mrs. Weldon, looking at each otherin great surprise. 

"Yes, only ostriches, " repeated Harris. 

"But ostriches are birds, " returned Dick Sand, "and consequently theyhave only two feet. "

"Well, " replied Harris, "I indeed thought I saw that those animals, which have just made off so rapidly, were bipeds. "

"Bipeds!" replied the novice. 

"Indeed it seemed to me that I saw animals with four legs, " then saidMrs. Weldon. 

"I also, " added old Tom; then Bat, Acteon, and Austin confirmed thosewords. 

"Ostriches with four legs!" cried Harris, with a burst of laughter. "That would be ridiculous!"

"So, " returned Dick Sand, "we have believed they were giraffes, and notostriches. "

"No, my young friend, no, " said Harris. "You have certainly seen badly. That is explained by the rapidity with which those animals have flownaway. Besides, it has happened more than once that hunters have beendeceived like you, and in the best faith in the world. "

What the American said was very plausible. Between an ostrich of greatheight and a giraffe of medium height, seen at a certain distance, itis easy to make a mistake. If it were a question of a beak or a nose, both are none the less joined to the end of a long neck turnedbackward, and, strictly speaking, it may be said that an ostrich isonly a half giraffe. It only needs the hind legs. Then, this biped andthis quadruped, passing rapidly, on a sudden may, very properly, betaken one for the other. 

Besides, the best proof that Mrs. Weldon and the others were mistakenwas that there are no giraffes in America. 

Dick Sand then made this reflection:

"But I believed that ostriches were not met with in the New World anymore than giraffes. "

"Yes, my young friend, " replied Harris; "and, indeed, South Americapossesses a peculiar species. To this species belongs the 'nandon, 'which you have just seen. "

Harris spoke the truth. The "nandon" is a long-legged bird, rathercommon in the plains of South America, and its flesh, when it is young, is good to eat. 

This strong animal, whose height sometimes exceeds two meters, has astraight beak; wings long, and formed of tufted feathers of a bluishshade; feet formed of three claws, furnished with nails--whichessentially distinguishes it from the ostriches of Africa. 

These very exact details were given by Harris, who appeared to be verystrongly posted on the manners of the "nandons. "

Mrs. Weldon and her companions were obliged to acknowledge that theyhad been deceived. 

"Besides, " added Harris, "possibly we may encounter another band ofthese ostriches. Well, next time look better, and no longer allowyourselves to takes birds for quadrupeds! But above all, my youngfriend, do not forget my recommendations, and do not fire on any animalwhatsoever. We have no need of hunting to procure food, and nodetonation of a fire-arm must announce our presence in this forest. "

Meanwhile Dick Sand remained pensive. Once more a doubt had just arisenon his mind. 

The next day, April 17th, the march was continued, and the Americanaffirmed that twenty-four hours would not pass before the little troopshould be installed at the Farm of San Felice. 

"There, Mrs. Weldon, " added he, "you will receive all the carenecessary to your position, and a few days' rest will quite restoreyou. Perhaps you will not find at this farm the luxury to which you areaccustomed in your residence in San Francisco, but you will see thatour improved lands in the interior do not lack what is comfortable. Weare not absolutely savages. "

"Mr. Harris, " replied Mrs. Weldon, "if we have only thanks to offer youfor your generous resort, at least we shall offer them to you with allour hearts. Yes! It is time for us to arrive there!"

"You are very much fatigued, Mrs. Weldon?"

"I, no matter!" replied Mrs. Weldon; "but I perceive that my littleJack is gradually becoming exhausted! The fever begins to affect him atcertain hours!"

"Yes, " replied Harris, "and although the climate of this plateau isvery healthful, it must be acknowledged that in March and Aprilintermittent fevers reign. "

"Doubtless, " then said Dick Sand, "but also Nature, who is always andeverywhere provident, has put the remedy near the evil!"

"And how is that, my young friend?" asked Harris, who did not seem tounderstand. 

"Are we not, then, in the region of the quinquinas?" replied Dick Sand. 

"In fact, " said Harris, "you are perfectly right. The trees whichfurnish, the precious febrifuge bark are native here. "

"I am even astonished, " added Dick Sand, "that we have not yet seen asingle one. "

"Ah! my young friend, " replied Harris, "those trees are not easy todistinguish. Though they are often of great height, though their leavesare large, their flowers rosy and odoriferous, we do not discover themeasily. It is rarely that they grow in groups. They are ratherscattered through the forests, and the Indians who collect thequinquina can only recognize them by their foliage, always green. "

"Mr. Harris, " said Mrs. Weldon, "if you see one of those trees you willshow it to me. "

"Certainly, Mrs. Weldon, but at the farm you will find some sulphate ofquinine. That is worth still more to break the fever than the simplebark of the tree. "

Formerly, this bark was only reduced to powder, which bore the name of"Jesuits' Powder, " because, in 1649, the Jesuits of Rome received aconsiderable quantity from their mission in America. 

This last day of the journey passed without other incident. Eveningcame and the halt was organized for the whole night as usual. Till thenit had not rained, but the weather was preparing to change, for a warmmist rose from the soil and soon found a thick fog. 

They were touching, in fact, on the rainy season. Fortunately, the nextday, a comfortable shelter would be hospitably offered to the littletroop. There were only a few hours to elapse. 

Though, according to Harris, who could only establish his calculationby the time which the journey had lasted, they could not be more thansix miles from the farm, the ordinary precautions were taken for thenight. Tom and his companions would watch one after the other. DickSand insisted that nothing should be neglected in that respect. Lessthan ever, would he depart from his habitual prudence, for a terriblesuspicion was incrusted in his mind; but he did not wish to sayanything yet. 

The retiring to rest had been made at the feet of a group of largetrees. Fatigue aiding, Mrs. Weldon and hers were already asleep, whenthey were awakened by a great cry. 

"Eh! what's the matter?" asked Dick Sand, quickly, who was on his feetfirst of all. 

"It is I! it is I who have cried!" replied Cousin Benedict. 

"And what is the matter with you?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"I have just been bit!"

"By a serpent?" asked Mrs. Weldon, with alarm. 

"No, no! It was not a serpent, but an insect, " replied Cousin Benedict. "Ah! I have it! I have it!"

"Well, crush your insect, " said Harris, "and let us sleep, Mr. Benedict!"

"Crush an insect!" cried Cousin Benedict. "Not so! I must see what itis!"

"Some mosquito!" said Harris, shrugging his shoulders. 

"No! It is a fly, " replied Cousin Benedict, "and a fly which ought tobe very curious!"

Dick Sand had lit a little portable lantern, and he approached CousinBenedict. 

"Divine goodness!" cried the latter. "Behold what consoles me for allmy deceptions! I have, then, at last made a discovery!"

The honest man was raving. He looked at his fly in triumph. He wouldwillingly kiss it. 

"But what is it, then?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"A dipter, cousin, a famous dipter!" And Cousin Benedict showed a flysmaller than a bee, of a dull color, streaked with yellow on the lowerpart of its body. 

"And this fly is not venomous?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"No, cousin, no; at least not for man. But for animals, for antelopes, for buffaloes, even for elephants, it is another thing. Ah! adorableinsect!"

"At last, " asked Dick Sand, "will you tell us, Mr. Benedict, what isthis fly?"

"This fly, " replied the entomologist, "this fly that I hold between myfingers, this fly--it is a _tsetse_! It is that famous dipter that isthe honor of a country, and, till now, no one has ever found a _tsetse_in America!"

Dick Sand did not dare to ask Cousin Benedict in what part of the worldthis redoubtable _tsetse_ was only to be met. And when his companions, after this incident, had returned to their interrupted sleep, DickSand, in spite of the fatigue which overwhelmed him, did not close hiseyes the whole night. 

 * * * * *

CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE TERRIBLE WORD. 

It was time to arrive. Extreme lassitude made it impossible for Mrs. Weldon to continue any longer a journey made under such painfulconditions. Her little boy, crimson during the fits of fever, very paleduring the intermissions, was pitiable to see. His mother extremelyanxious, had not been willing to leave Jack even in the care of thegood Nan. She held him, half-lying, in her arms. 

Yes, it was time to arrive. But, to trust to the American, on the veryevening of this day which was breaking--the evening of the 18th ofApril, the little troop should finally reach the shelter of the"hacienda" of San Felice. 

Twelve days' journey for a woman, twelve nights passed in the open air;it was enough to overwhelm Mrs. Weldon, energetic as she was. But, fora child, it was worse, and the sight of little Jack sick, and withoutthe most ordinary cares, had sufficed to crush her. 

Dick Sand, Nan, Tom, and his companions had supported the fatigues ofthe journey better. 

Their provisions, although they were commencing to get exhausted, hadnot become injured, and their condition was satisfactory. 

As for Harris, he seemed made for the difficulties of these longjourneys across the forests, and it did not appear that fatigue couldaffect him. Only, in proportion as he neared the farm, Dick Sandobserved that he was more preoccupied and less frank in behavior thanbefore. The contrary would have been more natural. This was, at least, the opinion of the young novice, who had now become more thansuspicious of the American. And meanwhile, what interest could Harrishave in deceiving them? Dick Sand could not have explained it, but hewatched their guide more closely. 

The American probably felt himself suspected by Dick Sand, and, nodoubt, it was this mistrust which made him still more taciturn with"his young friend. "

The march had been resumed. 

In the forest, less thick, the trees were scattered in groups, and nolonger formed impenetrable masses. Was it, then, the true pampas ofwhich Harris had spoken?

During the first hours of the day, no accident happened to aggravatethe anxieties that Dick Sand felt. Only two facts were observed by him. Perhaps they were not very important, but in these actual junctures, nodetail could be neglected. 

It was the behavior of Dingo which, above all, attracted moreespecially the young man's attention. 

In fact the dog, which, during all this journey, had seemed to befollowing a scent, became quite different, and that almost suddenly. Until then, his nose to the ground, generally smelling the herbs or theshrubs, he either kept quiet, or he made a sort of sad, barking noise, like an expression of grief or of regret. 

Now, on this day, the barking of the singular animal became likebursts, sometimes furious, such as they formerly were when Negoroappeared on the deck of the "Pilgrim. " A suspicion crossed suddenlyDick Sand's mind, and it was confirmed by Tom, who said to him:

"How very singular, Mr. Dick! Dingo no longer smells the ground as hedid yesterday! His nose is in the air, he is agitated, his hair standsup! One would think he scented in the distance----"

"Negoro, is it not so?" replied Dick Sand, who seized the old black'sarm, and signed to him to speak in a low voice. 

"Negoro, Mr. Dick! May it not be that he has followed our steps?"

"Yes, Tom; and that at this moment even he may not be very far from us. "

"But why?" said Tom. 

"Either Negoro does not know this country, " went on Dick Sand, "andthen he would have every interest in not losing sight of us----"

"Or?" said Tom, who anxiously regarded the novice. 

"Or, " replied Dick Sand, "he does know it, and then he----"

"But how should Negoro know this country? He has never come here!"

"Has he never been here?" murmured Dick Sand. 

"It is an incontestable fact that Dingo acts as if this man whom hedetests were near us!"

Then, interrupting himself to call the dog, which, after somehesitation, came to him:

"Eh!" said he; "Negoro! Negoro!"

A furious barking was Dingo's reply. This name had its usual effectupon him, and he darted forward, as if Negoro had been hidden behindsome thicket. 

Harris had witnessed all this scene. With his lips a little drawn, heapproached the novice. 

"What did you ask Dingo then?" said he. 

"Oh, not much, Mr. Harris, " replied old Tom, jokingly. "We asked himfor news of the ship-companion whom we have lost!"

"Ah!" said the American, "the Portuguese, the ship's cook of whom youhave already spoken to me?"

"Yes. " replied Tom. "One would say, to hear Dingo, that Negoro is inthe vicinity. "

"How could he get as far as this?" replied Harris. 

"He never was in this country that I know of; at least, he concealed itfrom us, " replied Tom. 

"It would be astonishing, " said Harris. "But, if you wish, we will beatthese thickets. It is possible that this poor devil has need of help;that he is in distress. "

"It is useless, Mr. Harris, " replied Dick Sand. "If Negoro has knownhow to come as far as this, he will know how to go farther. He is a manto keep out of trouble. "

"As you please, " replied Harris. 

"Let us go. Dingo, be quiet, " added Dick Sand, briefly, so as to endthe conversation. 

The second observation made by the novice was in connection with theAmerican horse. He did not appear to "feel the stable, " as do animalsof his species. He did not suck in the air; he did not hasten hisspeed; he did not dilate his nostrils; he uttered none of the neighingsthat indicate the end of a journey. To observe him well, he appeared tobe as indifferent as if the farm, to which he had gone several times, however, and which he ought to know, had been several hundreds of milesaway. 

"That is not a horse near home, " thought the young novice. 

And, meanwhile, according to what Harris had said the evening before, there only remained six miles to go, and, of these last six miles, atfive o'clock in the evening four had been certainly cleared. 

Now, if the horse felt nothing of the stable, of which he should havegreat need, nothing besides announced the approaches to a greatclearing, such as the Farm of San Felice must be. 

Mrs. Weldon, indifferent as she then was to what did not concern herchild, was struck at seeing the country still so desolate. What! not anative, not a farm-servant, at such a short distance! Harris must bewild! No! she repulsed this idea. A new delay would have been the deathof her little Jack!

Meanwhile, Harris always kept in advance, but he seemed to observe thedepths of the wood, and looked to the right and left, like a man whowas not sure of himself--nor of his road. 

Mrs. Weldon shut her eyes so as not to see him. 

After a plain a mile in extent, the forest, without being as dense asin the west, had reappeared, and the little troop was again lost underthe great trees. 

At six o'clock in the evening they had reached a thicket, whichappeared to have recently given passage to a band of powerful animals. Dick Sand looked around him very attentively. At a distance winch farsurpassed the human height, the branches were torn off or broken. Atthe same time the herbs, roughly scattered, exhibited on the soil, alittle marshy, prints of steps which could not be those of jaguars, orcougars. 

Were these, then, the "ais, " or some other tardi-graves, whose feet hadthus marked the soil? But how, then, explain the break in the branchesat such a height?

Elephants might have, without doubt, left such imprints, stamped theselarge traces, made a similar hole in the impenetrable underwood. Butelephants are not found in America. These enormous thick-skinnedquadrupeds are not natives of the New World. As yet, they have neverbeen acclimated there. 

The hypothesis that elephants had passed there was absolutelyinadmissible. 

However that might be, Dick Sand hardly knew how much this inexplicablefact gave him to think about. He did not even question the American onthis point. What could he expect from a man who had tried to make himtake giraffes for ostriches? Harris would have given him someexplanation, more or less imaginative, which would not have changed thesituation. 

At all events, Dick had formed his opinion of Harris. He felt in him atraitor! He only awaited an occasion to unmask his disloyalty, to havethe right to do it, and everything told him that this opportunity wasnear. 

But what could be Harris's secret end? What future, then, awaited thesurvivors of the "Pilgrim?" Dick Sand repeated to himself that hisresponsibility had not ceased with the shipwreck. It was more than evernecessary for him to provide for the safety of those whom the waves hadthrown on this coast! This woman, this young child, these blacks--allhis companions in misfortune--it was he alone who must save them! But, if he could attempt anything on board ship, if he could act on the sea, here, in the midst of the terrible trials which he foresaw, what partcould he take?

Dick Sand would not shut his eyes before the frightful reality thateach instant made more indisputable. In this juncture he again becamethe captain of fifteen years, as he had been on the "Pilgrim. " But hewould not say anything which could alarm the poor mother before themoment for action had arrived. 

And he said nothing, not even when, arrived on the bank of a ratherlarge stream, preceding the little troop about one hundred feet, heperceived enormous animals, which threw themselves under the largeplants on the brink. 

"Hippopotami! hippopotami!" he was going to exclaim. 

And they were, indeed, these thick-skinned animals, with a big head, alarge, swollen snout, a mouth armed with teeth which extend a footbeyond it--animals which are squat on their short limbs, the skin ofwhich, unprovided with hair, is of a tawny red. Hippopotami in America!

They continued to march during the whole day, but painfully. Fatiguecommenced to retard even the most robust. It was truly time to arrive, or they would be forced to stop. 

Mrs. Weldon, wholly occupied with her little Jack, did not perhaps feelthe fatigue, but her strength was exhausted. All, more or less, weretired. Dick Sand, resisted by a supreme moral energy, caused by thesentiment of duty. 

Toward four o'clock in the evening, old Tom found, in the grass, anobject which attracted his attention. It was an arm, a kind of knife, of a particular shape, formed of a large, curved blade, set in asquare, ivory handle, rather roughly ornamented. Tom carried this knifeto Dick Sand, who took it, examined it, and, finally, showed it to theAmerican, saying:

"No doubt the natives are not very far off. "

"That is so, " replied Harris, "and meanwhile----"

"Meanwhile?" repeated Dick Sand, who now steadily looked Harris in theface. 

"We should be very near the farm, " replied Harris, hesitating, "and Ido not recognize----"

"You are then astray?" quickly asked Dick Sand. 

"Astray! no. The farm cannot be more than three miles away, now. But, Iwished to take the shortest road through the forest, and perhaps I havemade a little mistake!"

"Perhaps, " replied Dick Sand. 

"I would do well, I think, to go in advance, " said Harris. 

"No, Mr. Harris, we will not separate, " replied Dick Sand, in a decidedtone. 

"As you will, " replied the American. "But, during the night, it will bedifficult for me to guide you. "

"Never mind that!" replied Dick Sand. "We are going to halt. Mrs. Weldon will consent to pass a last night under the trees, andto-morrow, when it is broad daylight, we will proceed on our journey!Two or three miles still, that will be an hour's walk!"

"Be it so, " replied Harris. 

At that moment Dingo commenced to bark furiously. 

"Here, Dingo, here!" cried Dick Sand. "You know well that no one isthere, and that we are in the desert!"

This last halt was then decided upon. 

Mrs. Weldon let her companions work without saying a word. Her littleJack was sleeping in her arms, made drowsy by the fever. 

They sought the best place to pass the night. This was under a largebunch of trees, where Dick Sand thought of disposing all for theirrest. But old Tom, who was helping him in these preparations, stoppedsuddenly, crying out:

"Mr. Dick! look! look!"

"What is it, old Tom?" asked Dick Sand, in the calm tone of a man whoattends to everything. 

"There--there!" cried Tom; "on those trees--blood stains!--and--on theground--mutilated limbs!"

Dick Sand rushed toward the spot indicated by old Tom. Then, returningto him: "Silence, Tom, silence!" said he. 

In fact, there on the ground were hands cut off, and above these humanremains were several broken forks, and a chain in pieces!

Happily, Mrs. Weldon had seen nothing of this horrible spectacle. 

As for Harris, he kept at a distance, and any one observing him at thismoment would have been struck at the change made in him. His face hadsomething ferocious in it. 

Dingo had rejoined Dick Sand, and before these bloody remains, hebarked with rage. 

The novice had hard work to drive him away. 

Meanwhile, old Tom, at the sight of these forks, of this broken chain, had remained motionless, as if his feet were rooted in the soil. Hiseyes were wide open, his hands clenched; he stared, murmuring theseincoherent words:

"I have seen--already seen--these forks--when little--I have seen!"

And no doubt the memories of his early infancy returned to him vaguely. He tried to recall them. He was going to speak. 

"Be silent, Tom!" repeated Dick Sand. "For Mrs. Weldon's sake, for allour sakes, be silent!"

And the novice led the old black away. 

Another halting place was chosen, at some distance, and all wasarranged for the night. 

The repast was prepared, but they hardly touched it. Fatigue took awaytheir hunger. All were under an indefinable impression of anxiety whichbordered on terror. 

Darkness came gradually: soon it was profound. The sky was covered withgreat stormy clouds. Between the trees in the western horizon they sawsome flashes of heat lightning. The wind had fallen; not a leaf movedon the trees. An absolute silence succeeded the noises of the day, andit might be believed that the heavy atmosphere, saturated withelectricity, was becoming unfit for the transmission of sounds. 

Dick Sand, Austin, and Bat watched together. They tried to see, tohear, during this very dark night, if any light whatsoever, or anysuspicious noise should strike their eyes or their ears. Nothingtroubled either the calm or the obscurity of the forest. 

Torn, not sleepy, but absorbed in his remembrances, his head bent, remained quiet, as if he had been struck by some sudden blow. 

Mrs. Weldon rocked her child in her arms, and only thought of him. 

Only Cousin Benedict slept, perhaps, for he alone did not suffer fromthe common impression. His faculty for looking forward did not go sofar. 

Suddenly, about eleven o'clock, a prolonged and grave roaring washeard, with which was mingled a sort of sharper shuddering. Tom stoodup and stretched out his hand toward a dense thicket, a mile or moredistant. 

Dick Sand seized his arm, but he could not prevent Tom from crying in aloud voice: "The lion! the lion!"

This roaring, which he had so often heard in his infancy, the old blackhad just recognized it. 

"The lion!" he repeated. 

Dick Sand, incapable of controlling himself longer, rushed, cutlass inhand, to the place occupied by Harris. 

Harris was no longer there, and his horse had disappeared with him. 

A sort of revelation took place in Dick Sand's mind. He was not wherehe had believed he was!

So it was not on the American coast that the "Pilgrim" had gone ashore!It was not the Isle of Paques, whose bearing the novice had taken atsea, but some other island situated exactly to the west of thiscontinent, as the Isle of Paques is situated to the west of America. 

The compass had deceived him during a part of the voyage, we know why!Led away by the tempest over a false route, he must have doubled CapeHorn, and from the Pacific Ocean he had passed into the Atlantic! Thespeed of his ship, which he could only imperfectly estimate, had beendoubled, unknown to him, by the force of the hurricane!

Behold why the caoutchouc trees, the quinquinas, the products of SouthAmerica were missing in this country, which was neither the plateau ofAtacama nor the Bolivian pampa!

Yes, they were giraffes, not ostriches, which had fled away in theopening! They were elephants that had crossed the thick underwood! Theywere hippopotami whose repose Dick Sand had troubled under the largeplants! It was the _tsetse_, that dipter picked up by Benedict, theformidable _tsetse_ under whose stings the animals of the caravansperish!

Finally, it was, indeed, the roaring of the lion that had just soundedthrough the forest! And those forks, those chains, that knife ofsingular form, they were the tools of the slave-trader! Those mutilatedhands, they were the hands of captives!

The Portuguese Negoro, and the American Harris, must be in collusion!And those terrible words guessed by Dick Sand, finally escaped his lips:

"Africa! Equatorial Africa! Africa of the slave-trade and the slaves!"

End of Part I

_PART II_

 * * * * *

CHAPTER I. 

THE SLAVE TRADE. 

The slave trade! Nobody is ignorant of the significance of thisword, which should never have found a place in human language. Thisabominable traffic, for a long time practised to the profit of theEuropean nations which possessed colonies beyond the sea, has beenalready forbidden for many years. Meanwhile it is always going ona large scale, and principally in Central Africa. Even in thisnineteenth century the signature of a few States, calling themselvesChristians, are still missing from the Act for the Abolition ofSlavery. 

We might believe that the trade is no longer carried on; that thisbuying and this selling of human creatures has ceased: it is not so, and that is what the reader must know if he wishes to become moredeeply interested in the second part of this history. He must learnwhat these men-hunts actually are still, these hunts which threatento depopulate a whole continent for the maintenance of a few slavecolonies; where and how these barbarous captures are executed; howmuch blood they cost; how they provoke incendiarism and pillage;finally, for whose profit they are made. 

It is in the fifteenth century only that we see the trade in blackscarried on for the first time. Behold under what circumstances it wasestablished:

The Mussulmans, after being expelled from Spain, took refuge beyondthe Strait on the coast of Africa. The Portuguese, who then occupiedthat part of the coast, pursued them with fury. A certain number ofthose fugitives were made prisoners and brought back to Portugal. Reduced to slavery, they constituted the first nucleus of Africanslaves which has been formed in Western Europe since the ChristianEra. 

But those Mussulmans belonged, for the most part, to rich families, who wished to buy them back for gold. The Portuguese refused to accepta ransom, however large it might be. They had only to make foreigngold. What they lacked were the arms so indispensable then for thework of the growing colonies, and, to say it all, the arms of theslave. 

The Mussulman families, being unable to buy back their captiverelatives, then offered to exchange them for a much larger number ofblack Africans, whom it was only too easy to carry off. The offerwas accepted by the Portuguese, who found that exchange to theiradvantage, and thus the slave trade was founded in Europe. 

Toward the end of the sixteenth century this odious traffic wasgenerally admitted, and it was not repugnant to the still barbarousmanners. All the States protected it so as to colonize more rapidlyand more surely the isles of the New World. In fact, the slaves ofblack origin could resist the climate, where the badly acclimatedwhites, still unfit to support the heat of intertropical climates, would have perished by thousands. The transport of negroes to theAmerican colonies was then carried on regularly by special vessels, and this branch of transatlantic commerce led to the creation ofimportant stations on different points of the African coast. The"merchandise" cost little in the country of production, and thereturns were considerable. 

But, necessary as was the foundation of the colonies beyond the seafrom all points of view, it could not justify those markets for humanflesh. Generous voices soon made themselves heard, which protestedagainst the trade in blacks, and demanded from the Europeangovernments a decree of abolition in the name of the principles ofhumanity. 

In 1751, the Quakers put themselves at the head of the abolitionmovement, even in the heart of that North America where, a hundredyears later, the War of Secession was to burst forth, to which thisquestion of slavery was not a foreign one. Different States in theNorth--Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania--decreed theabolition of the slave trade, and freed the slaves brought to theirterritories at great expense. 

But the campaign commenced by the Quakers did not limit itself to thenorthern provinces of the New World. Slaveholders were warmly attackedbeyond the Atlantic. France and England, more particularly, recruitedpartisans for this just cause. "Let the colonies perish rather than aprinciple!" Such was the generous command which resounded through allthe Old World, and, in spite of the great political and commercialinterests engaged in the question, it was effectively transmittedthrough Europe. 

The impetus was given. In 1807, England abolished the slave-tradein her colonies, and France followed her example in 1814. The twopowerful nations exchanged a treaty on this subject--a treatyconfirmed by Napoleon during the Hundred Days. 

However, that was as yet only a purely theoretical declaration. Theslave-ships did not cease to cross the seas, and to dispose of their"ebony cargoes" in colonial ports. 

More practical measures must be taken in order to put an end to thiscommerce. The United States, in 1820, and England, in 1824, declaredthe slave trade an act of piracy, and those who practised it pirates. As such, they drew on themselves the penalty of death, and they werepursued to the end. France soon adhered to the new treaty; but theStates of South America, and the Spanish and Portuguese colonies, did not join in the Act of Abolition. The exportation of blacksthen continued to their profit, notwithstanding the right of searchgenerally recognized, which was limited to the verification of theflag of suspicious vessels. 

Meanwhile, the new Law of Abolition had not a retroactive effect. Nomore new slaves were made, but the old ones had not yet recoveredtheir liberty. 

It was under those circumstances that England set an example. In May, 1833, a general declaration emancipated all the blacks in the coloniesof Great Britain, and in August, 1838, six hundred and seventythousand slaves were declared free. 

Ten years later, in 1848, the Republic emancipated the slaves of theFrench colonies, say about two hundred and sixty thousand blacks. In1861, the war which broke out between the Federals and Confederates, of the United States, finishing the work of emancipation, extended itto all North America. 

The three great powers had then accomplished this work of humanity. Atthe present hour, the trade is no longer carried on, except for thebenefit of the Spanish and Portuguese colonies, and to satisfy thewants of the populations of the Orient, Turks, or Arabs. Brazil, ifshe has not yet restored her old slaves to liberty, at least no longerreceives new ones, and the children of the blacks are born free there. 

It is in the interior of Africa, in the prosecution of those bloodywars, waged by the African chiefs among themselves for this man-hunt, that entire tribes are reduced to slavery. Two opposite directions arethen given to the caravans: one to the west, toward the Portuguesecolony of Angola; the other to the east, on the Mozambique. Of theseunfortunate beings, of whom only a small portion arrive at theirdestination, some are exported, it may be to Cuba, it may be toMadagascar; others to the Arab or Turkish provinces of Asia, to Mecca, or to Muscat. The English and French cruisers can only preventthis traffic to a small extent, as it is so difficult to obtain aneffective surveillance over such far-extended coasts. 

But the figures of these odious exportations, are they stillconsiderable?

Yes! The number of slaves who arrive at the coast is estimated atnot less than eighty thousand; and this number, it appears, onlyrepresents the tenth of natives massacred. 

After these dreadful butcheries the devastated fields are deserted, the burnt villages are without inhabitants, the rivers carry down deadbodies, deer occupy the country. Livingstone, the day after one ofthese men-hunts, no longer recognized the provinces he had visiteda few months before. All the other travelers--Grant, Speke, Burton, Cameron, and Stanley--do not speak otherwise of this wooded plateau ofCentral Africa, the principal theater of the wars between the chiefs. In the region of the great lakes, over all that vast country whichfeeds the market of Zanzibar, in Bornou and Fezzan, farther south, on the banks of the Nyassa and the Zambesi, farther west, in thedistricts of the upper Zaire, which the daring Stanley has justcrossed, is seen the same spectacle--ruins, massacres, depopulation. Then will slavery in Africa only end with the disappearance of theblack race; and will it be with this race as it is with the Australianrace, or the race in New Holland?

But the market of the Spanish and Portuguese colonies will close someday. That outlet will be wanting. Civilized nations can no longertolerate the slave trade!

Yes, without doubt; and this year even, 1878, ought to see theenfranchisement of all the slaves still possessed by Christian States. However, for long years to come the Mussulman nations will maintainthis traffic, which depopulates the African continent. It is for them, in fact, that the most important emigration of the blacks is made, asthe number of natives snatched from their provinces and brought tothe eastern coast annually exceeds forty thousand. Long before theexpedition to Egypt the negroes of the Seunaar were sold by thousandsto the negroes of the Darfour, and reciprocally. General Bonaparte wasable to buy a pretty large number of these blacks, of whom he madeorganized soldiers, like the Mamelukes. Since then, during thiscentury, of which four-fifths have now passed away, commerce in slaveshas not diminished in Africa. On the contrary. 

And, in fact, Islamism is favorable to the slave trade. The blackslave must replace the white slave of former times, in Turkishprovinces. So contractors of every origin pursue this execrabletraffic on a large scale. They thus carry a supplement of populationto those races, which are dying out and will disappear some day, because they do not regenerate themselves by labor. These slaves, asin the time of Bonaparte, often become soldiers. With certain nationsof the upper Niger, they compose the half of the armies of the Africanchiefs. Under these circumstances, their fate is not sensibly inferiorto that of free men. Besides, when the slave is not a soldier, he ismoney which has circulation; even in Egypt and at Bornou, officers andfunctionaries are paid in that money. William Lejean has seen it andhas told of it. 

Such is, then, the actual state of the trade. 

Must it be added that a number of agents of the great European powersare not ashamed to show a deplorable indulgence for this commerce. Nevertheless, nothing is truer; while the cruisers watch the coasts ofthe Atlantic and the Indian Oceans, the traffic goes on regularlyin the interior, the caravans walk on under the eyes of certainfunctionaries, and massacres, where ten blacks perish to furnish oneslave, take place at stated periods!

So it will now be understood how terrible were those words justpronounced by Dick Sand. 

"Africa! Equatorial Africa! Africa of slave-traders and slaves!"

And he was not deceived; it was Africa with all its dangers, for hiscompanions and for himself. 

But on what part of the African continent had an inexplicable fatalitylanded him? Evidently on the western coast, and as an aggravatingcircumstance, the young novice was forced to think that the "Pilgrim"was thrown on precisely that part of the coast of Angola where thecaravans, which clear all that part of Africa, arrive. 

In fact it was there. It was that country which Cameron on the southand Stanley on the north were going to cross a few years later, and atthe price of what efforts! Of this vast territory, which is composedof three provinces, Benguela, Congo, and Angola, there was but littleknown then except the coast. It extends from the Nourse, in the south, as far as the Zaire in the north, and the two principal towns form twoports, Benguela and St. Paul' de Loanda, the capital of the colonywhich set off from the kingdom of Portugal. 

In the interior this country was then almost unknown. Few travelershad dared to venture there. A pernicious climate, warm and damp lands, which engender fevers, barbarous natives, some of whom are stillcannibals, a permanent state of war between tribes, the slave-traders'suspicion of every stranger who seeks to discover the secrets of theirinfamous commerce; such are the difficulties to surmount, the dangersto overcome in this province of Angola, one of the most dangerous ofequatorial Africa. 

Tuckey, in 1816, had ascended the Congo beyond the Yellala Falls;but over an extent of two hundred miles at the most. This simplehalting-place could not give a definite knowledge of the country, and nevertheless, it had caused the death of the greater part of thesavants and officers who composed the expedition. Thirty-seven yearslater, Dr. Livingstone had advanced from the Cape of Good Hope asfar as the upper Zambesi. Thence, in the month of November, with ahardihood which has never been surpassed, he traversed Africa from thesouth to the northwest, cleared the Coango, one of the branches of theCongo, and on the 31st of May, 1854, arrived at St. Paul de Loanda. Itwas the first view in the unknown of the great Portuguese Colony. 

Eighteen years after, two daring discoverers crossed Africa from theeast to the west, and arrived, one south, the other north, of Angola, after unheard-of difficulties. 

The first, according to the date, was a lieutenant in the Englishnavy, Verney-Howet Cameron. In 1872, there was reason to fear that theexpedition of the American, Stanley, was in great danger. It had beensent to the great lake region in search of Livingstone. LieutenantCameron offered to go over the same road. 

The offer was accepted. Cameron, accompanied by Dr. Dillon, LieutenantCecil Murphy and Robert Moffat, a nephew of Livingstone, started fromZanzibar. After having crossed Ougogo, he met Livingstone's faithfulservants carrying their master's body to the eastern coast. Hecontinued his route to the west, with the unconquerable desire to passfrom one coast to the other. 

He crossed Ounyanyembe, Ougounda, and Kahouele, where he collectedthe great traveler's papers. Having passed over Tanganyika, and theBambarre mountains, he reached Loualaba, but could not descend itscourse. After having visited all the provinces devastated by war anddepopulated by the slave trade, Kilemmba, Ouroua, the sources of theLomane, Oulouda, Lovale, and having crossed the Coanza and theimmense forests in which Harris has just entrapped Dick Sand and hiscompanions, the energetic Cameron finally perceived the Atlantic Oceanand arrived at Saint Philip of Benguela. This journey of three yearsand four months had cost the lives of his two companions, Dr. Dillonand Robert Moffat. 

Henry Moreland Stanley, the American, almost immediately succeeded theEnglishman, Cameron, on the road of discoveries. We know that thisintrepid correspondent of the New York _Herald_, sent in search ofLivingstone, had found him on October 30th, 1871, at Oujiji, on LakeTanganyika. Having so happily accomplished his object for the sake ofhumanity, Stanley determined to pursue his journey in the interest ofgeographical science. His object then was to gain a complete knowledgeof Loualaba, of which he had only had a glimpse. 

Cameron was then lost in the provinces of Central Africa, when, inNovember, 1874, Stanley quitted Bagamoga, on the eastern coast. Twenty-one months after, August 24th, 1876, he abandoned Oujiji, whichwas decimated by an epidemic of smallpox. In seventy-four days heeffected the passage of the lake at N'yangwe, a great slave market, which had been already visited by Livingstone and Cameron. Here hewitnessed the most horrible scenes, practised in the Maroungou andManyouema countries by the officers of the Sultan of Zanzibar. 

Stanley then took measures to explore the course of the Loualaba andto descend it as far as its mouth. One hundred and forty bearers, engaged at N'yangwe, and nineteen boats, formed the material and theforce of his expedition. 

From the very start he had to fight the cannibals of Ougouson. Fromthe start, also, he had to attend to the carrying of boats, so as topass insuperable cataracts. 

Under the equator, at the point where the Loualaba makes a bend tothe northeast, fifty-four boats, manned by several hundred natives, attacked Stanley's little fleet, which succeeded in putting them toflight. Then the courageous American, reascending as far as the seconddegree of northern latitude, ascertained that the Loualaba was theupper Zaire, or Congo, and that by following its course he coulddescend directly to the sea. 

This he did, fighting nearly every day against the tribes that livednear the river. On June 3d, 1877, at the passage of the cataracts ofMassassa, he lost one of his companions, Francis Pocock. July 18th hewas drawn with his boat into the falls of M'belo, and only escapeddeath by a miracle. 

Finally, August 6th, Henry Stanley arrived at the village of Ni-Sanda, four days' journey from the coast. 

Two days after, at Banza-M'bouko, he found the provisions sent by twomerchants from Emboma. 

He finally rested at this little coast town, aged, at thirty-fiveyears, by over-fatigue and privations, after an entire passage of theAfrican continent, which had taken two years and nine months of hislife. 

However, the course of the Loualaba was explored as far as theAtlantic; and if the Nile is the great artery of the North, if theZambesi is the great artery of the East, we now know that Africa stillpossesses in the West the third of the largest rivers in the world--ariver which, in a course of two thousand, nine hundred miles, underthe names of Loualaba, Zaire, and Congo, unites the lake region withthe Atlantic Ocean. 

However, between these two books of travel--Stanley's andCameron's--the province of Angola is somewhat better known in thisyear than in 1873, at that period when the "Pilgrim" was lost on theAfrican coast. It was well known that it was the seat of the westernslave-trade, thanks to its important markets of Bihe, Cassange, andKazounde. 

It was into this country that Dick Sand had been drawn, more than onehundred miles from the coast, with a woman exhausted by fatigue andgrief, a dying child, and some companions of African descent, theprey, as everything indicated, to the rapacity of slave merchants. 

Yes, it was Africa, and not that America where neither the natives, nor the deer, nor the climate are very formidable. It was not thatfavorable region, situated between the Cordilleras and the coast, where straggling villages abound, and where missions are hospitablyopened to all travelers. 

They were far away, those provinces of Peru and Bolivia, where thetempest would have surely carried the "Pilgrim, " if a criminal handhad not changed its course, where the shipwrecked ones would havefound so many facilities for returning to their country. 

It was the terrible Angola, not even that part of the coast inspectedby the Portuguese authorities, but the interior of the colony, whichis crossed by caravans of slaves under the whip of the driver. 

What did Dick Sand know of this country where treason had thrown him?Very little; what the missionaries of the sixteenth and seventeenthcenturies had said of it; what the Portuguese merchants, whofrequented the road from St. Paul de Loanda to the Zaďre, by way ofSan Salvador, knew of it; what Dr. Livingstone had written about it, after his journey of 1853, and that would have been sufficient tooverwhelm a soul less strong than his. 

Truly, the situation was terrible. 

CHAPTER II. 

HARRIS AND NEGORO. 

The day after that on which Dick Sand and his companions hadestablished their last halt in the forest, two men met together aboutthree miles from there, as it had been previously arranged betweenthem. 

These two men were Harris and Negoro; and we are going to see now whatchance had brought together, on the coast of Angola, the Portuguesecome from New Zealand, and the American, whom the business of traderobliged to often traverse this province of Western Africa. 

Harris and Negoro were seated at the foot of an enormous banyan, onthe steep bank of an impetuous stream, which ran between a doublehedge of papyrus. 

The conversation commenced, for the Portuguese and the Americanhad just met, and at first they dwelt on the deeds which had beenaccomplished during these last hours. 

"And so, Harris, " said Negoro, "you have not been able to draw thislittle troop of Captain Sand, as they call this novice of fifteenyears, any farther into Angola?"

"No, comrade, " replied Harris; "and it is even astonishing that I havesucceeded in leading him a hundred miles at least from the coast. Several days ago my young friend, Dick Sand, looked at me with ananxious air, his suspicions gradually changed into certainties--andfaith--"

"Another hundred miles, Harris, and those people would be still moresurely in our hands! However, they must not escape us!"

