at him, then he shook his head,
then he grew angry, and at last curled himself up, covering his head
with his long arms, and howled piteously.

"That's a-touching of him up, sir," said Billy. "He knows it, you see.
Why, you miserable little black-faced, bandy-legged sneak," he
continued, addressing the monkey, "what's in my mind is to--"

Woof!

Billy Widgeon made a bound, and caught a rope, by whose help he swung
himself up into the rigging.

"Lay hold o' that dog, Mr Mark, sir," he cried.

For Bruff, who had been lying down when this tirade began, slowly raised
his head, then placed himself in a sitting posture, and ended by staring
at Billy, till Jack gave a more piteous howl than any he had before
uttered, when the dog gave vent to one low growling bark, and sprang at
the sailor.

"Ah!" said Billy, as soon as Bruff was quieted down, "you see he takes
his part. Being a dog he don't know no better, sir. I must try another
way."

Billy slowly swung himself down, displaying wonderful muscular strength
of arm as he did so, and beckoning Mark aside he continued:

"I'm going to show you now, sir. Can you make your dog howl?"

"Oh, yes, Billy, easily."

"How will you do it?"

"Shut him up somewhere, or chain him, and then call him. As soon as he
finds he can't get to me, he'll make noise enough."

"That's your sort," said Billy. "You bring him along, then."

Mark called the dog, who leaped up and bounded to him, and five minutes
later he was chained up under the main hatch and left, while Billy led
the way back to the deck, and helped Mark up to a place of vantage,
where they could see the monkey without being seen, and at the same time
make the dog hear.

"Now then, Mr Mark, sir. You call old Bruff."

Mark obeyed, and there was a sharp bark in reply, then a volley of
barks, a rattling of the chain, and, on the call being repeated, quite a
howl.

At the first bark Jack turned his head and listened, then, as the
barking continued more angrily, he raised his head and looked in the
direction from whence the sounds came. At the first howl he went upon
his hands and knees, and uttered an uneasy kind of noise, but threw
himself down again, and laid his head close to the deck, shuffling about
uneasily.

Then there was peace for a few moments.

"Call him again, Mr Mark, sir," whispered Billy.

Mark obeyed, and, leaning down, uttered the dog's name in a suppressed
way, which sounded as if it came f