“Well done, old man,” said Dick, patting the animal, which kept close to his leg, as if feeling that it must find protection of him, when Dick took it under his arm.
“Are you going now, Dick?” said Bob, eagerly.
“Yes, sir.”
“Wait a moment, and let me see if I can get leave. Why, look here; the doctor’s coming aboard.”
True enough, Doctor Bolter was seen in a sampan rowed by one of the Malays, and a minute or two later he was on deck.
“Monkey, eh?” he said sharply, as he saw the animal. “Semnopithecus Maurus, I should say. What are you going to do with it?”
“Dick was going to give it to you, sir,” said Bob, smiling.
“Give it—to me?” cried the doctor. “Thanks; no, my man, I must draw the line somewhere. Keep it on board. Climb the rigging, and that sort of thing. Here, you Roberts, tell the captain I’m here.”
Bob went off, and then brought a message to the doctor, who went into the cabin. On returning to where Dick was standing, that worthy was scratching in a melancholy way at his head.
“I’m ’bout done over this here monkey, sir,” he said. “I can’t go and get the chap to take him back.”