"Ah! How could they?" replied Harris, shrugging his shoulders. "Irepeat it, Negoro, there was only time to part company with them. Tentimes have I read in my young friend's eyes that he was tempted tosend a ball into my breast, and I have too bad a stomach to digestthose prunes which weigh a dozen to the pound. "

"Good!" returned Negoro; "I also have an account to settle with thisnovice. "

"And you shall settle it at your ease, with interest, comrade. As tome, during the first three days of the journey I succeeded very wellin making him take this province for the Desert of Atacama, whichI visited formerly. But the child claimed his caoutchoucs and hishumming-birds. The mother demanded her quinquinas. The cousin wascrazy to find cocuyos. Faith, I was at the end of my imagination, and after with great difficulty making them swallow ostriches forgiraffes--a god-send, indeed, Negoro!--I no longer knew what toinvent. Besides, I well saw that my young friend no longer accepted myexplanations. Then we fell on elephants' prints. The hippopotami wereadded to the party. And you know, Negoro, hippopotami and elephantsin America are like honest men in the penitentiaries of Benguela. Finally, to finish me, there was the old black, who must find forksand chains at the foot of a tree. Slaves had freed themselves fromthem to flee. At the same moment the lion roared, starting thecompany, and it is not easy to pass off that roaring for the mewingof an inoffensive cat. I then had only time to spring on my horse andmake my way here. "

"I understand, " replied Negoro. "Nevertheless, I would wish to holdthem a hundred miles further in the province. "'

"One does what he can, comrade, " replied Harris. "As to you, whofollowed our caravan from the coast, you have done well to keep yourdistance. They felt you were there. There is a certain Dingo that doesnot seem to love you. What have you done to that animal?"

"Nothing, " replied Negoro; "but before long it will receive a ball inthe head. "

"As you would have received one from Dick Sand, if you had shown everso little of your person within two hundred feet of his gun. Ah! howwell he fires, my young friend; and, between you and me, I am obligedto admit that he is, in his way, a fine boy. "

"No matter how fine he is, Harris, he will pay dear for hisinsolence, " replied Negoro, whose countenance expressed implacablecruelty. 

"Good, " murmured Harris, "my comrade remains just the same as I havealways known him! Voyages have not injured him!"

Then, after a moment's silence: "Ah, there, Negoro, " continued he, "when I met you so fortunately there below, at the scene of theshipwreck, at the mouth of the Longa, you only had time to recommendthose honest people to me, while begging me to lead them as far aspossible across this pretended Bolivia. You have not told me what youhave been doing these two years! Two years, comrade, in our chanceexistence, is a long time. One fine day, after having taken charge ofa caravan of slaves on old Alvez's account--whose very humble agentswe are--you left Cassange, and have not been heard of since! I havethought that you had some disagreement with the English cruiser, andthat you were hung!"

"I came very near it, Harris. "

"That will come, Negoro. "

"Thank you!"

"What would you have?" replied Harris, with an indifference quitephilosophical; "it is one of the chances of the trade! We do not carryon the slave-trade on the coast of Africa without running the risk ofdying elsewhere than in our beds! So, you have been taken?"

"Yes!"

"By the English?"

"No! By the Portuguese. "

"Before or after having delivered your cargo?" asked Harris. 

"After--, " replied Negoro, who had hesitated a little about replying. "These Portuguese now make difficulties. They want no more slavery, though they have used it so long to their profit. I was denounced--watched. They took me--"

"And condemned--"

"Me to finish my days in the penitentiary of St. Paul de Loanda. "

"A thousand devils!" exclaimed Harris. "That is an unhealthy place formen accustomed, like us, to live in the open air. As to me, perhaps Ishould prefer being hung. "

"One does not escape from the gallows, " replied Negoro; "but fromprison--"

"You were able to make your escape?"

"Yes, Harris. Only fifteen days after being put in prison. I wasable to hide myself at the bottom of the hold of an English steamer, sailing for Auckland, of New Zealand. A barrel of water and a case ofconserves, between which I had intruded, furnished me with food anddrink during the whole passage. Oh! I suffered terribly, from notbeing willing to show myself when we were at sea. But, if I had beenimprudent enough to do it, I would have been confined again at thebottom of the hold, and, voluntarily or not, the torture would be thesame. Besides, on my arrival at Auckland, they would have returned meagain to the English authorities, and finally brought me back to thepenitentiary of Loanda, or, perhaps, hung me, as you said. That waswhy I preferred to travel incognito. "

"And without paying your passage!" exclaimed Harris, laughing. "Ah!that is not considerate, comrade, to be fed and carried gratis!"

"Yes, " returned Negoro, "but thirty days' passage at the bottom of thehold--"

"At last that was over, Negoro. You set out for New Zealand, in theland of the Maoris. But you have returned. Was the return made underthe same circumstances?"

"Not so, Harris. You may well believe that, over there, I had only oneidea--to return to Angola and take up my trade of slave-trader again. "

"Yes, " replied Harris, "one loves his trade--from habit. "

"For eighteen months--"

Having pronounced those last words, Negoro stopped suddenly. He seizedhis companion's arm, and listened. 

"Harris, " said he, lowering his voice, "was there not a trembling inthat papyrus bush?"

"Yes, indeed, " replied Harris, seizing his gun, always ready to fire. 

Negoro and he stood up, looked around them, and listened with thegreatest attention. 

"There is nothing there, " said Harris. "It is this brook, swelled bythe storm, which runs more noisily. For two years, comrade, you havebeen unaccustomed to the noises of the forest, but you will get usedto them again. Continue, then, the narration of your adventures. WhenI understand the past, we shall talk of the future. "

Negoro and Harris sat down again at the foot of the banyan. ThePortuguese continued, in these terms:

"For eighteen months I vegetated in Auckland. When the steamer arrivedthere I was able to leave it without being seen; but not a piastre, not a dollar in my pocket! In order to live I had to follow alltrades--"

"Even the trade of an honest man, Negoro?"

"As you say, Harris. "

"Poor boy!"

"Now, I was always waiting for an opportunity, which was long coming, when the 'Pilgrim, ' a whaler, arrived at the port of Auckland. "

"That vessel which went ashore on the coast of Angola?"

"Even the same, Harris, and on which Mrs. Weldon, her child, and hercousin were going to take passage. Now, as an old sailor, having evenbeen second on board a slave ship, I was not out of my element intaking service on a ship. I then presented myself to the 'Pilgrim's'captain, but the crew was made up. Very fortunately for me, theschooner's cook had deserted. Now, he is no sailor who does not knowhow to cook. I offered myself as head cook. For want of a better, Iwas accepted. A few days after, the 'Pilgrim' had lost sight of theland of New Zealand. "

"But, " asked Harris, "according to what my young friend has told me, the 'Pilgrim' did not set sail at all for the coast of Africa. Howthen has she arrived here?"

"Dick Sand ought not to be able to understand it yet, and perhaps hewill never understand it, " replied Negoro; "but I am going to explainto you what has passed, Harris, and you will be able to tell it againto your young friend, if it pleases you to do so. "

"How, then?" replied Harris. "Speak, comrade, speak!"

"The 'Pilgrim, '" continued Negoro, "as on the way to Valparaiso. WhenI went on board, I only intended to go to Chili. It was always a goodhalf of the way between New Zealand and Angola, and I was drawingnearer Africa's coast by several thousand miles. But it so happenedthat only three weeks after leaving Auckland, Captain Hull, whocommanded the 'Pilgrim, ' disappeared with all his crew, while chasinga whale. On that day, then, only two sailors remained on board--thenovice and the cook, Negoro. "

"And you took command of the ship?" asked Harris. 

"I had that idea at first, but I saw that they distrusted me. Therewere live strong blacks on board, free men. I would not have beenthe master, and, on reflection, I remained what I was at thedeparture--the 'Pilgrim's' cook. "

"Then it was chance that led this ship to the coast of Africa?"

"No, Harris, " replied Negoro; "there has been no chance in all thisadventure except meeting you, in one of your journeys, just on thatpart of the coast where the 'Pilgrim' was wrecked. But as to comingin sight of Angola, it was by my will, my secret will, that that wasdone. Your young friend, still much of a novice in navigation, couldonly tell his position by means of the log and the compass. Well, oneday, the log went to the bottom. One night the compass was made false, and the 'Pilgrim, ' driven by a violent tempest, took the wrong route. The length of the voyage, inexplicable to Dick Sand, would be the sameto the most experienced seaman. Without the novice knowing or evensuspecting it, Cape Horn was doubled, but I, Harris, I recognizedit in the midst of the fogs. Then, thanks to me, the needle in thecompass took its true direction again, and the ship, blown to thenortheast by that frightful hurricane, has just been cast on the coastof Africa, just on this land of Angola which I wished to reach. "

"And even at that moment, Negoro, " replied Harris, "chance had led methere to receive you, and guide those honest people to the interior. They believed themselves--they could only believe themselves inAmerica. It was easy for me to make them take this province for lowerBolivia, to which it has really some resemblance. "

"Yes, they believed it, as your young friend believed they had madethe Isle of Paques, when they passed in sight of Tristan d'Acunha. "

"Anybody would be deceived by it, Negoro. "

"I know it, Harris, and I even counted on profiting by that error. Finally, behold Mrs. Weldon and her companions one hundred miles inthe interior of this Africa, where I wanted to bring them!"

"But, " replied Harris, "they know now where they are. "

"Ah! what matter at present!" cried Negoro. 

"And what will you do with them?" asked Harris. 

"What will I do with them?" replied Negoro. "Before telling you, Harris, give me news of our master, the slave-trader, Alvez, whom Ihave not seen for two years. "

"Oh, the old rascal is remarkably well, " replied Harris, "and he willbe enchanted to see you again. "

"Is he at the Bihe market?" asked Negoro. 

"No, comrade, he has been at his establishment at Kazounde for ayear. "

"And business is lively?"

"Yes, a thousand devils!" exclaimed Harris, "although the slavetrade becomes more and more difficult, at least on this coast. ThePortuguese authorities on one side, and the English cruisers onthe other, limit exportations. There are few places, except in theenvirons of Mossamedes, to the south of Angola, that the shipping ofblacks can now be made with any chance of success. So, at this time, the pens are filled with slaves, waiting for the ships which ought tocarry them to Spanish colonies. As to passing them by Benguela, orSt. Paul de Loanda, that is not possible. The governors no longerunderstand reason, no more do the chiefs (title given to thePortuguese governors of secondary establishments). We must, then, return to the factories of the interior. This is what old Alvezintends to do. He will go from the Nyangwe and Tanganyika side tochange his stuffs for ivory and slaves. Business is always profitablewith upper Egypt and the Mozambique coast, which furnishes allMadagascar. But I fear the time will come when the trade can be nolonger carried on. The English are making great progress in theinterior of Africa. The missionaries advance and work against us. ThatLivingstone, curse him, after exploring the lake region, is going, they say, to travel toward Angola. Then they speak of a LieutenantCameron, who proposes to cross the continent from east to west. Theyalso fear that the American, Stanley, wishes to do as much. All thesevisits will end by damaging our operations, Negoro, and if we care forour own interests, not one of those visitors will return to relate inEurope what he has had the indiscretion to come to see in Africa. "

Would not one say, to hear them, the rascals, that they were speakinglike honest merchants whose affairs were momentarily cramped by acommercial crisis? Who would believe that, instead of sacks of coffeeor casks of sugar, they were talking of human beings to export likemerchandise? These traders have no other idea of right or wrong. Themoral sense is entirely lacking in them, and if they had any, howquickly they would lose it among the frightful atrocities of theAfrican slave trade. 

But where Harris was right, was when he said that civilization wasgradually penetrating those savage countries in the wake of thosehardy travelers, whose names are indissoluble linked to thediscoveries of Equatorial Africa. At the head, David Livingstone, after him, Grant, Speke, Burton, Cameron, Stanley, those heroes willleave imperishable names as benefactors of humanity. 

When their conversation reached that point, Harris knew what the lasttwo years of Negoro's life had been. The trader Alvez's old agent, theescaped prisoner from the Loanda penitentiary, reappeared the same asHarris had always known him, that is, ready to do anything. But whatplan Negoro intended to take in regard to the shipwrecked from the"Pilgrim, " Harris did not yet know. He asked his accomplice about it. 

"And now, " said he, "what are you going to do with those people?"

"I shall make two parties of them, " replied Negoro, like a man whoseplan had been long formed, "those whom I shall sell as slaves, andthose whom----"

The Portuguese did not finish, but his ferocious physiognomy spokeplainly enough. 

"Which will you sell?" asked Harris. 

"Those blacks who accompany Mrs. Weldon, " replied Negoro. "Old Tom isnot perhaps of much value, but the others are four strong fellows, whowill bring a high price in the Kazounde market. "

"I well believe it, Negoro, " replied Harris. "Four negroes, well made, accustomed to work, have very little resemblance to those brutes whichcome to us from the interior. Certainly, you will sell them at a highprice. Slaves, born in America, and exported to the markets of Angola;that is rare merchandise! But, " added the American, "you have not toldme if there was any money on board the 'Pilgrim. '"

"Oh! a few hundred dollars only, which I have succeeded in saving. Fortunately, I count on certain returns. "

"Which, then, comrade?" asked Harris, with curiosity. 

"Nothing!" replied Negoro, who appeared to regret having spoken morethan he intended. 

"It now remains to take possession of all that high-pricedmerchandise, " said Harris. 

"Is it, then, so difficult?" asked Negoro. 

"No, comrade. Ten miles from here, on the Coanza, a caravan of slavesis encamped, conducted by the Arab, Ibn Hamis. He only awaits myreturn to take the road for Kazounde. There are more native soldiersthere than are needed to capture Dick Sand and his companions. It willbe sufficient for my young friend to conceive the idea of going to theCoanza. "

"But will he get that idea?" asked Negoro. 

"Surely, " replied Harris, "because he is intelligent, and cannotsuspect the danger that awaits him. Dick Sand would not think ofreturning to the coast by the way we have followed together. He wouldbe lost among these immense forests. He will seek, then, I am sure, toreach one of the rivers that flow toward the coast, so as to descendit on a raft. He has no other plan to take, and I know he will takeit. "

"Yes, perhaps so, " replied Negoro, who was reflecting. 

"It is not 'perhaps so, ' it is 'assuredly so, ' that must be said, "continued Harris. "Do you see, Negoro? It is as if I had appointed arendezvous with my young friend on the banks of the Coanza. "

"Well, then, " replied Negoro, "let us go. I know Dick Sand. He willnot delay an hour, and we must get before him. "

"Let us start, comrade. "

Harris and Negoro both stood up, when the noise that had beforeattracted the Portuguese's attention was renewed. It was a tremblingof the stems between the high papyrus. 

Negoro stopped, and seized Harris's hand. 

Suddenly a low barking was heard. A dog appeared at the foot of thebank, with its mouth open, ready to spring. 

"Dingo!" cried Harris. 

"Ah! this time it shall not escape me!" replied Negoro. 

Dingo was going to jump upon him, when Negoro, seizing Harris's gun, quickly put it to his shoulder and fired. 

A long howl of pain replied to the detonation, and Dingo disappearedbetween the double row of bushes that bordered the brook. 

Negoro descended at once to the bottom of the bank. 

Drops of blood stained some of the papyrus stems, and a long red trackwas left on the pebbles of the brook. 

"At last that cursed animal is paid off!" exclaimed Negoro. 

Harris had been present at this whole scene without saying a word. 

"Ah now, Negoro, " said he, "that dog had a particular grudge againstyou. "

"It seemed so, Harris, but it will have a grudge against me nolonger!"

"And why did it detest you so much, comrade?"

"Oh! an old affair to settle between it and me. "

"An old affair?" replied Harris. 

Negoro said no more about it, and Harris concluded that the Portuguesehad been silent on some past adventure, but he did not insist onknowing it. 

A few moments later, both, descending the course of the brook, wenttoward the Coanza, across the forest. 

 * * * * *

CHAPTER III. 

ON THE MARCH. 

Africa! That name so terrible under the present circumstances, thatname which he must now substitute for that of America, was not for aninstant out of Dick Sand's thoughts. When the young novice traced backthe last weeks, it was to ask himself how the "Pilgrim" had endedby reaching this dangerous shore, how it had doubled Cape Horn, andpassed from one ocean to the other! He could now explain to himselfwhy, in spite of the rapid motion of his vessel, land was so longcoming in sight, because the length of the distance which he shouldhave made to reach the American coast had been doubled without hisknowledge. 

"Africa! Africa!" Dick Sand repeated. 

Then, suddenly, while he called up with tenacious mind all theincidents of this inexplicable voyage, he felt that his compass musthave been injured. He remembered, too, that the first compass had beenbroken, and that the log-line had snapped--a fact which had made itimpossible for him to establish the speed of the "Pilgrim. "

"Yes, " thought he, "there remained but one compass on board, one only, the indications of which I could not control! And one night I wasawakened by a cry from old Tom. Negoro was there, aft. He had justfallen on the binnacle. May he not have put it out of order?"

Dick Sand was growing enlightened. He had his finger on the truth. Henow understood all that was ambiguous in Negoro's conduct. He sawhis hand in this chain of incidents which had led to the loss of the"Pilgrim, " and had so fearfully endangered those on board of her. 

But what, then, was this miserable man? Had he been a sailor and knownso well how to hide the fact? Was he capable of contriving this odiousplot which had thrown the ship on the coast of Africa?

At any rate, if obscure points still existed in the past, the presentcould offer no more of them. The young novice knew only too well thathe was in Africa, and very probably in the fatal province of Angola, more than a hundred miles from the coast. He also knew that Harris'streason could no longer be doubted. From this fact, the most simplelogic led him to conclude that the American and the Portuguese hadlong known each other, that a fatal chance had united them on thiscoast, and that a plan had been concerted between them, the result ofwhich would be dreadful for the survivors of the "Pilgrim. "

And now, why these odious actions? That Negoro wished, at all hazards, to seize Tom and his companions, and sell them for slaves in thisslave-trading country, might be admitted. That the Portuguese, movedby a sentiment of hatred, would seek to be revenged on him, Dick Sand, who had treated him as he deserved, might also be conceived. But Mrs. Weldon, this mother, and this young child--what would the wretchdo with them? If Dick Sand could have overheard a little of theconversation between Harris and Negoro, he would have known what toexpect, and what dangers menaced Mrs. Weldon, the blacks, and himself. 

The situation was frightful, but the young novice did not yield underit. Captain on board, he remained captain on land. He must save Mrs. Weldon, little Jack, all those whose fate Heaven had placed in hishands. His task was only commencing. He would accomplish it to theend. 

After two or three hours, during which the present and the future weresummed up in his mind, with their good and their evil chances--thelast, alas! the most numerous--Dick Sand rose, firm and resolved. 

The first glimmer of light then touched the summits of the forest. With the exception of the novice and Tom, all slept. Dick Sandapproached the old black. 

"Tom, " he said to him, in a low tone, "you have recognized the roaringof the lion, you have remembered the instruments of the slave-traders. You know that we are in Africa!"

"Yes, Mr. Dick, I know it. "

"Well, Tom, not a word of all that, neither to Mrs. Weldon nor to yourcompanions. We must be the only ones to know, the only ones to haveany fears. "

"Alone--in fact. It is necessary, " replied Tom. 

"Tom, " continued the novice, "we have to watch more carefully thanever. We are in an enemy's country--and what enemies! what a country!To keep our companions on their guard, it will be enough to tell themthat we have been betrayed by Harris. They will think that we fear anattack from wandering Indians, and that will suffice. "

"You can count absolutely on their courage and devotion, Mr. Dick. "

"I know it, as I count on your good sense and your experience. Youwill come to my help, old Tom?"

"Always, and everywhere, Mr. Dick. "

Dick Sand's plan was accepted and approved by the old black. If Harriswere detected in open treason before the hour for action, at leastthe young novice and his companions were not in fear of any immediatedanger. In fact, it was the discovery of the irons abandoned by someslaves, and the roaring of the lion, that had caused the American'ssudden disappearance. 

He knew that he was discovered, and he had fled probably before thelittle party which he guided had reached the place where an attackhad been arranged. As for Negoro, whose presence Dingo had certainlyrecognized during these last days of the march, he must have rejoinedHarris, so as to consult with him. At any rate, several hours wouldpass before Dick Sand and his friends would be assailed, and it wasnecessary to profit by them. 

The only plan was to regain the coast as quickly as possible. Thiscoast, as the young novice had every reason to believe, was that ofAngola. After having reached it, Dick Sand would try to gain, eitherto the north or to the south, the Portuguese settlements, where hiscompanions could await in safety some opportunity to return to theircountry. 

But, to effect this return to the coast, should they take the roadalready passed over? Dick Sand did not think so, and in that hewas going to agree with Harris, who had clearly foreseen thatcircumstances would oblige the young novice to shorten the road. 

In fact, it would have been difficult, not to say imprudent, torecommence this difficult journey through the forest, which, besides, could only tend to bring them out at the place they had started from. This would also allow Negoro's accomplices to follow an assured track. The only thing they could do was to cross a river, without leaving anytraces, and, later on, to descend its course. At the same time, therewas less to fear from an attack by animals, which by a happy chancehad so far kept at a good distance. Even the animosity of the natives, under these circumstances, seemed less important. Once embarked on asolid raft, Dick Sand and his companions, being well armed, would bein the best condition to defend themselves. The whole thing was tofind the river. 

It must be added that, given the actual state of Mrs. Weldon and herlittle Jack, this mode of traveling would be the most suitable. Armswould not fail to carry the sick child. Lacking Harris's horse, theycould even make a litter of branches, on which Mrs. Weldon could beborne. But this would require two men out of five, and Dick Sandwished, with good reason, that all his companions might be free intheir movements in case of a sudden attack. 

And then, in descending the current of a river, the young novice wouldfind himself in his element!

The question now was, whether a navigable stream of water existed inthe neighborhood. Dick Sand thought it probable, and for this reason:The river which emptied into the Atlantic at the place where the"Pilgrim" had stranded could not ascend much to the north, nor much tothe east, of the province, because a chain of mountains quite close tothem--those which they had mistaken for the Cordilleras--shut in thehorizon on these two sides. Then, either the river descended fromthese heights, or it made a bend toward the south, and, in these twocases, Dick Sand could not take long to find the course. Perhaps, evenbefore reaching the river--for it had a right to this qualification, being a direct tributary of the ocean--one of its affluents would bemet with which would suffice for the transport of the little party. 

At any rate, a stream of some sort could not be far away. 

In fact, during the last miles of the journey the nature of the earthhad been modified. The declivities diminished and became damp. Hereand there ran narrow streams, which indicated that the sub-soilenclosed everywhere a watery network. During the last day's march thecaravan had kept along one of these rivulets, whose waters, reddenedwith oxyde of iron, eat away its steep, worn banks. To find it againcould not take long, or be very difficult. Evidently they could notdescend its impetuous course, but it would be easy to follow it to itsjunction with a more considerable, possibly a navigable, affluent. 

Such was the very simple plan which Dick Sand determined upon, afterhaving conferred with old Tom. 

Day came, all their companions gradually awoke. Mrs. Weldon placedlittle Jack in Nan's arms. The child was drowsy and faded-lookingduring the intermittent periods, and was sad to see. 

Mrs. Weldon approached Dick Sand. "Dick, " she asked, after a steadyglance, "where is Harris? I do not perceive him. "

The young novice thought that, while letting his companions believethat they were treading on the soil of Bolivia, it would not do tohide from them the American's treason. So he said, without hesitation:"Harris is no longer here. "

"Has he, then, gone ahead?" asked Mrs. Weldon. "He has fled, Mrs. Weldon, " replied Dick Sand. "This Harris is a traitor, and it isaccording to Negoro's plan that he led us this far. " "For whatmotive?" quickly asked Mrs. Weldon. "I do not know, " replied DickSand; "but what I do know is, that we must return, without delay, tothe coast. "

"That man--a traitor!" repeated Mrs. Weldon. "I had a presentiment ofit! And you think, Dick, that he is in league with Negoro?"

"That may be, Mrs. Weldon. The wretch is on our track. Chance hasbrought these two scoundrels together, and--"

"And I hope that they will not be separated when I find them again!"said Hercules. "I will break the head of one against the other'shead!" added the giant, holding out his formidable fists. 

"But my child!" cried Mrs. Weldon. "The care that I hoped to find forhim at the farm of San Felice--"

"Jack will get well, " said old Tom, "when he approaches the morehealthy part of the coast. "

"Dick, " remarked Mrs. Weldon, "you are sure that this Harris hasbetrayed us?"

"Yes, Mrs. Weldon, " replied the young novice, who would have liked toavoid any explanation on this subject. 

He also hastened to add, while looking at the old black:

"This very night Tom and I discovered his treason, and if he had notjumped on his horse and fled, I would have killed him. "

"So this farm--"

"There is neither farm, nor village, nor settlement in theneighborhood, " replied Dick Sand. "Mrs. Weldon, I repeat to you, wemust return to the coast. "

"By the same road, Dick?"

"No, Mrs. Weldon, but by descending a river which will take us to thesea without fatigue and without danger. A few more miles on foot, andI do not doubt--"

"Oh, I am strong, Dick!" replied Mrs. Weldon, who struggled againsther own weakness. "I will walk! I will carry my child!"

"We are here, Mrs. Weldon, " said Bat, "and we will carry you!"

"Yes. Yes, " added Austin. "Two branches of a tree, foliage laidacross. "

"Thanks, my friends, " replied Mrs. Weldon; "but I want to march. Iwill march. Forward!"

"Forward!" exclaimed the young novice. 

"Give me Jack, " said Hercules, who took the child from Nan's arms. "When I am not carrying something, I am tired. "

The brave negro gently took in his strong arms the little sleepingboy, who did not even wake. 

Their arms were carefully examined. What remained of the provisionswas placed in one package, so as to be carried by one man. Austinthrew it on his back, and his companions thus became free in theirmovements. 

Cousin Benedict, whose long limbs were like steel and defied allfatigue, was ready to set out. Had he remarked Harris's disappearance?It would be imprudent to affirm it. Little disturbed him. Besides, hewas under the effects of one of the most terrible catastrophes thatcould befall him. 

In fact, a grave complication, Cousin Benedict had lost hismagnifying-glass and his spectacles. Very happily, also, but withouthis suspecting it, Bat had found the two precious articles in the tallgrass where they had slept, but, by Dick Sand's advice, he kept themsafely. By this means they would be sure that the big child would keepquiet during the march, because he could see no farther, as they say, than the end of his nose. 

Thus, placed between Acteon and Austin, with the formal injunction notto leave them, the woful Benedict uttered no complaint, but followedin his place, like a blind man led by a string. 

The little party had not gone fifty steps when old Tom suddenlystopped it with one word. 

"Dingo?" said he. 

"In fact, Dingo is not here!" replied Hercules. 

The black called the dog several times with his powerful voice. 

No barking replied to him. 

Dick Sand remained silent. The absence of the dog, was to beregretted, for he had preserved the little party from all surprise. 

"Could Dingo have followed Harris?" asked Tom. 

"Harris? No, " replied Dick Sand; "but he may have put himself onNegoro's scent. He felt him in our steps. "

"This cook of misfortune would quickly end him with a ball!" criedHercules. 

"Provided Dingo did not first strangle him, " replied Bat. 

"Perhaps so, " replied the young novice. "But we cannot wait forDingo's return. Besides, if he is living, the intelligent animal willknow how to find us. Forward!"

The weather was very warm. Since daybreak large clouds obscured thehorizon. Already a storm was threatened in the air. Probably the daywould not end without some thunder-claps. Happily the forest, more orless dense, retained a little freshness of the surface of the soil. Here and there great forest trees inclosed prairies covered witha tall, thick grass. In certain spots enormous trunks, alreadypetrified, lay on the ground, indicating the presence of coal mines, which are frequently met with on the African continent. Then, in theclearings, where the green carpet was mingled with some sprigs ofroses, the flowers were various in color, yellow and blue gingerplants, pale lobelias, red orchids, incessantly visited by the insectswhich fertilized them. 

The trees no longer formed impenetrable masses, but their nature wasmore varied. There were a kind of palm-tree, which gives an oil foundonly in Africa; cotton-trees forming thickets from eight to ten feethigh, whose wood-stalks produce a cotton with long hairs, almostanalogous to that of Fernambouc. From the copals there oozes, by theholes which certain insects make, an odorous gum, which runs alongthe ground and collects for the wants of the natives. Here spread thelemon-trees, the grenadiers of a savage condition of a country, andtwenty other odorous plants, which prove the prodigious fertility ofthis plateau of Central Africa. In several places, also, the perfumewas agreeably mingled with the tine odor of vanilla, although theycould not discover what tree exhaled it. 

This whole collection of trees and plants was perfectly green, although it was in the middle of the dry season, and only rare stormscould water these luxuriant forests. It was then the time for fevers;but, as Livingstone has observed, they can be cured by leaving theplace where they have been contracted. Dick Sand knew this remark ofthe great traveler, and he hoped that little Jack would not contradictit. He told it to Mrs. Weldon, after having observed that theperiodical access had not returned as they feared, and that the childslept quietly in Hercules' arms. 

Thus they went forward carefully and rapidly. Sometimes theydiscovered traces where men or animals had recently passed. Thetwisted and broken branches of the brushwood and the thickets affordedan opportunity to walk with a more equal step. But the greater part ofthe time numerous obstacles, which they had to overcome, retarded thelittle party, to Dick Sand's great disappointment. 

There were twisted lianes that might justly be compared with thedisordered rigging of a ship, certain vines similar to bent swords, whose blades were ornamented with long thorns, vegetable serpents, fifty or sixty feet long, which had the faculty of turning to prickthe passer-by with their sharp spikes. The blacks, hatchet inhand, cut them down with vigorous blows, but the lianes reappearedconstantly, reaching from the earth to the top of the highest treeswhich they encircled. 

The animal kingdom was not less curious than the vegetable kingdomin this part of the province. Birds flew in vast numbers under thesepowerful branches; but it will be understood that they had no gunshotto fear from the men, who wished to pass as secretly as rapidly. Therewere Guinea fowls in large flocks, heath-cocks of various kinds, verydifficult to approach, and some of those birds which the Americansof the North have, by onomatopoeia, called "whip-poor-wills, " threesyllables which exactly reproduce their cries. Dick Sand and Tom mighttruly have believed themselves in some province of the new continent. But, alas! they knew what to expect. 

Until then the deer, so dangerous in Africa, had not approached thelittle troop. They again saw, in this first halt, some giraffes, whichHarris had undoubtedly called ostriches. These swift animalspassed rapidly, frightened by the apparition of a caravan in theselittle-frequented forests. In the distance, on the edge of theprairie, there arose at times a thick cloud of dust. It was a herd ofbuffaloes, which galloped with the noise of wagons heavily laden. 

For two miles Dick Sand thus followed the course of the rivulet whichmust end in a more important river. He was in haste to confide hiscompanions to the rapid current of one of the coast rivers. He feltsure that the dangers and the fatigue would be much less than on theshore. 

Towards noon three miles had been cleared without any bad incident ormeeting. There was no trace of either Harris or Negoro. Dingo had notreappeared. It was necessary to halt to take rest and nourishment. 

The encampment was established in a bamboo thicket, which completelysheltered the little party. 

They talked very little during this repast. Mrs. Weldon had taken herlittle boy in her arms; she could not take her eyes off of him; shecould not eat. 

"You must take some nourishment, Mrs. Weldon, " Dick Sand repeatedseveral times. "What will become of you if your strength gives out?Eat, eat! We will soon start again, and a good current will carry uswithout fatigue to the coast. "

Mrs. Weldon looked in Dick Sand's face while he thus talked. The youngnovice's burning eyes spoke of the courage by which he felt animated. In seeing him thus, in observing these brave, devoted blacks, wifeand mother, she could not yet despair; and, besides, why was sheabandoned? Did she not think herself on hospitable ground? Harris'streason could not, in her eyes, have any very serious consequences. Dick Sand read her thought, and he kept his eyes on the ground. 

 * * * * *

CHAPTER IV. 

THE BAD ROADS OF ANGOLA. 

At this moment little Jack awoke, and put his arms around his mother'sneck. His eyes looked better. The fever had not returned. 

"You are better, my darling, " said Mrs. Weldon, pressing the sickchild to her heart. 

"Yes, mama, " replied Jack, "but I am a little thirsty. "

They could only give the child some fresh water, of which he drankwith pleasure. 

"And my friend Dick?" he said. 

"Here I am, Jack, " replied Dick Sand, coming to take the young child'shand. 

"And my friend Hercules?"

"Hercules is here, Mr. Jack, " replied the giant, bringing nearer hisgood face. 

"And the horse?" demanded little Jack. 

"The horse? Gone, Mr. Jack, " replied Hercules. "I will carry you. Willyou find that I trot too hard?"

"No, " replied little Jack; "but then I shall no longer have any bridleto hold. "

"Oh! you will put a bit in _my_ mouth, if you wish, " said Hercules, opening his large mouth, "and you may pull back so long as that willgive you pleasure. "

"You know very well that I shall not pull back. "

"Good! You would be wrong! I have a hard mouth. "

"But Mr. Harris's farm?" the little boy asked again. 

"We shall soon arrive there, my Jack, " replied Mrs. Weldon. "Yes, soon!"

"Will we set out again?" then said Dick Sand, in order to cut shortthis conversation. 

"Yes, Dick, let us go, " replied Mrs. Weldon. 

The camp was broken up, and the march continued again in the sameorder. It was necessary to pass through the underwood, so as not toleave the course of the rivulet. There had been some paths there, formerly, but those paths were dead, according to the nativeexpression--that is, brambles and brushwood had usurped them. In thesepainful conditions they might spend three hours in making one mile. The blacks worked without relaxation. Hercules, after putting littleJack back in Nan's arms, took his part of the work; and what a part!He gave stout "heaves, " making his ax turn round, and a hole was madebefore them, as if he had been a devouring fire. 

Fortunately, this fatiguing work would not last. This first milecleared, they saw a large hole, opened through the underwood, whichended obliquely at the rivulet and followed its bank. It was a passagemade by elephants, and those animals, doubtless by hundreds, were inthe habit of traversing this part of the forest. Great holes, made bythe feet of the enormous pachyderms, riddled a soil softened duringthe rainy season. Its spongy nature also prepared it for those largeimprints. 

It soon appeared that this passage did not serve for those giganticanimals alone. Human beings had more than once taken this route, butas flocks, brutally led to the slaughter-house, would have followedit. Here and there bones of dead bodies strewed the ground; remainsof skeletons, half gnawed by animals, some of which still bore theslave's fetters. 

There are, in Central Africa, long roads thus marked out by humandébris. Hundreds of miles are traversed by caravans, and how manyunhappy wretches fall by the way, under the agents' whips, killed byfatigue or privations, decimated by sickness! How many more massacredby the traders themselves, when food fails! Yes, when they can nolonger feed them, they kill them with the gun, with the sword, withthe knife! These massacres are not rare. 

So, then, caravans of slaves had followed this road. For a mile DickSand and his companions struck against these scattered bones at eachstep, putting to flight enormous fern-owls. Those owls rose at theirapproach, with a heavy flight, and turned round in the air. 

Mrs. Weldon looked without seeing. Dick Sand trembled lest she shouldquestion him, for he hoped to lead her back to the coast withouttelling her that Harris's treachery had led them astray in an Africanprovince. Fortunately, Mrs. Weldon did not explain to herself whatshe had under her eyes. She had desired to take her child again, andlittle Jack, asleep, absorbed all her care. Nan walked near her, andneither of them asked the young novice the terrible questions hedreaded. 

Old Tom went along with his eyes down. He understood only too well whythis opening was strewn with human bones. 

His companions looked to the right, to the left, with an air ofsurprise, as if they were crossing an interminable cemetery, thetombs of which had been overthrown by a cataclysm; but they passed insilence. 

Meanwhile, the bed of the rivulet became deeper and wider at the sametime. Its current was less impetuous. Dick Sand hoped that it wouldsoon become navigable, or that it would before long reach a moreimportant river, tributary to the Atlantic. 

Cost what it might, the young novice was determined to follow thisstream of water. Neither did he hesitate to abandon this opening;because, as ending by an oblique line, it led away from the rivulet. 

The little party a second time ventured through the dense underwood. They marched, ax in hand, through leaves and bushes inextricablyinterlaced. 

But if this vegetation obstructed the ground, they were no longer inthe thick forest that bordered the coast. Trees became rare. Largesheaves of bamboo alone rose above the grass, and so high that evenHercules was not a head over them. The passage of the little party wasonly revealed by the movement of these stalks. 

Toward three o'clock in the afternoon of that day, the nature of theground totally changed. Here were long plains, which must have beenentirely inundated in the rainy season. The earth, now more swampy, was carpeted by thick mosses, beneath charming ferns. Should it bediversified by any steep ascents, they would see brown hematitesappear, the last deposits of some rich vein of mineral. 

Dick Sand then recalled--and very fortunately--what he had read in"Livingstone's Travels. " More than once the daring doctor had nearlyrested in these marshes, so treacherous under foot. 

"Listen to me, my friends, " said he, going ahead. "Try the groundbefore stepping on it. "

"In fact, " replied Tom, "they say that these grounds have beensoftened by the rain; but, however, it has not rained during theselast days. "

"No, " replied Bat; "but the storm is not far off. "

"The greater reason, " replied Dick Sand, "why we should hurry and getclear of this swamp before it commences. Hercules, take little Jackin your arms. Bat, Austin, keep near Mrs. Weldon, so as to be able tohelp her if necessary. You, Mr. Benedict--Why, what are you doing, Mr. Benedict?"

"I am falling!" innocently replied Cousin Benedict, who had justdisappeared as if a trap had been suddenly opened beneath his feet. 

In fact, the poor man had ventured on a sort of quagmire, and haddisappeared half-way in the sticky mud. They stretched out theirhands, and he rose, covered with slime, but quite satisfied at nothaving injured his precious entomologist's box. Acteon went besidehim, and made it his duty to preserve the unlucky, near-sighted manfrom any new disasters. 

Besides, Cousin Benedict had made rather a bad choice of the quagmirefor his plunge. When they drew him out of the sticky earth a largequantity of bubbles rose to the surface, and, in bursting, theyemitted some gases of a suffocating odor. Livingstone, who had beensunk up to his chest in this slime, compared these grounds to acollection of enormous sponges, made of black, porous earth, fromwhich numerous streams of water spouted when they were stepped upon. These places were always very dangerous. 

For the space of half a mile Dick Sand and his companions must marchover this spongy soil. It even became so bad that Mrs. Weldon wasobliged to stop, for she sank deep in the mire. Hercules, Bat, andAustin, wishing to spare her the unpleasantness more than the fatigueof a passage across this marshy plain, made a litter of bamboos, onwhich she consented to sit. Her little Jack was placed in her arms, and they endeavored to cross that pestilential marsh in the quickestmanner. 

The difficulties were great. Acteon held Cousin Benedict firmly. Tomaided Nan, who, without him, would have disappeared several times insome crevice. The three other blacks carried the litter. At the head, Dick Sand sounded the earth. The choice of the place to step on wasnot made without trouble. They marched from preference on the edges, which were covered by a thick and tough grass. Often the supportfailed, and they sank to the knees in the slime. 

At last, about five o'clock in the evening, the marsh being cleared, the soil regained sufficient firmness, thanks to its clayey nature;but they felt it damp underneath. Very evidently these lands lay belowthe neighboring rivers, and the water ran through their pores. 

At that time the heat had become overwhelming. It would even havebeen unbearable, if thick storm clouds had not interposed between theburning rays and the ground. Distant lightnings began to rend the skyand low rollings of thunder grumbled in the depths of the heavens. Aformidable storm was going to burst forth. 

Now, these cataclysms are terrible in Africa: rain in torrents, squalls of wind which the strongest trees cannot resist, clap afterclap of thunder, such is the contest of the elements in that latitude. 

Dick Sand knew it well, and he became very uneasy. They could not passthe night without shelter. The plain was likely to be inundated, andit did not present a single elevation on which it was possible to seekrefuge. 

