Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/412

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384 DICK SANDS, THE BOY CAPTATN.


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Not only did hè dclight in torturing his victims, but hé derived an especial gratification : from • witnessirig the torture. , About the mîddle of the day, accordîngly, he made tis way to the cell where Dick was detained under the strict watch of a havildar. There, bound with fetters that penetrated hîs very flesh, lay the poor boy ; for the last four and twenty hours he had not been allowed a morsel of food, and would gladly hâve faced the most painfuL death as a welcome reh'ef to his niiseries. But at the sight of Negoro ail his energy revîved ; în- $tinctively he made an effort to burst his bonds, and to get a hold upon his pcrsecutor ; but the strength of a giant would hâve been utterly unavailing for such a design. Dick felt that the struggle he had to make was of anothef kind, and forcing himself to an apparent composure, he determined to look Negoro straight in the face, but to vouchsafe no reply to anything he might say. " I felt bound," Negoro began, " to corne and pay my respects to my young captain, and to tell him how sorry I am that he bas not the same authority hère that he had on board the ' Pilgrim/ " Finding that Dick returned no answer, he contînued,— " You remember your old cook, captain : I hâve come to know what you would likc to order for your breakfast." Hcre he paused to give a brutal kick at Dick's foot, and' wcnt on, — " I havc also another question to ask you, captain ; can you tell me how it was that you landed herc in Angola instcad of upon the coast of America ? " The way in which the question was put more than evcr confirmed Dick's impression that the " Pilgrim's" course had been altcred by Negoro, but lie persevered in maintaining a contemptuous silence. " It was a lucky thing for you, captain," resumed the vindictive Portuguese, " that you had a good seaman on board, otherwise the ship would hâve run aground on somc reef in the tempest, instead of coming ashore herc in a friendly port,"