He was at this time a dog of mature years; but his determination to kiss Alice was as strong as it had been when, in the tender years of his infancy, he had entertained the mistaken belief that she was his own mother.
He watched every unguarded moment to thrust forward his black, not to say impertinent, little snout; and although often reproved, he still remained unconvinced, resolutely returned to the charge, and was not a bit ashamed of himself.
On the present occasion, Toozle behaved like a canine lunatic, and Alice was beginning to think of exercising a little tender violence in order to restrain his superabundant glee, when another individual appeared on the scene, and for a time, at least, relieved her.
The second comer was our dark friend, Kekupoopi.

She by some mischance had got separated from her young mistress, and immediately went in search of her.

She found her at once, of course; for, as water finds its level, so love finds its object, without much loss of time.
"O Toozle!--bee! hee!--am dat you ?" exclaimed Poopy, who was as much delighted in her way to see the dog as Alice had been.
Toozle was, in his way, as much delighted to see Poopy as he had been to see Alice;--no, we are wrong, not quite so much as that, but still extremely glad to see her, and evinced his joy by extravagant sounds and actions.

He also evinced his scorn for the opinion that some foolish persons hold, namely, that black people are not as good as white, by rushing into Poopy's arms and attempting to lick her black face as he had tried to do to Alice.

As the dark-skinned girl had no objection (for tastes differ, you see), and received the caresses with a quiet "Hee! hee!" Toozle was extremely gratified.
Now, it happened that Jo Bumpus, oppressed with a feeling of concern for his former captain, and with a feeling of doubt as to the stirring events in which he was an actor being waking realities, had wandered up the mountain-side in order to indulge in profound philosophical reflections.
Happening to hear the noise caused by the joyful meeting which we have just described, he turned aside to see what all the "row" could be about, and thus came unexpectedly on Alice and her friends.
About the same time it chanced (for things sometimes do happen by chance in a very remarkable way, it chanced that Will Corrie, being also much depressed about Gascoyne), resolved to take into his confidence Dick Price, the boatswain, with whom during their short voyage together he had become intimate.
He found that worthy seated on a cask at the end of the rude pile of coral rocks that formed the quay of Sandy Cove, surrounded by some of his shipmates, all of whom, as well as himself, were smoking their pipes and discussing things in general.
Corrie went forward and pulled Dick by the sleeve.
"Hallo, boy! what do you want with me ?" said the boatswain.
"I want to speak to you." "Well, lad, fire away." "Yes, but I want you to come with me," said the boy, with an anxious and rather mysterious look.
"Very good--heave ahead," said the boatswain, getting up, and following Corrie with a peculiarly nautical roll.
After he had been led through the settlement and a considerable way up the mountain in silence, the boatswain suddenly stopped and said: "Hallo! hold on; my timbers won't stand much more o' this sort o' thing.
I was built for navigatin' the seas,--I was not for cruisin' on the land.