But refuge, where would they seek it in this low desert, without atree, without a bush? The bowels of the earth even would not give it. Two feet below the surface they would find water. 

However, toward the north a series of low hills seemed to limit themarshy plain. It was as the border of this depression of land. A fewtrees were profiled there on a more distant, clearer belt, left by theclouds on the line of the horizon. 

There, if shelter were still lacking, the little band would at leastno longer risk being caught in a possible inundation. There perhapswas salvation for all. 

"Forward, my friends, forward!" repeated Dick Sand. "Three miles moreand we shall be safer than in these bottom-lands. "

"Hurry! hurry!" cried Hercules. 

The brave black would have wished to take that whole world in big armsand carry it alone. 

Those words inspired those courageous men, and in spite of the fatigueof a day's march, they advanced more quickly than they had done at thecommencement from the halting-place. 

When the storm burst forth the end to be attained was still more thantwo miles off. Now--a fact which was the more to be feared--the raindid not accompany the first lightnings exchanged between the groundand the electrical clouds. Darkness then became almost complete, though the sun had not disappeared below the horizon. But the dome ofvapors gradually lowered, as if it threatened to fall in--a falling inwhich must result in a torrent of rain. Lightnings, red or blue, splitit in a thousand places, and enveloped the plain in an inextricablenetwork of fire. 

Twenty times Dick and his companions ran the risk of being struck bylightning. On this plateau, deprived of trees, they formed the onlyprojecting points which could attract the electrical discharges. Jack, awakened by the noise of the thunder, hid himself in Hercules' arms. He was very much afraid, poor little boy, but he did not wish to lethis mother see it, for fear of afflicting her more. Hercules, whiletaking great steps, consoled him as well as he could. 

"Do not be afraid, little Jack, " he repeated. "If the thunder comesnear us, I will break it in two with a single hand. I am stronger thanit!"

And, truly, the giant's strength reassured Jack a little. 

Meanwhile the rain must soon fall, and then it would in torrents, poured out by those clouds in condensing. What would become of Mrs. Weldon and her companions, if they did not find a shelter?

Dick Sand stopped a moment near old Tom. 

"What must be done?" said he. 

"Continue our march, Mr. Dick, " replied Tom. "We cannot remain on thisplain, that the rain is going to transform into a marsh!"

"No, Tom, no! But a shelter! Where? What? If it were only a hut--"

Dick Sand had suddenly broken off his sentence. A more vivid flash oflightning had just illuminated the whole plain. 

"What have I seen there, a quarter of a mile off?" exclaimed DickSand. 

"Yes, I also, I have seen--" replied old Tom, shaking his head. 

"A camp, is it not?"

"Yes, Mr. Dick, it must be a camp, but a camp of natives!"

A new flash enabled them to observe this camp more closely. Itoccupied a part of the immense plain. 

There, in fact, rose a hundred conical tents, symmetrically arranged, and measuring from twelve to fifteen feet in height. Not a soldiershowed himself, however. Were they then shut up under their tents, soas to let the storm pass, or was the camp abandoned?

In the first case, whatever Heaven should threaten, Dick Sand mustflee in the quickest manner. In the second, there was, perhaps, theshelter he asked. 

"I shall find out, " he said to himself; then, addressing old Tom:"Stay here. Let no one follow me. I shall go to reconnoiter thatcamp. "

"Let one of us accompany you, Mr. Dick. "

"No, Tom, I shall go alone. I can approach without being seen. Stayhere. "

The little troop, that followed Tom and Dick Sand, halted. The youngnovice left at once and disappeared in the darkness, which wasprofound when the lightning did not tear the sky. 

Some large drops of rain already began to fall. 

"What is the matter?" asked Mrs. Weldon, approaching the old black. 

"We have perceived a camp, Mrs. Weldon, " replied Tom; "a camp--or, perhaps, a village, and our captain wished to reconnoiter it beforeleading us to it. "

Mrs. Weldon was satisfied with this reply. Three minutes after, DickSand was returning. 

"Come! come!" he cried, in a voice which expressed his entiresatisfaction. 

"The camp is abandoned?" asked Tom. 

"It is not a camp, " replied the young novice; "it is not a village. They are ant-hills!"

"Ant-hills!" exclaimed Cousin Benedict, whom that word aroused. 

"Yes, Mr. Benedict, but ant-hills twelve feet high, at least, and inwhich we shall endeavor to hide ourselves. "

"But then, " replied Cousin Benedict, "those would be ant-hills of thewarlike termite or of the devouring termite. Only those ingeniousinsects raise such monuments, which the greatest architects would notdisown. "

"Whether they be termites or not, Mr. Benedict, " replied Dick Sand, "we must dislodge them and take their place. "

"They will devour us. They will be defending their rights. "

"Forward! Forward!"

"But, wait now!" said Cousin Benedict again. "I thought thoseant-hills only existed in Africa. "

"Forward!" exclaimed Dick Sand, for the last time, with a sort ofviolence. He was so much afraid that Mrs. Weldon might hear the lastword pronounced by the entomologist. 

They followed Dick Sand with all haste. A furious wind had sprung up. Large drops crackled on the ground. In a few moments the squalls ofwind would become unbearable. Soon one of those cones which stood onthe plain was reached. No matter how threatening the termites mightbe, the human beings must not hesitate. If they could not drive theinsects away, they must share their abode. 

At the bottom of this cone, made with a kind of reddish clay, therewas a very narrow hole. Hercules enlarged it with his cutlass in a fewmoments, so as to give a passage even to a man like himself. 

To Cousin Benedict's extreme surprise, not one of the thousands oftermites that ought to occupy the ant-hill showed itself. Was, then, the cone abandoned?

The hole enlarged, Dick and his companions glided into it. Herculesdisappeared the last, just as the rain fell with such rage that itseemed to extinguish the lightnings. 

But those wind squalls were no longer to be feared. A happy chance hadfurnished this little troop with a solid shelter, better than a tent, better than a native's hut. 

It was one of those termite cones that, according to LieutenantCameron's comparison, are more astonishing than the pyramids of Egypt, raised by the hands of men, because they have been built by such smallinsects. 

"It is, " said he, "as if a nation had built Mount Everest, the highestmountain of the Himalaya chain. "

CHAPTER V. 

ANTS AND THEIR DWELLING. 

At this moment the storm burst with a violence unknown in temperatelatitudes. 

It was providential that Dick Sand and his companions had found thisrefuge!

In fact, the rain did not fall in distinct drops, but in streams ofvarious thickness. Sometimes it was a compact mass forming a sheet ofwater, like a cataract, a Niagara. Imagine an aerial basin, containinga whole sea, being upset. Under such showers the ground was hollowedout, the plains were changed to lakes, the streams to torrents, therivers, overflowing, inundated vast territories. In temperate zonesthe violence of the storms decreases according to their duration; butin Africa, however heavy they are, they continue for several entiredays. How can so much electricity be collected in the clouds? Howcan such quantities of vapor be accumulated? It is very difficult tocomprehend this. However, such are the facts, and one might supposehimself transported to the extraordinary epochs of the diluvianperiod. 

Fortunately, the ant-cone, with its thick walls, was perfectlyimpervious. A beaver's hut, of well-beaten earth, could not have beenmore water-tight. A torrent could have passed over it without a singledrop of water filtering through its pores. 

As soon as Dick Sand and his companions had taken possession of thecone they occupied themselves in examining its interior arrangement. The lantern was lighted, and the ant-hill was sufficientlyilluminated. This cone, which measured twelve feet in height inside, was eleven feet wide, except in its upper part, which rounded in theform of a sugar loaf. Everywhere the walls were about one foot inthickness, and there was a distance between the stories of cells whichadorned them. 

We may be astonished at the construction of such monuments, due tothese industrious swarms of insects, but it is true that they arefrequently found in the interior of Africa. Smeathman, a Dutchtraveler of the last century, with four of his companions, occupiedthe top of one of these cones. In the Lounde, Livingstone observedseveral of these ant-hills, built of reddish clay, and attaining aheight of fifteen and twenty feet. Lieutenant Cameron has many a timemistaken for a camp these collections of cones which dotted the plainin N'yangwe. He has even stopped at the foot of great edifices, notmore than twenty feet high, but composed of forty or fifty enormousrounded cones, flanked with bell-towers like the dome of a cathedral, such as Southern Africa possesses. 

To what species of ant was due, then, the prodigious style ofarchitecture of these cones?

"To the warlike termite, " Cousin Benedict had replied, withouthesitating, as soon as he had recognized the nature of the materialsemployed in their construction. 

And, in fact, the walls, as has been said, were made of reddish clay. Had they been formed of a gray or black alluvian earth, they must havebeen attributed to the "termes mordax" or the "termes atrox. " As wesee, these insects have not very cheering names--a fact which cannotbut please a strong entomologist, such as Cousin Benedict. 

The central part of the cone, in which the little troop had firstfound shelter, and which formed the empty interior, would not havecontained them; but large cavities, in close contact, made a numberof divisions, in which a person of medium height could find refuge. Imagine a succession of open drawers, and at the bottom of thosedrawers millions of cells which the termites had occupied, and theinterior disposition of the ant-hill is easily understood. To sum up, these drawers are in tiers, like the berths in a ship's cabin. In theupper ones Mrs. Weldon, little Jack, Nan, and Cousin Benedict tookrefuge. In the lower row Austin, Bat, and Acteon hid themselves. Asfor Dick Sand, Tom, and Hercules, they remained in the lower part ofthe cone. 

"My friends, " then said the young novice to the two blacks, "theground is becoming damp. We must fill it up by crumbling the red clayfrom the base; but take care not to obstruct the hole by which the airenters. We cannot risk being smothered in this ant-hill. "

"We have only one night to spend here, " replied old Tom. 

"Well, let us try and make it recover us from our fatigue. This is thefirst time in ten days that we have not to sleep in the open air. "

"Ten days!" repeated Tom. 

"Besides, " added Dick Sand, "as this cone forms a solid shelter, perhaps we had better stay here twenty-four hours. During that time, Iwill go in search of the stream that we are in need of; it cannot bevery distant. I think that until we have constructed our raft, it willbe better not to quit this shelter. The storm cannot reach us here. Let us make the floor stronger and dryer. "

Dick Sand's orders were executed at once. Hercules, with his ax, crumbled the first story of cells, which was composed of crisp redclay. He thus raised, more than a foot, the interior part of theswampy earth on which the ant-hill rested, and Dick Sand made surethat the air could freely penetrate to the interior of the conethrough the orifice pierced at its base. 

It was, certainly, a fortunate circumstance that the ant-hill had beenabandoned by the termites. With a few thousands of these ants, itwould have been uninhabitable. But, had it been evacuated for sometime, or had the voracious newroptera but just quitted it? It was notsuperfluous to ponder this question. 

Cousin Benedict was so much surprised at the abandonment, that he atonce considered the reason for it, and he was soon convinced that theemigration had been recent. 

In fact, he did not wait, but, descending to the lower part of thecone, and taking the lantern, he commenced to examine the most secretcorners of the ant-hill. He thus discovered what is called the"general store-house" of the termites, that is to say, the place wherethese industrious insects lay up the provisions of the colony. 

It was a cavity hollowed in the wall, not far from the royal cell, which Hercules's labor had destroyed, along with the cells destinedfor the young larvae. 

In this store-room Cousin Benedict collected a certain quantity ofparticles of gum and the juices of plants, scarcely solidified, whichproved that the termites had lately brought them from without. 

"Well, no!" cried he. "No!" as if he were replying to somecontradiction, "No, this ant-hill has not been long abandoned. "

"Who says to the contrary, Mr. Benedict?" said Dick Sand. "Recentlyor not, the important thing for us is that the termites have left it, because we have to take their place. "

"The important thing, " replied Cousin Benedict, "will be to know whythey have left it. Yesterday--this morning, perhaps--these sagaciousnewroptera were still here, because, see these liquid juices; and thisevening----"

"Well, what do you conclude, Mr. Benedict?" asked Dick Sand. 

"That a secret presentiment has caused them to abandon the cone. Notonly have all the termites left their cells, but they have taken careto carry away the young larvae, of which I cannot find one. Well, Irepeat that all this was not done without a motive, and that thesesagacious insects foresaw some near danger. "

"They foresaw that we were going to invade their dwelling, " repliedHercules, laughing. 

"Indeed!" replied Cousin Benedict, whom this answer sensibly shocked. "You think yourself so strong that you would be dangerous to thesecourageous insects? A few thousand of these newroptera would quicklyreduce you to a skeleton if they found you dead on the road. "

"Dead, certainly, " replied Hercules, who would not give up; "but, living, I could crush masses of them. "

"You might crush a hundred thousand, five hundred thousand, amillion, " replied Cousin Benedict, with animation, "but not a thousandmillions; and a thousand millions would devour you, living or dead, tothe last morsel. "

During this discussion, which was less trifling than might besupposed, Dick Sand reflected on the observations made by CousinBenedict. There was no doubt that the savant knew too much about thehabits of the termites to be mistaken. If he declared that a secretinstinct warned them to leave the ant-hill recently, it was becausethere was truly peril in remaining in it. 

Meanwhile, as it was impossible to abandon this shelter at a momentwhen the storm was raging with unparalleled intensity, DickSand looked no farther for an explanation of what seemed to beinexplicable, and he contented himself with saying:

"Well, Mr. Benedict, if the termites have left their provisions inthis ant-hill, we must not forget that we have brought ours, andlet us have supper. To-morrow, when the storm will be over, we willconsult together on our future plans. "

They then occupied themselves in preparing the evening meal, for, great as their fatigue was, it had not affected the appetite of thesevigorous walkers. On the contrary, the food, which had to last for twomore days, was very welcome. The damp had not reached the biscuits, and for several minutes it could be heard cracking under the solidteeth of Dick Sand and his companions. Between Hercules's jaws itwas like grain under the miller's grindstone. It did not crackle, itpowdered. 

Mrs. Weldon alone scarcely eat, and even Dick Sand's entreaties werevain. It seemed to him that this brave woman was more preoccupied, more sad than she had been hitherto. Meanwhile her little Jacksuffered less; the fever had not returned, and at this time he wassleeping, under his mother's eyes, in a cell well lined with garments. Dick Sand knew not what to think. 

It is useless to say that Cousin Benedict did honor to the repast, notthat he paid any attention either to the quality or to the quantity ofthe food that he devoured, but because he had found an opportunity todeliver a lecture in entomology on the termites. Ah! if he had beenable to find a termite, a single one, in the deserted ant hill! Butnothing. 

"These admirable insects, " said he, without taking the trouble to findout if any one were listening--"these admirable insects belong to themarvelous order of newroptera, whose horns are longer than the head, the jaws very distinct, and whose lower wings are generally equal tothe upper ones. Five tribes constitute this order: the Panorpates(scorpion flies), the Myrmileoniens, the Hemerobins, the Termitinesand the Perlides. It is useless to add that the insects which nowinterest us, and whose dwelling we occupy, perhaps unduly, are theTermitines. "

At this moment Dick Sand listened very attentively to Cousin Benedict. Had the meeting with these termites excited in him the thought that hewas perhaps on the African continent, without knowing by what chancehe had arrived there? The young novice was very anxious to find out. 

The savant, mounted on his favorite hobby, continued to ride itbeautifully. 

"Now these termitines, " said he, "are characterized by four jointson the instep, horned jaws, and remarkable strength. We have the_mantispe_ species, the _raphidie_, and the termite species. The lastis often known under the term of white ants, in which we count thedeadly termite, the yellow corslet termite, the termite that shuns thelight, the biter, the destroyer--"

"And those that constructed this ant-hill?" asked Dick Sand. 

"They are the martial ants, " replied Cousin Benedict, who pronouncedthis word as if it had been the Macedonians, or some other ancientpeople brave in war. "Yes, the warlike ants, and of all sizes. Between Hercules and a dwarf the difference would be less thanbetween the largest of these insects and the smallest. Among them are'workers' of five millimeters in length 'soldiers' of ten, and malesand females of twenty. We find also a kind otherwise very curious: the_sirafous_ half an inch in length, which have pincers for jaws, and ahead larger than the body, like the sharks. They are the sharks amonginsects, and in a fight between some _sirafous_ and a shark, I wouldbet on the _sirafous_. "

"And where are these _sirafous_ commonly observed?" then asked DickSand. 

"In Africa, " replied Cousin Benedict; "in the central and southernprovinces. Africa is, in fact, the country of ants. You should readwhat Livingstone says of them in the last notes reported by Stanley. More fortunate than myself, the doctor has witnessed a Homeric battle, joined between an army of black ants and an army of red ants. Thelatter, which are called 'drivers, ' and which the natives name_sirafous_, were victorious. 

"The others, the '_tchoungous_, ' took flight, carrying their eggs andtheir young, not without having bravely defended themselves. Never, according to Livingstone, never was the spirit of battle carriedfarther, either among men or beasts! With their tenacious jaws, whichtear out the piece, these _sirafous_ make the bravest man recoil. Thelargest animals--even lions and elephants--flee before them. 

"Nothing stops them; neither trees, which they climb to the summit, nor streams, which they cross by making a suspension bridge oftheir own bodies, hooked together. And numerous! Another Africantraveler--Du Chaillu--has seen a column of these ants defile past himfor twelve hours without stopping on the road. But why be astonishedat the sight of such myriads? The fecundity of these insects issurprising; and, to return to our fighting termites, it has beenproved that a female deposits as much as sixty thousand eggs in aday! Besides, these newroptera furnish the natives with a juicy food. Broiled ants, my friends; I know of nothing better in the world!"

"Have you then eaten them, Mr. Benedict?" asked Hercules. 

"Never, " replied the wise professor; "but I shall eat some. "

"Where?"

"Here. "

"Here; we are not in Africa!" said Tom, very quickly. 

"No, no!" replied Cousin Benedict; "and, thus far, these warliketermites, and their villages of ant-hills, have only been observed onthe African Continent. Ah! such travelers. They do not know how tosee! Well! all the better, after all. I have discovered a _tsetse_ inAmerica. To the glory of this, I shall join that of having found thewarlike termites on the same continent! What matter for an articlethat will make a sensation in educated Europe, and, perhaps, appear infolio form, with prints and engravings, besides the text!"

It was evident that the truth had not entered Cousin Benedict's brain. The poor man and all his companions, Dick Sand and Tom excepted, believed themselves, and must believe themselves, where they werenot! It needed other incidents, facts still more grave than certainscientific curiosities, to undeceive them!

It was then nine o'clock in the morning. Cousin Benedict had talkedfor a long time. Did he perceive that his auditors, propped up intheir cells, had gradually fallen asleep during his entomologicallecture? No; certainly not. He lectured for himself. Dick Sand nolonger questioned him, and remained motionless, although he did notsleep. As for Hercules, he had resisted longer than the others; butfatigue soon finished by shutting his eyes, and, with his eyes, hisears. 

For some time longer Cousin Benedict continued to lecture. However, sleep finally got the best of him, and he mounted to the upper cavityof the cone, in which he had chosen his domicile. 

Deep silence fell on the interior of the cone, while the storm filledspace with noise and fire. Nothing seemed to indicate that the tempestwas nearly over. 

The lantern had been extinguished. The interior of the ant-hill wasplunged in complete darkness. 

No doubt all slept. However, Dick Sand, alone, did not seek in sleepthe repose which was so necessary to him. Thought absorbed him. Hedreamed of his companions, whom he would save at all hazards. Thewrecking of the "Pilgrim" had not been the end of their cruel trials, and others, still more terrible, threatened them should they fall intothe hands of these natives. 

And how to avoid this danger, the worst of all, during their return tothe coast. Harris and Negoro had not led them a hundred miles into theinterior of Angola without a secret design to gain possession of them. 

But what did this miserable Portuguese intend? Who had merited hishatred? The young novice repeated to himself, that he alone hadincurred it. Then he passed in review all the incidents that had takenplace during the "Pilgrim's" voyage; the meeting with the wreck andthe blacks; the pursuit of the whale; the disappearance of CaptainHull and his crew. 

Dick Sand had found himself, at the age of fifteen, intrusted with thecommand of a vessel, the compass and log of which were soon injured byNegoro's criminal actions. He again saw himself using his authority inthe presence of this insolent cook, threatening to put him in irons, or to blow out his brains with a pistol shot. Ah, why had he hesitatedto do it? Negoro's corpse would have been thrown overboard, and noneof these catastrophes would have happened. 

Such were the young man's various thoughts. Then they dwelt a momenton the shipwreck which had ended the "Pilgrim's" voyage. The traitorHarris appeared then, and this province of South America graduallybecame transformed. Bolivia changed to the terrible Angola, with itsfeverish climate, its savage deer, its natives still more cruel. Couldthe little party escape during its return to the coast? This riverwhich he was seeking, which he hoped to find, would it conduct them tothe shore with more safety, and with less fatigue? He would not doubtit, for he knew well that a march of a hundred miles through thisinhospitable country, in the midst of incessant dangers, was no longerpossible. 

"Happily, " he said to himself, "Mrs. Weldon and all are ignorant ofthe danger of the situation. Old Tom and I, we alone are to know thatNegoro has thrown us on the coast of Africa; and that Harris has ledme into the wilds of Angola. "

Dick Sand was thus sunk in overpowering thoughts, when he felt abreath on his forehead. A hand rested on his shoulder, and a tremblingvoice murmured these words in his ear:

"I know all, my poor Dick, but God can yet save us! His will be done!"

CHAPTER VI. 

THE DIVING-BELL. 

To this unexpected revelation Dick Sand could not reply. Besides, Mrs. Weldon had gone back at once to her place beside little Jack. Sheevidently did not wish to say any more about it, and the young novicehad not the courage to detain her. 

Thus Mrs. Weldon knew what to believe. The various incidents, of theway had enlightened her also, and perhaps, too, that word, "Africa!"so unluckily pronounced the night before by Cousin Benedict. 

"Mrs. Weldon knows everything, " repeated Dick Sand to himself. "Well, perhaps it is better so. The brave woman does not despair. I shall notdespair either. "

Dick Sand now longed for day to return, that he might explore thesurroundings of this termite village. He must find a tributary of theAtlantic with a rapid course to transport all his little troop. He hada presentiment that this watercourse could not be far distant. Aboveall, they must avoid an encounter with the natives, perhaps alreadysent in pursuit of them under Harris's and Negoro's direction. 

But it was not day yet. No light made its way into the cone throughthe lower orifice. Rumblings, rendered low by the thickness of thewalls, indicated that the storm still raged. Listening, Dick Sand alsoheard the rain falling with violence at the base of the ant-hill. Asthe large drops no longer struck a hard soil, he must conclude thatthe whole plain was inundated. 

It must have been about eleven o'clock. Dick Sand then felt that akind of torpor, if not a true sleep, was going to overcome him. Itwould, however, be rest. But, just as he was yielding to it, thethought came to him that, by the settling of the clay, washed in, thelower orifice was likely to be obstructed. All passage for the outerair would be closed. Within, the respiration of ten persons would soonvitiate the air by loading it with carbonic acid. 

Dick Sand then slipped to the ground, which had been raised by theclay from the first floor of cells. 

That cushion was still perfectly dry, and the orifice entirely free. The air penetrated freely to the interior of the cone, and with itsome flashes of lightning, and the loud noises of that storm, that adiluvian rain could not extinguish. 

Dick Sand saw that all was well. No immediate danger seemed to menacethese human termites, substituted for the colony of newroptera. Theyoung novice then thought of refreshing himself by a few hours' sleep, as he already felt its influence. Only with supreme precaution DickSand lay on that bed of clay, at the bottom of the cone, near thenarrow edifice. 

By this means, if any accident happened outside, he would be the firstto remark it. The rising day would also awaken him, and he would beready to begin the exploration of the plain. 

Dick Sand lay down then, his head against the wall, his gun under hishand, and almost immediately he was asleep. 

How long this drowsiness lasted he could not tell, when he wasawakened by a lively sensation of coolness. 

He rose and recognized, not without great anxiety, that the water wasinvading the ant hill, and even so rapidly, that in a few seconds itwould reach the story of cells occupied by Tom and Hercules. 

The latter, awakened by Dick Sand, were told about this newcomplication. 

The lighted lantern soon showed the interior of the cone. 

The water had stopped at a height of about five feet, and remainedstationary. 

"What is the matter, Dick?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"It is nothing, " replied the young novice. "The lower part of thecone has been inundated. It is probably that during this storm aneighboring river has overflowed on this plain. "

"Good!" said Hercules; "that proves the river is there!"

"Yes, " replied Dick Sand, "and it will carry us to the coast. Bereassured, then, Mrs. Weldon; the water cannot reach you, nor littleJack, nor Nan, nor Mr. Benedict. "

Mrs. Weldon did not reply. As to the cousin, he slept like a veritabletermite. 

Meanwhile the blacks, leaning over this sheet of water, whichreflected the lantern's light, waited for Dick Sand to indicateto them what should be done. He was measuring the height of theinundation. 

After having the provisions and arms put out of the reach of theinundation, Dick Sand was silent. 

"The water has penetrated by the orifice, " said Tom. 

"Yes, " replied Dick Sand, "and now it prevents the interior air frombeing renewed. "

"Could we not make a hole in the wall above the level of the water?"asked the old black. 

"Doubtless, Tom; but if we have five feet of water within, there areperhaps six or seven, even more, without. "

"You think, Mr. Dick--?"

"I think, Tom, that the water, rising inside the ant-hill, hascompressed the air in the upper part, and that this air now makes anobstacle to prevent the water from rising higher. But if we pierce ahole in the wall by which the air would escape, either the water wouldstill rise till it reached the outside level, or if it passed thehole, it would rise to that point where the compressed air would againkeep it back. We must be here like workmen in a diving-bell. "

"What must be done?" asked Tom. 

"Reflect well before acting, " replied Dick Sand. "An imprudence mightcost us our lives!"

The young novice's observation was very true. 

In comparing the cone to a submerged bell, he was right. Only in thatapparatus the air is constantly renewed by means of pumps. The diversbreathe comfortably, and they suffer no other inconveniences thanthose resulting from a prolonged sojourn in a compressed atmosphere, no longer at a normal pressure. 

But here, beside those inconveniences, space was already reduced athird by the invasion of the water. As to the air, it would only berenewed if they put it in communication with the outer atmosphere bymeans of a hole. 

Could they, without running the danger spoken of by Dick Sand, piercethat hole? Would not the situation be aggravated by it?

What was certain was, that the water now rested at a level which onlytwo causes could make it exceed, namely: if they pierced a hole, andthe level of the rising waters was higher outside, or if the heightof this rising water should still increase. In either of these cases, only a narrow space would remain inside the cone, where the air, notrenewed, would be still more compressed. 

But might not the ant-hill be torn from the ground and overthrown bythe inundation, to the extreme danger of those within it? No, no morethan a beaver's hut, so firmly did it adhere by its base. 

Then, the event most to be feared was the persistence of the storm, and, consequently, the increase of the inundation. Thirty feet ofwater on the plain would cover the cone with eighteen feet of water, and bear on the air within with the pressure of an atmosphere. 

Now, after reflecting well upon it, Dick Sand was led to fear thatthis inundation might increase considerably. 

In fact, it could not be due solely to that deluge poured out bythe clouds. It seemed more probable that a neighboring watercourse, swelled by the storm, had burst its banks, and was spreading over thisplain lying below it. What proof had they that the ant-hill was notthen entirely submerged, and that it was full time to leave it by thetop part, which would not be difficult to demolish?

Dick Sand, now extremely anxious, asked himself what he ought todo. Must he wait or suddenly announce the probable result of thesituation, after ascertaining the condition of things?

It was then three o'clock in the morning. All, motionless, silent, listened. The noise from outside came very feebly through theobstructed orifice. All the time a dull sound, strong and continued, well indicated that the contest of the elements had not ceased. 

At that moment old Tom observed that the water level was graduallyrising. 

"Yes, " replied Dick Sand, "and if it rises, as the air cannot escapefrom within, it is because the rising of the waters increases andpresses it more and more. "

"It is but slight so far, " said Tom. 

"Without doubt, " replied Dick Sand; "but where will this level stop?"

"Mr. Dick, " asked Bat, "would you like me to go out of the ant-hill?By diving, I should try to slip out by the hole. "

"It will be better for me to try it, " replied Dick Sand. 

"No, Mr. Dick, no, " replied old Tom, quickly; "let my son do it, andtrust to his skill. In case he could not return, your presence isnecessary here. "

Then, lower:

"Do not forget Mrs. Weldon and little Jack. "

"Be it so, " replied Dick Sand. "Go, then, Bat. If the ant-hill issubmerged, do not seek to enter it again. We shall try to come out asyou will have done. But if the cone still emerges, strike on its topwith the ax that you will take with you. We will hear you, and itwill be the signal for us to demolish the top from our side. Youunderstand?"

"Yes, Mr. Dick, " replied Bat. 

"Go, then, boy, " added old Tom, pressing his son's hand. 

Bat, after laying in a good provision of air by a long aspiration, plunged under the liquid mass, whose depth then exceeded five feet. Itwas a rather difficult task, because he would have to seek the lowerorifice, slip through it, and then rise to the outside surface of thewaters. 

That must be done quickly. 

Nearly half a minute passed away. Dick Sand then thought that Bat hadsucceeded in passing outside when the black emerged. 

"Well!" exclaimed Dick Sand. 

"The hole is stopped up by rubbish!" replied Bat, as soon as he couldtake breath. 

"Stopped up!" repeated Tom. 

"Yes, " replied Bat. "The water has probably diluted the clay. I havefelt around the walls with my hand. There is no longer any hole. "

Dick Sand shook his head. His companions and he were hermeticallysequestered in this cone, perhaps submerged by the water. 

"If there is no longer any hole, " then said Hercules, "we must makeone. "

"Wait, " replied the young novice, stopping Hercules, who, hatchet inhand, was preparing to dive. 

Dick Sand reflected for a few moments, and then he said:

"We are going to proceed in another manner. The whole question is toknow whether the water covers the ant-hill or not. If we make a smallopening at the summit of the cone, we shall find out which it is. Butin case the ant-hill should be submerged now, the water would fill itentirely, and we would be lost. Let us feel our way. "

"But quickly, " replied Tom. 

In fact, the level continued to rise gradually. There were then sixfeet of water inside the cone. With the exception of Mrs. Weldon, her son, Cousin Benedict, and Nan, who had taken refuge in the uppercavities, all were immersed to the waist. 

Then there was a necessity for quick action, as Dick Sand proposed. 

It was one foot above the interior level, consequently seven feet fromthe ground, that Dick Sand resolved to pierce a hole in the clay wall. 

If, by this hole, they were in communication with the outer air, thecone emerges. If, on the contrary, this hole was pierced below thewater level outside, the air would be driven inward, and in that casethey must stop it up at once, or the water would rise to its orifice. Then they would commence again a foot higher, and so on. If, at last, at the top, they did not yet find the outer air, it was because therewas a depth of more than fifteen feet of water in the plain, and thatthe whole termite village had disappeared under the inundation. Thenwhat chance had the prisoners in the ant-hill to escape the mostterrible of deaths, death by slow asphyxia?

Dick Sand knew all that, but he did not lose his presence of mind fora moment. He had closely calculated the consequences of the experimenthe wished to try. Besides, to wait longer was not possible. Asphyxiawas threatening in this narrow space, reduced every moment, in amedium already saturated with carbonic acid. 

The best tool Dick Sand could employ to pierce a hole through the wallwas a ramrod furnished with a screw, intended to draw the wadding froma gun. By making it turn rapidly, this screw scooped out the clay likean auger, and the hole was made little by little. Then it would nothave a larger diameter than that of the ramrod, but that would besufficient. The air could come through very well. 

Hercules holding up the lantern lighted Dick Sand. They had some waxcandles to take its place, and they had not to fear lack of light fromthat source. 

A minute after the beginning of the operation, the ramrod went freelythrough the wall. At once a rather dull noise was produced, resemblingthat made by globules of air escaping through a column of water. Theair escaped, and, at the same moment, the level of the water rose inthe cone, and stopped at the height of the hole. This proved that theyhad pierced too low--that is to say, below the liquid mass. 

"Begin again, " the young novice said, coolly, after rapidly stoppingthe hole with a handful of clay. 

The water was again stationary in the cone, but the reserved space haddiminished more than eight inches. Respiration became difficult, forthe oxygen was beginning to fail. They saw it also by the lantern'slight, which reddened and lost a part of its brightness. 

One foot above the first hole, Dick Sand began at once to pierce asecond by the same process. If the experiment failed, the water wouldrise still higher inside the cone--but that risk must be run. 

While Dick Sand was working his auger, they heard Cousin Benedict cryout, suddenly:

"Mercy! look--look--look why!"

Hercules raised his lantern and threw its light on Cousin Benedict, whose face expressed the most perfect satisfaction. 

"Yes, " repeated he, "look why those intelligent termites haveabandoned the ant-hill! They had felt the inundation beforehand. Ah!instinct, my friends, instinct. The termites are wiser than we are, much wiser. "

And that was all the moral Cousin Benedict drew from the situation. 

At that moment Dick Sand drew out the ramrod, which had penetrated thewall. A hissing was produced. The water rose another foot inside thecone--the hole had not reached the open air outside. 

The situation was dreadful. Mrs. Weldon, then almost reached by thewater, had raised little Jack in her arms. All were stifling in thisnarrow space. Their ears buzzed. 

The lantern only threw a faint light. 

"Is the cone, then, entirely under water?" murmured Dick Sand. 

He must know; and, in order to know, he must pierce a third hole, atthe very top. 

But it was asphyxia, it was immediate death, if the result of thislast attempt should prove fruitless. The air remaining inside wouldescape through the upper sheet of water, and the water would fill thewhole cone. 

"Mrs. Weldon, " then said Dick Sand, "you know the situation. If wedelay, respirable air will fail us. If the third attempt fails, waterwill fill all this space. Our only chance is that the summit of thecone is above the level of the inundation. We must try this lastexperiment. Are you willing?"

"Do it, Dick!" replied Mrs. Weldon. 

At that moment the lantern went out in that medium already unfit forcombustion. Mrs. Weldon and her companions were plunged in the mostcomplete darkness. 

Dick Sand was perched on Hercules's shoulders. The latter was hangingon to one of the lateral cavities. Only his head was above the bed ofwater. 

Mrs. Weldon, Jack, and Cousin Benedict were in the last story ofcells. 

Dick Sand scratched the wall, and his ramrod pierced the clay rapidly. In this place the wall, being thicker and harder also, was moredifficult to penetrate. Dick Sand hastened, not without terribleanxiety, for by this narrow opening either life was going to penetratewith the air, or with the water it was death. 

Suddenly a sharp hissing was heard. The compressed air escaped--but aray of daylight filtered through the wall. The water only rose eightinches, and stopped, without Dick Sand being obliged to close thehole. The equilibrium was established between the level within andthat outside. The summit of the cone emerged. Mrs. Weldon and hercompanions were saved. 

At once, after a frantic hurra, in which Hercules's thundering voiceprevailed, the cutlasses were put to work. The summit, quicklyattacked, gradually crumbled. The hole was enlarged, the pure airentered in waves, and with it the first rays of the rising sun. Thetop once taken off the cone, it would be easy to hoist themselves onto its wall, and they would devise means of reaching some neighboringheight, above all inundations. 

Dick Sand first mounted to the summit of the cone. 

A cry escaped him. 

That particular noise, too well known by African travelers, thewhizzing of arrows, passed through the air. 

Dick Sand had had time to perceive a camp a hundred feet from theant-hill, and ten feet from the cone, on the inundated plain, longboats, filled with natives. 

It was from one of those boats that the flight of arrows had come themoment the young novice's head appeared out of the hole. 

Dick Sand, in a word, had told all to his companions. Seizing his gun, followed by Hercules, Acteon, and Bat, he reappeared at the summit ofthe cone, and all fired on one of the boats. 

Several natives fell, and yells, accompanied by shots, replied to thedetonation of the fire-arms. 

But what could Dick Sand and his companions do against a hundredAfricans, who surrounded them on all sides?

The ant-hill was assailed. Mrs. Weldon, her child, and CousinBenedict, all were brutally snatched from it, and without having hadtime to speak to each other or to shake hands for the last time, theysaw themselves separated from each other, doubtless in virtue oforders previously given. 

A last boat took away Mrs. Weldon, little Jack and Cousin Benedict. Dick Sand saw them disappear in the middle of the camp. 

As to him, accompanied by Nan, Old Tom, Hercules, Bat, Acteon andAustin, he was thrown into a second boat, which went toward anotherpoint of the hill. 

Twenty natives entered this boat. 

It was followed by five others. 

Resistance was not possible, and nevertheless, Dick Sand and hiscompanions attempted it. Some soldiers of the caravan were woundedby them, and certainly they would have paid for this resistance withtheir lives, if there had not been a formal order to spare them. 

In a few minutes, the passage was made. But just as the boat landed, Hercules, with an irresistible bound, sprang on the ground. Twonatives having sprung on him, the giant turned his gun like a club, and the natives fell, with their skulls broken. 

A moment after, Hercules disappeared under the cover of the trees, in the midst of a shower of balls, as Dick Sand and his companions, having been put on land, were chained like slaves. 

CHAPTER VII. 

IN CAMP ON THE BANKS OF THE COANZA. 

The aspect of the country was entirely changed since the inundation. It had made a lake of the plain where the termite village stood. Thecones of twenty ant-hills emerged, and formed the only projectingpoints on this large basin. 

The Coanza had overflowed during the night, with the waters of itstributaries swelled by the storm. 

This Coanza, one of the rivers of Angola, flows into the Atlantic, ahundred miles from the cape where the "Pilgrim" was wrecked. It wasthis river that Lieutenant Cameron had to cross some years later, before reaching Benguela. The Coanza is intended to become the vehiclefor the interior transit of this portion of the Portuguese colony. Already steamers ascend its lower course, and before ten years elapse, they will ply over its upper bed. Dick Sand had then acted wisely inseeking some navigable river toward the north. The rivulet he hadfollowed had just been emptied into the Coanza. Only for this suddenattack, of which he had had no intimation to put him on his guard, hewould have found the Coanza a mile farther on. His companions and hewould have embarked on a raft, easily constructed, and they would havehad a good chance to descend the stream to the Portuguese villages, where the steamers come into port. There, their safety would besecured. 

It would not be so. 

The camp, perceived by Dick Sand, was established on an elevation nearthe ant-hill, into which fate had thrown him, as in a trap. At thesummit of that elevation rose an enormous sycamore fig-tree, whichwould easily shelter five hundred men under its immense branches. Those who have not seen those giant trees of Central Africa, can formno idea of them. Their branches form a forest, and one could be lostin it. Farther on, great banyans, of the kind whose seeds do notchange into fruits, completed the outline of this vast landscape. 

It was under the sycamore's shelter, hidden, as in a mysteriousasylum, that a whole caravan--the one whose arrival Harris hadannounced to Negoro--had just halted. This numerous procession ofnatives, snatched from their villages by the trader Alvez's agents, were going to the Kazounde market. Thence the slaves, as needed, wouldbe sent either to the barracks of the west coast, or to N'yangwe, toward the great lake region, to be distributed either in upper Egypt, or in the factories of Zanzibar. 

As soon as they arrived at the camp, Dick Sand and his companions hadbeen treated as slaves. Old Tom, his son Austin, Acteon, poor Nan, negroes by birth, though they did not belong to the African race, weretreated like captive natives. After they were disarmed, in spite ofthe strongest resistance, they were held by the throat, two by two, bymeans of a pole six or seven feet long, forked at each end, and closedby an iron rod. By this means they were forced to march in line, onebehind the other, unable to get away either to the right or to theleft. As an over precaution, a heavy chain was attached to theirwaists. They had their arms free, to carry burdens, their feet free tomarch, but they could not use them to flee. Thus they were going totravel hundreds of miles under an overseer's lash. Placed apart, overcome by the reaction which followed the first moments of theirstruggle against the negroes, they no longer made a movement. Why hadthey not been able to follow Hercules in his flight? And, meanwhile, what could they hope for the fugitive? Strong as he was, what wouldbecome of him in that inhospitable country, where hunger, solitude, savage beasts, natives, all were against him? Would he not soon regrethis companion's fate? They, however, had no pity to expect from thechiefs of the caravan, Arabs or Portuguese, speaking a language theycould not understand. These chiefs only entered into communicationwith their prisoners by menacing looks and gestures. 

