to concoct
suthin' for the reptiles if they should pay us another visit. It was at
that time he thought of turnin' this cave to account as a place o'
refuge when hard pressed, an' hit on the plan for liftin' the big stone
easy, which no doubt you've obsarved."

"Yes; Softswan has explained it to me. But what about your plan with
the Indians?" said the preacher.

"I'm comin' to that," replied the hunter. "Well, daddy set to work an'
made a lot o' fireworks--big squibs, an' them sort o' crackers, I forget
what you call 'em, that jumps about as if they was not only alive, but
possessed with evil spirits--"

"I know them--zigzag crackers," said the preacher, somewhat amused.

"That's them," cried Big Tim, with an eager look, as if the mere memory
of them were exciting. "Well, daddy he fixed up a lot o' the big squibs
an' Roman candles round the walls o' the hut in such a way that they all
p'inted from ivery corner, above an' below, to the centre of the hut,
right in front o' the fireplace, so that their fire should all meet, so
to speak, in a focus. Then he chiselled out a lot o' little holes in
the stone walls in such a way that they could not be seen, and in every
hole he put a zigzag cracker; an' he connected the whole affair--squibs,
candles, and crackers--with an instantaneous fuse, the end of which he
trained down, through a hole cut in the solid rock, into this here cave;
an' there's the end of it right opposite to yer nose."

He pointed as he spoke to a part of the wall of the cavern where a small
piece of what seemed like white tape projected about half an inch from
the stone.

"Has it ever been tried?" asked the preacher, who, despite his weak and
wounded condition, could hardly restrain a laugh as the young hunter
described his father's complicated arrangements.

"No, we han't tried it yet, 'cause the reptiles haven't bin here since,
but daddy, who's a very thoroughgoin' man, has given the things a
complete overhaul once a month ever since--'cept when he was away on
long expeditions--so as to make sure the stuff was dry an in workin'
order. Now," added the young man, rising and lighting a piece of tinder
at the torch on the wall, "it's about time that we should putt it to the
test. If things don't go wrong, you'll hear summat koorious overhead
before long."

He applied a light to the quick-match as he spoke, and awaited the
result.

In order that the reader may observe that result more clearly,