path, some six feet in
width, which had been cleared through the dense and impenetrable bush
that hemmed us in on either hand, tormented all the while by the dense
clouds of mosquitoes and other stinging and biting insects that hovered
about us in clouds and positively declined to be driven away.

We walked thus about a mile and a half when we came out upon an open
space, some ten acres in extent, through which the path ran. This
cleared space had evidently been caused by a bush fire at no very
distant date, for a few charred trunks and portions of trunks of trees
still reared themselves here and there; but the undergrowth had all been
burned away down to the bare earth, and was now springing up again,
fresh and green, in little irregular patches, all over the open area.
The spot would serve admirably for an ambuscade, for while it was
sufficiently open to permit of straight shooting, there was cover enough
to conceal a hundred men, or more, at need. But what made the place
especially suitable for our purpose was the fact that away over in one
corner of the clearing there grew a thick, dense belt of wild cactus,
newly sprung up, fresh, tough, and vigorous, every leaf being thickly
studded with long, strong, sharp spikes growing so closely together that
nothing living would dare to face it, or attempt to force a passage
through it--or, at all events, if they should be foolhardy enough to try
it once they would not attempt it a second time. It immediately
occurred to me--and Cupid promptly corroborated my view--that if our
party could but find or make a way in behind this belt of cactus, they
would be at once in a natural fort from which it would be impossible to
dislodge them, and after further careful investigation a passage was
found through the bush by which our lads could easily gain access to the
interior of the cactus fort, and hold it against all comers. There was
therefore no need to search farther; the place was admirably adapted to
our requirements; and, once satisfied of this, I bade Cupid proceed on
his way in quest of the approaching cauffle, while I leisurely wended my
way back to the dinghy and, with a single oar thrown out over the stern,
sculled myself back to the factory.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

LA BELLE ESTELLE.

My first act upon my return was, of course, to report the result of my
reconnaissance to the captain, who, after hearing what I had to say,
came to the conclusion that he would personally