tingly proposed that we
should stock the place with provisions, and use it as a place of abode
whenever the heat became unduly oppressive. Although the suggestion was
made more in jest than in earnest, the idea became so attractive, when
we proceeded to discuss it further, that on the following day we
actually took steps to carry out the proposal. We spent the best part
of the day in stocking the cavern with provisions, rugs, and so on, to
such an extent that we could easily have endured a week's siege there,
had it been necessary, for a good supply of excellent water had been
found percolating through the rock in a small side passage off the main
cavern. And thereafter we regularly spent a great part of each day in
the cavern, always making it a rule to take with us a little more of
everything than we really needed.

At length, when a period of two full months had elapsed since the
sailing of the _Barracouta_, with no sign of her return, I began to feel
somewhat anxious. I was now practically as well in health as I had ever
been in my life, and I began to pine for a return to active service. I
was also desirous of seeing Lotta safely removed from her present
dubious and somewhat dangerous surroundings into that position which was
hers by right. To achieve these two results it was necessary that I
should get away from where I was, either by the fulfilment of Ricardo's
promise to me, or by some other means. To get away from where I was!
As that expression occurred to me I suddenly remembered that I had not
the faintest idea where I was; and, since Lotta was as ignorant as I was
on the subject, I determined to ascertain by some means exactly where
this little paradise of a spot was situated. And, as a first step
toward this, I ascertained roughly the latitude of the spot, by means of
a quadrant that I found in Ricardo's room, as a result of which I
discovered that I was undoubtedly somewhere on the island of Cuba.
Since there were only two spots on the coast line of the island that
could possibly have this precise latitude, I very soon managed, by
reference to one of Ricardo's charts, to determine that the rendezvous
was on the north side of the island; nay, I was able without difficulty
to identify the precise spot on the chart.

Another week passed, still with no sign of the return of the
_Barracouta_, and my impatience to get back to civilisation and friends
grew so acute that I was seriously entertaining the