want to throw it into the air and see how it burns there."

The touch-paper was lit, and when the mixture started burning Bertie
waved the squib high above his head and threw it into the air. It flew
along some fifteen yards and then exploded.

"I don't think you can better that, Bertie. But you might make the
cases a bit stronger; it burned out a little too quickly. We shall
probably not be able to get very close to them."

The cracker was equally satisfactory, except that they agreed that a
somewhat larger charge of powder should be used to increase the noise
of the explosion.

"Now, Bertie," Harry said, "we will put all hands on to the business.
Donna Maria shall make a good stock of paste, and cut the tick into
strips for both widths. You shall make the cases for the squibs. Dias
and I will take charge of the manufacture of charcoal. That will be a
long job, for as you have two pounds of gunpowder we shall want ten of
this charred wood."

"Not quite as much as that, Harry, because we shall want the powder
alone for the crackers and the bangs of the squibs, and also for making
the touch-paper for all of them."

"Well, we will say ten pounds, anyhow. We have a big stock of
cartridges, and can spare a few of them for so good a purpose."

They were soon at work. By night the cases were all made and drying,
and were left near the fire so as to be ready for filling in the
morning.

Dias then said: "Jose will go down to-night, senor. Of course I shall
go with him. We must find out, in the first place, how near the mouth
of the ravine the savages are gathered, whether they keep any watch,
and what force they have. It will be well not to make ourselves known
to them until at least the greater part are gathered there. If we were
only to scare a small party, the others, when they came down, would
know nothing of the panic, and might take up the pursuit."

"I wish we had some means of driving them off the top of the hill,
Dias."

"I don't see how that can be done, senor. But probably in another day
or two they will all g