“He’s too good a dog to need much caring for. Why, all he’d eat in a day wouldn’t amount to a cent’s worth, though he’s mighty particular about having things fixed up just such a way, and his pink nose will wrinkle quick when there’s nothing but salt beef left over for him. We always had lump sugar to give him for a treat; but he’d get along without that if he knew I couldn’t afford to buy it for him. It would surprise you to see how much that dog knows.” Then Benny, eager that his pet should be duly appreciated, exhibited the dog in his various tricks, and the members of the crew, seeing that by such means the lad’s thoughts were kept from his great loss, applauded the performance until Fluff had shown himself half a dozen times over in his various acrobatic feats. Keeper Downey rewarded the dumb performer, who certainly sustained the reputation which his young master had given him, and it was almost as if those cold, silent forms in the boat-room had been forgotten. Benny’s clothing was thoroughly dried, and while Fluff entertained the crew, the lad fully dressed himself, donning an old pea-jacket many sizes too large, which had been wrapped about him when he was lashed to the spar. Keeper Downey set about making his report to the Department, based on information supplied by the only survivor of the _Amazonia_, and the men resumed their duties of watching for wreckage from the ill-fated ship, leaving the homeless boy and his only friend comparatively alone. During the remainder of this day every man took good care that Benny should not find his way into the boat-room, and all seemed to believe it their duty to prevent the lad’s thoughts from straying back into the past. A toy full-rigged ship, which one of the crew had fashioned during his hours of leisure, was brought down from its shelf that Benny might make a critical examination of it, and each in turn had some odd souvenir or curious memento of the sea to attract the lad’s attention, until, from the appearance of the mess-table, one would have said a party of children were being entertained. Despite all their efforts, however, Benny’s mind would go back to the terrible evening just spent, and many times while the kindly hearted men were doing their best to cause forgetfulness, the big tears overflowed his eyelids, although the boy did his best to repress them. When evening came, and supper had been served, both Benny and Fluff were ready to retire, and after the lad was tucked snugly in Sam Hardy’s bed with the dog’s pink nose resting over his arm, such of the crew as were not on duty came together to discuss the future of these waifs who had been thrown up by the sea into their keeping. There was no formality attending this conference. From Keeper Downey to Surfman Sawyer, all appeared to believe that the lad and the dog were under the especial protection of the crew attached to this station, and not one made any effort to shift the responsibility to another’s shoulders.