Dick Sand himself was not coupled with any other slave. He was a whiteman, and probably they had not dared to inflict the common treatmenton him. Unarmed, he had his feet and hands free, but a driver watchedhim especially. He observed the camp, expecting each moment to seeNegoro or Harris appear. His expectation was in vain. He had no doubt, however, that those two miserable men had directed the attack againstthe ant-hill. 

Thus the thought came to him that Mrs. Weldon, little Jack, and CousinBenedict had been led away separately by orders from the American orfrom the Portuguese. Seeing neither one nor the other, he said tohimself that perhaps the two accomplices even accompanied theirvictims. Where were they leading them? What would they do with them?It was his most cruel care. Dick Sand forgot his own situation tothink only of Mrs. Weldon and hers. 

The caravan, camped under the gigantic sycamore, did not count lessthan eight hundred persons, say five hundred slaves of both sexes, two hundred soldiers, porters, marauders, guards, drivers, agents, orchiefs. 

These chiefs were of Arab and Portugese origin. It would be difficultto imagine the cruelties that these inhuman beings inflicted on theircaptives. They struck them without relaxation, and those who fellexhausted, not fit to be sold, were finished with gunshots or theknife. Thus they hold them by terror. But the result of this systemis, that on the arrival of the caravan, fifty out of a hundred slavesare missing from the trader's list. A few may have escaped, but thebones of those who died from torture mark out the long routes from theinterior to the coast. 

It is supposed that the agents of European origin, Portuguese for themost part, are only rascals whom their country has rejected, convicts, escaped prisoners, old slave-drivers whom the authorities have beenunable to hang--in a word, the refuse of humanity. Such was Negoro, such was Harris, now in the service of one of the greatest contractorsof Central Africa, Jose-Antonio Alvez, well known by the traders ofthe province, about whom Lieutenant Cameron has given some curiousinformation. 

The soldiers who escort the captives are generally natives in the payof the traders. But the latter have not the monopoly of those raidswhich procure the slaves for them. The negro kings also make atrociouswars with each other, and with the same object. Then the vanquishedadults, the women and children, reduced to slavery, are sold by thevanquishers for a few yards of calico, some powder, a few firearms, pink or red pearls, and often even, as Livingstone says, in periods offamine, for a few grains of maize. 

The soldiers who escorted old Alvez's caravan might give a true ideaof what African armies are. 

It was an assemblage of negro bandits, hardly clothed, who brandishedlong flint-lock guns, the gun-barrels garnished with a great number ofcopper rings. With such an escort, to which are joined marauders whoare no better, the agents often have all they can do. They disputeorders, they insist on their own halting places and hours, theythreaten to desert, and it is not rare for the agents to be forced toyield to the exactions of this soldiery. 

Though the slaves, men or women, are generally subjected to carryburdens while the caravan is on the march, yet a certain number ofporters accompany it. They are called more particularly "Pagazis, " andthey carry bundles of precious objects, principally ivory. Such is thesize of these elephants' teeth sometimes, of which some weigh as muchas one hundred and sixty pounds, that it takes two of these "Pagazis"to carry them to the factories. Thence this precious merchandise isexported to the markets of Khartoum, of Zanzibar and Natal. 

On arriving, these "Pagazis" are paid the price agreed upon. Itconsists in twenty yards of cotton cloth, or of that stuff which bearsthe name of "Merikani, " a little powder, a handful of cowry (shellsvery common in that country, which serve as money), a few pearls, oreven those of the slaves who would be difficult to sell. The slavesare paid, when the trader has no other money. 

Among the five hundred slaves that the caravan counted, there werefew grown men. That is because, the "Razzia" being finished andthe village set on fire, every native above forty is unmercifullymassacred and hung to a neighboring tree. Only the young adults ofboth sexes and the children are intended to furnish the markets. After these men-hunts, hardly a tenth of the vanquished survive. Thisexplains the frightful depopulation which changes vast territories ofequatorial Africa into deserts. 

Here, the children and the adults were hardly clothed with a rag ofthat bark stuff, produced by certain trees, and called "mbouzon" inthe country. Thus the state of this troop of human beings, womencovered with wounds from the "havildars'" whips, children ghastlyand meager, with bleeding feet, whom their mothers tried to carry inaddition to their burdens, young men closely riveted to the fork, moretorturing than the convict's chain, is the most lamentable that can beimagined. 

Yes, the sight of the miserable people, hardly living, whose voiceshave no sound, ebony skeletons according to Livingstone's expression, would touch the hearts of wild beasts. But so much misery did nottouch those hardened Arabs nor those Portuguese, who, according toLieutenant Cameron, are still more cruel. This is what Cameron says:"To obtain these fifty women, of whom Alvez called himself proprietor, ten villages had been destroyed, ten villages having each from onehundred to two hundred souls: a total of fifteen hundred inhabitants. Some had been able to escape, but the greater part--almost all--hadperished in the flames, had been killed in defending their families, or had died of hunger in the jungle, unless the beasts of prey hadterminated their sufferings more promptly. 

"Those crimes, perpetrated in the center of Africa by men who boast ofthe name of Christians, and consider themselves Portuguese, would seemincredible to the inhabitants of civilized countries. It is impossiblethat the government of Lisbon knows the atrocities committed by peoplewho boast of being her subjects. " _--Tour of the World_. 

In Portugal there have been very warm protestations against theseassertions of Cameron's. 

It need not be said that, during the marches, as during the halts, theprisoners were very carefully guarded. Thus, Dick Sand soon understoodthat he must not even attempt to get away. But then, how find Mrs. Weldon again? That she and her child had been carried away by Negorowas only too certain. The Portuguese had separated her from hercompanions for reasons unknown as yet to the young novice. But hecould not doubt Negoro's intervention, and his heart was breaking atthe thought of the dangers of all kinds which threatened Mrs. Weldon. 

"Ah!" he said to himself, "when I think that I have held those twomiserable men, both of them, at the end of my gun, and that I have notkilled them!"

This thought was one of those which returned most persistently to DickSand's mind. What misfortunes the death, the just death of Harris andNegoro might have prevented! What misery, at least, for those whomthese brokers in human flesh were now treating as slaves!

All the horror of Mrs. Weldon's and little Jack's situation nowrepresented itself to Dick Sand. Neither the mother nor the childcould count on Cousin Benedict. The poor man could hardly take care ofhimself. 

Doubtless they were taking all three to some district remote from theprovince of Angola. But who was carrying the still sick child?

"His mother; yes, his mother, " Dick Sand repeated to himself. "Shewill have recovered strength for him; she will have done what theseunhappy female slaves do, and she will fall like them. Ah! may God putme again in front of her executioners, and I--"

But he was a prisoner! He counted one head in this live-stock that theoverseers were driving to the interior of Africa. He did not even knowwhether Negoro and Harris themselves were directing the convoy ofwhich their victims made a part. Dingo was no longer there to scentthe Portuguese, to announce his approach. Hercules alone might come tothe assistance of the unfortunate Mrs. Weldon. But was that miracle tobe hoped for?

However, Dick Sand fell back again on that idea. He said to himselfthat the strong black man was free. Of his devotion there was nodoubt. All that a human being could do, Hercules would do in Mrs. Weldon's interest. Yes, either Hercules would try to find them and puthimself in communication with them; or if that failed him, he wouldendeavor to concert with him, Dick Sand, and perhaps carry him off, deliver him by force. During the night halts, mingling with theseprisoners, black like them, could he not deceive the soldier'svigilance, reach him, break his bonds, and lead him away into theforest? And both of them, then free, what would they not do for Mrs. Weldon's safety. A water course would enable them to descend to thecoast. Dick Sand would again take up that plan so unfortunatelyprevented by the natives' attack, with new chances of success and agreater knowledge of the difficulties. 

The young novice thus alternated between fear and hope. In fact, heresisted despair, thanks to his energetic nature, and held himself inreadiness to profit by the least chance that might offer itself tohim. 

What he most desired to know was to what market the agents were takingthe convoy of slaves. Was it to one of the factories of Angola, andwould it be an affair of a few halting-places only, or would thisconvoy travel for hundreds of miles still, across Central Africa? Theprincipal market of the contractors is that of N'yangwe, in Manyema, on that meridian which divides the African continent into two almostequal parts, there where extends the country of the great lakes, thatLivingstone was then traversing. But it was far from the camp on theCoanza to that village. Months of travel would not suffice to reachit. 

That was one of Dick Sand's most serious thoughts; for, once atN'yangwe, in case even Mrs. Weldon, Hercules, the other blacks andhe should succeed in escaping, how difficult it would be, not to sayimpossible, to return to the seacoast, in the midst of the dangers ofsuch a long route. 

But Dick Sand soon had reason to think that the convoy would soonreach its destination. Though he did not understand the languageemployed by the chiefs of the caravan, sometimes Arab, sometimes theAfrican idiom, he remarked that the name of an important market ofthat region was often pronounced. It was the name Kazounde, and heknew that a very great trade in slaves was carried on there. He wasthen naturally led to believe that there the fate of the prisonerswould be decided, whether for the profit of the king of that districtor for the benefit of some rich trader of the country. We know that hewas not mistaken. 

Now, Dick Sand, being posted in the facts of modern geography, knewvery exactly what is known of Kazounde. The distance from SaintPaul de Loanda to this city does not exceed four hundred miles, andconsequently two hundred and fifty miles, at the most, separatesit from the camp established on the Coanza. Dick Sand made hiscalculation approximately, taking the distance traveled by thelittle troop under Harris's lead as the base. Now, under ordinarycircumstances, this journey would only require from ten to twelvedays. Doubling that time for the needs of a caravan already exhaustedby a long route, Dick Sand might estimate the length of the journeyfrom the Coanza to Kazounde at three weeks. 

Dick Sand wished very much to impart what he believed he knew to Tomand his companions. It would be a kind of consolation for them to beassured that they were not being led to the center of Africa, intothose fatal countries which they could not hope to leave. Now, a fewwords uttered in passing would be sufficient to enlighten them. Wouldhe succeed in saying those words?

Tom and Bat--chance had reunited the father and son--Acteon andAustin, forked two by two, were at the right extremity of the camp. Anoverseer and a dozen soldiers watched them. 

Dick Sand, free in his movements, resolved to gradually diminish thedistance that separated him from his companions to fifty steps. Hethen commenced to maneuver to that end. 

Very likely old Tom divined Dick Sand's thought. A word, pronounced ina low voice, warned his companions to be attentive. They did not stir, but they kept themselves ready to see, as well as to hear. 

Soon, with an indifferent air, Dick Sand had gained fifty steps more. From the place where he then was, he could have called out, in sucha manner as to be heard, that name Kazounde, and tell them whatthe probable length of the journey would be. But to complete hisinstructions, and confer with them on their conduct during thejourney, would be still better. He then continued to draw nearer tothem. Already his heart was beating with hope; he was only a fewsteps from the desired end, when the overseer, as if he had suddenlypenetrated his intention, rushed on him. At the cries of that enragedperson, ten soldiers ran to the spot, and Dick Sand was brutally ledback to the rear, while Tom and his companions were taken to the otherextremity of the camp. 

Exasperated, Dick Sand had thrown himself upon the overseer. He hadended by breaking his gun in his hands. He had almost succeeded insnatching it from him. But seven or eight soldiers assailed him atonce, and force was used to secure him. Furious, they would havemassacred him, if one of the chiefs of the caravan, an Arab of greatheight and ferocious physiognomy, had not intervened. This Arab wasthe chief Ibn Hamis, of whom Harris had spoken. He pronounced a fewwords which Dick Sand could not understand, and the soldiers, obligedto release their prey, went away. 

It was, then, very evident, for one thing, that there had been aformal order not to allow the young novice to communicate with hiscompanions; and for another, that his life should not be taken. 

Who could have given such orders, if not Harris or Negoro?

At that moment--it was nine o'clock in the morning, April 19th--theharsh sounds from a "condou's" horn (a kind of ruminating animal amongthe African deer) burst forth, and the drum was heard. The halt wasgoing to end. 

All, chiefs, porters, soldiers, slaves, were immediately on foot. Laden with their packs, several groups of captives were formed underthe leadership of an overseer, who unfurled a banner of bright colors. 

The signal for departure was given. Songs then rose on the air; butthey were the vanquished, not the vanquishers, who sang thus. 

This is what they said in these songs--a threatening expression of asimple faith from the slaves against their oppressors--against theirexecutioners:

"You have sent me to the coast, but I shall be dead; I shall have ayoke no longer, and I shall return to kill you. "

CHAPTER VIII. 

SOME OF DICK SAND'S NOTES. 

Though the storm of the day before had ceased, the weather was stillvery unsettled. It was, besides, the period of the "masika, " thesecond period of the rainy season, under this zone of the Africanheaven. The nights in particular would be rainy during one, two, orthree weeks, which could only increase the misery of the caravan. 

It set out that day in cloudy weather, and, after quitting the banksof the Coanza, made its way almost directly to the east. Fiftysoldiers marched at the head, a hundred on each of the two sides ofthe convoy, the rest as a rear-guard. It would be difficult for theprisoners to flee, even if they had not been chained. Women, children, and men were going pell-mell, and the overseers urged them on with thewhip. There were unfortunate mothers who, nursing one child, held asecond by the hand that was free. Others dragged these little beingsalong, without clothing, without shoes, on the sharp grasses of thesoil. 

The chief of the caravan, that ferocious Ibn Hamis, who had interferedin the struggle between Dick Sand and his overseer, watched this wholetroop, going backwards and forwards from the head to the foot of thelong column. If his agents and he troubled themselves but little aboutthe sufferings of their captives, they must reckon more seriouslyeither with the soldiers who claimed some additional rations, or withthe "pagazis" who wanted to halt. Thence discussions; often even anexchange of brutality. The slaves suffered more from the overseers'constant irritation. Nothing was heard but threats from one side, andcries of grief from the other. Those who marched in the last rankstreaded a soil that the first had stained with their blood. 

Dick Sand's companions, always carefully kept in front of the convoy, could have no communication with him. They advanced in file, the neckheld in the heavy fork, which did not permit a single head-movement. The whips did not spare them any more than their sad companions inmisfortune. 

Bat, coupled with his father, marched before him, taxing his ingenuitynot to shake the fork, choosing the best places to step on, becauseold Tom must pass after him. From time to time, when the overseer wasa little behind, he uttered various words of encouragement, some ofwhich reached Tom. He even tried to retard his march, if he felt thatTom was getting tired. It was suffering, for this good son to beunable to turn his head towards his good father, whom he loved. Doubtless, Tom had the satisfaction of seeing his son; however, hepaid dear for it. How many times great tears flowed from his eyes whenthe overseer's whip fell upon Bat! It was a worse punishment than ifit had fallen on his own flesh. 

Austin and Acteon marched a few steps behind, tied to each other, andbrutally treated every moment. Ah, how they envied Hercules's fate!Whatever were the dangers that threatened the latter in that savagecountry, he could at least use his strength and defend his life. 

During the first moments of their captivity, old Tom had finally madeknown the whole truth to his companions. They had learned from him, totheir profound astonishment, that they were in Africa; that Negoro'sand Harris's double treachery had first thrown them there, and thenled them away, and that no pity was to be expected from their masters. 

Nan was not better treated. She made part of a group of women whooccupied the middle of the convoy. They had chained her with a youngmother of two children, one at the breast, the other aged three years, who walked with difficulty. Nan, moved with pity, had burdened herselfwith the little creature, and the poor slave had thanked her by atear. Nan then carried the infant, at the same time, sparing her thefatigue, to which she would have yielded, and the blows the overseerwould have given her. But it was a heavy burden for old Nan. She feltthat her strength would soon fail her, and then she thought of littleJack. She pictured him to herself in his mother's arms. Sickness hadwasted him very much, but he must be still heavy for Mrs. Weldon'sweakened arms. Where was she? What would become of her? Would her oldservant ever see her again?

Dick Sand had been placed almost in the rear of the convoy. He couldneither perceive Tom, nor his companions, nor Nan. The head of thelong caravan was only visible to him when it was crossing some plain. He walked, a prey, to the saddest thoughts, from which the agents'cries hardly drew his attention. He neither thought of himself, northe fatigues he must still support, nor of the tortures probablyreserved for him by Negoro. He only thought of Mrs. Weldon. In rainhe sought on the ground, on the brambles by the paths, on the lowerbranches of the trees, to find some trace of her passage. She couldnot have taken another road, if, as everything indicated, theywere leading her to Kazounde. What would he not give to find someindication of her march to the destination where they themselves werebeing led!

Such was the situation of the young novice and his companions in bodyand mind. But whatever they might have to fear for themselves, greatas was their own sufferings, pity took possession of them on seeingthe frightful misery of that sad troop of captives, and the revoltingbrutality of their masters. Alas! they could do nothing to succor theafflicted, nothing to resist the others. 

All the country situated east of the Coanza was only a forest for overan extent of twenty miles. The trees, however, whether they perishunder the biting of the numerous insects of these countries, orwhether troops of elephants beat them down while they are still young, are less crowded here than in the country next to the seacoast. Themarch, then, under the trees, would not present obstacles. The shrubsmight be more troublesome than the trees. There was, in fact, anabundance of those cotton-trees, seven to eight feet high, the cottonof which serves to manufacture the black and white striped stuffs usedin the interior of the province. 

In certain places, the soil transformed itself into thick jungles, inwhich the convoy disappeared. Of all the animals of the country, the elephants and giraffes alone were taller than those reeds whichresemble bamboos, those herbs, the stalks of which measure an inch indiameter. The agents must know the country marvelously well, not to belost in these jungles. 

Each day the caravan set out at daybreak, and only halted at middayfor an hour. Some packs containing tapioca were then opened, and thisfood was parsimoniously distributed to the slaves. To this potatoeswere added, or goat's meat and veal, when the soldiers had pillagedsome village in passing. But the fatigue had been such, the repose soinsufficient, so impossible even during these rainy nights, that whenthe hour for the distribution of food arrived the prisoners couldhardly eat. So, eight days after the departure from the Coanza, twentyhad fallen by the way, at the mercy of the beasts that prowled behindthe convoy. Lions, panthers and leopards waited for the victims whichcould not fail them, and each evening after sunset their roaringsounded at such a short distance that one might fear a direct attack. 

On hearing those roars, rendered more formidable by the darkness, Dick Sand thought with terror of the obstacles such encounters wouldpresent against Hercules's enterprise, of the perils that menaced eachof his steps. And meanwhile if he himself should find an opportunityto flee, he would not hesitate. 

Here are some notes taken by Dick Sand during this journey from theCoanza to Kazounde. Twenty-five "marches" were employed to make thisdistance of two hundred and fifty miles, the "march" in the traders'language being ten miles, halting by day and night. 

_From 25th to 27th April. _--Saw a village surrounded by walls ofreeds, eight or nine feet high. Fields cultivated with maize, beans, "sorghas" and various arachides. Two blacks seized and made prisoners. Fifteen killed. Population fled. 

The next day crossed an impetuous river, one hundred and fifty yardswide. Floating bridge, formed of trunks of trees, fastened withlianes. Piles half broken. Two women, tied to the same fork, precipitated into the water. One was carrying her little child. Thewaters are disturbed and become stained with blood. Crocodiles glidebetween the parts of the bridge. There is danger of stepping intotheir open mouths. 

_April 28th_. --Crossed a forest of bauhiniers. Trees of straighttimber--those which furnish the iron wood for the Portuguese. 

Heavy rain. Earth wet. March extremely painful. 

Perceived, toward the center of the convoy, poor Nan, carryinga little negro child in her arms. She drags herself along withdifficulty. The slave chained with her limps, and the blood flows fromher shoulder, torn by lashes from the whip. 

In the evening camped under an enormous baobab with white flowers anda light green foliage. 

During the night roars of lions and leopards. Shots fired by one ofthe natives at a panther. What has become of Hercules?

_April 29th and 30th_. --First colds of what they call the Africanwinter. Dew very abundant. End of the rainy season with the month ofApril; it commences with the month of November. Plains still largelyinundated. East winds which check perspiration and renders one moreliable to take the marsh fevers. 

No trace of Mrs. Weldon, nor of Mr. Benedict. Where would they takethem, if not to Kazounde? They must have followed the road of thecaravan and preceded us. I am eaten up with anxiety. Little Jack mustbe seized again with the fever in this unhealthy region. But does hestill live?

_From May 1st to May 6th_. --Crossed, with several halting-places, long plains, which evaporation has not been able to dry up. Watereverywhere up to the waist. Myriads of leeches adhering to the skin. We must march for all that. On some elevations that emerge are lotusand papyrus. At the bottom, under the water, other plants, with largecabbage leaves, on which the feet slip, which occasions numerousfalls. 

In these waters, considerable quantities of little fish of the silurusspecies. The natives catch them by billions in wickers and sell themto the caravans. 

Impossible to find a place to camp for the night. We see no limit tothe inundated plain. We must march in the dark. To-morrow many slaveswill be missing from the convoy. What misery! When one falls, why getup again? A few moments more under these waters, and all would befinished. The overseer's stick would not reach you in the darkness. 

Yes, but Mrs. Weldon and her son! I have not the right to abandonthem. I shall resist to the end. It is my duty. 

Dreadful cries are heard in the night. Twenty soldiers have torn somebranches from resinous trees whose branches were above water. Lividlights in the darkness. 

This is the cause of the cries I heard. An attack of crocodiles;twelve or fifteen of those monsters have thrown themselves in thedarkness on the flank of the caravan. 

Women and children have been seized and carried away by the crocodilesto their "pasture lands"--so Livingstone calls those deep holes wherethis amphibious animal deposits its prey, after having drowned it, forit only eats it when it has reached a certain degree of decomposition. 

I have been rudely grazed by the scales of one of these crocodiles. Anadult slave has been seized near me and torn from the fork that heldhim by the neck. The fork was broken. What a cry of despair! What ahowl of grief! I hear it still!

_May 7th and 8th_. --The next day they count the victims. Twenty slaveshave disappeared. 

At daybreak I look for Tom and his companions. God be praised! theyare living. Alas! ought I to praise God? Is one not happier to be donewith all this misery!

Tom is at the head of the convoy. At a moment when his son Bat made aturn, the fork was presented obliquely, and Tom was able to see me. 

I search in vain for old Nan. Is she in the central group? or has sheperished during that frightful night?

The next day, passed the limit of the inundated plain, aftertwenty-four hours in the water. We halt on a hill. The sun dries usa little. We eat, but what miserable food! A little tapioca, a fewhandfuls of maize. Nothing but the troubled water to drink. Prisonersextended on the ground--how many will not get up!

No! it is not possible that Mrs. Weldon and her son have passedthrough so much misery! God would be so gracious to them as to havethem led to Kazounde by another road. The unhappy mother could notresist. 

New case of small-pox in the caravan; the "ndoue, " as they say. Thesick could not be able to go far. Will they abandon them?

_May 9th_. --They have begun the march again at sunrise. No laggards. The overseer's whip has quickly raised those overcome by fatigue orsickness. Those slaves have a value; they are money. The agents willnot leave them behind while they have strength enough to march. 

I am surrounded by living skeletons. They have no longer voice enoughto complain. I have seen old Nan at last. She is a sad sight. Thechild she was carrying is no longer in her arms. She is alone, too. That will be less painful for her; but the chain is still around herwaist, and she has been obliged to throw the end over her shoulder. 

By hastening, I have been able to draw near her. One would say thatshe did not recognize me. Am I, then, changed to that extent?

"Nan, " I said. 

The old servant looked at me a long time, and then she exclaimed:

"You, Mr. Dick! I--I--before long I shall be dead!"

"No, no! Courage!" I replied, while my eyes fell so as not to see whatwas only the unfortunate woman's bloodless specter. 

"Dead!" she continued; "and I shall not see my dear mistress again, nor my little Jack. My God! my God! have pity on me!"

I wished to support old Nan, whose whole body trembled under her tornclothing. It would have been a mercy to see myself tied to her, andto carry my part of that chain, whose whole weight she bore since hercompanion's death. 

A strong arm pushes me back, and the unhappy Nan is thrown back intothe crowd of slaves, lashed by the whips. I wished to throw myself onthat brutal----The Arab chief appears, seizes my arm, and holds metill I find myself again in the caravan's last rank. 

Then, in his turn, he pronounces the name, "Negoro!"

Negoro! It is then by the Portuguese's orders that he acts and treatsme differently from my companions in misfortune?

For what fate am I reserved?

_May 10th_. --To-day passed near two villages in flames. The stubbleburns on all sides. Dead bodies are hung from the trees the fire hasspared. Population fled. 

Fields devastated. The _razzie_ is exercised there. Two hundredmurders, perhaps, to obtain a dozen slaves. 

Evening has arrived. Halt for the night. Camp made under great trees. High shrubs forming a thicket on the border of the forest. 

Some prisoners fled the night before, after breaking their forks. They have been retaken, and treated with unprecedented cruelty. Thesoldiers' and overseers' watchfulness is redoubled. 

Night has come. Roaring of lions and hyenas, distant snorting ofhippopotami. Doubtless some lake or watercourse near. 

In spite of my fatigue, I cannot sleep. I think of so many things. 

Then, it seems to me that I hear prowling in the high grass. Someanimal, perhaps. Would it dare force an entrance into the camp?

I listen. Nothing! Yes! An animal is passing through the reeds. I amunarmed! I shall defend myself, nevertheless. My life may be useful toMrs. Weldon, to my companions. 

I look through the profound darkness. There is no moon. The night isextremely dark. 

Two eyes shine in the darkness, among the papyrus--two eyes of a hyenaor a leopard. They disappear--reappear. 

At last there is a rustling of the bushes. An animal springs upon me!

I am going to cry out, to give the alarm. Fortunately, I was able torestrain myself. I cannot believe my eyes! It is Dingo! Dingo, who isnear me! Brave Dingo! How is it restored to me? How has it been ableto find me again? Ah! instinct! Would instinct be sufficient toexplain such miracles of fidelity? It licks my hands. Ah! good dog, now my only friend, they have not killed you, then!

It understands me. 

I return its caresses. 

It wants to bark. 

I calm it. It must not be heard. 

Let it follow the caravan in this way, without being seen, andperhaps----But what! It rubs its neck obstinately against my hands. Itseems to say to me: "Look for something. " I look, and I feel somethingthere, fastened to its neck. A piece of reed is slipped under thecollar, on which are graven those two letters, S. V. , the mystery ofwhich is still inexplicable to us. 

Yes. I have unfastened the reed. I have broken it! There is aletter inside. But this letter--I cannot read it. I must wait fordaylight!--daylight! I should like to keep Dingo; but the goodanimal, even while licking my hands, seems in a hurry to leave me. Itunderstands that its mission is finished. With one bound aside, itdisappears among the bushes without noise. May God spare it from thelions' and hyenas' teeth!

Dingo has certainly returned to him who sent it to me. 

This letter, that I cannot yet read, burns my hands! Who has writtenit? Would it come from Mrs. Weldon? Does it come from Hercules? Howhas the faithful animal, that we believed dead, met either the oneor the other? What is this letter going to tell me? Is it a plan ofescape that it brings me? Or does it only give me news of those dearto me? Whatever it may be, this incident has greatly moved me, and hasrelaxed my misery. 

Ah! the day comes so slowly. I watch for the least light on thehorizon. I cannot close my eyes. I still hear the roaring of theanimals. My poor Dingo, can you escape them? At last day is going toappear, and almost without dawn, under these tropical latitudes. 

I settle myself so as not to be seen. I try to read--I cannot yet. Atlast I have read. The letter is from Hercules's hand. It is written ona bit of paper, in pencil. Here is what it says:

 "Mrs. Weldon was taken away with little Jack in a _kitanda_. Harris and Negoro accompany it. They precede the caravan by three or four marches, with Cousin Benedict. I have not been able to communicate with her. I have found Dingo, who must have been wounded by a shot, but cured. Good hope, Mr. Dick. I only think of you all, and I fled to be more useful to you. HERCULES. "

Ah! Mrs. Weldon and her son are living. God be praised! They have notto suffer the fatigues of these rude halting-places. A _kitanda_--itis a kind of litter of dry grass, suspended to a long bamboo, that twomen carry on the shoulder. A stuff curtain covers it over. Mrs. Weldonand her little Jack are in that _kitanda_. What does Harris and Negorowant to do with them? Those wretches are evidently going to Kazounde. Yes, yes, I shall find them again. Ah! in all this misery it is goodnews, it is joy that Dingo has brought me!

_From May 11th to 15th_. --The caravan continues its march. Theprisoners drag themselves along more and more painfully. The majorityhave marks of blood under their feet. I calculate that it will taketen days more to reach Kazounde. How many will have ceased to sufferbefore then? But I--I must arrive there, I shall arrive there. 

It is atrocious! There are, in the convoy, unfortunate ones whosebodies are only wounds. The cords that bind them enter into the flesh. 

Since yesterday a mother carries in her arms her little infant, deadfrom hunger. She will not separate from it. 

Our route is strewn with dead bodies. The smallpox rages with newviolence. 

We have just passed near a tree. To this tree slaves were attached bythe neck. They were left there to die of hunger. 

_From May 16th to 24th_. --I am almost exhausted, but I have no rightto give up. The rains have entirely ceased. We have days of "hardmarching. " That is what the traders call the "tirikesa, " or afternoonmarch. We must go faster, and the ground rises in rather steepascents. 

We pass through high shrubs of a very tough kind. They are the"nyassi, " the branches of which tear the skin off my face, whose sharpseeds penetrate to my skin, under my dilapidated clothes. My strongboots have fortunately kept good. 

The agents have commenced to abandon the slaves too sick to keep up. Besides, food threatens to fail; soldiers and _pagazis_ would revoltif their rations were diminished. They dare not retrench from them, and then so much worse for the captives. 

"Let them eat one another!" said the chief. 

Then it follows that young slaves, still strong, die without theappearance of sickness. I remember what Dr. Livingstone has said onthat subject: "Those unfortunates complain of the heart; they puttheir hands there, and they fall. It is positively the heartthat breaks! That is peculiar to free men, reduced to slaveryunexpectedly!"

To-day, twenty captives who could no longer drag themselves along, have been massacred with axes, by the _havildars_! The Arab chief isnot opposed to massacre. The scene has been frightful!

Poor old Nan has fallen under the knife, in this horrible butchery!I strike against her corpse in passing! I cannot even give her aChristian burial! She is first of the "Pilgrim's" survivors whom Godhas called back to him. Poor good creature! Poor Nan!

I watch for Dingo every night. It returns no more! Has misfortuneovertaken it or Hercules? No! no! I do not want to believe it! Thissilence, which appears so long to me, only proves one thing--it isthat Hercules has nothing new to tell me yet. Besides, he must beprudent, and on his guard. 

 * * * * *

CHAPTER IX. 

KAZOUNDE. 

ON May 26th, the caravan of slaves arrived at Kazounde. Fifty percent. Of the prisoners taken in the last raid had fallen on the road. Meanwhile, the business was still good for the traders; demands werecoming in, and the price of slaves was about to rise in the Africanmarkets. 

Angola at this period did an immense trade in blacks. The Portugueseauthorities of St. Paul de Loanda, or of Benguela, could not stop itwithout difficulty, for the convoys traveled towards the interiorof the African continent. The pens near the coast overflowed withprisoners, the few slavers that succeeded in eluding the cruisersalong the shore not being sufficient to carry all of them to theSpanish colonies of America. 

Kazounde, situated three hundred miles from the mouth of the Coanza, is one of the principal "lakonis, " one of the most important marketsof the province. On its grand square the "tchitoka" business istransacted; there, the slaves are exposed and sold. It is from thispoint that the caravans radiate toward the region of the great lakes. 

Kazounde, like all the large towns of Central Africa, is divided intotwo distinct parts. One is the quarter of the Arab, Portuguese ornative traders, and it contains their pens; the other is the residenceof the negro king, some ferocious crowned drunkard, who reigns throughterror, and lives from supplies furnished by the contractors. 

At Kazounde, the commercial quarter then belonged to that Jose-AntonioAlvez, of whom Harris and Negoro had spoken, they being simply agentsin his pay. This contractor's principal establishment was there, hehad a second at Bihe, and a third at Cassange, in Benguela, whichLieutenant Cameron visited some years later. 

Imagine a large central street, on each side groups of houses, "tembes, " with flat roofs, walls of baked earth, and a square courtwhich served as an enclosure for cattle. At the end of the street wasthe vast "tchitoka" surrounded by slave-pens. Above this collectionof buildings rose some enormous banyans, whose branches swayed withgraceful movements. Here and there great palms, with their heads inthe air, drove the dust on the streets like brooms. Twenty birds ofprey watched over the public health. Such is the business quarter ofKazounde. 

Near by ran the Louhi, a river whose course, still undetermined, is anaffluent, or at least a sub-affluent, of the Coango, a tributary ofthe Zoire. 

The residence of the King of Kazounde, which borders on the businessquarter, is a confused collection of ill-built hovels, which spreadover the space of a mile square. Of these hovels, some are open, others are inclosed by a palisade of reeds, or bordered with a hedgeof fig-trees. In one particular enclosure, surrounded by a fence ofpapyrus, thirty of these huts served us dwellings for the chief'sslaves, in another group lived his wives, and a "tembe, " still largerand higher, was half hidden in a plantation of cassada. Such wasthe residence of the King of Kazounde, a man of fifty--named MoiniLoungga; and already almost deprived of the power of his predecessors. He had not four thousand of soldiers there, where the principalPortuguese traders could count twenty thousand, and he could nolonger, as in former times, decree the sacrifice of twenty-five orthirty slaves a day. 

This king was, besides, a prematurely-aged man, exhausted by debauch, crazed by strong drink, a ferocious maniac, mutilating his subjects, his officers or his ministers, as the whim seized him, cutting thenose and ears off some, and the foot or the hand from others. His owndeath, not unlooked for, would be received without regret. 

A single man in all Kazounde might, perhaps, lose by the death ofMoini Loungga. This was the contractor, Jose-Antonio Alvez, who agreedvery well with the drunkard, whose authority was recognized by thewhole province. If the accession of his first wife, Queen Moini, should be contested, the States of Moini Loungga might be invaded bya neighboring competitor, one of the kings of Oukonson. The latter, being younger and more active, had already seized some villagesbelonging to the Kazounde government. He had in his services anothertrader, a rival of Alvez Tipo-Tipo, a black Arab of a pure race, whomCameron met at N'yangwe. 

What was this Alvez, the real sovereign under the reign of an imbrutednegro, whose vices he had developed and served?

Jose-Antonio Alvez, already advanced in years, was not, as one mightsuppose, a "msoungou, " that is to say, a man of the white race. Therewas nothing Portuguese about him but his name, borrowed, no doubt, forthe needs of commerce. He was a real negro, well known among traders, and called Kenndele. He was born, in fact, at Donndo, or the bordersof the Coanza. He had commenced by being simply the agent of theslave-brokers, and would have finished as a famous trader, that is tosay, in the skin of an old knave, who called himself the most honestman in the world. 

Cameron met this Alvez in the latter part of 1874, at Kilemmba, thecapital of Kassonngo, chief of Ouroua. He guided Cameron with hiscaravan to his own establishment at Bihe, over a route of sevenhundred miles. The convoy of slaves, on arriving at Kazounde, had beenconducted to the large square. 

It was the 26th of May. Dick Sand's calculations were then verified. The journey had lasted thirty-eight days from the departure of thearmy encamped on the banks of the Coanza. Five weeks of the mostfearful miseries that human beings could support. 

It was noon when the train entered Kazounde. The drums were beaten, horns were blown in the midst of the detonations of fire-arms. Thesoldiers guarding the caravan discharged their guns in the air, andthe men employed by Jose-Antonio Alvez replied with interest. Allthese bandits were happy at meeting again, after an absence which hadlasted for four months. They were now going to rest and make up forlost time in excesses and idleness. 

The prisoners then formed a total of two hundred and fifty, themajority being completely exhausted. After having been driven likecattle, they were to be shut up in pens, which American farmers wouldnot have used for pigs. Twelve or fifteen hundred other captivesawaited them, all of whom would be exposed in the market at Kazoundeon the next day but one. These pens were filled up with the slavesfrom the caravan. The heavy forks had been taken off them, but theywere still in chains. 

The "pagazis" had stopped on the square after having disposed of theirloads of ivory, which the Kazounde dealers would deliver. Then, beingpaid with a few yards of calico or other stuff at the highest price, they would return and join some other caravan. 

Old Tom and his companions had been freed from the iron collar whichthey had carried for five weeks. Bat and his father embraced eachother, and all shook hands; but no one ventured to speak. What couldthey say that would not be an expression of despair. Bat, Acteon andAustin, all three vigorous, accustomed to hard work, had been ableto resist fatigue; but old Tom, weakened by privations, was nearlyexhausted. A few more days and his corpse would have been left, likepoor Nan's, as food for the beasts of the province. 

As soon as they arrived, the four men had been placed in a narrow pen, and the door had been at once shut upon them. There they had foundsome food, and they awaited the trader's visit, with whom, althoughquite in vain, they intended to urge the fact that they wereAmericans. 

Dick Sand had remained alone on the square, under the special care ofa keeper. 

At length he was at Kazounde, where he did not doubt that Mrs. Weldon, little Jack, and Cousin Benedict had preceded him. He had looked forthem in crossing the various quarters of the town, even in the depthsof the "tembes" that lined the streets, on this "tchitoka" now almostdeserted. 

Mrs. Weldon was not there. 

"Have they not brought her here?" he asked himself. "But where couldshe be? No; Hercules cannot be mistaken. Then, again, he must havelearned the secret designs of Negoro and Harris; yet they, too--I donot see them. "

Dick Sand felt the most painful anxiety. He could understand that Mrs. Weldon, retained a prisoner, would be concealed from him. But Harrisand Negoro, particularly the latter, should hasten to see him, now intheir power, if only to enjoy their triumph--to insult him, torturehim, perhaps avenge themselves. From the fact that they were notthere, must he conclude that they had taken another direction, andthat Mrs. Weldon was to be conducted to some other point of CentralAfrica? Should the presence of the American and the Portuguese be thesignal for his punishment, Dick Sand impatiently desired it. Harrisand Negoro at Kazounde, was for him the certainty that Mrs. Weldon andher child were also there. 

Dick Sand then told himself that, since the night when Dingo hadbrought him Hercules's note, the dog had not been seen. The young manhad prepared an answer at great risks. In it he told Hercules tothink only of Mrs. Weldon, not to lose sight of her, and to keep herinformed as well as possible of what happened; but he had not beenable to send it to its destination. If Dingo had been able topenetrate the ranks of the caravan once, why did not Hercules lethim try it a second time? Had the faithful animal perished in somefruitless attempt? Perhaps Hercules was following Mrs. Weldon, as DickSand would have done in his place. Followed by Dingo, he might haveplunged into the depths of the woody plateau of Africa, in the hope ofreaching one of the interior establishments. 

What could Dick Sand imagine if, in fact, neither Mrs. Weldon nor herenemies were there? He had been so sure, perhaps foolishly, of findingthem at Kazounde, that not to see them there at once gave him aterrible shock. He felt a sensation of despair that he could notsubdue. His life, if it were no longer useful to those whom he loved, was good for nothing, and he had only to die. But, in thinking in thatmanner, Dick Sand mistook his own character. Under the pressure ofthese trials, the child became a man, and with him discouragementcould only be an accidental tribute paid to human nature. 

A loud concert of trumpet-calls and cries suddenly commenced. DickSand, who had just sunk down in the dust of the "tchitoka, " stood up. Every new incident might put him on the track of those whom he sought. 

In despair a moment before, he now no longer despaired. 

