He saw to the reverent burial of
poor Pietro Gama, entered full details of the fight in the ship's log,
and helped Walker to search the suspected coal for a further supply of
dynamite, as the utility of the surface mines had been demonstrated
beyond a doubt. He thought it possible, given the necessary time, to
rig a device which would be practically invisible. A fresh set of
dummy poles, which the Indians would probably avoid in the event of a
second attack, might deflect the canoes into the area of new mines laid
at sea level.
Their utmost diligence brought to light no further supply of the
explosive. Evidently, the prepared lumps of coal, each containing a
stick of dynamite, which were placed among the bunker at Valparaiso,
had been conveyed on board by one man, so it was more than likely there
was not another ounce of the stuff on the ship except the three
specimens first discovered. These, water-soaked and useless, were
locked in a drawer in the chart-house.
While scrutinizing the bunker, Courtenay found a grimy piece of paper,
crushed into a ball and amalgamated with coaldust by means of the glue,
or other substance, which had been used for making the bombs intended
for the destruction of the furnaces.
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