osal that he
should accompany us to Quito.

Two days afterwards Tony and Houlston arrived in London. A ship for
Para was on the point of sailing. They had therefore to hurry on their
preparations. They spent the evening with us at my uncle's, and John
told me that he liked Houlston very well, and hoped some day to see him
again. Tony he thought a capital fellow--so enthusiastic and
warm-hearted, yet not wanting in sense; but Arthur, as I knew he would,
he liked better than either. Tony brought with him a beautiful black
cocker spaniel. "Here, Harry, I want you to accept this fellow as a
keepsake from me," he said, leading the dog up to me. "Pat him on the
head, call him True, and tell him you are going to be his master, and he
will understand you. He can do everything but talk; but though he does
not often give tongue, he is as brave as a lion."

I warmly thanked Tony for his gift as I patted True, who jumped up and
licked my hand. "But you want a dog for yourself. I scarcely like to
take him from you," I said.

"Set your mind at rest; I have his brother--whom I left at our
lodgings--his equal in most respects, if not quite so great a beauty,"
he answered. "You will excuse me, I know. I have called my dog
`Faithful,' after you. As I cannot have you with me, I wanted something
to remind me of you; and faithful I am sure he will prove to me, as
yours will prove true to you."

I thanked Tony for his kind feeling for me, and assured him that I
considered it a compliment that he had called his dog after me.

True was indeed a beauty--a Welsh cocker--somewhat larger than usual
perhaps. He came up in his moral qualities to all Tony had said about
him. He took to me at once, and a true friend he ever proved. We
accompanied our friends aboard their ship, which was a Portuguese,
called the _Vasco da Gama_. She was a fine large vessel. The crew were
small and swarthy, but active-looking fellows, most of them wearing long
red caps on their heads, and blue or pink-striped shirts, with knives
stuck in their girdles. They jabbered and shouted tremendously as they
got under weigh. Tony and Houlston stood on the poop bidding us
farewell. "We shall meet, Harry! we shall meet!" Tony cried out.
"Good-bye, Harry; good-bye, Arthur; good-bye, old fellows!"

"Perhaps we shall overtake you on the voyage!" shouted John.

"Not much fear of that," answered Houlston.

We were soon too far off to exchange further words