"Alvez! Alvez!" This name was repeated by a crowd of natives andsoldiers who now invaded the grand square. The man on whom the fateof so many unfortunate people depended was about to appear. It waspossible that his agents, Harris and Negoro, were with him. Dick Sandstood upright, his eyes open, his nostrils dilated. The two traitorswould find this lad of fifteen years before them, upright, firm, looking them in the face. It would not be the captain of the "Pilgrim"who would tremble before the old ship's cook. 

A hammock, a kind of "kitanda" covered by an old patched curtain, discolored, fringed with rags, appeared at the end of the principalstreet. An old negro descended. It was the trader, Jose-Antonio Alvez. Several attendants accompanied him, making strong demonstrations. 

Along with Alvez appeared his friend Coimbra, the son of Major Coimbraof Bihe, and, according to Lieutenant Cameron, the greatest scamp inthe province. He was a dirty creature, his breast was uncovered, hiseyes were bloodshot, his hair was rough and curly, his face yellow;he was dressed in a ragged shirt and a straw petticoat. He would havebeen called a horrible old man in his tattered straw hat. This Coimbrawas the confidant, the tool of Alvez, an organizer of raids, worthy ofcommanding the trader's bandits. 

As for the trader, he might have looked a little less sordid than hisattendant. He wore the dress of an old Turk the day after a carnival. He did not furnish a very high specimen of the factory chiefs whocarry on the trade on a large scale. 

To Dick Sand's great disappointment, neither Harris nor Negoroappeared in the crowd that followed Alvez. Must he, then, renounce allhope of finding them at Kazounde?

Meanwhile, the chief of the caravan, the Arab, Ibn Hamis, shook handswith Alvez and Coimbra. He received numerous congratulations. Alvezmade a grimace at the fifty per cent. Of slaves failing in the generalcount, but, on the whole, the affair was very satisfactory. Withwhat the trader possessed of human merchandise in his pens, he couldsatisfy the demands from the interior, and barter slaves for ivoryteeth and those "hannas" of copper, a kind of St. Andrew's cross, inwhich form this metal is carried into the center of Africa. 

The overseers were also complimented. As for the porters, the tradergave orders that their salary should be immediately paid them. 

Jose-Antonio Alvez and Coimbra spoke a kind of Portuguese mingledwith a native idiom, which a native of Lisbon would scarcely haveunderstood. Dick Sand could not hear what these merchants were saying. Were they talking of him and his companions, so treacherously joinedto the persons in the convoy? The young man could not doubt it, when, at a gesture from the Arab, Ibn Hamis, an overseer, went toward thepen where Tom, Austin, Bat and Acteon had been shut up. 

Almost immediately the four Americans were led before Alvez. 

Dick Sand slowly approached. He wished to lose nothing of this scene. 

Alvez's face lit up at the sight of these few well-made blacks, towhom rest and more abundant food had promptly restored their naturalvigor. He looked with contempt at old Tom, whose age would affect hisvalue, but the other three would sell high at the next Kazounde sale. 

Alvez remembered a few English words which some agents, like theAmerican, Harris, had taught him, and the old monkey thought he wouldironically welcome his new slaves. 

Tom understood the trader's words; he at once advanced, and, showinghis companions, said:

"We are free men--citizens of the United States. "

Alvez certainly understood him; he replied with a good-humoredgrimace, wagging his head:

"Yes, yes, Americans! Welcome, welcome!"

"Welcome, " added Coimbra. 

He advanced toward Austin, and like a merchant who examines a sample, after having felt his chest and his shoulders, he wanted to make himopen his mouth, so as to see his teeth. 

But at this moment Signor Coimbra received in his face the worst blowthat a major's son had ever caught. 

Alvez's confidant staggered under it. 

Several soldiers threw themselves on Austin, who would perhaps paydearly for this angry action. 

Alvez stopped them by a look. He laughed, indeed, at the misfortuneof his friend, Coimbra, who had lost two of the five or six teethremaining to him. 

Alvez did not intend to have his merchandise injured. Then, he was ofa gay disposition, and it was a long time since he had laughed somuch. 

Meanwhile, he consoled the much discomfited Coimbra, and the latter, helped to his feet, again took his place near the trader, whilethrowing a menacing look at the audacious Austin. 

At this moment Dick Sand, driven forward by an overseer, was ledbefore Alvez. 

The latter evidently knew all about the young man, whence he came, andhow he had been taken to the camp on the Coanza. 

So he said, after having given him an evil glance:

"The little Yankee!"

"Yes, Yankee!" replied Dick Sand. "What do they wish to do with mycompanions and me?"

"Yankee! Yankee! Yankee!" repeated Alvez. 

Did he not or would he not understand the question put to him?

A second time Dick Sand asked the question regarding his companionsand himself. He then turned to Coimbra, whose features, degraded asthey were by the abuse of alcoholic liquors, he saw were not of nativeorigin. 

Coimbra repeated the menacing gesture already made at Austin, and didnot answer. 

During this time Alvez talked rapidly with the Arab, Ibn Hamis, andevidently of things that concerned Dick Sand and his friends. 

No doubt they were to be again separated, and who could tell ifanother chance to exchange a few words would ever again be offeredthem. 

"My friends, " said Dick, in a low voice, and as if he were onlyspeaking to himself, "just a few words! I have received, by Dingo, aletter from Hercules. He has followed the caravan. Harris and Negorotook away Mrs. Weldon, Jack, and Mr. Benedict. Where? I know not, ifthey are not here at Kazounde. Patience! courage! Be ready at anymoment. God may yet have pity on us!"

"And Nan?" quickly asked old Tom. 

"Nan is dead!"

"The first!"

"And the last!" replied Dick Sand, "for we know well----"

At this moment a hand was laid on his shoulder, and he heard thesewords, spoken in the amiable voice which he knew only too well:

"Ah, my young friend, if I am not mistaken! Enchanted to see youagain!"

Dick Sand turned. 

Harris was before him. 

"Where is Mrs. Weldon?" cried Dick Sand, walking toward the American. 

"Alas!" replied Harris, pretending a pity that he did not feel, "thepoor mother! How could she survive!"

"Dead!" cried Dick Sand. "And her child?"

"The poor baby!" replied Harris, in the same tone, "how could heoutlive such fatigue!"

So, all whom Dick Sand loved were dead!

What passed within him? An irresistible movement of anger, a desirefor vengeance, which he must satisfy at any price!

Dick Sand jumped upon Harris, seized a dagger from the American'sbelt, and plunged it into his heart. 

"Curse you!" cried Harris, falling. 

Harris was dead. 

CHAPTER X. 

THE GREAT MARKET DAY. 

Dick Sand's action had been so rapid that no one could stop him. A fewnatives threw themselves upon him, and he would have been murdered hadnot Negoro appeared. 

At a sign from the Portuguese, the natives drew back, raised Harris'scorpse and carried it away. Alvez and Coimbra demanded Dick Sand'simmediate death, but Negoro said to them in a low voice that theywould lose nothing by waiting. The order was given to take away theyoung novice, with a caution not to lose sight of him for a moment. 

Dick Sand had seen Negoro for the first time since their departurefrom the coast. He knew that this wretch was alone responsible forthe loss of the "Pilgrim. " He ought to hate him still more than hisaccomplices. And yet, after having struck the American, he scorned toaddress a word to Negoro. Harris had said that Mrs. Weldon and herchild had succumbed. Nothing interested him now, not even what theywould do with him. They would send him away. Where? It did not matter. 

Dick Sand, heavily chained, was left on the floor of a pen without awindow, a kind of dungeon where the trader, Alvez, shut up the slavescondemned to death for rebellion or unlawful acts. There he could nolonger have any communication with the exterior; he no longer dreamedof regretting it. He had avenged those whom he loved, who no longerlived. Whatever fate awaited him, he was ready for it. 

It will be understood that if Negoro had stopped the natives who wereabout to punish Harris's murderer, it was only because he wished toreserve Dick Sand for one of those terrible torments of which thenatives hold the secret. The ship's cook held in his power the captainof fifteen years. He only wanted Hercules to make his vengeancecomplete. 

Two days afterward, May 28th, the sale began, the great "lakoni, "during which the traders of the principal factories of the interiorwould meet the natives of the neighboring provinces. This market wasnot specially for the sale of slaves, but all the products of thisfertile Africa would be gathered there with the producers. 

From early morning all was intense animation on the vast "tchitoka" ofKazounde, and it is difficult to give a proper idea of the scene. Itwas a concourse of four or five thousand persons, including Alvez'sslaves, among whom were Tom and his companions. These four men, forthe reason that they belonged to a different race, are all the morevaluable to the brokers in human flesh. Alvez was there, the firstamong all. Attended by Coimbra, he offered the slaves in lots. Thesethe traders from the interior would form into caravans. Among thesetraders were certain half-breeds from Oujiji, the principal marketof Lake Tanganyika, and some Arabs, who are far superior to thehalf-breeds in this kind of trade. 

The natives flocked there in great numbers. There were children, men, and women, the latter being animated traders, who, as regards a geniusfor bargaining, could only be compared to their white sisters. 

In the markets of large cities, even on a great day of sale, there isnever much noise or confusion. Among the civilized the need of sellingexceeds the desire to buy. Among these African savages offers are madewith as much eagerness as demands. 

The "lakoni" is a festival day for the natives of both sexes, and iffor good reasons they do not put on their best clothes, they at leastwear their handsomest ornaments. 

Some wear the hair divided in four parts, covered with cushions, andin plaits tied like a chignon or arranged in pan-handles on the frontof the head with bunches of red feathers. Others have the hair in benthorns sticky with red earth and oil, like the red lead used to closethe joints of machines. In these masses of real or false hair is worna bristling assemblage of skewers, iron and ivory pins, often even, among elegant people, a tattooing-knife is stuck in the crisp mass, each hair of which is put through a "sofi" or glass bead, thus forminga tapestry of different-colored grains. Such are the edifices mostgenerally seen on the heads of the men. 

The women prefer to divide their hair in little tufts of the size ofa cherry, in wreaths, in twists the ends of which form designs inrelief, and in corkscrews, worn the length of the face. A few, moresimple and perhaps prettier, let their long hair hang down the back, in the English style, and others wear it cut over the forehead in afringe, like the French. Generally they wear on these wigs a greasyputty, made of red clay or of glossy "ukola, " a red substanceextracted from sandal-wood, so that these elegant persons look as iftheir heads were dressed with tiles. 

It must not be supposed that this luxury of ornamentation is confinedto the hair of the natives. What are ears for if not to pass pins ofprecious wood through, also copper rings, charms of plaited maize, which draw them forward, or little gourds which do for snuff-boxes, and to such an extent that the distended lobes of these appendagesfall sometimes to the shoulders of their owners?

After all, the African savages have no pockets, and how could theyhave any? This gives rise to the necessity of placing where they cantheir knives, pipes, and other customary objects. As for the neck, arms, wrists, legs, and ankles, these various parts of the body areundoubtedly destined to carry the copper and brass bracelets, thehorns cut off and decorated with bright buttons, the rows of redpearls, called _same-sames_ or "talakas, " and which were veryfashionable. Besides, with these jewels, worn in profusion, thewealthy people of the place looked like traveling shrines. 

Again, if nature gave the natives teeth, was it not that they couldpull out the upper and lower incisors, file them in points, and curvethem in sharp fangs like the fangs of a rattlesnake? If she has placednails at the end of the fingers, is it not that they may grow soimmoderately that the use of the hand is rendered almost impossible?If the skin, black or brown, covers the human frame, is it not so asto zebra it by "temmbos" or tattooings representing trees, birds, crescents, full moons, or waving lines, in which Livingstone thoughthe could trace the designs of ancient Egypt? This tattooing, done byfathers, is practised by means of a blue matter introduced into theincisions, and is "stereotyped" point by point on the bodies of thechildren, thus establishing to what tribe or to what family theybelong. The coat-of-arms must be engraved on the breast, when itcannot be painted on the panel of a carriage. 

Such are the native fashions in ornament. In regard to garmentsproperly so called, they are summed up very easily; for the men, an apron of antelope leather, reaching to the knees, or perhaps apetticoat of a straw material of brilliant colors; for the women, abelt of pearls, supporting at the hips a green petticoat, embroideredin silk, ornamented with glass beads or coury; sometimes they weargarments made of "lambba, " a straw material, blue, black, and yellow, which is much prized by the natives of Zanzibar. 

These, of course, are the negroes of the best families. The others, merchants, and slaves, are seldom clothed. The women generally act asporters, and reach the market with enormous baskets on their back, which they hold by means of a leathern strap passed over the forehead. Then, their places being taken, and the merchandise unpacked, theysquat in their empty baskets. 

The astonishing fertility of the country causes the choice alimentaryproduces to be brought to this "lakoni. " There were quantities of therice which returns a hundred per cent. , of the maize, which, in threecrops in eight months, produces two hundred per cent. , the sesamum, the pepper of Ouroua, stronger than the Cayenne, allspice, tapioca, sorghum, nutmegs, salt, and palm-oil. 

Hundreds of goats were gathered there, hogs, sheep without wool, evidently of Tartar origin, quantities of poultry and fish. Specimensof pottery, very gracefully turned, attracted the eyes by theirviolent colors. 

Various drinks, which the little natives cried about in a squeakingvoice, enticed the unwary, in the form of plantain wine, "pombe, " aliquor in great demand, "malofou, " sweet beer, made from the fruitof the banana-tree and mead, a limpid mixture of honey and waterfermented with malt. 

But what made the Kazounde market still more curious was the commercein stuffs and ivory. 

In the line of stuffs, one might count by thousands of "choukkas"or armfuls, the "Mericani" unbleached calico, come from Salem, inMassachusetts, the "kanaki, " a blue gingham, thirty-four inches wide, the "sohari, " a stuff in blue and white squares, with a red border, mixed with small blue stripes. It is cheaper than the "dioulis, " asilk from Surat, with a green, red or yellow ground, which is worthfrom seventy to eighty dollars for a remnant of three yards when wovenwith gold. 

As for ivory, it was brought from all parts of Central Africa, beingdestined for Khartoum, Zanzibar, or Natal. A large number of merchantsare employed solely in this branch of African commerce. 

Imagine how many elephants are killed to furnish the five hundredthousand kilograms of ivory, which are annually exported to Europeanmarkets, and principally to the English! The western coast of Africaalone produces one hundred and forty tons of this precious substance. The average weight is twenty-eight pounds for a pair of elephant'stusks, which, in 1874, were valued as high as fifteen hundred francs;but there are some that weigh one hundred and seventy-five pounds, andat the Kazounde market, admirers would have found some admirable ones. They were of an opaque ivory, translucid, soft under the tool, andwith a brown rind, preserving its whiteness and not growing yellowwith time like the ivories of other provinces. 

And, now, how are these various business affairs regulated betweenbuyers and sellers? What is the current coin? As we have said, for theAfrican traders this money is the slave. 

The native pays in glass beads of Venetian manufacture, called"catchocolos, " when they are of a lime white; "bouboulous, " whenthey are black; "sikounderetches, " when they are red. These beads orpearls, strung in ten rows or "khetes, " going twice around the neck, make the "foundo, " which is of great value. The usual measure of thebeads is the "frasilah, " which weighs seventy pounds. Livingstone, Cameron, and Stanley were always careful to be abundantly providedwith this money. 

In default of glass beads, the "pice, " a Zanzibar piece, worth fourcentimes, and the "vroungouas, " shells peculiar to the eastern coasts, are current in the markets of the African continent. As for thecannibal tribes, they attach a certain value to the teeth of the humanjaw, and at the "lakoni, " these chaplets were to be seen on the necksof natives, who had no doubt eaten their producers; but these teethwere ceasing to be used as money. 

Such, then, was the appearance of the great market. Toward the middleof the day the gaiety reached a climax; the noise became deafening. The fury of the neglected venders, and the anger of the overchargedcustomers, were beyond description. Thence frequent quarrels, and, aswe know, few guardians of the peace to quell the fray in this howlingcrowd. 

Toward the middle of the day, Alvez gave orders to bring the slaves, whom he wished to sell, to the square. The crowd was thus increased bytwo thousand unfortunate beings of all ages, whom the trader had keptin pens for several months. This "stock" was not in a bad condition. Long rest and sufficient food had improved these slaves so as to lookto advantage at the "lakoni. " As for the last arrivals, they could notstand any comparison with them, and, after a month in the pens, Alvezcould certainly have sold them with more profit. The demands, however, from the eastern coast, were so great that he decided to expose andsell them as they were. 

This was a misfortune for Tom and his three companions. The driverspushed them into the crowd that invaded the "tchitoka. " They werestrongly chained, and their glances told what horror, what fury andshame overwhelmed them. 

"Mr. Dick is not there, " Bat said, after some time, during which hehad searched the vast plain with his eyes. 

"No, " replied Acteon, "they will not put him up for sale. "

"He will be killed, if he is not already, " added the old black. "Asfor us, we have but one hope left, which is, that the same trader willbuy us all. It would be a great consolation not to be separated. "

"Ah! to know that you are far away from me, working like a slave, mypoor, old father!" cried Bat, sobbing aloud. 

"No, " said Tom. "No; they will not separate us, and perhaps wemight----"

"If Hercules were here!" cried Austin. 

But the giant had not reappeared. Since the news sent to Dick Sand, they had heard no one mention either Hercules or Dingo. Should theyenvy him his fate? Why, yes; for if Hercules were dead, he was savedfrom the chains of slavery!

Meanwhile, the sale had commenced. Alvez's agents marched the variouslots of men, women and children through the crowd, without caringif they separated mothers from their infants. May we not call thesebeings "unfortunates, " who were treated only as domestic animals?

Tom and his companions were thus led from buyers to buyers. An agentwalked before them naming the price adjudged to their lot. Arab ormongrel brokers, from the central provinces, came to examine them. They did not discover in them the traits peculiar to the African race, these traits being modified in America after the second generation. But these vigorous and intelligent negroes, so very different from theblacks brought from the banks of the Zambeze or the Loualaba, were allthe more valuable. They felt them, turned them, and looked at theirteeth. Horse-dealers thus examine the animals they wish to buy. Thenthey threw a stick to a distance, made them run and pick it up, andthus observed their gait. 

This was the method employed for all, and all were submitted to thesehumiliating trials. Do not believe that these people are completelyindifferent to this treatment! No, excepting the children, who cannotcomprehend the state of degradation to which they are reduced, all, men or women, were ashamed. 

Besides, they were not spared injuries and blows. Coimbra, half drunk, and Alvez's agents, treated them with extreme brutality, and fromtheir new masters, who had just paid for them in ivory stuffs andbeads, they would receive no better treatment. Violently separated, a mother from her child, a husband from his wife, a brother from asister, they were not allowed a last caress nor a last kiss, and onthe "lakoni" they saw each other for the last time. 

In fact, the demands of the trade exacted that the slaves should besent in different directions, according to their sex. The traders whobuy the men do not buy women. The latter, in virtue of polygamy, whichis legal among the Mussulmans, are sent to the Arabic countries, wherethey are exchanged for ivory. The men, being destined to the hardestlabor, go to the factories of the two coasts, and are exported eitherto the Spanish colonies or to the markets of Muscat and Madagascar. This sorting leads to heart-breaking scenes between those whom theagents separate, and who will die without ever seeing each otheragain. 

The four companions in turn submitted to the common fate. But, to tellthe truth, they did not fear this event. It was better for them tobe exported into a slave colony. There, at least, they might have achance to protest. On the contrary, if sent to the interior, theymight renounce all hope of ever regaining their liberty. 

It happened as they wished. They even had the almost unhoped forconsolation of not being separated. They were in brisk demand, beingwanted by several traders. Alvez clapped his hands. The prices rose. It was strange to see these slaves of unknown value in the Kazoundemarket, and Alvez had taken good care to conceal where they came from. Tom and his friends, not speaking the language of the country, couldnot protest. 

Their master was a rich Arab trader, who in a few days would send themto Lake Tanganyika, the great thoroughfare for slaves; then, from thatpoint, toward the factories of Zanzibar. 

Would they ever reach there, through the most unhealthy and the mostdangerous countries of Central Africa? Fifteen hundred miles to marchunder these conditions, in the midst of frequent wars, raised andcarried on between chiefs, in a murderous climate. Was old Tom strongenough to support such misery? Would he not fall on the road like oldNan? But the poor men were not separated. The chain that held them allwas lighter to carry. The Arab trader would evidently take care ofmerchandise which promised him a large profit in the Zanzibar market. 

Tom, Bat, Acteon, and Austin then left the place. They saw and heardnothing of the scene which was to end the great "lakoni" of Kazounde. 

CHAPTER XI

THE KING OF KAZOUNDE IS OFFERED A PUNCH. 

It was four o'clock in the afternoon when a loud noise of drums, cymbals, and other instruments of African origin resounded at theend of the principal street. In all corners of the market-place theanimation was redoubled. Half a day of cries and wrestling had neitherweakened the voices nor broken the limbs of these abominable traders. A large number of slaves still remained to be sold. The tradersdisputed over the lots with an ardor of which the London Exchangewould give but an imperfect idea, even on a day when stocks wererising. 

All business was stopped, and the criers took their breath as soon asthe discordant concert commenced. 

The King of Kazounde, Moini Loungga, had come to honor the great"lakoni" with a visit. A numerous train of women, officers, soldiersand slaves followed him. Alvez and some other traders went to meethim, and naturally exaggerated the attention which this crowned bruteparticularly enjoyed. 

Moini Loungga was carried in an old palanquin, and descended, notwithout the aid of a dozen arms, in the center of the large square. 

This king was fifty years old, but he looked eighty. Imagine afrightful monkey who had reached extreme old age; on his head a sortof crown, ornamented with leopard's claws, dyed red, and enlargedby tufts of whitish hair; this was the crown of the sovereignsof Kazounde. From his waist hung two petticoats made of leather, embroidered with pearls, and harder than a blacksmith's apron. Hehad on his breast a quantity of tattooing which bore witness to theancient nobility of the king; and, to believe him, the genealogy ofMoini Loungga was lost in the night of time. On the ankles, wrists andarms of his majesty, bracelets of leather were rolled, and he wore apair of domestic shoes with yellow tops, which Alvez had presented himwith about twenty years before. 

His majesty carried in his left hand a large stick with a plated knob, and in his right a small broom to drive away flies, the handle ofwhich was enriched with pearls. 

Over his head was carried one of those old patched umbrellas, whichseemed to have been cut out of a harlequin's dress. 

On the monarch's neck and on his nose were the magnifying glass andthe spectacles which had caused Cousin Benedict so much trouble. Theyhad been hidden in Bat's pocket. 

Such is the portrait of his negro majesty, who made the countrytremble in a circumference of a hundred miles. 

Moini Loungga, from the fact of occupying a throne, pretended to beof celestial origin, and had any of his subjects doubted the fact, hewould have sent them into another world to discover it. He said that, being of a divine essence, he was not subject to terrestrial laws. Ifhe ate, it was because he wished to do so; if he drank, it was becauseit gave him pleasure. It was impossible for him to drink any more. Hisministers and his officers, all incurable drunkards, would have passedbefore him for sober men. 

The court was alcoholized to the last chief, and incessantly imbibedstrong beer, cider, and, above all, a certain drink which Alvezfurnished in profusion. 

Moini Loungga counted in his harem wives of all ages and of all kinds. The larger part of them accompanied him in this visit to the "lakoni. "

Moini, the first, according to date, was a vixen of forty years, ofroyal blood, like her colleagues. She wore a bright tartan, a strawpetticoat embroidered with pearls, and necklaces wherever she couldput them. Her hair was dressed so as to make an enormous framework onher little head. She was, in fact, a monster. 

The other wives, who were either the cousins or the sisters of theking, were less richly dressed, but much younger. They walked behindher, ready to fulfil, at a sign from their master, their duties ashuman furniture. These unfortunate beings were really nothing else. Ifthe king wished to sit down, two of these women bent toward the earthand served him for a chair, while his feet rested on the bodies ofsome others, as if on an ebony carpet. 

In Moini Loungga's suite came his officers, his captains, and hismagicians. 

A remarkable thing about these savages, who staggered like theirmaster, was that each lacked a part of his body--one an ear, anotheran eye, this one the nose, that one the hand. Not one was whole. That is because they apply only two kinds of punishment inKazounde--mutilation or death--all at the caprice of the king. For theleast fault, some amputation, and the most cruelly punished are thosewhose ears are cut off, because they can no longer wear rings in theirears. 

The captains of the _kilolos_, governors of districts, hereditary ornamed for four years, wore hats of zebra skin and red vests for theirwhole uniform. Their hands brandished long palm canes, steeped at oneend with charmed drugs. 

As to the soldiers, they had for offensive and defensive weapons, bows, of which the wood, twined with the cord, was ornamented withfringes; knives, whetted with a serpent's tongue; broad and longlances; shields of palm wood, decorated in arabesque style. For whatthere was of uniform, properly so called, it cost his majesty'streasury absolutely nothing. 

Finally, the kind's cortege comprised, in the last place, the courtmagicians and the instrumentalists. 

The sorcerers, the "mganngas, " are the doctors of the country. These savages attach an absolute faith to divinatory services, toincantations, to the fetiches, clay figures stained with white andred, representing fantastic animals or figures of men and womencut out of whole wood. For the rest, those magicians were not lessmutilated than the other courtiers, and doubtless the monarch paidthem in this way for the cures that did not succeed. 

The instrumentalists, men or women, made sharp rattles whizz, noisydrums sound or shudder under small sticks terminated by a caoutchoucball, "marimehas, " kinds of dulcimers formed of two rows of gourds ofvarious dimensions--the whole very deafening for any one who does notpossess a pair of African ears. 

Above this crowd, which composed the royal cortege, waved some flagsand standards, then at the ends of spears the bleached skulls of therival chiefs whom Moini Loungga had vanquished. 

When the king had quitted his palanquin, acclamations burst forth fromall sides. The soldiers of the caravan discharged their old guns, thelow detonations of which were but little louder than the vociferationsof the crowd. The overseers, after rubbing their black noses withcinnabar powder, which they carried in a sack, bowed to the ground. Then Alvez, advancing in his turn, handed the king a supply of freshtobacco--"soothing herb, " as they call it in the country. MoiniLoungga had great need of being soothed, for he was, they did not knowwhy, in a very bad humor. 

At the same time Alvez, Coimbra, Ibn Hamis, and the Arab traders, or mongrels, came to pay their court to the powerful sovereign ofKazounde. "Marhaba, " said the Arabs, which is their word of welcome inthe language of Central Africa. Others clapped their hands and bowedto the ground. Some daubed themselves with mud, and gave signs of thegreatest servility to this hideous majesty. 

Moini Loungga hardly looked at all these people, and walked, keepinghis limbs apart, as if the ground were rolling and pitching. He walkedin this manner, or rather he rolled in the midst of waves of slaves, and if the traders feared that he might take a notion to apportionsome of the prisoners to himself, the latter would no less dreadfalling into the power of such a brute. 

Negoro had not left Alvez for a moment, and in his company presentedhis homage to the king. Both conversed in the native language, if, however, that word "converse" can be used of a conversation in whichMoini Loungga only took part by monosyllables that hardly found apassage through his drunken lips. And still, did he not ask hisfriend, Alvez, to renew his supply of brandy just exhausted by largelibations?

"King Loungga is welcome to the market of Kazounde, " said the trader. 

"I am thirsty, " replied the monarch. 

"He will take his part in the business of the great 'lakoni, '" addedAlvez. 

"Drink!" replied Moini Loungga. 

"My friend Negoro is happy to see the King of Kazounde again, aftersuch a long absence. "

"Drink!" repeated the drunkard, whose whole person gave forth adisgusting odor of alcohol. 

"Well, some 'pombe'! some mead!" exclaimed Jose-Antonio Alvez, like aman who well knew what Moini Loungga wanted. 

"No, no!" replied the king; "my friend Alvez's brandy, and for eachdrop of his fire-water I shall give him----"

"A drop of blood from a white man!" exclaimed Negoro, after making asign to Alvez, which the latter understood and approved. 

"A white man! Put a white man to death!" repeated Moini Loungga, whoseferocious instincts were aroused by the Portuguese's proposition. 

"One of Alvez's agents has been killed by this white man, " returnedNegoro. 

"Yes, my agent, Harris, " replied the trader, "and his death must beavenged!"

"Send that white man to King Massongo, on the Upper Zaire, among theAssonas. They will cut him in pieces. They will eat him alive. Theyhave not forgotten the taste of human flesh!" exclaimed Moini Loungga. 

He was, in fact, the king of a tribe of man-eaters, that Massongo. It is only too true that in certain provinces of Central Africacannibalism is still openly practised. Livingstone states it in his"Notes of Travel. " On the borders of the Loualaba the Manyemas notonly eat the men killed in the wars, but they buy slaves to devourthem, saying that "human flesh is easily salted, and needs littleseasoning. " Those cannibals Cameron has found again among theMoene-Bongga, where they only feast on dead bodies after steeping themfor several days in a running stream. Stanley has also encounteredthose customs of cannibalism among the inhabitants of the Oukonson. Cannibalism is evidently well spread among the tribes of the center. 

But, cruel as was the kind of death proposed by the king for DickSand, it did not suit Negoro, who did not care to give up his victim. 

"It was here, " said he, "that the white man killed our comradeHarris. "

"It is here that he ought to die!" added Alvez. 

"Where you please, Alvez, " replied Moini Loungga; "but a drop offire-water for a drop of blood!"

"Yes, " replied the trader, "fire-water, and you will see that it wellmerits that name! We shall make it blaze, this water! Jose-AntonioAlvez will offer a punch to the King Moini Loungga. "

The drunkard shook his friend Alvez's hands. He could not contain hisjoy. His wives, his courtiers shared his ecstasy. They had never seenbrandy blaze, and doubtless they counted on drinking it all blazing. Then, after the thirst for alcohol, the thirst for blood, so imperiousamong these savages, would be satisfied also. 

Poor Dick Sand! What a horrible punishment awaited him. When we thinkof the terrible or grotesque effects of intoxication in civilizedcountries, we understand how far it can urge barbarous beings. 

We will readily believe that the thought of torturing a white coulddisplease none of the natives, neither Jose-Antonio Alvez, a negrolike themselves, nor Coimbra, a mongrel of black blood, nor Negoroeither, animated with a ferocious hatred against the whites. 

The evening had come, an evening without twilight, that was going tomake day change tonight almost at once, a propitious hour for theblazing of the brandy. 

It was truly a triumphant idea of Alvez's, to offer a punch to thisnegro majesty, and to make him love brandy under a new form. MoiniLoungga began to find that fire-water did not sufficiently justify itsname. Perhaps, blazing and burning, it would tickle more agreeably theblunted papillas of his tongue. 

The evening's program then comprised a punch first, a punishmentafterwards. 

Dick Sand, closely shut up in his dark prison, would only come out togo to his death. The other slaves, sold or not, had been put back inthe barracks. There only remained at the "tchitoka, " the traders, theoverseers and the soldiers ready to take their part of the punch, ifthe king and his court allowed them. 

Jose-Antonio Alvez, advised by Negoro, did the thing well. Theybrought a vast copper basin, capable of containing at least twohundred pints, which was placed in the middle of the great place. Barrels holding alcohol of inferior quality, but well refined, wereemptied into the basin. They spared neither the cinnamon, nor theallspice, nor any of the ingredients that might improve this punch forsavages. 

All had made a circle around the king. Moini Loungga advancedstaggering to the basin. One would say that this vat of brandyfascinated him, and that he was going to throw himself into it. 

Alvez generously held him back and put a lighted match into his hand. 

"Fire!" cried he with a cunning grimace of satisfaction. 

"Fire!" replied Moini Loungga lashing the liquid with the end of thematch. 

What a flare and what an effect, when the bluish flames played on thesurface of the basin. Alvez, doubtless to render that alcoholstill sharper, had mingled with it a few handfuls of sea salt. Theassistants' faces were then given that spectral lividness that theimagination ascribes to phantoms. 

Those negroes, drunk in advance, began to cry out, to gesticulate, and, taking each other by the hand, formed an immense circle aroundthe King of Kazounde. 

Alvez, furnished with an enormous metal spoon, stirred the liquid, which threw a great white glare over those delirious monkeys. 

Moini Loungga advanced. He seized the spoon from the trader's hands, plunged it into the basin, then, drawing it out full of punch inflames, he brought it to his lips. 

What a cry the King of Kazounde then gave!

An act of spontaneous combustion had just taken place. The king hadtaken fire like a petroleum bonbon. This fire developed little heat, but it devoured none the less. 

At this spectacle the natives' dance was suddenly stopped. 

One of Moini Loungga's ministers threw himself on his sovereign toextinguish him; but, not less alcoholized than his master, he tookfire in his turn. 

In this way, Moini Loungga's whole court was in peril of burning up. 

Alvez and Negoro did not know how to help his majesty. The women, frightened, had taken flight. As to Coimbra, he took his departurerapidly, well knowing his inflammable nature. 

The king and the minister, who had fallen on the ground, were burningup, a prey to frightful sufferings. 

In bodies so thoroughly alcoholized, combustion only produces a lightand bluish flame, that water cannot extinguish. Even stifled outside, it would still continue to burn inwardly. When liquor has penetratedall the tissues, there exists no means of arresting the combustion. 

A few minutes after, Moini Loungga and his minister had succumbed, butthey still burned. Soon, in the place where they had fallen, there wasnothing left but a few light coals, one or two pieces of the vertebralcolumn, fingers, toes, that the fire does not consume, in cases ofspontaneous combustion, but which it covers with an infectious andpenetrating soot. 

It was all that was left of the King of Kazounde and of hisminister. 

CHAPTER XII. 

A ROYAL BURIAL. 

The next day, May 29th, the city of Kazounde presented a strangeaspect. The natives, terrified, kept themselves shut up in their huts. They had never seen a king, who said he was of divine essence, nor asimple minister, die of this horrible death. They had already burnedsome of their fellow-beings, and the oldest could not forget certainculinary preparations relating to cannibalism. 

They knew then how the incineration of a human body takes place withdifficulty, and behold their king and his minister had burnt allalone! That seemed to them, and indeed ought to seem to them, inexplicable. 

Jose-Antonio Alvez kept still in his house. He might fear that hewould be held responsible for the accident. Negoro had informed him ofwhat had passed, warning him to take care of himself. To charge himwith Moini Loungga's death might be a bad affair, from which he mightnot be able to extricate himself without damage. 

But Negoro had a good idea. By his means Alvez spread the report thatthe death of Kazounde's sovereign was supernatural; that the greatManitou only reserved it for his elect. The natives, so inclined tosuperstition, accepted this lie. The fire that came out of the bodiesof the king and his minister became a sacred fire. They had nothing todo but honor Moini Loungga by obsequies worthy of a man elevated tothe rank of the gods. 

These obsequies, with all the ceremonial connected with them among theAfrican tribes, was an occasion offered to Negoro to make Dick Sandplay a part. What this death of Moini Loungga was going to cost inblood, would be believed with difficulty, if the Central Africatravelers, Lieutenant Cameron among others, had not related facts thatcannot be doubted. 

The King of Kazounde's natural heir was the Queen Moini. In proceedingwithout delay with the funeral ceremonies she acted with sovereignauthority, and could thus distance the competitors, among othersthat King of the Oukonson, who tended to encroach upon the rights ofKazounde's sovereigns. Besides, Moini, even by becoming queen, avoidedthe cruel fate reserved for the other wives of the deceased; at thesame time she would get rid of the youngest ones, of whom she, firstin date, had necessarily to complain. This result would particularlysuit the ferocious temperament of that vixen. So she had it announced, with deer's horns and other instruments, that the obsequies of thedefunct king would take place the next evening with all the usualceremony. 

No protestation was made, neither at court nor from the natives. Alvezand the other traders had nothing to fear from the accession of thisQueen Moini. With a few presents, a few flattering remarks, they wouldeasily subject her to their influence. Thus the royal heritage wastransmitted without difficulty. There was terror only in the harem, and not without reason. 

The preparatory labors for the funeral were commenced the same day. Atthe end of the principal street of Kazounde flowed a deep and rapidstream, an affluent of the Coango. The question was to turn thisstream aside, so as to leave its bed dry. It was in that bed that theroyal grave must be dug. After the burial the stream would be restoredto its natural channel. 

The natives were busily employed in constructing a dam, that forcedthe stream to make a provisional bed across the plain of Kazounde. At the last tableau of this funeral ceremony the barricade would bebroken, and the torrent would take its old bed again. 

Negoro intended Dick Sand to complete the number of victims sacrificedon the king's tomb. He had been a witness of the young novice'sirresistible movement of anger, when Harris had acquainted him withthe death of Mrs. Weldon and little Jack. 

Negoro, cowardly rascal, had not exposed himself to the same fate ashis accomplice. But now, before a prisoner firmly fastened by the feetand hands, he supposed he had nothing to fear, and resolved to payhim a visit. Negoro was one of those miserable wretches who are notsatisfied with torturing their victims; they must also enjoy theirsufferings. 

Toward the middle of the day, then, he repaired to the barrack whereDick Sand was guarded, in sight of an overseer. There, closely bound, was lying the young novice, almost entirely deprived of food fortwenty-four hours, weakened by past misery, tortured by those bandsthat entered into his flesh; hardly able to turn himself, he waswaiting for death, no matter how cruel it might be, as a limit to somany evils. 

However, at the sight of Negoro he shuddered from head to foot. Hemade an instinctive effort to break the bands that prevented him fromthrowing himself on that miserable man and having revenge. 

But Hercules himself would not succeed in breaking them. He understoodthat it was another kind of contest that was going to take placebetween the two, and arming himself with calmness, Dick Sand compelledhimself to look Negoro right in the face, and decided not to honor himwith a reply, no matter what he might say. 

"I believed it to be my duty, " Negoro said to him it first, "to cometo salute my young captain for the last time, and to let him know howI regret, for his sake, that he does not command here any longer, ashe commanded on board the 'Pilgrim. '"

And, seeing that Dick Sand did not reply:

"What, captain, do you no longer recognize your old cook? He comes, however, to take your orders, and to ask you what he ought to servefor your breakfast. "

At the same time Negoro brutally kicked the young novice, who waslying on the ground. 

"Besides, " added he, "I should have another question to address toyou, my young captain. Could you yet explain to me, how, wishing toland on the American coast, you have ended by arriving in Angola, where you are?"

Certainly, Dick Sand had no more need of the Portuguese's words tounderstand what he had truly divined, when he knew at last that the"Pilgrim's" compass must have been made false by this traitor. But Negoro's question was an avowal. Still he only replied by acontemptuous silence. 

"You will acknowledge, captain, " continued Kegoro, "that it wasfortunate for you that there was a seaman on board--a real one, atthat. Great God, where would we be without him? Instead of perishingon some breaker, where the tempest would have thrown you, you havearrived, thanks to him, in a friendly port, and if it is to any onethat you owe being at last in a safe place, it is to that seaman whomyou have wronged in despising, my young master!"

Speaking thus, Negoro, whose apparent calmness was only the resultof an immense effort, had brought his form near Dick Sand. His face, suddenly become ferocious, touched him so closely that one wouldbelieve that he was going to devour him. This rascal could no longercontain his fury. 

"Every dog has his day!" he exclaimed, in the paroxysm of fury excitedin him by his victim's calmness. "To-day I am captain, I am master!Your life is in my hands!"

"Take it, " Sand replied, without emotion. "But, know there is inheaven a God, avenger of all crimes, and your punishment is notdistant!"

"If God occupies himself with human beings, there is only time for Himto take care of you!"

"I am ready to appear before the Supreme Judge, " replied Dick Sand, coldly, "and death will not make me afraid. "

"We shall see about that!" howled Negoro. "You count on help of somekind, perhaps--help at Kazounde, where Alvez and I are all-powerful!You are a fool! You say to yourself, perhaps, that your companions arestill there, that old Tom and the others. Undeceive yourself. It is along time since they were sold and sent to Zanzibar--too fortunate ifthey do not die of fatigue on the way!"

