opper without a flaw. The only difficulty is, that it is small;
but we can fill it over and over again."

"And you propose to make the string which Ossaroo has got into wicks,
and dip them in the hot grease?"

"Nothing of the sort," replied Caspar, in a triumphant tone; "we shall
have no dips. I was contented with them at first, but not any longer.
We shall have candles--real mould-candles!"

"How? Mould-candles? How?"

"Oh! that you shall see by-and-by. Ossaroo would only disclose part of
his plans when he went to trap the tiger, and I mean to keep a little of
mine to myself, in order to have a _revanche_ upon him. Ha! ha! ha!"

Caspar finished his speech with a laugh. It was the first time any of
them had laughed since they entered that cave--no doubt, the first laugh
that ever echoed through its gloomy aisles.

CHAPTER SIXTY THREE.

LIGHT IN DARKNESS.

Without losing farther time, the three set to work to make the fire,
Caspar of course taking the direction. The barrels were first taken out
of their guns, the locks unscrewed, and then the other iron-work was
removed from the stocks. By dint of a little hammering with stones, and
cleaving with the hatchet, the butt of each was separated from the
heel-piece, and then broken up into small fragments. Even the two
ramrods were sacrificed--the heads and screws being carefully preserved.
In no reckless humour did they act, for they had now very definite
expectations of being able to escape from the cave; and prudence
whispered them that the valuable weapons they were thus dismantling
might be needed hereafter, as much as ever they had been. Nothing,
therefore, was damaged that could not be afterwards replaced--nothing
thrown away. Only the wood-work was sacrificed to present necessity.
Every article of iron, to the smallest nail or screw, was carefully
preserved; and when all were separated from the wood-work, they were
placed together and tied into a bundle, so that they might be easily
carried along.

Ossaroo's weapon went "to the hammer" next. The spear-head was knocked
off, and the long shaft broken into a dozen pieces. The bow was
unstringed and cut into chips, and then the arrows were snapped across,
and the quiver split up. All these would be excellent materials, and
from their age and dryness would ignite and burn like touch-wood.

An important addition to their stock of fuel was obtained from a source
up to this time quite unthought o