The incident did not escape the captain's observation.
"No doubt," he said, "there is some mystery here;" and he was pondering the matter over in his mind when Dick Sands spoke.
"Don't you think it very singular, sir, that this dog should have such a knowledge of the alphabet?"
Jack here put in his word.
"My mamma has told me about a dog whose name was Munito, who could read as well as a schoolmaster, and could play dominoes."
Mrs. Weldon smiled.
"I am afraid, my child, that that dog was not quite so learned as you imagine. I don't suppose he knew one letter from another; but his master, who was a clever American, having found out that the animal had a very keen sense of hearing, taught him some curious tricks."
"What sort of tricks?" asked Dick, who was almost as much interested as little Jack.
"When he had to perform in public," continued Mrs. Weldon, "a lot of letters like yours, Jack, were spread out upon a table, and Munito would put together any word that the company should propose, either aloud or in a whisper, to his master. The creature would walk about until he stopped at the very letter which was wanted. The secret of it all was that the dog's owner gave him a signal when he was to stop by rattling a little tooth-pick in his pocket, making a slight noise that only the dog's ears were acute enough to perceive."
Dick was highly amused, and said,-