"God has a thousand ways of doing justice, " replied Dick Sand. "Thesmallest instrument is sufficient for him. Hercules is free. "

"Hercules!" exclaimed Negoro, striking the ground with his foot; "heperished long ago under the lions' and panthers' teeth. I regretonly one thing, that is, that those ferocious beasts should haveforestalled my vengeance!"

"If Hercules is dead, " replied Dick Sand, "Dingo is alive. A dog likethat, Negoro, is more than enough to take revenge on a man of yourkind. I know you well, Negoro; you are not brave. Dingo will seek foryou; it will know how to find you again. Some day you will die underhis teeth!"

"Miserable boy!" exclaimed the Portuguese, exasperated. "Miserableboy! Dingo died from a ball that I fired at it. It is dead, like Mrs. Weldon and her son; dead, as all the survivors of the 'Pilgrim' shalldie!"

"And as you yourself shall die before long, " replied Dick Sand, whosetranquil look made the Portuguese grow pale. 

Negoro, beside himself, was on the point of passing from words todeeds, and strangling his unarmed prisoner with his hands. Alreadyhe had sprung upon him, and was shaking him with fury, when a suddenreflection stopped him. He remembered that he was going to kill hisvictim, that all would be over, and that this would spare him thetwenty-four hours of torture he intended for him. He then stood up, said a few words to the overseer, standing impassive, commanded him towatch closely over the prisoner, and went out of the barrack. 

Instead of casting him down, this scene had restored all Dick Sand'smoral force. His physical energy underwent a happy reaction, and atthe same time regained the mastery. In bending over him in his rage, had Negoro slightly loosened the bands that till then had rendered allmovement impossible? It was probable, for Dick Sand thought that hismembers had more play than before the arrival of his executioner. Theyoung novice, feeling solaced, said to himself that perhaps it wouldbe possible to get his arms free without too much effort. Guardedas he was, in a prison firmly shut, that would doubtless be only atorture--only a suffering less; but it was such a moment in life whenthe smallest good is invaluable. 

Certainly, Dick Sand hoped for nothing. No human succor could come tohim except from outside, and whence could it come to him? He was thenresigned. To tell the truth, he no longer cared to live. He thought ofall those who had met death before him, and he only aspired to jointhem. Negoro had just repeated what Harris had told him: "Mrs. Weldonand little Jack had succumbed. " It was, indeed, only too probable thatHercules, exposed to so many dangers, must have perished also, andfrom a cruel death. Tom and his companions were at a distance, foreverlost to him--Dick Sand ought to believe it. To hope for anything butthe end of his troubles, by a death that could not be more terriblethan his life, would be signal folly. He then prepared to die, aboveall throwing himself upon God, and asking courage from Him to go onto the end without giving way. But thoughts of God are good and noblethoughts! It is not in vain that one lifts his soul to Him who can doall, and, when Dick Sand had offered his whole sacrifice, he foundthat, if one could penetrate to the bottom of his heart, he mightperhaps discover there a last ray of hope--that glimmer which a breathfrom on high can change, in spite of all probabilities, into dazzlinglight. 

The hours passed away. Night came. The rays of light, that penetratedthrough the thatch of the barrack, gradually disappeared. The lastnoises of the "tchitoka, " which, during that day had been very silent, after the frightful uproar of the night before--those last noisesdied out. Darkness became very profound in the interior of the narrowprison. Soon all reposed in the city of Kazounde. 

Dick Sand fell into a restoring sleep, that lasted two hours. Afterthat he awoke, still stronger. He succeeded in freeing one of hisarms from their bands--it was already a little reduced--and it was adelight for him to be able to extend it and draw it back at will. 

The night must be half over. The overseer slept with heavy sleep, dueto a bottle of brandy, the neck of which was still held in his shuthand. The savage had emptied it to the last drop. Dick Sand's firstidea was to take possession of his jailer's weapons, which might be ofgreat use to him in case of escape; but at that moment he thoughthe heard a slight scratching at the lower part of the door of thebarrack. Helping himself with his arms, he succeeded in crawling asfar as the door-sill without wakening the overseer. 

Dick Sand was not mistaken. The scratching continued, and in a moredistinct manner. It seemed that from the outside some one was diggingthe earth under the door. Was it an animal? Was it a man?

"Hercules! If it were Hercules!" the young novice said to himself. 

His eyes were fixed on his guard; he was motionless, and under theinfluence of a leaden sleep. Dick Sand, bringing his lips to thedoor-sill, thought he might risk murmuring Hercules's name. A moan, like a low and plaintive bark, replied to him. 

"It is not Hercules, " said Dick to himself, "but it is Dingo. He hasscented me as far as this barrack. Should he bring me another wordfrom Hercules? But if Dingo is not dead, Negoro has lied, andperhaps--"

At that moment a paw passed under the door. Dick Sand seized it, andrecognized Dingo's paw. But, if it had a letter, that letter couldonly be attached to its neck. What to do? Was it possible to make thathole large enough for Dingo to put in its head? At all events, he musttry it. 

But hardly had Dick Sand begun to dig the soil with his nails, thanbarks that were not Dingo's sounded over the place. The faithfulanimal had just been scented by the native dogs, and doubtless coulddo nothing more than take to flight. Some detonations burst forth. Theoverseer half awoke. Dick Sand, no longer able to think of escaping, because the alarm was given, must then roll himself up again in hiscorner, and, after a lovely hope, he saw appear that day which wouldbe without a to-morrow for him. 

During all that day the grave-diggers' labors were pushed on withbriskness. A large number of natives took part, under the directionof Queen Moini's first minister. All must be ready at the hour named, under penalty of mutilation, for the new sovereign promised to followthe defunct king's ways, point by point. 

The waters of the brook having been turned aside, it was in the drybed that the vast ditch was dug, to a depth of ten feet, over anextent of fifty feet long by ten wide. 

Toward the end of the day they began to carpet it, at the bottom andalong the walls, with living women, chosen among Moini Loungga'sslaves. Generally those unfortunates are buried alive. But, on accountof this strange and perhaps miraculous death of Moini Loungga, ithad been decided that they should be drowned near the body of theirmaster. 

One cannot imagine what those horrible hecatombs are, when a powerfulchief's memory must be fitly honored among these tribes of CentralAfrica. Cameron says that more than a hundred victims were thussacrificed at the funeral ceremonies of the King of Kassongo's father. 

It is also the custom for the defunct king to be dressed in his mostcostly clothes before being laid in his tomb. But this time, as therewas nothing left of the royal person except a few burnt bones, it wasnecessary to proceed in another manner. A willow manikin was made, representing Moini Loungga sufficiently well, perhaps advantageously, and in it they shut up the remains the combustion had spared. Themanikin was then clothed with the royal vestments--we know that thoseclothes are not worth much--and they did not forget to ornament itwith Cousin Benedict's famous spectacles. There was something terriblycomic in this masquerade. 

The ceremony would take place with torches and with great pomp. Thewhole population of Kazounde, native or not, must assist at it. 

When the evening had come, a long cortčge descended the principalstreet, from the _tchitoka_ as far as the burial place. Cries, funeral dances, magicians' incantations, noises from instruments anddetonations from old muskets from the arsenals--nothing was lacking init. 

Jose-Antonio Alvez, Coimbra, Negoro, the Arab traders and theiroverseers had increased the ranks of Kazounde's people. No one had yetleft the great _lakoni_. Queen Moini would not permit it, and it wouldnot be prudent to disobey the orders of one who was trying the tradeof sovereign. 

The body of the king, laid in a palanquin, was carried in the lastranks of the cortčge. It was surrounded by his wives of the secondorder, some of whom were going to accompany him beyond this life. Queen Moini, in great state, marched behind what might be called thecatafalque. It was positively night when all the people arrived onthe banks of the brook; but the resin torches, shaken by the porters, threw great bursts of light over the crowd. 

The ditch was seen distinctly. It was carpeted with black, livingbodies, for they moved under the chains that bound them to the ground. Fifty slaves were waiting there till the torrent should close overthem. The majority were young natives, some resigned and mute, othersgiving a few groans. The wives all dressed as for a _fęte_, and whomust perish, had been chosen by the queen. 

One of these victims, she who bore the title of second wife, was benton her hands and knees, to serve as a royal footstool, as she had donein the king's lifetime. The third wife came to hold up the manikin, while the fourth lay at its feet, in the guise of a cushion. 

Before the manikin, at the end of the ditch, a post, painted red, rosefrom the earth. To this post was fastened a white man, who was goingto be counted also among the victims of these bloody obsequies. 

That white man was Dick Sand. His body, half naked, bore the marks ofthe tortures he had already suffered by Negoro's orders. Tied to thispost, he waited for death like a man who has no hope except in anotherlife. 

However, the moment had not yet arrived when the barricade would bebroken. 

On a signal from the queen, the fourth wife, she who was placed at theking's feet, was beheaded by Kazounde's executioner, and her bloodflowed into the ditch. It was the beginning of a frightful scene ofbutchery. Fifty slaves fell under the executioner's knife. The bed ofthe river ran waves of blood. 

During half an hour the victims' cries mingled with the assistants'vociferations, and one would seek in vain in that crowd for asentiment of repugnance or of pity. 

At last Queen Moini made a gesture, and the barricade that held backthe upper waters gradually opened. By a refinement of cruelty, thecurrent was allowed to filter down the river, instead of beingprecipitated by an instantaneous bursting open of the dam. Slow deathinstead of quick death!

The water first drowned the carpet of slaves which covered the bottomof the ditch. Horrible leaps were made by those living creatures, who struggled against asphyxia. They saw Dick Sand, submerged to theknees, make a last effort to break his bonds. But the water mounted. The last heads disappeared under the torrent, that took its courseagain, and nothing indicated that at the bottom of this river wasdug a tomb, where one hundred victims had just perished in honor ofKazounde's king. 

The pen would refuse to paint such pictures, if regard for the truthdid not impose the duty of describing them in their abominablereality. Man is still there, in those sad countries. To be ignorant ofit is not allowable. 

 * * * * *

CHAPTER XIII. 

THE INTERIOR OF A FACTORY. 

Harris and Negoro had told a lie in saying that Mrs. Weldon andlittle Jack were dead. She, her son, and Cousin Benedict were then inKazounde. 

After the assault on the ant-hill, they had been taken away beyond thecamp on the Coanza by Harris and Negoro, accompanied by a dozen nativesoldiers. 

A palanquin, the "kitanda" of the country, received Mrs. Weldon andlittle Jack. Why such care on the part of such a man as Negoro? Mrs. Weldon was afraid to explain it to herself. 

The journey from the Counza to Kazounde was made rapidly and withoutfatigue. Cousin Benedict, on whom trouble seemed to have no effect, walked with a firm step. As he was allowed to search to the right andto the left, he did not think of complaining. The little troop, then, arrived at Kazounde eight days before Ibn Hamis's caravan. Mrs. Weldon was shut up, with her child and Cousin Benedict, in Alvez'sestablishment. 

Little Jack was much better. On leaving the marshy country, where hehad taken the fever, he gradually became better, and now he wasdoing well. No doubt neither he nor his mother could have borne thehardships of the caravan; but owing to the manner in which they hadmade this journey, during which they had been given a certain amountof care, they were in a satisfactory condition, physically at least. 

As to her companions, Mrs. Weldon had heard nothing of them. Afterhaving seen Hercules flee into the forest, she did not know what hadbecome of him. As to Dick Sand, as Harris and Negoro were no longerthere to torture him, she hoped that his being a white man wouldperhaps spare him some bad treatment. As to Nan, Tom, Bat, Austin, andActeon, they were blacks, and it was too certain that they would betreated as such. Poor people! who should never have trodden that landof Africa, and whom treachery had just cast there. 

When Ibn Hamis's caravan had arrived at Kazounde, Mrs. Weldon, havingno communication with the outer world, could not know of the fact:neither did the noises from the _lakoni_ tell her anything. She didnot know that Tom and his friends had been sold to a trader fromOujiji, and that they would soon set out. She neither knew of Harris'spunishment, nor of King Moini Loungga's death, nor of the royalfuneral ceremonies, that had added Dick Sand to so many other victims. So the unfortunate woman found herself alone at Kazounde, at thetrader's mercy, in Negoro's power, and she could not even think ofdying in order to escape him, because her child was with her. 

Mrs. Weldon was absolutely ignorant of the fate that awaited her. Harris and Negoro had not addressed a word to her during the wholejourney from the Coanza to Kazounde. Since her arrival, she had notseen either of them again, and she could not leave the enclosurearound the rich trader's private establishment. Is it necessary tosay now that Mrs. Weldon had found no help in her large child, CousinBenedict? That is understood. 

When the worthy savant learned that he was not on the Americancontinent, as he believed, he was not at all anxious to know how thatcould have happened. No! His first movement was a gesture of anger. The insects that he imagined he had been the first to discover inAmerica, those _tsetses_ and others, were only mere African hexapodes, found by many naturalists before him, in their native places. Farewell, then, to the glory of attaching his name to thosediscoveries! In fact, as he was in Africa, what could there beastonishing in the circumstance that Cousin Benedict had collectedAfrican insects. 

But the first anger over, Cousin Benedict said to himself that the"Land of the Pharaohs"--so he still called it--possessed incomparableentomological riches, and that so far as not being in the "Land of theIncas" was concerned, he would not lose by the change. 

"Ah!" he repeated, to himself, and even repeated to Mrs. Weldon, whohardly listened to him, "this is the country of the _manticores_, those coleopteres with long hairy feet, with welded and sharpwing-shells, with enormous mandibles, of which the most remarkable isthe tuberculous _manticore_. It is the country of the _calosomes_ withgolden ends; of the Goliaths of Guinea and of the Gabon, whose feetare furnished with thorns; of the sacred Egyptian _ateuchus_, thatthe Egyptians of Upper Egypt venerated as gods. It is here that thosesphinxes with heads of death, now spread over all Europe, belong, andalso those 'Idias Bigote, ' whose sting is particularly dreaded by theSenegalians of the coast. Yes; there are superb things to be foundhere, and I shall find them, if these honest people will only let me. "

We know who those "honest people" were, of whom Cousin Benedictdid not dream of complaining. Besides, it has been stated, theentomologist had enjoyed a half liberty in Negoro's and Harris'scompany, a liberty of which Dick Sand had absolutely deprived himduring the voyage from the coast to the Coanza. The simple-heartedsavant had been very much touched by that condescension. 

Finally, Cousin Benedict would be the happiest of entomologists if hehad not suffered a loss to which he was extremely sensitive. He stillpossessed his tin box, but his glasses no longer rested on his nose, his magnifying glass no longer hung from his neck! Now, a naturalistwithout his magnifying glass and his spectacles, no longer exists. Cousin Benedict, however, was destined never to see those two opticalattendants again, because they had been buried with the royal manikin. So, when he found some insect, he was reduced to thrusting it into hiseyes to distinguish its most prominent peculiarities. Ah! it was agreat loss to Cousin Benedict, and he would have paid a high pricefor a pair of spectacles, but that article was not current on the_lakonis_ of Kazounde. At all events, Cousin Benedict could go andcome in Jose-Antonio Alvez's establishment. They knew he was incapableof seeking to flee. Besides, a high palisade separated the factoryfrom the other quarters of the city, and it would not be easy to getover it. 

But, if it was well enclosed, this enclosure did not measure less thana mile in circumference. Trees, bushes of a kind peculiar to Africa, great herbs, a few rivulets, the thatch of the barracks and the huts, were more than necessary to conceal the continent's rarest insects, and to make Cousin Benedict's happiness, at least, if not his fortune. In fact, he discovered some hexapodes, and nearly lost his eyesight intrying to study them without spectacles. But, at least, he added tohis precious collection, and laid the foundation of a great work onAfrican entomology. If his lucky star would let him discover a newinsect, to which he would attach his name, he would have nothing moreto desire in this world!

If Alvez's establishment was sufficiently large for Cousin Benedict'sscientific promenades, it seemed immense to little Jack, who couldwalk about there without restraint. But the child took little interestin the pleasures so natural to his age. He rarely quitted hismother, who did not like to leave him alone, and always dreaded somemisfortune. 

Little Jack often spoke of his father, whom he had not seen for solong. He asked to be taken back to him. He inquired after all, for oldNan, for his friend Hercules, for Bat, for Austin, for Acteon, and forDingo, that appeared, indeed, to have deserted him. He wished to seehis comrade, Dick Sand, again. His young imagination was very muchaffected, and only lived in those remembrances. To his questions Mrs. Weldon could only reply by pressing him to her heart, while coveringhim with kisses. All that she could do was not to cry before him. 

Meanwhile, Mrs. Weldon had not failed to observe that, if badtreatment had been spared her during the journey from the Coanza, nothing in Alvez's establishment indicated that there would be anychange of conduct in regard to her. There were in the factory onlythe slaves in the trader's service. All the others, which formedthe object of his trade, had been penned up in the barracks of the_tchitoka_, then sold to the brokers from the interior. 

Now, the storehouses of the establishment were overflowing with stuffsand ivory. The stuffs were intended to be exchanged in the provincesof the center, the ivory to be exported from the principal markets ofthe continent. 

In fact, then, there were few people in the factory. Mrs. Weldon andJack occupied a hut apart; Cousin Benedict another. They did notcommunicate with the trader's servants. They ate together. The food, consisting of goat's flesh or mutton, vegetables, tapioca, _sorgho_, and the fruits of the country, was sufficient. 

Halima, a young slave, was especially devoted to Mrs. Weldon'sservice. In her way, and as she could, she even evinced for her a kindof savage, but certainty sincere, affection. 

Mrs. Weldon hardly saw Jose-Antonio Alvez, who occupied the principalhouse of the factory. She did not see Negoro at all, as he lodgedoutside; but his absence was quite inexplicable. This absencecontinued to astonish her, and make her feel anxious at the same time. 

"What does he want? What is he waiting for?" she asked herself. "Whyhas he brought us to Kazounde?"

So had passed the eight days that preceded and followed the arrivalof Ibn Hamis's caravan--that is, the two days before the funeralceremonies, and the six days that followed. 

In the midst of so many anxieties, Mrs. Weldon could not forget thather husband must be a prey to the most frightful despair, on notseeing either his wife or his son return to San Francisco. Mr. Weldoncould not know that his wife had adopted that fatal idea of takingpassage on board the "Pilgrim, " and he would believe that she hadembarked on one of the steamers of the Trans-Pacific Company. Now, these steamers arrived regularly, and neither Mrs. Weldon, nor Jack, nor Cousin Benedict were on them. Besides, the "Pilgrim" itself wasalready overdue at Sun Francisco. As she did not reappear, James W. Weldon must now rank her in the category of ships supposed to be lost, because not heard of. 

What a terrible blow for him, when news of the departure of the"Pilgrim" and the embarkation of Mrs. Weldon should reach him fromhis correspondents in Auckland! What had he done? Had he refused tobelieve that his son and she had perished at sea? But then, wherewould he search? Evidently on the isles of the Pacific, perhaps on theAmerican coast. But never, no never, would the thought occur to himthat she had been thrown on the coast of this fatal Africa!

So thought Mrs. Weldon. But what could she attempt? Flee! How? Shewas closely watched. And then to flee was to venture into those thickforests, in the midst of a thousand dangers, to attempt a journey ofmore than two hundred miles to reach the coast. And meanwhile Mrs. Weldon was decided to do it, if no other means offered themselves forher to recover her liberty. But, first, she wished to know exactlywhat Negoro's designs were. 

At last she knew them. 

On the 6th of June, three days after the burial of Kazounde's king, Negoro entered the factory, where he had not yet set foot since hisreturn. He went right to the hut occupied by his prisoner. 

Mrs. Weldon was alone. Cousin Benedict was taking one of hisscientific walks. Little Jack, watched by the slave Halima, waswalking in the enclosure of the establishment. 

Negoro pushed open the door of the hut without knocking. 

"Mrs. Weldon, " said he, "Tom and his companions have been sold for themarkets of Oujiji!"

"May God protect them!" said Mrs. "Weldon, shedding tears. 

"Nan died on the way, Dick Sand has perished----"

"Nan dead! and Dick!" cried Mrs. Weldon. 

"Yes, it is just for your captain of fifteen to pay for Harris'smurder with his life, " continued Negoro. "You are alone in Kazounde, mistress; alone, in the power of the 'Pilgrim's' old cook--absolutelyalone, do you understand?"

What Negoro said was only too true, even concerning Tom and hisfriends. The old black man, his son Bat, Acteon and Austin haddeparted the day before with the trader of Oujiji's caravan, withoutthe consolation of seeing Mrs. Weldon again, without even knowing thattheir companion in misery was in Kazounde, in Alvez's establishment. They had departed for the lake country, a journey figured by hundredsof miles, that very few accomplish, and from which very few return. 

"Well?" murmured Mrs. Weldon, looking at Negoro without answering. 

"Mrs. Weldon, " returned the Portuguese, in an abrupt voice, "I couldrevenge myself on you for the bad treatment I suffered on board the'Pilgrim. ' But Dick Sand's death will satisfy my vengeance. Now, mistress, I become the merchant again, and behold my projects withregard to you. "

Mrs. Weldon looked at him without saying a word. 

"You, " continued the Portuguese, "your child, and that imbecile whoruns after the flies, you have a commercial value which I intend toutilize. So I am going to sell you. "

"I am of a free race, " replied Mrs. Weldon, in a firm tone. 

"You are a slave, if I wish it. "

"And who would buy a white woman?"

"A man who will pay for her whatever I shall ask him. "

Mrs. Weldon bent her head for a moment, for she knew that anything waspossible in that frightful country. 

"You have heard?" continued Negoro. 

"Who is this man to whom you will pretend to sell me?" replied Mrs. Weldon. 

"To sell you or to re-sell you. At least, I suppose so!" added thePortuguese, sneering. 

"The name of this man?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"This man--he is James W. Weldon, your husband. "

"My husband!" exclaimed Mrs. Weldon, who could not believe what shehad just heard. 

"Himself, Mrs. Weldon--your husband, to whom I do not wish simply torestore his wife, his child, and his cousin, but to sell them, and, ata high price. "

Mrs. Weldon asked herself if Negoro was not setting a trap for her. However, she believed he was speaking seriously. To a wretch to whommoney is everything, it seems that we can trust, when business is inquestion. Now, this was business. 

"And when do you propose to make this business operation?" returnedMrs. Weldon. 

"As soon as possible. "

"Where?"

"Just here. Certainly James Weldon will not hesitate to come as far asKazounde for his wife and son. "

"No, he will not hesitate. But who will tell him?"

"I! I shall go to San Francisco to find James Weldon. I have moneyenough for this voyage. "

"The money stolen from on board the 'Pilgrim?'"

"Yes, that, and more besides, " replied Negoro, insolently. "But, ifI wish to sell you soon, I also wish to sell you at a high price. I think that James Weldon will not regard a hundred thousanddollars----"

"He will not regard them, if he can give them, " replied Mrs. Weldon, coldly. "Only my husband, to whom you will say, doubtless, that I amheld a prisoner at Kazounde, in Central Africa----"

"Precisely!"

"My husband will not believe you without proofs, and he will not be soimprudent as to come to Kazounde on your word alone. "

"He will come here, " returned Negoro, "if I bring him a letter writtenby you, which will tell him your situation, which will describe me asa faithful servant, escaped from the hands of these savages. "

"My hand shall never write that letter!" Mrs. Weldon replied, in astill colder manner. 

"You refuse?" exclaimed Negoro. 

"I refuse!"

The thought of the dangers her husband would pass through in comingas far as Kazounde, the little dependence that could be placed on thePortuguese's promises, the facility with which the latter could retainJames Weldon, after taking the ransom agreed upon, all these reasonstaken together made Mrs. Weldon refuse Negoro's proposition flatly andat once. Mrs. Weldon spoke, thinking only of herself, forgetting herchild for the moment. 

"You shall write that letter!" continued the Portuguese. 

"No!" replied Mrs. Weldon again. 

"Ah, take care!" exclaimed Negoro. "You are not alone here! Your childis, like you, in my power, and I well know how----"

Mrs. Weldon wished to reply that that would be impossible. Her heartwas beating as if it would break; she was voiceless. 

"Mrs. Weldon, " said Negoro, "you will reflect on the offer I have madeyou. In eight days you will have handed me a letter to James Weldon'saddress, or you will repent of it. "

That said, the Portuguese retired, without giving vent to his anger;but it was easy to see that nothing would stop him from constrainingMrs. Weldon to obey him. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

SOME NEWS OF DR. LIVINGSTONE. 

Left alone, Mrs. Weldon at first only fixed her mind on this thought, that eight days would pass before Negoro would return for a definiteanswer. There was time to reflect and decide on a course of action. There could be no question of the Portuguese's probity except in hisown interest. The "market value" that he attributed to his prisonerwould evidently be a safeguard for her, and protect her for the time, at least, against any temptation that might put her in danger. Perhapsshe would think of a compromise that would restore her to her husbandwithout obliging Mr. Weldon to come to Kazounde. On receipt of aletter from his wife, she well knew that James Weldon would set out. He would brave the perils of this journey into the most dangerouscountries of Africa. But, once at Kazounde, when Negoro should havethat fortune of a hundred thousand dollars in his hands, what guarantywould James W. Weldon, his wife, his son and Cousin Benedict have, that they would be allowed to depart? Could not Queen Moini's capriceprevent them? Would not this "sale" of Mrs. Weldon and hers be betteraccomplished if it took place at the coast, at some point agreed upon, which would spare Mr. Weldon both the dangers of the journey to theinterior, and the difficulties, not to say the impossibilities, of areturn?

So reflected Mrs. Weldon. That was why she had refused at once toaccede to Negoro's proposition and give him a letter for her husband. She also thought that, if Negoro had put off his second visit foreight days, it was because he needed that time to prepare for hisjourney. If not, he would return sooner to force her consent. 

"Would he really separate me from my child?" murmured she. 

At that moment Jack entered the hut, and, by an instinctive movement, his mother seized him, as if Negoro were there, ready to snatch himfrom her. 

"You are in great grief, mother?" asked the little boy. 

"No, dear Jack, " replied Mrs. Weldon; "I was thinking of your papa!You would be very glad to see him again?"

"Oh! yes, mother! Is he going to come?"

"No! no! He must not come!"

"Then we will go to see him again?"

"Yes, darling Jack!"

"With my friend Dick--and Hercules--and old Tom?"

"Yes! yes!" replied Mrs. Weldon, putting her head down to hide hertears. 

"Has papa written to you?" asked little Jack. 

"No, my love. "

"Then you are going to write to him, mother?"

"Yes--yes--perhaps!" replied Mrs. Weldon. 

And without knowing it, little Jack entered directly into his mother'sthoughts. To avoid answering him further, she covered him with kisses. 

It must be stated that another motive of some value was joined tothe different reasons that had urged Mrs. Weldon to resist Negoro'sinjunctions. Perhaps Mrs. Weldon had a very unexpected chance of beingrestored to liberty without her husband's intervention, and evenagainst Negoro's will. It was only a faint ray of hope, very vague asyet, but it was one. 

In fact, a few words of conversation, overheard by her several daysbefore, made her foresee a possible succor near at hand--one might saya providential succor. 

Alvez and a mongrel from Oujiji were talking a few steps from the hutoccupied by Mrs. Weldon. It is not astonishing that the slave-tradewas the subject of conversation between those worthy merchants. The two _brokers_ in human flesh were talking business. They werediscussing the future of their commerce, and were worried aboutthe efforts the English were making to destroy it--not only on theexterior, by cruisers, but in the interior, by their missionaries andtheir travelers. 

Jose-Antonio Alvez found that the explorations of these hardy pioneerscould only injure commercial operations. His interlocutor shared hisviews, and thought that all these visitors, civil or religious, shouldbe received with gun-shots. 

This had been done to some extent. But, to the great displeasure ofthe traders, if they killed some of these curious ones, others escapedthem. Now, these latter, on returning to their country, recounted"with exaggerations, " Alvez said, the horrors of the slave-trade, andthat injured this commerce immensely--it being too much diminishedalready. 

The mongrel agreed to that, and deplored it; above all, concerning themarkets of N'yangwe, of Oujiji, of Zanzibar, and of all the greatlake regions. There had come successively Speke, Grant, Livingstone, Stanley, and others. It was an invasion! Soon all England and allAmerica would occupy the country!

Alvez sincerely pitied his comrade, and he declared that the provincesof Western Africa had been, till that time, less badly treated--thatis to say, less visited; but the epidemic of travelers was beginningto spread. If Kazounde had been spared, it was not so with Cassange, and with Bihe, where Alvez owned factories. It may be remembered, also, that Harris had spoken to Negoro of a certain LieutenantCameron, who might, indeed, have the presumption to cross Africa fromone side to the other, and after entering it by Zanzibar, leave it byAngola. 

In fact, the trader had reason to fear, and we know that, some yearsafter, Cameron to the south and Stanley to the north, were goingto explore these little-known provinces of the west, describe thepermanent monstrosities of the trade, unveil the guilty complicitiesof foreign agents, and make the responsibility fall on the rightparties. 

Neither Alvez nor the mongrel could know anything yet of thisexploration of Cameron's and of Stanley's; but what they did know, what they said, what Mrs. Weldon heard, and what was of such greatinterest to her--in a word, what had sustained her in her refusal tosubscribe at once to Negoro's demands, was this:

Before long, very probably, Dr. David Livingstone would arrive atKazounde. 

Now, the arrival of Livingstone with his escort, the influence whichthe great traveler enjoyed in Africa, the concourse of Portugueseauthorities from Angola that could not fail to meet him, all thatmight bring about the deliverance of Mrs. Weldon and hers, in spite ofNegoro, in spite of Alvez. It was perhaps their restoration to theircountry within a short time, and without James W. Weldon risking hislife in a journey, the result of which could only be deplorable. 

But was there any probability that Dr. Livingstone would soon visitthat part of the continent? Yes, for in following that missionarytour, he was going to complete the exploration of Central Africa. 

We know the heroic life of this son of the tea merchant, who livedin Blantyre, a village in the county of Lanark. Born on the 13th ofMarch, 1813, David Livingstone, the second of six children, became, by force of study, both a theologian and doctor. After making hisnovitiate in the "London Missionary Society, " he embarked for theCape in 1840, with the intention of joining the missionary Moffat inSouthern Africa. 

From the Cape, the future traveler repaired to the country of theBechnanas, which he explored for the first time, returned to Kurumanand married Moffat's daughter, that brave companion who would beworthy of him. In 1843 he founded a mission in the valley of theMabotsa. 

Four years later, we find him established at Kolobeng, two hundredand twenty-five miles to the north of Kuruman, in the country of theBechnanas. 

Two years after, in 1849, Livingstone left Kolobeng with his wife, histhree children and two friends, Messrs. Oswell and Murray. August 1st, of the same year, he discovered Lake N'gami, and returned to Kolobeng, by descending the Zouga. 

In this journey Livingstone, stopped by the bad will of the natives, had not passed beyond the N'gami. A second attempt was not morefortunate. A third must succeed. Then, taking a northern route, againwith his family and Mr. Oswell, after frightful sufferings (for lackof food, for lack of water) that almost cost him the lives of hischildren, he reached the country of the Makalolos beside the Chobe, abranch of the Zambezi. The chief, Sebituane, joined him at Linyanti. At the end of June, 1851, the Zambezi was discovered, and the doctorreturned to the Cape to bring his family to England. 

In fact, the intrepid Livingstone wished to be alone while risking hislife in the daring journey he was going to undertake. 

On leaving the Cape this time, the question was to cross Africaobliquely from the south to the west, so as to reach Saint Paul deLoanda. 

On the third of June, 1852, the doctor set out with a few natives. He arrived at Kuruman and skirted the Desert of Kalahari. The 31stDecember he entered Litoubarouba and found the country of theBechnanas ravaged by the Boers, old Dutch colonists, who were mastersof the Cape before the English took possession of it. 

Livingstone left Litoubarouba on the 15th of January, 1853, penetratedto the center of the country of the Bamangouatos, and, on May 23d, he arrived at Linyanti, where the young sovereign of the Makalolos, Sckeletou, received him with great honor. 

There, the doctor held back by the intense fevers, devoted himself tostudying the manners of the country, and, for the first time, he couldascertain the ravages made by the slave-trade in Africa. 

One month after he descended the Chobe, reached the Zambezi, enteredNaniele, visited Katonga and Libonta, arrived at the confluence ofthe Zambezi and the Leeba, formed the project of ascending by thatwatercourse as far as the Portuguese possessions of the west, and, after nine weeks' absence, returned to Linyanti to make preparations. 

On the 11th of November, 1853, the doctor, accompanied by twenty-sevenMakalolos, left Linyanti, and on the 27th of December he reachedthe mouth of the Leeba. This watercourse was ascended as far as theterritory of the Balondas, there where it receives the Makonda, whichcomes from the east. It was the first time that a white man penetratedinto this region. 

January 14th, Livingstone entered Shinte's residence. He was themost powerful sovereign of the Balondas. He gave Livingstone a goodreception, and, the 26th of the same month, after crossing the Leeba, he arrived at King Katema's. There, again, a good reception, andthence the departure of the little troop that on the 20th of Februaryencamped on the borders of Lake Dilolo. 

On setting out from this point, a difficult country, exigencies of thenatives, attacks from the tribes, revolt of his companions, threats ofdeath, everything conspired against Livingstone, and a less energeticman would have abandoned the party. The doctor persevered, and on the4th of April, he reached the banks of the Coango, a large watercoursewhich forms the eastern boundary of the Portuguese possessions, andflows northward into the Zaire. 

Six days after, Livingstone entered Cassange, where the trader Alvezhad seen him passing through, and on the 31st of May he arrived atSaint Paul de Loanda. For the first time, and after a journey of twoyears, Africa had just been crossed obliquely from the south to thewest. 

David Livingstone left Loanda, September 24th of the same year. Heskirted the right bank of that Coanza that had been so fatal to DickSand and his party, arrived at the confluence of the Lombe, crossingnumerous caravans of slaves, passed by Cassange again, left it onthe 20th of February, crossed the Coango, and reached the Zambezi atKawawa. On the 8th of June he discovered Lake Dilolo again, saw Shinteagain, descended the Zambezi, and reentered Linyanti, which he left onthe 3d of November, 1855. 

This second part of the journey, which would lead the doctor towardthe eastern coast, would enable him to finish completely this crossingof Africa from the west to the east. 

After having visited the famous Victoria Falls, the "thunderingfoam, " David Livingstone abandoned the Zambezi to take a northeasterndirection. The passage across the territory of the Batokas (nativeswho were besotted by the inhalation of hemp), the visit to Semalembone(the powerful chief of the region), the crossing of the Kafone, thefinding of the Zambezi again, the visit to King Mbourouma, the sightof the ruins of Zambo (an ancient Portuguese city), the encounter withthe Chief Mpende on the 17th of January, 1856 (then at war with thePortuguese), the final arrival at Tete, on the border of the Zambezi, on the 2d of March--such were the principal halting-places of thistour. 

The 22d of April Livingstone left that station, formerly a rich one, descended as far as the delta of the river, and arrived at Quilimane, at its mouth, on the 20th of May, four years after leaving the Cape. On the 12th of July he embarked for Maurice, and on the 22d ofDecember he was returning to England, after sixteen years' absence. 

The prize of the Geographical Society of Paris, the grand medal ofthe London Geographical Society, and brilliant receptions greeted theillustrious traveler. Another would, perhaps, have thought that reposewas well earned. The doctor did not think so, and departed on the1st of March, 1858, accompanied by his brother Charles, CaptainBedinfield, the Drs. Kirk and Meller, and by Messrs. Thornton andBaines. He arrived in May on the coast of Mozambique, having for anobject the exploration of the basin of the Zambezi. 

All would not return from this voyage. A little steamer, the "MyRobert, " enabled the explorers to ascend the great river bythe Rongone. They arrived at Tete, September the 8th; thencereconnoissance of the lower course of the Zambezi and of the Chire, its left branch, in January, 1859; visit to Lake Chirona in April;exploration of the Manganjas' territory; discovery of Lake Nyassaon September 10th; return to the Victoria Falls, August 9th, 1860;arrival of Bishop Mackensie and his missionaries at the mouth of theZambezi, January 31st, 1861; the exploration of the Rovouma, on the"Pioneer, " in March; the return to Lake Nyassa in September, 1861, andresidence there till the end of October; January 30th, 1862, arrivalof Mrs. Livingstone and a second steamer, the "Lady Nyassa:" such werethe events that marked the first years of this new expedition. Atthis time, Bishop Mackensie and one of his missionaries had alreadysuccumbed to the unhealthfulness of the climate, and on the 27th ofApril, Mrs. Livingstone died in her husband's arms. 

In May, the doctor attempted a second reconnoissance of the Rovouma;then, at the end of November, he entered the Zambezi again, and sailedup the Chire again. In April, 1863, he lost his companion, Thornton, sent back to Europe his brother Charles and Dr. Kirk, who were bothexhausted by sickness, and November 10th, for the third time, he sawNyassa, of which he completed the hydrography. Three months after hewas again at the mouth of the Zambezi, passed to Zanzibar, and July20th, 1864, after five years' absence, he arrived in London, wherehe published his work entitled: "Exploration of the Zambezi and itsBranches. "

January 28th, 1866, Livingstone landed again at Zanzibar. He wasbeginning his fourth voyage. 

August 8th, after having witnessed the horrible scenes provoked by theslave-trade in that country, the doctor, taking this time only a few_cipayes_ and a few negroes, found himself again at Mokalaose, on thebanks of the Nyassa. Six weeks later, the majority of the men formingthe escort took flight, returned to Zanzibar, and there falsely spreadthe report of Livingstone's death. 

He, however, did not draw back. He wished to visit the countrycomprised between the Nyassa and Lake Tanganyika. December 10th, guided by some natives, he traversed the Loangona River, and April 2d, 1867, he discovered Lake Liemmba. There he remained a month betweenlife and death. Hardly well again August 30th he reached Lake Moero, of which he visited the northern shore, and November 21st he enteredthe town of Cayembe, where he lived forty days, during which he twicerenewed his exploration of Lake Moero. 

From Cayembe Livingstone took a northern direction, with the design ofreaching the important town of Oujiji, on the Tanganyika. Surprised bythe rising of the waters, and abandoned by his guides, he was obligedto return to Cayembe. He redescended to the south June 6th, and sixweeks after gained the great lake Bangoneolo. He remained there tillAugust 9th, and then sought to reascend toward Lake Tanganyika. 

What a journey! On setting out, January 7th, 1869, the heroic doctor'sfeebleness was such that be had to be carried. In February he at lastreached the lake and arrived at Oujiji, where he found some articlessent to his address by the Oriental Company of Calcutta. 

Livingstone then had but one idea, to gain the sources of the valleyof the Nile by ascending the Tanganyika. September 21st he was atBambarre, in the Manonyema, a cannibal country, and arrived at theLoualaba--that Loualaba that Cameron was going to suspect, and Stanleyto discover, to be only the upper Zaire, or Congo. At Mamohela thedoctor was sick for eighty days. He had only three servants. July21st, 1871, he departed again for the Tanganyika, and only reenteredOujiji October 23d. He was then a mere skeleton. 

Meanwhile, before this period, people had been a long time withoutnews of the traveler. In Europe they believed him to be dead. Hehimself had almost lost hope of being ever relieved. 

Eleven days after his entrance into Oujiji shots were heard a quarterof a mile from the lake. The doctor arrives. A man, a white man, isbefore him. "Doctor Livingstone, I presume?"

"Yes, " replied the latter, raising his cap, with a friendly smile. 

Their hands were warmly clasped. 

"I thank God, " continued the white man, "that He has permitted me tomeet you. "

"I am happy, " said Livingstone, "to be here to receive you. "

The white man was the American Stanley, a reporter of the New York_Herald_, whom Mr. Bennett, the proprietor of that journal, had justsent to find David Livingstone. 

