П’ятнадцятирічний капітан

           Harris,"heasked,"youhavenotmetaPortuguese,namedNegoro,inthenight?"

           "Negoro?"repliedHarris,inthetoneofamanwhodoesnotunderstandwhatissaid."WhoisthisNegoro?"

           "Hewasthecookonboard,"repliedDickSand,"andhehasdisappeared."

           "Drowned,perhaps,"saidHarris.

           "No,no,"repliedDickSand."Yesterdayeveninghewasstillwithus,butduringthenighthehasleftus,andhehasprobablyascendedthesteepbankofthisriver.SoIaskedyou,whohavecomefromthatside,ifyouhadnotmethim."

           "Ihavemetnobody,"repliedtheAmerican;"andifyourcookhasventuredaloneintotheforest,herunsagreatriskofgoingastray.Perhapsweshallovertakehimontheway."

           "Yes;perhaps!"repliedDickSand.

           Whenthetworeturnedtothegrotto,breakfastwasready.Itwascomposed,likethesupperoftheeveningbefore,ofalimentaryconserves,ofcornedbeefandofbiscuit.Harrisdidhonortoit,likeamanwhomnaturehadendowedwithagreatappetite.

           "Letusgo,"saidhe;"Iseethatweshallnotdieofhungerontheway!IshallnotsayasmuchforthatpoordevilofaPortuguese,ofwhomouryoungfriendhasspoken."

           "Ah!"saidMrs.Weldon,"DickSandhastoldyouthatwehavenotseen

           Negoroagain?"

           "Yes,Mrs.Weldon,"repliedthenovice."IdesiredtoknowifMr.

           Harrishadnotmethim."

           "No,"repliedHarris;"soletusleavethatdeserterwhereheis,andthinkofourdeparture—wheneveryouareready,Mrs.Weldon."

           Eachtookthepackwhichwasintendedforhim.Mrs