"You see," continued Grenville, "I can make an imitation cannon, from
one of my bamboo lengths, and leave it here to fool them. They may be
led to think it the only gun we've had, and search no farther for our
ordnance. The smoke is likely to lift, I think, which is why I'm at
work before breakfast."
He did not complete the arrangements of his ruse before they broke
their fast, however, since the making of an imitation cannon required
at least an hour. The last of their meat, save a little intended for
fishing-bait, was consumed with the insignificant remnants of their
fruit supply, and Grenville took time to catch one silvery fish from
the ledge in front of the cavern, as well as to gather a lot of the
mussels, for luncheon and dinner, before he returned to the terrace.
Already the breeze was failing. There were streaks of highly
acceptable air interspersed with the billows of smoke. Not without a
certain impatience to have this business concluded before the veiling
fumes should leave the terrace entirely exposed to the penetrative
sight of the Dyaks, Grenville hastened the construction of his
imitation gun, to be left by the heap of stones.
That a more convincing appearance of over-use might assist in creating
the desired impression, he selected one of the bamboo sections already
badly split. This he readily blackened by burning a handful of powder,
loosely, inside its muzzle. With a rude vent cut and similarly
treated, the affair was ready to be bound with discarded creepers, then
lodged in the rocks above the genuine bit of artillery still ready for
grim engagements.
All that remained of the powder in his cave was carefully moved to the
passage, there to be most cautiously deposited, away from all possible
fire, along with his coils of fuse. Somewhat to his disappointment,
the northerly breeze seemed once more freshening as the morning hours
advanced. He had hoped not only for a lifting of the smoke, but
likewise to find the Dyaks' boat once more encircling the headland.
Beyond transferring his water supply from the jugs to a number of
bamboo buckets, which permitted no waste by percolation, he had nothing
further to employ his time as the day wore slowly on. The heat in the
meantime was intolerable. The fish was roasted in an "oven" he
fashioned of the heat-retaining tufa. The mussels were likewise
"steamed" in their own exuding juices, occupying the large and
basin-like sea-shell for the purpose.
It was not until nearly four in the afternoon that the wind definitely
veered. Grenville had noted the coming alteration that would clear the
hill of fumes in time to make all essential preparations for the Dyak
watchfulness. His furnace of fire was duly banked, to continue a
smoldering glow among the ashes without producing smoke. Elaine had
retired within the passage, and the entrance door to this secret
hiding-place was adjusted against the rock.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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