In the month of October, 1870, this American, without hesitation, without a word, simply as a hero, had embarked at Bombay forZanzibar, and almost following Speke and Burton's route, after untoldsufferings, his life being menaced several times, he arrived atOujiji. 

The two travelers, now become fast friends, then made an expeditionto the north of Lake Tanganyika. They embarked, pushed as far as CapeMalaya, and after a minute exploration, were of the opinion that thegreat lake had for an outlet a branch of the Loualaba. 

It was what Cameron and Stanley himself were going to determinepositively some years after. December 12th, Livingstone and hiscompanion were returning to Oujiji. 

Stanley prepared to depart. December 27th, after a navigation of eightdays, the doctor and he arrived at Ousimba; then, February 23d, theyentered Kouihara. 

March 12th was the day of parting. 

"You have accomplished, " said the doctor to his companion, "whatfew men would have done, and done it much better than certain greattravelers. I am very grateful to you for it. May God lead you, myfriend, and may He bless you!"

"May He, " said Stanley, taking Livingstone's hand, "bring you back tous safe and sound, dear doctor!"

Stanley drew back quickly from this embrace, and turned so as toconceal his tears. "Good-by, doctor, dear friend, " he said in astifled voice. 

"Good-by, " replied Livingstone, feebly. 

Stanley departed, and July 12th, 1872, he landed at Marseilles. 

Livingstone was going to return to his discoveries. August 25th, afterfive months passed at Konihara, accompanied by his black servants, Souzi, Chouma, and Amoda, by two other servants, by Jacob Wainwright, and by fifty-six men sent by Stanley, he went toward the south of theTanganyika. 

A month after, the caravan arrived at M'oura, in the midst of storms, caused by an extreme drought. Then came the rains, the bad will of thenatives, and the loss of the beasts of burden, from falling under thestings of the tsetse. January 24th, 1873, the little troop was atTchitounkone. April 27th, after having left Lake Bangoneolo to theeast, the troop was going toward the village of Tchitambo. 

At that place some traders had left Livingstone. This is what Alvezand his colleague had learned from them. They had good reason tobelieve that the doctor, after exploring the south of the lake, wouldventure across the Loanda, and come to seek unknown countries in thewest. Thence he was to ascend toward Angola, to visit those regionsinfested by the slave-trade, to push as far as Kazounde; the tourseemed to be all marked out, and it was very probable that Livingstonewould follow it. 

Mrs. Weldon then could count on the approaching arrival of the greattraveler, because, in the beginning of June, it was already more thantwo months since he had reached the south of Lake Bangoneolo. 

Now, June 13th, the day before that on which Negoro would come toclaim from Mrs. Weldon the letter that would put one hundred thousanddollars in his hands, sad news was spread, at which Alvez and thetraders only rejoiced. 

May 1st, 1873, at dawn, Dr. David Livingstone died. In fact, on April29th, the little caravan had reached the village of Tchitambo, to thesouth of the lake. The doctor was carried there on a litter. On the30th, in the night, under the influence of excessive grief, he moanedout this complaint, that was hardly heard: "Oh, dear! dear!" and hefell back from drowsiness. 

At the end of an hour he called his servant, Souzi, asking for somemedicine, then murmuring in a feeble voice: "It is well. Now you cango. "

Toward four o'clock in the morning, Souzi and five men of the escortentered the doctor's hut. David Livingstone, kneeling near his bed, his head resting on his hands, seemed to be engaged in prayer. Souzigently touched his cheek; it was cold. David Livingstone was no more. 

Nine months after, his body, carried by faithful servants at the priceof unheard-of fatigues, arrived at Zanzibar. On April 12th, 1874, itwas buried in Westminster Abbey, among those of her great men, whomEngland honors equally with her kings. 

CHAPTER XV. 

WHERE A MANTICORE MAY LEAD. 

To what plank of safety will not an unfortunate being cling? Will notthe eyes of the condemned seek to seize any ray of hope, no matter howvague?

So it had been with Mrs. Weldon. One can understand what she must havefelt when she learned, from Alvez himself, that Dr. Livingstone hadjust died in a little Bangoneolo village. 

It seemed to her that she was more isolated than ever; that a sort ofbond that attached her to the traveler, and with him to the civilizedworld, had just been broken. 

The plank of safety sank under her hand, the ray of hope went outbefore her eyes. Tom and his companions had left Kazounde for the lakeregion. Not the least news of Hercules. Mrs. Weldon was not sure ofany one. She must then fall back on Negoro's proposition, while tryingto amend it and secure a definite result from it. 

June 14th, the day fixed by him, Negoro presented himself at Mrs. Weldon's hut. 

The Portuguese was, as always, so he said, perfectly practical. However, he abated nothing from the amount of the ransom, which hisprisoner did not even discuss. But Mrs. Weldon also showed herselfvery practical in saying to him:

"If you wish to make an agreement, do not render it impossible byunacceptable conditions. The exchange of our liberty for the sum youexact may take place, without my husband coming into a country whereyou see what can be done with a white man! Now, I do not wish him tocome here at any price!"

After some hesitation Negoro yielded, and Mrs. Weldon finishedwith the concession that James Weldon should not venture as far asKazounde. A ship would land him at Mossamedes, a little port to thesouth of Angola, ordinarily frequented by slave-ships, and well-knownby Negoro. It was there that the Portuguese would conduct James W. Weldon; and at a certain time Alvez's agent would bring thither Mrs. Weldon, Jack, and Cousin Benedict. The ransom would be given to thoseagents on the giving up of the prisoners, and Negoro, who would playthe part of a perfectly honest man with James Weldon, would disappearon the ship's arrival. 

Mrs. Weldon had gained a very important point. She spared her husbandthe dangers of a voyage to Kazounde, the risk of being kept there, after paying the exacted ransom, and the perils of the return. As tothe six hundred miles that separated Kazounde from Mossamedes, bygoing over them as she had traveled on leaving the Coanza, Mrs. Weldonwould only have a little fatigue to fear. Besides, it would be toAlvez's interest--for he was in the affair--for the prisoners toarrive safe and sound. 

The conditions being thus settled, Mrs. Weldon wrote to her husband, leaving to Negoro the care of passing himself off as a devotedservant, who had escaped from the natives. Negoro took the letter, which did not allow James Weldon to hesitate about following him asfar as Mossamedes, and, the next day, escorted by twenty blacks, hetraveled toward the north. 

Why did he take that direction? Was it, then, Negoro's intention toembark on one of the vessels which frequent the mouths of the Congo, and thus avoid the Portuguese stations, as well as the penitentiariesin which he had been an involuntary guest? It was probable. At least, that was the reason he gave Alvez. 

After his departure, Mrs. Weldon must try to arrange her existencein such a manner as to pass the time of her sojourn at Kazounde ashappily as possible. Under the most favorable circumstances, it wouldlast three or four months. Negoro's going and returning would requireat least that time. 

Mrs. Weldon's intention was, not to leave the factory. Her child, Cousin Benedict, and she, were comparatively safe there. Halima's goodcare softened the severity of this sequestration a little. Besides, it was probable that the trader would not permit her to leave theestablishment. The great premium that the prisoner's ransom wouldprocure him, made it well worth while to guard her carefully. 

It was even fortunate that Alvez was not obliged to leave Kazounde tovisit his two other factories of Bihe and Cassange. Coimbra was goingto take his place in the expedition on new _razzias_ or raids. Therewas no motive for regretting the presence of that drunkard. Above all, Negoro, before setting out, had given Alvez the most urgent commandsin regard to Mrs. Weldon. It was necessary to watch her closely. Theydid not know what had become of Hercules. If he had not perished inthat dreadful province of Kazounde, perhaps he would attempt to getnear the prisoner and snatch her from Alvez's hands. The traderperfectly understood a situation which ciphered itself out by a goodnumber of dollars. He would answer for Mrs. Weldon as for his ownbody. 

So the monotonous life of the prisoner during the first days after herarrival at the factory, was continued. What passed in this enclosurereproduced very exactly the various acts of native existence outside. Alvez lived like the other natives of Kazounde. The women of theestablishment worked as they would have done in the town, for thegreater comfort of their husbands or their masters. Their occupationsincluded preparing rice with heavy blows of the pestle in woodenmortars, to perfect decortication; cleansing and winnowing maize, andall the manipulations necessary to draw from it a granulous substancewhich serves to compose that potage called "mtyelle" in the country;the harvesting of the _sorgho_, a kind of large millet, the ripeningof which had just been solemnly celebrated at this time; theextraction of that fragrant oil from the "mpafon" drupes, kindsof olives, the essence of which forms a perfume sought for by thenatives; spinning of the cotton, the fibers of which are twisted bymeans of a spindle a foot and a half long, to which the spinnersimpart a rapid rotation; the fabrication of bark stuffs with themallet; the extraction from the tapioca roots, and the preparation ofthe earth for the different products of the country, cassava, flourthat they make from the manioc beans, of which the pods, fifteeninches long, named "mositsanes, " grow on trees twenty feet high;arachides intended to make oil, perennial peas of a bright blue, known under the name of "tchilobes, " the flowers of which relieve theslightly insipid taste of the milk of sorgho; native coffee, sugarcanes, the juice of which is reduced to a syrup; onions, Indian pears, sesamum, cucumbers, the seeds of which are roasted like chestnuts; thepreparation of fermented drinks, the "malofori, " made with bananas, the "pombe" and other liquors; the care of the domestic animals, ofthose cows that only allow themselves to be milked in the presence oftheir little one or of a stuffed calf; of those heifers of small race, with short horns, some of which have a hump; of those goats which, inthe country where their flesh serves for food, are an important objectof exchange, one might say current money like the slave; finally, thefeeding of the birds, swine, sheep, oxen, and so forth. 

This long enumeration shows what rude labors fall on the feeble sex inthose savage regions of the African continent. 

During this time the men smoke tobacco or hemp, chase the elephant orthe buffalo, and hire themselves to the traders for the raids. Theharvest of maize or of slaves is always a harvest that takes place infixed seasons. 

Of those various occupations, Mrs. Weldon only saw in Alvez's factorythe part laid on the women. Sometimes she stopped, looking at them, while the slaves, it must be said, only replied to her by uglygrimaces. A race instinct led these unfortunates to hate a whitewoman, and they had no commiseration for her in their hearts. Halimaalone was an exception, and Mrs. Weldon, having learned certain wordsof the native language, was soon able to exchange a few sentences withthe young slave. 

Little Jack often accompanied his mother when she walked in theinclosure; but he wished very much to go outside. There was, however, in an enormous baobab, marabout nests, formed of a few sticks, and"souimangas" nests, birds with scarlet breasts and throats, whichresemble those of the tissirms; then "widows, " that strip the thatchfor the benefit of their family; "calaos, " whose song was agreeable, bright gray parrots with red tails, which, in the Manyema, arecalled "rouss, " and give their name to the chiefs of the tribes;insectivorous "drougos, " similar to gray linnets, with large, redbeaks. Here and there also fluttered hundreds of butterflies ofdifferent species, especially in the neighborhood of the brooks thatcrossed the factory; but that was rather Cousin Benedict's affair thanlittle Jack's, and the latter regretted greatly not being taller, so as to look over the walls. Alas! where was his poor friend, DickSand--he who had brought him so high up in the "Pilgrim's" masts? Howhe would have followed him on the branches of those trees, whose topsrose to more than a hundred feet! What good times they would have hadtogether!

Cousin Benedict always found himself very well where he was, provided insects were not lacking. Happily, he had discovered in thefactory--and he studied as much as he could without magnifying glassor spectacles--a small bee which forms its cells among the worm-holesof the wood, and a "sphex" that lays its eggs in cells that are notits own, as the cuckoo in the nests of other birds. Mosquitoes werenot lacking either, on the banks of the rivulets, and they tattooedhim with bites to the extent of making him unrecognizable. And whenMrs. Weldon reproached him with letting himself be thus devoured bythose venomous insects: "It is their instinct, Cousin Weldon, " hereplied to her, scratching himself till the blood came; "it is theirinstinct, and we must not have a grudge against them!"

At last, one day--it was the 17th of June--Cousin Benedict was on thepoint of being the happiest of entomologists. But this adventure, which had unexpected consequences, needs to be related with someminuteness. 

It was about eleven o'clock in the morning. An overpowering heat hadobliged the inhabitants of the factory to keep in their huts, and onewould not even meet a single native in the streets of Kazounde. 

Mrs. Weldon was dozing near little Jack, who was sleeping soundly. Cousin Benedict, himself, suffering from the influence of thistropical temperature, had given up his favorite hunts, which was agreat sacrifice for him, for, in those rays of the midday sun, heheard the rustle of a whole world of insects. He was sheltered, then, at the end of his hut, and there, sleep began to take possession ofhim in this involuntary siesta. 

Suddenly, as his eyes half closed, he heard a humming; this is oneof those insupportable buzzings of insects, some of which can givefifteen or sixteen thousand beats of their wings in a second. 

"A hexapode!" exclaimed Cousin Benedict, awakened at once, and passingfrom the horizontal to the vertical position. 

There was no doubt that it was a hexapode that was buzzing in his hut. But, if Cousin Benedict was very near-sighted, he had at least veryacute hearing, so acute even that he could recognize one insect fromanother by the intensity of its buzz, and it seemed to him that thisone was unknown, though it could only be produced by a giant of thespecies. 

"What is this hexapode?" Cousin Benedict asked himself. 

Behold him, seeking to perceive the insect, which was very difficultto his eyes without glasses, but trying above all to recognize it bythe buzzing of its wings. 

His instinct as an entomologist warned him that he had something toaccomplish, and that the insect, so providentially entered into hishut, ought not to be the first comer. 

Cousin Benedict no longer moved. He listened. A few rays of lightreached him. His eyes then discovered a large black point that flewabout, but did not pass near enough for him to recognize it. He heldhis breath, and if he felt himself stung in some part of the face orhands, he was determined not to make a single movement that might puthis hexapode to flight. At last the buzzing insect, after turningaround him for a long time, came to rest on his head. CousinBenedict's mouth widened for an instant, as if to give a smile--andwhat a smile! He felt the light animal running on his hair. Anirresistible desire to put his hand there seized him for a moment; buthe resisted it, and did well. 

"No, no!" thought he, "I would miss it, or what would be worse, Iwould injure it. Let it come more within my reach. See it walking! Itdescends. I feel its dear little feet running on my skull! This mustbe a hexapode of great height. My God! only grant that it may descendon the end of my nose, and there, by squinting a little, I mightperhaps see it, and determine to what order, genus, species, orvariety it belongs. "

So thought Cousin Benedict. But it was a long distance from his skull, which was rather pointed, to the end of his nose, which was very long. How many other roads the capricious insect might take, beside hisears, beside his forehead--roads that would take it to a distance fromthe savant's eyes--without counting that at any moment it might retakeits flight, leave the hut, and lose itself in those solar rays where, doubtless, its life was passed, and in the midst of the buzzing of itscongeners that would attract it outside!

Cousin Benedict said all that to himself. Never, in all his life asan entomologist, had he passed more touching minutes. An Africanhexapode, of a new species, or, at least, of a new variety, or even ofa new sub-variety, was there on his head, and he could not recognizeit except it deigned to walk at least an inch from his eyes. 

However, Cousin Benedict's prayer must be heard. The insect, afterhaving traveled over the half-bald head, as on the summit of some wildbush, began to descend Cousin Benedict's forehead, and the lattermight at last conceive the hope that it would venture to the top ofhis nose. Once arrived at that top, why would it not descend to thebase?

"In its place, I--I would descend, " thought the worthy savant. 

What is truer than that, in Cousin Benedict's place, any other wouldhave struck his forehead violently, so as to crush the enticinginsect, or at least to put it to flight. To feel six feet moving onhis skin, without speaking of the fear of being bitten, and not make agesture, one will agree that it was the height of heroism. The Spartanallowing his breast to be devoured by a fox; the Roman holding burningcoals between his fingers, were not more masters of themselves thanCousin Benedict, who was undoubtedly descended from those two heroes. 

After twenty little circuits, the insect arrived at the top of thenose. Then there was a moment's hesitation that made all CousinBenedict's blood rush to his heart. Would the hexapode ascend againbeyond the line of the eyes, or would it descend below?

It descended. Cousin Benedict felt its caterpillar feet coming towardthe base of his nose. The insect turned neither to the right nor tothe left. It rested between its two buzzing wings, on the slightlyhooked edge of that learned nose, so well formed to carry spectacles. It cleared the little furrow produced by the incessant use of thatoptical instrument, so much missed by the poor cousin, and it stoppedjust at the extremity of his nasal appendage. 

It was the best place this haxapode could choose. At that distance, Cousin Benedict's two eyes, by making their visual rays converge, could, like two lens, dart their double look on the insect. 

"Almighty God!" exclaimed Cousin Benedict, who could not repress acry, "the tuberculous _manticore_. "

Now, he must not cry it out, he must only think it. But was it not toomuch to ask from the most enthusiastic of entomologists?

To have on the end of his nose a tuberculous _manticore_, with largeelytrums--an insect of the cicendeletes tribe--a very rare specimenin collections--one that seems peculiar to those southern parts ofAfrica, and yet not utter a cry of admiration; that is beyond humanstrength. 

Unfortunately the _manticore_ heard this cry, which was almostimmediately followed by a sneeze, that shook the appendage on which itrested. Cousin Benedict wished to take possession of it, extended hishand, shut it violently, and only succeeded in seizing the end of hisown nose. 

"Malediction!" exclaimed he. But then he showed a remarkable coolness. 

He knew that the tuberculous _manticore_ only flutters about, so tosay, that it walks rather than flies. He then knelt, and succeeded inperceiving, at less than ten inches from his eyes, the black pointthat was gliding rapidly in a ray of light. 

Evidently it was better to study it in this independent attitude. Onlyhe must not lose sight of it. 

"To seize the _manticore_ would be to risk crushing it, " CousinBenedict said to himself. "No; I shall follow it! I shall admire it! Ihave time enough to take it!"

Was Cousin Benedict wrong? However that may be, see him now on allfours, his nose to the ground like a dog that smells a scent, andfollowing seven or eight inches behind the superb hexapode. One momentafter he was outside his hut, under the midday sun, and a few minuteslater at the foot of the palisade that shut in Alvez's establishment. 

At this place was the _manticore_ going to clear the enclosure with abound, and put a wall between its adorer and itself? No, that was notin its nature, and Cousin Benedict knew it well. So he was alwaysthere, crawling like a snake, too far off to recognize the insectentomologically--besides, that was done--but near enough to perceivethat large, moving point traveling over the ground. 

The _manticore_, arrived near the palisade, had met the large entranceof a mole-hill that opened at the foot of the enclosure. There, without hesitating, it entered this subterranean gallery, for it is inthe habit of seeking those obscure passages. Cousin Benedict believedthat he was going to lose sight of it. But, to his great surprise, thepassage was at least two feet high, and the mole-hill formed a gallerywhere his long, thin body could enter. Besides, he put the ardor of aferret into his pursuit, and did not even perceive that in "earthing"himself thus, he was passing outside the palisade. 

In fact, the mole-hill established a natural communication between theinside and the outside. In half a minute Cousin Benedict was outsideof the factory. That did not trouble him. He was absorbed inadmiration of the elegant insect that was leading him on. But thelatter, doubtless, had enough of this long walk. Its elytrums turnedaside, its wings spread out. Cousin Benedict felt the danger, and, with his curved hand, he was going to make a provisional prison forthe _manticore_, when--f-r-r-r-r!--it flew away!

What despair! But the _manticore_ could not go far. Cousin Benedictrose; he looked, he darted forward, his two hands stretched out andopen. The insect flew above his head, and he only perceived a largeblack point, without appreciable form to him. 

Would the _manticore_ come to the ground again to rest, after havingtraced a few capricious circles around Cousin Benedict's bald head?All the probabilities were in favor of its doing so. 

Unfortunately for the unhappy savant, this part of Alvez'sestablishment, which was situated at the northern extremity of thetown, bordered on a vast forest, which covered the territory ofKazounde for a space of several square miles. If the _manticore_gained the cover of the trees, and if there, it should flutter frombranch to branch, he must renounce all hope of making it figure inthat famous tin box, in which it would be the most precious jewel. 

Alas! that was what happened. The _manticore_ had rested again onthe ground. Cousin Benedict, having the unexpected hope of seeing itagain, threw himself on the ground at once. But the _manticore_ nolonger walked: it proceeded by little jumps. 

Cousin Benedict, exhausted, his knees and hands bleeding, jumped also. His two arms, his hands open, were extended to the right, to the left, according as the black point bounded here or there. It might be saidthat he was drawing his body over that burning soil, as a swimmer doeson the surface of the water. 

Useless trouble! His two hands always closed on nothing. The insectescaped him while playing with him, and soon, arrived under the freshbranches, it arose, after throwing into Cousin Benedict's ear, whichit touched lightly, the most intense but also the most ironicalbuzzing of its coleopter wings. 

"Malediction!" exclaimed Cousin Benedict, a second time. "It escapesme. Ungrateful hexapode! Thou to whom I reserved a place of honor inmy collection! Well, no, I shall not give thee up! I shall follow theetill I reach thee!"

He forgot, this discomfited cousin, that his nearsighted eyes wouldnot enable him to perceive the _manticore_ among the foliage. But hewas no longer master of himself. Vexation, anger, made him a fool. Itwas himself, and only himself, that he must blame for his loss. If hehad taken possession of the insect at first, instead of following it"in its independent ways, " nothing of all that would have happened, and he would possess that admirable specimen of African _manticores_, the name of which is that of a fabulous animal, having a man's headand a lion's body. 

Cousin Benedict had lost his head. He little thought that the mostunforeseen of circumstances had just restored him to liberty. He didnot dream that the ant-hill, into which he had just entered, had openedto him an escape, and that he had just left Alvez's establishment. The forest was there, and under the trees was his _manticore_, flyingaway! At any price, he wanted to see it again. 

See him, then, running across the thick forest, no longer consciouseven of what he was doing, always imagining he saw the preciousinsect, beating the air with his long arms like a giganticfield-spider. Where he was going, how he would return, and if heshould return, he did not even ask himself, and for a good milehe made his way thus, at the risk of being met by some native, orattacked by some beast. 

Suddenly, as he passed near a thicket, a gigantic being sprang out andthrew himself on him. Then, as Cousin Benedict would have done withthe _manticore_, that being seized him with one hand by the nape ofthe neck, with the other by the lower part of the back, and before hehad time to know what was happening, he was carried across the forest. 

Truly, Cousin Benedict had that day lost a fine occasion of being ableto proclaim himself the happiest entomologist of the five parts of theworld. 

 * * * * *

CHAPTER XVI. 

A MAGICIAN. 

When Mrs. Weldon, on the 17th of the month, did not see CousinBenedict reappear at the accustomed hour, she was seized with thegreatest uneasiness. She could not imagine what had become of herbig baby. That he had succeeded in escaping from the factory, theenclosure of which was absolutely impassable, was not admissible. Besides, Mrs. Weldon knew her cousin. Had one proposed to thisoriginal to flee, abandoning his tin box and his collection of Africaninsects, he would have refused without the shadow of hesitation. Now, the box was there in the hut, intact, containing all that the savanthad been able to collect since his arrival on the continent. Tosuppose that he was voluntarily separated from his entomologicaltreasures, was inadmissible. 

Nevertheless, Cousin Benedict was no longer in Jose-Antonio Alvez'sestablishment. 

During all that day Mrs. Weldon looked for him persistently. LittleJack and the slave Halima joined her. It was useless. 

Mrs. Weldon was then forced to adopt this sad hypothesis: the prisonerhad been carried away by the trader's orders, for motives that shecould not fathom. But then, what had Alvez done with him? Had heincarcerated him in one of the barracks of the large square? Why thiscarrying away, coming after the agreement made between Mrs. Weldon andNegoro, an agreement which included Cousin Benedict in the numberof the prisoners whom the trader would conduct to Mossamedes, to beplaced in James W. Weldon's hands for a ransom?

If Mrs. Weldon had been a witness of Alvez's anger, when the latterlearned of the prisoner's disappearance, she would have understoodthat this disappearance was indeed made against his will. But then, ifCousin Benedict had escaped voluntarily, why had he not let her intothe secret of his escape?

However, the search of Alvez and his servants, which was made with thegreatest care, led to the discovery of that mole-hill, which put thefactory in direct communication with the neighboring forest. Thetrader no longer doubted that the "fly-hunter" had fled by that narrowopening. One may then judge of his fury, when he said to himself thatthis flight would doubtless be put to account, and would diminish theprize that the affair would bring him. 

"That imbecile is not worth much, " thought he, "nevertheless, I shallbe compelled to pay dear for him. Ah! if I take him again!"

But notwithstanding the searchings that were made inside, and thoughthe woods were beaten over a large radius, it was impossible to findany trace of the fugitive. 

Mrs. Weldon must resign herself to the loss of her cousin, and Alvezmourn over his prisoner. As it could not be admitted that the latterhad established communications with the outside, it appeared evidentthat chance alone had made him discover the existence of themole-hill, and that he had taken flight without thinking any more ofthose he left behind than if they had never existed. 

Mrs. Weldon was forced to allow that it must be so, but she didnot dream of blaming the poor man, so perfectly unconscious of hisactions. 

"The unfortunate! what will become of him?" she asked herself. 

It is needless to say that the mole-hill had been closed up the sameday, and with the greatest care, and that the watch was doubled insideas well as outside the factory. 

The monotonous life of the prisoners then continued for Mrs. Weldonand her child. 

Meanwhile, a climatic fact, very rare at that period of the year, wasproduced in the province. Persistent rains began about the 19th ofJune, though the _masika_ period, that finishes in April, was passed. In fact, the sky was covered, and continual showers inundated theterritory of Kazounde. 

What was only a vexation for Mrs. Weldon, because she must renounceher walks inside the factory, became a public misfortune for thenatives. The low lands, covered with harvests already ripe, wereentirely submerged. The inhabitants of the province, to whom the cropsuddenly failed, soon found themselves in distress. All the laborsof the season were compromised, and Queen Moini, any more than herministers, did not know how to face the catastrophe. 

They then had recourse to the magicians, but not to those whoseprofession is to heal the sick by their incantations and sorceries, orwho predict success to the natives. There was a public misfortune onhand, and the best "mganngas, " who have the privilege of provoking orstopping the rains, were prayed to, to conjure away the peril. 

Their labor was in vain. It was in vain that they intoned theirmonotonous chant, rang their little bells and hand-bells, employedtheir most precious amulets, and more particularly, a horn full of mudand bark, the point of which was terminated by three little horns. The spirits were exorcised by throwing little balls of dung, or inspitting in the faces of the most august personages of the court; butthey did not succeed in chasing away the bad spirits that presidedover the formation of the clouds. 

Now, things were going from bad to worse, when Queen Moini thought ofinviting a celebrated magician, then in the north of Angola. He wasa magician of the first order, whose power was the more marvelousbecause they had never tested it in this country where he had nevercome. But there was no question of its success among the Masikas. 

It was on the 25th of June, in the morning, that the new magiciansuddenly announced his arrival at Kazounde with great ringing ofbells. 

This sorcerer came straight to the "tchitoka, " and immediately thecrowd of natives rushed toward him. The sky was a little less rainy, the wind indicated a tendency to change, and those signs of calm, coinciding with the arrival of the magician, predisposed the minds ofthe natives in his favor. 

Besides, he was a superb man--a black of the finest water. He was atleast six feet high, and must be extraordinarily strong. This prestigealready influenced the crowd. 

Generally, the sorcerers were in bands of three, four, or five whenthey went through the villages, and a certain number of acolytes, orcompanions, made their cortege. This magician was alone. His wholebreast was zebraed with white marks, done with pipe clay. The lowerpart of his body disappeared under an ample skirt of grass stuff, the"train" of which would not have disgraced a modern elegant. A collarof birds' skulls was round his neck; on his head was a sort ofleathern helmet, with plumes ornamented with pearls; around his loinsa copper belt, to which hung several hundred bells, noisier than thesonorous harness of a Spanish mule: thus this magnificent specimen ofthe corporation of native wizards was dressed. 

All the material of his art was comprised in a kind of basket, ofwhich a calebash formed the bottom, and which was filled with shells, amulets, little wooden idols, and other fetiches, plus a notablequantity of dung balls, important accessories to the incantations anddivinatory practises of the center of Africa. 

One peculiarity was soon discovered by the crowd. This magician wasdumb. But this infirmity could only increase the consideration withwhich they were disposed to surround him. He only made a gutturalsound, low and languid, which had no signification. The more reasonfor being well skilled in the mysteries of witchcraft. 

The magician first made the tour of the great place, executing akind of dance which put in motion all his chime of bells. The crowdfollowed, imitating his movements--it might be said, as a troop ofmonkeys following a gigantic, four-handed animal. Then, suddenly, thesorcerer, treading the principal street of Kazounde, went toward theroyal residence. 

As soon as Queen Moini had been informed of the arrival of the newwizard, she appeared, followed by her courtiers. 

The magician bowed to the ground, and lifted up his head again, showing his superb height. His arms were then extended toward the sky, which was rapidly furrowed by masses of clouds. The sorcerer pointedto those clouds with his hand; he imitated their movements in ananimated pantomime. He showed them fleeing to the west, but returningto the east by a rotary movement that no power could stop. 

Then, suddenly, to the great surprise of the town and the court, thissorcerer took the redoubtable sovereign of Kazounde by the hand. Afew courtiers wished to oppose this act, which was contrary to alletiquette; but the strong magician, seizing the nearest by the nape ofthe neck, sent him staggering fifteen paces off. 

The queen did not appear to disapprove of this proud manner of acting. A sort of grimace, which ought to be a smile, was addressed to thewizard, who drew the queen on with rapid steps, while the crowd rushedafter him. 

This time it was toward Alvez's establishment that the sorcererdirected his steps. He soon reached the door, which was shut. Asimple blow from his shoulder threw it to the ground, and he led theconquered queen into the interior of the factory. 

The trader, his soldiers and his slaves, ran to punish the daringbeing who took it upon himself to throw down doors without waiting forthem to be opened to him. Suddenly, seeing that their sovereign didnot protest, they stood still, in a respectful attitude. 

No doubt Alvez was about to ask the queen why he was honored by hervisit, but the magician did not give him time. Making the crowd recedeso as to leave a large space free around him, he recommenced hispantomime with still greater animation. He pointed to the clouds, hethreatened them, he exorcised them; he made a sign as if he couldfirst stop them, and then scatter them. His enormous cheeks werepuffed out, and he blew on this mass of heavy vapors as if he had thestrength to disperse them. Then, standing upright, he seemed to intendstopping them in their course, and one would have said that, owing tohis gigantic height, he could have seized them. 

The superstitious Moini, "overcome" by the acting of this tallcomedian, could no longer control herself. Cries escaped her. Sheraved in her turn, and instinctively repeated the magician's gestures. The courtiers and the crowd followed her example, and the mute'sguttural sounds were lost amid those songs; cries, and yells which thenative language furnishes with so much prodigality. 

Did the clouds cease to rise on the eastern horizon and veil thetropical sun? Did they vanish before the exorcisms of this new wizard?No. And just at this moment, when the queen and her people imaginedthat they had appeased the evil spirits that had watered them with somany showers, the sky, somewhat clear since daybreak, became darkerthan ever. Large drops of rain fell pattering on the ground. 

Then a sudden change took place in the crowd. They then saw that thissorcerer was worth no more than the others. The queen's brows werefrowning. They understood that he at least was in danger of losinghis ears. The natives had contracted the circle around him; fiststhreatened him, and they were about to punish him, when an unforeseenincident changed the object of their evil intentions. 

The magician, who overlooked the whole yelling crowd, stretched hisarms toward one spot in the enclosure. The gesture was so imperiousthat all turned to look at it. 

Mrs. Weldon and little Jack, attracted by the noise and the clamor, had just left their hut. The magician, with an angry gesture, hadpointed to them with his left hand, while his right was raised towardthe sky. 

They! it was they'! It was this white woman--it was her child--theywere causing all this evil. They had brought these clouds from theirrainy country, to inundate the territories of Kazounde. 

It was at once understood. Queen Moini, pointing to Mrs. Weldon, madea threatening gesture. The natives, uttering still more terriblecries, rushed toward her. 

Mrs. Weldon thought herself lost, and clasping her son in her arms, she stood motionless as a statue before this over-excited crowd. 

The magician went toward her. The natives stood aside in the presenceof this wizard, who, with the cause of the evil, seemed to have foundthe remedy. 

The trader, Alvez, knowing that the life of the prisoner was precious, now approached, not being sure of what he ought to do. 

The magician had seized little Jack, and snatching him from hismother's arms, he held him toward the sky. It seemed as if he wereabout to dash the child to the earth, so as to appease the gods. 

With a terrible cry, Mrs. Weldon fell to the ground insensible. 

But the magician, after having made a sign to the queen, which nodoubt reassured her as to his intentions, raised the unhappy mother, and while the crowd, completely subdued, parted to give him space, hecarried her away with her child. 

Alvez was furious, not expecting this result. After having lost oneof the three prisoners, to see the prize confided to his care thusescape, and, with the prize, the large bribe promised him by Negoro!Never! not if the whole territory of Kazounde were submerged by a newdeluge! He tried to oppose this abduction. 

The natives now began to mutter against him. The queen had him seizedby her guards, and, knowing what it might cost him, the trader wasforced to keep quiet, while cursing the stupid credulity of QueenMoini's subjects. 

The savages, in fact, expected to see the clouds disappear with thosewho had brought them, and they did not doubt that the magician woulddestroy the scourge, from which they suffered so much, in the blood ofthe strangers. 

Meanwhile, the magician carried off his victims as a lion would acouple of kids which did not satisfy his powerful appetite. LittleJack was terrified, his mother was unconscious. The crowd, roused tothe highest degree of fury, escorted the magician with yells; buthe left the enclosure, crossed Kazounde, and reentered the forest, walking nearly three miles, without resting for a moment. Finally hewas alone, the natives having understood that he did not wish to befollowed. He arrived at the bank of a river, whose rapid currentflowed toward the north. 

There, at the end of a large opening, behind the long, droopingbranches of a thicket which hid the steep bank, was moored a canoe, covered by a sort of thatch. 

The magician lowered his double burden into the boat, and followinghimself, shoved out from the bank, and the current rapidly carriedthem down the stream. The next minute he said, in a very distinctvoice:

"Captain, here are Mrs. Weldon and little Jack; I present them to you. Forward. And may all the clouds in heaven fall on those idiots ofKazounde!"

 * * * * *

CHAPTER XVII. 

DRIFTING. 

It was Hercules, not easily recognized in his magician's attire, whowas speaking thus, and it was Dick Sand whom he was addressing--DickSand, still feeble enough, to lean on Cousin Benedict, near whom Dingowas lying. 

Mrs. Weldon, who had regained consciousness, could only pronouncethese words:

"You! Dick! You!"

The young novice rose, but already Mrs. Weldon was pressing him in herarms, and Jack was lavishing caresses on him. 

"My friend Dick! my friend Dick!" repeated the little boy. Then, turning to Hercules: "And I, " he added, "I did not know you!"

"Hey! what a disguise!" replied Hercules, rubbing his breast to effacethe variety of colors that striped it. 

"You were too ugly!" said little Jack. 

"Bless me! I was the devil, and the devil is not handsome. "

"Hercules!" said Mrs. Weldon, holding out her hand to the brave black. 

"He has delivered you, " added Dick Sand, "as he has saved me, thoughhe will not allow it. "

"Saved! saved! We are not saved yet!" replied Hercules. "And besides, without Mr. Benedict, who came to tell us where you were, Mrs. Weldon, we could not have done anything. "

In fact, it was Hercules who, five days before, had jumped upon thesavant at the moment when, having been led two miles from the factory, the latter was running in pursuit of his precious manticore. Withoutthis incident, neither Dick Sand nor the black would have known Mrs. Weldon's retreat, and Hercules would not have ventured to Kazounde ina magician's dress. 

While the boat drifted with rapidity in this narrow part of the river, Hercules related what had passed since his flight from the camp onthe Coanza; how, without being seen, he had followed the _kitanda_ inwhich Mrs. Weldon and her son were; how he had found Dingo wounded;how the two had arrived in the neighborhood of Kazounde; how a notefrom Hercules, carried by the dog, told Dick Sand what had become ofMrs. Weldon; how, after the unexpected arrival of Cousin Benedict, he had vainly tried to make his way into the factory, more carefullyguarded than ever; how, at last, he had found this opportunity ofsnatching the prisoner from that horrible Jose-Antonio Alvez. Now, this opportunity had offered itself that same day. A _mgannga_, ormagician, on his witchcraft circuit, that celebrated magician soimpatiently expected, was passing through the forest in which Herculesroamed every night, watching, waiting, ready for anything. 

To spring upon the magician, despoil him of his baggage, and of hismagician's vestments, to fasten him to the foot of a tree with lianeknots that the Davenports themselves could not have untied, to painthis body, taking the sorcerer's for a model, and to act out hischaracter in charming and controlling the rains, had been the workof several hours. Still, the incredible credulity of the natives wasnecessary for his success. 

During this recital, given rapidly by Hercules, nothing concerningDick Sand had been mentioned. 

"And you, Dick!" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"I, Mrs. Weldon!" replied the young man. "I can tell you nothing. Mylast thought was for you, for Jack! I tried in vain to break the cordsthat fastened me to the stake. The water rose over my head. I lostconsciousness. When I came to myself, I was sheltered in a hole, concealed by the papyrus of this bank, and Hercules was on his kneesbeside me, lavishing his care upon me. "

"Well! that is because I am a physician, " replied Hercules; "adiviner, a sorcerer, a magician, a fortuneteller!"

"Hercules, " said Mrs. Weldon, "tell me, how did you save Dick Sand?"

"Did I do it, Mrs. Weldon?" replied Hercules; "Might not the currenthave broken the stake to which our captain was tied, and in the middleof the night, carried him half-dead on this beam, to the place whereI received him? Besides, in the darkness, there was no difficulty ingliding among the victims that carpeted the ditch, waiting for thebursting of the dam, diving under water, and, with a little strength, pulling up our captain and the stake to which these scoundrels hadbound him! There was nothing very extraordinary in all that! Thefirst-comer could have done as much. Mr. Benedict himself, or evenDingo! In fact, might it not have been Dingo?"

A yelping was heard; and Jack, taking hold of the dog's large head, gave him several little friendly taps. 

"Dingo, " he asked, "did you save our friend Dick?"

At the same time he turned the dog's head from right to left. 

"He says, no, Hercules!" said Jack. "You see that it was not he. Dingo, did Hercules save our captain?"

The little boy forced Dingo's good head to move up and down, five orsix times. 

"He says, yes, Hercules! he says, yes!" cried little Jack. "You seethen that it was you!"

"Friend Dingo, " replied Hercules, caressing the dog, "that is wrong. You promised me not to betray me. "

Yes, it was indeed Hercules, who had risked his life to save DickSand. But he had done it, and his modesty would not allow him toagree to the fact. Besides, he thought it a very simple thing, and herepeated that any one of his companions would have done the same underthe circumstances. 

This led Mrs. Weldon to speak of old Tom, of his son, of Acteon andBat, his unfortunate companions. 

They had started for the lake region. Hercules had seen them pass withthe caravan of slaves. He had followed them, but no opportunity tocommunicate with them had presented itself. They were gone! they werelost!

Hercules had been laughing heartily, but now he shed tears which hedid not try to restrain. 

"Do not cry, my friend, " Mrs. Weldon said to him. "God may bemerciful, and allow us to meet them again. "

In a few words she informed Dick Sand of all that had happened duringher stay in Alvez's factory. 

"Perhaps, " she added, "it would have been better to have remained atKazounde. "

"What a fool I was!" cried Hercules. 

"No, Hercules, no!" said Dick Sand. "These wretches would have foundmeans to draw Mr. Weldon into some new trap. Let us flee together, andwithout delay. We shall reach the coast before Negoro can return toMossamedes. There, the Portuguese authorities will give us aid andprotection; and when Alvez comes to take his one hundred thousanddollars--"

"A hundred thousand blows on the old scoundrel's skull!" criedHercules; "and I will undertake to keep the count. "

However, here was a new complication, although it was very evidentthat Mrs. Weldon would not dream of returning to Kazounde. The pointnow was to anticipate Negoro. All Dick Sand's projects must tendtoward that end. 

