In the evening, the party cut a number of pieces of wood; these,
measuring by the cannon in the casemate, they made of just sufficient
size and length to push down, with a slight effort, through the touch
hole. When pushed down to their full length, they touched the interior
of the cannon below, and were just level with the top of the touch
hole. Thus, it would be next to impossible to extricate them in a
hurry. They might, indeed, be broken and forced in by a solid punch,
of the same size as the touch hole; but this would take time, and
would not be likely to occur, on the moment, to the pirates.
The skewers, for this is what they resembled, were very strong and
tough; being made of slips of bamboo. The prisoners had all knives,
which they used for cutting their food. With these the work was
accomplished.
Towards morning the five natives, with the skewers hidden away in
their loincloths, and their turbans twisted in Mahratta fashion, stole
out from the casemate. Charlie had ordered that, in case they should
see that the ships had drawn off from the position they occupied on
the preceding day, they should return without attempting to carry out
their task.
He himself, with Tim, joined the sailors; and, first ascending the
ramparts and seeing that the ships were still at anchor, abreast of
the fort, he and his comrades strolled across the interior of the
fort, in the direction of the magazine.
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