46 DICK SANDS, THE BOY CAPTAIN. high, who seemed almost to require ropes of extra strength made for his spécial use. Hercules became at once a great favourîte wîth little Jack ; and when the giant lîfted him Hke a doU în hîs stalwart arms, the child fairly shrîeked with delight. " Higher ! hîgher ! very high ! " Jack would say some- times. " There you are, then, Master Jack," Hercules would reply as he raised him aloft. " Am I heavy ? " asked the child, " As heavy as a feather." " Then lift me higher still," cried Jack ; "as high as ever you can reach/* And Hercules, with the child's two feet supported on hîs huge palm, would walk about the deck with him like an acrobat, Jack ail the time endeavouring, with vain efforts, to make him " feel his weight." Besides Dick Sands and Hercules, Jack admitted a third friend to his companîonship. This was Dingo. The dog, unsociable as he had been on board the " Waldeck," seemed to hâve found society more congenial to his tastes, and being one of those animais that are fond of children, he allowed Jack to do with him almost anything he pleased. The child, however, never thought of hurting the dog in any way, and it was doubtful which of the two had the greater enjoyment of their mutual sport. Jack found a live dog înfinitely more entertaining than his old toy upon its four wheels, and his great delight was to mount upon Dingo's back, when the animal would gallop off with him like a race-horse with his jockey. It must be owned that one resuit of this intimacy was a serions diminution of the supply of sugar in the store-room. Dingo was the delight of ail the crew excepting Negoro, who cautiously avoided coming in contact with an animal who showed such unmistakable symptoms of hostility. The new companions that Jack had thus found did not in the least make him forget his old friend Dick Sands, who devoted ail his leisure time to him as assiduously as ever. Mrs. Weldon regard ed their intimacy with the à