Dick Sand was now putting in practise the plan which he had longcontemplated, of gaining the coast by utilizing the current of ariver or a stream. Now, the watercourse was there; its direction wasnorthward, and it was possible that it emptied into the Zaire. In thatcase, instead of reaching St. Paul de Loanda, it would be at the mouthof the great river that Mrs. Weldon and her companions would arrive. This was not important, because help would not fail them in thecolonies of Lower Guinea. 

Having decided to descend the current of this river, Dick Sand's firstidea was to embark on one of the herbaceous rafts, a kind of floatingisle (of which Cameron has often spoken), which drifts in largenumbers on the surface of African rivers. 

But Hercules, while roaming at night on the bank, had been fortunateenough to find a drifting boat. Dick Sand could not hope for anythingbetter, and chance had served him kindly. In fact, it was not one ofthose narrow boats which the natives generally use. 

The perogue found by Hercules was one of those whose length exceedsthirty feet, and the width four--and they are carried rapidly on thewaters of the great lakes by the aid of numerous paddles. Mrs. Weldonand her companions could install themselves comfortably in it, and itwas sufficient to keep it in the stream by means of an oar to descendthe current of the river. 

At first, Dick Sand, wishing to pass unseen, had formed a projectto travel only at night. But to drift twelve hours out of thetwenty-four, was to double the length of a journey which might bequite long. Happily, Dick Sand had taken a fancy to cover the peroguewith a roof of long grasses, sustained on a rod, which projected foreand aft. This, when on the water, concealed even the long oar. Onewould have said that it was a pile of herbs which drifted down stream, in the midst of floating islets. Such was the ingenious arrangementof the thatch, that the birds were deceived, and, seeing there somegrains to pilfer, red-beaked gulls, "arrhinisgas" of black plumage, and gray and white halcyons frequently came to rest upon it. 

Besides, this green roof formed a shelter from the heat of the sun. Avoyage made under these conditions might then be accomplished almostwithout fatigue, but not without danger. 

In fact, the journey would be a long one, and it would be necessaryto procure food each day. Hence the risk of hunting on the banks iffishing would not suffice, and Dick Sand had no firearms but the guncarried off by Hercules after the attack on the ant-hill; but hecounted on every shot. Perhaps even by passing his gun through thethatch of the boat he might fire with surety, like a butter throughthe holes in his hut. 

Meanwhile, the perogue drifted with the force of the current adistance not less than two miles an hour, as near as Dick Sand couldestimate it. 

He hoped to make, thus, fifty miles a day. But, on account of thisvery rapidity of the current, continual care was necessary to avoidobstacles--rocks, trunks of trees, and the high bottoms of the river. Besides, it was to be feared that this current would change to rapids, or to cataracts, a frequent occurrence on the rivers of Africa. 

The joy of seeing Mrs. Weldon and her child had restored all DickSand's strength, and he had posted himself in the fore-part of theboat. Across the long grasses, his glance observed the downwardcourse, and, either by voice or gesture, he indicated to Hercules, whose vigorous hands held the oar, what was necessary so as to keep inthe right direction. 

Mrs. Weldon reclined on a bed of dry leaves in the center of the boat, and grew absorbed in her own thoughts. Cousin Benedict was taciturn, frowning at the sight of Hercules, whom he had not forgiven for hisintervention in the affair of the manticore. He dreamed of his lostcollection, of his entomological notes, the value of which wouldnot be appreciated by the natives of Kazounde. So he sat, his limbsstretched out, and his arms crossed on his breast, and at times heinstinctively made a gesture of raising to his forehead the glasseswhich his nose did not support. As for little Jack, he understoodthat he must not make a noise; but, as motion was not forbidden, heimitated his friend Dingo, and ran on his hands and feet from one endof the boat to the other. 

During the first two days Mrs. Weldon and her companions used the foodthat Hercules had been able to obtain before they started. Dick Sandonly stopped for a few hours in the night, so as to gain rest. But hedid not leave the boat, not wishing to do it except when obliged bythe necessity of renewing their provisions. 

No incident marked the beginning of the voyage on this unknown river, which measured, at least, more than a hundred and fifty feet inwidth. Several islets drifted on the surface, and moved with the samerapidity as the boat. So there was no danger of running upon them, unless some obstacle stopped them. 

The banks, besides, seemed to be deserted. Evidently these portions ofthe territory of Kazounde were little frequented by the natives. 

Numerous wild plants covered the banks, and relieved them with aprofusion of the most brilliant colors. Swallow-wort, iris, lilies, clematis, balsams, umbrella-shaped flowers, aloes, tree-ferns, andspicy shrubs formed a border of incomparable brilliancy. Severalforests came to bathe their borders in these rapid waters. Copal-trees, acacias, "bauhinias" of iron-wood, the trunks coveredwith a dross of lichens on the side exposed to the coldest winds, fig-trees which rose above roots arranged in rows like mangroves, andother trees of magnificent growth, overhung the river. Their hightops, joining a hundred feet above, formed a bower which the solarrays could not penetrate. Often, also, a bridge of lianes was thrownfrom one bank to the other, and during the 27th little Jack, to hisintense admiration, saw a band of monkeys cross one of these vegetablepasses, holding each other's tail, lest the bridge should break undertheir weight. 

These monkeys are a kind of small chimpanzee, which in Central Africahas received the name of "sokos. " They have low foreheads, clearyellow faces, and high-set ears, and are very ugly examples of the_simiesque_ race. They live in bands of a dozen, bark like dogs, andare feared by the natives, whose children they often carry off toscratch or bite. 

In passing the liane bridge they never suspected that, beneath thatmass of herbs which the current bore onward, there was a littleboy who would have exactly served to amuse them. The preparations, designed by Dick Sand, were very well conceived, because theseclear-sighted beasts were deceived by them. 

Twenty miles farther on, that same day, the boat was suddenly stoppedin its progress. 

"What is the matter?" asked Hercules, always posted at his oar. 

"A barrier, " replied Dick Sand; "but a natural barrier. "

"It must be broken, Mr. Dick. "

"Yes, Hercules, and with a hatchet. Several islets have drifted uponit, and it is quite strong. "

"To work, captain! to work!" replied Hercules, who came and stood inthe fore-part of the perogue. 

This barricade was formed by the interlacing of a sticky plant withglossy leaves, which twists as it is pressed together, and becomesvery resisting. They call it "tikatika, " and it will allow people tocross watercourses dry-shod, if they are not afraid to plunge twelveinches into its green apron. Magnificent ramifications of the lotuscovered the surface of this barrier. 

It was already dark. Hercules could, without imprudence, quit theboat, and he managed his hatchet so skilfully that two hours afterwardthe barrier had given way, the current turned up the broken pieces onthe banks, and the boat again took the channel. 

Must it be confessed! That great child of a Cousin Benedict had hopedfor a moment that they would not be able to pass. Such a voyage seemedto him unnecessary. He regretted Alvez's factory and the hut thatcontained his precious entomologist's box. His chagrin was real, andindeed it was pitiful to see the poor man. Not an insect; no, not oneto preserve!

What, then, was his joy when Hercules, "his pupil" after all, broughthim a horrible little beast which he had found on a sprig of thetikatika. Singularly enough the brave black seemed a little confusedin presenting it to him. 

But what exclamations Cousin Benedict uttered when he had brought thisinsect, which he held between his index finger and his thumb, as nearas possible to his short-sighted eyes, which neither glasses normicroscope could now assist. 

"Hercules!" he cried, "Hercules! Ah! see what will gain your pardon!Cousin Weldon! Dick! a hexapode, unique in its species, and of Africanorigin! This, at least, they will not dispute with me, and it shallquit me only with my life!"

"It is, then, very precious?" asked Mrs. Weldon. 

"Precious!" cried Cousin Benedict. "An insect which is neither acoleopter, nor a neuropteran, nor a hymenopter; which does not belongto any of the ten orders recognized by savants, and which they will berather tempted to rank in the second section of the arachnides. Asort of spider, which would be a spider if it had eight legs, and is, however, a hexapode, because it has but six. Ah! my friends, Heavenowed me this joy; and at length I shall give my name to a scientificdiscovery! That insect shall be the 'Hexapodes Benedictus. '"

The enthusiastic savant was so happy--he forgot so many miseries pastand to come in riding his favorite hobby--that neither Mrs. Weldon norDick Sand grudged him his felicitations. 

All this time the perogue moved on the dark waters of the river. Thesilence of night was only disturbed by the clattering scales of thecrocodiles, or the snorting of the hippopotami that sported on thebanks. 

Then, through the sprigs of the thatch, the moon appeared behind thetops of the trees, throwing its soft light to the interior of theboat. 

Suddenly, on the right bank, was heard a distant hubbub, then a dullnoise as if giant pumps were working in the dark. 

It was several hundred elephants, that, satiated by the woody rootswhich they had devoured during the day, came to quench their thirstbefore the hour of repose. One would really have supposed that allthese trunks, lowered and raised by the same automatic movement, wouldhave drained the river dry. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

VARIOUS INCIDENTS. 

For eight days the boat drifted, carried by the current under theconditions already described. No incident of any importance occurred. For a space of many miles the river bathed the borders of superbforests; then the country, shorn of these fine trees, spread injungles to the limits of the horizon. 

If there were no natives in this country--a fact which Dick Sand didnot dream of regretting--the animals at least abounded there. Zebrassported on the banks, elks, and "caamas, " a species of antelope whichwere extremely graceful, and they disappeared at night to give placeto the leopards, whose growls could be heard, and even to the lionswhich bounded in the tall grasses. Thus far the fugitives had notsuffered from these ferocious creatures, whether in the forests or inthe river. 

Meanwhile, each day, generally in the afternoon, Dick Sand neared onebank or the other, moored the boat, disembarked, and explored theshore for a short distance. 

In fact, it was necessary to renew their daily food. Now, in thiscountry, barren of all cultivation, they could not depend upon thetapioca, the sorgho, the maize, and the fruits, which formed thevegetable food of the native tribes. These plants only grew in awild state, and were not eatable. Dick Sand was thus forced to hunt, although the firing of his gun might bring about an unpleasantmeeting. 

They made a fire by rubbing a little stick against a piece of the wildfig-tree, native fashion, or even simiesque style, for it is affirmedthat certain of the gorillas procure a fire by this means. Then, forseveral days, they cooked a little elk or antelope flesh. During the4th of July Dick Sand succeeded in killing, with a single ball, a"pokou, " which gave them a good supply of venison. This animal, wasfive feet long; it had long horns provided with rings, a yellowish redskin, dotted with brilliant spots, and white on the stomach; and theflesh was found to be excellent. 

It followed then, taking into account these almost daily landings andthe hours of repose that were necessary at night, that the distance onthe 8th of July could hot be estimated as more than one hundred miles. This was considerable, however, and already Dick Sand asked himselfwhere this interminable river ended. Its course absorbed somesmall tributaries and did not sensibly enlarge. As for the generaldirection, after having been north for a long time, it took a bendtoward the northwest. 

However, this river furnished its share of food. Long lianes, armedwith thorns, which served as fishhooks, caught several of thosedelicately-flavored "sandjikas", which, once smoked, are easilycarried in this region; black "usakas" were also caught, and some"mormdes, " with large heads, the genciva of which have teeth like thehairs of a brush, and some little "dagalas, " the friends of runningwaters, belonging to the clupe species, and resembling the whitebaitof the Thames. 

During the 9th of July, Dick Sand had to give proof of extremecoolness. He was alone on the shore, carrying off a "caama, " the hornsof which showed above the thicket. He had just shot it, and now therebounded, thirty feet off, a formidable hunter, that no doubt came toclaim its prey, and was not in a humor to give it up. It was a lion ofgreat height, one of those which the natives call "karamos, " and notone of the kind without a mane, named "lion of the Nyassi. " This onemeasured five feet in height--a formidable beast. With one bound thelion had fallen on the "caama, " which Dick Sand's ball had just thrownto the ground, and, still full of life, it shook and cried under thepaw of the powerful animal. 

Dick Sand was disarmed, not having had time to slide a secondcartridge into his gun. 

Dick Sand, in front, lowering his voice, gave directions to avoidstriking against these rotten constructions. The night was clear. Theysaw well to direct the boat, but they could also be seen. 

Then came a terrible moment. Two natives, who talked in loud tones, were squatting close to the water on the piles, between which thecurrent carried the boat, and the direction could not be changed fora narrower pass. Now, would they not see it, and at their cries mightnot the whole village be alarmed?

A space of a hundred feet at most remained to be passed, when DickSand heard the two natives call more quickly to each other. One showedthe other the mass of drifting herbs, which threatened to break thelong liane ropes which they were occupied in stretching at thatmoment. 

Rising hastily, they called out for help. Five or six other blacks ranat once along the piles and posted themselves on the cross-beams whichsupported them, uttering loud exclamations which the listeners couldnot understand. 

In the boat, on the contrary, was absolute silence, except for the feworders given by Dick Sand in a low voice, and complete repose, exceptthe movement of Hercules's right arm moving the oar; at times a lowgrowl from Dingo, whose jaws Jack held together with his little hands;outside, the murmur of the water which broke against the piles, thenabove, the cries of the ferocious cannibals. 

The natives, meanwhile, rapidly drew up their ropes. If they wereraised in time the boat would pass, otherwise it would be caught, andall would be over with those who drifted in it! As for slackening orstopping its progress, Dick Sand could do neither, for the current, stronger under this narrow construction, carried it forward morerapidly. 

In half a minute the boat was caught between the piles. By anunheard-of piece of fortune, the last effort made by the natives hadraised the ropes. 

But in passing, as Dick Sand had feared, the boat was deprived of apart of the grasses which now floated at its right. 

One of the natives uttered a cry. Had he had time to recognize whatthe roof covered, and was he going to alarm his comrades? It was morethan probable. 

Dick Sand and his friends were already out of reach, and in a fewmoments, under the impetus of this current, now changed into a kind ofrapid, they had lost sight of the lacustrine village. 

"To the left bank!" Dick Sand ordered, as being more prudent. "Thestream is again navigable. "

"To the left bank!" replied Hercules, giving the oar a vigorousstroke. 

Dick Sand stood beside him and looked at the surface of the water, which the moon lit up. He saw nothing suspicious. Not a boat hadstarted in pursuit. Perhaps these savages had none; and at daybreaknot a native appeared, either on the bank or on the water. After that, increasing their precautions, the boat kept close to the left bank. 

During the four following days, from the 11th to the 14th of July, Mrs. Weldon and her companions remarked that this portion of theterritory had decidedly changed. It was no longer a deserted country;it was also a desert, and they might have compared it to that Kalahariexplored by Livingstone on his first voyage. 

The arid soil recalled nothing of the fertile fields of the uppercountry. 

And always this interminable stream, to which might be given the nameof river, as it seemed that it could only end at the Atlantic Ocean. 

The question of food, in this desert country, became a problem. Nothing remained of their former stock. Fishing gave little; huntingwas no longer of any use. Elks, antelopes, pokous, and other animals, could find nothing to live on in this desert, and with them had alsodisappeared the carnivorous animals. 

The nights no longer echoed the accustomed roarings. Nothing brokethe silence but the concert of frogs, which Cameron compares with thenoise of calkers calking a ship; with riveters who rivet, and thedrillers who drill, in a shipbuilder's yard. 

The country on the two banks was flat and destitute of trees as faras the most distant hills that bounded it on the east and west. Thespurges grew alone and in profusion--not the euphosbium which producescassava or tapioca flour, but those from which they draw an oil whichdoes not serve as food. 

Meantime it is necessary to provide some nourishment. 

Dick Sand knew not what to do, and Hercules reminded him that thenatives often eat the young shoots of the ferns and the pith which thepapyrus leaf contains. He himself, while following the caravan of IbnIlamis across the desert, had been more than once reduced to thisexpedient to satisfy his hunger. Happily, the ferns and the papyrusgrew in profusion along the banks, and the marrow or pith, which has asweet flavor, was appreciated by all, particularly by little Jack. 

This was not a very cheering prospect; the food was not strengthening, but the next day, thanks to Cousin Benedict, they were better served. Since the discovery of the "Hexapodus Benedictus, " which was toimmortalize his name, Cousin Benedict had recovered his usual manners. The insect was put in a safe place, that is to say, stuck in the crownof his hat, and the savant had recommenced his search whenever theywere on shore. During that day, while hunting in the high grass, hestarted a bird whose warbling attracted him. 

Dick Sand was going to shoot it, when Cousin Benedict cried out:

"Don't fire, Dick! Don't fire! A bird among five persons would not beenough. "

"It will be enough for Jack, " replied Dick Sand, taking aim at thebird, which was in no hurry to fly away. 

"No, no!" said Cousin Benedict, "do not fire! It is an indicator, andit will bring us honey in abundance. "

Dick Sand lowered his gun, realizing that a few pounds of honey wereworth more than one bird; and Cousin Benedict and he followed thebird, which rose and flew away, inviting them to go with it. 

They had not far to go, and a few minutes after, some old trunks, hidden in between the spurges, appeared in the midst of an intensebuzzing of bees. 

Cousin Benedict would have preferred not to have robbed theseindustrious hymenopters of the "fruit of their labors, " as heexpressed it. But Dick Sand did not understand it in that way. Hesmoked out the bees with some dry herbs and obtained a considerablequantity of honey. Then leaving to the indicator the cakes of wax, which made its share of the profit, Cousin Benedict and he returned tothe boat. 

The honey was well received, but it was but little, and, in fact, allwould have suffered cruelly from hunger, if, during the day of the12th, the boat had not stopped near a creek where some locustsswarmed. They covered the ground and the shrubs in myriads, two orthree deep. Now, Cousin Benedict not failing to say that the nativesfrequently eat these orthopters--which was perfectly true--they tookpossession of this manna. There was enough to fill the boat ten times, and broiled over a mild fire, these edible locusts would have seemedexcellent even to less famished people. Cousin Benedict, for his part, eat a notable quantity of them, sighing, it is true--still, he eatthem. 

Nevertheless, it was time for this long series of moral and physicaltrials to come to an end. Although drifting on this rapid river wasnot so fatiguing as had been the walking through the first forestsnear the coast, still, the excessive heat of the day, the damp mistsat night, and the incessant attacks of the mosquitoes, made thisdescent of the watercourse very painful. It was time to arrivesomewhere, and yet Dick Sand could see no limit to the journey. Wouldit last eight days or a month? Nothing indicated an answer. Had theriver flowed directly to the west, they would have already reached thenorthern coast of Angola; but the general direction had been rather tothe north, and they could travel thus a long time before reaching thecoast. 

Dick Sand was, therefore, extremely anxious, when a sudden change ofdirection took place on the morning of the 14th of July. 

Little Jack was in the front of the boat, and he was gazing throughthe thatch, when a large expanse of water appeared on the horizon. 

"The sea!" he shouted. 

At this word Dick Sand trembled, and came close to little Jack. 

"The sea?" he replied. "No, not yet; but at least a river which flowstoward the west, and of which this stream is only a tributary. Perhapsit is the Zaire itself. "

"May God grant that is!" replied Mrs. Weldon. 

Yes; for if this were the Zaire or Congo, which Stanley was todiscover a few years later, they had only to descend its course so asto reach the Portuguese settlements at its mouth. Dick Sand hoped thatit might be so, and he was inclined to believe it. 

During the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th of July, in the midst of a morefertile country, the boat drifted on the silvery waters of the river. They still took the same precautions, and it was always a mass ofherbs that the current seemed to carry on its surface. 

A few days more, and no doubt the survivors of the "Pilgrim" would seethe termination of their miseries. Self-sacrifice had been shared inby all, and if the young novice would not claim the greater part ofit, Mrs. Weldon would demand its recognition for him. 

But on the 18th of July, during the night, an incident took placewhich compromised the safety of the party. Toward three o'clock in themorning a distant noise, still very low, was heard in the west. DickSand, very anxious, wished to know what caused it. While Mrs. Weldon, Jack, and Cousin Benedict slept in the bottom of the boat, he calledHercules to the front, and told him to listen with the greatestattention. The night was calm. Not a breeze stirred the atmosphere. 

"It is the noise of the sea, " said Hercules, whose eyes shone withjoy. 

"No, " replied Dick Sand, holding down his head. 

"What is it then?" asked Hercules. 

"Wait until day; but we must watch with the greatest care. "

At this answer, Hercules returned to his post. 

Dick Sand stood in front, listening all the time. The noise increased. It was soon like distant roaring. 

Day broke almost without dawn. About half a mile down the river, justabove the water, a sort of cloud floated in the atmosphere. But it wasnot a mass of vapor, and this became only too evident, when, underthe first solar rays, which broke in piercing it, a beautiful rainbowspread from one bank to the other. 

"To the shore!" cried Dick Sand, whose voice awoke Mrs. Weldon. "It isa cataract! Those clouds are spray! To the shore, Hercules!"

Dick Sand was not mistaken. Before them, the bed of the river broke ina descent of more than a hundred feet, and the waters rushed down withsuperb but irresistible impetuosity. Another half mile, and the boatwould have been engulfed in the abyss. 

CHAPTER XIX. 

S. V. 

With a vigorous plow of the oar, Hercules had pushed toward the leftbank. Besides, the current was not more rapid in that place, and thebed of the river kept its normal declivity to the falls. As has beensaid, it was the sudden sinking of the ground, and the attraction wasonly felt three or four hundred feet above the cataract. 

On the left bank were large and very thick trees. No light penetratedtheir impenetrable curtain. It was not without terror that Dick Sandlooked at this territory, inhabited by the cannibals of the LowerCongo, which he must now cross, because the boat could no longerfollow the stream. He could not dream of carrying it below the falls. It was a terrible blow for these poor people, on the eve perhaps ofreaching the Portuguese villages at its mouth. They were well aided, however. Would not Heaven come to their assistance?

The boat soon reached the left bank of the river. As it drew near, Dingo gave strange marks of impatience and grief at the same time. 

Dick Sand, who was watching the animal--for all was danger--askedhimself if some beast or some native was not concealed in the highpapyrus of the bank. But he soon saw that the animal was not agitatedby a sentiment of anger. 

"One would say that Dingo was crying!" exclaimed little Jack, claspingDingo in his two arms. 

Dingo escaped from him, and, springing into the water, when the boatwas only twenty feet from the bank, reached the shore and disappearedamong the bushes. 

Neither Mrs. Weldon, nor Dick Sand, nor Hercules, knew what to think. 

They landed a few moments after in the middle of a foam green withhairweed and other aquatic plants. Some kingfishers, giving a sharpwhistle, and some little herons, white as snow, immediately flew away. Hercules fastened the boat firmly to a mangrove stump, and all climbedup the steep bank overhung by large trees. 

There was no path in this forest. However, faint traces on the groundindicated that this place had been recently visited by natives oranimals. 

Dick Sand, with loaded gun, and Hercules, with his hatchet in hishand, had not gone ten steps before they found Dingo again. The dog, nose to the ground, was following a scent, barking all the time. Afirst inexplicable presentiment had drawn the animal to this partof the shore, a second led it into the depths of the wood. That wasclearly visible to all. 

"Attention!" said Dick Sand. "Mrs. Weldon, Mr. Benedict, Jack, do notleave us! Attention, Hercules!"

At this moment Dingo raised its head, and, by little bounds, invitedthem to follow. 

A moment after Mrs. Weldon and her companions rejoined it at the footof an old sycamore, lost in the thickest part of the wood. 

There was a dilapidated hut, with disjoined boards, before which Dingowas barking lamentably. 

"Who can be there?" exclaimed Dick Sand. 

He entered the hut. 

Mrs. Weldon and the others followed him. 

The ground was scattered with bones, already bleached under thediscoloring action of the atmosphere. 

"A man died in that hut!" said Mrs. Weldon. 

"And Dingo knew that man!" replied Dick Sand. "It was, it must havebeen, his master! Ah, see!"

Dick Sand pointed to the naked trunk of the sycamore at the end of thehut. 

There appeared two large red letters, already almost effaced, butwhich could be still distinguished. 

Dingo had rested its right paw on the tree, and it seemed to indicatethem. 

"S. V. !" exclaimed Dick Sand. "Those letters which Dingo knew amongall others! Those initials that it carries on its collar!"

He did not finish, and stooping, he picked up a little copper box, alloxydized, which lay in a corner of the hut. 

That box was opened, and a morsel of paper fell from it, on which DickSand read these few words:

 "Assassinated--robbed by my guide, Negoro--3d December, 1871--here--120 miles from the coast--Dingo!--with me!

 "S. VERNON. "

The note told everything. Samuel Vernon set out with his dog, Dingo, to explore the center of Africa, guided by Negoro. The money which hecarried had excited the wretch's cupidity, and he resolved to takepossession of it. The French traveler, arrived at this point of theCongo's banks, had established his camp in this hut. There he wasmortally wounded, robbed, abandoned. The murder accomplished, no doubtNegoro took to flight, and it was then that he fell into the handsof the Portuguese. Recognized as one of the trader Alvez's agents, conducted to Saint Paul de Loanda, he was condemned to finish his daysin one of the penitentiaries of the colony. We know that he succeededin escaping, in reaching New Zealand, and how he embarked on the"Pilgrim" to the misfortune of those who had taken passage on it. But what happened after the crime? Nothing but what was easy tounderstand! The unfortunate Vernon, before dying, had evidently hadtime to write the note which, with the date and the motive of theassassination, gave the name of the assassin. This note he had shutup in that box where, doubtless, the stolen money was, and, in a lasteffort, his bloody finger had traced like an epitaph the initials ofhis name. Before those two red letters, Dingo must have remained formany days! He had learned to know them! He could no longer forgetthem! Then, returned to the coast, the dog had been picked up by thecaptain of the "Waldeck, " and finally, on board the "Pilgrim, " founditself again with Negoro. During this time, the bones of the travelerwere whitening in the depths of this lost forest of Central Africa, and he no longer lived except in the remembrance of his dog. 

Yes, such must have been the way the events had happened. As Dick Sandand Hercules prepared to give a Christian burial to the remains ofSamuel Yernon, Dingo, this time giving a howl of rage, dashed out ofthe hut. 

Almost at once horrible cries were heard at a short distance. Evidently a man was struggling with the powerful animal. 

Hercules did what Dingo had done. In his turn he sprang out of thehut, and Dick Sand, Mrs. Weldon, Jack, Benedict, following his steps, saw him throw himself on a man, who fell to the ground, held at theneck by the dog's formidable teeth. 

It was Negoro. 

In going to the mouth of the Zaire, so as to embark for America, thisrascal, leaving his escort behind, had come to the very place where hehad assassinated the traveler who had trusted himself to him. 

But there was a reason for it, and all understood it when theyperceived some handfuls of French gold which glittered in arecently-dug hole at the foot of a tree. So it was evident that afterthe murder, and before falling into the hands of the Portuguese, Negoro had hidden the product of his crime, with the intention ofreturning some day to get it. He was going to take possession of thisgold when Dingo scented him and sprang at his throat. The wretch, surprised, had drawn his cutlass and struck the dog at the moment whenHercules threw himself on him, crying:

"Ah, villain! I am going to strangle you at last!"

There was nothing more to do. The Portuguese gave no sign of life, struck, it maybe said, by divine justice, and on the very spot wherethe crime had been committed. But the faithful dog had receiveda mortal blow, and dragging itself to the hut, it came to diethere--where Samuel Vernon had died. 

Hercules buried deep the traveler's remains, and Dingo, lamented byall, was put in the same grave as its master. 

Negoro was no more, but the natives who accompanied him from Kazoundecould not be far away. On not seeing him return, they would certainlyseek him along the river. This was a very serious danger. 

Dick Sand and Mrs. Weldon took counsel as to what they should do, anddo without losing an instant. 

One fact acquired was that this stream was the Congo, which thenatives call Kwango, or Ikoutouya Kongo, and which is the Zaire underone longitude, the Loualaba under another. It was indeed that greatartery of Central Africa, to which the heroic Stanley has given theglorious name of "Livingstone, " but which the geographers shouldperhaps replace by his own. 

But, if there was no longer any doubt that this was the Congo, theFrench traveler's note indicated that its mouth was still one hundredand twenty miles from this point, and, unfortunately, at this placeit was no longer navigable. High falls--very likely the falls ofNtamo--forbid the descent of any boat. Thus it was necessary to followone or the other bank, at least to a point below the cataracts, eitherone or two miles, when they could make a raft, and trust themselvesagain to the current. 

"It remains, then, " said Dick Sand, in conclusion, "to decide if weshall descend the left bank, where we are, or the right bank of theriver. Both, Mrs. Weldon, appear dangerous to me, and the natives areformidable. However, it seems as if we risk more on this bank, becausewe have the fear of meeting Negoro's escort. "

"Let us pass over to the other bank, " replied Mrs. Weldon. 

"Is it practicable?" observed Dick Sand. "The road to the Congo'smouths is rather on the left bank, as Negoro was following it. Nevermind. We must not hesitate. But before crossing the river with you, Mrs. Weldon, I must know if we can descend it below the falls. "

That was prudent, and Dick Sand wished to put his project intoexecution on the instant. 

The river at this place was not more than three or four hundred feetwide, and to cross it was easy for the young novice, accustomed tohandling the oar. Mrs. Weldon, Jack, and Cousin Benedict would remainunder Hercules's care till his return. 

These arrangements made, Dick Sand was going to set out, when Mrs. Weldon said to him:

"You do not fear being carried away by the falls, Dick?"

"No, Mrs. Weldon. I shall cross four hundred feet above. "

"But on the other bank--"

"I shall not land if I see the least danger. "

"Take your gun. "

"Yes, but do not be uneasy about me. "

"Perhaps it would be better for us not to separate, Dick, " added Mrs. Weldon, as if urged by some presentiment. 

"No--let me go alone, " replied Dick Sand. "I must act for the securityof all. Before one hour I shall be back. Watch well, Hercules. "

On this reply the boat, unfastened, carried Dick Sand to the otherside of the Zaire. 

Mrs. Weldon and Hercules, lying in the papyrus thickets, followed himwith their eyes. 

Dick Sand soon reached the middle of the stream. The current, withoutbeing very strong, was a little accentuated there by the attraction ofthe falls. Four hundred feet below, the imposing roaring of the watersfilled the space, and some spray, carried by the western wind, reachedthe young novice. He shuddered at the thought that the boat, if it hadbeen less carefully watched during the last night, would have beenlost over those cataracts, that would only have restored dead bodies. But that was no longer to be feared, and, at that moment, the oarskilfully handled sufficed to maintain it in a direction a littleoblique to the current. 

A quarter of an hour after, Dick Sand had reached the opposite shore, and was preparing to spring on the bank. 

At that moment cries were heard, and ten natives rushed on the mass ofplants that still hid the boat. 

They were the cannibals from the lake village. For eight days they hadfollowed the right bank of the river. Under that thatch, whichwas torn by the stakes of their village, they had discovered thefugitives, that is to say, a sure prey for them, because the barrierof the falls would sooner or later oblige those unfortunate ones toland on one or the other side of the river. 

Dick Sand saw that he was lost, but he asked himself if the sacrificeof his life might not save his companions. Master of himself, standingin the front of the boat, his gun pointed, he held the cannibals incheck. 

Meanwhile, they snatched away the thatch, under which they expectedto find other victims. When they saw that the young novice alonehad fallen into their hands, they betrayed their disappointment byfrightful cries. A boy of fifteen among ten!

But, then, one of those natives stood up, his arm stretched toward theleft bank, and pointed to Mrs. Weldon and her companions, who, havingseen all and not knowing what to do, had just climbed up the bank!

Dick Sand, not even dreaming of himself, waited for an inspirationfrom Heaven that might save them. 

The boat was going to be pushed out into the stream. The cannibalswere going to cross the river. They did not budge before the gun aimedat them, knowing the effect of fire-arms. But one of them had seizedthe oar; he managed it like a man who knew how to use it, and the boatcrossed the river obliquely. Soon it was not more than a hundred feetfrom the left bank. 

"Flee!" cried Dick Sand to Mrs. Weldon. "Flee!"

Neither Mrs. Weldon nor Hercules stirred. One would say that theirfeet were fastened to the ground. 

Flee! Besides, what good would it do? In less than an hour they wouldfall into the hands of the cannibals!

Dick Sand understood it. But, then, that supreme inspiration which heasked from Heaven was sent him. He saw the possibility of saving allthose whom he loved by making the sacrifice of his own life! He didnot hesitate to do it. 

"May God protect them!" murmured he, "and in His infinite goodness mayHe have pity on me!"

At the same instant Dick Sand pointed his gun at the native who wassteering the boat, and the oar, broken by a ball, flew into fragments. 

The cannibals gave a cry of terror. 

In fact, the boat, no longer directed by the oar, went with thestream. The current bore it along with increasing swiftness, and, in afew moments, it was only a hundred feet from the falls. 

Mrs. Weldon and Hercules understood all. Dick Sand attempted to savethem by precipitating the cannibals, with himself, into the abyss. Little Jack and his mother, kneeling on the bank, sent him a lastfarewell. Hercules's powerless hand was stretched out to him. 

At that moment the natives, wishing to gain the left bank by swimming, threw themselves out of the boat, which they capsized. 

Dick Sand had lost none of his coolness in the presence of the deathwhich menaced him. A last thought then came to him. It was that thisboat, even because it was floating keel upward, might serve to savehim. 

In fact, two dangers were to be feared when Dick Sand should be goingover the cataract: asphyxia by the water, and asphyxia by the air. Now, this overturned hull was like a box, in which he might, perhaps, keep his head out of the water, at the same time that he would besheltered from the exterior air, which would certainly have stifledhim in the rapidity of his fall. In these conditions, it seems that aman would have some chance of escaping the double asphyxia, even indescending the cataracts of a Niagara. 

Dick Sand saw all that like lightning. By a last instinct he clung tothe seat which united the two sides of the boat, and, his head out ofthe water, under the capsized hull, he felt the irresistible currentcarrying him away, and the almost perpendicular fall taking place. 

The boat sank into the abyss hollowed out by the waters at the foot ofthe cataract, and, after plunging deep, returned to the surface of theriver. 

Dick Sand, a good swimmer, understood that his safety now depended onthe vigor of his arms. 

A quarter of an hour after he reached the left bank, and there foundMrs. Weldon, little Jack, and Cousin Benedict, whom Hercules had ledthere in all haste. 

But already the cannibals had disappeared in the tumult of the waters. They, whom the capsized boat had not protected, had ceased to liveeven before reaching the last depths of the abyss, and their bodieswere going to be torn to pieces on those sharp rocks on which theunder-current of the stream dashed itself. 

CHAPTER XX. 

CONCLUSION. 

Two days after, the 20th of July, Mrs. Weldon and her companions met acaravan going toward Emboma, at the mouth of the Congo. These were notslave merchants, but honest Portuguese traders, who dealt in ivory. They made the fugitives welcome, and the latter part of the journeywas accomplished under more agreeable conditions. 

The meeting with this caravan was really a blessing from Heaven. DickSand would never have been able to descend the Zaire on a raft. Fromthe Falls of Ntamo, as far as Yellala, the stream was a succession ofrapids and cataracts. Stanley counted seventy-two, and no boat couldundertake to pass them. It was at the mouth of the Congo that theintrepid traveler, four years later, fought the last of the thirty-twocombats which he waged with the natives. Lower down, in the cataractsof Mbelo, he escaped death by a miracle. 

On the 11th of August, Mrs. Weldon, Dick Sand, Jack, Hercules, andCousin Benedict arrived at Emboma. Messrs. Motta Viega and Harrisonreceived them with generous hospitality. A steamer was about sailingfor the Isthmus of Panama. Mrs. Weldon and her companions took passagein it, and happily reached the American coast. 

A despatch sent to San Francisco informed Mr. Weldon of theunlooked-for return of his wife and his child. He had vainly searchedfor tidings of them at every place where he thought the "Pilgrim"might have been wrecked. 

Finally, on the 25th of August, the survivors of the shipwreck reachedthe capital of California. Ah! if old Tom and his companions had onlybeen with them!

What shall we say of Dick Sand and of Hercules? One became the son, the other the friend, of the family. James Weldon knew how much heowed to the young novice, how much to the brave black. He was happy;and it was fortunate for him that Negoro had not reached him, forhe would have paid the ransom of his wife and child with his wholefortune. He would have started for the African coast, and, once there, who can tell to what dangers, to what treachery, he would have beenexposed?

A single word about Cousin Benedict. The very day of his arrival theworthy savant, after having shaken hands with Mr. Weldon, shuthimself up in his study and set to work, as if finishing a sentenceinterrupted the day before. He meditated an enormous work on the"Hexapodes Benedictus, " one of the _desiderata_ of entomologicalscience. 

There, in his study, lined with insects, Cousin Benedict's firstaction was to find a microscope and a pair of glasses. Great heaven!What a cry of despair he uttered the first time he used them to studythe single specimen furnished by the African entomology!

The "Hexapodes Benedictus" was not a hexapode! It was a common spider!And if it had but six legs, instead of eight, it was simply becausethe two front legs were missing! And if they were missing, these twolegs, it was because, in taking it, Hercules had, unfortunately, broken them off! Now, this mutilation reduced the pretended "HexapodesBenedictus" to the condition of an invalid, and placed it in themost ordinary class of spiders--a fact which Cousin Benedict'snear-sightedness had prevented him from discovering sooner. It gavehim a fit of sickness, from which, however, he happily recovered. 

Three years after, little Jack was eight years old, and Dick Sand madehim repeat his lessons, while working faithfully at his own studies. In fact, hardly was he at home when, realizing how ignorant he was, he had commenced to study with a kind of remorse--like a man who, forwant of knowledge, finds himself unequal to his task. 

"Yes, " he often repeated; "if, on board of the 'Pilgrim, ' I hadknown all that a sailor should know, what misfortunes we would haveescaped!"

Thus spoke Dick Sand. At the age of eighteen he finished withdistinction his hydrographical studies, and, honored with a brevet byspecial favor, he took command of one of Mr. Weldon's vessels. 

See what the little orphan, rescued on the beach at Sandy Hook, hadobtained by his work and conduct. He was, in spite of his youth, surrounded by the esteem, one might say the respect, of all who knewhim; but his simplicity and modesty were so natural to him, that hewas not aware of it. He did not even suspect--although no one couldattribute to him what are called brilliant exploits--that thefirmness, courage, and fidelity displayed in so many trials had madeof him a sort of hero. 

Meanwhile, one thought oppressed him. In his rare leisure hours healways dreamed of old Tom, of Bat, of Austin, and of Acteon, and ofthe misfortune for which he held himself responsible. It was also asubject of real grief to Mrs. Weldon, the actual situation of herformer companions in misery. Mr. Weldon, Dick Sand, and Herculesmoved heaven and earth to find traces of them. Finally theysucceeded--thanks to the correspondents which the rich shipowner hadin different parts of the world. It was at Madagascar--where, however, slavery was soon to be abolished--that Tom and his companions had beensold. Dick Sand wished to consecrate his little savings to ransomthem, but Mr. Weldon would not hear of it. One of his correspondentsarranged the affair, and one day, the 15th of November, 1877, fourblacks rang the bell of his house. 

They were old Tom, Bat, Acteon, and Austin. The brave men, afterescaping so many dangers, came near being stifled, on that day, bytheir delighted friends. 

Only poor Nan was missing from those whom the "Pilgrim" had thrown onthe fatal coast of Africa. But the old servant could not be recalledto life, and neither could Dingo be restored to them. Certainly it wasmiraculous that these two alone had succumbed amid such adventures. 

It is unnecessary to say that on that occasion they had a festivalat the house of the California merchant. The best toast, which allapplauded, was that given by Mrs. Weldon to Dick Sand, "To the Captainat Fifteen!"

THE END. 

End of the Voyage Extraordinaire