OUR DICK. 45 



this belief, we have made up a theory as 

 to Master Richard's infancy and youth 

 which, to us, seems quite probable. 



Now, there are lots of ships coming to 

 San Francisco from Scottish ports. Some- 

 times the shipmaster has his wife aboard, 

 and now and then his children also. A 

 Scottish family ashore or afloat without 

 the company of a dog, would be a strange 

 family indeed. As we imagined the story, 

 Dick must have taken ship at Glasgow or 

 Greenock with his and the vessel's mas- 

 ter, bound for San Francisco. I do not 

 think he came over in the forecastle or 

 in the cook's galley, but imagine that he 

 lived in the cabin with the master and 

 his family, as befitted a first-class passen- 

 ger at least, when not on dog watch. 



In due time the good ship came to 

 anchor in the bay, and as Master Rich- 



