Harris

           Thenextday,April7th,Austin,whowasonguardatsunrise,sawDingorunbarkingtothelittleriver.AlmostimmediatelyMrs.Weldon,DickSandandtheblackscameoutofthegrotto.

           Decidedlytherewassomethingthere.

           "Dingohasscentedalivingcreature,manorbeast,"saidthenovice.

           "AtalleventsitwasnotNegoro,"observedTom,"forDingowouldbarkwithfury."

           "IfitisnotNegoro,wherecanhebe?"askedMrs.Weldon,givingDickSandalookwhichwasonlyunderstoodbyhim;"andifitisnothe,who,then,isit?"

           "Wearegoingtosee,Mrs.Weldon,"repliedthenovice.Then,addressingBat,Austin,andHercules,"Armyourselves,myfriends,andcome!"

           Eachoftheblackstookagunandacutlass,asDickSandhaddone.AcartridgewasslippedintothebreechoftheRemingtons,and,thusarmed,allfourwenttothebankoftheriver.

           Mrs.Weldon,Tom,andActeonremainedattheentranceofthegrotto,wherelittleJackandNanstillrestedbythemselves.

           Thesunwasthenrising.Hisrays,interceptedbythehighmountainsintheeast,didnotreachthecliffdirectly;butasfarasthewesternhorizon,theseasparkledunderthefirstfiresofday.

           DickSandandhiscompanionsfollowedthestrandoftheshore,thecurveofwhichjoinedthemouthoftheriver.

           ThereDingo,motionless,andasifonguard,wascontinuallybarking.

           Itwasevidentthathesaworscentedsomenative.

           And,infact,itwasnolongeragainstNegoro,againstitsenemyonboardtheship,thatthedoghadagrudgethistime.

           Atthatmomentamanturnedthelastplaneofthecliff.