"S V!" repeated the captain thoughtfully; "are not those the letters that form the initials on his collar?"
And turning to the old negro, he continued,-
"Tom didn't you say that this dog did not always belong to the captain of the 'Waldeck'?"
"To the best of my belief," replied Tom, "the captain had only had him about two years. I often heard him tell how he found him at the mouth of the Congo."
"Do you suppose that he never knew where the animal came from, or to whom he had previously belonged?" asked Captain Hull.
"Never," answered Tom, shaking his head; "a lost dog is worse to identify than a lost child; you see, he can't make himself understood any way."
The captain made no answer, but stood musing; Mrs. Weldon interrupted him.
"These letters, captain, seem to be recalling something to your recollection.
"I can hardly go so far as to say that, Mrs. Weldon," he replied; "but I cannot help associating them with the fate of a brave explorer."
"Whom do you mean? said the lady.